There are several main ways to play pickleball – singles, skinny singles, mens doubles, womens doubles, mixed doubles. The majority of matches are played as doubles – two players on each side of the court. We’ve covered several articles on pickleball singles strategies, pickleball skinny singles and even have a pickleball singles page. This blog post will focus on mixed doubles pickleball strategy.
Finding a Mixed Doubles Partner
I’m lucky because my mixed doubles partner is my wife. We’ve played sports together for many years so it works for us. We’re kinda rare however. We’ve been asked a lot how we can play together and stay married. Most couples do not play pickleball together but there are many who do.
If you don’t have a built in spouse or significant other as your pickleball mixed doubles partner, then you need to find out through your club or through friends. At our club, there are mixed doubles nights where teams are assembled based on current relationships. This is a great way to meet people while also learning how others play. Another great way to find a partner is by showing up to challenge courts. This can give you the chance to play with different people frequently.
Skill Level – first things first, if you are a 3.5 level pickleball player, try to find a 3.5 mixed doubles partner. Usually it’s more fun to play with a partner which is at the same level you are, and that’s important for tournament play. If you are a 3.5 level player and you pair up with a 3.0 level mixed partner, it’s pretty likely that your partner will see the majority of the balls during matches. In tournaments and in crunch time during recreational play, your opponents are going to test your partner since he/she has lower level skills that you do.
Here are some mixed doubles pickleball strategy considerations for finding a partner:
Age Group – in recreational play, age doesn’t really make much of a difference when selecting a partner. Skill level is more important. However, in pickleball tournaments, age matters since there are brackets for age groups. If you are 52 years old and your partner is 40 years old, you will be “playing down” in age since your partner is younger. Take a look at the age brackets when enrolling in a pickleball tournament. Sometimes the 19 year olds just have more stamina and can get to more balls than players in their 50’s…it’s sad, but true!
Style – finding a mixed partner with the right playing style is HUGE for me. I like to slow the game down, display patience and capitalize on my opponent’s mistakes. I’m not a banger. For me, playing with a partner who’s a banger can get frustrating. I don’t mind playing against them, but I prefer a partner who can also slow the game down, reset shots, etc. Playing style is one thing, attitude is another. Pickleball players can be competitive! So finding a player with a personality you enjoy is also key.
Preparing for a Pickleball Tournament
Tournaments are a blast. They can be stressful for many, however try to go into them with a mindset of having fun. Prior to the tournament it’s great to play several matches with your mixed doubles partner. Play some matches with opponents of similar skillsets, but also play at least 30% of your prep matches against teams who are better than you. This will help you prepare both mentally and physically. It will also show you where you need to support each other during key rallies / shots.
As you prepare, learn each other’s communication styles. Find out how you like to speak to each other to let your partner know you have the shot or if they should take the shot – “Mine!” or “Yours!”. Who has a better forehand or backhand? Who is solid with covering the middle and getting to lob shots?
The other thing to do is drill a bunch with your mixed double partner. Put stress on their shots. Learn when your partner likes to dink, drive or attack. During drills you’ll also increase your communication style but you’ll also pick up on your partners tendencies.
Pickleball Stacking
Pickleball stacking is a great mixed doubles pickleball strategy. It’s usually done as a more advanced approach / strategy with experienced players (3.0 or higher, usually 3.5 or higher). It is a doubles strategy where both players keep to one side of the court – they, quite literally, stack up. Traditional doubles positioning is identical to that of tennis doubles positioning: one player on the left side of the court and the other player on the right side.
Stacking is used to help gain an advantage or desired result during a rally. Most often teams made up of a left-handed and right-handed player are the ones that use this tactic, because both forehands will be kept in the middle.
And it is most commonly used by the serving team, but there are teams that will employ this strategy on the return of serve. For additional insights into pickleball stacking, please see a previous blog post on the topic.
Above all, have fun! Pickleball is a very social sport which can be competitive as well. Few will become professional pickleball players, so remember to enjoy yourself and not dwell on bad shots / unforced errors. Those who bring the Mamba Mentality to pickleball are limited in numbers, however it’s fun to play all types of people. Enjoy!
For additional information, see our pickleball doubles page.