Stephanie Lane- Teach The Teacher Workshop Coming This January
Dinkville Member Stephanie Lane is the Queen of Pickleball in Nashville, TN as she has done SO MUCH for city and community on learning and playing the great game. Lane has now added International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association (IPTPA) Level 1- Teach The Teacher Workshop in Nashville, TN on Saturday Janurary 14th. If you have any questions please reach out to Stephanie Lane at stephanie@pickleballrocks.com.
Get To Know Our Dinkville Member Dani Davis
Who are you? Dani Davis
When did you start playing pickleball? July 2019
How did you get started with Dinkville? A friend recommended Dinkville to me
Why do you love pickleball? I love the friendships, the exercise, and seeing my progress
What’s your favorite shot in Pickleball? The Kill shot! I like crushing the ball. (and she crushes it harddddd!)
What’s your goals this year in pickleball? To be more consistent
What’s your advice to new players? Watch learning videos, take a lesson from one of the many instructors around Nashville, and have fun!
Up Your Game Brought To You By The Dink:
Say No to Dinks Down the Line
Some things in life just aren't worth the risk. For most rec players, hitting a dink down the line is one of them.
Dayne Gingrich describes the perils of the down-the-line dink: "When hitting this dink, there are so many factors that play against us - it’s two inches higher over that part of the net, we have a much smaller landing area, and the Erne comes into play."
First, the net is two inches higher on the sidelines than it is mid-court. This means your dink has to be two inches higher to just clear the net.
Second, there is less kitchen space to work with on the other side of the net. The kitchen is 20ft. wide but only 7ft. deep. If you dink down the line, your window for the ball to land safely is small. That grows dramatically if you redirect to the middle or cross-court.
Finally, the down-the-line dink is like catnip for an erne hunter. A slow ball, tight to the sideline provides the perfect opportunity to jump the kitchen and smash for a winner. The same logic can be applied to baseline third shots and mid-court resets and third shots.
"I’d go as far as saying that until you can make it bounce perfectly in the tiny area available and make it “un-Erneable” 95% of the time, get rid of that shot altogether. This simple shift will exponentially increase kitchen consistency while also elevating our dinking confidence."
Think twice about the down the line dink. Eliminate unnecessary risk and keep the odds in your favor.
Today In Pickleball Brought To You By The Dink:
The Desert Rain
Rain delays in Arizona put a damper on the Mesa Open. But stormy weather and the competition were no match for pickleball OG Simone Jardim. Jardim walked away with two gold medals in what could be her final pro tournament.
Jardim and Jorja Johnson navigated the women's draw without dropping a single game. They received help from Susannah Barr and Etta Wright, who made a run from the fourth seed to a silver medal. Their run included wins over the Brascia sisters and Andrea Koop/Lauren Stratman. Etta Wright's stock is rising faster than anyone in pickleball as of late.
Jardim and Dylan Frazier lived up to the first seed billing on Sunday. It was a rocky road to reach the final, but Jardim and Frazier were all business on Sunday defeating Johnson and DJ Young, 11-7, 11-4.
Jorja and JW Johnson each won two gold medals on the weekend. Jorja took the women's title while JW cleaned up in men's doubles and squeezed out the win in men's singles.
After climbing through the back draw, JW completed the double dip over Federico Staksrud 11-7, 11-13,11-8, 15-10. He and Dekel Bar found a smooth route on their way to gold and won 11-4, 11-2 against Fed and Chuck Taylor on Sunday.
That's a wrap for 2022 APP Tour. We will recap the season in next week's issue.
Triple Crowns in the Magic Kingdom
2022 belonged to Anna Leigh Waters. She dominated every tour appearance, and yesterday was no different: Waters completed her seventh triple crown of the season in front of a packed house in Orlando. Our professional analysis: that's absolutely insane.
Not to be outdone by his 15-year-old mixed doubles partner, Ben Johns also went 3 for 3 on Sunday to complete his own triple crown. Their mixed doubles partnership is the most formidable in the game, bulldozing their way to an undefeated season.
The women's doubles win looked a little different for ALW. One, because she was playing with Catherine Parenteau, and two, because they squared off with the new duo Lea Jansen/Jackie Kawamoto. A Championship Sunday appearance and silver medal is an incredible result for a new partnership.
Things got chippy in the men's doubles final. The best rivalry in pickleball has reached a breaking point. Riley Newman chirped Collin Johns as they were leaving the court after game one. The two shouted back and forth during the intermission before taking the court for game two.
Apparently, a fired-up CJ is even more deadly than a calm one. It was all Johns bros in games two and three. They took the title 14-12, 11-5, 11-7.
The Orlando event is the last on the traditional PPA calendar but the tour will host a team competition in Las Vegas Dec 15-18.
PPA Hertz National Championships Results
APP Mesa Open Results
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Landon Hallam, Dinkville Commissioner, Landon@dinkville.com