Occasionally I will play doubles in friendly matches where at least one guy is a 4.0 or 4.5ish player. What I notice is that these guys usually have a fast first serve and pretty spinny but still reasonably fast second serve. what I also notice is that these guys will double-fault excessively when I'm playing with them. I'm wondering if this is because its a friendly match and they don't care how they perform, or if they would play this way in a competitive match because you have to go all out on serves against 4.0-4.5 players? One of my pet peeves is excessive double faulting in doubles because it is annoying to the partner and is preventable if you simply do away with your first serve on days that nothing is going in.
4.0-4.5 players double faulting excessively
- Thread starter raiden031
- Start date
Supernatural_Serve
Professional
They need to take 10-20% off the 1st serve and give their partner a chance to help them. But, they can't get their ego out of the way.
Some even have the nerve to say they are serving more aggressively because their partner needs support. I occasionally play with a guy like that, he finally gets one of his 1st serve bombs in, charges the net, and slams a weak cross court return into the net, so he compounds the problem.
I will occasionally say some encouraging things, but too often they're in their own serving drama immune from helping themselves.
I think we all get irritated playing doubles with people who don't understand the importance of holding serve, letting their partner help them, and how a double fault or 2 really undermines that obejctive as the self inflicted pressure on the server mounts.
Some even have the nerve to say they are serving more aggressively because their partner needs support. I occasionally play with a guy like that, he finally gets one of his 1st serve bombs in, charges the net, and slams a weak cross court return into the net, so he compounds the problem.
I will occasionally say some encouraging things, but too often they're in their own serving drama immune from helping themselves.
I think we all get irritated playing doubles with people who don't understand the importance of holding serve, letting their partner help them, and how a double fault or 2 really undermines that obejctive as the self inflicted pressure on the server mounts.
fuzz nation
G.O.A.T.
Double faulting is pretty much the cardinal sin of doubles. The first serve heater should only be used on occasion to keep opponents honest, especially if the server can hit a hell raising spinner with placement. When egos get flying, all you can probably do is suggest that first serve kicker, but try to avoid a lecture in the middle of the match.
If they are really a high 4.0 or a 4.5, they shouldn't be doublefaulting much. Everyone can have a terrible day once in a while, but it it happens a few times, they aren't that good. If they really are a 4.5 or so, they might be hitting some serve they aren't good at yet in order to practice it, which is rude to the other players watching them double-fault. Or maybe, as Supernatural said, they are going for too much because they believe their partner is hopeless. A 4.0 or 4.5 should realize what is happening and adjust, though.
Richie Rich
Legend
you got it. when i play doubs i serve the first serve in between normal first and second serve speed. i rarely have to serve a second serve.
one of the guys though goes for both serves and doesn't understand why he is double faulting twice per game :sad:
WildVolley
Legend
This totally describes my serve. I'm working on getting a kicking second serve so I keep the racquet head speed up. When it works it is great, but I'm still having too many double-faults. I need to put in more practice and learn the timing with a slightly slower swing speed.
Cindysphinx
G.O.A.T.
I dunno.
When I played with the Superhero in 7.0 mixed, he doubled quite a lot. It didn't matter, though. He got enough of them in, and when he did, they didn't come back. He never got broken. Not even close.
So I ask: Does the guy hold his serve or not?
When I played with the Superhero in 7.0 mixed, he doubled quite a lot. It didn't matter, though. He got enough of them in, and when he did, they didn't come back. He never got broken. Not even close.
So I ask: Does the guy hold his serve or not?
Bud
Bionic Poster
LOL! funny that you say this. I played a doubles match today and my partner and I were up 4 games at one point. Well, all of a sudden the partner couldn't return a simple serve. Then he double faulted 3 times in his next two service games. The other team won the set in a tiebreaker. There's nothing worse than watching a set being thrown away by this type of play.
SalParadise17
New User
I said this a couple of days ago too but I can not serve in doubles. I have some kind of mental block about it. Of course, I just flat out hate doubles, but still. Anyways, I doubt this is a common thing, but just thought I'd suggest it.
Sal
Sal
I can think of 3 guys I've played with that do this. It is true that if their serve goes in its difficult to return, but they've double faulted sometimes 3-4 times in a row and even lost service games.
Raiden,
It could be one of a few things.
1) They're just being very casual and going for more on their serves than they'd do in a serious match.
2) If you're lower rated than them they might think think they have to go for more on their serve to win the point (a very common scenario).
3) If you're higher rated than them they might be trying to impress
4) They've got a lot less control and spin on their second serve than you think.
It could be one of a few things.
1) They're just being very casual and going for more on their serves than they'd do in a serious match.
2) If you're lower rated than them they might think think they have to go for more on their serve to win the point (a very common scenario).
3) If you're higher rated than them they might be trying to impress
4) They've got a lot less control and spin on their second serve than you think.
Well from my experience, its always been doubles scenarios where 3 guys who are 3.0-3.5 and then the one guy who is 4.0-4.5. So I don't think the 4.0-4.5 guy should feel that he has to win on his serve alone. I can see that maybe he's just playing recklessly for fun or wants to work on strengthening his second serves at the expense of double faulting. Since I haven't seen them compete against players at their own level, I can't comment on #4, but I feel like if they have that little control on their serves then they shouldn't be able to compete at that level.
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