Standing Near Tee While Partner Receives

I have had a few opponents stand very close (<12") to the Tee when their partner is receiving while I serve. I assume they are doing this in hopes of discouraging me from serving down the middle?
I don't let this stop me and sometimes get funny looks, especially if I miss and they have to move quickly.
What are people's opinions on this?

Captain Ron said:

I have had a few opponents stand very close (<12") to the Tee when their partner is receiving while I serve. I assume they are doing this in hopes of discouraging me from serving down the middle?
I don't let this stop me and sometimes get funny looks, especially if I miss and they have to move quickly.
What are people's opinions on this?

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Improve your aim.

beernutz said:

Improve your aim.

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Yes, but to keep the serve in the box or tag the non-receiver?
Either way my point? :twisted:

They are NOT standing there to discourage you from serving up the T. Close to the T is the normal place to stand for the returner's partner. If the returner hits a poor return and the net player poaches, they will be covering the middle. If they stand further away, the net player will have an easy put-away up the middle. Occasionally your serve will come close to hitting them, but that's just a normal part of the game. Just say "my bad" and keep playing. Don't purposely try to tag them, it is poor sportsmanship, will pi$$ them off, and they will probably retaliate on their own serve.

Captain Ron said:

Yes, but to keep the serve in the box or tag the non-receiver?
Either way my point? :twisted:

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I can remember intentionally tagging only two non-receivers with a serve so I am no expert but my advice is not to try and hit them on the fly but rather do it off the bounce. The ball is traveling faster off the fly than after the bounce but the bounce causes the non-receiver to be slow to react and get out of the way. That conclusion is based on a sample size of 2 so YMMV.

I don't care where the non-receiver stands as the rules state they can stand anywhere they want even in the service box. But just because they can do it doesn't mean they should.

I know few few players who will try to intimidate the server by crowding the T or even standing in the service box and throw in a lot of body movement for good measure just to make sure the server notices them. One player at my club is well known for this and probably crosses the line of moving around the T with the only intent being to distract the server. I will never forget the day I nailed him with a well placed serve.

So improving your aim is good advice whether or not you're trying to hit the non-receiver.

I don't mind if you stand there .... I have hit 4 or 5 of the returners partners over the last 5 years. Mostly because if you are going stand there this will limit the returners available angles ... and more importantly I like to serve the T and will not be intimidated by you standing there.

Also,

I will often crowd the T in mixed when the woman is serving. Because often she will be intimidated and avoid the T and give my partner forehands. I do not do it so much with men for the reasons stated above.

It's a visual barrier. Doesn't matter to some people. But it really messes with others.

I've played some old timers that like to stand there and tap their racquets on the court, shuffle their feet loudly during the serve, or swing the racquet back and forth through the service box.

Whatevs. Doesn't bother me at all.

And yes, as others have mentioned - it's about where you want to be to cover the middle of the court in case the opposing net player poaches.

Doubles Positioning - Receivers Partner

TeamOB said:

Close to the T is the normal place to stand for the returner's partner. If the returner hits a poor return and the net player poaches, they will be covering the middle.

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An interesting analysis. I've always thought of it a little different, like this: a doubles team can normally cover only 2/3 of the angles. Left, middle, and right for want of a better description. Yes, you've taken away the middle, and probably forced the returner to hit it more towards the net man than he'd like. Why more towards the net man? Well, the receivers partner (let's say the receiver in in the ad court) is standing in the middle and the serve goes down the T, then the receiver has an object (his partner!) blocking a return shot to the ad side. Egro, it has to go more towards the net man, who can then volley wide since the receivers partner is covering the middle. For this reason, when I'm receiving, I don't like my partner too close to the T. It takes away my angles for the return!
That said, I know a lot of people like standing near the T, so I wonder if I'm missing something..?

Zolar said:

...and the serve goes down the T, then the receiver has an object (his partner!) blocking a return shot to the ad side. Egro, it has to go more towards the net man, who can then volley wide since the receivers partner is covering the middle. For this reason, when I'm receiving, I don't like my partner too close to the T. It takes away my angles for the return!
That said, I know a lot of people like standing near the T, so I wonder if I'm missing something..?

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That is a valid concern, but that is one of the many reasons that the net player needs to be active. You never just stand there, planted like a tree. As soon as the serve is hit you're shifting forward and away from the middle slightly. If the serve comes down the T, you move away more quickly to avoid cutting down your partner's angles on the return, but not so much as to open up the middle completely.

There is a difference between covering angles and standing there moving around trying to draw a double fault. Sometimes it is gamesmanship and sometimes it is good positioning.

One can tell the difference when playing. If the person is standing right on top of the T and moving around to distract, that is gamesmanship. If they are a foot away in a ready position, then that is just court positioning.

It is like the Supreme Court justice's definition of porn. I may not have an exact definition of porn but I know it when I see it.

A smart server, if he has the serves, will hit that center line and bounce the ball behind the netperson, so the angle of possible returns is cut off by the body of the netperson standing atop the T.

dizzlmcwizzl said:

I don't mind if you stand there .... I have hit 4 or 5 of the returners partners over the last 5 years. Mostly because if you are going stand there this will limit the returners available angles ... and more importantly I like to serve the T and will not be intimidated by you standing there.

Also,

I will often crowd the T in mixed when the woman is serving. Because often she will be intimidated and avoid the T and give my partner forehands. I do not do it so much with men for the reasons stated above.

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You start at the T. You do not stand at the T.

If the serve comes up the middle, you have to move immediately toward your alley to get out of your partner's way.

If the serve is out wide, you won't block your partner from that position near the T.

It is frustrating to partner with people who do not understand that they should be near the T when I am receiving, cutting off the easy poach up the middle. If receiver's partner isn't cutting off the easiest poaching target, what exactly is she accomplishing?

People on the T during a serve?

Cannon Fodder

Captain Ron said:

I assume they are doing this in hopes of discouraging me from serving down the middle?

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If I see someone standing at the T as a form of gamesmanship, a hard flat serve up the T is an automatic. There are a lot of people who line up near the T as a strategic decision (see Cindy's post for the best explanation of this...), and there are some who do it as gamesmanship. It's usually easy to tell the difference.

It is okay to stand near the T; however, if you do, I will take it as an invitation to head hunt during my partners service game.

I usually serve a hard slice right down the middle - the kind that looks like it's going to hit him in the gut but swerves to one side and curves into his partner's (the receiver's) body when it bounces. That way, if he manages to avoid being drilled by my serve, the ball will still go in and play continues.



And he can't legitimately complain that I was aiming for him.




I know. I'm evil.

Captain Ron said:

I have had a few opponents stand very close (<12") to the Tee when their partner is receiving while I serve. I assume they are doing this in hopes of discouraging me from serving down the middle?
I don't let this stop me and sometimes get funny looks, especially if I miss and they have to move quickly.
What are people's opinions on this?

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Depends on what I'm playing. If it's mixed, it doesn't really bother me and I'll still hit balls up the T without aiming at the player. If it's a men's match, the first time I get up 40-0 or 40-15 on a service game, I'll hit my first serve as hard as I can right at the player's feet.

My slice serve up the middle is a solid weapon for me, as it often causes right-handed returners to overrun the ball thinking it's my kick serve up the middle. However, to effectively hit that serve in doubles, I have to curve it in over a significant portion of the ad side service box. If a guy is standing right on the middle service line, he's in that ball path, and I need to move him off that sight line.

I rarely see guys crowd the T, though. Most of the time, they're quick enough that they can stand a couple of steps off that service line and still close into the T by the time their partner returns to the net man. This is especially true if the returner flubs the return because it's moving so slow.

MisterP said:

That is a valid concern, but that is one of the many reasons that the net player needs to be active. You never just stand there, planted like a tree. As soon as the serve is hit you're shifting forward and away from the middle slightly. If the serve comes down the T, you move away more quickly to avoid cutting down your partner's angles on the return, but not so much as to open up the middle completely.

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So, what was gained by standing near the T, if I"m going to move out of the way anyway? I would think stand normal, maybe 5' off the T, then watch the net man to see where the next play is.

10sGrinder said:

So, what was gained by standing near the T, if I"m going to move out of the way anyway? I would think stand normal, maybe 5' off the T, then watch the net man to see where the next play is.

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I like to start at the T because it creates a visual barrier to the server during the serve. And starting from that point allows me to shift forward during my partners return without a) getting too close to the net b) opening up the middle of the court.

If you start 5 feet off the T, when you shift forward during your partner's return, you are opening up a bigger hole in the middle of the court. The only time I don't stand close to the T is if I'm facing a really big server, and I am worried about 1) being too close to be able to make a good line call on the service line 2) being too close to get out of the way in time if he hits it at me

TeamOB said:

They are NOT standing there to discourage you from serving up the T. Close to the T is the normal place to stand for the returner's partner. If the returner hits a poor return and the net player poaches, they will be covering the middle. If they stand further away, the net player will have an easy put-away up the middle. Occasionally your serve will come close to hitting them, but that's just a normal part of the game. Just say "my bad" and keep playing. Don't purposely try to tag them, it is poor sportsmanship, will pi$$ them off, and they will probably retaliate on their own serve.

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Cindysphinx said:

You start at the T. You do not stand at the T.

If the serve comes up the middle, you have to move immediately toward your alley to get out of your partner's way.

If the serve is out wide, you won't block your partner from that position near the T.

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+1 , +1

Funny story... I was watching a lower level match (Ladies 2.5 I believe) and the net person who was standing near the T poached the serve. But that wasn't the funny part... They played out the game like it was perfectly OK/Legal.

The receiver's partner should not crowd the "T" excessively.

However, he/she should be about a foot or two or three down the service line from the "T". Perhaps a foot or so back from the service line. My usual position is for my lead foot to just be touching the service line.

First responsibility - help on the service line call. watch the net man out of your peripheral vision.

The instant you know the serve is good, immediately turn your focus to the net man. He is your sole responsibility right now. You at this point are a Yankee shortstop. Knees bent, elbows in front and this is the one time it might not be a bad idea for your ready position to be racket lower than normal volley position (makes 1/2 volleys easier and less likely to pop up). If the net man gets to (cuts off) the return, your job is to keep the point going by reflexing a half volley or volley back in play. If your partner tries an alley shot on the return and the net man gets to it, one of the most likely plays is a short volley dropped over the net in the far alley. (The sharply angle volley than parallels the net is far less likely) Part of your responsibility is to scramble over and get that shot. If your partner's down the line return is so weak and slow that the net man can crush it on that super sharp cross court angle or can whack a volley at your feet that you cat handle, the problem is not your positioning and/or skills, it is your partner.

IF the return is not going to be cut off by the net man (You see he is not moving to the ball, placement of the serve and resultant return makes it extremely unlikely that he is going to be able to cross and cut it off, receiver can and does hit a sharply angled low return (KEEP THAT PARTNER!!!) or the like, then you go to step 3.

Step 3, it is extremely difficult for server coming in to get all the way to the net and crack an offensive volley either down your alley or into the middle. So now you have the chance to make that quick transfer from defense (which you have been on) to offense, (which you want to be on) A 45 degree turn and diagonal hop (towards the net and towards "your" alley to position you more centrally in the service box on your side) to face the server's reply to the return. IF the server hits his first volley a little high, or right at you, you are in good position.

And THAT, my Ducks, is why you start near the "T", but not right on it. At least at rec level tennis!

It's completely okay to stand there and completely okay to serve down the T when they're standing there.

I'm not seeing the controversy. It's well within the rules.

If you stand near the T, and your partner returns wide angle CC, you will stand to be hit by his shot.
It's fine, but don't be surprised when you get hit.

LeeD said:

If you stand near the T, and your partner returns wide angle CC, you will stand to be hit by his shot.
It's fine, but don't be surprised when you get hit.

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yes if you stand there like a root. I stand here but as soon as the serve is hit, I'm moving diagonally toward the alley into the net. And as stated before, if the serve is out wide, you aren't crowding your partner anyway.

Sometimes if someone is having a tough time serving, I'll stand near the T, then on the following serve back way off to the doubles alley line. The sudden addition of space to hit to for the server can be disorienting to some.

TeamOB said:

They are NOT standing there to discourage you from serving up the T. Close to the T is the normal place to stand for the returner's partner. If the returner hits a poor return and the net player poaches, they will be covering the middle. If they stand further away, the net player will have an easy put-away up the middle. Occasionally your serve will come close to hitting them, but that's just a normal part of the game. Just say "my bad" and keep playing. Don't purposely try to tag them, it is poor sportsmanship, will pi$$ them off, and they will probably retaliate on their own serve.

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What you said and besides any person with some decent agility can dodge/jump out of the way off a serve if he sits on the T, at least at club level...

Bdarb said:

yes if you stand there like a root. I stand here but as soon as the serve is hit, I'm moving diagonally toward the alley into the net. And as stated before, if the serve is out wide, you aren't crowding your partner anyway.

Sometimes if someone is having a tough time serving, I'll stand near the T, then on the following serve back way off to the doubles alley line. The sudden addition of space to hit to for the server can be disorienting to some.

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And you should be always moving, basically up as the ball crosses the net, during the entire point and than down (plus diagonally) again...

Fintft said:

And you should be always moving, basically up as the ball crosses the net, during the entire point and than down (plus diagonally) again...

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it's certainly not a sedentary game