around the post
By Jennifer Lucore & Alex Hamner
Recreational Play—
Choose Your Battles
O
ver the years we’ve been asked for advice on
what to do in various playing situations—and
how to best navigate them.
Let’s start with the big picture. If we
irritate Joe or Mary too much, they may not show up,
and we need four to play doubles. It’s always more fun
to play than not to play! To keep the love going during
recreational play, we must choose our battles carefully—
and these choices often have nothing to do with points.
We’re talking about the challenges of social play and
how to work through conflicting personalities from time
to time.
Playing pickleball is about healthy social recreation,
free of conflict. And even though we hope for a perfect
playing experience, here are some examples of potential
battles:
• John always hits the ball hard, but you want to dink.
• Joe forgets to say the score every time before he
serves—it’s the rule, but should you call him out?
• Mary is always bossy.
• Kevin doesn’t want to play with so-and-so, which
messes up the rotation.
• Suzy won’t keep score.
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• Mike always hangs back and leaves you alone at the
kitchen line.
• This court is for 4.0, but Stacy is definitely a 3.0.
Should you ask her not to play?
• “Your serve is illegal! You were in the kitchen!”—
Richard, the bogus referee.
• Kelly always coaches, even though she’s a shameless
duffer herself.
Some complaints are worth mentioning, but some
are not. Let good cheer, good fun, good friends and
a good attitude be your guide.
The fundamental appeal of pickleball remains
social interaction, exercise and the simple joys of
athletic competition—so choose your battles wisely.
Note: Special thanks to our friend Keith in Gig Harbor, WA, for
his insights on indoor rec play and more. •
Jennifer Lucore and Alex Hamner started playing pickleball
in 2010, and have competed in numerous tournaments in
the U.S. Jennifer has competed internationally and is a 2019
Pickleball Hall of Fame inductee. Jennifer and Alex have
26 national titles, but are best known for winning gold in
Women’s Open Doubles at Nationals for four consecutive
years (2011-2014). They live with their respective families in
North San Diego County.