Playing the percentages:
1) If you are the woman server it is best to serve the middle and keep your partner in front of the ball; it's more difficult to hit the ball away from the net player (you want to create opportunities for your partner to make put-aways).
2) The woman's job is to return the serves from the man to get into the point; lobs can be effective.
3) The man's job is to play solid shots but not overplay his side of the court. He should not take balls that he cannot put away as this leaves the court open for winning shots from the other team.
He still has to be be aggressive in the right measure and not let the sitting ducks go by.
4) The woman should play solid positional tennis and not make a lot of unforced errors; that is-- not go out of her way to make shots that are not clearly hers. Again, this will create openings for the other team..
5) The man has to hold serve and if the woman holds that is a bonus. Try very hard to break the woman's serve. If you break the guy you are doing very well and it's really hard to recover from that break.
6) Position yourself to play your best shots cross court, i.e. if you like your forehand then stand closer to the center on the deuce side of the court if you are righty and closer to the ally on the ad side. Always show more strength to avoid the net player in your cross courts.
7) The man should play the ad court as more points are decided there; unless the woman is the stronger player (hey it happens).
8) Play the ball first and your opponent second. Every ball should be played like it belongs to you.
That way you won't be caught with that deer in the headlights look on your face, saying--whoops.
9) Don't forget the lob; read that three more times.
10) No you don't have to crash the net together. Let the game evolve. You don't have to bull rush the net; one up one back is fine unless you are drawn in by a short ball. Serve and volley is best if you can win more points by doing it otherwise it is "pointless."
11) Always be supportive no matter what..........because it's people first, then the winning comes......not the other way around.*********Read that four more times because this will help your team more than any other tip except possibly get your first serve in ;)
The most difficult part about playing mixed is that the man must adjust his game if it is for social tennis. What fun is it if he just blasts the ball right at the woman. If you are getting a paycheck for for your play then that is a different story. Be nice and remember it's fun first then winning. If it's a tournament then you can be more aggressive but still be respective of the levels on the court and try to have fun. It can be very frustrating for the better player on the court (woman or male). The key is to play your best without hurting anyone physically or emotionally. I always try to create shots that make it better for my partner and fun for the other team. By fun I mean challenging. It's not a good idea to blast easy shots right at people. That should not make you feel proud of yourself. Be supportive between points: winning shots or errors. Point out patterns or shots that your opponents do that can be managed but avoid telling so much that it hinders the flow of the game. Always shake hands with your partner first and then your opponents and thanks them for playing. Without opponents there can be no event. Try to share the match with them rather then isolating yourself or your team. Perhaps you might play again together if you match up well.
1) If you are the woman server it is best to serve the middle and keep your partner in front of the ball; it's more difficult to hit the ball away from the net player (you want to create opportunities for your partner to make put-aways).
2) The woman's job is to return the serves from the man to get into the point; lobs can be effective.
3) The man's job is to play solid shots but not overplay his side of the court. He should not take balls that he cannot put away as this leaves the court open for winning shots from the other team.
He still has to be be aggressive in the right measure and not let the sitting ducks go by.
4) The woman should play solid positional tennis and not make a lot of unforced errors; that is-- not go out of her way to make shots that are not clearly hers. Again, this will create openings for the other team..
5) The man has to hold serve and if the woman holds that is a bonus. Try very hard to break the woman's serve. If you break the guy you are doing very well and it's really hard to recover from that break.
6) Position yourself to play your best shots cross court, i.e. if you like your forehand then stand closer to the center on the deuce side of the court if you are righty and closer to the ally on the ad side. Always show more strength to avoid the net player in your cross courts.
7) The man should play the ad court as more points are decided there; unless the woman is the stronger player (hey it happens).
8) Play the ball first and your opponent second. Every ball should be played like it belongs to you.
That way you won't be caught with that deer in the headlights look on your face, saying--whoops.
9) Don't forget the lob; read that three more times.
10) No you don't have to crash the net together. Let the game evolve. You don't have to bull rush the net; one up one back is fine unless you are drawn in by a short ball. Serve and volley is best if you can win more points by doing it otherwise it is "pointless."
11) Always be supportive no matter what..........because it's people first, then the winning comes......not the other way around.*********Read that four more times because this will help your team more than any other tip except possibly get your first serve in ;)
The most difficult part about playing mixed is that the man must adjust his game if it is for social tennis. What fun is it if he just blasts the ball right at the woman. If you are getting a paycheck for for your play then that is a different story. Be nice and remember it's fun first then winning. If it's a tournament then you can be more aggressive but still be respective of the levels on the court and try to have fun. It can be very frustrating for the better player on the court (woman or male). The key is to play your best without hurting anyone physically or emotionally. I always try to create shots that make it better for my partner and fun for the other team. By fun I mean challenging. It's not a good idea to blast easy shots right at people. That should not make you feel proud of yourself. Be supportive between points: winning shots or errors. Point out patterns or shots that your opponents do that can be managed but avoid telling so much that it hinders the flow of the game. Always shake hands with your partner first and then your opponents and thanks them for playing. Without opponents there can be no event. Try to share the match with them rather then isolating yourself or your team. Perhaps you might play again together if you match up well.
1 comment:
Thanks for the post. I agree very much with fun first even in tournament play. I had a coach who was like "drill the ball at the net person all the time" which works but it's just very aggressive, especially if it's a guy smashing a ball right at a woman. Just seems a little much.
It took me a while but I learned that winning in doubles is way more about placement then power, getting in position and making a smart shot - be it a lob, a drop, a "dipper" or what ever is called for. Those are all way more effective than blasting the usual topspin around the court IMO.
I've got the first mixed doubles USTA match of the season tomorrow and your post has helped me get my head straight going into it.
Cheers!
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