🤔 Was this shot in or out?

Hey there,

Welcome back to the Pickleheads Newsletter!

In this issue:

🤔 Was this shot in or out?
🤾 Why you should learn the two handed backhand
🤫 Delta to require pickleballers to use quieter paddles
💭 This guy’s invention makes most people better at pickleball…

🇺🇸 Pickleheads is now the official court and game finder of USA Pickleball!

First some big news ICYMI… we announced our partnership with USA Pickleball this week 🙌

We’re now their official court and game finder!

Together we’re making Pickleheads the most accurate source of court and schedule information. This means finding your next game will be even easier!

Here’s the tl;dr:

🤝 USAP’s 2,300 ambassadors will begin updating courts on Pickleheads

📣 Pickleheads replaces Places2Play

🛠 We’re making our organizer tools available to USAP ambassadors and members

You’ll also see surveys, co-branded content and more coming soon.

Make sure to follow all your local courts. Updated schedules and games are coming soon, so you don’t want to miss new opportunities to play!

On any court page, just hit Follow this court.

🤔 Was this shot in or out?

This week’s epic point features an ATP (around the post). The question is, was it in or out? Or, was someone cheating?

We’ll let you decide. It’s definitely got people talking in the comments…

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 🙌 

Fight hunger on the courts with CHOMPS

I played two long sessions recently. 3 hours each.

I was out at 7 am… Gotta beat the crowds right?!

No time for breakfast but luckily I grabbed a few CHOMPS meat sticks and…

Not only are they seriously delicious. But they really do keep you full!

If I eat a granola bar or fruit, I’m back after a few games for more. One meat stick and I was good for a whole session.

This time I tried the taco seasoned beef and it was 🤤

They are my new go-to snack for the courts AND I’m happy the CHOMPS team has offered Pickleheads readers 15% off everything on their site.

Jalapeño beef, taco seasoned beef, pepperoni turkey - you have options 😋

🤾 Why you should learn the two handed backhand (drops and drives). And a new drill.

Rahul, Pickleheads community manager and APP Top 150 player, is back once again with this week’s top tip…

The two handed backhand is becoming very popular in pickleball, and players of all levels should look to try it in their game.

This shot makes you more versatile on the court. Plus it gives you more control on your backhands overall.

You can generate more spin, specifically topspin with two hands rather than one hand. It turns your backhand into a weapon rather than a liability.

For drops and drives, maintain a low base and keep your paddle tip angled towards the ground to help with the brushing motion.

For drops, we accelerate slower, exaggerating the brushing motion to add more topspin, so your balls land in the kitchen with heavy spin.

For drives, limit your backswing, load your back leg, and transfer weight to your front leg after contact with the ball. Accelerate fast while keeping the brushing motion.

Your paddle should finish over your shoulders to add drive and power.

To drill, go out with a friend on court and grab a bucket of balls. Start on the middle baseline, split step to the left to hit your backhands.

Alternate between 5 drives and 5 drops. Go through an entire bucket of balls (50-100 reps), repeat 3 times total.

Here’s a video of Rahul talking you through this week’s tip 👇

🤫 Delta to require pickleballers to use quieter paddles

Two years ago, Delta decided to wait on new provincial standards before building any new courts. 

Pickleball players wanting to use Delta playing courts will be required to use quieter paddles as the city looks to address noise complaints about the sport.

The question is, will we see more cities adopt similar restrictions?

💭 This guy’s invention makes most people better at pickleball…

Veloz founder, president and CEO Mitch Junkins discusses the creation process behind his revolutionary paddle.

🎖️ Pickleball becomes ‘lifeline’ for Army veteran with PTSD

Hear the story of Gene Sheets, an honorably discharged Army veteran with PTSD, who found his lifeline in pickleball. 

On a personal note, my wife & I are expecting our first child in September!

It was only fitting to do a gender reveal like this... funny enough we didn't swing hard enough on the first go, this was take 2!

Amway Grand Plaza, MI

You’ll find this week’s dream court on the 4th-floor rooftop of the Hilton Armway Grand Plaza hotel.

Once ranked one of the 10 finest hotels in America” during the height of the Golden Twenties in 1925 – and hasn’t lost its charm since.

Just imagine dinking, rallying and volleying against the picturesque background of the bustling Grand Rapids cityscape.

To celebrate National Pickleball Month, Gearbox has some exclusive deals! Which they’re switching up weekly…

So, what’s available this week?

April 17th-April 21st

$50 off their CX11 collection

$20 off their GBX collection

Wow! Over 30,000 of you have taken our paddle quiz since it launched!

I still get asked every week for paddle recs but it’s hard without knowing your play-style and needs…

So enter the quiz - answer 7 quick questions and I’ll recommend the 3 best for you. I have tested over 100 paddles by now and added a few exciting new 2024 releases to the quiz recently.

Are you playing with the best paddle for your game? Find out below 👇

Love what you’re reading? Why not tell others about it to!?

This newsletter supports our free tools at Pickleheads, thank you for reading …