Anybody here still playing with the traditional style (back and front) in mixed double? I found that it is really unfair and boring for the female players. They can only move left and right in the front and the chances of being smashed in the face is really high. I truly believe there are a lot of female players who are a lot better than the male players out there. And they deserved to be treated like regular double partner. The club where I am going, a lot of mix double still using the traditional style and the female players can only play drop, drive, once a while smash when the opponent accidentally hit it high and close to the net (which is really rare), or be a shuttle kisser (being smashed in the face, which is very often). It is almost like a one man game, it really doesnt matter with or without the female player. The comment above is just based on the Traditional style of Mixed Double.
The Stronger player is supposed to stand at the back and the not as strong at the front. If the woman is stronger then the man then she should play the back... (my opinion) I think person at the front should get one of those protective sport glasses thing.... so they don't get eye injuries when someone smashes in their face....
Oh and if both players are about same skill level then I think they should play it like regular doubles.
I'm a mixed doubles player and i usually play at the back, my partner is not that strong as a player, though physically shes pretty tough for a girl. No offense meant. So we play the traditional way, of course during the course of the rallies, she sometimes does end up at the back but only to cover certain shots, i will try to cover the back as much as possible as i know that even in my respective doubles games, i'm stronger at the back than at the front.
Most mixed doubles are like that. I must ask for the definition of "stronger" as I find that the female partner is usually the better player in that their net shots and court coverage at the front are far superior to the male partner. Like any doubles, you try to take advantage of the weaker partner in your opponent team (regardless of whether it's the man or the woman). When I play mixed, I usually leave it up to my partner to decide how she wants to play the game and if she chooses to play the front/back format, then I better make sure that I don't or at least try my best not to play any shots where the opponents can smash back at her. Steve Willis has an interesting article written by him and his wife on Mixed doubles. Check it out at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/karen.t.willis/mixedtroubles.htm
ye true , but i still think girls can better drop then every male in their junior time of badminton they never could hit the shuttle hard enough to give him totaly to the back so they droped = they practiced while playing very hard there drops and we pushed every power that we got in our smash's.
Ever tried playing mixed doubles with the guy standing upfront? When in mixed doubles, the weaker player usually stands up front. In my case my friends and I were messing around and we had the guys play front and the ladies play back... it's SCARY AS HELL! but after a while you get used to it. you learn which smashes to block and which ones to duck ( 90% of them you duck )
in a mixed doubles game, if your partner is up front, you should try everything in your shot range not to lift to prevent your opponent from smashing. but if you do have to lift, your partner should back up slightly (typically diagonal to the lift, in a wedge) so that the both of you can prepare to defend the smash. if you are constantly being smashed at you need to re-evaluate your strategy, you are not doing your mixed doubles partner any favours with the clears.
i agree that if the lady is as strong as the guy, the level formation is the best. if in the case that the lady is weaker, esp when she have a hard time dealing with the power of the opposing guy, the best formation is still the traditional formation. but that doesn't mean it is unfair for the lady. in fact, my opinion has always been, in a mixed doubles games, the lady is the brain, the guy is just the workhorse. the lady is always in front, and if she can drives and push and drop, she and not the guy decides how to manipulate the opponent on the other side of the court. and since she is in front she decides whether to move in a intercept the shot, or leave it for her partner at the back. the guy behind her just picks up whatever she doesn't want and smack it down. or when she makes a risky shot, the guy will cover up the potential holes. tactically, the lady has much more choice of shots than the guy, and requires much more delicate control and placement of shots. to me, the strength (smartness) of the lady is paramount to the mixed game, and not how fast the guy can dash at the back. the uneven physical strength in ixed doubles makes it a very interesting game than level doubles, it is also extremely different in terms of choice of shots, tactics and formation (not just front back, but also where to stand to cover the court), and a lot of times, the most appropriate court movement in mixed contradicts the ones in doubles. so IMHO, it is not unfair, the 'traditional' formation is just transforming the game into a complete beast, where the lady has the key to tactical formation (the brain), and the guy just follow the brain's command. kinda like a marriage... isn't it?
I agree with your opinion. Net control and not only is crucial in mixed doubles. More often than not is the lady who is dictatic how the game is played. If the lady is not strong at the net the man is really in trouble. Don't think, adopting doubles strategy in mixed doubles game is good as you won't gain any advantage. In fact is giving advantage to the other team. And about marriage, you really sounded like a veteran!!
I also agree with you, Kwun. When I was young and stupid I used to believe that man were by far the more important element in mixed doubles. This view is largely bourne out in club level badminton and even at lower county level. At this lower level the man still is the most important element and can make up for a weaker woman, wheras it is almost impossible for a good woman to make up for a weaker man. As my level of play and understanding progressed I realised that at higher levels of the game the opposite is true. Unless one of the men is a superstar it is the partnership containing the better woman that usually wins. AT this level, ie given that everyone on court can move well and hit all the shots in the book, a good man is lost without a good woman. Gentlemen, if you can find yourself a woman who is sharp at the net, possesses enough options from the rearcourt and refuses to lift the shuttle unless in absolute desperation, do exactly as she tell you because it is her who is in charge. And on no account allow another man anywhere near her!
hi, I'm a very strong mixed player, being told this is the way foward for me in england. In division one mixed, we do tend to play this traditional formation, but when we are on the defensive we DO go side by side. We do not go EXACTLY side by side, she goes a little foward and i go a little back. This means she can still get back in time for clears and get to drops, and i can cover the court at the back when she can't reach. Being that bit closer to the front means that she doesn't have to move far to get to the net. I have great speed and agility, and being this 'little bit back' means i can cover alot more, and my partenr can rely on me. But yes, when on the attack and for 80% of the game we are in the 'traditional' front and back' formation. Seeing as i have a 125-130 mph smash, i tend to get stuck at the front. I feel, once reached at top level, they should be side by side when on the defensive. At club level i feel that the woman should be at the front, because they ARE that little bit weaker. This is my own opinion, but if you dont feel like it then talk over the formation before the game. Just remember though, being at the back does NOT mean you smack hell out of the bird. Its tactical, so think about where u play your shots, and vary them. Force THEM to make the mistakes and then kill it. Hope this helps Matt
