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🦞 How to defend lobs with Ben Johns

🦞 How to defend lobs with Ben Johns

Plus, our Paddle of 2025 just got a sequel. Is it even better? Stop using your wrist to generate topspin, one of pickleball's biggest names files for bankruptcy, and much more

Brandon at Pickleheads
October 15, 2026

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Hey reader,

Welcome back to the Pickleheads Newsletter!

In this issue:

👏 When everything keeps coming back!
🔥 Our Paddle of 2025 just got a sequel. Is it even better?
🤾 Stop using your wrist to generate topspin
😳 One of pickleball's biggest names files for bankruptcy
🦞 How to defend lobs with Ben Johns

👏 When everything keeps coming back!

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 🙌

🔥 Our Paddle of 2025 just got a sequel. Is it even better?

Hey Pickleheads readers, Stephen here 👋

The original Bread & Butter Loco was our Paddle of 2025. So, when Bread & Butter announced a sequel, I had pretty high expectations.

And judging by how quickly the first pre-order batch sold out, I wasn't alone.

Well, I've finally put the Loco 2 through its paces, and I've got some good news.

Somehow, Bread & Butter has made it even better.

The original was already an exceptional all-court paddle, but the Loco 2 takes things further with an upgraded Space Dust Grit surface designed to maintain its spin for longer.

I gave it a perfect 10/10 for spin and control, alongside a massive 9.5/10 for power. That's a seriously impressive combination.

The spin is ridiculous, the power is there when you need it, and there's enough precision to place your dinks and drops exactly where you want them.

But there's a catch.

The lively face takes some getting used to, particularly on midcourt resets, and less experienced players might find themselves popping up balls they didn't mean to.

It's also $20 more expensive than the original, coming in at $220, or around $198 with our discount.

Still, after extensive testing, I gave the Loco 2 a perfect 5/5 overall.

Following up our Paddle of 2025 was always going to be a tall order. Bread & Butter have just pulled it off.

👉 Read my full Bread & Butter Loco 2 review

Save 10% with code PICKLEHEADS

Your group has its own leaderboard! 🏆️

Ever wonder who's on top in your pickleball group?

Now you can find out.

Open any group you're in and tap the new Leaderboard tab to see how you stack up by wins, games, points, or point differential.

You can switch between All activity, which counts every game you play on Pickleheads, and Group games, which only counts the sessions you play with your group.

Run a group? Leaderboards are on by default, and group admins can turn them off anytime in group settings.

🤾 Stop using your wrist to generate topspin

Stoked to welcome back Jordan from Briones Pickleball Academy on YouTube for this week's Level Up!

Hey Pickleheads readers,

One of the biggest mistakes I see amateur players make when trying to generate topspin is relying too much on their wrists.

I see it all the time with topspin dinks and attacking volleys. Players flick their wrists to create spin, but the result is often inconsistent shots that spray all over the court.

Here's what I want you to do instead:

1️⃣ Keep your wrist stable
Watch the pros hit crosscourt topspin dinks. Their wrists stay relatively still throughout the shot, giving them much more control and consistency.

2️⃣ Let your shoulder do the work
Rather than flicking your wrist, use a smooth, low-to-high motion driven by your shoulder. That's how you generate topspin without sacrificing control.

3️⃣ Apply the same technique to attacking volleys
When you're speeding up a ball out of the air, resist the temptation to snap your wrist. Keep it stable and use that same low-to-high motion to create topspin.

The takeaway? Less wrist, more shoulder. You'll develop a more reliable topspin shot that puts pressure on your opponents' feet.

Watch me demonstrate the difference in this week's video 👇

🎓 Master the foundations of pickleball. For FREE.

A better pickleball game starts with strong foundations.

Jordan Briones has put together a FREE Pickleball Framework video series to help you master the fundamentals of the game, build good habits, and develop the skills you need to keep improving.

😳 One of pickleball's biggest names files for bankruptcy

After expanding to more than 70 US locations in just a few years, The Picklr has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Founder Jorge Barragan acknowledges costly lease guarantees helped land the company in trouble, but there's some good news for members. Clubs remain open, and investors have stepped in with millions to help restructure the business.

Is this the first major warning sign for pickleball's indoor club boom?

😬 The pickleball shot every woman fears

Pickleball pro Kaitlyn Kerr learned a painful lesson about keeping her paddle up when an incoming serve caught her square on the nipple, leaving her rolling around the court in agony.

Naturally, she shared the footage online, prompting an outpouring of sympathy from fellow players who've suffered the same unfortunate fate.

The video is painful enough. The comments are something else. 😂

😤 Genie Bouchard has had ENOUGH

We've all played against someone who celebrates every point like they've just won Wimbledon. Well, former tennis star Genie Bouchard apparently reached her breaking point during a heated pickleball match against Maria Ford.

Ford's repeated cries of "C'mon!" didn't go down well with Bouchard, and things got a little frosty.

Whose side are you on?