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- 🤾 Master the forehand drive in 3 easy steps
🤾 Master the forehand drive in 3 easy steps
Plus, the 5 best pickleball machines (ranked and reviewed), 3 tips to stop popping up dinks, and much more...
Brandon Mackie
July 24, 2025
Hey reader,
Welcome back to the Pickleheads Newsletter!
In this issue:
🤖 The 5 best pickleball machines (ranked and reviewed)
🤾 Master the forehand drive in 3 easy steps
💥 This tip will instantly fix your 3rd shot drop
😍 3 tips to stop popping up dinks
🤖 The 5 best pickleball machines (ranked and reviewed)
We just updated our list of the best pickleball machines in 2025. And let’s be honest, there’s a reason these things aren’t cheap.
Sure, you could grab a budget machine for under $400, but chances are it’ll be weak, clunky, and break after a few months. The truth is: good machines are expensive for a reason. The motors, oscillation systems, and spin settings that actually replicate game-like shots don’t come cheap.
But they’re worth it if you’re serious about improving.
In our latest update, we name the Titan ONE our best overall machine – super reliable, packed with features, and way more portable than it looks.
We’ve also added a futuristic option you’ve probably never heard of: the Tennibot Partner.
Pickleheads co-founder Max swears by it. It rolls around the court and feeds balls using advanced AI. Kinda like a Roomba that trains your third shot drop. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re a tech junkie, you’re gonna want to see this thing in action.
🤾 Master the forehand drive in 3 easy steps
Excited as always to welcome back Tanner Tomassi for this week’s Level Up.
This time, he’s joined by four-time APP gold medalist Sophia Seving where she walks us through her signature forehand drive.
Hey Pickleheads readers,
If you’re looking to add more pop, precision, and consistency to your drives, steal this 3-step process:
1. Rotate your shoulders early
As the ball approaches, start turning your shoulders and position your off-hand (left hand for righties) to stay balanced and spaced from the ball.
2. Bend with your legs and drive through your hips
Power starts from the ground up. Get low and rotate through the shot – don’t just swing with your arms.
3. Keep your wrist loose and finish high
A relaxed wrist at impact adds natural topspin. Finish over your shoulder to stay smooth and controlled.
It’s a compact, powerful drive. When timed right, it’s a shot your opponents won’t want to see coming.
Watch Sophia demo each step with Tanner on court 👇
We’re always testing new gear to bring you the good stuff. Here are a few quick hits from this week’s sessions:
The Pickleball Driller (Take 2). It’s not a gimmick.
 | We messed up last time. Gave you the wrong info, and didn’t do this tool justice. So here’s the reprint, with the right link, a better discount, and more on what this thing can actually do. Let’s be honest: the Pickleball Driller looks like a gimmick. But once Stephen started hitting drives through it, that skepticism disappeared almost instantly. |
This tool forces you to get your shot height right. You’ve got to drive the ball with a low arc, or it’s not getting under the tape. It’s brutally honest feedback.
Same goes for dinks – it teaches you how to keep your dinks tight and aggressive, hugging the net without floating.
It’s not perfect. Wind makes the tape wiggle, and you need to crank it tight. But in calmer conditions, it holds up.
It’s also not just for drives and dinks. There are loads of drills you can run with it. For ideas and technique tips, check out pickleballdriller.net.
Finally, the bit you’ve been waiting for… Pickleheads readers get 10% off by using our exclusive code PICKLEHEADS at checkout.
Save 10% with code PICKLEHEADS
Bread and Butter’s best elongated paddle yet?
 | If you love Bread and Butter and you're looking for an elongated model, this is the paddle to get! The Wild Thang hits harder than the Filth, has better feel than the Shogun, and blends power and control better than anything else in their lineup. |
Unlike the metal-infused faces on the Shogun or Invader – which can feel a bit rigid – the Wild Thang mixes carbon fiber and fiberglass for a livelier feel. It still pops, but there’s just enough dwell to shape your shots and slow things down when you need to.
Stephen says it’s got the most pop of any B&B paddle he’s tested, without crossing into chaotic territory. Drives come easy, volleys feel clean, and it’s more forgiving than you’d expect for a power-forward build.
If you liked the Shogun or Invader, you’ll probably like this even more. And if you found the Filth a little too soft? This’ll feel like a proper upgrade.
Preorders opened yesterday (07/23 at 12pm EST), and orders ship 08/06.
Plus, Pickleheads readers get 10% off with our exclusive code PICKLEHEADS.
If you’re thinking about grabbing one, don’t wait around. B&B’s paddles move fast.
Save 10% with code PICKLEHEADS
💥 This tip will instantly fix your 3rd shot drop
😍 3 tips to stop popping up dinks
🙌 2 tips to get good
Sonic Drive-In, Canton, TX
Pickleball and milkshakes? We’re listening.
This Sonic Drive-In in Canton, Texas, just outside Dallas, is a fast food joint with three fully lit pickleball courts on-site. Yep, you can smash a few dinks and then grab a cherry limeade without ever moving your car.
The setup includes covered seating, a playground, and bright red-and-blue courts that light up the Texas night. It’s quirky, it’s bold, and it’s just plain fun.
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The sponsors of this newsletter support our free tools at Pickleheads. Thanks for reading.
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