But if you asked the Brownsville, KY, resident, he’d rather be called grandfather. Dennis, who has four grandchildren, is a force to be reckoned with as a professional cornhole player.
He also became a viral sensation thanks to his highlight-reel-worthy “And 1” shot during an American Cornhole League match that aired on ESPN last summer. Not only did Dennis, who is now preparing for the ACL’s first national ESPN broadcast of 2020, land one of the toughest moves in the sport, he also pulled a Babe Ruth by calling his shot beforehand. “You want me to try to knock that off or not?” Dennis can be heard asking his teammate Philip Haydon before effortlessly sinking his bean bag while knocking his opponent’s off the board.
“When I made that shot, it was the farthest thing from my mind that if I hit this it’s going to be all over the internet,” Dennis tells Muscle & Fitness. “We were in a desperate situation, so in my mind, desperate situations calls for desperate actions sometimes.”
Although internet fame is new for Dennis, the Louisville Cardinals fan is no stranger to sports or competition, having played “everything from golf to badminton” over the years, including horseshoes, basketball, and softball.
“I didn’t really reach the level in other sports that I’ve been able to accomplish in this one,” says Dennis. “This one has been a little bit better for me.”
Dennis was introduced to cornhole a decade ago while working as the head cheese maker at the plant that produces Babybel cheese. The factory held a tournament to benefit one of his co-workers who was dealing with leukemia. Dennis decided to participate and his older brother Ricky, an avid player, walked him through the do’s and don’ts of the game, sparking his interest.
After playing recreationally in backyards for almost a year, Dennis began checking out tournaments in Louisville with his brother. On his second trip, Dennis competed in the amateur Social Division and ended up winning the tournament. Thinking it was a fluke, Dennis decided to keep coming back for more competitions in order to hone his skills.
“I didn’t win them all, but I was able to compete with them,” Dennis says. “I thought, maybe I’m better at this game than I realized.”
As it turns out, Dennis had a knack for the sport. He worked his way up the ladder to becoming a pro, winning championships on the state level before teaming up with Haydon for doubles competitions. The duo ended up winning the World Championship title in 2016. “The game’s been good to me,” says Dennis.
When he’s not taking care of his grandchildren or working part-time as a farmer, Dennis practices at least twice a week, unless he has a big match coming up.
“When the bigger tournaments and the ESPN broadcast starts coming around in January, you may catch me out there every day practicing for two hours, every night,” says Dennis. “I got a garage at my house and have boards set up, they hardly ever get taken down. All I can do is grab the bags and start throwing.”
During an average practice, Dennis will do “100 to 200 pitches,” working on his form while trying to stay away from bad habits like leaning sideways when he gets tired.
“I’m a firm believer in practicing,” says Dennis. “But I also believe that if you ain’t careful when you practice and you’re not really focusing on practicing, you can pick up some bad habits.”
Looking ahead to the New Year, Dennis doesn’t plan on slowing down and hopes to add another Pro Doubles World Championship to his trophy case, as well as a Singles Pro Championship, which he’s never won before.
“I’ve won five Singles Senior World Championships and I’ve won three Doubles Senior World Championships and I’ve won one Pro Doubles World Championship,” says Dennis. “I would love to win a Singles Pro World Championship. That’s what I’d like to do.”
Whether you’re interested in becoming a pro or just want to impress your friends while playing in the backyard, here are three tips from Dennis for improving your cornhole game:
1 of 3
Prentice C James/CSM/Shutterstock / Shutterstock
Find your style
“The first thing I would advise someone is to try to figure out is what works best for them. If you watch enough cornhole you’ll find out there’s people who stand still and pitch. There’s people that bounce a little bit and pitch while they stand still. There’s people that step and people that rock. That would be my first thing. You figure out the style that works best for you, whether it’s standing or stepping.”
2 of 3
AP/Shutterstock / Shutterstock
Master the spin
“The second step I would say is try to spin that bag as leveled as you can when it leaves your hand. Keep the height of your bag but as you let it go spin that bag, rotate that bag and try to keep that thing as flat as you can. The basics is what I would try to tell people. Figure out your pitch that works best for you. Then try to work on getting that bag flat when it leaves your hand to where that target as far as spinning it flat.”
3 of 3
Gary Lloyd Mccullough/CSM/Shutterstock / Shutterstock
We’re talking about practice
“The third one will just be hey, you’re going to have to practice. If you want to play a higher level, you’re going to have to put in the time. It ain’t just going to pop and you ain’t just going to go out and beat people these days. It’s not going to happen. People are too dog gone good.”
