From: dpc2@po.CWRU.Edu (David P. Caldwell)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
Subject: Re: doubles tips ?
Date: 17 Dec 92 20:00:42 GMT
Reply-To: dpc2@po.CWRU.Edu (David P. Caldwell)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: slc12.ins.cwru.edu


In a previous article, rchen@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov (chen, richard) says:

>In article <1992Dec15.175131.4410@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov>, rchen@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov (chen, richard) writes...
>>In article <1gkb7jINNjg8@iraul1.ira.uka.de>, voss@i40s16.ira.uka.de (Stefan Voss) writes...
>>8.  If your partner is serving, stand right in the middle of the service box,
>>or maybe a half-step closer to the net.  If the server is standing as
>>described in #5, then if you get plunked in the back of the head, the serve
>>would have been wide anyway.  And don't watch your partner serve since you
>>need time to react without having to spin your head or body around and you 
>>already know which of your opponents is going to get the ball.

     It can take some time to become an effective net-man (i.e., server's
partner).  There are several things that the partner of the server should
remember (particularly if a beginning doubles player):

          * The poster above (Stefan, I think) is correct:  stand in the
*center* of the service box.  You will note that this is not the center of
your half of the court.  The odds are that the returner will not
(particularly if you serve down the middle, as was suggested earlier) hit a
blistering return down the line into the alley.  If he/she does, clap and
go on.  The number of times this happens will be EASILY offset by the
number of balls floating through the middle.  I do understand, though, that
getting passed down the line is humiliating and emotionally painful. 
You'll have to learn to live with it, though. :)

          * It is important to be aggressive; hit virtually any ball you
can reach (within reason).  Also, poach a significant amount (i.e., move
closer to the center in the hope of cutting off a return heading for your
partner), and fake a poach a significant amount.  The hardest part about
doubles is returning serve, and an assertive, unpredictable net-man makes
returning MUCH more difficult.

          * Move with the serve.  On a wide serve, take roughly one shuffle
step wide; on a serve down the middle, take one toward the center.  It's
hard to describe in text how far you should go; it's more of a feeling
(heck, I don't even know how far I would go; I'm not standing on a court
right now and can't picture it).

>11.  On the return:  if you're determined to get to the net, as you should be...
>if the server has been charging the net, you must get the return cross-court
>to the server, since the other opponent will put the ball away if you hit it
>to him/her.  To make the server's volley tougher, hit your return low and hard.

     Gee, that's a good tip.  To make the returner's job tougher, hit your
serve hard within a few inches of the corner of the service box. :) 
Seriously, though, the most underutilized shot in recreational doubles is
the lob return of serve.  The returner lobs over the head of the net man
and (if the lob *does* make it over his head) advances to the net.  Now,
the other team is hitting a groundstroke, with both players at the baseline
(if they know what they're doing), or one up and one back.  The most common
reply is a lob from the other team, which frequently leads to an overhead
winner.  Most recreational players are not going to have fabulous
overheads, and will not sternly punish you, even for so-so lobs.

>If your point lasts longer than that (probably 80% won't), remember that you 
>and your partner move as a pair - charge (preferably) and retreat together.  

     As I mentioned re: serving, offset with the direction the ball goes. 
On a deep volley into the corner, both players should move to the side from
which the opponent is replying.  It's hard to describe in text, but perhaps
it suffices to say that the shot being "allowed" is the extreme crosscourt
angle -- in which case you clap and go on.  The player who is closest to
the ball -- the player on whose "side" the ball is when the opponents are
preparing to hit -- should be closer to the net, while the partner should
be farther, perhaps a step or two in front of the "T".  (Opinions differ.) 
All of this assumes you have your opponent(s) in the backcourt, so that you
have time to move...
     
>Keeping the ball down the middle reduces the angles your opponents have.
>If you and your partner are both at the net, you needn't go for winners all
>the time.  As long as you get your volleys back deeply and crisply, the 
>opportunity to hit a winner will arise.  If you're both at the net and your
>opponents are about to hit the ball not from the middle (e.g. you serve wide
>and come in), shift over since your opponent has a nice shot down the line.

     Oops, I didn't know he was gonna say that.  The easiest explanation of
net strategy in doubles I have heard is this:  if the ball is high enough
that you can volley down, hit at the person closest to you.  If it's not,
hit to the person farthest from you.  It's not a perfect strategy, but
leads to the right decision a very high percentage of the time.

...Babbitt
-- 
David Caldwell (Babbitt on IRC)  E-mail:  CALDWELL@CWBIO.BIOC.CWRU.EDU)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis