Potemkin Buster & Jam

This will be my first Grappler... I'm nervous. How would you guys explain the way you get a feel for other players when playing Potemkin or Grappler's in general? Do you guys have a way you like to really test the water and get a feel for them? I understand it's kind of a hard thing to explain but I'm curious to hear people's experiences and thoughts on it.