Notes & Homework

Skill: Ready Position

• Paddle Up and out in front of you. Approx. net height.
• Elbow out in front of you - not tucked into your body.
• Feet shoulder width apart.
• Light bend in the knees
• Slight hinge forward from the hips- don’t get chest facing the ground
• Square up to the ball with toes, hips, shoulders and paddle.

Skill: Dinking

• Contact Point:  Contact Point out in front, approx 12-15” in front of toes.  Push forward through the ball with a guiding motion.
• Weight Transfer: Allow weight to flow into your shot.  This will look more like a speed skater shifting side to side than a jack in the box bouncing up and down.  Up weight transfer will pop the ball up.
• Body Positioning:  Square up to the ball:  point your toes, hips, shoulders and paddle towards the ball.
• Hands: Soft relaxed hand with continental grip, soft stable wrist, lay back your wrist.
• Swing: Smooth even swing tempo with no backswing behind the body. Follow through pointing your paddle out in front directed at where you placed the ball

Drill: Ball to Paddle Dink- Straight On and Cross Court

• Players stand straight on skinny to each other at the NVZ.
• One player underhand tosses a ball to partner that will hit a dink back to them.
• Tossing player emphasis on good ready position to receive the ball after dink and good release forward when tossing. 
• Hitting player emphasis on good dink mechanic.
• Do this straight on and cross court. 

Drill: Cone Heads Straight On and Cross Court

• Set up cones 1 foot inside the NVZ and about 1 ft on either side of players stance.
• Place a ball on top of each cone as a target.
• Players stand straight on skinny to each other at the NVZ.
• Players dink straight on trying to knock the ball off of their opponents cones as they also protect their cones by taking dinks out of the air.