Ignore coaches and players who tell you to never take a crossover step when you dink. There’s absolutely a correct time to do it, regardless of the level you play.
The most common time where you’ll want to break the old school “open stance only” rule is when you’re pulled wide on your backhand.
Taking a cross-over step will not only save you time and the actual steps you take, but it’ll also help cut off the angle of your opponent’s dink.
Your intention here isn’t to do anything fancy or offensive, it’s simply about getting to the ball on balance and not being pulled off the court.
As you practice this cross-over backhand and get more comfortable with it, you’ll eventually be able to turn it into an offensive angle back to your opponent’s backhand.
Other than the easier footwork, another reason the backhand cross-step approach is valuable and recommended is because your paddle shoulder is on the inside, allowing you to get to the ball earlier.
We can also do this cross-over on a super wide FH dink, but it isn’t as easy, because now your paddle shoulder is on the outside and will force you to come across your body to take the ball earlier - a little bit more difficult to time properly.
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Again, if you get pulled wide, especially on your BH, don’t hesitate to cross-over, cut off your opponent’s angle and make contact as early as possible.
Dayne Gingrich is a Mental Performance Coach. Follow him here.
