A few weeks ago, I watched two 3.5 players lose a match at the Boca Open that they should have won.

They both played well individually.

Good mechanics.
Smart shot selection.
Solid positioning.

But they kept leaving gaps.

Poaching at the wrong time.
Getting in each other's way.
Both going for middle balls — or neither going for them.

After the match I asked them:

“Do you two have a communication system?”

They looked confused.

“We call ‘mine’ and ‘yours.’”

That’s not a system.

That’s chaos management.

Let me show you how 4.0 partnerships actually operate.

Most partnerships at this level operate without any structure.

Typical patterns look like this:

• Calls happen late (“Mine!” as the ball arrives)
• No agreement about middle balls
• Poaches happen without warning
• Mistakes lead to frustration instead of adjustments
• Court coverage is never discussed

The result:

Gaps.
Confusion.
Missed opportunities.

And eventually — frustration.

4.0 partnerships solve this with a simple communication system.

Strong teams communicate in three phases.

Before the match even starts, establish a few simple agreements.

Middle Ball Responsibility

Most arguments in recreational pickleball happen on middle balls.

Both players go for it — collision.
Or both players avoid it — open court.

Decide before the match.

Most teams use this rule:

Forehand takes middle.

One decision eliminates most confusion.

Poaching Signals

Random poaching causes more problems than it solves.

Instead, use simple signals behind your back before the serve:

Fist = Stay
Open hand = Poach
Two fingers = Fake

Now your partner knows what’s coming.

No surprises.

During rallies, communication should be simple and early.

Call the Ball Early

Call “mine” or “yours” when the ball crosses the net, not when it’s at your feet.

Late calls cause hesitation.

Hesitation causes errors.

Call “Switch” When Crossing

Whenever you poach or cross sides, say “switch.”

Without that call, your partner often returns to the wrong side.

Gap.

Point lost.

Move Together

Use simple positioning calls.

“Up” → both players move forward
“Back” → both players drop back

The key idea: move as a unit.

Encourage After Every Point

4.0 partnerships stay vocal.

“Nice shot.”
“Good try.”
“Next one.”

Silence after mistakes builds tension.

Encouragement keeps the partnership steady.

Those ten seconds between rallies matter.

Use them.

Pattern Recognition

After a few points you might notice patterns:

“They’re going down the line.”
“He attacks every high dink.”

Share it.

Two sets of eyes are better than one.

Positioning Adjustments

Make small changes:

“Let’s move up faster.”
“I’ll take more middle.”
“Let’s stay wider.”

Small adjustments prevent repeated mistakes.

What Not to Say

Never say:

“You should have taken that.”
“That was your ball.”
“Why didn’t you move?”

Instead say:

“I’ll take more of those.”
“Let’s move together.”
“I’ve got middle.”

Focus on solutions.

Not blame.

Two students of mine — Mike and Janet, both 3.5 players from Delray Beach — came to me last spring after a frustrating tournament loss.

“We’re good players,” Mike said.
“But when we play together, it’s a mess.”

I watched them play one game.

The problem was obvious.

Mike poached without warning.
Janet backed up mid-rally.
Middle balls created confusion.

They had no system.

We spent twenty minutes fixing that.

Before the match:
Forehand takes middle.
Simple poaching signals.

During rallies:
Early calls.
“Switch” when crossing.

Between points:
Quick observations and adjustments.

Two weeks later they entered another tournament.

Same level of competition.

They won.

Janet told me afterward:

“It felt completely different. We knew who was taking what.”

Mike added:

“I poached three times in the final game. Every time she knew it was coming.”

They didn’t change their mechanics.

They changed their communication.

Most recreational players think good partnerships happen naturally.

They don’t.

Good partnerships have systems.

Clear agreements before the match.

Decisive communication during rallies.

Supportive adjustments between points.

That’s the difference between two players sharing a court…

…and two players playing as a team.

— Bob

P.S.
This system works even if you play with different partners every week. The agreements take two minutes. The calls become automatic. The adjustments build trust quickly.

P.P.S.
The best partnerships aren’t the ones that never make mistakes.

They’re the ones that communicate through mistakes without blame.