Dinkville Teams Up With Geodis Park for Summer Fest
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Dinkville Anniversary Tournament July 15-16 Sign Up Today!
Join us for Dinkville's first Anniversary Tournament July 15-16 at Municipal Park in Gallatin, TN. Men and Women Brackets on Saturday July 15th; Mixed and Singles Brackets on Sunday July 16th. Each team will be guaranteed 5 Games and a Tournament T-Shirt! All levels are welcome so find a partner and come on out for a fun summer weekend of Pickleball! If you need help finding a partner please make sure to jump in our Community Discord! Sign Up Today Here
Free Beginners Clinic Monday 6/12 at 6pm at Municipal Park in Gallatin, TN
Want to learn pickleball? Come on out Monday night at Municipal Park in Gallatin, TN from 6pm-8pm for a free beginners clinic. We will have volunteer Dinkville Instructors teaching the basics of the game so you can start playing today! Sign up HERE to help us have a guage on who is coming!
Peay Park Courts Packed For Opening Week
Peay Park Pickleball Courts are open and players have packed them out! With 3 Pickleball courts and 4 temporary courts on the tennis courts allows up to 28 players playing at once! Make sure to stay connected in the community discord for open play and organized events coming soon! Peay Park Address
Dinkville + Geodis Park = A Fun Summer Weekend of Pickleball at Summer Fest!
Geodis Park is hosting Summer Fest on June 23-25 and Dinkville is partnering with them to help run the Pickleball Courts for the event! Friday Night June 23rd starts off with the 21+ Older Kickoff Party that includes Open Play Pickleball Courts, Live DJ, Fully Stocked Bar, and Prizes! Then Sunday June 25th is a family day with Open Play Pickleball Courts, Live Music, Stadium Tours, Kid's Zone activities, Corn Hole, and Prizes! Buy Your Tickets HERE and Come See Kaitlin Miller and Other Dinkville Members!
Stephanie Lane Teach The Teacher Workshop- June 30th
Stephanie Lane Teach The Teacher Workshop is on for June 30th at C2 Pickleball in Hendersonville, TN. Make sure to sign up today at there is only 25 spots available! Sign Up Here or contact Stephanie at Stephanie@pickleballrocks.com.
Up Your Game Brought To You By The Dink:
Beginner Play: A Trip Down Memory Lane
Yesterday at open play, I found myself on the court with a few new players. They were just nailing down where to stand and how to keep score.
Although they were learning the game quickly, each one could have benefitted from a little advice.
Player 1 - Total beginner. No racquet sports background and only played pickle a couple of times.
- The tip: Slow down. Swinging the paddle fast and out of control is going to spray the ball in every direction.
- Slow down your swing. Make solid contact. Direct the ball where you want it to go. Learn to control the ball before swinging for the fences.
Player 2 - Had more court experience but that serve, painful. Have you come across a player the has almost no toss on their serve? It looks like they're plucking it straight out of their hand like it's tee-ball.
- The tip: Separate the toss from the serve. Treat the toss like its own step, then focus on the swing.
- For some reason, players get hung up on serve mechanics. To make things easier, separate the serve into steps. 1) Toss 2) Swing
- Bonus: if you don’t like your toss, don't swing. Pick the ball up at start again.
Player 3 - Tennis player - new to pickleball. This player had great hands and great strokes. But they were bleeding points by not reaching the NVZ.
- The tip: Position > ability. Standing closer to the net outweighs the ability to hit perfect groundstrokes.
- Unfortunately, when the opposing team gets to the NVZ, hitting groundies from the baseline just won't cut it.
- Even if it makes you uncomfortable in the beginning, advancing to the NVZ is a necessity.
These tips are not ground breaking, but helpful to share when you’re on the court with a newbie.
Just make sure they’re looking for help before you put on the coaching hat.
Today In Pickleball Brought To You By The Dink:
Pro Mixed Doubles Sets a Great Example
Let’s consider for a moment some of the ways in which pickleball is more gender-equitable than other sports:
- Its major tours make a point of offering equal prize pools for women and men
- Mixed doubles is arguably the most popular fixture of pro events
- All genders play together regularly on amateur courts across the world, every single day (“boys clubs” and “girls clubs” are the exception, not the rule)
- Smaller court size literally levels the playing field for different body types and abilities
- Just as much a strategy game as a power game
“The rules and equipment were designed to blur the lines between age and gender,” pro Irina Tereschenko adds in a recent Forbes article about pickleball inclusivity.
Though it may be uncommon, mixed doubles at the pro level (and its popularity among fans) creates a sense of mutual respect between players. It forces them to need each other.
“When men and women play together, men get to know women and respect them as athletes,” several pro players told Forbes.
Most interestingly, the Forbes piece interviewed pro women players about where they think the sport’s culture could improve. Here’s what they hope will change:
- Men crowding women on the court
- Men scoring more, and bigger, endorsements
- More men’s games making it to broadcast
Additionally, the author notes that women pros feel they have to pay more attention to their appearance because of their gender.
“The women pros I talked to told me the pressure isn’t tremendous in pickleball, but it’s certainly there, especially for women who want to…invite more sponsorships and endorsement.”
“Still, the women I talked to felt strongly they did not need to compromise themselves or their values to be successful…”
California Dreamin’
Pack your board shorts and get ready to hit the coast. Pro pickleball is stationed in Southern California for the rest of the month, starting with the Orange County Cup.
The San Clemente stop is almost unanimously listed as the favorite location on tour. Scenic hills and views of the coast are the backdrop for one of pickleball’s premier events.
No Lea Jansen in the singles field means we will not see a rematch from Sunday’s epic final.
The draw does contain Anna Bright, Jorja Johnson and Catherine Parenteau who will all try to dethrone Anna Leigh Waters starting tomorrow.
The list of potential men’s medalists grows deeper and deeper. Players like Collin Schick and Juame Martinez Vich have proven to be legitimate contenders. It will be a war of attrition to see who can find a way to Championship Sunday.
The smart money, as always, is on Ben Johns. But the road to the final gets more daunting with each event. The Federico Staksrud train has lost steam in recent events. Look for him to get back on track in Cali.
Tune in to singles action tomorrow on PPATV
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Landon Hallam