Dinking in the New Year with Top 5 Male Pro James Ignatowich
Dinkville is proud to be sponsored by Selkirk, and we highly recommend their exceptional products and strong commitment to the future of pickleball. Please check out their site HERE and use code ADV-LHALLAM at Checkout to receive a FREE GIFT from Selkirk!
Elevate your game with a Dinkville Instructor! Book a Lesson Today!
Looking to take your game to the next level? Reach out to our Dinkville Preferred Instructors who would love to work with you! Tell them Landon sent you when you reach out! Click HERE to see our instructors
Upcoming Beginners Clinics at Music City Pickleball (MCP)
Pickleball Clinics coming up at Music City Pickleball (MCP) run from 12pm-1:30pm and cost $30 per person! See below available clinics
Beginner clinic (Mon, Jan 8th): for those who have never played or are still getting a feel for the game. We supply everything you need, just wear some comfortable clothes and "court shoes" (tennis, volleyball, etc) if you have them.
Advanced beginner clinic (Wed Jan 17th): for those who know the rules and can hit most pickleball shots some of the time, but who are working on improving their aim and consistency.
Intermediate clinic (Mon, Jan 22nd): for those who have played quite a bit of pickleball, and are fairly comfortable with all the necessary shots, but still need to work on shot selection and their "soft game"/dinks.
Advanced Intermediate clinic (Mon, Jan 29th): for those who have played extensively, are fairly consistent, are comfortable playing against aggressive players, and who are fairly confident in their shot selection.
Reach out to Kevin Mulder at mulderk@bellsouth.net if you have any questions or check out MCP Monthly Calendar HERE
Super Dink: Glow in the Dark Pickleball Tournament on Feb 3rd at C2 Pickleball
Dinkville is excited to announce Super Dink: Glow in the Dark Pickleball Tournament at C2 Pickleball in Hendersonville, TN on Saturday February 3rd! There will be Men's, Women's, and Mixed Doubles Brackets for ALL Skill Levels so make sure to find a partner and get signed up today!
There are 74 Teams Registered so make sure to Sign Up Today HERE!
Thank you to our tournament sponsor Miracle Automotive for making this event happen! If you are looking for a car or need anything at all in the car industry, make sure you head to Miracle Automotive!
If you can't make this event, go to C2 Pickleball for other upcoming Pickleball events and membership options!
Dinkville Members Enjoy Playing and Learning From James Ignatowich and Ryan Fu
Photo Credits Left Mike Boey and Right Brenda Causey
What a fun way to end the year by dinking with one of the best male players in the world in James Ignatowich and Ryan Fu! Dinkville Members were able to book 3 and Pro Sessions where they could play with and against them to learn strategy and from to develop their game. Multiple members booked sessions and were able to take their game to the next level! Be on the lookout later in 2024 for another chance to book a session with James! Thank you James and Ryan for allowing Dinkville to be apart of your weekend here in Nashville!!
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Photo by Alexander Shatov / Unsplash
Make sure to follow Dinkville on Instagram @dinkville_Pickleball to keep up with recent events and stay in tune with upcoming announcements!
Today In Pickleball Brought To You By The Dink
Crank Up the Pressure
Not all dinks are built the same. A small difference in the placement of your dink could win the point or set you up for failure.
Selkirk pro Dominic Catalano talks about finding the Pressure Zone in a new video.
Catalano divides the kitchen into three equal parts based on their distance from the net, creating an upper third, middle third and back third.
The back third is where you want to land your dinks. It puts the ball at the opponents' feet and creates pressure on their next shot.
It forces them to either short-hop the ball off of the bounce or take a low volley out of the air. Both of those options are a win for you.
- It is a shot they can't attack you with and is another chance for them to make a mistake
- You don't always have to hit a highlight reel-worthy offensive shot to win the point
- Sometimes, you just have to keep the rally going until they make a mistake
Catalano also stresses that the zone spans the width of the kitchen. He recommends not targeting the same location more than three times in a row to prevent your opponent from getting into a rhythm.
Move the ball laterally while still keeping it in the back third of the kitchen. Change your target from their outside foot to their inside foot or vice versa.
Get tips on how to defend the pressure zone here.
Post-Holiday Pickle News
It’s ‘New Year, New Partnerships’ across the pickleball community. Here’s what we know:
Pros Switch Paddles
Tyson McGuffin is leaving Selkirk, something we’d heard about months ago but he recently made clear in a public announcement:
“As I reflect on all of our years together, I’m so proud of all we’ve accomplished for the sport. 8 years together, 20x titles, 1 triple crown, #1 ranking in both singles/doubles, content collaboration, 2 sexy signature paddles, and a clothing line…I am beyond grateful for how you put me on the map and took care of me."
And, in a case of excellent timing, we now know precisely where he’s going next: Joola.
Less than an hour before we launched this newsletter, Joola confirmed that they’ve added Tyson to the roster. An Insta post says he’ll sport a Joola paddle at the PPA Masters in Palm Springs next week.
Meanwhile, Takeya has decided to return to exclusively manufacturing water bottles, which means Riley Newman needs a new paddle brand.
We saw him experimenting with some unnamed options, but his latest insta post with Lindsey Newman implies he’s made a decision — and is keeping us in suspense.
PPA, APP Switches Balls
Travis Rettenmaier confirmed it on the latest episode of Tennis Sucks (see below): The PPA Tour is switching its official ball from the Dura Fast 40 to the Vulcan Vpro Flight Outdoor.
If you’re unfamiliar with Vulcan’s pickleballs…well, you should be. It’s their first step into the ball market.
And what a way to enter said market. The deal is rumored to have cost Vulcan over 2 million.
PPA isn’t the only league switching balls though. The APP chose OWL’s new ball.
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Thanks,
Landon Hallam
Dinkville President