Pickleball Doubles Guide

How to Choose the Right Pickleball Partner

The best tournament partner is not automatically the player with the highest DUPR. The better fit is usually someone whose goals, attitude, communication, and play style work with yours.

Updated September 2026
Pickleball doubles partners communicating during a match
A doubles partnership works best when both players understand the plan and trust each other under pressure.

I would rather play with someone slightly weaker who communicates well and stays composed than someone stronger who creates tension every time a point goes wrong. Tournament doubles exposes personality very quickly.

1. Make Sure Your Goals Match

Two players with the same rating can want completely different tournament experiences. One may be chasing a medal. Another may simply want competitive matches with a friend. One may want to drill for six weeks beforehand, while the other plans to show up on tournament morning.

Ask before committingAre we trying to win, learn, have fun, or prepare for a larger event?
Ask about preparationHow often are we willing to practice together before the tournament?

If the goals do not match, the partnership can become frustrating even if both players are technically good enough.

One thing I would avoid: intentionally entering a division below your true ability simply to make winning easier. Follow the event's eligibility and rating rules and choose a level where the matches make sense.

2. Watch Their Character Before You Team Up

You can learn a lot about someone by watching how they behave during open play or a close tournament match.

  • Do they blame partners for mistakes?
  • Do they make fair line calls?
  • Can they lose a point without carrying it into the next one?
  • Do they communicate respectfully?
  • Do other players enjoy playing with them?

Character becomes more important when the score gets tight. A partner who is positive at 2–2 but miserable at 9–9 is showing you something useful.

Pickleball doubles team discussing strategy

3. Look for Compatible Play Styles

Partners do not need to play the same way. In fact, different strengths can make the team harder to attack.

Aggressive + steadyOne player may create speed and pressure while the other is comfortable resetting and keeping the team alive.
Forehand / backhand balanceDecide who should control middle balls based on actual strength, positioning, and handedness.
Righty + leftyTwo forehands in the middle can be powerful, but only if both players know who takes which ball.
Similar stylesThis can work too if both players understand their responsibilities and can change pace when needed.

Do not force a theoretical system onto the team. Test the partnership and see what actually happens under pressure.

4. Communication Is More Important Than People Think

Good communication is not constant talking. It is clear, useful information at the right time.

  • “Mine.”
  • “Yours.”
  • “Switch.”
  • “Out.”
  • Quick discussion between points about what the opponents are doing.

The bigger issue is whether you can disagree without turning the match into an argument. If one player wants to stack, poach, or change return position, both people need to understand the plan.

5. How Close Should Your Skill Levels Be?

There is no universal rule that says tournament partners must be within 0.25 or 0.50 rating points. The older version of this article stated that as if there were national tournament data supporting it, and I removed that claim because it was too specific without a reliable source.

The practical question is simpler: can both players handle the pace, patterns, and pressure of the division?

Gap can workIf the stronger player does not need to take over every ball and the other player can still function normally in the match.
Gap is too largeIf opponents can isolate one player on nearly every rally and the team has no realistic way to adjust.

Ratings are useful information, but they are not a complete description of chemistry or matchup quality.

Red Flags Before You Commit

  • Constant blaming or negative body language
  • Dishonest line calls
  • Unwanted coaching after every point
  • Refusing to communicate or adjust
  • Needing to win at the expense of sportsmanship
  • Agreeing to practice, then repeatedly disappearing

If these patterns show up before the tournament, they usually do not improve when the score becomes important.

6. Where to Find Pickleball Partners in Hawaiʻi

The easiest way is to play consistently with different people before asking someone to enter a tournament.

Play together before entering. A few live games tell you far more than a rating profile.

Final Thoughts

The right pickleball partner is someone you trust when the match gets uncomfortable. They share your goals, communicate clearly, compete fairly, and give the team a chance to solve problems instead of creating new ones.

Choose the person who makes the team better—not simply the person with the biggest number next to their name.

Related Doubles Guides

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