🤾 These tips will make you dangerous at the kitchen

😲 A deadly all-court paddle with unreal spin

Hey Pickleheads readers, Taylor here 👋

One of the hottest paddle brands in pickleball recently dropped another new release… and honestly, Honolulu might have a serious hit on its hands again.

The new J2CR Crystal Blue has been landing in players’ hands over the last few weeks, and after testing it myself, I totally understand the hype.

The headline feature is the new “Crystal Blue” grit technology, and the hype actually feels justified. This thing grabs the ball like crazy. My topspin dinks, drops, and drives were dipping hard, and serves were darting off court after the bounce.

What makes this paddle really impressive though, is that it’s not just a spin machine. It’s fast, powerful, forgiving, and incredibly well-balanced too. In hand battles, it honestly felt as quick as the Franklin ALW paddle I reviewed recently.

And the biggest selling point? Durability.

Most high-spin paddles lose their grit surprisingly fast. After 10+ hours with the J2CR Crystal Blue, this thing still looked almost brand new.

At $175.50 with our discount (code PICKLEHEADS), it also undercuts a lot of the big-name competitors from JOOLA and Selkirk while genuinely competing with them on performance.

Honestly, this is one of the standout paddle releases of 2026 so far.

Fair warning: if you click through and see “pre-order”, don’t panic. These things have been selling out before inventory even arrives, so Honolulu has been releasing them in waves. Right now, your best bet is to grab one before the shipping date shifts again.

👉 Read my full review

Use code PICKLEHEADS at checkout for 10% off

🤾 These tips will make you dangerous at the kitchen

Stoked to welcome a new contributor, Sammy Lee from Briones Pickleball Academy for this week’s Level Up.

Hey Pickleheads readers,

Most players think attacking at the kitchen line just means hitting the ball harder. Wrong. The best attackers know when to speed up, where to aim, and how to apply pressure without giving points away.

Here are the three ways advanced players create offense:

1️⃣ Speed up off the bounce
If the ball sits up dead during a dink rally, don’t just dink it back. Get your paddle below the ball, brush up for topspin, and attack with intent — preferably at the chicken wing or extended backhand.

2️⃣ Reach in and attack out of the air
Taking the ball early steals time from your opponent. Generally, there are two attacks: the roll (controlled topspin) and the flick (more acceleration and pace). The key to both? Staying balanced and attacking from a strong base.

3️⃣ Use topspin dinks as offense
Aggressive dinking is one of the biggest separators at higher levels. Move opponents around, mix up targets, and make sure your dink bounces so the topspin can push them off the court.

The best attackers in pickleball aren’t reckless. They’re intentional.

Watch Sammy Lee break this down in more detail in the full video 👇

Learn how to finally add consistent, controlled topspin to your shots and take over EVERY rally!

🦞 How to lob like Anna Bright

🧨 How to handle opponents who slice

💥 Why you can’t get to the net

☁️ The Fort, Fort Lauderdale, FL

This place feels like pickleball… supersized.

Massive court count, palm trees everywhere, and games flying from sunrise into the Florida night. The Fort isn’t just somewhere you go for a casual hit. It feels like a full-on pickleball festival that never really stops.

There’s music, food, drinks, leagues, open play, and enough action to make you lose track of time completely. You go for a couple of games… and suddenly it’s five hours later.

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

• 👀 This $150 paddle rivals JOOLA’s $300 flagship

• 👌 The fastest paddle I’ve ever played with

• 🥤 An electrolyte mix built for the heat of summer pickleball

• 😂 The part of practice nobody enjoys… fixed

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

• 🤦 A summer-ending pickleball injury allegedly sparked net sabotage

• 🤾 Most amateurs never master these 3 skills

• 🔥 A tumbling cartwheel save!

• 🔥 How to counter hard drives at the kitchen

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