Coach's Take

Coach's Takes

The coach's-eye breakdowns nobody else writes — the patterns that decide MoCo rec games, and what to do about them.

June 24, 2026The body bag is going pro-mainstream — and your rec game isn't readyThe Dink sat down with MLP pros Zane Navratil and Florida Smash's Zoey Weil to break down the full-send body bag — a hard, flat shot aimed directly at the opponent's body at the kitchen line. Their ve
June 23, 2026Your DUPR Reset moved — what to actually do with itAfter two-plus months and more than 400,000 recorded matches, the DUPR Reset is live. If you're anywhere in the 3.0–4.5 range, your number almost certainly moved this past week — and you're either qui
June 16, 2026Stop popping up your third shot — it's the order, not the spinThe Dink ran a clean breakdown this week on fixing the popped-up third shot with a topspin drop — four fixes for spacing, weight transfer, and timing, built around a cue from Coach Cori Elliott: push
June 2, 2026The 4.0 doubles pattern The Dink buriedThe Dink dropped a strong piece this week on the doubles patterns that actually win at 4.0+ — the patterns most 3.5–4.0 rec players are trying to graduate into. Most of it is right. The targeting, the
June 2, 2026How to Beat Younger, Faster Players (Without Getting Any Faster)The Dink ran a piece this week with three strategies for beating younger, faster players — Coach Jess making the case that placement and patience beat raw speed. If you play rec pickleball in MoCo, th
May 20, 2026Fourth Ball Pressure: What The Dink Got Right (and What 3.5s Will Still Get Wrong)The Dink published a piece this week calling "Fourth Ball Pressure" the shot changing pickleball in 2026 — the aggressive midcourt drive or roll that separates elite players from everyone trying to ca