Adjusting to the server's position at the baseline

[Cindysphinx]

I had my first 7.0 mixed match last night on Court One. We lost 6-4, 6-4. On the whole we did OK, I guess, given that this is the first time my partner and I had played mixed doubles at all.

Anyway, I had considerable difficulty returning the opposing 3.5 male player's serve. (Big surprise, huh?) One thing he did I hadn't encountered before was that he served from markedly different locations along the baseline. Sometimes from the doubles alley, sometimes near the center.

I remember some drill class pro telling me long ago that people who do this are tipping their hand, and I should adjust my starting position to match the servers. So if the server's in the middle, I should be closer to the middle. If the server's near the alley, I should be closer to the alley.

This didn't work. He was able to ace me out wide from the center, and he was able to nail the middle from out wide.

What's up with that? How should I deal with this in the future?

It was weird. I always thought the server should pick a position and stay with it to avoid indicating where the serve will go. When I watch the pros, they stick a serving position and stay with it.

[pNoyr3D]

I was playing doubles at my local tennis club and my instructor said the same thing, I think it's true. It work's very well for me but than again the server on the other side wasn't a good placement server. It all matter on the placement, sometimes people that are serving out in the alley have the ability to serve into the center, matters how good they are in placing the serve.

When I serve, I usually move around the baseline to place the ball different spots. When I go out wide to the alley I usually serve out wide to the alley and when I'm more into the center I usually serve right down the middle.

Basically it really matters on the servers technique and his placement ability. Sounds like the person you were playing was pretty good at that sort of thing. Sometimes when that happens to me, I don't stand at the alley line and at the center, I usually stand mid right and mid left.

[golden chicken]

also remember a couple things: first thing is that the ball has to land in the service box regardless of where he stands. that means that you don't have to be quite as extreme as he is. in other words, if he goes way out to the alley to serve, you take like a step towards the alley. if he goes way to the middle of the court, you take like one step towards the middle.

also, remember that 99% of people can only serve with spin in one direction. that means that if he's right handed, the serve is naturally going to curve to your right.

so, you try to take into account how much curve the player has to his serve and where he stands on the court, and then estimate where the farthest points are he could possibly hit i.e. out wide or up the tee, and then you stand in the middle of that.

[Supernatural_Serve]

I don't move my location much based on the server's position, but I do rotate my body so that my shoulders are facing them square.

So, if the server moves toward the T, I stand more square (more parallel to baseline) and take 1 step toward the T,

if they stand near the doubles alley, then I take 1 step toward to doubles alley, and rotate my outside shoulder forward accordingly which has me standing more (but not quite) at a 45% angle to the baseline.

My home base for returning in doubles is just inside the service line, with my outside foot just inside the singles side line.

They've got to really hit the T (within 6 in.) or hit the wide angle very wide to get an ace or really bomb the ball.

The best way to stop getting aced wide is to move in aggressively by stepping forward, don't let that angle work you by being or remaining behind the baseline.

The T serves, I try to move forward and step in but sometimes I am forced to move laterally.

I never step backwards or retreat to return a serve. Nothing good is going to come from that especially in doubles.

[Cindysphinx]

I don't move my location much based on the server's position, but I do rotate my body so that my shoulders are facing them square.

So, if the server moves toward the T, I stand more square (more parallel to baseline) and take 1 step toward the T,

if they stand near the doubles alley, then I take 1 step toward to doubles alley, and rotate my outside shoulder forward accordingly which has me standing more (but not quite) at a 45% angle to the baseline.

My home base for returning in doubles is just inside the service line, with my outside foot just inside the singles service line.

They've got to really hit the T (within 6 in.) or hit the wide angle very wide to get an ace or really bomb the ball.

The best way to stop getting aced wide is to move in aggressively by stepping forward, don't let that angle work you by being or remaining behind the baseline.

The T serves, I try to move forward and step in but sometimes I am forced to move laterally.

I never step backwards or retreat to return a serve. Nothing good is going to come from that especially in doubles.

OK, that explains a lot. After the match, the opposing woman told me my mistake was that I wasn't moving forward but was moving laterally.

Let's review, then. Where should I stand to return a tough serve? I was standing about 1-2 feet behind the baseline. Wrong?

[Bagumbawalla]

Just a couple suggestions.

Draw or make a copy of a doubles court with correct dimensions. Pencil, in different colors, the most probable service angles that you would have to cover from the various serving positions and mark the best positions for making returns.

It would, also, make sense for you and your practice partner to, well, PRACTICE serving and returning from these positions, so that if you encounter this kind of thing in the future-- you will be used to it.

Considering the novelty, you did well.

Good luck,

B

[Supernatural_Serve]

Let's review, then. Where should I stand to return a tough serve? I was standing about 1-2 feet behind the baseline. Wrong?It really depends on your level, your quickness, and how heavy the server is.

I rarely find it necessary to ever stand behind the baseline returning 4.5 - 4.0 serves. Do I get aced wide or down the T? sometimes, but not often. But, then again, I want them to try to put that ball 6 inches from the T or very wide because those are serves that are

a.) going out, or

b.) bouncing right into my sweet spot should they fail to get them wide or down the T enough, given that I am moving forward.

But here's what I know works for me.

I would rather step forward into almost all serves and be moving forward than in any other direction whether I have to return a T serve or a wide serve. Everything good happens returning serve by moving foreward versus being flat footed or moving laterally, or backwards. That doesn't work for me.

I would rather shorten my preparation/swing and drive or even block the ball if someone is hitting hard serves than to back-up, or start from a deep return position.

I would rather step in and cut off angles, side spin, as well as kick on the balls and take them early rather than back-up or be pulled way out of position by allowing balls to curve away from me or bounce high on me or force me to chase after them. I can't do much with those, especially in doubles with someone at the net to clear.

Also, I rarely stand parallel to the baseline, unless the server is hugging the T when they serve. I always square up my shoulders to face the server which means my outside shoulder is always foreward (slightly if the server is near the T, to very much foreward if they are standing in the doubles alley).

I think Bugumbawalla is right.

Draw the triangle that describes your reach that you can get to 80-90% of the time given the usual servers that you face (you might mentally expand and contract this triangle based on who you are playing). It might include a very wide serve area and all the way to the T, maybe its a little to a lot narrower.

Stand right in the middle of that triangle somewhere very near the base line. Then, decide for yourself whether you will setup a little foreward, backward (I wouldn't recommend that), a little left or right.. That's your neutral position.

Then based on:

a.) knowledge of the server

cheat a little bit to one side or the other based on their tendencies, what they seem to like to do (always/tendency to serve to your backhand). I also adjust my grip based on this knowledge also but that's a separate topic.

b.) knowledge about your strengths as a returner: forehand vs backhand vs. body returns - and give the server less exposure to your weaknessk, entice them to hit into your strengths.

For example, When I play high level doubles or against a really strong server I have to cheat to protect my backhand and I give up some green area to my forehand side (again enticing them to go to my forehand, because I can take their heat on that wing better than to the backhand even if I give up an ace or two, or they serve out!).

c.) the server's position - For me, server stands toward T means 1 step toward T, very wide means 1 step toward alley (most of the servers don't do either in doubles, they aren't serving near the T or alley, I don't move left or right when they serve in that broad area between the two extremes)

No matter what I am always squaring my shoulders to the server under all scenarios.

[gb.tennis.junky]

I had my first 7.0 mixed match last night on Court One. We lost 6-4, 6-4. On the whole we did OK, I guess, given that this is the first time my partner and I had played mixed doubles at all.

Anyway, I had considerable difficulty returning the opposing 3.5 male player's serve. (Big surprise, huh?) One thing he did I hadn't encountered before was that he served from markedly different locations along the baseline. Sometimes from the doubles alley, sometimes near the center.

I remember some drill class pro telling me long ago that people who do this are tipping their hand, and I should adjust my starting position to match the servers. So if the server's in the middle, I should be closer to the middle. If the server's near the alley, I should be closer to the alley.

This didn't work. He was able to ace me out wide from the center, and he was able to nail the middle from out wide.

What's up with that? How should I deal with this in the future?

It was weird. I always thought the server should pick a position and stay with it to avoid indicating where the serve will go. When I watch the pros, they stick a serving position and stay with it.

the server's position at the baseline shouldn't be taken into account unless it's a player with a low level of tennis whose only way to place his serve is by changing his position at the baseline.

personally, i can put my serve where i want from any position at the baseline.
i would sometime change my position if i'm facing a less experienced player to give him false information. thus, tricking him the same you were.

i can tell you are very observative so here's my advice for you:
next time don't pay much attention to the server's position at the baseline. instead:
1- read his body language to anticipate the direction of the serve,
2- read his toss or the grip he's using to determine what serve he's gonna use (kick, slice, flat)
3- get familiar with his serve tendencies, if he likes to serve on the T when on the ad-court for instance.
4- is your opponent left handed, if so, watch out for his slice serve in the ad-court