Okay, so I was just kicking back earlier today, you know, trying to get through the daily crossword. It’s become a bit of a ritual, helps me wake my brain up a bit. Usually, I cruise through the easier clues pretty fast, but sometimes one just stumps me.
Today, it was this one clue: drop shot in tennis. Seemed straightforward enough, right? I play a bit of tennis myself, not great or anything, but I know what a drop shot is. It’s that sneaky little shot that barely clears the net.
But my mind just went blank on the crossword answer. I started thinking of all sorts of things. Slice? No, doesn’t fit the letters I had. Lob? Definitely not, that’s the opposite! I was trying to think if there was some fancy term for it. You know how crosswords sometimes pull out obscure words.
I stared at the grid for a good few minutes. Just staring. Got another cup of coffee. Still nothing. Then I counted the boxes for the answer. Four letters. Okay, that helps narrow it down. A four-letter word for a soft, short tennis shot.
What do you call a soft hit? A tap? A pat? None of those felt right for tennis specifically. Then it just clicked, almost out of nowhere. Like remembering something super obvious you forgot. DINK. Yeah, a dink shot! It’s often used in pickleball too, but definitely applies to that kind of soft, short shot in tennis sometimes.
It fit perfectly with the letters I already had in the grid. D-I-N-K. Felt good to finally pencil it in. Funny how the simple ones can sometimes trip you up the most. Just needed to clear my head and think basic, I guess.
Anyway, got that one filled in and managed to finish the rest of the puzzle. Always satisfying to complete it. Just thought I’d share that little puzzle battle I had today.
