After playing for a few short months, the team came in fourth in their first nationals in 2010. Rather than lamenting their showing, the two celebrated it, seeing it as a sign that better things were coming their way. But to attain that gold level, the two knew they’ d have to adjust their playing styles, but not as much as people might think.
“ There are definitely things you have to get used to when you come over from tennis. Getting right on top of the net to slam the volley— that was a hard habit to break. The third shot drop is another one, because it’ s common in tennis to get to the net after the serve or drive your third ball. We did that, but learning not to do that was the other hardest thing to break, and now it’ s one of my favorite shots,” Hamner said.
“ We do keep a little hush about how we train,” said Lucore.“ We don’ t drill a ton, but you should! Over the years, you have to get a little craftier. We’ re in our 50s now( and embracing and loving that) and look to the challenge of playing against the 20-year-olds. They’ re going to be quicker. We’ re playing tennis pros and we can’ t play tennis with them; we’ d never beat them. So you have to think more and analyze more when you’ re playing that opponent. It’ s a chess game that we welcome. We have strategized more over the years because the game is changing— you never just master it. You always have someone new with a different skill set.”
And while the duo hasn’ t changed their play much for pickleball, that doesn’ t mean that their competition hasn’ t. It’ s no secret that Lucore is always on the ball and gets it all, while Hamner has a deadly volley and overhead. Astute opponents have tried to change their play to bypass those strengths, but are met by Hamner-Lucore’ s other defensive skill: determination.
“ In the beginning, we came on the scene like power players. Because we’ re from tennis, we would just drive the ball with intimidation or speed. Finals would be the same four gals, and they had to adjust, tried to absorb the power and drop it. We lost a few by them absorbing that power. We had to adjust to embracing the soft game and some dink rallies. They’ re changing it up. I actually played soft( dinked) a whole entire game— a record for me, but I had to— to win at Tournament of Champions a few years back. That in itself was a major challenge and accomplishment for me. The feeling of‘ I did it,’ is what keeps me coming back to tournaments,” Lucore said.
“ It’ s bitten us,” Hamner said of not adjusting their game at times.“ We’ ll review a match and say,‘ Well, our opponents played differently than they have before,’ or if it’ s somebody new, we might chastise ourselves for not taking the time to say what’ s going on on the court right now is not working for us and change it. There are times where we look back and say,‘ Why did that happen?’ We get more determined. We may hit some ugly balls, but we keep getting the paddle on the ball and getting it back. It may not look or feel that pretty, but at the end of the day the‘ W’ doesn’ t show the game as it happens.”
In the end, the two say that pickleball isn’ t about winning, it’ s about challenging yourself personally, whether you play singles or doubles. Lucore said that she’ ll frequently play in singles matches just to see if she can do it physically and mentally. But it’ s not because of a relentless drive to win, it’ s all in fun. And in the journey together. •
OFFICIAL
PA D D L E
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2017 | MAGAZINE 29