Figure-Eight Dinks
Why this drill
One player dinks only cross-court, the other only down the line — so the ball traces a figure eight and both players hit every dink on the move. It is the cleanest way to train recovering to a new spot and dinking again before you are fully set.
Setup
Both players at their non-volley-zone lines. Agree on roles before the first ball: one is the cross-court player, one is the line player. A few balls at the post.
The drill
Cooperative rally: the cross-court player sends every dink on the diagonal, the line player sends every dink straight ahead. The ball traces a figure eight and both players move constantly — hit, shuffle, set, hit. Count consecutive dinks as a pair; thirty without an error is solid, sixty is strong. Swap roles every few minutes so both players train the direction change in each direction. Every ball must still be a real dink — the pattern is not an excuse for pop-ups.
One thought to take on court
Shuffle, don't cross your feet — arrive set before the ball does, not while it's on you.