🤾 The dink target you’re probably ignoring

Hey reader,

Welcome back to the Pickleheads Newsletter!

In this issue:

🎾 My best pickleball paddles for intermediates 2025
🤾 The dink target you’re probably ignoring
💥 Top 3 mistakes you’re making
🧨 An easy drill to improve your kitchen strategy

🎾 My best pickleball paddles for intermediates 2025

So, you're finally ready to move on from your beginner paddle. But where do you start?

Luckily for you, just this week, I gave our guide to intermediate paddles a complete overhaul. With so many new models hitting the market, the whole landscape has shifted… so all my picks have been updated.

My new top pick? The Honolulu J2NF. It’s the paddle I’m recommending most right now for players looking to level up.

I’ve even ranked it the best pickleball paddle of 2025. It’s a user-friendly paddle with the largest sweet spot I’ve ever seen, and built with a Gen 4 foam core, so you’re also getting the most up-to-date paddle tech that boosts touch, spin, and durability.

If you’re looking to step up from a beginner paddle but don’t know where to start, this refreshed guide will help you find the right fit.

👉 Read: My best intermediate pickleball paddles in 2025

🤾 The dink target you’re probably ignoring

Stoked to welcome back Zane Navratil, the pro who changed the game with his serve and sharp court tactics, for this week's Level Up!

Hey Pickleheads readers,

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a dink rally where your opponents are pinning you wide, here’s a smart play pros use to escape pressure and reset the point.

Instead of dinking back crosscourt or down the line, try targeting the inside foot of the opponent directly in front of you.

• ✅ It’s a low-risk shot with no sideline to miss

• ✅ You’re going over the lowest part of the net

• ✅ And even if you pop it up a little, your team is already in a strong position to counter

This tiny adjustment can help you avoid getting pinned and take back control of the kitchen.

Watch Zane break it down here 👇

Are paddles too hot?

We’re hearing a lot of talk about how new paddle tech is changing the game.

Power, spin, speed, the pro game influence… some say the game’s evolving, others say it’s losing its roots.

Take Better Pickleball’s 4-minute “Are Paddles Too Hot?” survey and have your say in one of pickleball’s biggest debates.

Every week, 240,000+ players see the Pickleheads Newsletter

It’s where the pickleball community comes for the latest news, drills, gear tips, and the most epic points.

Want to get your brand in front of them?👇

Rosewood Little Dix Bay, British Virgin Islands

You’ll find this week’s dream court tucked between the emerald hills and turquoise waters of Rosewood Little Dix Bay in the British Virgin Islands.

This world-class, eco-conscious resort has two courts dedicated to pickleball, framed by lush jungle and ocean views that would take anyone’s breath away.

I reckon a rally under the Caribbean sun hits different, right?

Fresh takes, spicy debates, and the latest hot paddles & gear – catch up on our latest Court Talk highlights:

• 🎾 Best pickleball nets 2025

• 😍 Fast, confident offense. Plenty of spin. And touch you can trust.

• 👌CRBN’s best foam build yet?

• 👌 A paddle without a glaring weakness

Skipped a scroll or two? No worries — here are the last few editions we sent your way:

• 😬 Pro player suspended after heinous hooks and on-court blow-up

• 🤾 Stop making this common dinking mistake

• 😲 This is pickleball!

• 🤾 Hit the perfect speed-up (off the bounce)

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