MIxed Doubles Etiquette

With Adult 18+, Adult 40+, and Senior mixed doubles getting ready to ramp up in a few months, I wanted to use this blog post to go over the "unwritten" rules of mixed doubles.  In USTA mixed doubles, each level is a combined rating, where it is possible that the highest rated player is 2 levels above the lowest level player.  This, at times, can be a recipe for injury.  So without further ado, here is a concise list of what you should and should not do in Mixed Doubles league.

1. Men should not hit an overhead at their female opponent, if she is at net, on purpose
This is a general rule for men, and applies in all cases, except possibly where the man is rated two levels below the female.  Example - A 3.0 man hitting an overhead at a 4.0 woman.  The thought process here is Men can hit the ball much harder than most women can react to it, so it is a dangerous proposition. This is definitely true for situations where the levels are close (within .5) or where they are even or the man is the higher rated player.

As a coach and player myself, it is my philosophy  that hitting at people gives them a chance to play the ball back, so I try to avoid that type of play no matter who I play against.  The better tactical play is to hit to their side, but away from them.

2. Females - ditch the net on any overhead smash that your male opponent gets
In conjunction with my first point, women need to ditch the net if the male player gets an overhead.  Go back to the baseline, to a safer position. 

3. Men should tell their female partner to ditch the net if they hit a lob to their male opponent and he can hit a smash.
Self explanatory given #1 & #2.

4. Men should not hit huge serves to their female opponents.
This again has a safety element.  Females in general cannot react quickly enough to the fastest male serves at similar levels.  At lower levels, men can still hit 100+ mph serves, but have zero control as to where it is going, so it is very possible to hit that bomb 12 ft long and hit the woman with the serve.

It is good etiquette for the man to spin his serve in (hit your spins as fast as you like guys) when serving to the woman.  Save the cannonball for your male counterpart.

5. Men should avoid ripping down the line shots directly AT the female, when she is at the net. 
Safety is the reason her as well.  If you know you can crush the forehand or backhand up the line, make sure you save that for your male counterpart, or if the woman leaves early to poach.  If she isn't poaching, try a lob, go crosscourt, or take something off the ball (pace, or hit a slice or topspin ball at her feet) if you still want to go at her.

If you can demonstrate you have control, you should be able to get the ball by her down the alley with no fear of decapitating her. 

6. Females should not expect or rely on their male partner to take over the court.
From an athleticism standpoint, the better athlete or better player should take over the court, not the male.  This means that the female on the team may both be the better athlete and better player, and thus should take over the court.

7.  Still play the percentages even though it is Mixed Doubles.
I'm sure you've heard this before - "Play the skirt."  Basically it means that you should play the woman as much as possible.  The most important thing in doubles of any kind is to play the percentages.  If the risk of hitting to the female outweighs the potential reward of doing it, you should not do it.

So there you have it.  Mixed doubles can be fun, but it also can be much more dangerous than normal gender doubles.  If you follow these guidelines, your matches will not only be fun, competitive and challenging, but more importantly, they will be safe.