mixed doubles

Pickleball partnership: Be a supportive communicator for more success!

Jeff

Pickleball doubles, by its very nature, is a “social sport.” There are four people playing on the court at one time and everyone has their own egos, history and insecurities. The most enjoyable way to play and appreciate the sport (IMHO) is to be supportive and enjoy the game no matter who makes what shots and who misses certain shots.

I play at several different venues both indoor and outdoor and very often opposing players will compliment a good shot and make positive comments. I rarely hear anyone say anything negative.

Prem Carnot, the Pickleball Guru, has an interesting post: “How to improve playing performance with your tournament partner”

I think this is a good article to read for everyone who plays in mixed groups and with mixed levels. These apply widely and not only for tournament players.

We can all enjoy the game as a fun sport. Even in a tournament, negative attitudes and words aren’t going to help score those points!

Pickleball – Stacking

Jeff

Stacking is a Pickleball technique where the players take positions on the court to assure that the dominant player has their forehand in the middle of the court. If you watch the Mixed Doubles 2015 Championship video below, you can see that both sides use this technique. While the match may start bit slow, it does get exciting with Steve Wong, one of last year’s mixed doubles champions, trying for a repeat.

“This video features the Open Mixed Doubles Gold Medal Match. The pair team of Luba Zhekhovskaya of Surrey, BC and Michael Gates of Escondido, CA vs Heidi Hancock of Tacoma, WA and Steve Wong of Surprise, AZ.”

If you enjoyed watching this video and learning about Pickleball stacking, consider joining the USAPA which promotes the sport and provides the essentials for keeping the sport competitive and exciting. Click here for membership details and more information.