When keepin' it real goes wrong (in 6.0 mixed)
- Thread starter AJT
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kylebarendrick
Professional
"Hey John, I didn't think your wife would mind if I drilled her since half of the guys at the club have been doing so for years."
That's about the nicest reply I could think of.
That's about the nicest reply I could think of.
tennis_ocd
Hall of Fame
imo, a *true* 75 mph flat serve is a bomb to a 2.5. (Got a pocket radar gun a few months ago and it's subsequently provided endless amusement at hearing people discuss their serve speeds.... and impressive awe at just how fast 100 mph is and how few rec players really hit it.)
Weird and hard to grasp how an absent husband could get so invested in the match. I sometimes hate serving to the female; the bane of mixed doubles; how fun it should be can be and how dicey the game becomes with a weaker female.... Me? I'd make the call to Sara, if only to inform that's the way to play league tennis.
michael_1265
Professional
So, when I play with 4.5 guys, they should be nice and hit balls that I can get to? I have a couple of adjustments that I make when playing mixed with lower level women:
1. I do not target the women when she is at the net. I will hit a crosscourt shot or a passing shot behind her, but nothing that could damage. If she poaches, though, she puts herself back in the mix for being hit at.
2. I try not to be crazy returning her serves. If we are breaking her every time she serves, no need to rub it in and pound every second serve at her feet.
As far as serving goes, I have some power, but most of the time I serve for placement. I just serve normally to lower level women.
My point about league matches stands. If you play in a league, you need to know what you're getting into. If you're a 2.5 women in 6.5 mixed, you have a 4.0 male to play with, and you have to realize that you might be facing one on the other side of the court. If you don't like that idea, you might want to explore other options.
To be honest, I guess I do throttle my game back a little. But to have expectations that your opponent will do so is ridiculous.
sportsfan1
Legend
lol..
I am curious about the reactions of the others on the CC list of that email.
I played 6.0 mixed with my wife last year (I am 3.5 - one of the better players on my team and this was my wife's first time playing ANY competitive sport match).
Honestly, I never used my first serve once to the female. I hardly used it for the male partners either. I never felt like I needed to and I wanted to make sure everyone had fun. Even though it was a USTA league, I just felt guilty going full out.
Most of the male partners I played against were 3.0's and a couple of them had an okay first serves. I didn't mind when they served hard to my wife as she can handle herself. If she couldn't, I probably would not have advised her playing the mixed doubles league.
If you are clearly the best player on the court, I don't know if going full out in 6.0 mixed is such a good idea. But I don't understand why the husband got so upset either.
Honestly, I never used my first serve once to the female. I hardly used it for the male partners either. I never felt like I needed to and I wanted to make sure everyone had fun. Even though it was a USTA league, I just felt guilty going full out.
Most of the male partners I played against were 3.0's and a couple of them had an okay first serves. I didn't mind when they served hard to my wife as she can handle herself. If she couldn't, I probably would not have advised her playing the mixed doubles league.
If you are clearly the best player on the court, I don't know if going full out in 6.0 mixed is such a good idea. But I don't understand why the husband got so upset either.
Taxvictim
Semi-Pro
John had probably downed a few beers already that evening when Sara came home and told him about the match. He may well have regretted the email the next morning. It's dangerous to drink and type.
Bob's an attorney in the court system? He could just hand the email to one of the police detectives. A call from the cops investigating a charge of communicating threats would sober John up fast. Of course, this path only adds to the drama.
Bob's an attorney in the court system? He could just hand the email to one of the police detectives. A call from the cops investigating a charge of communicating threats would sober John up fast. Of course, this path only adds to the drama.
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OrangePower
Legend
Sorry to go off-topic, but I have to quote this for truth. Based on what you sometimes read in this forum, any self-respecting man who has played for more than 2 years has a 120+ mph serve. However, reality is that 95% of rec players will not break 100 in a match. We have a radar gun at my club, and even when we are specifically trying for max speed, there are only a handful of players (out of maybe 200 who have tried) who have topped 110mph, and maybe 15-20 who can *occassionally* top 100.
Nothing spectacular or entertaining I suppose. The local USTA section didn't want to get involved since John wasn't actually playing in the league match. Bob called Sara and expressed his concern over her husband's behavior and response to what he thought was a reasonable and polite match. Sara disavowed any responsibility in John's behavior and didn't want anything to do with it.
Bob called John and explained he was displeased with John's threats. John was still upset about the situation and felt Bob had still done something wrong, but begrudgingly apologized. Bob told John he needed to also clarify to everyone else on the email list.
John sent out a ******** non-apology that what somewhat twisted to make it sound like Bob had apologized to him (he had not). Something along the lines of "I talked to Bob, and in true "Insert Tennis Community Name Here" fashion we have worked it out. I apologize for including everyone on the initial email."
It's effectively resolved, though there is still a running bounty on John for every time he gets pegged in a match.
Sorry for the anti-climactic ending. Wish I could tell you there was some epic match arranged where both opponents bloodied each other in an emotionally charged singles match with Bob dominating John so viciously on the court that Sara ran away with Bob to become his love slave, or that there was some big rumble in the streets from each faction "Westside Story" style, but no dice.
floridatennisdude
Hall of Fame
Nah, a bounty on John is great resolution!
stapletonj
Hall of Fame
absolutely love the west side story reference.
player needs to play the husband at every opportunity.
Needs to peg him every time for the rest of the year.
After then end of the year, publicly declare the humiliation over.
There is always mercy and forgiveness for those who ask for it. However, even in the Bible, the only person who received forgiveness without asking for it were the centurions during the cruxifiction, because they "knew not what they did".
player needs to play the husband at every opportunity.
Needs to peg him every time for the rest of the year.
After then end of the year, publicly declare the humiliation over.
There is always mercy and forgiveness for those who ask for it. However, even in the Bible, the only person who received forgiveness without asking for it were the centurions during the cruxifiction, because they "knew not what they did".
I will update when John gets his comeuppance. Repeatedly. I play with some very aggressive/big hitting 4.0s and 4.5s and the running theme whenever we play each other in practice matches is a running count of how many times we can bean each other. We're well versed in the art of chin music at this point and men's combo season is right around the corner. This same group also really likes Bob and protects its own. :twisted:
Kind o wimpy for bob to hide behind other club members tho
All this backstabbin n bychiness sounds like chick tennis
Tell him to take the fella out and either have a stink or a drink, then move on n forget about it
gotta love club politics. Too many old codgers n biddies with too much time on their hands
All this backstabbin n bychiness sounds like chick tennis
Tell him to take the fella out and either have a stink or a drink, then move on n forget about it
gotta love club politics. Too many old codgers n biddies with too much time on their hands
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This has kind of been taken out if Bob's hands. He by no means requested any revenge, though I think he's a little amuse by all of it. And this is not your Country Club type environment. This is a very middle class residential community with outdoor courts and a good tennis program. Most of us don't live there but take lessons and play on a lot of league teams out there. Neither Bob nor John is a resident.
tennis-player
New User
Minor update. "John" played in a local tournament this weekend. A couple of friend were also playing and well aware of the bounty. Unfortunately, John really sucks at tennis, and as good as his partner was, he couldn't carry John into the latter rounds where there would have been an opportunity for a whippin'. Ah well, future opportunities abound.
Steady Eddy
Legend
Minor update. "John" played in a local tournament this weekend. A couple of friend were also playing and well aware of the bounty. Unfortunately, John really sucks at tennis, and as good as his partner was, he couldn't carry John into the latter rounds where there would have been an opportunity for a whippin'. Ah well, future opportunities abound.
Really! There's no good guy in this. Having a bounty makes everybody in this hard to like. :-x
