Why you're getting cooked at the NVZ

Open tryouts for Team USA Pickleball. Singaporean couple opens nation's first indoor facility.

August 05, 2024

Mark your calendar. Set a reminder. Book your court today. This Thursday is National Pickleball Day.

Fans will have their choice of events all week long, from the end of MLP Kansas City today to the start of the Selkirk PPA Kansas City Open on Wednesday.

There are also tons of local tournaments in full swing, including The Dink Minor League Pickleball events scheduled to celebrate the holiday. Find one near you and make sure your paddle is not collecting dust on the holiday.

In This Issue:

🇺🇸 Represent Team USA at the Maccabiah Games
4️⃣ Four reasons you’re getting torched at the kitchen
🇸🇬 Singapore adopting pickleball at a record pace

Let’s celebrate.

Why You're Getting Cooked at the NVZ

Composure under fire is a learned skill on the pickleball court. You have to get burned by a fast drive or speedup before you’re able to combat it.

For most players, it’s one of these four mistakes that makes them a sitting duck.

Your Paddle Face is Open
An open paddle face will result in a pop-up. A pop-up will have bangers drooling and result in more targets in your direction. Be mindful of your paddle rotating open at contact. Many players don’t realize they’re making this mistake over and over again.

You Tense Up
Straight legs, locked knees, and stationary feet are signs of someone who is in shock. If you stand upright when an attack comes your way then you’re in trouble. Maintain ready position to give yourself a fighting chance.

You Can’t Say No
If you can’t resist a ball hit in your direction, then they’re going to keep coming - HARDER and FASTER. Someone who can’t lay off a fastball gives bangers the green light to attack at will.

You Don’t Counter
When your opponent provides the speed, it’s your chance to turn defense into offense. Lean into the kitchen and punch the ball down at your opponent’s feet. They have less time to recover and will be forced to deal with a low ball.

It can be hard to identify what you’re doing wrong when the ball is flying at high speeds. Try recording your next match and check for these four mistakes when you’re reviewing your performance.

Say Goodbye to Vibration

Being able to change your paddle is a game changer.

The GAMMA Airbender features variable weighted endcaps and Zorbicon Shockbuster gel inserts, you can tailor your paddle to fit your game perfectly. Adapt on the fly and reduce harmful vibrations for a smoother play.

Try Out to Represent Team USA

The Maccabiah Games are the world's second-largest international sporting event next to the Olympics. Next year’s games are anticipated to include more than 10,000 athletes from 80 countries competing in over 40 sports.

The sport we are focused on is, of course, pickleball. America’s fastest-growing sport will make its debut at the 2025 Maccabiah Games. 

In preparation, tryouts are being held to select Team USA to participate in the games.

Tryouts (Open 18+):
September 7: Coconut Creek, FL (Indoor Venue)
September 14: Santa Monica, CA

Maccabi USA is seeking Jewish pickleball players to represent the United States in the Open (18+) category at the 2025 Maccabiah Games in Israel, July 1-22, 2025. The chairs for Team USA Pickleball are Marty Einhorn, Brian Levine, and honorary chair, Seymour "Rif" Rifkind.

Add the tryout dates to your calendar if you think you’ve got what it takes to represent Team USA.

One Day Left of Play at MLP KC

Shock Back on Top
The St. Louis Shock lent the top spot in the Premier Level to the Flash before ripping it away again. Dallas’ reign was gone in a … you guessed it, a flash. As we await the results from Monday’s matches, the Shock’s 2.11 PPM is the best in the league.

High Pressure in Front of the KC Crowd
The NY Hustlers fans were out in droves in Kansas City, mostly to support Jack Sock who graduated high-school only 10 minutes away from where he's now competing. Despite the roars of support, he went 1-4 in his games this weekend so far. After losing his mixed match against Utah, he turned to the crowd and said "That's the worst whiffle I've ever played.”

Cast Away
The LA Mad Drops are missing Wilson more than Tom Hanks stranded at sea. The Drops are still without Thomas Wilson and lost all three of their weekend matches in regulation.

A Little Vitamin C
The Squeeze are back to full strength after losing three players at MLP SLC. Orlando has been formidable at full strength, putting together two regulation wins in Kansas City.

Today is the final day of play. Tune into the event starting at 11am ET.

Ride in Style to the Courts

Are you looking for a faster way to the court or just a fun ride around town? Let's shift gears and check out Upway! They're not your average bike shop; they specialize in premium, refurbished e-Bikes from brands like Specialized and Cannondale, but at prices that won’t make your wallet wince.

Upway offers a collection of e-Bikes at up to 60% off retail prices. Each bike undergoes a rigorous inspection and is refurbished to pristine condition, complete with a one-year warranty.

Whether you're commuting, exploring, or just looking to add some zip to your pickleball outings, an Upway e-Bike might just be the best addition to your gear this season. Don't forget to use the code THEDINK at checkout for an exclusive $150 discount.

Don’t let this ride away! Swing by Upway.co and check out their fantastic range of e-Bikes. Who knew going green could save you so much green?

From Zero to Zero-Zero-Two in Under a Year

One Singaporean couple in their 20s put together a plan to help keep their parents busy. They introduced them to pickleball in hopes that the parents would pick up a new hobby and get some exercise.

Little did they know that pickleball would take over their lives. Jeremy Soh (27) and his fiancĂŠe, Jeovanne Poernomo (23), caught the pickleball bug in full force.

They started playing in tournaments and seeking out better competition. The couple traveled to Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam to meet new players.

Fully hooked on the game and seeing its impact throughout Asia, they took the leap and opened their own facility — Performance Pickleball — in Singapore’s northeast region of Punggol.

We all know how fast the pickleball obsession can grow, but this may be a new record. From playing their first game in November of 2023 to owning their own facility less than a year later. Hats off to Jeremy and Jeovanne.

A review from the Dink Fam...

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