7 Reasons Your Dinks Keep Popping Up (and How to Fix Them)

💫 Get my FREE match planning worksheet here! 👉🏼athenapickleball.kit.com/matchplanningworksheet 📓Pick up your FREE pickleball goal setting workbook here ⬇️: https://athenapickleball.kit.com/goal... Struggling with popping up your dinks? Here’s how to fix it. If you're an intermediate pickleball player (3.0–4.5) and your dinks keep floating high or getting attacked, this video breaks down 7 simple fixes you can use immediately to gain control, consistency, and start applying real pressure at the kitchen line. These are the exact troubleshooting cues I use with my students to help them stop pop-ups and build a more reliable soft game, without overcomplicating things. 🧠 What You’ll Learn: How your grip pressure affects control and touch Why your wrist might be sabotaging your dinks The #1 mistake players make with acceleration and “poking” How to fix your paddle face angle for better trajectory Why a big backswing is killing your consistency The ideal contact point for controlled dinks How footwork ties everything together (and fixes almost everything) 🎯 Who This Is For: Intermediate players (3.0–4.5) Players struggling with pop-ups, inconsistency, or lack of control Anyone looking to improve their soft game, dinking strategy, and kitchen play 🔑 Key Takeaway: Learning how to troubleshoot your own shots is one of the fastest ways to improve. Clean up just a few of these habits, and your dinking will level up quickly. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Intro: Why your dinks are popping up 00:08 – Overview: 7 fixes to troubleshoot your dinks The 7 Fixes 00:18 – Fix 1: Grip pressure (too tight = pop-ups) 01:00 – Fix 2: Stop using your wrist 01:53 – Fix 3: Even movement (no poking or jabbing) 03:06 – Fix 4: Paddle face control (angle matters) 04:45 – Fix 5: Eliminate the backswing 05:49 – Fix 6: Contact point (out in front) 07:28 – Fix 7: Footwork (the foundation of everything) Putting It All Together 08:50 – Chain reaction: how all 7 fixes connect Outro 09:16 – Recap + call to action Want help setting 2026 pickleball goals? Check out this Youtube video here👇 : ▶️    • Make 2026 the Year You FINALLY Level Up in...   📓Pick up your FREE goal setting workbook here: https://athenapickleball.kit.com/goal... 👉🏼 Follow me on Instagram @athenajess 🚀I"m OBSESSED with the new CRBN Barrage. Get yours!!! 👇🏼 Get 10% off at CRBNPickleball.com using code COACHJESS #Pickleball #PickleballTips #PickleballLesson #PickleballForWomen #PickleballCoaching #AthenaPickleball