Overview
- Pro John Cincola outlines five situational dinks—topspin push, slice, half-volley, cup, and volley—to handle pressure at the non-volley line.
- He emphasizes control over spin on the topspin push by sending the ball low and deep, and uses the volley dink to take opponents’ time away.
- Coach Cam Luhring details three third-shot drops—slice/push, drip, and topspin—and explains how choosing among them keeps opponents honest.
- Luhring differentiates the drip’s through-the-ball finish from a pure topspin brush and frames the slice/push as the most forgiving foundation with a locked wrist and slightly closed face.
- Both instructors prescribe targeted drills, including the step-back “slinky” progression, partner consistency benchmarks, and live-ball starts, to make these options automatic under match pressure.