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Johns Bros take on Andy Roddick today

Johns Bros take on Andy Roddick today

Get more from bad games. Jorja's triple crown.

March 11, 2024

It’s the Monday after Daylight Savings Time. Your Apple Watch says one time and your oven says another. We’re all off our routine, but here’s a solution to steal some time back.

While you’re blocking off your calendar for the week, go ahead and put a meeting on the books for 2-4pm CT today, subject line: Andy Roddick. More on that below.

What product would you most like to see in an upcoming Pickleball Box from The Dink?

In This Issue:

📺 Stream pickleball live from SXSW
✌️ Pro pickleball doubleheader
🧐 Elitism creeping into pickle

Let’s do it.

Get the Most Out of “Bad Games”

Open play is one of the most fundamental practices in pickleball. It builds communities and creates friendships.

The major drawback of open play is playing with people at a different skill level. No one likes winning or losing in a non-competitive match.

If you do find yourself in a game with three lower-level players, it’s not the end of the world, and you shouldn’t treat it that way. Here are three ways to make the most of those games.

Don’t Go For the Kill

Sure, you could speed it up and win the point. But why not extend the point in a dink rally? Get more touches and more practice in the soft game.

Practice dinking to all different spots on the court instead of just trying to end the point.

Tell Them Your Weaknesses

Pro player Jaume Martinez Vich mentioned this strategy on the PicklePod. He said that one way he likes to work on his game, especially against weaker opponents, is by telling them exactly where to hit the ball.

If your backhand is weak, tell them so they have leg up. It will give you a chance to strengthen a weakness and provide them a better chance at being competitive.

Focus on One Shot or Technique to Improve

Instead of racing to 11 as fast as possible, focus on one specific shot to improve on. Let's say you are working on the Ben Johns backhand roll. One way you can set yourself up for an attempt is to dink crosscourt repeatedly.

If you want to improve your transition game, take your time getting to the kitchen. Take two or three shots from the transition zone. Work on landing a perfect drop instead of sprinting in.

These games within the game will keep you focused and entertained in slower-paced rec games.

Let It Glow

Brighten up your game with the vivid SLK by Selkirk Halo pickleball paddles, now in radiant pink and lime green!

Select between the 16mm Control Core for strategic placement and the 13mm Power Core for that extra oomph in your shots. And with the longer XL handle, you're in for enhanced reach and spin, making every shot count.

Don't blend in; visit Selkirk's website to explore these colorful wonders and elevate your game today!

Helping You Through Your Monday

It's South by Southwest week in Austin and this year’s main attraction (at least according to us) is pickleball. The world’s best duo of Ben Johns and Collin Johns will mix it up with tennis legend Andy Roddick, TikTok Star Josh Richards and Pickleball Coach to the Stars Matt Manasse, who is also serving as host for the event.

The Amazon Pharmacy Pro-Am will be live at 2pm CT today on The Dink YouTube Channel. Two teams of three will battle it out in three matches to decide a winner.

Take a break from Monday to get in a little pickleball. Watch the Johns bros against one of America’s all-time tennis greats and get a look inside the famous SXSW event in Austin.

Find more info here and tune in here.

Wilson’s Big Weekend

Thomas Wilson and Vivienne David have become staples on the mixed doubles podium. They’re two of the nicest players on tour, but have no problem crushing your dreams on the mixed doubles court.

This weekend with Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters missing at the Indoor Championships in Lakeville, Minn., Wilson and David finally topped the podium and won their first PPA title. But Wilson wasn’t done there.

He and Christian Alshon eliminated Collin Johns/Matt Wright and Jay Devilliers/Pat Smith on their way to men’s doubles gold. In the finals, they defeated Connor Garnett/Tyler Loong, who outperformed their No. 8 seeding and finished with silver.

Rachel Rohrabacher and Anna Bright also seized the opportunity to win their first PPA title together. With ALW and Catherine Parenteau out of the draw, it was theirs for the taking.
Federico Staksrud won his second men’s singles title of the year. He has made an impressive four straight finals to start the year.

In a turn of events, it was Salome Devidze who requested additional line judges for the women’s singles final against Parris Todd. The extra eyes were necessary and impactful in the final points of the match. An overturned Todd line call at 9-10 sent the ball back to Devidze, who finished the match on the serve.

It’s a back-to-back week for the PPA Tour. They are headed South to Texas for the Austin Open, which kicks off Wednesday.

Johnson Wins All Three

Jorja Johnson made history this weekend. She became the third woman to complete a triple crown on the APP Tour with her sweep in Sacramento.

Johnson started Championship Sunday with a three-game win over Megan Fudge. Her second title came alongside Jill Braverman, as the duo swept Milan Rane/Yana Newell, 11-1, 11-6 in the women’s doubles final.

In mixed doubles, Daria Walczak and Patrick Kawka battled all the way from the qualifier to Championship Sunday. They upset the No. 1 seeds Andrei Daescu/Megan Fudge on Friday.

Their run came to an end when they met Jorja and JW Johnson on Sunday. The siblings won two straight games to secure Jorja’s triple crown.

Gabe Tardio and Andrei Daescu are one of the hottest teams in pickleball. They closed out JW Johnson and Will Howells with a pickle in game three of the men’s doubles final.
Will Howells and Jack Foster also went to three games in the men’s singles final. Howells finished Foster in the third to leave Sacramento with gold.

The APP’s next stop is back home in Florida. The Miami Open kicks off on March 19th.

A True World Series

The game we all love is taking a monumental leap onto the global stage with the launch of the Pickleball World Series.

Spearheaded by the collaborative genius of Times Group and Pickleball Asia, this groundbreaking series promises to captivate pickleball fans worldwide with events spanning six continents, beginning in the United States.

The Pickleball World Series will feature an elite lineup of 64 individual players and six teams, showcasing exceptional talent from the U.S. and across the globe. Not only will $500,000 to $1,000,000 be up for grabs at each event, but participating players will also receive an appearance fee and enjoy complimentary travel and accommodations.

Check out the details and see how you can take your game to the international stage at www.thepickleballworldseries.com

Elitism Taking Over Pickleball Courts

The "rivalry" between tennis and pickleball continues to intensify, with professionals taking shots at each other's sport (looking at you Reilly Opelka) and court accessibility making headlines in virtually every community.

While the disdain continues from the tennis (and sometimes padel) world towards pickleball, the pickleball faithful should be warned of becoming what they hate. There is an increasing feeling of "elite-heat" in many pickleball communities. What was once a player-friendly alternative to tennis and a way to socialize has quickly become an intense environment of competition and exclusivity.

Many higher-level players are seemingly less inclined to assist in bringing in new prospective pickleball players into the mix and more frequently are spurning healthy/growing public court communities in search of less-known, hidden ones.

There is still a lot of good momentum in pickleball no matter how you slice it. Though now is the time to understand how the "pickle-boom" has made it this far.

The fear is that pickleball may build the very silos and not bridges that others in the tennis world have before – less we face a similar fate of a new flavor-of-the-month sport. Our Johnny Barth shares his perspective on the dynamic relationship between the two sports.