Does anyone here not serve hard to women in mixed leagues?

[Gut4Tennis]

if a guy is giving "easy" serves to the female and going all out to the male partner..... well That's not a sign of respect to women, it's stupid on his part and offensive to the woman. the women sees it as disrespectful

never change your game for the gender of the opponent. Not playing your best is actually unsportsmanlike

Iv'e won 9.0 nationals and finished 4th in 2 8.0 nationals.

If you play soft to the female, well you'll never beat the good teams and you'll never go far.

 

[GatorTennis]

I don't serve my hardest in adult league. I basically play an aggressive spin 2nd serve as my 1st serve. I go more for placement and vary the spin to not give them the same look over and over. I hit about 90% or more of my 1st serves this way. Today I never had a game to even get to deuce, and my partner had a ton of put aways.

So I just do the same in mixed.

 

[Possum]

I bet all the guys in here who say that they hit bombs at the woman because it's sexist not to...probably would hit bombs at a 5 or 6 year old little kid on the other side of the net. Because it would be "ageist" if they didn't. That's one thing about tennis I dislike, a macho, testosterone filled match. It's recreational tennis guys. Lighten up.

 

[GatorTennis]

I bet all the guys in here who say that they hit bombs at the woman because it's sexist not to...probably would hit bombs at a 5 or 6 year old little kid on the other side of the net. Because it would be "ageist" if they didn't. That's one thing about tennis I dislike, a macho, testosterone filled match. It's recreational tennis guys. Lighten up.

to be fair, the women on my mixed team want me to hit hard at them in practice, so they can get practice for it. The problem is that my style of game isn't really hitting hard at people. Sure if I'm at the service line with a sitter I'll take a swipe, but I try to move people and give them awkward shots, and then come in.

 

[PMChambers]

Yes. But I prefer to use a hard kicker or slice more as women don't seem to handle a kicking ball very well. Pace on it's own is not a weapon against similar level woman, you ever going to need placement or movement. Women my level are more consistent than me, my only advantage is serve, power and reach, if I give that up I might as well quit.

 

[kevrol]

if a guy is giving "easy" serves to the female and going all out to the male partner..... well That's not a sign of respect to women, it's stupid on his part and offensive to the woman. the women sees it as disrespectful

never change your game for the gender of the opponent. Not playing your best is actually unsportsmanlike

Iv'e won 9.0 nationals and finished 4th in 2 8.0 nationals.

If you play soft to the female, well you'll never beat the good teams and you'll never go far.

At 9.0 and 8.0 I agree with you. However it's not sporting in my opinion for a guy to blast away serves at a 2.5 female who may be new to the sport.

 

[TennisCJC]

At 9.0 and 8.0 I agree with you. However it's not sporting in my opinion for a guy to blast away serves at a 2.5 female who may be new to the sport.

I agree. I play mixed and most of my female partners and female opponents are 4.5 with the occassional 5.0 female in the mix. I don't really hit any different to them than the guys unless tactics warrant. For example, I have found some women don't handle spin serves well so I hit top/slices wide or topspin serves to their BH. I will also lob the female more because they don't have the reach or power of males when hitting overheads in most cases. I don't lob the female to be easy on her instead I lob her to win the point.

If I were playing a beginner or low-intermediate female, it would most likely be in a practice or pick-up match and I would hit slow spinners and maybe work on S&V just to get some practice in. But, I would do the same if were a beginner or low intermediate male player so really no difference.

 

[Alchemy-Z]

I typically hit a slice or kicker to the women so that I can save more energy to hit my bigger serve to the guys..

I have found plenty of women who can block a flat serve back.....but typically due to height on average stretching out for a slice or getting a high back hand on a kicker yield a put away for my net lady.

 

[Gut4Tennis]

I bet all the guys in here who say that they hit bombs at the woman because it's sexist not to...probably would hit bombs at a 5 or 6 year old little kid on the other side of the net. Because it would be "ageist" if they didn't. That's one thing about tennis I dislike, a macho, testosterone filled match. It's recreational tennis guys. Lighten up.

you lost your bet

 

[Gut4Tennis]

I typically hit a slice or kicker to the women so that I can save more energy to hit my bigger serve to the guys..

I have found plenty of women who can block a flat serve back.....but typically due to height on average stretching out for a slice or getting a high back hand on a kicker yield a put away for my net lady.

not always true, but true with some women. every girl is different, but yes kickers are effective, until they get used to it.

 

[Gut4Tennis]

At 9.0 and 8.0 I agree with you. However it's not sporting in my opinion for a guy to blast away serves at a 2.5 female who may be new to the sport.

agree, but 7.0?

 

[kevrol]

agree, but 7.0?

My first experience at 7.0 was this weekend. I still didn't feel comfortable hitting a full speed serve at my 3.5 female opponent, however it would and does depend on the opponent.

 

[Turbo-87]

I bet all the guys in here who say that they hit bombs at the woman because it's sexist not to...probably would hit bombs at a 5 or 6 year old little kid on the other side of the net. Because it would be "ageist" if they didn't. That's one thing about tennis I dislike, a macho, testosterone filled match. It's recreational tennis guys. Lighten up.

You should tell that to the guys who bring their $350 Mikken bats to mixed league softball. Haha

 

[cknobman]

Spin kick serves.

Best of both worlds.

Don't need to worry about blasting at the female opponent.

Spin and kick are much harder for most women to handle than pace.

 

[v-verb]

Last Thursday I subbed in mixed. My serve was off so I was serving 3/4 speed.

Hit my partner in the butt. She proceeded to show the whole court the red mark. Although she is in her 50's her butt is pretty nice.

Anyhow a few minutes later I served and hit the other woman in the thigh.

What a crapshow of a night. I served out the rest of the night with powder puff spinny serves.

 

[jmc3367]

My wife and i played a mix tournament this past weekend. the is a 2.5 and I am a 3.5. We played 7.0 and i served a spin serve to my opponent. I am usually going to feed off what my opponent does. If he takes some off to my wife then I do the same. if he goes balls out then I will as well. I don't care for mixed but my wife wanted to. however if I were playing 8.0 or above in a tourney all bets would be off.

 

[Kasmatsu]

In social doubles, I've found that my being left handed makes any serve pretty effective. You either get slice running away from your backhand, or slice coming in on your hand on the forehand. There will be changes in pace and the odd kicker, but mostly slice until it starts coming back.

Also, most of the women I've played against socially request my serve to their backhand because they want to work on their backhands.

 

[eelhc]

if a guy is giving "easy" serves to the female and going all out to the male partner..... well That's not a sign of respect to women, it's stupid on his part and offensive to the woman. the women sees it as disrespectful

Bingo!!!

I'd like to see what would happen if some of these guys announced to the woman after warm-ups... "you're too weak a player for my best flat serve, I'm afraid to hurt you so let me make you chase a slow spin serve instead".

 

[kevrol]

Bingo!!!

I'd like to see what would happen if some of these guys announced to the woman after warm-ups... "you're too weak a player for my best flat serve, I'm afraid to hurt you so let me make you chase a slow spin serve instead".

Again, at 8.0 and 9.0 you're correct. There's no woman playing 6.0 that's going to to be irritated you're not bombing a serve at her.

 

[Mongolmike]

And at low level mixed, what is the fun in blasting aces past anyone... man or woman? If you are that good, shouldn't you be playing up?

Most 4.0 and up women can handle most serves most of the time... same as a 4.0 guy. Sometimes he gets aced, sometimes he can hit a return winner.... serve your normal serves to both sexes at mid and higher levels IMO.

 

[NastyWinners]

Yeah, since most of the women I hit with have played D1...if I don't hit my A+ serve they own the point from the start.

 

[eelhc]

Bingo!!!

I'd like to see what would happen if some of these guys announced to the woman after warm-ups... "you're too weak a player for my best flat serve, I'm afraid to hurt you so let me make you chase a slow spin serve instead".

Again, at 8.0 and 9.0 you're correct. There's no woman playing 6.0 that's going to to be irritated you're not bombing a serve at her.

How Magnanimous of you... How "easy" do you want to make it? If it's not a casual or social match... don't embarrass the sport by not giving your best effort to win every point/match.

 

[kanulondon]

It depends. If the lady is a baller, then she's getting my normal first serve.

Sometimes, when playing social tennis I am play with ladies 60+ and gents of the same vintage. I just spin serve and get on with the gentle doubles play

 

[MisterP]

Last year was my first playing USTA mixed. I lost a match because I was told to "take it easy" on the ladies.

From that day forward it's "Sweep the leg, Johnny" for the ladies.

 

[jmc3367]

Last year was my first playing USTA mixed. I lost a match because I was told to "take it easy" on the ladies.

From that day forward it's "Sweep the leg, Johnny" for the ladies.

But i can beat this guy...in this case Girl

 

[lilac8bd]

I am a woman and love to play mixed because I like the fast pace and the challenge of being "played more" than my partner. Please do not insult me by letting up on your serve.....or I WILL take advantage of it....I play to win

 

[lilac8bd]

Sorry emojis didn't come out right....

 

[kevrol]

I am a woman and love to play mixed because I like the fast pace and the challenge of being "played more" than my partner. Please do not insult me by letting up on your serve.....or I WILL take advantage of it....I play to win ����

What level mixed do you play?

 

[OrangePower]

I am a woman and love to play mixed because I like the fast pace and the challenge of being "played more" than my partner. Please do not insult me by letting up on your serve.....or I WILL take advantage of it....I play to win ����

This is why playing mixed is sometimes a no-win situation for a strong male player playing against a weaker woman. Some will be insulted if you let up, some will get upset if you play against them the way you would against a strong male.

 

[Govnor]

Socially = be smart about it.

Legit competitive league/tourney = game on.

 

[lilac8bd]

What level mixed do you play?

I play 8.5 & 9.0

 

[lcalamar]

Socially = be smart about it.

Legit competitive league/tourney = game on.

Great comment and I think it applies regardless of gender. Having fun sb more important than winning if you have to be a jerk

 

[lilac8bd]

Great comment and I think it applies regardless of gender. Having fun sb more important than winning if you have to be a jerk

Very true, always have fun, laugh, be pleasant.....winning is icing on the cake

 

[RetroSpin]

How Magnanimous of you... How "easy" do you want to make it? If it's not a casual or social match... don't embarrass the sport by not giving your best effort to win every point/match.

I understand your point, but I don't think it applies in every case. Say you are a 5.0 playing in a club or local tournament and your opponents include a 3.0 female. You are not dishonoring the game to ease up a notch or two on her.