Transform Your Kitchen Game with Two Handed Backhand Dinks

Welcome to The Pickleball Clinic Coaching Newsletter!

If you want to play pickleball at a high level, you need to have weapons: offensive shots that you can execute well.

Notice how weapons is plural. That is, you can’t just have one or two of them.

And, your forehand can’t be your only weapon. You need to be able to create offense on both sides, forehand and backhand.

That’s where the two handed backhand dink comes into play.

Today, we’re going to break down the two handed backhand dink so that you can use it to dominate the kitchen line.

Let’s dive in 👇

The two handed backhand dink is one of the best ways to create offense off your backhand side at the kitchen line. It allows you to apply topspin and pace to your dinks, as well as move the ball with precision to put pressure on your opponents.

I recommend for all players to learn how to hit an offensive two handed backhand dink, because the one handed backhand dink is limited in terms of offensive options. It is difficult to create topspin and pace with one hand, so most one handed backhand dinks are hit with backspin or no spin at all, causing them to be neutral or defensive.

Here are my top tips for executing a perfect two handed backhand dink, and using it to dominate at the kitchen line:

1. Recognize the two hander’s limitations. This is my first tip because so much of your success with the two handed backhand dink comes down to shot selection. Some players only hit a one handed backhand, but no one hits only a two handed backhand dink. The one handed backhand is still your best option when you are stretched, because you have more reach with one hand. It is also near impossible to hit a two handed backhand slice, so you should still slice with one hand. Ideally, you should be using your two handed backhand to take advantage of neutral or dead dinks. This is when you have the best opportunity to take control of the point and put pressure on your opponents.

2. Get behind the ball. The ideal contact point for the two handed backhand dink is right inside your hitting leg (for righties, this will be your left leg). This gives you the best opportunity to push the ball and apply topspin by swinging low to high. You should avoid hitting your two handed backhand from outside the frame of your body. You will have the most control when you hit from right in front of you.

3. Get low and stay low: bend your knees! I can’t stress this enough. You need to get under the ball with your legs. In fact, most errors on the two handed backhand dink come from not getting low enough. If you are bending with your back or reaching for the ball, you are setting yourself up for failure. Equally as important, you need to stay low through the shot. Do not come back up until after the ball leaves your paddle. Despite the fact that the two handed backhand dink can be offensive, you have to remember that the dink is a soft shot that requires finesse. If you come up while you are swinging, you run the risk of popping the ball up.

4. Swing from low to high. This is where the topspin comes from. Make sure you get the paddle below the ball so that you can swing up on it. Do this by getting low with your legs as well as dropping your arms underneath the ball. When you follow through, your paddle should be higher than where you contacted the ball.

5. Keep your paddle face pointed to your target. Another super common error on the two handed backhand dink is covering over the ball so that the paddle face is pointed down towards the ground. As you brush up, you should keep the paddle face pointed towards your target. This maximizes both control and spin.

There you have it! That covers the most common errors that I see on the two handed backhand dink from beginners all the way up to advanced players. If you implement those five tips, you will be well on your way to turning your backhand into a weapon.

See you on the courts!

- Matt Slowinski (Co-Founder, Pro Player & Coach)

In the video below, we see two two handed backhand dinks: one from the team on the far side and one from the team on the near side. One of them was executed well, and one was popped up, causing the opposing team to win the point. Based on the tips above, can you figure out what went wrong?

Here’s the answer: the player on the near side lifted her legs while she hit, leading to the popup. Getting low and staying low is one of the most important parts of the two handed backhand dink!

You Have to Move Your Feet

A big problem that some players have is they don’t move their feet when they’re up at the kitchen line. It’s almost as if their feet have been put in cement so the only way they can hit their dinks is by leaning over with their backs. You’ve probably noticed this in others or in yourself! 😁

Either way, it’s not a good thing. Instead, you want to feel like you're up on your toes. You want to be able to bounce around and move from side to side. Well, VKTRY Insoles give you that extra spring in your step. How? Because while you play, the VKTRY insoles flex under your feet, returning energy with every step — while offering unmatched support and stabilization. Plus, they reduce the risk of foot injuries by 41% at the same time.

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Insights from Pickleball Pro, Coach, and Creator Tanner Tomassi

The key to the two handed backhand dink is to come around the ball with your top hand. You want to prioritize and focus more on side spin then you do topspin. This way your opponent will never be able to attack the ball out of the air.

Secondly, have your feet in line. You should be able to draw a straight line to your opponent with your feet. It’s very important that you do this in a closed stance as opposed to hitting the shot in an open stance. Use your entire body to get underneath of the ball for the most consistent shot.

See you all for my next bulletin!

For more from Tanner, follow @tanner.pickleball on Instagram & YouTube!

The two handed backhand dink is a pretty technical shot. If you practice hitting it with bad technique, it will do way more harm than good to your game.

If you want to make sure that you’re hitting your dink the right way, watch this video breakdown from Coach Matt where he goes over all aspects of the two handed backhand dink from the grip, to the swing, to shot selection. Plus, you’ll be able to get a visual on how the shot is supposed to look, so that you can replicate it when you practice.

Well, that’s a wrap… so let’s recap what we learned this week about the two handed backhand dink.

• Shot selection is key: make sure you’re choosing the right ball

• Get behind the ball: you should be hitting from in front of your hitting leg

• Get low and stay low: your knee bend will make or break the shot

Thanks for reading! We hope you can put these tips to good use the next time you’re out on the courts!

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- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic