Last Week to Sign Up for the Super Dink Moneyball Tournament!
Need New Pickleball Paddles, Shoes, or Gear? Go to our Friends at the Tennis Store in Franklin, TN
If you’re looking to upgrade your pickleball gear, head to The Tennis Store in Franklin—it’s my go-to spot, and it should be yours too! They have everything you need to get tournament-ready, whether it’s paddles, shoes, or any other equipment. Plus, when you mention DINKVILLE at checkout, you’ll get an additional 10% off your entire purchase.
P.S. We are working with them to update their name to Pickleball Store lol
Dear Dinkville Community,
Time is almost up! This is your last week to register for the Super Dink Pickleball Tournament—Moneyball Edition, happening January 31 – February 2 at the beautiful Diamond Pickleball facility in Bowling Green.
Tournament Schedule:
• Friday, January 31st: Senior 50+ Older Men's, Women's, and Mixed Brackets
• Saturday, February 1st: Men’s and Women’s Open Brackets
• Sunday, February 2nd: Mixed Open Brackets
With 20+ brackets for all skill levels, this tournament promises to be a high-energy, fun-filled event for competitors of every level. There is 6 Moneyball Brackets with a total money purse of $20K!
Important Details:
• Limited Spots Available: Each bracket is capped at 8 teams (only 4 courts available).
• DUPR-Recorded Matches: All games will count toward your DUPR rating, helping you fine-tune your performance and start 2025 strong.
• Beautiful Venue: Experience top-tier competition and a fantastic atmosphere at Diamond Pickleball.
Don’t miss out—spots are filling fast! Secure your spot today to join the action and compete with the best.
Today In Pickleball Brought To You By The Dink
Up Your Game
Recognizing Paddle Position
There are a ton of visual cues that higher-level players use to make decisions. An experienced player knows what to look for from their opponent’s outfit choice, court positioning, and swing path.
One visual cue you need to start paying attention to immediately is paddle position.
Pro player Ryan Fu breaks down exactly what he sees in this mixed doubles point to give him the upper hand.
Fu hits a drop for his team and looks to land the ball in the kitchen. While the ball is in the air he evaluates his opponent’s paddle position to determine her next move.
- He sees her paddle drop low to play the ball out of the air
- This tells Fu that she won’t be attacking and gives him free rein to crash forward
- The advanced court position allows him to poach the next ball and get on the offensive
Fu counters the ball to her left shoulder setting up a putaway on the next shot. The key to flipping the point comes with his ability to recognize the advantage early. Instead of returning the point to neutral, he can turn the tables in his favor and finish the point.
When you’re hitting your next drop or reset, don’t wait until the ball bounces to move forward. Look at your opponent’s paddle position to determine the height where they will contact the ball, if it’s low, move in, if it’s net level or higher, retreat.
The Air Fryer of Sports
NFL Today jumped out of the studio and onto the pickleball court to preview the Buffalo Bills vs Denver Broncos game last weekend. While on the court, host Kyle Brandt rallied off the analogies comparing pickleball to football.
He said that pickleball is the ‘air fryer of sports’ and that the Denver Broncos were the ‘pickleball of playoff teams’ for a number of reasons.
- They both are fun, have a lot of buzz, and are not going away soon
- They both are at their best when players wear their brightest colors
- They both are multigenerational
- And both have their fair share of skeptics
Brandt brings to analogy full circle claiming that the Buffalo Bills are more like tennis. Let’s hope that pickleball doesn’t share the same fate as the Broncos who lost to the Bills, 31-7.
Pickleball gets thrown into all types of cringey conversations these days but you have to applaud how it was done here. It’s worth a watch as the game is simultaneously praised and roasted being called the pet rock of pastimes, the Mazda Miata of hobbies, all the hype of CrossFit with half the injuries, none of the exercise, and it leads the league in paramedic emergencies.
Well done.
The APP Housewarming Party
The APP is kicking off the new year in a big way. They will host the Fort Lauderdale Open at their new headquarters, The Fort. The Fort is a massive 43-court facility that will house the APP’s development programs and more.
In Pole Position
Megan Fudge and Chris Haworth enter the year as the No. 1 seed in women’s and men’s singles, respectively. Fudge won an impressive 10 gold medals in 2024 and Haworth snagged a staggering 7 titles in a deep singles field.
Double Trouble
In doubles, the top spot belongs to Will Howells in men’s and Jill Braverman in women’s. They will each get the benefit of a No.1 seed in gender doubles and will partner together in mixed.
The Fort Lauderdale Open is one of the Golden Ticket Qualifier events on the APP calendar. Winners at the amateur level earn a coveted position in the USA Pickleball National Championships later this year. Coverage for the event starts at 10 am 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