Mixed doubles often faces plenty of criticism, from men who poach too aggressively or dominate too many balls, to women who feel constantly targeted by opponents. The truth is, mixed is a completely different dynamic compared to gender doubles, requiring its own strategy, communication, and balance.

Sportscaster and Good Dink co-founder Jackie Redmond had a moment of clarity when she began playing competitive pickleball alongside her husband, Emmett Blois.

“For women that are as competitive as I am, I didn’t have a full understanding of how mixed was actually played. In the beginning when I wasn’t watching Pickleballtv, I had to understand the reality that unless you’re Anna Leigh Waters and you’re way better than your male partner, you aren’t going to take up as much court. The guy has to come over and poach and get in the mix,” said Redmond. 

“I didn’t fully get that at first, but I realized that this is how everyone plays mixed and I wasn’t going to be the exception. I understood that we could be more competitive if I really just dominated my 15% chunk on the right. That would make us more successful. “I understand that there are roles, and when I play women’s, my role is different.”

From the men’s point of view, Blois highlighted another common challenge couples encounter when they play together.

“I think one of the biggest problems is when they get on the court and someone says, ‘That was my ball.’ It has nothing to do with me making a mistake or taking that ball, it’s probably because I didn’t help with the dishes last night,” noted Blois. 

“You want to get to the point in your communication where you can say, ‘Hey, we both want to win. How can we put ourselves in the best position to do that?’ Try and separate the relationship and just play pickleball. When we played together in the past, if I say we should try this, it doesn’t come off as a strategy. Sometimes, it can come off as criticism because there’s no separation between the relationship and pickleball.” 

At that point, Redmond and Blois had competed in just one tournament together, and they won.

However, she attributes their victory to strong communication and being patient until the timing felt right in both of their careers to compete together.

“We didn’t put ourselves in a pressured situation until we actually knew that we were in a place where I got better at pickleball and that we could navigate it together. Because we waited, our communication actually became a strength since it was better than it would be with a stranger or a partner you met a month ago,” said Redmond. “If we want to be successful playing together, this is what we have to do. You have to communicate. At the end of the day, we’re just having fun.”

No matter who you step onto the court with, your partner or anyone else, the most important thing is simply to enjoy the experience.

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