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- š¤¾āāļø The 3rd shot drop is DEAD (Or is it??)
š¤¾āāļø The 3rd shot drop is DEAD (Or is it??)
Plus, the 3 most important pickleball tips, do this to be ready for every speed up, and much more...
Brandon Mackie
February 13, 2025
Hey there,
Welcome back to the Pickleheads Newsletter!
In this issue:
š¤¾āāļø The 3rd shot drop is DEAD (Or is it??)
š¤© The 3 most important pickleball tips
š Do this to be ready for every speed up
š„ B.Johns: how to take dinks out of the air
š¤¾āāļø The 3rd shot drop is DEAD (Or is it??)
Excited as always to welcome back Kyle, ThatPickleballGuy, for this weekās Level Up tip!
Hey Pickleheads readers,
How often does this happen to you? You serve the ball to your opponent, they return, you hit a nice, controlled third shot drop, make your way to the kitchenā¦
Your opponent returns with a hard drive and suddenlyāyouāre the one under pressure.
So hereās the question: Is the 3rd shot drop outdated?
In my latest video with pickleball pro and coach Dayne Gingrich, he makes a bold claim: the third shot drop might be on its way out.
Iāll be honestāIām not totally sold on his third argument. But hey, Dayneās always been a forward thinker. š
Hereās what he has to say:
š„ Donāt third shot dropādrive instead. It creates chaos
A good drive forces errors, sets poaches, and puts stress on your opponentās fourth shot. A drop? More often than not, they just reset and move on.
āļø Drive + fifth drop = the perfect combo
Instead of treating them as separate shots, start thinking of the third drive and fifth drop as one fluid motion. This keeps your game aggressive while maintaining control.
š¾ The third shot lobāa secret weapon?
Lobbing off the third shot sounds crazy, but when timed rightāespecially against aggressive opponentsāit can be a dangerous shot in your arsenal.
Like all things, pickleball is evolving, and if you donāt develop a strong drive, youāre going to get left behind.
Hope this helps.
Click below to watch my latest video where we dig a lot deeper into his argumentsš
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This isnāt your average pick-me-up. Nandaka is triple toxin-screened and packed with fruiting body mushrooms (never mycelium fillers), rich ceremonial cacao, and prebiotic fiber for next-level performanceāon and off the court.
š°ļø Payments are available to everyone!
You can now collect payments on Pickleheads!
No more chasing down money or keeping track of who has paid.
Players can pay with card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. They wonāt be added to the session until theyāve successfully paid.
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š„ B.Johns: how to take dinks out of the air
š¤© The 3 most important pickleball tips
š Do this to be ready for every speed up
Do the SQAIRZ XRZā¢ live up to the price tag?
A lot of players are on the hunt for pickleball-specific footwear, and SQAIRZ might just have cracked the code with their XRZ pickleball shoes.
But do the SQAIRZ XRZā¢ live up to the $160 price tag?
Stephenās been putting them to the test, and hereās what stood out:
SQAIRZ XRZā¢ say theyāve spent the last three years developing these shoes on the courts with pickleball pros and ProXR Pickleball, and they might just be the most durable, stable pickleball shoe Iāve ever worn!
If youāve ever felt off-balance, struggled with foot pain, or wished for more support on the court, these are worth a serious look.
SQAIRZ took a different approach than your typical court shoe.
A wider base. A square-toe design with a more structured fit.
The result? A very durable shoe with better stability, more energy transfer, and less foot fatigue.
They run a little big, however. And theyāre a little heavier than some shoes, but that extra weight translates into more power in your movements and less strain on your joints.
If you need a stable, supportive shoe built for pickleball-specific movement, these are well worth trying out.
Better pickleball starts with better sleep, right?
Sharper reflexes. Faster footwork. More endurance. It all starts with a good nightās sleepāand Slumber Deep Zzzs helps you get there. Over 100,000 players and sleepers trust Slumber to help them fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up refreshed. And the data backs it upā¦
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Slumber Deep Zzzs are non-habit-forming, wonāt leave you groggy, and come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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Take a look at this! Imagine playing under the sunset with the Pacific Ocean stretching beyond the horizon. Wouldnāt that be something special?
Youāll find this weekās dream court in Oāahu, Hawaii. Featuring pristine courts with a tropical backdrop, this spot has become a must-visit for pickleball lovers playing under lofty palm trees, cooled by the ocean breeze! šš“
**The sponsors of this newsletter support our free tools at Pickleheads.
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