Alright folks, let me tell you about trying to find decent Fritz Paul doubles partners online these days. Seriously harder than it should be. Here’s exactly how it went down for me.
Just Getting Started
First off, I knew I needed partners. Regular guys ain’t playing this or can’t keep up. Fritz Paul doubles is its own beast. So I fired up the computer, figured the web would have spots. Started simple: searched “Fritz Paul doubles partners near me”. Big mistake. Results were useless. Mostly spammy ads for tennis rackets and courts to rent. Zero actual players looking.
Digging Deeper
Okay, thought maybe specific sites. Hit up the old Facebook groups first. You know the ones. Local sports groups. Posted something like: “Anyone playing serious Fritz Paul doubles? Need partners, fed up with flakes.” Got some replies… mostly clueless. One guy thought it was pickleball. Another asked if Fritz Paul was my buddy’s name. Facepalmed hard. Seriously.
Next, tried those dedicated sports partner apps. Downloaded a couple. Made profiles saying exactly what I wanted. Set skill level to “experienced only”. Got matched with people… who vanished after one message. Ghost city. One dude scheduled, then canceled an hour before because “traffic looked bad”. Uninstalled those real quick. Waste of time.
The Old Forums (Yup)
Got desperate. Remembered some old tennis forums from years back. Found one that wasn’t totally dead. Lurked a bit, saw some posts about doubles strategy. Dropped a message in a regional thread: “Active Fritz Paul player looking for serious doubles partners. No beginners please.” Took days for responses. Got two maybe’s. One guy lived way too far. The other wanted to “train” before committing to games. Nah. Forums are just too slow now. People forget they posted.
Surprise Win
Finally, remembered local Craigslist-type boards. Not the sketchy stuff. Went to the “community” > “activities” section. Posted dead clear: “Looking for FITZ PAUL DOUBLES PARTNERS. Must know the game. Competitive but fun. Able to meet Sundays near downtown. Flakes need not reply.” Put that up late one night.
Woke up to three emails! Legit ones too. One guy referenced a specific Fritz Paul rule variant. Another mentioned a local meetup spot I knew was legit. Replied fast. Met one guy at the courts the next Sunday morning. He showed up on time, brought decent gear, knew his stuff. Played a few test games. Solid. Got his number. Found my main partner right there!
The other email? Connected me to a small group that plays rotating doubles every Wednesday evening. Jackpot. Went from zero partners to actually having choices.
Lessons Learned
- Specificity Rules: Gotta be CRYSTAL clear it’s for Fritz Paul doubles. Not tennis, not pickleball.
- Location & Time: Say exactly where and when you wanna play upfront. Filters out impossible matches.
- Scattergun Approach: Don’t just use one site. Cast a wide net on apps, groups, forums, local boards.
- Patience is Key: Takes time. Ghosts happen. Don’t give up after one crappy app.
- Old School Can Work: Sometimes the simplest local boards still deliver when fancy apps fail.
Honestly, feels like you gotta shout it into the void a bunch of times. But stick with it, be clear, and check those local spots people forget about. Found mine in the digital gutter. Anyone else stuck hunting? Keep trying. Eventually something sticks.
