To Stack or Not To Stack

For most, that is NOT the question.

In today’s Bite Size Pickleball newsletter:

1. To Stack or Not to Stack…

2. Show Update.

TO STACK OR NOT TO STACK…
(not the team, as pictured above. Ho, ho, ho)

For most, especially in rec play, stacking doesn’t happen too often. Unless you want to win. Which, ya know, I do. But I NEVER ask my partner if they want to stack. Well, maybe once or twice. When they ask me, by all means, hallelujah!

Usually, the only ones that will ask me are women. God bless the women out there on the pickleball courts who keep the male ego grounded, in many respects.

Speaking of the male ego, I will rarely have a dude who volunteers a stack and lets me play the strong side. I am long, athletic and have a powerful forehand. More often than not, it would be to our advantage to have me on that side. But again, don’t ask, don’t tell.

You’re thinking, but it’s rec play. Yup, it’s rec play. To me, no different than any game or sport we play: exploit your opponent's weaknesses. And while I never ask to stack, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t frustrate the sh*t out of me to see my partner isolated and picked on, having to hit the majority of the balls, when our opponent’s try to “exploit our weakness.”

The most frustrating thing isn’t losing. It’s standing by watching my partner getting picked on when I know I could be making the game competitive if we just had stacked. Again, back to the male ego. Most will just take it. Take it, as in, they are fine with getting picked on, refuse to stop and ask for directions at any cost. The cost of us losing.

As a teammate, I want to put our best foot/feet forward. I don’t care if it’s rec play or not. I play to win. Which, I believe, despite you might saying (on the outside) you don’t always, you really do. Because it’s in our DNA. To conquer.

So when I see my partner getting clubbed over the head, time and time again, and their ego/ignorance is such that they invite it, over and over, yeah, it’s super frustrating.

By the way, if you’re the one getting targeted, stop trying to go for so many winners, you aren’t helping your team’s cause. Your goal should be consistency, to keep the ball in play as much as possible UNTIL, hopefully, your stronger partner can get involved and help finish off a point. It’s that simple: consistency over winners. AND….

Friggin’ stack.

Yesterday I played in a foursome of dudes. My first partner asked me if I wanted to stack. I have to admit, I was a bit taken aback. “Really?” I was thinking. “You’re willing to sacrifice your ego in the name of giving us a better chance to win?”

He was. We kicked ass. The next two partners didn’t even consider it and, yup, we lost. Especially in one rotation, my partner just got ravaged, completely isolated and beaten down to a pulp. In one game we came close, I think it was 11-9 in our opponent’s favor. One hundred percent, if we would’ve stacked, we would’ve won the game.

To me, he’s just like the dude driving out in the boondocks refusing to stop and ask for directions and pretty soon he ends up stranded at the end of a deserted road surrounded by lions, and tigers, and bears.

Oh my. He/we wouldn’t come out of that so well.

The stack goes on. Not often. But I sure as hell wish it did.

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SHOW UPDATE

So, I am just starting in on editing the fourth episode of our show (Jameer Nelson and Jameer Nelson Jr.).

I had a great meeting last week with CAA (Creative Artists Agency) to help sell it, and another great meeting with Paramount/Skydance about putting it on Paramount+ network. I have been working on it for exactly a year, so it is really encouraging to see a sliver of light at the end of the tunnel. Regardless, I’m having a blast. The creative process, in itself, and all the collaborators along the way, has been highly rewarding.

If you build it…