Kitchen Game to 11
Why this drill
Turns the cooperative dink rally into a contest, which is where dinking technique either holds or collapses. Winning here requires the discipline to keep the ball unattackable while looking for a ball you can attack.
Setup
Both players at the non-volley-zone line, playing straight ahead on one half of the court — sideline to centerline. Agree on the boundary before the first ball.
The drill
Play points to 11, rally scoring, starting each point with a friendly dink feed. Every ball must land in the kitchen; anything landing behind the line loses the point, and no volleys allowed — this keeps it a pure dinking contest. Play one game straight ahead, then one game cross-court. Track your losses: if most points end with your ball in the net, you are aiming too low; if they end long, you are swinging instead of pushing.
One thought to take on court
Win with placement and patience — the player who tries to end the point usually ends it for the other side.