Mixed Doubles
In men's doubles, the instinct is to plant on the line and end the point with pace. In mixed, that same instinct gets punished, because the geometry is different. Who's returning and who's exposed changes on every ball, and power alone stops being the answer.
When I first started playing in college, I always told my mixed partner, "All you need to do is set your feet before your opponents hit the ball." It's still some of the best advice I've ever given. Over time it's become an oversimplification of what really works, but the idea holds up. I don't care if you're in no-man's land, behind the baseline, or at the kitchen line: if your feet aren't set, you won't succeed. If you split-step and give yourself time to react, you'll be infinitely better when the guy is attacking in mixed doubles. It's simple physics and how motion works. There's a lot more to this advice, though, and that's what this guide covers.
The Promise
By the end of this you'll know the three positional habits that let mixed teams dictate points instead of reacting to them. None of them require hitting the ball harder.
Before You Start
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Get coaching info →Habit 1
The best mixed teams in the world have the woman play about two steps off the kitchen line. Two steps back can feel like giving up ground, but it gets her two things. The first is reaction time: when the man across the net speeds up at her, she has an extra second to see the ball and get a paddle on it. The second is angle. From two steps back she can hit down at his feet, which forces a pop-up instead of a counter.
Watch Catherine Parenteau next to Gabe Tardio. She's two steps back. When their opponent speeds up, she counters at his feet and he has to pop it up. She finishes the point because she had that extra second.
Watch Why the Best Mixed Teams Play Off the Line →Tina Pisnik does the exact same thing, and this positioning shows up over and over at the highest level.
Habit 2
Plenty of people get frustrated when the man takes the third shot in mixed and it goes all the way over to the woman's side. Christian Alshon shows why it works, even at the pro level. He hits it crosscourt, and the woman across the net has her head down on the ball. That gives him all the room he needs to hunt for the next shot. The same drop from the woman wouldn't have the same effect.
For men in mixed, mixing in third shot drops (or drop-drive hybrids) is often the correct play. It adds deception and forces extra decisions without overcommitting you.
Watch Why the Man Should Take More Drops in Mixed →It's a risk, but a controlled one, and controlled risk creates errors.
Habit 3
Your job isn't done once the third shot is hit. You need to move forward and apply pressure before your opponent hits their fourth. That forward presence forces rushed decisions and creates free points without taking on much risk. Once you're in position, you don't even have to do anything.
This point from the 2023 college national championship game shows it. A woman drives down the line at the man, which you rarely see in mixed. When he hits his volley, he looks up and sees the other man ready to poach. Nobody had to hit anything harder to create that.
Watch How Moving In Behind Your Third Shot Creates Pressure →Hit your third, then get in, and the pressure earns you free points.
| Habit | What it looks like | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Off the line | About two steps back from the kitchen line | Extra reaction time and a better angle to hit down at feet |
| Drop over drive | Mixing third shot drops in for the man | Adds deception and forces extra decisions |
| Close after the shot | Moving forward right after your third | Forces rushed decisions before the fourth shot |
In all three, what changes is where you're standing when the ball comes back, and that decides who gets rushed.
These three findings are really adaptations of the advice I gave my partner at the start: split-step and make sure her feet are planted before the opponent hits. That's still good advice, and when you apply these three concepts as variations on it, your game's going to get a lot better. Take this into your own game.
Mixed gives the points to whoever is standing in the right place. Hit with control, and let your position do the work.
1:1 Coaching
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