Windshield Wiper Dinks
Why this drill
Dinking with direction is a different skill from dinking with consistency. The wiper pattern — two cross-court, one down the line — trains the disciplined direction change that moves an opponent without giving them a ball to attack.
Setup
Both players at the non-volley-zone line, starting on the same diagonal. A few balls at the post.
The drill
Cooperative rally with a fixed pattern: each player hits two dinks cross-court, then one down the line. The line dink hands the pattern to your partner, who does the same — so the ball sweeps the kitchen like a wiper blade and both players hit forehands and backhands on the move. Count full sweeps as a pair; six without an error is solid, twelve is strong. The direction change is the test: it must stay just as low and just as short as the cross-court balls.
One thought to take on court
Change direction with your feet and paddle angle, not a bigger swing — a line dink hit harder is just a pop-up with ambition.