If you’re asking us at Pickle Tough, open play is pickleball. It’s where the grind happens, where you meet people, and where most of us spend the bulk of our court time. There’s nothing quite like stepping into a rotation, not knowing who you’ll play with or against, and then landing that perfect matchup that turns into an 11–9 battle. Those games? That’s the good stuff. That’s why we keep coming back.
Open play at its best is unpredictable in all the right ways. You get tested by stronger players, forced to adjust to different styles, and occasionally surprised by someone you didn’t expect much from. It sharpens your game in a way structured play just can’t replicate. And beyond the competition, it’s one of the easiest ways to meet people. Different backgrounds, different personalities, pickleball has a way of pulling them all together.
But let’s not pretend it’s perfect.
The downside? Getting stuck.
We’ve all been there, caught in a rotation with a matchup that just doesn’t work. Maybe it’s a skill gap, maybe it’s a style clash, maybe it’s just not competitive. And now you’re looking at your paddle thinking… “how do I get out of this without making it weird?”
Which brings us to one of the more delicate parts of open play: the paddle shuffle.
Moving your paddle to get into a different game happens. Let’s not act like it doesn’t. But there’s a difference between managing your experience and making it obvious you’re dodging someone. And yes, people notice. They always notice.
Same goes the other way. When someone moves their paddle to avoid playing with you, it stings a little. But here’s the Pickle Tough perspective: it doesn’t have to be awkward if you just communicate. A simple, “Hey, I’m just trying to mix it up with some different players” goes a long way. Most people respect honesty over silent maneuvering.
Then there are the personalities.
Open play is full of characters, and not all of them are your favorites.
You’ve got:
- The coach who didn’t ask if you wanted coaching
- The unfunny trash talker (they think they’re hilarious… they’re not)
- The excuse machine (“wind, paddle, sun, yesterday’s dinner…”)
- The over-complimentor, if every shot is “nice,” then none of them are
And let’s be honest, the player who’s not at your level but doesn’t bring effort? That one’s tough.
But for every one of those, there’s a reason we stay.
Because the good ones show up too:
- The actually funny trash talker who makes everyone laugh
- The competitive player who plays hard but keeps it positive
- The one who knows exactly when to offer a tip, and when not to
- And maybe the best of all, the “never judge a book by its cover” player who surprises you and earns your respect
That’s the magic of open play. You don’t just play games, you experience people.
At the end of the day, open play is a mixed bag. Some games are great, some are forgettable, and some… you just survive. But if you embrace the chaos, respect the etiquette, and don’t take it all too seriously, it delivers something you can’t really get anywhere else.
One of the best parts of pickleball is meeting new people.
If we could just weed out a few of the annoying ones… we’d really have something