I actually started to think about the title partners in crime.Partners being the key word.Why do we choose the partners that we play with.For many finding a solid lefty player to play the left side is the ultimate situation for most.I do not think we would pick our spouses or friends on the south paw basis.There are also only so many of those lefty s to go around.I would say the following reasons are factors

 Manuverability and retrievability

 Aggressiveness at the front wall    

 Superior backhand or forehand

 Ability to play through different court conditions(Glass,concrete,panels,humidity) 

 Endurance and speed

 These are all very important factors that can relatively be gauged,but The most important is compatibility on the court.Some teams ,especially long term established teams,seem to know the right place to be.When mistakes are made they never beat up on their partner.The compatible team can adjust to strategic changes from the other team rapidly.Vic from Classic said it the best once.Watching a good doubles team is like watching a well executed dance.One partner goes in,and one comes out .One always covering the other fluidly. The greatest success of a good doubles team is being able to be a  winner as well as the loser.A great team knows they will win together another day and not every day is a day in the winners circle(unless you are Aimee Ruiz) Jon "Hit Smarter not Harder

 When I select a club there are many reasons why I pick it.Price is not a factor for me because racquetball is a large part of my life.Going to join a club to me is like ordering Mozzerella.You can go to Shop Rite and buy the pre packaged version of it or you can have Gino from the local Italian deli pull it out of a vat.Gino will  ask you if you want your "mutz" salted .I am trying to say that there is a history or "family " value in the Mom and Pop clubs.If you are uncomfortable with something you are not far away from the owner.I went to an LA Fitness and the employs do not have access to the AC.

 My next issue is tournaments.Most larger clubs are interested in membership enrollment more than running tournaments.Most of the new facilities barely have five courts.How can you grow tournament play with only five courts even if you had the intent? Being on the board I take this issue very seriously.

 Longevity, or as I like to call it the Home Depot phenomenon is the next issue. Remember Rickels? They were once the big dog for home improvement.Home depot came to town all over the US.They opened a store where ever they could find a Channel or Rickels and crushed them through service and unparreled pricing.They did do a better job and deserved the business.Go into a Home Depot today and you are lucky if you can find a sales associate and sometimes only one cashier.They have the market share now,where are you going to go? This cycle is normal. Now you have Lowes going after Home Depot.Our situation is unique,as we lose courts across the US it is faster than they are being replaced.Corporate is replacing the few and eventually will change the sport. So before you leave your club think about the future of our sport ,and every membership does count.If I can not be found after this blog it could be anyone of the corps I mentioned but I must be brave to save our sport.Class dismissed ! Jon "Hit Smarter not Harder"