Strategies to hold serve in mixed doubles

Cawlin

Semi-Pro
Duh ... Tt forum guys only have three digit plus serves.

Just like we are all 6'3", jacked, and it was our partner's fault--I can't get to everything myself!

Ironically, I am acually 6'3" tall, not really "jacked" anymore as I am almost 50 years old, but I did pitch D3 baseball and had about a upper 80s to low 90s (on a good day) fastball, and a vicious 12-6 curve, and a ridiculous knuckleball. Despite the significant mechanics differences of the shoulders between pitching a baseball and serving a tennis ball, I am quite skilled with the employment of my full body kinetic chain to deliver a serve. Further, I am exquisitely aware of how spin effects the movement of a baseball and tennis ball - this is not a "concept only" awareness for me, this is second nature.

However, whether I win or lose is not always my partner's fault, I have kind of inconsistent ground strokes, powerful when I hit them well, but subject to mechanics and motion breakdowns from time to time, and some days I can't get that 100 mph flat serve in play, and have to resort to my slice or kicker, but they are indeed potent serves as well relative to my playing level of 3.5, which would be higher if I could be more consistent with my overall game.
 

reedfe

New User
I've lost mixed matches where the opposing player female has literally stood at the fence and watched the male player take every ball, including both doubles alleys, and direct them at my female player. gotta #COMPETE
 

Matthew ATX

Semi-Pro
if we could do that as much as we should we'd be getting paid to play LOL!!!

Haha, true enough.

Really though, my main partner and I went from straight up conceding her service games to holding more often than not. We did this by moving my position at the net around; normal, I, Aussie... and by switching up poaches, stays and fakes. Just the guessing game the receiver has to play alone nets us a lot of free points.
Just staying in a normal net position and only poaching when I thought I could get to the ball was never going to work with her super soft serve.
 

Matthew ATX

Semi-Pro
I've lost mixed matches where the opposing player female has literally stood at the fence and watched the male player take every ball, including both doubles alleys, and direct them at my female player. gotta #COMPETE

Maybe not to THAT extent but I see the ball hog strategy a fair amount in mixed tournaments. That strategy very rarely makes it out of the early rounds. It just leaves too many holes and in the later rounds, the opposing girl is going to find them.
 
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