Hey there, reader 👋

Welcome back to the latest edition of the Pickleheads Newsletter!

In this issue:

🥊 A slobberknocker to save match point
🤾 4 tips to dink like a pro
👩‍🎤 Pickleball, it’s a fashion thing!
🤖 New hi-tech, AI driven pickleball centre opening soon

🥊 A slobberknocker to save match point

This week’s epic point only features 12 shots, but it’s a feast of hard hittin’ returns!

You could call it, “a real old-fashioned slobberknocker!”

To check out this week’s epic points, click the images ▶️

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 🙌

🤾 4 tips to dink like a pro

Rahul, Pickleheads community manager and APP Top 150 player, is back once again with this week’s top tip…

Do you struggle to sustain long dink rallies at the kitchen? Do you often miss or pop up dinks?

Here’s a simple tip a player at any level can take in order to improve their dinks.

The single biggest tip that I can give when it comes to dinking is keep it simple!

You only need a few things to keep your dinks consistent…

1. A low base

Keep your center of gravity low to the ground in order to stay stable.

2. Have your paddle out in front of you IN POSITION to hit the dink

This means you aren’t winding up to hit your dinks. Because your paddle is out in front of you, anticipating the return. So you can take a short swing/push to hit your dink.

Then, recover back to the ‘ready position’.

3. Make sure to keep your arms relatively straight

You don’t want to do too much with your arms, this can cause deviation in your shot and lead to errors. 

4. Keep a loose grip

A loose grip allows you that soft touch to hit a perfect ball into your opponent's kitchen without adding too much air and popping it up.

Here’s a video of Rahul talking you through this week’s tip 👇

🫂 Do you play in round robins?

We’re rebuilding our round robin tool from the ground up and would love to hear from you!

Check out our BRAND NEW paddle quiz! I’m really excited about this one…

I get asked every week for paddle recs but it’s hard without knowing your playstyle and needs…

So enter the quiz - answer 7 quick questions and I’ll recommend the 3 best for you. I tested over 80 paddles last year but only pick from the top 30.

Are you playing with the best paddle for your game? Find out below 👇

👩‍🎤 Pickleball: it’s a fashion thing!

Forget athleisure: recent fashion trends have been dominated by what is known as “racket-wear” – as in, clothes to hit balls in, usually using some sort of paddle…a pickleball paddle!

In the last three years, the “racket equipment market” – tennis, ping pong, padel tennis and so on – has grown by six times in the US.

Leading the charge? Pickleball, obviously. Which has opened up a space for different ways of dressing on court.

Now we’re seeing luxury brands, heritage sporting labels and emerging start-ups pivot to create dedicated pickleball attire in an attempt to tap into this sporting category.

While old-school brands including Nike and Fila focus on attire purely for the court, the newer brands prefer to blur the lines between working out and kicking back.

Higher-end brands like Varley, Staud and, Alice + Olivia have introduced lines they call ‘pickleball capsules’ made from excess fabric.

Alice + Olivia’s periodic drops of the floral-print cropped tees and mini skirts are so popular, they sell-out “very quickly” from their stores in the Hamptons, Miami and Mayfair.

Plus, ‘Pickleball Clothes’ is now one of the top categories on Lululemon’s US website.

Us pickleball players are obviously more willing to experiment and have a little more fun when it comes to fashion…

I s’pose this is one of the benefits of no official dress-code in USA Pickleball’s rule book, eh? 🎾🏸🏓

Palmetto Dunes Pickleball Center, Hilton Head, SC

You’ll find this week’s dream court in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

With 24 dedicated outdoor courts, surrounded by tall pine trees and a picturesque lagoon, if you’re ever in Hilton Head you need to check this place out!

😍😍😍

The paddle I’m ape crazy about

Wow y’all are going ape crazy over this paddle…

I’ve talked ALOT about how Pickleball Apes’ Pro Line Energy S is my new favorite go-to paddle this year.

Well turns out, I’m not alone… so many of you have bought one so far, we’ve lost count!

This paddle is made with Kevlar and raw carbon. It has a unique feel I think will help any intermediate and advancing beginner’s game.

If you’re interested in checking it out, don’t forget to use code PICKLEHEADS for 10% off.

Which brings the paddle to a reasonable $137.70 price.

See you on the courts!

10% off code PICKLEHEADS auto-applied in the link above

Pink Filth Valentine’s Day Deal

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