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- 🙄 This is why you shouldn’t drop volley
🙄 This is why you shouldn’t drop volley
Plus, Luzz ignored the foam trend. We’re glad they did. Stop rushing in! Texas stole their pickleball record. So they played for 51 HOURS. And much more...
Brandon at Pickleheads
October 01, 2026
Hey reader,
Welcome back to the Pickleheads Newsletter!
In this issue:
🙄 This is why you shouldn’t drop volley
🚀 Luzz ignored the foam trend. We’re glad they did.
🤾 Stop rushing in!
😤 Texas stole their pickleball record. So they played for 51 HOURS.
🥇 Learn this pro-level return of serve
🙄 This is why you shouldn’t drop volley
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 🙌
🚀 Luzz ignored the foam trend. We’re glad they did.
Hey Pickleheads readers, Stephen here 👋
Recently, pickleball paddles have gone foam crazy.
Almost every new performance paddle I test seems to be chasing the same thing: more foam and a bigger price tag.
Then I picked up the new Luzz Glider.
Instead of following the crowd, Luzz has stuck with a traditional honeycomb core. And after testing it, I think they might be onto something.
This thing is an absolute missile.
I gave it a perfect 10/10 for power. Baseline drives come off the face with ridiculous pace, counters feel almost effortless, and there's enough pop to put balls away quickly at the kitchen.
Here's the crazy part: I preferred it to some $250+ power paddles I've tested.
It's not just a one-trick pony either. I gave it 9/10 for spin and a surprisingly strong 8.5/10 for control. There's a crisp, connected feel that I've actually missed as more paddles have moved toward softer foam cores.
It's not for everyone. That much pop can punish you with the occasional pop-up if your soft game isn't dialed in, and I'm not a fan of the unusually chunky butt cap.
But for an aggressive player? The Glider costs $129, or around $110 with our 15% discount. That's a ridiculous amount of firepower for the money.
🤾 Stop rushing in!
Stoked to welcome back Jordan from Briones Pickleball Academy on YouTube for this week's Level Up!
Hey Pickleheads readers,
I recently broke down a 3.0 gold medal match, and one thing kept happening over and over again.
Points were ending within the first five shots.
You don't necessarily need more advanced shots. Start by getting better at the shots that decide so many points at your level.
1️⃣ Get your serve and return deep
Give yourself margin and prioritize depth. A deep return buys you time to get established at the kitchen before your opponent hits their third.
2️⃣ Don't go for too much on your third
Your third-shot drive doesn't need to be a winner. Dial back the power, get it low over the net, and prioritize making the shot.
The same goes for your drop. Give yourself margin and make your opponents play another ball.
3️⃣ Stop your feet in transition
This was one of the biggest mistakes I saw. Players would hit a good third, move forward, and then get caught while they were still moving.
Split-step before your opponent makes contact. You'll be more balanced and much better prepared for your fifth shot.
4️⃣ Stay calm when the pace comes
When a ball is fired at you, don't panic and take a huge swipe. Keep your counter compact and punch forward through the ball.
At this level, improvement isn't always about adding more to your game.
Get really good at the first five shots, make your opponents play one more ball, and you'll give yourself a much better chance of winning the point.
🎓 Want some one-on-one help with your game?
If this week’s Level Up has you thinking about what else you could improve, you can take things a step further with Pickleball University.
Get personally coached by Jordan Briones and his team from anywhere in the world, with expert feedback designed to help you improve your game.
😤 Texas stole their pickleball record. So they played for 51 HOURS.
Last year, Pennsylvania's Ace Pickleball Club set a world record by playing continuously for 48 hours. One day later, a team in Texas promptly stole it by playing for 49.
So, naturally, they wanted it back.
This weekend, the Pennsylvania players returned to the court and smashed the record with a mammoth 51-hour match for a nonprofit helping veterans rebuild their lives.
Your move, Texas. 👀
🌍 Could pickleball be the bridge between the US and China?
During his recent US visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping invited 100,000 young Americans to visit China for exchange and study programs over the next five years.
And pickleball is already playing a part. Youth exchanges are using the sport to bring young Americans and Chinese players together on court, turning our favorite plastic ball into an unlikely tool for building friendships between two global superpowers.
🦈 His school pickleball project caught Mark Cuban's attention
What started as a 15-year-old's fictional school project is now a patent-pending pickleball invention, and it's already caught the eye of Mark Cuban.
Skylin Hasworth created PaddlePod, a simple attachment that holds a ball on your paddle. After Cuban shared one of his videos, the family was even contacted by a Shark Tank casting director.
Not bad for a bit of homework, right?
🥇 Learn this pro-level return of serve
💪 Serve bigger. Serve better.
💥 Want to get better at pickleball? Stop doing this.
In doubles, can partners switch sides with each other during a live rally? |
The server calls the score, then realizes they're in the wrong serving area and switches sides. What must happen next? |
In singles, you just won a point serving from the right side. Where do you serve from next? |
Fresh takes, spicy debates, and the latest hot paddles & gear – catch up on our latest Court Talk highlights:
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