JAK'S MONTHLY ESSAY SERIES: Achieving Your Personal Best
KNOW YOUR DOUBLE’S IN-POINT SITUATION WHEN BACK or RETURNING SERVE
Once an opponent has served, and/or when the point is ongoing as well, you must be instantly cognizant of your shot opportunities, or lack thereof:
- Attack
- Defend
- Neutral
Recognizing, or "reading" the quality of an opponent's serve - along with their incoming shots as well during an in-point contested cross court duel - is the tell for choosing how you’re going to respond in one of the three (3) modes noted above.
When to ATTACK: You've cracked a deep penetrating cross court groundstroke, or return, that's going to make an opponent uncomfortable, upon recognition start moving into the net ASAP - join your partner - to up the pressure on their response. Or, maybe you've successfully angled your groundie, or serve return, out wide, way out on the wing, a long way for a back court opponent to track down - c'mon in and, again join your partner at the net - it's doubles! Of course continue in when you're covering a short ball return around the service line or slightly beyond. Note: So important to do something effective with that approach shot to have success at the net - your net game will be only as good as the shot you came in behind. And generally, of course, anytime, from anywhere, when you observe that your shot, or your partner’s shot, is putting opponents under duress.
When to DEFEND: An opponent has made you uncomfortable with their deep, penetrating cross court shot, or penetrating serve. Avoid the emotional "oh yeah" response – trying to outdo their shot by attempting an even bigger and better reply. Best to just stay in the point by softly absorbing and redirecting all that power right back at them - away from their lurking net partner - hopefully deep enough to negate their advantage, and especially to show them that their best stuff doesn't make a dent in your defense. They've gained no advantage which, cumulatively, will become a very frustrating experience for them, and ultimately lure them into ill-advised, increasingly overly ambitious shots. If really in trouble and on the stretch, put up a very high lob (30-40-50 feet) to both buy repositioning time and test their, typically questionable, overhead skills.
When to stay NEUTRAL: In an active double’s back court rally, in which neither player is making stellar shots, but just effective enough to not give an opponent a big potential advantage, just stay in the point without any point ending expectations while not attempting to do more than is necessary at that juncture. It’s just a "rally ball." Wait. You’re actually winning in these stalemates, not losing as so many perceive. Rally tolerance!
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