AROUND THE POST
TO PICK A
PECK OF
PICKLERS
BY ALEX HAMNER & JENNIFER LUCORE
D
oubles, mixed doubles, age, skill, open, senior open…
so many tournament events to choose from! So how do
you pick a partner?
The easiest answers for picking a partner are skill and age
– you will play in the highest skill level of the two of you, so
be prepared if you are different skill levels. Also, you must
play in the age division of the youngest partner – or even
younger, if you want a change!
But beyond that, there are several other considerations:
1. Personality — Do you want a quiet person on the
court with you? Or maybe a jokester. How do you
feel about a paddle thrower? Do you prefer (or have a
problem with) a partner who will argue with the ref
or opponent given any opportunity, or someone who
will crumble if questioned on a line call?
2. Chemistry — Do you prefer a partner who matches
your intensity on court, or someone who will counter-
balance the level of intensity you bring to the match?
3. Lefty/Righty — Do you know how to play with an
opposite-handed person? Would you be comfortable
with “stacking”?
4. Poaching — How will you and your partner deal with
poaching? What if you both like to poach? If neither
of you is very aggressive, who will take the middle
balls?
5. Play Style — Do you want a partner who will take
every opportunity to smash the ball, or do you want
his/her game to be more dink-oriented? Do you like
to set up your partner for the winner, or do you like
a partner who will set you up? What if your partner
doesn’t take the event you’re playing as seriously as
you do?
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6. And of course — Who’s available?!
For us, after being doubles partners for a long time,
we know exactly how the other one plays. We hit it off as
friends right after meeting many years ago, and have similar
personalities: we’re generally calm, yet like to joke around at
times, and know how and when to pump each other up. So,
for us, playing together is the easy decision.
But when looking for other partners, there are many
things to consider, and you must understand the
challenges of finding a good fit. We’ve been lucky to have
the opportunity to partner with many of the top players
of all ages in the men’s game, but often it takes multiple
tries to find the best partner for you. Partnerships are
most successful when the partners complement, rather
than mirror, each other’s chemistry and play style. Honest
conversations about the other components of a successful
pairing will help your team not only get off to a good start,
but also finish well — while having fun along the way.
And if nothing else works, pick someone you don’t know
off the “Needs a Partner” list. Because, really, playing with
someone you don’t know is better than standing around just
watching! •
TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 888.308.3720 OR GO TO THEPICKLEBALLMAG.COM
Jennifer Lucore and Alex Hamner started
playing pickleball in 2010, and have competed
in tournaments across the USA (and
internationally). Between them, they have
25 National Titles, including winning gold in
the Women’s Open Doubles at Nationals for
four consecutive years (2011 – 2014). For
more pickleball fun see Jennifer’s blog at
www.allpickleball.com.