More Than Just A Game
DUPR Event 1.28.23 Recap
It was a beautiful Saturday for our first ever DUPR Event at Cedar Hill Park in Nashville, TN. A predetermined 6 Round Schedule was built based off members skill level to help get them get a rating and compete against similar players! We had 24 members sign up and play which included Women, Men, and Mixed matches! Thank you to everyone who signed up and played as all scores are updated in our Dinkville DUPR Club. To create a DUPR account and Join Our Dinkville DUPR Club Click Here. See below pictures from Saturday
More Than Just A Game
Yes, we all love Pickleball and play it for hours weekly, But the friendships and relationships that come from this wonderful game is PRICELESS! Dinkville members played Wednesday night at Old Hickory Community Center and afterwards went to dinner! This is the culture that Dinkville is all about and I encourage every member to get to know the person off the court as we could all use those relationships! Thank you Rusti, Doug, Tony, Mike, Kit, Lette, Laz, Michael, Darolyn, and Keyona for showing us what a Dinkville Community looks like!
Get To Know Dinkville Member and Lebanon Neighborhood Captain Jeff Fitzsimmons
Who Are You? I was born and raised in the Milwaukee Wisconsin area. Entrepreneur- owner/operator of a telecommunications company, and restaurant and bar. I am currently retired.
When Did You Start Playing? I started playing pickleball in 2017. Felt like a good fit after playing years in a table tennis club
When did you Join Dinkville? I got involved with Dinkville by volunteering to be a neighborhood captain in hopes to bring organized play to Lebanon.
Why Do You Love Pickleball? I love playing PB for the exercise, camaraderie and the competition.
What is your Favorite Shot? Third shot drop is one of my favorite shots because it keeps my opponent from getting an attackable ball.
What are you Goals this year? My 2023 goal is to drill more so my shots will be more consistent as well as help my group in Lebanon do the same. This way we all will have more competitive games.
Advice For New Players? My advice to new players is have fun, learn from your peers and don’t take the game too seriously unless you’re planning on traveling the country and playing in pro tournaments.
Up Your Game Brought To You By The Dink:
Wave Goodbye to the Continental Grip
Pickleball/tennis grip names are the worst. Continental, Eastern, Semi-Western...are we holding a paddle, or joining Magellan's next expedition?
Over at Third Shot Sports, they're ready to bid adieu to one of the most confusing grips, the continental grip.
"The CG is found when the V of your hand (between your thumb and index finger) is right on top of the paddle handle...similar to how a person might hold a hammer."
(While Third Shot Sports thinks the continental grip is on the way out, let the record show that our very own Thomas Shields thinks otherwise).
The grip was a common part of any pickleball curriculum but advancements in paddle technology and the prevalence of topspin have made the eastern grip more popular.
With the eastern grip, the palm is more parallel to the face of the paddle. This adds strength through contact and is more natural for the topspin stroke.
One weakness of the eastern grip is less backhand power. A growing number of players are switching to a two-handed backhand which mitigates that concern.
Next time you finish a point, take a look down at your grip. Are you shaking hands with your paddle (eastern) or wielding it like Thor's Hammer (continental)? Shake hands and play nice; a small change could make a big impact.
Today In Pickleball Brought To You By The Dink:
More Impressive Pickle Numbers
USA Pickleball recently published the results of its 2022 growth report. Much like the APP's recent study, which reported 36 million people played pickleball last year, USAP’s numbers also speak to an unprecedented year of pickle invasion.
As pickleball continued to expand across the country, USAP saw its membership increase nearly 30% over 2021. The National Governing Body currently has a membership base of nearly 69,000, compared to 53,110 in 2021.
Here are some other encouraging figures:
- USAP’s Places2Play database grew by 1,557 facilities, from 9,167 to a total of 10,724
- 130 new locations were logged per month, or more than four per day
- They announced that they approved 525 new paddles last year
- USAP sanctioned 237 tournaments in 2022 compared to 153 in 2021
The PPA Tour Takes Over Phoenix
The pickleball world is still buzzing about Major League Pickleball. Most touring pros were able to stick around in Arizona to roll right into this week's PPA Tour Desert Ridge Open.
One team riding the MLP wave is the undefeated men's duo from the LA Mad Drops. Thomas Wilson and Julian Arnold will try to keep their hot streak alive in Phoenix.
Anna Bright is mixing up her dance card and will partner with Vivienne David and Riley Newman. Bright and Newman could stand the best chance of playing spoiler to Anna Leigh Waters/Ben Johns's championship run.
Fan favorites Jorja Johnson and Andrea Koop add depth to the women's doubles field. They could shake up the women's doubles hierarchy and climb onto the podium this weekend.
The men's singles draw has an enormous 49-player qualifier bracket. The top finishers in the draw will earn a spot in the stacked men's singles field. Anna Leigh Waters will have 16 challengers in the women's singles field.
Catch the action starting Thursday morning on PPA TV. Fancy yourself an expert in pro pickleball? Click the Vote Now button on ppatour.com to predict this weekend's winners and earn a little bit of pickleball spending money.
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Thanks,
Landon Hallam, Dinkville Commissioner, Landon@dinkville.com