Howard and Gina talk about everyone’s favorite shot, the lob. We talk about our lob journeys, when it’s okay to lob, and Gina gives some coaching tips for lobbing. In the aftershow, we discuss what happened when we finally get started with our bar game olympics challenge.

Please check out our Third Shot Rants Merch Shop: https://cottonbureau.com/people/third-shot-rants

1. Howard and Gina’s lob journeys
2. How to establish a reliable DUPR rating
3. When is it okay to lob
   1. Rec play
   2. Organized play
   3. Tournaments
4. Closing remarks
   1. Coaches Corner: tips for lobs
   2. Please follow and rate our show!
5. Aftershow: Howard and Gina start their bar game olympics challenge, with pool

Resources:

• Pickleball Kingdom Waukegan: https://pickleballkingdom.com/clubs/waukegan-il/
• Leigh Waters lobbing controversy: https://youtu.be/EKm3UUFP1Eg?si=h6SHOdXKEBGfEjSS
• Leigh Waters interview about lobs: https://youtu.be/4IOEOf9FUIw?si=6l95VLcPjGYj-qc6
• Anna Bright lobbing: https://youtu.be/ZuNxsZj-yfY?si=V4xwTcuG30xvKiC4
• Nick’s Billiard Academy: https://maps.app.goo.gl/HCX18d8CBmFppqey6
• Third Shot Rants Merch Shop: https://cottonbureau.com/people/third-shot-rants
• Contact info for Gina as coach: gtpicklecoach@gmail.com
• Send questions and comments, including voice recordings, about the show to: thirdshotrants@gmail.com
• CRBN 10 percent discount code: use code CRBNTEN at https://www.crbnpickleball.com/CRBNTEN

Instagram:

• Third Shot Rants: https://www.instagram.com/thirdshotrants
• Gina: https://www.instagram.com/gtpickle
• Pickleball Kingdom Waukegan: https://www.instagram.com/pickleballkingdom.waukegan/ and Coach Felix: https://www.instagram.com/coachfelix.pb/

Credits:

• Hosts: Howard Chang and Gina Tsapralis
• Audio Engineer: Henry Chang

Howard and Gina can’t stop talking about DUPR even though Howard doesn’t even have a DUPR. We give our best DUPR advice, including some thoughts about what to watch out for in a partner. (It’s not what you might think.) Also, please buy our merch, even though we don’t make any money from it.

1. Third Shot Rants Merch Shop: https://cottonbureau.com/people/third-shot-rants
2. Life without a DUPR
3. How to establish a reliable DUPR rating
4. Strategic DUPR tips
   1. Don’t fixate on a numerical goal
   2. Don’t play too early in your pickle journey
   3. Women should think about whether to play in open gender groups
   4. Don’t stay in the same biome
   5. Play up in tournaments
   6. Every point counts
   7. If you think you’re underrated, don’t play with a low reliability score partner
5. Closing remarks
   1. Coaches Corner: tips for drops
   2. Please follow and rate our show!
6. Aftershow: Howard and Gina’s birthdays

Resources:

• Third Shot Rants Merch Shop: https://cottonbureau.com/people/third-shot-rants
• DUPR: https://www.dupr.com/
• Contact info for Gina as coach: gtpicklecoach@gmail.com
• Send questions and comments, including voice recordings, about the show to: thirdshotrants@gmail.com
• CRBN 10 percent discount code: use code CRBNTEN at https://www.crbnpickleball.com/CRBNTEN

Instagram:

• Third Shot Rants: https://www.instagram.com/thirdshotrants
• Gina: https://www.instagram.com/gtpickle

Credits:

• Hosts: Howard Chang and Gina Tsapralis
• Audio Engineer: Henry Chang

Howard and Gina interview DUPR CEO Tito Machado. Tito announces news about DUPR subscores that are coming soon. And we talk to Tito about the new algorithm and whether DUPR ratings are comparable across gender, age, and geography. We also announce our Third Shot Rants merch shop!

1. Third Shot Rants Merch Shop: https://cottonbureau.com/people/third-shot-rants
2. Feedback on the new algorithm
3. Are DUPR ratings universal across gender, age, and geography?
4. New DUPR feature: subscore ratings by gender and age
5. Closing remarks
   1. Coaches Corner: tips for drop shots
   2. Please follow and rate our show!
6. Aftershow: Howard and Gina’s Halloween plans

Resources:

• Third Shot Rants Merch Shop: https://cottonbureau.com/people/third-shot-rants
• DUPR CEO Tito Machado: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilberto-tito-machado-19004670
• DUPR: https://www.dupr.com/
• Contact info for Gina as coach: gtpicklecoach@gmail.com
• Send questions and comments, including voice recordings, about the show to: thirdshotrants@gmail.com
• CRBN 10 percent discount code: use code CRBNTEN at https://www.crbnpickleball.com/CRBNTEN

Instagram:

• Tito Machado: https://www.instagram.com/titomachado.dupr
• Third Shot Rants: https://www.instagram.com/thirdshotrants
• Gina: https://www.instagram.com/gtpickle

Credits:

• Hosts: Howard Chang and Gina Tsapralis
• Audio Engineer: Henry Chang

Howard and Gina discuss everyone’s favorite topic, DUPR ratings and reliability scores–how they work, the new algorithm, whether they’re accurate, whether men’s and women’s ratings are comparable.

1. Basics of DUPR
   1. DUPR Rating
   2. Reliability Index
   3. Where to play DUPR matches
2. New algorithm
   1. Rating can go down with a win
   2. Pros/cons
3. Are DUPR ratings accurate?
   1. Our impressions
   2. DUPR Biomes
   3. DUPRs in Hong Kong
4. Are men’s and women' s DUPRs comparable?
   1. Our impressions
   2. Need for DUPR to assess and correct
5. Closing remarks
   1. Coaches Corner: compact strokes at the kitchen line
   2. Please follow and rate our show!
6. Restaurant reviews
   1. Pita Inn
   2. Rosita’s Tacos and Cocina

Note 1: Our discussion of DUPR is based on the publicly available information we are aware of. We welcome corrections and comments. The statement that DUPR starts everyone at a 3.5 rating is based on what we believe occurs in a game among four non rated players. It is less clear based on publicly available information what the algorithm assumes about a non rated player who plays a first game with three rated players, but based on anecdotal data, it does appear that there is a presumption that non rated players tend to start around 3.5.

Note 2: The discussion of a potential upward adjustment in DUPR ratings if a discrepancy were identified between men's and women's ratings based on the data would be intended to apply to men (or women) whose ratings came from matches played with men. No adjustment would apply to men (or women) whose ratings came from matches played with women.

Resources:

• DUPR info
  • Background: https://www.dupr.com/how-it-works
  • New July 2025 algorithm: https://www.dupr.com/post/dupr-algo-update-common-questions
  • FAQs: https://www.dupr.com/post/dupr-faqs-your-top-questions-answered-by-sarah-and-dave
• Sarah Carpenter, Lead Data Scientist at DUPR:
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPtCLNT1sEU
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsDnXxDEAJg&t=204s
• Hong Kong amateur DUPRs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF_lhgYrRgc&t=297s
• Contact info for Gina as coach: gtpicklecoach@gmail.com
• Send questions and comments, including voice recordings, about the show to: thirdshotrants@gmail.com
• CRBN 10 percent discount code: use code CRBNTEN at https://www.crbnpickleball.com/CRBNTEN

Instagram:

• Third Shot Rants: https://www.instagram.com/thirdshotrants
• Gina: https://www.instagram.com/gtpickle

Credits:

• Hosts: Howard Chang and Gina Tsapralis
• Audio Engineer: Henry Chang

Aftershow: Restaurant Recommendations

• Pita Inn Skokie
  • Website: https://pitainn.com/pita-inn-skokie/
  • Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/C1nagjPc3Lo7A2f46
• Rosita’s Tacos and Cocina
  • Website: https://www.rositastacoscocina.com/
  • Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/da8z6StxxUgdDokL9

Howard and Gina interview Rich Green, founder of SPF, the first pickleball club in Chicago. Rich discusses his personal pickleball origin story and SPF’s. Rich announces some exciting SPF news.

1. Rich’s origin story
2. SPF’s origin story
3. SPF news
4. Honey Butter Beach Club at SPF
5. Operating challenges for club owners
6. Closing remarks
   1. Coaches Corner: beginner lessons
   2. CRBN TruFoam Waves paddle launched September 25. Howard has one that listeners can try!
   3. Please follow and rate our show!

Resources:

• SPF: https://www.playspf.com/
• Honey Butter Beach Club: https://www.honeybutterbeachclub.com/
• Contact info for Gina as coach: gtpicklecoach@gmail.com
• Send questions and comments, including voice recordings, about the show to: thirdshotrants@gmail.com
• CRBN 10 percent discount code: use code CRBNTEN at https://www.crbnpickleball.com/CRBNTEN

Instagram:

• SPF: https://www.instagram.com/playspf
• Third Shot Rants: https://www.instagram.com/thirdshotrants
• Gina: https://www.instagram.com/gtpickle

Credits:

• Hosts: Howard Chang and Gina Tsapralis
• Audio Engineer: Henry Chang

Howard and Gina interview top pickleball professional, Vivian Glozman.

1. Vivian’s pickleball origin story
2. Becoming a pickleball pro
3. Life as a pickleball pro
4. Pickleball and life advice from Vivian
5. Closing remarks
   1. Three and me sessions with Gina
   2. CRBN TruFoam Waves paddle launches September 25. Howard has one pre-launch that listeners can try!
   3. Please follow and rate our show!

Vivian Glozman Bio

Resources:

• Vivian’s MLP page: https://majorleaguepickleball.co/player/vivian-glozman/
• Contact info for Gina as coach: gtpicklecoach@gmail.com
• Send questions and comments, including voice recordings, about the show to: thirdshotrants@gmail.com
• CRBN 10 percent discount code, including for new Trufoam Waves paddle: use code CRBNTEN at https://www.crbnpickleball.com/CRBNTEN

Instagram:

• Vivian Glozman: https://www.instagram.com/vivian_glozman
• Vivian’s Food Insta: https://www.instagram.com/toastwithviv
• Third Shot Rants: https://www.instagram.com/thirdshotrants
• Gina: https://www.instagram.com/gtpickle

Credits:

• Hosts: Howard Chang and Gina Tsapralis
• Audio Engineer: Henry Chang

Howard and Gina talk about whether targeting a weaker player is an acceptable strategy.

1. Targeting
   1. Games with inexperienced players at open play
   2. Competitive open play
   3. Closed invite only groups
   4. Leagues
   5. Tournaments
2. Bodybagging
3. Closing remarks
   1. Please follow and rate our show!
   2. Learn how to lob from Gina!
   3. CRBN TruFoam Waves paddle launches September 25. Howard should have one pre-launch!

Resources:

• Contact info for Gina as coach: gtpicklecoach@gmail.com
• Send questions and comments, including voice recordings, about the show to: thirdshotrants@gmail.com
• CRBN 10 percent discount code: use code CRBNTEN at https://www.crbnpickleball.com/CRBNTEN
• Ben Johns head shot at Quang Duong: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp11GaekBGQ

Instagram:

• Third Shot Rants: https://www.instagram.com/thirdshotrants
• Gina: https://www.instagram.com/gtpickle

Credits:

• Hosts: Howard Chang and Gina Tsapralis
• Audio Engineer: Henry Chang

Gina talks about her APP week and Howard joins her at APP on Saturday.

1. APP Chicago
2. Volunteering at APP
3. Third Shot Rant: poorly organized amateur brackets
4. Watching pro pickleball
5. Closing remarks: please rate and follow our show!

Notes: We were told that the APP entry fee was approximately $145 per person and that APP did not refund the fee for the 3.5 women's doubles bracket we discussed but did offer to waive the spectator fee.

Resources:

• Contact info for Gina as coach: gtpicklecoach@gmail.com
• Send questions and comments, including voice recordings, about the show to: thirdshotrants@gmail.com
• CRBN 10 percent discount code: use code CRBNTEN at https://www.crbnpickleball.com/CRBNTEN
• 2025 APP Chicago Open: https://www.theapp.global/tour-schedule/2025-app-chicago-open
• Megan Fudge
  • Video of Megan’s Third Shot Rants interview with Gina: https://youtu.be/T-VwFL0WbyA
  • Mixed Doubles Gold: https://www.instagram.com/p/DOCUGkLEjKb/
  • Womens Doubles Silver: https://www.instagram.com/p/DOCH35JkkPz/
• Jack Munro ball tracking: https://youtu.be/Ps59V0GbnRc
• Fudge DeHeart kid champions: FudgeDeHeartKids.jpg
• Gina doing the wave: GinaWave.jpg
• Howard refusing to do the wave: HowardNoWave.jpg

Instagram:

• Third Shot Rants: https://www.instagram.com/thirdshotrants
• Gina: https://www.instagram.com/gtpickle

Credits:

• Hosts: Howard Chang and Gina Tsapralis
• Audio Engineer: Henry Chang