1. FREE Intro to Pickleball Clinics at Veterans Park!

We’ve got some fantastic news for all you pickleball enthusiasts (and soon-to-be fans)! Veterans Park in Hendersonville, TN is offering FREE Intro to Pickleball Beginner Clinics every Tuesday, with sessions from 5–6 PM, 6–7 PM, and 7–8 PM. Spots are limited, so be sure to sign up quickly to secure yours! Whether you’re new to the game or want to sharpen your skills, this is the perfect chance to learn and fall in love with pickleball. Once you try it, you’ll be playing all the time!

2. Tuesday-Thursday Ladder Play at Lipscomb

We’ve got something NEW just for you! Ladder Play on Tuesday and Thursday's from 6-9 PM at Lipscomb Racquet Club. Whether you're a newbie or a seasoned player, this is your chance to hit the court, meet fellow picklers, and have some fun. It's $10 for non-members and just $5 for Lipscomb+ members.  
Just sign up, show up, and let the games begin!

3. Dinkville Tournament Coming Up!

Pickleball season is in full swing, and we’ve got some amazing tournaments lined up:

- Dinkville Pickle N Pigs Charity Tournament:  
 Oct 26-27 @ Veterans Park, Hendersonville  
DUPR Tournament so all players get rating

4. Intro to Pickleball Clinics at Lipscomb- Wednesday

It’s all about leveling up! We’re running intro to pickleball clinics on Wednesday's. Sign up now and join the Fun! 🏓🔥

5. Private Lessons with Dinkville Pros

Want to take your game to the next level? Our Dinkville instructors are some of the best in the biz! Whether you're looking to improve your technique or just fine-tune your skills, we've got you covered.  

Sign Up for Dinkville's Pickle N' Pigs Charity Tournament Today!

Why wait? You know you're going to play, so register now for the Pickle N' Pigs Charity Pickleball Tournament on October 26th and 27th. We will have tons of free giveaways, including paddles, merchandise, and more. Expect some fun competition and plenty of chances to win cool prizes!

37 New Players Attend FREE Intro to Pickleball Clinic at Veterans Park

Everyone wants to learn to play pickleball right? We have FREE Intro to Pickleball Clinics on Tuesday's at Veterans Park in Hendersonville, TN from 5pm-6pm, 6pm-7pm, and 7pm-8pm. Invite your friends and family and come learn the best game and get connected to your local community today!

Today In Pickleball Brought To You By The Dink

Up Your Game

When You’re in Trouble, Dink Middle

The middle dink is still one of the most underutilized shots in the game. It’s not a flashy move, but it can be extremely effective.

Pro player Tanner Tomassi explains the benefits of the middle dink in a new film breakdown.

The ball doesn’t cross a paddle
Landing a middle dink is less risky than trying to hit a perfect sideline dink. The middle dink does not cross in front of the opponent, so there is less of a risk of it being attacked out of the air as a volley. As Tanner says, “It doesn’t cross a paddle.”

Your opponent will get too aggressive
When your opponent sees a middle dink, they will likely respond to it by hitting an aggressive shot directed at the sideline.

• Since they’re already in the middle of the court, there is less room for error on their shot.
• Their overaggression can lead to a ball that travels out of bounds or is high enough to poke out of the air as a volley. The attempt to create offense can backfire, leading to free points for you.

When you’re in doubt or in trouble, a safe place to land the ball is in the middle. The key is to ensure the ball stays low by hitting it softly and having the peak of the ball’s trajectory on your side of the net.

Don’t be afraid to keep them short in the kitchen to make your opponents move their feet.

UPA-A Releases Certification Costs for 2025

In May of this year, it was announced that the United Pickleball Association of America (UPA-A) would compete against USA Pickleball and serve as the new governing body for UPA events, including paddle regulation.

Initial rumors of UPA-A certification pinned the cost at $100K annually for paddle companies. Recent news from UPA-A outlining the paddle regulation plan for next year dispelled those rumors. Please note that this certification only applies to pro-level UPA events.

• Provisional Certification—Paddle manufacturers can apply for provisional approval that will last until March 31, 2025. The cost to apply for provisional approval is currently $2,000 but will increase to $3,000 after November 15, 2024.
• Full Certification—In 2025, the costs will go up. Full certification in the new year will cost $20,000 plus $5,000 for each model and $1,000 per variation. Additionally, MLP/PPA will require a licensing fee for paddle brands competing at the professional level.

The announcement indicates that funds will be used to build out the testing platform, including equipment and staff for on-site and laboratory testing.

What You Need to Know

What amateurs need to pay attention to is the limits set on paddle performance. New standards set by the UPA-A could eventually influence future regulation of the amateur game. The limits set in place for the new paddle performance tests are:

• A paddle may not exceed 2200 RPM on the spin test
• Average Deflection Force must meet or exceed 42 lbs

Find more details on UPA-A paddle certification here.

Undefeated and It Feels So Good

One men’s doubles team has a perfect 10-0 record and two PPA titles this year. If you didn’t watch the Virginia Beach Cup over the weekend, then chances are you wouldn’t have been able to guess who it is.

Fed and Big H Mean Business
Federico Staksrud and Hayden Patriquin had an improbable run to their first men’s doubles title back in June. The duo linked up again in Virginia Beach and showed that the first win was no fluke. They topped the Johns Bros 11-9, 6-11, 3-11, 11-8, 11-2 in yesterday’s final.

Momentum Swing
Fed and Big H were two points away from elimination in game 4 of the finals. The Johns won games 2 and 3 and had a 9-3 lead in game 4. Staksrud/Patriquin rallied for three straight points, prompting the Johns to walk to their bench.

PPA Head Referee Don Stanley previously warned both teams that a timeout must be clearly indicated before leaving the court. Since no timeout was called, Stanley enforced a delay of game penalty and subtracted a point from the Johns.

Fed and Big H took advantage of the turmoil and came back to win game four and close the match in game 5.

A Near Double Triple
The men’s doubles loss was the only thing preventing a double-triple for Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters. They were dominant again in mixed, and Ben powered through men’s singles without dropping a game.

ALW had one of her closest matches of the year against Brooke Buckner in the singles finals, winning 9-11, 11-9, 11-6. She and Catherine Parenteau left no doubt in their rematch against Anna Bright/Rachel Rohrabacher in the women’s final.

Here is a full recap of the event, including another rule controversy and highlights.

PPA Virginia Beach Cup Results

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