what if.. on the reverse side, the guy is weaker. Can a lady request her male partner to stand in front?
Why not? I do that a lot of the time! I once played against Simon Archer in a mixed junior tournament. I would pop up for the netkill whilst my partner covered the back. Surprised them so much we won a game from them - unfortunately not the match Simon Archer was already an England junior player that time.
This is pretty much the same problem that my mixed partner has. However, she is my sister and will sometimes listen to me. However, I won't get frustrated or whatever if she does decide that she wants to play back, she can have a pretty hard smash. Having her play at the back works for us. I guess it's just what works best between mixed pairs. I still play the back most of the time however because I have a better smash than her, but I will still trust her to play back at any point in the game.
Standing at the front doesn't always be doing dropping.U can also strike from the front.N also,playing at the front requires a better speed n reflex than when u're in the back.This is also the reason why some players got frustated,since he/she got nothing much to do when they're on the front.But once they're used to it,things changed. Anyway,tell her,the main thing about double isn't always about who's scoring.It's about creating more chances to score,either it's executed by u or ur partner.
Sounds like difficult partnership. Good idea to switch to playing singles. No need to worry about partners, and you minimise the risk of racquet clashes.
Maybe she is afraid of the birdie? I admit I'm afraid of being in the front at times, but I suck it up and try to do my best. But sometimes when I hear a POW and that they are going to smash its natural reflexes for me to close my eyes and turn a bit. But I try to swing randomly, when I close my eyes. That is why I prefer singles. I'm not scared of the smashes in singles and I like to smash as a winning shot for some reason.
Mix doubles with a girl is a headache - they always hit/lob the shuttle really high and allows the other party to smash it back. Period.
Just try to make a compromise. i had a partner who wasn't comfortable staying in front cuz she was quite tall and had to crouch low. i just told her that we can play rotation and it worked out quite well. If you really do want to play mixed, you must sometimes cater to your partner's wishes first before they do the same to you.
get a video camera or phone. Record it and analyse it. Your partner will learn a great deal from it when comparing with other videos. Easy? Can you youtube it?
To play a good mix team, you will need to practice a lot with the SAME partner for a good amount of time... it is more than just telling the girl to stay up in the front. Let me give you an example... Even if she is willing to stay upfront, but what if the other team pushes her to the back tactically? How is she planning to get herself back in HER position(which is the front)? How well do you two rotate if necessary? Bottom line is, in mixed doubles, there is more of a need to build a good bond between the two partners, and they must know what they need to do to get in the proper position and avoid certain situation(ex. girl taking the smash directly, or the guy in the front watching the girl being push one side to the other just trying to keep the rally going). More importantly, if you are complaining about why your partner won't change... why not complain about why you won't change your partner??? At high level mixed doubles play, any female player who only wants to be the smasher(attacker) instead of a set-up play type player, is nothing more than a liability. Vise versa for the male.
if your mix partner isn't good...you'll have to work 2x harder to cover the court...if he/she throws away some pts...you'll have to get more back... that's all there is in my head when i play mix doubles Do not doubt your partner during a match...don't get frustrated easily...they are all counter productive...communicate with each other, i guess
Normal club level, might be the case, as brutal strength will guide your way to victory. Any higher level, you will see the technique and experience will greatly narrow the gap between the natural built difference btw guys and girls. Btw, try to play a game against Gao Ling or so, and she will let you will have to lob, and who will smash down.
Well, isn't that's also true for regular level doubles? Before we all complain about our partners (be it guys or girls), let's think what about if ourselves are the weakest link in the pair? Everyone wants to get a stronger partner, but think why the stronger partner want us as a partner, if they also think the "work harder, headache, etc" issues at the beginning.
There's no rule says the lady must stay in the front. Double is a team work, and whatever combination works for the team, and make both partners feel comfortable, is the way to go. A few years ago, I used to have a mix partner who has a much more powerful smash than I do. On the other hand, I was the better play maker in the team. Therefore, we played the reverse mix when it's necessary, and both feel comfortable about their roles. Yes, once a while our formation did draw some laughs, even from the opponents. However, when I setup some easy smashes for my partner, and she can really smash it down, then, there's no more smile on my opponent's faces for sure.
