Coaxing a 2.5 Doubles Partner to the Net

[Cindysphinx]

I'm playing 5.5 combo doubles. Our doubles teams consist of 2.5s playing with 3.0s.

After each match, the players give each other virtual high-fives and compare notes via e-mail on what worked and what didn't. After the last match, one of the 3.0 players commented that the match had gone well and they had won 6-2, 6-2. She said she and her partner needed to work on getting to the net, though.

Her 2.5 partner replied observing that the match had gone well. She said she "always plays to win." She said she practices coming to net in practice, but she doesn't like to try anything new in the matches. She said she tried coming in on two points during the match but lost both points. She said it is not worthwhile to take such chances during real matches.

So. What should I tell my players about this? My own feeling is that the most important thing in 2.5 and 3.0 is to try to improve, and you'll never own a shot until you try it in matches. Then again, my 2.5 players have their plates quite full just doing whatever it is they already know how to do.

What would be a sensible response? I was thinking of recommending that she pick one easy method of getting to net (say, following in good shots/ successful lobs). During the match, she'll try to come in each time her team has hit a wicked good shot that puts the other team off balance.

I don't feel it is productive to demand that novice players do things they can't do and hit shots they don't have. Yet I hate to see all of the 2.5 players adopt "I'll just park myself here at the baseline" approach to doubles.

And what is the best way to get to net in doubles if your skill set is only 2.5, anyway?

 

[cghipp]

If you're a 2.5, you likely do not have the volleying and overhead skills to do well at net. Of course, maybe your opponents don't have the lobbing skills to take advantage of that. I would recommend working on getting to net quite a bit in practice before pushing the players to do it in a match.

 

[dannyboy7]

My advice would be to pick the right ball to come to the net on.

We have a drill where you have to shout out (in practise out loud, eventually in your head) deep, middle or short just after your opponent has hit the ball. (Before it has come over the net, ideally).

This makes you think about the depth of the opponenets shot and your shot back to them.

Feels odd to shout it out but we were all doing it! (Group coaching)

Then adjust the call to defend (deep), rally (middle) and attack (short).

Makes sense to come to the net on the short ball (i.e. attack it and come to the net)

 

[kevhen]

I play with 4.5 level baseliners (#1 singles guys who played for rated D3 schools) and some of them like to camp out on the baseline in 1 up 1 back rallies and are successful that way because they are great baseliners.

I play alot of 2 back myself when returning serve at the 4.0 level. I will come to net when I can hit a slice approach shot but otherwise am comfortable at the baseline and can win points there with consistency, spins, lobs, hard passing shots, etc. Not everybody likes coming to net and not everyone plays winning tennis from the net.

If she feels more comfortable at the baseline then let her play there. Good baseline play is better than bad net play. You should never rush yourself to get to net especially if you keep losing points on your way there. She was playing smart and not committing tennis suicide of sticking to a losing strategy.

Venus and Serena won doubles matches while playing one up and one back. It wasn't pretty looking doubles but it worked for them because they had better groundstrokes than vollies, especially Serena.

 

[LuckyR]

I think you're on the right track, trying to encourage your teammates to play better classic doubles. It doesn't sound like they are likely to have their baseline games confused with the Williams sisters anytime soon, so I would not use their limitted success in doubles as their goal.

To me the easiest approach tactic is the serve. And if their serves are like a lot of 2.5s they aren't exactly 100+ MPH, which is a good thing, since slower spin serves give the server more time to get to the net and the kick of a slice or kick serve will often catch a 2.5 or even 3.0 off guard if they are distracted looking at the server rushing the net. This may lead to some easy points which are good for the confidence angle.

Once you get them to S&V all of the time, the only time they will play one up and one back will be returning. I would say that powderpuff second serves would be my next thing to work on. They don't have to hit it hard, or place it as a winner. You are usually better off hitting weak serves by stepping WAY into the court anyway, it is just a step or two to get into first volley position.

 

[kevhen]

Why do people still believe you have to play classic doubles in this new era of baseliners with closed racquet faces and heavy hard topspin? Even at the 3.0 level, it's easier to play baseline than net with the HH racquets generating more power from the baseline and being less wieldy at net. I guess old habits die hard but the game is changing and you don't have to die by a losing strategy unless you prefer to.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

I would say that 90% of a beginners aversion to net play is psychological.

In many ways the volley is the simpelest shot you can make. You are close to the net. You have the whole court open to you. The volley is a basic/simple motion.

Consider having them borrow their kid's baseball gloves and have them play catch across the net and gradually get closer and closer to show them that the volley is, basically, not much harder than catching a ball.

You have mentioned, before, their aversion to drills. But, really, that's what they need. Prizes for most improved???

 

[LuckyR]

Why do people still believe you have to play classic doubles in this new era of baseliners with closed racquet faces and heavy hard topspin? Even at the 3.0 level, it's easier to play baseline than net with the HH racquets generating more power from the baseline and being less wieldy at net. I guess old habits die hard but the game is changing and you don't have to die by a losing strategy unless you prefer to.

Good point! Modern doubles should be all four players back at the baseline, topspinning their hearts out!

 

[Cindysphinx]

Thanks, all!

That's an interesting thought, kevhen, about whether it is necessary to come to net. I think you have a point at high-end doubles, perhaps. I don't know; I'm not high-end!

I tend to agree with Bagumbawallah, though, that 2.5s and 3.0s greatly overestimate the difficulty of a volley. I mean, really now. Step and punch. You can block it back, even. Hit to the net person, hit deep, hit an angle. Anything will do. It's all good.

A groundstroke, though. There are a zillion things that can go wrong. Failure to turn shoulders, hitting off the back foot, taking the ball late, failure to finish high, failure to run to the bounce of the ball, accidently hitting to the net person, not to mention the hideous spectacle of a 2.5 or 3.0 backhand. :shock:

Do you really think the serve and volley is the best first step, though? I think the service return + stepping forward to service line is easier to learn.

I think what my players really fear is the mid-court game. Heck, I fear it too!

 

[kevhen]

I played doubles with 4 very good baseliners last night and it was funny how at times we were playing 4 back which was weird. Since one guy didn't have much of a second serve (he is strong 3.5), his partner was moving back to the baseline so after a couple points like that I finally moved all the way forward and took the net. You do want to control the net, but you shouldn't be in such a rush to get there that you make errors on the way. It's ok to be patient at the baseline and wait for a better shot to move in on.

 

[kevhen]

But you have more time and a much slower ball to hit your baseline shot with. The volley comes fast in the air and you have to hit it dead center or your racquet will twist and you don't have much time to think or move your feet and it's hard to hit a volley with more than one hand so you have less control and power. Groundstrokes are easier than vollies unless you spend most of your time practicing vollies which most people don't do.

 

[Defcon]

Its interesting to note that the best women doubles players in the world (unless your first name happens to be Martina) all play from the baseline now! There is virtually no serve and volley.

And while the volley may be technically simple, it requires a LOT of practice, timing and positioning to master, so I wouldn't call it easy. You should encourage your partner to practice net play in practice, that way she won't feel like she's experimenting in matches.

 

[Trinity TC]

I think the service return + stepping forward to service line is easier to learn.

I think what my players really fear is the mid-court game. Heck, I fear it too!

Yes. Moving to the net after returning serve is the easier way of getting the hang of playing the net.

Mastering the mid-court game is what separates the greats from the also rans. Tennis instruction has demonized "no man's land" but a lot of the greats from Sedgeman to Agassi weren't shy about playing shots from that position.

 

[Swissv2]

I am fortunate to play with 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, and 9.0 (combo) - doubles players (from a local tennis club) as well as D1 College players who do doubles practice, so I have seen what works and what doesn't.

In your case, Cindy, you need to have your player come to the net at a higher percentage if not all the time. She is defeating the purpose of "playing to win" if other teams can exploit her net game. The only good she will have is her baseline game!

Tell her to come to the net twice as often as she feels comfortable doing. Even in matches. The score can be deceiving. Are the points made off of her winners, or the other team's errors?

She is doing her partner a disservice if her partner makes an observation that would make them more comfortable playing with her - because she thinks that she only has to worry about her own game to win the match. This is a two player game, not one player.