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- 🤯 A Yates-combo for the win!
🤯 A Yates-combo for the win!
Plus, we just made finding your next paddle way easier! Be more aggressive on your forehand dinks, Steve Aoki brings HiROQUEST to JOOLA, and much more...
Brandon at Pickleheads
October 08, 2026
Hey reader,
Welcome back to the Pickleheads Newsletter!
In this issue:
🤯 A Yates-combo for the win!
😍 We just made finding your next paddle way easier!
🤾 Be more aggressive on your forehand dinks
🌶️ The Loco 2 sold out in HOURS. Here's your second chance!
🎧 Steve Aoki brings HiROQUEST to JOOLA
🫡 What to do when you get pulled wide
🤯 A Yates-combo for the win!
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 🙌
😍 We just made finding your next paddle way easier!
If you’ve ever tried to choose a new paddle, you’ll know how quickly things get out of hand.
Power or control? Hybrid or elongated? 14mm or 16mm? $100 or $250? And how does Paddle A actually stack up against Paddle B?
Well, we’ve been busy.
We’ve just launched two new tools on Pickleheads designed to make finding your next paddle much easier.
🔎 The Pickleheads Paddle Database
We’ve put 345 paddles in one place, complete with our test scores, measured specs, prices and ratings.
Search for a paddle or brand, then filter the whole database by price, shape, paddle type, core thickness, generation, certification, skill level, and more.
So, if you want an all-court paddle under $150, or a 16mm elongated power paddle that’s USAP approved, you can find your options in seconds.
⚔️ The Pickleheads Paddle Comparison Tool
Got it down to a few contenders?
Now you can put up to four paddles head-to-head and see exactly how they compare across our eight testing categories, plus swing weight, twist weight, balance point, dimensions, certification, price, and more.
We’ve tested hundreds of paddles over the last few years. Now, for the first time, you can properly dig into all that data yourself.
Happy hunting.
🤾 Be more aggressive on your forehand dinks
Stoked to welcome back Tanner from tanner.pickleball on YouTube for this week's Level Up!
Hey Pickleheads readers,
Want to add a more aggressive forehand dink to your game? Here's what I want you to focus on:
1️⃣ Get behind the ball
Move your outside leg behind the ball rather than reaching for it. This lets you get your paddle head down and generate more topspin.
2️⃣ Brush, don't hit
At contact, think about brushing around the outside of the ball. Hit through it too much and you'll send it long.
3️⃣ Expect the next ball
Don't admire your shot! After hitting the roll, close the middle and look to take the next ball out of the air.
Get behind it, brush it, then be ready to attack the next ball.
Watch me break it down in under 60 seconds 👇
🔥 20% off all Warping Point paddles ends today
On Tuesday, we announced Warping Point’s Fall Flash Sale to coincide with Amazon Prime’s Big Deal Days, but if you missed it, there’s good news.
Warping Point has extended the sale through October 9, giving you one last chance to save 20% across its entire paddle lineup when you shop directly its website.
The sale also includes the Warping Point Neon, our current #1 Best Cheap Paddle, and so many more great paddles.
🌶️ The Loco 2 sold out in HOURS. Here's your second chance!
One of the most hotly anticipated paddles of 2026, the Bread & Butter Loco 2, finally dropped for pre-order on October 1.
The sequel to our paddle of the year for 2025 had pickleball players scrambling to get their hands on one. And sure enough, the entire first batch sold out in just hours.
Missed out? Good news! Bread & Butter is releasing another batch for pre-order TODAY at 12 PM ET.
Given how quickly the first batch disappeared, you might want to set an alarm for this one. Remember you can save 10% with code: PICKLEHEADS15.
🎧 Steve Aoki brings HiROQUEST to JOOLA
Pickleball's celebrity crossover continues. Grammy-nominated DJ and longtime pickleball fan Steve Aoki has teamed up with JOOLA for a limited-edition collection featuring two seriously colorful Perseus Pro V paddles inspired by his HiROQUEST universe.
They're $349.95 each, come with a collectible card, and might be the loudest Perseus paddles we've ever seen.
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👀 Mark Wahlberg is about to take on the pickleball pros
From Hollywood to the kitchen line. Mark Wahlberg will headline the Celebrity Pickleball Showdown at November's Pickleball World Championships, where he'll take to the court alongside PPA pros and other famous faces.
The rest of the celebrity lineup is still under wraps, so watch this space.
🐐 Ben Johns made THREE finals. He lost them all.
You don't see this very often. Ben Johns reached all three finals at the Las Vegas Open but left without a single gold medal, losing in singles, men's doubles, and mixed doubles.
And he wasn't the only big name to fall. Chris Haworth and Kate Fahey were both knocked out early as a weekend of upsets gave us another glimpse at pickleball's rapidly changing of the guard.
Is the gap at the top finally closing?
🫡 What to do when you get pulled wide
🦞 How to lob with Anna Bright
💥 4 simple steps to improve your drive
Your opponent's shot is heading toward you and you catch it mid-air, certain it was going out. What's the ruling? |
What is the height of a pickleball net at the center? |
After the serve bounces and the return bounces, can the server rush the net and volley the very next ball? |
Fresh takes, spicy debates, and the latest hot paddles & gear – catch up on our latest Court Talk highlights:
Skipped a scroll or two? No worries — here are the last few editions we sent your way:
What do you think of the Pickleheads Newsletter? Let us know how we can be even better in the comments. |