🔑 Hidden Causal Lever
Head Down Then Go
When poaching off your partner's third shot drop, the timing cue isn't the drop quality or your position — it's the opponent's HEAD. Wait until the opponent puts their head DOWN (looking at the ball to hit their response). That's the signal their decision is locked and they can't adjust. If they can still see you moving, they'll aim around you. Their head going down is the commitment point.
What most people do
Start moving to poach as soon as they see a good drop, telegraphing the move to the opponent.
What the best do
Hold position, watch the opponent's head. The moment it drops to track the ball, THEN sprint to intercept. The opponent has already committed and can't redirect.
Why it's an edge: Timing the poach to the opponent's commitment point (head down) instead of the drop quality eliminates the possibility of being burned. You're not guessing — you're reading a binary signal.
How to exploit: In your next match, watch the opponent's head after your partner drops. Practice holding until the head goes down, then moving explosively. Notice how your poach success rate jumps.
"Poach Like a Pro" (2025-06-05)
💎 Elite-Only Behavior
The Slide System
Colin Johns designed his entire doubles game to complement Ben: he slides laterally ("Michael Jackson moonwalk"), sits on his backhand covering the line, and funnels everything to Ben's forehand in the middle. "I'm going to be a backboard over here — you go for your shots, I got you." This isn't about being worse — it's about having a SYSTEM. The system makes the team greater than the sum of its parts. The key: neither player deviates, ever.
What most people do
Play without a defined system. Both players try to be equally aggressive, compete for middle balls, and confuse each other.
What the best do
Define clear roles: one aggressor (takes middle, creates offense), one wall (covers line, never misses, funnels to partner). The wall player isn't passive — they're the foundation the aggressor builds on.
Why it's an edge: Removes ego from positioning. The "support" player isn't lesser — they're enabling the team's offense by being uncoverable on their zone. Most recreational teams never develop this clarity.
How to exploit: With your regular partner, try this for 3 games: one person takes everything left of the partner's left shoulder (aggressor), the other covers their line and resets everything else (wall). Switch roles between games to find which assignment fits better.
Colin Johns, "YOU are playing pickleball WRONG" (2022-06-15)
💎 Elite-Only Behavior
The Second Ball Goes to Your Partner
Colin Johns on the slide system: it isn't designed for Colin to WIN the exchange. It's designed so that the COUNTER to his counter goes directly to Ben's forehand kill zone. "A lot of times the guys with good hands will get the next one back, but then the reply will go directly into the jaws of Ben's forehand — which is where we want the ball to go." Colin survives one shot; the opponent's response feeds Ben's strongest position. The system architects WHERE the second ball in any exchange must travel — not by controlling the opponent, but by positioning so that the geometry forces the reply to a predetermined zone.
What most people do
Try to win every exchange themselves. Partner is backup, not the primary weapon.
What the best do
Architect the exchange so that SURVIVING (not winning) sends the ball to the partner's kill zone. The system wins, not the individual.
Why it's an edge: Most teams have two players trying to win separately. The Johns brothers have one system designed to funnel the ball to one player's strength. This means they only need ONE player to be elite at finishing — the other just needs to be a wall.
How to exploit: With your partner, identify whose forehand is the better finishing weapon. Design your positioning so that counter-attacks to the "wall" player's zone naturally redirect toward the finisher's forehand. Test it for 3 games.
Colin Johns, "YOU are playing pickleball WRONG" (2022-06-15)
⚡ Conventional Wisdom Is Wrong
Forehand Takes Middle Is a Myth
Cincola: "forehand takes the middle" is only valid for high floaty balls where the forehand generates more putaway power. In dinking, third shots, and most other situations: whichever partner has the BETTER shot should take the middle, regardless of which hand it's on. The rule should be context-dependent (who has the better shot from this position?), not automatic (forehand always).
What most people do
Automatically defer middle balls to whoever can hit a forehand, regardless of positioning or shot quality.
What the best do
Whoever has the better shot from their current position takes the middle — could be forehand, could be backhand, could be two-handed.
Why it's an edge: Eliminates a rigid rule that causes wrong-player-takes-it errors in 60%+ of situations where the rule is applied to non-floater balls.
How to exploit: With your partner, agree: "whoever has the better shot takes it, regardless of forehand/backhand." In your next match, track middle ball outcomes. Compare to your old "forehand takes it" rate.
John Cincola, "Pickleball Myths That Are Holding You Back" (2025-07-10)
💎 Elite-Only Behavior
Shake-and-Bake From Any Position
Cincola: traditional shake-and-bake = hard drive straight ahead + partner poaches the popup. But there's a hybrid that works from almost any position: hit a soft spinning shot CROSSCOURT while your partner squares up in the middle, taking away passing lanes. This works especially when opponents are scrambling to position (unstack-sliding), causing them to arrive late and low.
What most people do
Only attempt shake-and-bake off hard flat drives from the baseline.
What the best do
Use the soft-spin crosscourt variant: partner squares up middle, opponents arrive late and low, popup goes to the partner's kill zone.
Why it's an edge: Opens shake-and-bake to situations where a hard drive isn't available. The soft-spin version is lower risk and works against opponents who are still transitioning.
How to exploit: With your partner, try this: you hit a soft topspin crosscourt while they shift to cover the middle. If opponents are late to position, the popup goes directly to your partner.
John Cincola, "Still Stuck at 4.0" (2025-10-12)
💎 Elite-Only Behavior
Proactive Court Balancing
Cincola: "If you're not doing something, do something." When your partner hits, most players just watch. Smart players use that time to REPOSITION based on reading the situation: partner balanced → push forward. Partner struggling → hold or back up. Ball going left → slide left. This proactive positioning means every ball arrives "easier" because you're already in the right spot.
What most people do
Watch their partner hit, then react to whatever comes next from a static position.
What the best do
Continuously reposition during partner's shot based on: partner balance, likely outcome, opponent positioning. Arrive at the right spot BEFORE the ball gets there.
Why it's an edge: The difference between a ball that's "impossible" and one that's "routine" is often just 2 feet of positioning. Proactive balancing provides those 2 feet for free.
How to exploit: Make a rule: every time your partner hits, take one adjustment step based on their shot quality. Good shot → step forward. Bad shot → step back. Ball going left → slide left. Track how many "easy" balls you get compared to your old static approach.
John Cincola, "What Smart Players Always Do First" (2025-04-07)
🔑 Hidden Causal Lever
Touch Paddles = Middle Eliminated
Cincola: doubles partners should be positioned close enough that they can TOUCH PADDLE TIPS when both reach toward each other. This eliminates the middle — the easiest, safest, lowest-risk target on the court. The tradeoff: yes, you leave the sidelines more open. But hitting the sideline is risky for opponents — if they miss by 6 inches, it's out. Force opponents to beat you to the risky outsides. Never give up the easiest spot (middle) to protect the hardest (sidelines).
What most people do
Leave a car-sized gap in the middle, trying to cover their individual sidelines. Opponents feast on the easy middle ball.
What the best do
Pinch tight enough to touch paddle tips. Middle is eliminated. Opponents must hit the riskiest spots on the court to score.
Why it's an edge: Flips court coverage strategy: instead of covering everything and covering nothing well, you cover the ONE spot that matters most (middle) and dare opponents to hit the risky spots.
How to exploit: Before your next point, reach toward your partner with your paddle. Can you touch tips? If not, move closer. Play one game at this distance and track: how many middle balls get through vs. your old positioning?
John Cincola, "5 Golden Rules: Protect the Middle" (2026-01-19)