Pickleball in Fenway Park?!

Here's what's happening in Pickleball this week

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Sunday Dinking Club
April 16, 2023

Zero, Zero… Start

Wake up!

Today’s Sunday, and you know what that means?

It’s DINKING time.

Today, we’re discussing the US Open’s decisions to silence the whistle blowers, a look at what $12m courts could look like and taking Pickleball to center field

🎵 Put me in coach.

Prefer listening over reading? Listen on Spotify

Want to look at my pretty face instead? Watch on Youtube

Here’s what’s happening, Around The Post

😇 Angels (dinking?) in the Outfield

Pickleball4America (the folks behind the US Open Pickleball Championships) is putting on a BallPark Festival Series later this year (tbd on when) and have announced Fenway Park (Boston) and Oracle Park (San Francisco) as their first event destinations.

The festival will include a tournament for pros and ams, but will also offer some public play times. This Boston Globe article even alludes to the idea that the general public will not only get a chance to play on the courts, but private organizations will get the opportunity to rent the courts out (invite me, pleeeaaase 😩).

What’s the big dill?

Pickleball is making waves. And what do you do with waves? You ride them. Or maybe you surf them? I don’t know, I’m a pickleball player.

The BallPark Festival Series announcement, paired with the recent opening of 14 pickleball courts in Central Park means that pickleball will continue gaining exposure in some of the most densely populated cities in the country (read, San Francisco, Boston and New York City).


Anyway, it feels like the sport is hitting its growth spurt. This means more exposure, more players, and more interest in the professional side.

Bonus: Speaking of Pickleball x MLB, Tyson McGuffin threw out the first pitch at an Arizona Diamondbacks game earlier this week.

p.s. Anyone know Steph Curry’s number? I’m trying to get a game in at Oracle.

🤦‍♂️ More Paddlegate Drama

The US Open woke up and chose violence.

Coming off the delamination controversy from last weeks PPA Red Rock Open, The Minto US Open Pickleball Championship, which kicked off this week made their stance on player-to-player paddle challenges pretty clear.

TLDR; Any players who challenge another players paddle that is deemed legal (after testing) will forfeit their medals, prize money and receive a 1-year suspension from the US Open tournament 😳.

🌶 My Hot Take 

Screw it.

This is as if Major League Baseball didn’t have a hard and fast rule on corking bats.

Sammy Sosa might step up to the plate this week and hit 10 home runs.

… And I’ll love every minute of it.

p.s. Watch this weeks tournament on the Pickleball Channel youtube account

🤑 What $12M Courts Look Like

… But neighborhood residents say, not so fast.

A city council vote and a $12 million budget later, Las Vegas’s Northwest Valley should be getting 30 dedicated pickleball courts.

Despite the pushback from some of the local neighborhood residents, this is a big deal to the 360+ members of the local pickleball group dubbed the “Neon Picklers”. Why doesn’t my pickleball group have a cool name? 🤔

What’s the big dill?

Las Vegas has it all. Casinos, entertainment, pro sports, etc. So, let’s take them out of the equation for a moment.

In any other city, this would be a huge investment of public dollars. Not only would this investment pay off for local players, but building space for things like a “championship court”, parking and concessions means they can take advantage of local tournaments and potentially, the pro circuit.

Read: Tourism dollars. Las Vegas doesn’t need it (remember, we took them out of the equation), but for any city looking to differentiate themselves and draw a crowd; building a pickleball facility suited for large crowds could pay dividends.

👀 Where to Watch Pickleball

🟡 April 14 - 16 | DUPR Collegiate National Championships (individual) | Youtube

🟡 April 14 - 22 | Minto US Open Championship | Youtube + CBS will be broadcasting the championship on April 22

🟡 April 21 - 23 | OGIO Newport Beach Shootout Presented by Vizzy | Youtube

🟡 APP is back on April 26 and the next MLP event is June 15 in San Clemente, CA

🔑 It’s Easy… Just Play Better

You’re a dinker, but are you a good dinker?

The GOAT has a message for you

🌶 My Hot Take

Rec play points end too soon. We’re hitting drives and taking bigger swings than we would in a game that matters (i.e. tournament play).

Anytime I play up a level, the game slows down and speeds up at the same time (read: less fast balls, more dinks and kitchen speed-ups).

The next time you’re playing a rec game at the park, try and win on your drops and dinks, instead of your drives.

Bonus Pickleball

The score’s 10-10-1

😮 This pickleball club in Austin is such a vibe. (via Building Pickleball)

👩‍❤️‍👨 At the age of 95 and 90, these two are the ultimate power couple of pickleball.

📺 PickleTV just launched on Amazon Prime and FreeVee. You crazies can now watch Pickleball 24/7.

🤡 Since 99% of readers are in my local community, you know how much I love to attempt tweeners… Here’s how the tweener-king, Christian Alshon executes a Tweener on the pickleball court. Impress your friends accordingly.

👀 Watch Carl Schmits (Managing Director, Facilities Development for USA Pickleball) speak with CBS News on the growth of Pickleball.

🔥 Remember that women’s doubles match from last weekend I told you to watch? The PPA just released it on Youtube. Take notes.

✍️ Did these guys just break the world record for highest pickleball trick shot?

The score’s now 12-10… Oops, I won again. Better luck next time.

If you enjoyed this week’s newsletter, share it with someone you accidentally hit this week. Or better yet, send it to your entire group.

Until next week, enjoy your Sunday and have a dink for me.

– “Downtown” Logan Brown