Inflate Your Game—Pickleball Just Got a Whole Lot Bouncier!
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!
Hey Dinkville Community,
Sign up for Dinkville's Charity Pickleball Tournament happening May 2nd–4th at Veterans Park in Hendersonville, TN! This special event will support Mary’s Magical Place, helping to continue growing this incredible park that brings joy to so many in our community.
Tournament Details:
🎾 Friday, May 2nd: Senior Brackets (50+) & Open Singles (Evening)
🎾 Saturday, May 3rd: Women’s & Men’s Brackets
🎾 Sunday, May 4th: Mixed Brackets
Why You Don’t Want to Miss This:
✅ Free T-shirt for everyone who signs up before April 1st
✅ Exciting giveaways – paddles, bags, merch & more!
✅ Fun for all skill levels and ages – bring your A-game and your friends!
✅ DUPR Recorded games to help players get rating!
✅ Only $60 per person – a great time for a great cause
We’re dedicated to making this a top-tier event with an incredible experience for all players. Grab your spot, enjoy some competitive play, and help us support an amazing cause!
⏳ Last Call! Spring Pickleball Merch—Store Closes Monday!
Spring is right around the corner, and you know what that means—time to level up your pickleball swag! Our online store is open, but not for long. It closes Monday, so now’s your chance to grab your Dinkville shirts and tank tops for $20 or less!
✅ Super affordable
✅ Ships straight to your door
✅ Guaranteed to make you look like a pro (even if your dinks still need work)
Look Good, Play Good—get fresh, get stylish, and get ready to dominate this spring. Order yours now before the store closes!
Blow Up Your Pickleball Game- LITERALLY!
Photo Credits McKenzie Wallace
Last week, some of our Dinkville Community took their game to new heights—literally. Players showed up, suited up (in some ridiculously funny blow-ups), and somehow managed to actually play pickleball while bouncing, wobbling, and rolling around the court. It was like pickleball meets a bouncy castle, and honestly… we might be onto something here.
This is exactly what Dinkville is all about—fun, community, and finding new ways to make pickleball even more epic. If you missed out, don’t worry—we’ve got plenty of ways to get you in on the action. Never played before? No problem! Our beginner clinics are the perfect way to start your journey. Just bring yourself, a paddle (or borrow one), and get ready to have some fun. We will start these back up in a few weeks at Veterans Park on Tuesdays!
So, if you’re not playing yet, what are you waiting for? Don’t just sit on the sidelines—join in, meet new people, and see why pickleball is the most addicting sport out there.
Hope to see you on the courts (inflatable suits optional)!
Sign Up for the Youth Academy at Pickleball Kingdom – Limited Spots Available!
We’ve got an amazing opportunity for young players to learn from the best! Join us for the Pickleball Kingdom Youth Academy from March 10th–14th, where kids will be coached by none other than Stephanie Lane (the Queen of Pickleball) and Kenda West!
Camp Details:
📅 Dates: March 10th–14th
📍 Location: Pickleball Kingdom
👦 Ages 8–11: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
👧 Ages 12–16: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
💰 Cost: $250 per child (limited spots available)
This is the ultimate opportunity for kids to learn from two of the best in Nashville, develop their skills, and have an absolute blast on the courts! If they’re interested in pickleball, this is the best way to start.
Spots are filling up fast, so sign up today to secure your child’s place!
Today In Pickleball Brought To You By The Dink
Up Your Game
The Power of Hesitation
Most people would assume being hesitant is a bad thing, but well-timed hesitation can be the right formula for easy wins on the court. The Pickleball Playbook outlines a strategy to use tempo to your advantage in this video.
Instead of rushing to the net after a drop shot, slightly hang back and observe your opponent's reaction. Most players assume you're staying back and will try to keep you there by hitting the ball deep. The moment they commit to their shot, sprint forward and take the next ball out of the air, catching them off guard. To execute:
- Hang back slightly after a good drop
- Watch for your opponent’s movement—when they start their swing, move forward
- Take the ball out of the air to gain the advantage and control the point
- Use this trick at the kitchen line too—step back, bait the dink, then step in and attack
Mix this in with your usual strategy of getting to the line quickly to keep your opponents guessing. Try it out and let us know how it works for you.
Two Point Penalties Slapped on World No. 1
The subjectivity of line calls continues to plague professional pickleball, a truth that was on full display at last weekend's Mesa Cup.
One match in particular — a semifinal men's singles bout between Federico Staksrud and Hunter Johnson — seemed to strike a particular nerve with the players and fans alike. Between challenges, appeals to match officials, mysterious timeouts and even some audible booing from the crowd, it quickly became more than a matchup between two of the best players in the sport.
An exchange during the side switch in the third and deciding game — involving some choice language from Staksrud and subsequent technical warnings and failed appeals — resulted in Staksrud forfeiting two points to Johnson, pushing the score from 6-2 to 8-2. Johnson would go on to win the deciding game with an 11-5 finish.
The match lasted nearly 100 minutes, half of which went down without anyone actually playing any pickleball. Staksrud was outspoken during and after the action. "They messed me up," he said of the match officials during a post-match interview. "I don't get what we're doing here."
It kind of makes you wonder ... when is close-call replay coming back for good? We caught up with Fed on a new episode of the PicklePod. Subscribe here to get notified when that episode drops.
Pickleball Invades California’s Capitol
A shot at history is on the line as the APP Tour returns to the Johnson Ranch Pickleball Complex for a fourth straight year. The APP Sacramento Open kicks off today.
All-Time Medal Leader
Megan Fudge is on pace to make history in Sacramento. If she can secure three medals on Sunday, she will become the tour’s leader in all-time career medals.
Haworth Era
Chris Haworth will be busy chasing a record of his own on Sunday. A gold in Sacramento will give Haworth 10 career men’s singles titles and tie the all-time record.
Find out who Erik Tice is predicting for a podium run here and tune into the event starting tomorrow at 1 pm ET on APPTV.
Like this content? Sign Up for the The Dink Newsletter Here
Please reply to this email and say hey as I would love to get to know you and learn how we can continue to grow pickleball in our community!
Thank you,
Landon Hallam
Dinkville Founder/CEO