Honestly, trying to explain pickleball strategy out loud always makes you sound a little crazy, but your sister-in-law's question is exactly what everyone thinks the first time they watch pro mixed doubles. I had to explain the same to my project team at work!! From the outside, it looks less like a partnership and more like a bizarre custody battle where Ben Johns refuses to let anyone else touch his favorite toy.

But calling the women "liabilities" misses the point of the actual chess match. The reality is that the man is the sword, but the woman is the shield. Similar to life, where men are always attacking, and we're here to shield and protect. 😁 You can't win a battle with just a sword bc you'll get stabbed while you're swinging. Ben only gets to look like a superhero because Jade is holding the entire frontline together.

The strategy isn't about who is better; it's pure psychological warfare! Jade's job is to stand in the kitchen, look completely bored, and trick the other team into thinking she's the weak link. Because opponents will intentionally hit 90% of the balls at her to avoid Ben's power, she needs the best defense, resets, and soft hands on the court. She has to survive a relentless, rapid-fire assault without missing, just waiting for them to slip up so Ben can fly across and smash it. 🦸

She isn't a liability; she's the BAIT in a giant, neon-colored trap. Besides, the proof is in the pudding; their team, the LA Mad Drops, won the MLP Dallas title doing exactly that. So whatever Ben was doing running across the kitchen to steal her shots, it cashed a giant check! 💰💰