1 for 12 on Match Points!!!

[sureshs]

Hands down I'd play social mixed with my wife and give up men's league. I've made many new great friends in that setting and friends are more important than trying to find out where I fit in a tennis world.

Then your level will go down.

 

[Dartagnan64]

Then your level will go down.

And that means what in the grand scheme of life?

I go out to a tennis court, try to play the best to my capability, enjoy the comraderie, enjoy the good shots, try not to get too aggravated by the bad shots and then have a beer after. Its pretty simple. If I can do that with my spouse and some friends all the better. I don't have higher aspirations than just trying to play well no matter the situation, men's, mixed or otherwise.

You do realize that in mixed you do have to face a man's serve and return at least half the time. There's enough good men playing mixed to give you a good challenge. And I've played some 4.0 mixed teams that are a far greater challenge than facing my 3.5 men's doubles opponents.

 

[WhiteOut]

Spoken like someone that’s never been in a long term relationship. The more you can do with your spouse the better IMO.

I probably have more fun in social mixed doubles than any of my men’s league matches. And fun is what it’s all about.

1. What Dart said...

2. Playing mixed has led to making a ton of new, very good friends, both men and women, that my wife and I both enjoy being around...in and out of tennis...and the spouses who don't play also lead to new experiences...so yeah...mixed is just a silly waste of time...

 

[Dartagnan64]

1. What Dart said...

2. Playing mixed has led to making a ton of new, very good friends, both men and women, that my wife and I both enjoy being around...in and out of tennis...and the spouses who don't play also lead to new experiences...so yeah...mixed is just a silly waste of time...

As I mentioned previously, the biggest draw in our club championships is mixed B doubles. So obviously there are a number of tennis players that think along the same lines as we do. In fact across all levels there are 49 mixed teams entered and 29 men's doubles teams. I think that says a lot about what rec players view as fun.

 

[sureshs]

And that means what in the grand scheme of life?

I go out to a tennis court, try to play the best to my capability, enjoy the comraderie, enjoy the good shots, try not to get too aggravated by the bad shots and then have a beer after. Its pretty simple. If I can do that with my spouse and some friends all the better. I don't have higher aspirations than just trying to play well no matter the situation, men's, mixed or otherwise.

You do realize that in mixed you do have to face a man's serve and return at least half the time. There's enough good men playing mixed to give you a good challenge. And I've played some 4.0 mixed teams that are a far greater challenge than facing my 3.5 men's doubles opponents.

If your level goes down and the word gets around that you play only mixed doubles, the macho men will make fun of you.

 

[Dartagnan64]

If your level goes down and the word gets around that you play only mixed doubles, the macho men will make fun of you.

What are you? 15?

I actually think most macho guys love mixed. Chasing skirts is a macho thing after all, isn't it?

 

[sureshs]

What are you? 15?

I actually think most macho guys love mixed. Chasing skirts is a macho thing after all, isn't it?

I am indeed a junior player at heart, but that is not the point here.

Macho guys may love mixed when their machoness (or is it machisma) is intact by proving themselves in men's doubles.

As I mentioned before, I actually had a conversation with a guy about the other 4.5 guy who was a D3 college player who plays mixed with his wife who doesn't even have a proper forehand grip. I wondered why he would do that. He said it was love.

Then he came closer to me and said in a low voice: But that is why I don't play mixed with my wife.

This is a seasoned rec tennis guy and the family has raised one D1 daughter (now a part-time tennis coach) and one D2 daughter, so difficult to say anything to him about being misogynist.

But the joke is that he implies his wife is much lower than him, while both of them are 3.5s! Even then he considers it not fruitful to partner with her and instead plays with "higher" women (who are also 3.5s LOL), leaving his wife to play with "lower" men who are also 3.5s!