Your Pickleball Soft Game Probably Isn't Soft Enough

Your pickleball soft game might be sabotaging you without you even knowing it. Here's how to fix it and start winning more points immediately.

The pickleball soft game is where matches are won and lost, yet most amateur players are doing it completely wrong.

According to Ashley Griffith, a professional pickleball player, the biggest mistake she sees in nearly every amateur is that their soft game isn't actually soft.

Players think they're being aggressive, but what they're really doing is handing their opponents an easy opportunity to attack.

Here's the thing: your dinks might be the problem, and you don't even realize it.

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Why Your Pickleball Soft Game Dinks Are Setting You Up to Lose

Most amateurs hit their dinks too high, too firm, or too attackable. That's why you keep getting sped up on at the net. The goal of the pickleball soft game isn't just to get the ball over the net; it's to make your opponent uncomfortable and force them into a defensive position.

A good dink should stay low, remain unattackable, and force your opponent to hit up on the ball.

If they can attack it, your dink isn't soft enough. The difference between amateur and professional play comes down to this single concept: pros aren't trying to win the point with the dink. They're trying to win the setup.

Think about it this way. When you hit a dink that's too high or too firm, you're essentially giving your opponent a gift. They get to take an aggressive swing, speed up the ball, and put you on your heels.

You've already lost the point before the rally even develops. Recognizing your court position is what allows you to understand when your dink is actually working in your favor.

What Does a Real Soft Game Look Like?

The key to mastering your pickleball soft game is understanding what "soft" actually means. It's not about hitting the ball gently; it's about hitting it with control and precision so that it lands in a spot where your opponent can't attack it.

Ashley Griffith breaks this down in her approach: before you hit every dink, ask yourself one question: "Can they attack this?" If the answer is yes, your dink is not soft enough. Your goal is to make them lift the ball, not give them something easy and attackable.

Here are the three things that make a dink truly soft:

1. Height — The ball should land low in the kitchen, ideally just above the net tape.

2. Pace — The ball should travel slowly enough that your opponent can't generate power.

3. Placement — The ball should land deep enough in the kitchen that they're forced to hit up.

When all three elements come together, you've created what pros call an "unattackable" dink. Your opponent has no choice but to hit the ball upward, which gives you the opportunity to move forward and take control of the net. Mastering dink placement is the fastest shortcut to getting there.

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How the Pros Think About Dinking Differently

Here's where the mental shift happens. Amateur players think the dink is a way to win the point. Professionals think of it as a way to set up the winning shot. This distinction changes everything about how you approach the pickleball soft game.

When you're at the pro level, you're not trying to end the rally with a dink. You're trying to create a situation where your opponent is forced to pop the ball up or hit it weak.

Once that happens, you can move in and finish the point with an aggressive shot. Understanding when to attack versus when to play safe is the next layer of the puzzle.

This requires patience. It requires discipline. And it requires understanding that sometimes the best offense is a really good defense. Your pickleball soft game is your defense. It's your way of controlling the point and dictating the terms of the rally.

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The One Thing That Changes Your Pickleball Soft Game Immediately

If you fix just one thing about your pickleball soft game, you're going to win more points immediately.

Stop trying to win with your dinks. Start trying to set up your opponent to make a mistake.

This mental shift is more powerful than any technique adjustment. When you stop thinking about winning the point and start thinking about neutralizing the point, your entire approach changes.

• You'll hit softer dinks.
• You'll place them better.
• You'll be more patient.

And most importantly, you'll force your opponents into uncomfortable positions where they have to make difficult choices.

The next time you play, make this your focus. Every single dink, ask yourself: "Is this unattackable?" If it's not, adjust. Hit it lower. Slow it down. Place it deeper. Keep adjusting until your opponent has no choice but to hit up.

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Why Pop-Ups Aren't Actually Your Problem

You've probably heard that pop-ups are the enemy in pickleball. But here's what most players get wrong: pop-ups aren't the problem. A weak pickleball soft game is the problem. Pop-ups are just the symptom.

When your opponent pops the ball up, it's because your dink gave them an opportunity to attack. You hit it too high, too fast, or too close to the net. Stopping pop-ups for good starts with fixing what you're doing before the pop-up ever happens.

So instead of blaming pop-ups, look at what you're doing to create them. This is the real insight that separates amateurs from pros.

Pros understand that they control the quality of their opponent's shots through the quality of their own shots. If your opponent is popping the ball up constantly, it's because your pickleball soft game is forcing them to. And that's actually a good thing. That means you're doing something right.

Putting Your Soft Game Skills Into Practice

The beauty of this approach is that it's immediately applicable. You don't need new equipment. You don't need to completely overhaul your technique. You just need to change how you think about the pickleball soft game and what you're trying to accomplish with every single dink.

Start in practice. Work on hitting dinks that are genuinely unattackable. Feel what it's like when your opponent has no choice but to hit up.

Notice how that changes the dynamic of the rally. Once you understand what an unattackable dink feels like, you can start reproducing it consistently in matches. Mastering your forehand dink is one of the fastest ways to lock in that feeling.

The improvement will be noticeable. You'll win more points. You'll feel more in control at the net. And you'll start to understand why the pros make it look so easy.

They're not hitting harder or faster. They're just hitting smarter.

According to CBS Sports coverage of the sport's growth, the strategic depth of net play is one of the primary reasons competitive pickleball has exploded in popularity across all skill levels. The soft game is the great equalizer. Even players without elite athleticism can dominate at the net when their dinking is precise and disciplined.

Research highlighted by NBC Sports reinforces this: the majority of points at the recreational and competitive level are decided not by who hits harder, but by who creates the first attackable ball. That's your pickleball soft game doing the work.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the pickleball soft game and why does it matter?

The pickleball soft game refers to the collection of touch shots played at or near the kitchen line, primarily dinks, resets, and drop shots that keep the ball low and unattackable. It matters because the majority of points in recreational and competitive pickleball are decided at the net, where control beats power every time.

How do I know if my dink is soft enough to be unattackable?

Ask yourself one question before every dink: "Can they attack this?" If your opponent can take a full swing at it, your dink is too high or too firm. A truly unattackable dink lands just above the net tape and forces your opponent to hit upward, giving you control of the rally.

What is the difference between a dink and a reset in pickleball?

A dink is an offensive or neutral soft shot played from the kitchen that keeps your opponent pinned low, while a reset is a defensive soft shot used to neutralize a speed-up or attack. Both are core pickleball soft game skills, but resets are typically played from a more defensive position when you're under pressure.

How long does it take to develop a reliable pickleball soft game?

Most players see measurable improvement in their pickleball soft game within a few weeks of intentional, focused practice. The key word is intentional. Hitting hundreds of dinks mindlessly builds bad habits. Practicing with purpose, specifically asking whether each shot is unattackable, accelerates improvement significantly.

Should I always dink when I'm at the kitchen line?

Not always. The pickleball soft game is a tool for setting up the point, not for winning it directly. Once your dinks have forced your opponent into a weak or high return, that's your signal to attack. The soft game creates the opportunity; your speed-up or put-away finishes it.