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🤔 The most epic rec play point of all time?

🤔 The most epic rec play point of all time?

Plus, McEnroe calls Agassi 'chump', the top 3 pickleball Xmas gifts, and more

Brandon Mackie
December 14, 2023

Hey there reader 👋

Welcome back to the latest edition of The Pickleheads Newsletter!

Before we get started, I’d love it if you could reply to this email with a simple ‘yes’. This will convince Gmail to keep this newsletter out of the dreaded Promotions folder. 🙏

In this issue:

🏉 Drew Brees vs Brice Butler epic point showdown
🤾 The best defensive shot in pickleball
🎁 The top 3 pickleball Christmas gifts of 2023
👿 McEnroe calls Agassi ‘chump’ ahead of Pickleball Slam 2

Drew Brees vs Brice Butler in epic point showdown

This week’s epic point not only features 29 shots but two NFL legends, Drew Brees and Brice Butler! One of which hits off the ground and still wins the point 😮

It’s been called one of the greatest rec points of all time. What do you think?!

To check out this week’s epic point, click the image ▶️

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 🙌

The best defensive shot in pickleball

Brandon here, taking over from Rahul in this week’s Level Up.

Picture this - you’re back at the baseline, defending smash after smash. It’s brutal.

When the next laser comes at you, what do you do?

If you’re like most players, you desperately try to hit a soft shot into the kitchen.

Then you can run up to the kitchen and get back in the point, woo hoo!

But it almost never works…

Why? Because it’s so hard to hit a soft reset against a hard overhead. The ball just flies off the face.

The pros can do it but most amateurs (myself included) struggle.

So next time - try the sky lob.

A sky lob is a really high lob. Ideally, it’s deep too.

This shot buys you time. It slows down the point. And all that time in the air gives your opponents an uncomfortable amount of time to overthink the shot!

Try sky lob after sky lob and you’ll get in their head. Tire them out.

And most importantly - you’re likely to get a softer overhead return from a sky lob than a drop you pop up. And that’s your chance!

Now you can try a reset, get back to the kitchen, and keep working the point.

Next time you’re in trouble remember, the sky lob will bail you out.

Shoutout to one of my favorite YouTubers Kyle Koszuta (ThatPickleballGuy) for this idea and great deep dive!

👆100% recommend subscribing to Kyle’s channel, I never miss a video he puts out.

👿 McEnroe calls Agassi 'Chump' ahead Of Pickleball Slam 2

John McEnroe ignited the mind games with Andre Agassi ahead of the second edition of the Pickleball Slam that will see the two tennis greats lock horns. See what he said – here.

🏉 Nick Foles adds Pickleball gold medals to Super Bowl MVP honor

It seems Nick Foles is not only an Eagles Superbowl MVP, he’s also pretty special at pickleball too…with his wife! – watch Nick play – here.

🎬 Jacob Elordi Almost Played Pickleball to Finance ‘Priscilla’

Sofia Coppola, despite her reputation and talent, had difficulty raising enough funds to produce her latest movie, Priscilla.

The creative team behind Priscilla started thinking outside of the box to raise funds. One unlikely idea involved pickleball. See how they did it – here.

🎁 Top 3 pickleball Christmas gifts in 2023

Have you checked off everyone on your Xmas list?

How about that special pickleball player in your life?

Well don’t worry - to make your Holiday shopping a little less stressful, I put together this 👇

The Best Pickleball Christmas Gifts for 2023

This list has my Top 15 favorite pickleball Christmas gifts this year.

From big-ticket crowd pleasers to stocking stuffers, there's a little bit of everything on here.

And for now, here are 3 of my favorites from the list:

Six Zero Double Black Diamond

Who doesn’t want to get the best for Xmas?!

So many amazing paddles launched in 2023, but I had to choose and this is it…

My best overall this year: The Six Zero Double Black Diamond (DBD)

This paddle is for anyone you know who’s playing more and taking their game seriously. Trust me, they’ll have a ton of fun playing with this paddle.

And especially if they’re using a budget paddle currently, the DBD is the best upgrade you can give them.

Gold pickleball bracelet

Add a touch of bling to your partner or friend's pickleball wardrobe. My wife asks for jewelry, let's say… Every. Single. Year.

So I was really excited when I found this beaded stretch bracelet from Born to Rally.

She loves pickleball too so boom - two birds with one stone!

I never thought I'd see pickleball jewelry that could easily be worn with a nice dressy outfit. I’d say this bracelet from Born to Rally works for any occasion, from the courts to a wedding!

CRBN K9 Squeak Dog Toy

Get your pup in on the pickleball action with his or her very own CRBN paddle 🐶

CRBN claims to have made the very first pickleball dog toy with their K9 squeaky paddle. I absolutely love this as a gift idea.

Grab it as a stocking stuffer or bring it to a White Elephant party (pickleball-themed of course!).

Now the dog-lover in your life will thank you for keeping their furry friend busy while they play. No more barking at every shot 🤣

And there are my top 3 pickleball gift ideas for 2023 🎁

To see the extended, 15-item long list, read it here – ‘Best pickleball Christmas gifts in 2023 - top 15 ideas’.

And don’t forget - your last day to order for delivery by Xmas is coming up next week! 🎅🎄

New: Find games when you travel with vacation mode

Traveling this holiday season? The NEW Pickleheads App now has vacation mode to help you find games wherever you go.

Our team has scoured the internet to find 4,400 open play schedules across the US and CA. With vacation mode, you can find nearby games wherever your travels take you.

Just flip it on and start browsing nearby games.

This feature is available for free in the new Pickleheads app for iOS and Android!

Download now for free: pickleheads.com/app

Pickleheads App Apple ad Android Download

The Enchantment Resort, Sedona, AZ

Nestled amongst the stunning red rocks of Sedona’s Boynton Canyon, this could well be one of the most picturesque and scenic places to play pickleball. What do you think?

It gets better too.

Imagine, post pickleball, catching the sunset with a few prickly pear margaritas on the resort’s Che Ah Chi’s patio lounge. Pure bliss, right? 🍹

The Perfect Paddle to Gift

Now over 40 paddles tested this year…

I’m still hitting my Bread & Butter Filth.

If you’ve been following, you’ll know this is the most fun paddle I played with all year.

It’s also my favorite brand in pickleball - everything from the logo, branding, the packaging, the extras (I got a koozie in my box).

This is the only paddle that’s an actual unboxing experience. And because of that, it’s my go-to pickleball gift this year.

I can already think of a few friends playing with cheap paddles that are going to go nuts on the court with the Filth.

If you’re eyeing the Filth as a gift (or for yourself, I won’t judge), you can get an exclusive 15% off discount (just use code Pickleheads15).

That’s a sweet deal, almost every other paddle company caps us at 10%.

I hope to see a few thin rectangular boxes under the tree this year 🎅

***Pickleheads15 discount code auto-applied with link above***

ERNE site-wide discounts

ERNE’s Ultimate Drilling Partner was the hottest pickleball product of 2023. If you were lucky enough to get one… I’m jealous.

And you could score some major brownie points buying that special someone an Erne this Xmas.

Hey, maybe you've got extra holiday cash from that Christmas bonus…

So just in case, I’m excited to share this special $100 off code for the Erne, good through 12/25:

ERNESanta - $100 off ERNE

And if you know someone that has an Erne, they also sell some pretty awesome accessories. Like their sound-dampening balls - buy these if you have angry neighbors next to your court!

And for the real fans out there, Erne also sells a full line of apparel.

Check out these codes for the extras:

ErneElf - 10% off apparel

ERNEStuff - 10% off accessories

Happy shopping! 🛍️