The Power Of Community
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Wishful Dinking Charity Tournament Recap
What an incredible showing from our Dinkville Community for our first ever Pickleball Tournament Wishful Dinking. We had 72 Teams sign up and compete in a Men's, Women's, and Mixed Bracket Charity Tournament Benefitting Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee! When the rain came and tried to wash us out, Dinkville Member Cullum Miller, Owner of C2 Pickleball, did not hesitate when he offered their facility to finish the tournament! Everyone packed up and drove down to C2 Pickleball to finish up the brackets indoors. We got resettled and finished the rest of the tournament with the last match finishing at 10:15pm. I want to thank all the Dinkville Members for being positive and flexible through all the curveballs, C2 Pickleball for stepping up in a HUGE way when they didn't have too and saved the tournament, and Beth Walker, Chris Taylor, Doug Praskach, and Logan Goodwin for literally being LIFE SAVERS and volunteering their time to run the best tournament possible!
Want to team up with a Pro? Or think you can take down the Pros with your partner? Sign up for a Dinkville Exclusive Social Play with the Pros at C2 Pickleball in Hendersonville on May 9th and May 10th at 9am-12pm for just $100/per day. This is a Private Event with Limited spots available so make sure to sign up fast! Click here to sign up!
Close to Sold Out! Grab Your Ticket Today
Wishful Dinking Pro-Celebrity Charity Pickleball event coming up on Tuesday May 9th at Belmont Tennis Rooftop Facility in Nashville, TN! Join us at this private event for a fun night with Pickleball, Food/Drinks, and Prizes. Limited spots left, click here for tickets! If you can't join, make sure to tune in for our Livestream through our YouTube Channel, Subscribe Here To Follow
Sign up and compete in the C2 Spring Fling Pickleball Tournament on May 6th-7th! Brackets are filling up quick so sign up HERE to secure your spot!
Up Your Game Brought To You By The Dink:
ATP Perfection
The ATP is one of the most beautiful shots in pickleball. It's hard to find one more beautiful than a match-ender to advance to the gold medal.
Check out the view on this stunner from Rob Nunnery at the APP Sacramento Open. See it for yourself next week when Rob is in Nashville!
Let's break this shot down so you can start ending matches in style, too.
On this ATP, like any other, the key is patience. Our ATP rule of thumb: wait as long as you can. And then wait a little longer.
Every inch the ball travels outside of the post makes your job easier. Get comfortable letting the ball drop close to the ground.
Crossover Step. Rob steps across his body and loads his weight onto his right foot. On the backhand side, the crossover step allows him to extend his reach out wide and low to the ground.
Follow through. The ball is so low to the ground on this shot that Rob has to lift it and shape it into the back corner. Pay attention to the follow-through on the shot. He lifts up and around the outside of the ball.
What takes this shot to the next level is placement.
Stefan Auvergne plays decent ATP defense in the video above: close to the sideline and deep in the court.
But even in this ideal position, he can't defend Rob's perfect placement in the back corner of the court.
Now get out there and let it fly. The only way to get better at this shot is to practice.
Today In Pickleball Brought To You By The Dink:
Malls Need Pickleball
If you’re over the age of 25, you’ve surely noticed malls aren’t what they used to be, much of that due to the convenience of online retail.
Some estimates claim shopping malls across America will contain up to one billion square feet of empty space within 5-10 years…and that estimate was made in 2017.
I was awestruck by that number, so I ran some math: one billion square feet could accommodate well over 555 million pickleball courts.
With a population of 332 million, of which only about 40 million have played pickleball, it’s safe to say America will never need that many places to play.
Still, pickleball’s biggest obstacle to growth is centered around space, and not just dedicated play areas.
The sport requires spaces zoned away from residential areas, preferably close to complementary businesses which might attract sports fans, families, or anyone who just exercised.
It doesn’t take a genius to make the connection.
Malls either host or are geographically close to those complementary businesses, and they feature everything pickleballers want under one roof:
- high ceilings
- accessible locations
- activities for bored tagalong family members
- air conditioning
- plenty of parking
- ample space
Plus, the sooner pickleball players take over disused retail spaces, the sooner they’ll stop butting heads with angry tennis players.
As long as retail real estate conglomerates and municipal leaders work together, clearly malls house the future of pickleball…or is it the other way around?
All Eyes on Charlotte
Tennis star Jack Sock will be the center of attention this weekend in Charlotte. Sock is playing in all three events starting with singles tomorrow where he could square off with James Ignatowich and Dylan Frazier.
In doubles, Sock is receiving the VIP treatment. He is partnered with Tyson McGuffin in men's and Anna Leigh Waters in mixed.
With premium partners comes high expectations. Let us know if you think Sock will reach the podium in Charlotte.
Will Jack Sock earn a medal in Charlotte? |
One thing working in Sock's favor is the absence of Ben Johns. That, however, does not mean the men’s singles field isn’t loaded:
- Last year’s champ Ryan Sherry is prepping for another gold medal performance on the court and on the mic.
- Emerging stars like Connor Garnett and Collin Shick make for a treacherous path to Championship Sunday.
- The top seed will be Federico Staksurd, who has made himself comfortable on PPA podiums in 2023.
ALW is the favorite in women’s singles but will need to shake off some rust after a month-long hiatus. Lurking in the draw is last week’s APP Sacramento champion Judit Castillo and the non-delaminated paddle of Salome Devidze.
We will update you with results on Friday and preview more doubles matchups. Tune into singles day starting at 10am ET tomorrow on PPATV and keep an eye out for the special Championship Sunday broadcast from 6-7pm ET on ESPN 2.
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Landon Hallam