Tennis Player Threatens to Call Police On Pickleball Players in Nashville
Acme Athletics: Glow In The Dark Tournament
What a fun black light event in Clarksville, TN at Acme Athletics for a Glow In The Dark Tournament! Look at pictures below of some of our members who were able to play! Stay connected in our community chat to find out more upcoming events in your area! Click here to join
Dinking In The 'Boro
Murfreesboro, TN had their "Dinking in the 'Boro" at Sports*Com last week. Great turnout of multiple members as they continue to grow a wonderful pickleball community! See pictures below from the tournament!
Why Can't We Be Friends?
Richland Park in West Nashville was the place to be on Wednesday night. All 4 Tennis courts were full; 2 for tennis and 2 for pickleball. There were 4 active Pickleball games going with 20+ total players compared to 4 tennis players playing (2 singles matches). A tennis player started to lose their patience once courts weren't opening and threatened to call the police on Pickleball players for not leaving the courts.
In the future, if there are people waiting for courts, make sure all 4 courts are rotating in players after 1.5 hours of play. I also recommend offering the tennis players a paddle and seeing if they want to join on your game of Pickleball. At all cost avoid violence and represent Dinkville and the sport of Pickleball the right way!
Up Your Game Brought To You By The Dink:
Aim Small, Miss Small
At the elite level, it is not enough to just make contact with the ball.
Instead of swinging to hit the center of the ball, pros will aim to make contact with specific areas of it, depending on the shot they're trying to hit. This might sound obvious, but how often does it really cross your mind on the court?
For a topspin shot, contact should be focused on the back half of the ball below the midline.
To curve the ball left to right, the contact point would be focused on the side of the ball instead of the center.
This technique helps accelerate the spin rate and exaggerate the motion of the ball. Once you master making contact, you can fine-tune where contact is made.
Watching the ball is always important, but next time you're on the court, take a closer look at where you're swinging.
Get To Know Dinkville Member Mike Boey
Who are you? Mike Boey. Moved to Nashville in September 2022 from Wisconsin with my dog Fred. Converted tennis and volleyball player. I am a consultant in Radiology IT for hospitals around the world using Epic.
When did you start playing pickleball? High school gym class exposed me to it and then not consistently until October 2022
How did you get started with Dinkville? While researching some new activities to explore in Nashville, I’m big on trying new things at least once! Abigail Scott, Grazzia Borrani, and Kyle Willet were super welcoming at a random meetup at Elmington Park and I was hooked!
Why do you love pickleball? The warm community feel and ability to integrate many diverse individuals into a challenging sport where there is a ton of space for growth.
What’s your favorite shot in Pickleball? Two handed backhand drive. The shape on it can be deceptive and catch people by surprise.
What’s your goals this year in pickleball? Stop babying shots in the soft game, increasing understanding of shot flow progression, and keeping my paddle up at the net.
What’s your advice to new players? Don’t over fixate on wins and losses. The goal should be to enjoy the sport and keep moving forward in your pickleball skills and progression! Embrace uncomfortable and keep experimenting with new shots and tactics.
Today In Pickleball Brought To You By The Dink:
Scary Times on the Court
We’ve all seen some head-turning points, but this is ridiculous.
A 35-year-old man described as “super fit” nearly died recently after turning his head too fast while playing pickleball. Yes, you read that correctly.
“I was just playing a regular game, nothing strenuous,” the father of four told The New York Post.
[If you’re squeamish with medical stuff, scroll past the next bit].
When he turned his head to the left quickly to track a ball, he heard a ‘pop’ in the back of his neck. Then, a barrage of vertigo, vision changes, and extreme nausea.
From the emergency room to a CT scan to intensive care and an MRI, he was finally given the lowdown: by turning his head too sharply, he dissected an artery, leading to not one, not two, but three strokes in the part of the brain responsible for coordination.
Thankfully, this story has a happy ending. He didn’t lose any of his physical function, and he’s determined to return to pickleball – especially after his local picklers banded together to help him raise funds for his extensive medical bills (you can contribute to a GoFundMe here).
He says only one thing will change: "I'm going to take it easy out there."
'The Masters' Shine in Rancho Mirage
The Masters broadcast kicked off with tennis Legend Sam Querrey making his pro pickleball debut on center court.
Querrey's game proved to be lacking against Alex Neumann, he dropped his first match 11-3, 11-3. He snagged a win in the consolation bracket before being eliminated in the next round.
The spotlight was instead stolen by three college tennis converts that started in pro pickleball last year:
- Federico Staksrud went 4-0 and will play for gold on Championship Sunday
- Connor Garnett wiped out JW Johnson and Ryan Sherry on his way to a 4th place finish
- Christian Alshon upset the #2 seed Tyson McGuffin
Despite the tennis wave crashing hard again, pickleball's "Masters" Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters both conquered the day unscathed and are the favorites to take gold on Sunday.
Waters will play Lea Jansen who defeated bronze medalist Catherine Parenteau in their semifinal matchup. Dylan Frazier scrapped his way to the podium and starts his year with a PPA bronze.
The tournament continues today with mixed doubles action.
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Thanks,
Landon Hallam, Dinkville Commissioner, Landon@dinkville.com