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👀 2 basic tips you probably don’t follow

👀 2 basic tips you probably don’t follow

Plus, Prime Day is here — and some of these deals are wild. A tweener, but make it the winning shot! 3 lessons that fast-tracked a tennis player to 4.5, and much more...

Brandon at Pickleheads
June 25, 2026

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Hey reader,

Welcome back to the Pickleheads Newsletter!

In this issue:

💰 Prime Day is here — and some of these deals are wild
🤯 A tweener, but make it the winning shot!
🤾 3 lessons that fast-tracked a tennis player to 4.5
🎬 Ben Stiller’s ‘The Dink’ official trailer is here
👀 2 basic tips you probably don’t follow

💰 Prime Day is here — and some of these deals are wild

Amazon Prime Day is back, running from June 23-26, and there are some genuinely impressive pickleball deals floating around right now!

One of our highest-rated paddles on our Best Pickleball Paddles guide is currently 23% off. You can also save more than 30% on the most popular pickleballs in the game.

Even JOOLA is getting involved — they’re almost never on sale. Some of their paddles have dropped below the $200 mark for the first time in a long while.

We've rounded up all the best Prime Day deals we could find, including paddles, balls, shoes, bags, accessories, and more.

Better still, several brands are running parallel sales on their own websites, and in some cases our exclusive discount codes stack for even bigger savings.

If you're looking to stock up on the essentials or get that paddle and bag you’ve had your eye on, this week’s probably one of the best times to do it all year.

🤯 A tweener, but make it the winning shot!

Have a filthy point caught on cam? 📸

Reply to this email or submit yours to [email protected]. The most epic one will feature in next week’s newsletter!

And if we pick your submission, we’ll send you a free Pickleheads t-shirt 🙌

🤾 3 lessons that fast-tracked a tennis player to 4.5

“Your coach” Jordan Briones from The Briones Pickleball Academy is back for this week’s Level Up!

Hey Pickleheads readers,

I recently gave a 15-minute pickleball crash course to tennis coach Ian Westermann.

He's a great tennis player, but what stood out was how quickly he improved once he stopped trying to play pickleball like tennis.

Here are the three biggest adjustments I had him make:

1️⃣ Take more balls out of the air
A lot of new players let too many balls bounce. Whenever possible, I want you thinking volley first. By taking balls out of the air, you take time away from your opponents and put yourself in a much stronger position.

2️⃣ Stay square at the kitchen
Tennis players love crossing their feet and moving through shots. In pickleball, that usually gets you into trouble. At the kitchen line, I want you staying balanced, using shuffle steps, and keeping your body square to the net so you're ready for the next ball.

3️⃣ Stop rushing to the net
Getting to the kitchen is important, but timing matters. After a drive or drop, move forward, then split-step and get balanced before the next shot. The biggest transition mistake I see is players moving while their opponent is hitting.

The good news? You don't need perfect shots to play better pickleball. Focus on taking balls out of the air, staying balanced, and moving with purpose, and you'll improve a lot faster than you think.

Watch me turn a tennis player into a pickleball player in just 15 minutes in this week's video 👇

Transform your entire game with one personal video analysis

Get a full, in-depth pickleball video analysis from Coach Jordan Briones and finally understand exactly what’s holding your game back.

⚾️ Baseball figured this out years ago, what took pickleball so long?

Wow! Now this is a cool concept. And it’s one baseball has been using for years – small-ball training!

Hit a bottle cap with a broomstick. Track a tiny wiffle ball. Train with something smaller than the real thing so when game day comes, everything feels slower.

MaxBP just brought that idea to pickleball with the new MaxPB Machine. Their machine fires a ball roughly the size of a golf ball. The theory is simple: when your eyes and hands calibrate to something smaller, the full-size pickleball becomes easier to track, easier to read, easier to hit.

The underlying science has been validated in baseball, softball, and tennis. MaxPB even partnered with Ryan Harrison, a visual training coach who works with MLB teams, NFL wide receivers, and professional pickleball players, to develop the methodology.

The machine holds 100+ balls, works in surprisingly small spaces, and starts at $690 – $900 for the full bundle with a training paddle, bag, and extra balls — a lot less than most traditional ball machines.

If you're looking for a new way to improve hand-speed, better your coordination with training methods used by elite athletes, and get more reps in less time without needing a partner, it's definitely worth a look. Plus for a limited time only, Pickleheads readers can use this link for $65 off — automatically applied at checkout.

🎬 Ben Stiller’s ‘The Dink’ official trailer is here

🫣 He critiqued her son's pickleball game. It didn't end well.

A disagreement during a recreational pickleball match in Florida allegedly escalated after one player offered some unsolicited advice to another's son.

Police say the exchange ended with a paddle attack that left one player bloodied and facing multiple stitches.

🧬 The secret to living longer might be pickleball

Exercise is good for you. Friends are good for you. According to a growing body of research, combining the two could be one of the best things you can do for your long-term health. It's one reason sports like pickleball keep showing up in conversations about longevity.