Pickleball is a sport that offers a fun, unique, and engaging way to stay active and social, while also allowing those with a competitive side to embrace that aspect of their personality as well. As the game has evolved, so too has the importance of finding the right partner to complement your skills, style, and demeanor on the court. Here are some key factors to consider when searching for your perfect pickleball partner.
1. Skill Level: An ideal partner should possess a skill level similar to yours, ensuring a balanced and competitive team. This is particularly important for couples to keep in mind, because tournaments prohibit “sandbagging.” Sandbagging occurs when someone plays in a skill category that is significantly below their level (e.g., a husband is rated as a 3.75 and signs up to play with his wife who is rated as a 3.25 in the 3.0-3.5 mixed doubles bracket). Sometimes, this happens because couples are unevenly skilled but want to play together. It’s important to remember, though, that in a tournament setting, especially one which will be DUPR-rated, it’s crucial that partners try to pair up with others who are relatively close to their own skill level. This may mean that you have to break out of your comfort zone and pair up with someone you don’t know as well to preserve the fairness and integrity of the bracket for the other players.
2. Style of Play: It's also essential to consider your and your potential partner’s playstyles – are you both aggressive at the kitchen line (e.g., hitting hard volleys, accelerating dinks), or do you prefer a more defensive approach (e.g., hitting soft volleys and maintaining long dink rallies)? Do you prefer to hit third shot drops or third shot drives? Do you prefer to hit setup shots or put-aways? Finding someone whose playstyle matches or complements your own will create a formidable team.
3. Communication: A successful pickleball partnership relies heavily on effective communication. Look for a partner who can clearly express their thoughts and intentions on the court, enabling seamless coordination and strategic planning.
4. Temperament: Pickleball is not only about skill but also about sportsmanship and camaraderie. Choose a partner who shares your values, handles pressure well, and maintains a positive attitude, win or lose.
5. Commitment: Finding a partner who shares your dedication to the sport is crucial for long-term success. Ensure that you both have similar goals and expectations, whether you're aiming for recreational fun or competitive play.
6. Personal Compatibility: A strong pickleball partnership extends beyond the court. Look for someone with whom you share common interests, values, and a sense of humor, as this will foster a sense of unity and trust between you.
7. Handedness: Are you both right- or left-handed, or is one of you right-handed and the other left-handed? If one of you is right-handed and the other is left-handed, do you both want to stack or play in original positioning? If stacking, do you want to do full stacking or half stacking? Discussing this ahead of time could save lots of headaches down the road.
8. Quickness: Are you equally fast runners? Do you each want to run down your own lobs, or would you prefer to run down each other’s lobs? What about running down short shots? Is one of you better equipped to do that? Be sure to investigate and discuss this before deciding on a partner, because speed and nimbleness may seem trivial now, but it will matter when you are playing in a tournament.
9. Bracket Preference: What bracket would you sign up for if you were to partner up for a tournament? If your skill level is on the cusp of the next level (e.g., 3.4), one of you might want a challenge and want to sign up for a higher bracket (e.g., 3.5-4.0), while one of you may prefer to be more conservative and stay in your current skill bracket (in this example 3.0-3.5). And then there is the question of age. If one of you is younger than the other, most tournaments will require that teams play in the age bracket of the youngest person on the team. If one partner is 49 and the other is 61, for example, this may mean that the team would have to play in the 18+ bracket, whereas if the 61-year-old had partnered with someone of a more similar age, he/she could play in the 60+ age bracket.
So, now the question arises of once you find that special person who you think you might like to partner up with for a tournament, which tournament should you register for? If you are looking for a fun tournament to register for this summer, I would recommend the 2024 Baird CAPA Cup. It will be held at the McFarland Park courts Aug. 16-18. Here’s how to register:
(1) Go to PickleballBrackets.com and look for the search icon at the left:
(2) Click on it and, under “Keyword”, enter “CAPA”, then click on “Search”.
(3) Click on the Wisconsin one.
(4) Click on “Events” to see what brackets are available.
(5) When you find one you want to play in, click on “Back to Tourney” (top left of page) to register for it.
(6) You can register for up to 3 different events.
Happy partner-hunting, and I’ll see you at the Baird CAPA Cup!
