Did you know dinks could actually be aggressive? I sure didn’t. But thanks to Richard Livornese Jr. and Zach Marceau, you could hit a forehand roll dink that will pressure your opponents at the kitchen line. 

This shot is a weapon – so let’s learn how to add it to our pickleball arsenal. 

“The reason we want to have this shot is because it allows us to create pressure and dictate play from the net while disguising our speedups and being able to take control of the whole rally at the net,” said Marceau. 

So where should you aim the forehand roll? 

“I look to roll in between the feet, hard middle, or hard outside. This allows me to create opportunities and opens up the court in ways that allow us to find holes and gaps in the opposing defense,” shared Marceau.

There are two kinds of forehand rolls, the hard roll and the soft roll. 

The hard roll bounces right at the kitchen line or six to eight inches behind it. These are for the opponents that are stepping back to return the ball and not taking balls out of the air. 

The soft roll lands shallower in the kitchen. 

“We’re going to aim a little bit lower on the ball and really spin it, so it lands shallower in the kitchen. The opponent who’s really reaching for those shots can’t reach it and they’re forced to take a step back and just dink it back. That then allows us to have another ball that we can dictate play with,” explained Marceau. 

So how do you actually hit the shot?

“You get around the ball and use topspin to get the ball to land in the kitchen,” said Marceau. 

Marceau cautioned against using too much wrist because that can cause the ball to pop up and allow our opponent to take it out of the air and speed it up. 

“When we’re not using our wrist, we tend to be a lot more consistent, so keep your wrist in a softly locked position,” he said. 

Positioning is also key with executing this shot. As a general rule of thumb for pickleball, don’t be afraid to move your feet. Don’t stay locked in one position. 

If you want to maximize this shot, position yourself to have the ball in front of you as opposed to the side of you. 

“I want to turn my body slightly so that I’m hitting it in a direct line to where I’m aiming. For example, if I’m hitting cross-court, I need to make sure I have time to get around the ball and hit it cross-court,” demonstrated Marceau. 

Marceau summarized the two takeaways for hitting this shot effectively:

1.     Footwork

“Get around the ball and make sure you’re square to the ball and the ball is not to the side of you,” he said.

2.     Use your arm, not your wrist

“Use your arm and keep it in a tight radius. The more we extend, the further the ball is going to go,” he mentioned. 

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