F
or those pickleball players who enjoy singles, they don’t
have to worry about the dilemma of picking partners. Purely
based on numbers, pickleball is really a doubles sport, and, as
much so, a mixed doubles sport. One question then is how do
you pick a mixed partner, and do you stay with one partner or
switch with multiple partners? Following are a few terms that
are becoming more common in the pickleball world.
Pickle-lygomist: a player who plays with
multiple partners and is not tied to any
one exclusively.
tournaments, mainly for the reasons listed above. It also
requires the player to find new partners each time. This can be
hard, as many players prefer to stick with one partner. There is
also the possibility that a player switches partners frequently
because the player is hard to play with. If that is the case, and
that becomes that player’s reputation, it can become even
harder to find new partners. While it may be fun playing with
different partners in each tournament, players should be careful
not to hurt their partner’s feelings and should be clear that they
are not looking for a Pickleball Marriage!
Some people have said, “Never play with your significant
other.” Others say they will never play with anyone but their
significant other. What is right for you? There are several
factors involved with deciding to play with your significant
other. Are you both at a comparable level? In tournaments,
players can always play in a division above their rating, but they
can’t play below. If you are a 4.5 and your spouse is a 3.0, your
Players have different philosophies on how to deal with the
ever-increasing difficulty of finding partners that they match
well with. Some players will quickly find a partner that they
like and decide on a Pickleball Marriage, while others play with
multiple partners, never tying themselves to any one partner.
Here are a few pros and cons about each of the philosophies.
In a Pickleball Marriage, you don’t have to worry about
finding a partner for each tournament. For many players,
signing up for a tournament without a partner is something
they try to avoid at all costs. Who knows who you may end up
with? But in a Pickleball Marriage, you have the understanding
that when you and your partner play in a tournament, it will be
together. That may cause trouble if one player wants to play in a
tournament and the other can’t or doesn’t want to. Sometimes
this can lead to a Pickleball Divorce.
A Pickleball Marriage also allows both players to get
comfortable and familiar with the other player’s playing style.
This can be incredibly helpful. Knowing who covers the middle,
who gets the overheads, who runs back for lobs, knowing
when to cover more court if the partner is pulled off, and
being familiar with your partner’s shot selections are all huge
advantages that longtime partners have over a team that is
playing together for the first time.
Unfortunately, players can grow apart in their Pickleball
Marriage. This can lead to Pickleball Divorce, which can
either be a mutual decision or one-sided. When a partnership
breaks up, it can be hard. Some players will just stop playing
tournaments. Others will try to find new partners. It can be
daunting for many players to find new partners after playing
with someone else for so long, but the best way to do it is get
out there and play! Pick-up games are a great way to play with
people before deciding to partner with them in a tournament.
For some players, having a routine partner is not important.
These players have several partners they play with, and there
is no exclusivity. These “Pickle-lygomists” have the option of
playing with different partners each tournament, if they want.
This is not a very common practice for several reasons. Most
people want a partner they can rely on to play with in multiple
spouse would have to join you in playing in the 4.5 bracket.
That would be hard for him/her, as well as for you both as a
team. Another important thing to consider is whether you
both want to play with each other. Would the partnership be
because of a desire to play together, or an obligation? If it is an
obligation, there is the potential for resentment, which could
lead to Pickleball Divorce. Also, a team off the court may not
necessarily work well ON the court. Ask yourselves, “Do we play
well together?” Are your playing styles complimentary? And
most importantly, do you have fun playing together?
No matter what your own philosophy is, be it a Pickleball
Marriage, Pickle-lygomy, or if you do decide to choose your
real-life partner to be your pickleball partner, it is important
to discuss how you hope things will work with your partner,
before the tournament starts, so that everyone has fun and
your partnership never ends up in a Pickleball Divorce! •
Pickleball Marriage: an exclusive
arrangement between two players that they
will only play with the other.
Pickleball Break-Up/Divorce: when a
Pickleball Marriage ends.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 |
MAGAZINE
31