This is the nation's best amateur team

A compact swing is key. Tinder is swiping right on pickleball.

December 16, 2024

Pack your bags for Dubai. Four lucky pickleballers just earned an all-expenses trip to Dubai to compete in the 2025 PWR Pickleball World Series.

The Dink Minor League Pickleball National Championship awarded $50K in prize money over the weekend and illustrated why there’s nothing else that compares to team pickleball. More on that below.

In This Issue:

🤏 Downsize your backswing with this exercise
🏆 National Champions crowned in St. Louis
📲 Tinder is swiping right on pickleball

Get your team together for 2025.

Our Picks ☝️

💧She’s Back: Leigh Waters Returns at PPA Daytona Beach Open

Pickleball’s favorite mother-daughter team is back together for the last event in 2024. Leigh and Anna Leigh Waters will pair up for a throwback title run circa 2022.

🎁 Holidays: Get Your Gifts Before Christmas

Time is running out to secure your gifts for the holidays. For some products, today is the last day to order to guarantee delivery before the big day. Find what you need to put Santa to shame in the The Dink Holiday Gift Guide.

💵 Uniform Contest: $1K Winners at National Championship

Competition was fierce for the best uniform contest leading into the National Championship. In true 2024 fashion, The KC Chiefs just keep winning and secured the vote for the best uniforms along with the $1000 prize.

📈 Skills: Armaan Bhatia Went from 3.4 to 6.2 in One Year

India’s no. 1 ranked pickleball player is still relatively new to the game but he studies more pickleball than anybody and has found a way to apply his learnings on the court.

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Refining Your Groundstrokes

Tennis players have a competitive advantage when making the transition to pickleball. Having strong groundstrokes can easily bump you into the 4.0 level, but you do need to fine-tune those strokes to keep advancing.

The key is to condense those big tennis groundstrokes into shorter more efficient swings. Instructor William East has a great way to check if your strokes include unnecessary movement.

  • In a new video, he lines up next to a wall and simulates a topspin forehand. What he is looking for is to maintain contact with the wall throughout his backswing.

  • If his paddle leaves the wall, it indicates his backswing is too big or inefficient. By shortening the swing, he can maintain good form when there’s less time to react.

The swing path generated in this exercise is also great for creating topspin on your shot. When the paddle comes off the wall it is lagging behind your wrist and ready to brush over the top of the ball. Do a little housekeeping this month and check if your swing needs to be downsized.

Just Ordered my Second Pair

PB5star’s engineering team continues to sprint ahead and we can’t get enough.

Their new Court 2’s just dropped and feature breakthrough patented Dynamic Stability Assist™ tech that sets this gear apart in a way that’s noticeable on the court.

The company continues to impress with technology investments moving the needle further than what we thought was possible in their pursuit to create the lightest, most precise, and durable sneaker in the sport.

Our pick for the Dink Fam is the on-trend all-white Court2’s. You will start seeing these everywhere.

National Champions Earn a Spot in the World Series

The Dink Minor League Pickleball National Championship concluded yesterday in St. Louis, MO. The champagne was flowing as the nation’s top teams climbed the podium to celebrate a year’s worth of hard work.

The skill level and camaraderie were unparalleled at the event. It proved again that there’s nothing quite like the energy around team pickleball.

A record-setting $50k in prize money was distributed amongst the winners and for the first time ever the winners of the DUPR 22 division earned an all-expense paid trip to Dubai to compete in the 2025 PWR Pickleball World Series.

Here are your 2024 National Champions:

DUPR 22: The Yards
Ava Cavataio & Juan Carlos Saez & Heather Nobler & Randy Blanco

DUPR 20: 4RTH Squad
Bryce Larson & Clayton Boydston & Ella Boydston & Elsie Hendershot

DUPR 18: Cobra Kai
Jake Namken & Ashley Griffith & Luana Stanciu & Maxwell Ruyle

DUPR 16: Mismatch
Aaron Soto & Kari Soto & Emily Cessna & Josh Lamphere

DUPR 16 50+: We Hit Dinkers
Nikki Baker & Mike Ward & Jason Ward & Deana Holman

DUPR 14: KC Wolf Pack
Sara Maguire & Caroline Maguire & George Wolf & James Wolf

DUPR 14 50+: Eat, Dink & Be Merry
Lora Montross & Sonya Cranford & David Moore & Gregg Masterson

DUPR 12: Wishful Dinking
Tommy Nguyen & Malini Bueche & Eden Guirard & Steven Nguyen

Congratulations to all of the winners and thank you to all of those who competed. There are 100+ events on The Dink Minor League Pickleball calendar for next year. Get your squad together and sign up.

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Pack Your Paddles for the French Riviera or Tuscany

Do you have plans for 2025? How about smashing balls on the sun-drenched courts of the French Riviera or serving under the Tuscan sun? Pickle Away is whisking pickleball aficionados off to Europe's most stunning locales for a mash-up of sport and luxury that even your paddle would approve of.

From May 5-10, the French Riviera is calling. Only four spots left to master your strokes with coach Brett Noel, sip champagne on the beach, and maybe learn a thing or two about Provençal wine. 

Tuscany steps up from September 8-13 with its own pickleball charm. Six spots remain for you to delve into the art of Italian cooking post-game, explore ancient towns, and yes, more wine. Because what's a backhand without a backdrop of rolling hills?

Swiping Right on Pickleball

Move over, long walks on the beach—pickleball is taking over Tinder. In 2024, mentions of pickleball in dating bios skyrocketed up 148%, showing just how much this sport has become the ultimate social flex. Shout out to a member of the Dink Fam for telling us about this trend.

Why pickleball? Because it isn't just a game; it's a vibe. It's fun, active, and a perfect way to connect with new people. Whether you're swiping for a doubles partner or a soulmate, dropping pickleball in your profile says you're ready for some competitive fun (and maybe a little friendly trash talk).

So, next time you hit the courts, keep an eye out—you might just meet your match in more ways than one!

Genie Bouchard Gets an Eye-Opening Injury

Eye injuries are one of the scariest injuries that can occur on the pickleball court. Unlike a rolled ankle, or broken bone, which can happen in any sport, the size and roughness of a pickleball make it particularly dangerous for eye injuries.

Genie Bouchard, the former Wimbledon finalist, sustained a scratched cornea after being accidentally struck in the eye by a pickleball during training. She was treated at urgent care and is expected to recover in a few days.

Don’t worry, though—Genie’s already laughing it off and on the mend. She joked about her “pirate look” and plans to be back in action soon. Pro tip: Eye protection is always worth the minor inconvenience.

And it’s not just shots from across the net you have to worry about. Genie’s injury was sustained from a ball that came off her partner’s paddle.

Bouchard was not the only player in pickleball pain last week. Katie Couric is also sporting a Wile E. Coyoteish lump on her forehead after accidentally hitting herself in the head with her paddle. Stay safe out there Dink Fam.

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