Diagonal Beats Straight

In many pickleball moves, especially kitchen dinking, diagonal shots are more reliable than ones that go straight over the net. That’s because you have more room for inaccuracy. A dink can go higher, because it has a longer time to fall. Your placement can be somewhat off to the right or left, yet your opponent will be less likely to hit it back offensively. In an ongoing kitchen dinking rally, you can also keep a watch on your near sideline, possibly blasting a surprise passing shot down the line. Of course, your partner should keep in mind that the opponent in a diagonal kitchen rally can do the same down-the-line shot.