It’ s How You
Play the Game
7-time Doubles National Champions Alex Hamner and Jennifer Lucore discuss their journey from tennis to pickleball … and what they’ ve learned along the way.
For Alex Hamner and Jennifer Lucore, the fun in pickleball is in the journey. The fact that they often win is just icing on the cake. In a world where instructors preach the importance of drills, drills, drills, these two friends and longtime tennis partners see more importance in having fun, saving their serious sides for when they’ re actually on the court.
Like many people, the pair came to pickleball after looking for something more. They fell in love with the sport and found that while tennis had prepped them to play as a doubles team, they still had challenges and the wonderment to absorb in this new game.
“ For us, it happened pretty quickly,” Hamner said.“ We had the tennis doubles background so we had worked out the kinks already. Once we started playing pickleball, it was more figuring out the strategy of the game because we already had the court figured out.”
“ We were pleasantly surprised that pickleball had more fun and the same competitive level and intensity [ as tennis ],” Lucore said.“ We’ re very competitive, but keeping it fun, the journey of the road trips and the destination, getting on the plane, we have the best time and crack each other up. We’ re kind of goofballish, but on the court, we say,‘ I’ m here to play pickleball,’ and we do the best we can that day. You rise to the occasion, and you do all you can and see if it’ s good enough at the end of the day. When you’ re relaxed and having fun, you’ re playing so much better.”
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