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- 👑 We tore up our Best Paddles rankings. There’s a new #1.
👑 We tore up our Best Paddles rankings. There’s a new #1.
Plus, an ATP and a behind-the-back all in one point? You can help design the Loco 2, 6.0 pickleball wisdom in 60 seconds, and much more...
Brandon at Pickleheads
September 10, 2026
Hey reader,
Welcome back to the Pickleheads Newsletter!
In this issue:
🫠 An ATP and a behind-the-back all in one point?
👑 We tore up our best paddles rankings. There’s a new #1.
🤾 Why you keep popping up your resets
👀 Bread & Butter fans, here's your first look at the Loco 2
🦉 6.0 pickleball wisdom in 60 seconds
🫠 An ATP and behind the back all in one point?
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 🙌
👑 We tore up our best paddles rankings. There’s a new #1.
Picking the best pickleball paddle used to be relatively straightforward. Not anymore.
Over the past five years, we’ve tested over 160 paddles, and the gap between the best of them has become ridiculously small.
So, we decided it was time to tear up our Best Pickleball Paddles guide and rebuild it from the ground up.
Every paddle on the list has been tested for at least 10 hours in real games. We've compared power, control, spin, forgiveness, weighting, durability, grip, and aerodynamics, then narrowed everything down to the 12 paddles we'd actually recommend right now.
And yes... we have a new #1. 👀
But this isn't just a new ranking.
We've picked the best paddles for power, spin, control, all-court play, durability, different skill levels, and different budgets. We've even included the latest paddles we've tested that didn't make the cut, and why.
Because with hundreds of paddles fighting for your attention, knowing what not to buy can be just as useful as knowing what to buy.
Think your paddle made the list?
🤾 Why you keep popping up your resets
Stoked to welcome back Jordan from Briones Pickleball Academy on YouTube for this week's Level Up!
Hey Pickleheads readers,
If you're struggling with resets, there's a good chance you're trying to do too much.
The whole purpose of a reset is to take pace off the ball, get it bouncing in the kitchen, and buy yourself time to move forward.
Here are three things I want you to focus on:
1️⃣ Get set before you hit
Your reset starts with your feet. Get into a low, wide stance with both feet on the ground before your opponent makes contact. If you're still moving when the ball arrives, controlling it becomes much harder.
2️⃣ Lift, don't punch
This isn't a counterattack. Keep your paddle face slightly open and use a smooth lifting motion from your shoulder. Punching forward adds pace when you're actually trying to take it away.
3️⃣ Keep everything calm
Your wrist should stay stable and your swing should be slow and compact. If you're flicking your wrist, chopping at the ball, or accelerating through it, you're adding unnecessary variables to a shot that's all about control.
Think low, balanced, and smooth.
You don't need to do much with a good reset. Let your opponent's pace do the work, soften the ball into the kitchen, and give yourself time to move forward.
Watch me break down the fundamentals, the biggest mistakes I see, and some of my favorite reset drills in this week's video 👇
Discover what's holding your pickleball game back
Briones Academy’s free Pickleball Audit reveals exactly where to focus your practice.
Most players waste hours drilling the wrong skills or fancy shots, while their biggest gaps go unnoticed.
Find out exactly what shot is holding your game back 👇
👀 Bread & Butter fans, here's your first look at the Loco 2
The sequel to our 2025 Paddle of the Year is heading into production, complete with intriguing new Space Dust grit 🤔. Bread & Butter recently asked players to vote on the Loco 2's face design, giving us our first look at what the finished paddle could look like.
Now we just need to know which one won...
🤦 This is NOT how you make time for pickleball.
We've heard of pickleball addiction, but this might be taking things a little too far. A couple were reportedly arrested after allegedly leaving their three young children home alone while they went out to play pickleball.
Yeah... probably sit this one out.
🧠 Your brain apparently LOVES pickleball
As if we needed another excuse to play. A new review of the research found pickleball participation is linked with greater happiness, life satisfaction, and social connection, as well as lower levels of depression.
Turns out chasing a plastic ball around with your friends might be pretty good for you.
⛽ The gas deal ended. The $126 price didn't.
Remember FLiK's GasMeUp deal? It was designed to take some of the sting out of rising prices at the pump by dropping the price of the 5/5-rated F3.
Well, gas prices aren't exactly playing ball... so FLiK has made the lower $140 price permanent.
Even better for Pickleheads readers, code PICKLEHEADS still gets you an extra 10% off, bringing the F3 down to the same $126 we've been shouting about.
So, no countdown. No "last chance." Just one of our favorite all-court paddles at a seriously good price.
🦉 6.0 pickleball wisdom in 60 seconds
🚀 How to punish hard drives at you
💥 3 dink situations and how to play each one
The server calls the wrong score, nobody stops play, and the full rally is completed. What happens? |
At the very start of a doubles game, how many players on the first serving team get to serve before a side out? |
You serve and the ball clips an overhead light fixture before landing in the correct service court. What's the ruling? |
Fresh takes, spicy debates, and the latest hot paddles & gear – catch up on our latest Court Talk highlights:
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