What it does
Zen Headbutt is a Psychic-type physical move with a 20% chance to flinch the target. As with all flinch effects, it only matters when you go first — if the target already moved that turn, the flinch does nothing.
Psychic physical coverage is valuable against Fighting and Poison types. For physical attackers, Zen Headbutt offers a way to threaten those types with the Attack stat rather than Special Attack. It targets Physical Defense.
Compared to Psycho Cut: same typing, similar purpose, but different secondary effects. Psycho Cut raises your crit rate (and is a slicing move, so Sharpness boosts it). Zen Headbutt provides direct flinch disruption. The choice depends on whether you need crit-boosted damage or turn-skipping control.
Who runs it
Tsareena at 22% uses it to cover Poison and Fighting — both types that threaten Grass. Psychic punches through Poison-type bulk and rounds out Tsareena's coverage nicely. The flinch chance is a bonus given its decent Speed.
Rampardos at 20% needs Fighting coverage — many Fighting-type Pokémon resist or threaten Rock. Zen Headbutt gives it Psychic-type reach. That said, Speed 58 means it usually moves after most threats, and the flinch rarely activates as a result.
Medicham at 11% has Pure Power making all physical moves hit extremely hard. With Psycho Cut and Zen Headbutt both available as Psychic physical STAB, the move slot is a choice between crit accumulation and flinch chance — both are valid depending on the team.
How to use it
In doubles, the standard flinch play: pair with a Fake Out user on the other side of your field. Lock one target down, flinch the other with Zen Headbutt. If both land, neither opposing Pokémon acts that turn.
Confirm your Speed advantage before leaning on the flinch. Against faster targets, you're just using a Psychic physical move — and that might still be the correct call if the coverage is needed.
Tips & strategy
Zen Headbutt vs Psycho Cut on the same Pokémon: if it has Sharpness, Psycho Cut is almost always stronger because the slicing boost applies. Zen Headbutt is the better pick when you want the flinch chance specifically — for example, on a fast Pokémon that reliably outruns targets and wants to disrupt two opposing Pokémon per turn in combination with Fake Out support.