Does doubles get respect in your area?

Which format is more highly rated in your area?

  • Singles is the superior format

    Votes: 3 12.5%

  • Doubles is the superior format

    Votes: 11 45.8%

  • Both are equally respected

    Votes: 10 41.7%
  • Total voters
    24
Cashman

Cashman

Hall of Fame
I have recently joined a new club, and there is a bit of an attitude amongst the better players that "serious doubles is for people who can't play singles".

Whilst I generally prefer singles, I find it is hard to beat a really high-quality doubles match with a really good partner (although admittedly, it is a bit of a girl-with-a-curl thing). I do wonder if my preference for net-play in singles means that I rate doubles more than most.

If you're a singles player, do you place equal importance on doubles or do you see it as a lesser discipline? If you're a doubles specialist, do you feel like singles players look down on you?
 
OnTheLine

OnTheLine

Hall of Fame
Around here I would say both are equally respected. A really good doubles player is in high demand for the best teams (there are 3 lines of doubles and only 2 of singles) and many doubles specialists will not choose to even play a match with a singles player as it so often becomes a disaster.

Only here on this board have I seen people dismissing one or the other .... mostly singles players dismissing doubles players.

That is unfortunate. They are both wonderful forms of playing and require different skills to be any good at either.
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
Never heard of this girl-with-a-curl thing so had to google (and I know the rest of you also didn't know what it meant so don't try to con me):

There was a little girl
BY HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW
There was a little girl,
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very good indeed,
But when she was bad she was horrid.
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
Doubles is looked down upon in clubs. Reason is pretty simple. Doubles requires skills like court sense and quickness and lob skills but in rec play, doubles players with these skills often have such bad technique that they are a pain to watch. Because of their bad technique, they collapse in singles games. That is why they don't deserve respect. Pro doubles players add doubles skills to solid technique so it is a different world. Many rec players have evolved to possess doubles skills due to their lack of technique and inability to play singles.
 
Cindysphinx

Cindysphinx

G.O.A.T.
Cashman said:
If you're a singles player, do you place equal importance on doubles or do you see it as a lesser discipline? If you're a doubles specialist, do you feel like singles players look down on you?
Click to expand...
Doubles players will definitely look down on you if you cannot execute a lob volley.
 
Cashman

Cashman

Hall of Fame
OnTheLine said:
A really good doubles player is in high demand for the best teams (there are 3 lines of doubles and only 2 of singles)
Click to expand...
This is a really interesting point. Our mixed-format competitions are mostly set up in a psuedo-DC format for pairs (2x singles, 1x doubles, 2x reverse singles).

Cindysphinx said:
Doubles players will definitely look down on you if you cannot execute a lob volley.
Click to expand...
Sorry I should have clarified - I am talking higher-level play (not seniors).
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
I insist on playing singles at least once per every 2 doubles sessions and have become the object of envy among old farts because of that who threaten to boycott me. But hey I tell them I don't want to become like them, doing half the work and chatting during changeovers.
 
Dartagnan64

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
Doubles is what us 50+ guys play mostly. Singles is what the 18-50 year olds play mostly.

It’s all about the amount of tread on the tires.
 
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OnTheLine

OnTheLine

Hall of Fame
Cindysphinx said:
Doubles players will definitely look down on you if you cannot execute a lob volley.
Click to expand...

Wow! too funny, this shot has got into your head! .... You have to watch the women's masters expo match at Wimby ... Navratalova executed the most perfect lob volley ..... I screamed Cindy! at the television .... my daughter looked at me like I was nuts.

Edited to add: I still don't find this a shot that I would be willing to work at all to have ;)
 
Last edited:
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Cindysphinx

Cindysphinx

G.O.A.T.
OnTheLine said:
Wow! too funny, this shot has got into your head! .... You have to watch the women's masters expo match at Wimby ... Navratalova executed the most perfect lob volley ..... I screamed Cindy! at the television .... my daughter looked at me like I was nuts.

Edited to add: I still don't find this a shot that I would be willing to work at all to have ;)
Click to expand...
Hijack: you know the very best thing about the lob volley?

The Fear Factor. Half the time it’s an accident, but you can see a cold chill run through through their veins as they huddle and whisper, “Whoa. Becky, maybe we’d better not come in.”

Cashman,

I think singles players look down on doubles players, for sure. This continues until the singles players get old or injured.

Then the singles players bring those jank arse volleys to doubles, and the doubles players look down on them.

But the singles players never know it because we doubles players are scowling behind them when the boot yet another shoulder high volley from their alley-camping position.
 
OnTheLine

OnTheLine

Hall of Fame
Dartagnan64 said:
Young people enjoy singles more. Once you lose your wheels, singles becomes a stupid game.

I actually prefer doubles for the team aspect. I get more satisfaction from a team win than a singles win.
Click to expand...

I really enjoy them both equally for different reasons ... and I'm over 50
 
T

tennis tom

Legend
Glad you young'ens won't have to face the ravages of time getting old, since according to AOC, the world is ending in 12 years due to global warming.
 
M

Matthew ATX

Semi-Pro
Both are respected here. What I find is that while everyone respects singles, much fewer people actually want to play it, haha. All of my teams that require singles lines are always short singles players.
 
P

ptuanminh

Hall of Fame
In my area, we dont have enough players to fill teams, so only 2 double courts and 1 single court. the best players will be on double teams.
 
ChaelAZ

ChaelAZ

G.O.A.T.
I don't think it is a respect issue in Arizona. It is simply that most players have aged and don't WANT to play singles anymore, save a few of us. So it is respected and played by some very competent players who just don't wanna run so much.
 
ttbrowne

ttbrowne

Hall of Fame
Our area loves dubs so much we'd love to see USTA league go to a 1 singles 4 doubles format.
We can hope.
 
Moveforwardalways

Moveforwardalways

Hall of Fame
Doubles is strongly preferred where I am. In fact, it is often tough to find singles players for USTA teams. New guys on the team are usually forced to play singles because the more established players start saying they will only play doubles. Even more laughable, some guys start calling themselves “doubles specialists”. If you find a player who prefers singles and can also win at singles, that guy gets the red carpet and treated like royalty because these types are so rare. But inevitably, after 2 seasons, that guy leverages it into playing more doubles, and then becomes a “doubles specialist”. And then captains are back to scouring the local area for the next hungry singles player. There is a reason that USTA matches are 3 doubles and 2 singles, but not 3 singles and 2 doubles.
 
P

Pro Kenneth

Rookie
Will the Usta get rid of the singles lines altogether? It seems that ladders or tournaments are more suited to singles ... Nobody ever wants to play singles in a league, most people aren't in good shape and young, and don't want all the responsibility of a match line themselves. My local public league got rid of the singles lines years ago: nobody wants them.
 
D

Daniel Andrade

Hall of Fame
I'd love doubles more if I would find a consistent partner to play with.

It sucks to play doubles with a different person everytime, at least in singles I know all members of my team ;)
 
Dartagnan64

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
Moveforwardalways said:
Even more laughable, some guys start calling themselves “doubles specialists”.
Click to expand...

I resemble that remark. I'm definitely more adept at doubles tennis. But knee issues have really slowed my speed and change of direction. Too many years of skiing and snowboarding have trashed them. I'm like LeeD these days without the 100 mph serve.
 
Moveforwardalways

Moveforwardalways

Hall of Fame
Pro Kenneth said:
Will the Usta get rid of the singles lines altogether?
Click to expand...

It is already gone in 55+ leagues. I bet it goes away in 40+ leagues at some point.

It won’t go away in 18+ leagues as long as you can grab a guy from the local college team and show him how to answer the USTA questions to self rate at 4.0.
 
P

Pro Kenneth

Rookie
Interesting. Seems pointless to have singles in rec adult leagues, doubles is really the rec tennis, and singles for juniors and professionals. My guess is USTA keeps singles to make the leagues seem more legit, but playing singles on a "team" seems to have a tinge of silliness, it's just you playing by yourself and not even allowed coaching. Makes as much sense as a team of solitaire card players.
 
J

J B

Semi-Pro
Dartagnan64 said:
Young people enjoy singles more. Once you lose your wheels, singles becomes a stupid game.

I actually prefer doubles for the team aspect. I get more satisfaction from a team win than a singles win.
Click to expand...

Or you just start hooking like most of the senior guys in the ladders I have played. If your foot is touching the baseline and the ball lands courtside of your foot it cannot be out but they will call it out.
 
Dartagnan64

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
J B said:
Or you just start hooking like most of the senior guys in the ladders I have played. If your foot is touching the baseline and the ball lands courtside of your foot it cannot be out but they will call it out.
Click to expand...

They also are the most recalcitrant foot faulters, sometimes taking 2 steps into the court. And yet pump their fist if they get a service winner or ace.
 
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C

Cawlin

Semi-Pro
I live in ALTA country - Atlanta, GA suburbs. We have a strong presence of USTA as well down here, but I would be surprised if regionally, USTA players outnumbered ALTA players... and ALTA is all doubles that I am aware of... so while it's a ton of 2.5 to 4.0 rec hacks like myself, yeah, dubs is respected. I think the only players that have any disdain for dubs are the singles only players, but I also suspect that they have a harder time finding people to play with because so many folks are Weekend ALTA (dubs) Warriors... I have never heard any dubs players speak with disdain of singles though.
 
C

Cawlin

Semi-Pro
OnTheLine said:
LOL only if they are forced to play dubs with the singles player as their partner .... oh what a long day that is!
Click to expand...
OK fair point - I don't really play USTA matches though, so this is likely why I haven't heard such complaints.

Since you mentioned TKD above, perhaps this analogy will make sense to you (I played club judo for a few semesters in college for a lark) - this sounds to me like the judo players who face off against a former HS or college wrestler and use that as the excuse why the guy whipped them. "Of course he choked me out, he was a district level wrestler in high school!"
 
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norcal

norcal

Legend
Our 18+ local league still has a strong singles presence (3 singles, 2 Dubs) but the senior divisions are doubles only.

I think I am typical of tennis players: When I was younger I played all singles and hated doubles because 1. couldn't volley, bad doubles strategy, 2. Was young, fast and wanted to gets lots of hitting/running in, 3. couldn't volley lol

Now that I'm older (54) I play both equally and have developed into a really good doubles player with very good volleys and pretty good strategy. I will play singles for as long as I can still move well but I have grown to love doubles. Wish I had embraced it earlier as it has made me a much better singles player as well.

Also love dubs cause it's more social and allows more fun/trash talking!
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
norcal said:
Also love dubs cause it's more social and allows more fun/trash talking!
Click to expand...

But that is also the reason I don't like the senior citizen doubles circuit. I recently heard a fat 3.5 player say that Sloane Stephens will never be a top player because she only has a forehand. I really don't feel like listening to this.
 
Dartagnan64

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
sureshs said:
But that is also the reason I don't like the senior citizen doubles circuit. I recently heard a fat 3.5 player say that Sloane Stephens will never be a top player because she only has a forehand. I really don't feel like listening to this.
Click to expand...

What does being a fat 3.5 have to do with criticizing a pro for a perceived weakness? I know very little about Sloane Stephens but maybe she does have a weak BH and serve, for a pro. Are you her uncle?

We've got a whole forum of posters that probably don't even play tennis criticizing Nadal and Federer constantly. The senior citizen's doubles circuit has nothing on the GPPD forum.
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
Dartagnan64 said:
What does being a fat 3.5 have to do with criticizing a pro for a perceived weakness? I know very little about Sloane Stephens but maybe she does have a weak BH and serve, for a pro. Are you her uncle?

We've got a whole forum of posters that probably don't even play tennis criticizing Nadal and Federer constantly. The senior citizen's doubles circuit has nothing on the GPPD forum.
Click to expand...

Sloane doesn't have a weak BH and serve, that is the problem.

When Federer had only a weak slice BH, I used to point it out. So the criticism should be correct.

And of course when they argue passionately about the new frame that a pro is using without knowing he is using the same old one with a paintjob, I can't stand it.
 
Cashman

Cashman

Hall of Fame
sureshs said:
But that is also the reason I don't like the senior citizen doubles circuit. I recently heard a fat 3.5 player say that Sloane Stephens will never be a top player because she only has a forehand. I really don't feel like listening to this.
Click to expand...
Dude, I have seen you trash plenty of pro players - and from your videos, that physical description isn't totally dissimilar to yourself.
 
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