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