Patches of active piezoelectric damping composites (APDC) consisting of piezoelectric rods, which are obliquely embedded across the thickness of viscoelastic damping matrix, are presented as a viable candidate for smart actuation. In this configuration, activation of the piezo-rods simultaneously enhances both the shear and compression damping characteristics of the smart composite actuator. With such active/passive capabilities, the APDC presents an effective means for controlling structural vibration and noise. Emphasis is placed here on modeling the electromechanical coupling characteristics of the APDC using an effective homogeneous medium approach. The developed model accounts for the volume fraction of the piezo-rods, and the properties of the constituent rods and damping matrix. The optimal inclination angles of the piezo-rods are determined for various APDC configurations in order to maximize the electro-mechanical coupling factor. The predictions of the mathematical model are validated experimentally and are found to agree closely with the measurements. The obtained results suggest that using the oblique-rod configuration can enhance the electromechanical coupling significantly and the actuation efficiency of the smart APDC.