Doubles Shot Selection Questions

[Cindysphinx]

I have been playing on a 4.0 team, and we do practices where we do doubles drills. Two situations keep coming up, and the guy running the practices is telling me I'm exercising poor shot selection. Maybe I am, but if so I don't understand why.

Situation No. 1: I am receiving serve in the deuce court. If the serve pulls me wide (or if the opponent's subsequent shot lands in the doubles alley), I am being told that the correct shot is to take that ball DTL with my FH. My practice is to take that ball crosscourt, trying to get as much angle as I can and leave my opponent tangled in the net (or I will lob if I am in distress). I don't take my FH (or BH) DTL in doubles unless the net player is a threat to poach or the line is wide open due to a positioning error. I also worry that since I have been pulled wide, the net player will have a huge hole to volley into if she manages to cover my DTL shot. What is the right shot?

Situation No. 2: I am playing deuce court. Ball is lobbed deep to the ad court, so my partner and I switch and I run it down. I choose to lob it back. Should I lob DTL or crosscourt? I usually choose to lob it crosscourt because it feels like a more natural shot for me and because the diagonal is longer and gives me a more margin for error. I also like the idea of making the opposing deuce court player have to hit a running BH to retrieve the lob. I am being told that this is wrong, and I should take my lob DTL. The idea is that going crosscourt requires me to get it over the net player whereas the DTL shot does not (assuming the opposing deep player doesn't follow her lob into the net). Which is the right shot? Does the answer change if I am playing ad court instead of deuce court?

Cindy -- who has to admit that she doesn't think much about where her lobs go so long as they clear the net player, but thinking this may be a good time to start thinking

 

[ezylman]

Situation 1: If you can pull off going down the line, it is a better shot. If you don't think you can pull it off, lob down the line over the net person's head. It will give you time to get back into position.

Situation 2: Lob where you feel most comfortable. If both are playing the net, it might be different. I would lob it so that the slower player has to go fetch it. Overall, I share your viewpoint of just being happy it gets past the person at the net.

I hope that helps.

 

[SlapShot]

My .02

In situation 1, if you can as said above - if you can pull it down the line, I'd do that. That sharp angle to pull it CC is a low percentage shot, and you're better off (IMO) hitting a dipping ball DTL toward the net player's BH (if you're on the deuce side).

Situation 2 - I prefer to actually lob over the net player if possible if they're playing 1 up/1 back, or will definitely go DTL if they're both up. I find that it's easier to only have to change 1 trajectory (going from groundie to lob) rather than trying to redirect the ball crosscourt as well...

 

[skiracer55]

What he said...

Situation 1: If you can pull off going down the line, it is a better shot. If you don't think you can pull it off, lob down the line over the net person's head. It will give you time to get back into position.

Situation 2: Lob where you feel most comfortable. If both are playing the net, it might be different. I would lob it so that the slower player has to go fetch it. Overall, I share your viewpoint of just being happy it gets past the person at the net.

I hope that helps.

In situation 1, DTL is a high risk shot, and is easier to cover than the cross-court. The lob over the net person is probably the smartest...gives you time to get back in court, keeps it away from the netperson.

Situation 2, what he said. Lob where you're most comfortable, get it over the net person, and take it from there.

 

[Cindysphinx]

Hang on. In situation No. 1, should I be trying to hit a groundie DTL or not? It sounds like there is a difference of opinion . . . .

 

[UnforcedError]

The dangerous thing about serving out wide in doubles is it opens up all the angles. I don't see why hitting down the line is more correct then going cross court in this situation. On a normal return I will go down the line about 20% of the time and if I'm pulled out wide I think hitting down the line 50% is about right but I don't think that is the obvious play. As you noted you also get better cross court angles.

 

[Racer41c]

For me in sit #1, dtl is a low percentage shot. If it gets covered it can put you in bad court coverage, it I miss inside a foot then the net player hits a winner, If I hit it wide, in the net or long those are all ue's. Which leaves a small window of opportunity unless your really a ball basher.

Or like the posters above: 20% dtl 30% lob over the backhand and 50% cross court.

 

[blakesq]

If i get pulled out wide enough, I will go dtl, which is almost a misnomer. This is because my ball often will not even go over the net, but goes to the right (my right) of the net and net post,and behind the net guy. This is almost an impossible shot for the net guy to hit back, and the server is typically out of position to hit it back.

The shot you are talking about Cindy, is nice, but a lower percentage shot, since you have to contend with the net (if you are pulled out past the alley, you can actually go around the net with your DTL shot), and the server still has a chance at the ball, if the server is coming to the net.

I have been playing on a 4.0 team, and we do practices where we do doubles drills. Two situations keep coming up, and the guy running the practices is telling me I'm exercising poor shot selection. Maybe I am, but if so I don't understand why.

Situation No. 1: I am receiving serve in the deuce court. If the serve pulls me wide (or if the opponent's subsequent shot lands in the doubles alley), I am being told that the correct shot is to take that ball DTL with my FH. My practice is to take that ball crosscourt, trying to get as much angle as I can and leave my opponent tangled in the net (or I will lob if I am in distress). I don't take my FH (or BH) DTL in doubles unless the net player is a threat to poach or the line is wide open due to a positioning error. I also worry that since I have been pulled wide, the net player will have a huge hole to volley into if she manages to cover my DTL shot. What is the right shot?

Situation No. 2: I am playing deuce court. Ball is lobbed deep to the ad court, so my partner and I switch and I run it down. I choose to lob it back. Should I lob DTL or crosscourt? I usually choose to lob it crosscourt because it feels like a more natural shot for me and because the diagonal is longer and gives me a more margin for error. I also like the idea of making the opposing deuce court player have to hit a running BH to retrieve the lob. I am being told that this is wrong, and I should take my lob DTL. The idea is that going crosscourt requires me to get it over the net player whereas the DTL shot does not (assuming the opposing deep player doesn't follow her lob into the net). Which is the right shot? Does the answer change if I am playing ad court instead of deuce court?

Cindy -- who has to admit that she doesn't think much about where her lobs go so long as they clear the net player, but thinking this may be a good time to start thinking

 

[FloridaAG]

My guess is the difference of opinion has to do with people viewing the question differently as to how far wide you have been pulled - there comes a point where if you are wide enough - hitting the cross-court with sufficient angle to not get cut off by the net person becomes extremely hard - my guess is that is why you are being told to go DTL - I think it is a balance between who far wide you are pulled and decreasing returns you get on the cross-court return by position. Just my 2 cents

 

[hewittt]

you often hit around the net on serve returns?

 

[jrod]

If i get pulled out wide enough, I will go dtl, which is almost a misnomer. This is because my ball often will not even go over the net, but goes to the right (my right) of the net and net post,and behind the net guy. This is almost an impossible shot for the net guy to hit back, and the server is typically out of position to hit it back.

The shot you are talking about Cindy, is nice, but a lower percentage shot, since you have to contend with the net (if you are pulled out past the alley, you can actually go around the net with your DTL shot), and the server still has a chance at the ball, if the server is coming to the net.

Agree. The geometry and percentages favor going behind the net player ("DTL" if you will) when pulled wide by a good slice short in the box. It's not clear how wide you are getting pulled but at some point the geometry favors going behind the net player.

On the 2nd scenario, its a little unclear where your opponents are standing but its sounds as if one is back on the deuce side and the other is up. Lobbing crosscourt clearly gives you more court to hit into, but if you're lob is short your partner may not like you much afterwards. Lobbing DTL may be a better play if you can't hit your x-court lob consistently deep to the opposite corner (perhaps this is what your coach was suggesting?).

 

[skiracer55]

If you skip down further in this thread...

If i get pulled out wide enough, I will go dtl, which is almost a misnomer. This is because my ball often will not even go over the net, but goes to the right (my right) of the net and net post,and behind the net guy. This is almost an impossible shot for the net guy to hit back, and the server is typically out of position to hit it back.

The shot you are talking about Cindy, is nice, but a lower percentage shot, since you have to contend with the net (if you are pulled out past the alley, you can actually go around the net with your DTL shot), and the server still has a chance at the ball, if the server is coming to the net.

...you'll see the issue of "how wide is wide" comes up. If it's really wide, as blakesq says, you ain't even gotta go over the net any more, and if you do this, anybody on the other side is going to have a tough time with it. But I'd say this is a pretty extreme form of "out wide." For the most part, if I'm out wide and I can't get around the net post, which is most of the time, I'm not going down the line, because, as a bunch of other people have pointed out, if the net person has ever been awake, they're going to camp on the line and knock off an easy volley into the open diagonal. So I'm going to either go cross court or lob over the net person, whichever looks like the best deal at the time...

 

[alb1]

You have several options in situation 1, they are all correct as long as you can execute them. If you are most confident hitting the ball crosscourt, and you consistently hit the shot without putting your team in a bad situation, then that is the correct shot for you. Situation 2, just hit the best deep lob you can and don't worry about the location. Statistics and percentages are great but execution is what wins.

 

[deluxe]

Going DTL in #1 is low percentage tennis assuming the net player has taken up a neutral position (ie shifted towards the tram lines once the serve goes wide). You should play deep to deep when your opponents are in neutral positions, especially when you have a difficult shot to play (ie a return of serve).

I don't think there is a correct answer for #2.

 

[Spokewench]

I would say if you get pulled wide by a ball at the baseline, yes, the percentage shot is down the line. If a down the line ball can be called a percentage shot? Anyway, when you are playing doubles, you are usually better off putting the ball in front of your team rather than going for an angle, unless you think you can angle a winner. If you return from the baseline wide and angled, your partner needs to cover the line where you put the ball, i.e. put her/his body in front of the ball you just hit; and then you should ideally cover the middle of the court. However, as you know, an angle begets an angle so the shot the opponent may hit is an angle cross court which you may not be able to cover because you pulled your partner wide and you are in the center of the court following the ball you just hit; That is why the down the line shot is the better shot to hit. This way, you hit down the line; your partner takes the middle of the court, the opponents are directly across from you and you don't have to move much and their percentage shot is not an angle cross court so you have a better chance at returning that ball back in a more offensive way.

 

[Cindysphinx]

Hmmm. No consensus on the DTL question on the wide ball. (BTW, I'm not talking about a wide ball that sends you into the viewing area. I'm mostly talking about a ball that bounces in the alley and is kind of average in terms of its angle.)

I find it isn't hard to get the ball crosscouort. The reason is that most doubles players live in mortal fear of being burned down the line. So they will protect against the alley shot at all costs, leaving the crosscourt shot more open.

I'm starting to think there is no right answer on the lob question. For instance, if one player has showed me she has no overhead, that is the player I will lob, regardless of direction (DTL, Xcourt).

 

[spot]

Situation 1- The weakness of serving wide is that it opens up wicked angle to you- if you can get to it and ATTACK back crosscourt then thats the advantageous shot. The question then is whether you have the skill to consistently attack wide on that serve. Most 4.0 women do not have the ability to consistently attack that shot and if they return crosscourt its mostly to get the ball back in play. Put it this way- if you can take that serve and can consistently put the ball in the doubles alley near the service line then you should absolutely do it. (and widen that area based on the mobility of the opponent) But that said I don't think that most players can consistently do that on all but the weakest serves. If you aren't able to attack with a sharp crosscourt angle then I'd suggest attacking the net player. Most net players do not sufficiently adjust to the line on wide serves.

Situation 2. When you get lobbed back to your backhand like that- I'd certainly lob back crosscourt if I need to hit a lob back. If you aren't able to attack the ball then you are trying to hit a safe shot that the opposing net person cannot pick off- going crosscourt gives you more room to work and assuming you are playing a righty you would be going towards the opponents backhand. If I were facing a lefty then I'd be more tempted to lob back DTL to get to the backhand side. But most of that is assuming that in that situation the opposing net player would sink mostly to the middle (which they should be doing). If they are really just sitting on their side and giving you the whole line then it doesn't particularly have to be a lob in return. You are lobbing in order to avoid the netperson. If you can accomplish that without lobbing then go for it.

 

[Wilson6-1]

I am not sure there is a consensus on any strategy, but here is my 2 cents:

#1. I would go DTL, hitting cross court when pulled out wide is easier to poach and you have less room for error. Also, going cross court opens up more of the court for your opponent's return. For instance, when you are pulled wide, your partner should slide over to the middle of the court and cover the return from the DTL opponent. If your partner is in the middle of the court for a cross court return, it leaves more options and a lot of court for your partner to cover.

#2. I go DTL in this scenario because when hitting a backhand in the ad court, I use the "deep to deep" adage. Clearing the net player is always a concern if you go cross court and a short lob will result in an overhead winner. Now, often, if I was the net player and I saw my partner hit a deep lob to the ad court, I would come across the court and switch with my partner, expecting either the DTL return or DTL lob. Ultimately, since a good portion of lobs aren't deep enough, I think most believe in trying to hit away from the net player.

 

[skiracer55]

You've pretty much answered your own question...

Hmmm. No consensus on the DTL question on the wide ball. (BTW, I'm not talking about a wide ball that sends you into the viewing area. I'm mostly talking about a ball that bounces in the alley and is kind of average in terms of its angle.)

I find it isn't hard to get the ball crosscouort. The reason is that most doubles players live in mortal fear of being burned down the line. So they will protect against the alley shot at all costs, leaving the crosscourt shot more open.

I'm starting to think there is no right answer on the lob question. For instance, if one player has showed me she has no overhead, that is the player I will lob, regardless of direction (DTL, Xcourt).

...you've gotten a bunch of good, but conflicting advice, based on either what works for the poster or what the standard percentage answer happens to be in whatever situation you describe. But there are no absolutes in tennis. If somebody serves you out wide in the deuce court and you *know* you can burn them down the line, either because of their positioning or your shot, then the answer is "If you're feeling froggy, then jump."

What I think you're telling me, and this has been my observation, too, that in the matches you play, in the situation you describe, the net person camps on the sideline, so the safe bet is cross-court. Re the lob situation, yeah, okay, in whatever situation where you're lobbing, there are multiple considerations...hit to the person with the weaker lob, hit down the line, whatever.

Personally, a lot of the time when I lob, I'm just barely able to reach the ball, so passing shot is out, and a lob is the only answer. When this happens, what I mostly want to do is (a) get my racket on it and (b) throw up a rainmaker. A lot of players, it has been my observation, always try to think of the "perfect shot" in any given situation, where, for a lob it might be answering the following list of questions:

- Topspin or underspin?

- Hit to Player A, who is on the baseline, or Player B, who is at net but who has been known to shank an overhead on occasion?

- DTL or crosscourt?

- Or maybe I should try for a passing shot?

I usually go for a rainmaker. Dave Hodge once reminded a bunch of us that "There are no height restrictions on lobs." In other words, if you haven't already tried it, throw one up in the middle of their court, but make it real high. Maybe you can get it up in the sun and they'll go blind, and even if they don't, when it bounces (anybody who tries to hit a lob that just went up four stories in the air doesn't get the joke...), you know it's going to go up again half as high as a four story house. Those are fun overheads, aren't they?

So my advice is simple: return cross court when pulled out wide in the deuce court, or maybe lob over the net person, and if you don't have a better idea, lob like you're throwing pennies at the moon...

 

[kylebarendrick]

I wouldn't base lob decisions on "what happens if I don't clear the net player?". When you lob, make SURE you clear the net player. Too long is better than too short. FWIW lobbing to the ad court puts your opponent into the same awkward position you just hit from.

 

[Nellie]

My thoughts:

1) I think your pro's advice is bad. If I am at the net, and the ball is going wide to the opponent, I am going forward and wide to cover the alley. No way you (returner) get the point down the line unless unless you make an amazing shot such as bending the ball around the post, and if you hit down the line, I will hit a clean winner in the space between you (wide and deep) and your partner (ideally positioned at the T on the service line)

2) I agree with your pro's advice about lobing crosscourt if your opponents are any good. You will likely be in a defensive situation. If you lob over the net person, they only need to take a couple of feet back and to the side to have an easy overhead. Personally, I would not lob in that situation (prefer to hit a backhand down the line) unless I was in real trouble (lob deep and to the middle).

 

[maverick66]

both questions depend on your opponent.

1. Go dtl if they have been leaning to poach. its the perfect ball to get dtl and keep them honest. If they have been staying at home on you then go back crosscourt. You should be able to find a good angle as you are out wide. Its always easier to send the ball back the way it came to you.

2. when lobbing i would go CC more than dtl. You have alot more court CC and if it is more towards the middle you might get lucky and confuse them so both go back and you create a scramble on their end.

 

[subaru3169]

wow there's a lot of posts here but i'll keep it short

in any situation, crosscourt is a higher percentage shot simply because of what it is, crosscourt.. the net is lower in the center of the net, there is more distance to hit and there is more room for error especially when you are returning it to the server AND you are out of position by the serve pulling you wide.. you also get slightly more time to recover by hitting crosscourt

another aspect to look at it is why return it to the person at the net?? they're there for a reason.. so if you are out of position from the serve, your shot will more likely than not be weak and your opponent at net will have an easy put away

 

[spot]

Put this in terms of the framework of what you would WANT if you were the serving team. Thats the easiest way to think about counter strategy. If I serve wide to the Deuce court I want the return to to go the net person for a putaway. Thats the goal. In order to serve wide, the shot I am giving up is the sharp angled crosscourt shot that I will have little chance to get to. I am giving them the opportunity to use angle if I serve out wide.

In your second scenario if I am lobbing to your backhand in the ad court, the shot I am hoping for is a weak reply that the net person can put away. I would HOPE that my net partner would be sliding towards the middle to easily come across and put away a weak backhand that goes down the line. The most devestating shots against us would be a sharp crosscourt shot to my partner's left but this is a shot we are giving you because its very tough to consistently do. I am not particularly worried about you going down the line right back to my forehand. I'd worry more about the crosscourt lob back to my backhand.

 

[cak]

I've had pros tell me the same thing, DTL, and it has to do with your opponents shot choices. If I go down the line, and the net guy gets it, their choice is straight ahead or an angle that will get it to the center of the court and ideally my partner. I've cut off half the court from their choice of return shots, so there's half the court no one has to cover. If I go cross court they can return DTL or down the middle or cross court, giving my partner the dubious honor of trying to decide what to cover. (And meanwhile, I will be starting from out wide so I am less help than normal.) Obviously, if I have a short cross court shot and they aren't coming in I can go for the winner and their next shot is moot.

The big problem I have executing this theory is my DTL shot is often not as hard to handle as my cross court shot, and I'm not always accurate enough to get it truely DTL, and not to their forehand. Needless to say, if my DTL top spin ends up in their sweet spot it's pretty much their point. If I could hone my forehand to dip or spin more and ensure it gets to their backhand a low backhand volley return would be what I'm looking for.

If I'm taken really wide, the shot to take is around the net post and behind the net player. Last week I got one not only around the net post, but around the light pole standing between the two courts. But that, again, is going for the winner, not setting up the next shot.

 

[deluxe]

I've had pros tell me the same thing, DTL, and it has to do with your opponents shot choices. If I go down the line, and the net guy gets it, their choice is straight ahead or an angle that will get it to the center of the court and ideally my partner.

It sounds like you're saying that you'd like to be the lower team in this diagram with the net player about to hit the ball:

I'd rather be on the top team.

 

[skiracer55]

Me too...

It sounds like you're saying that you'd like to be the lower team in this diagram with the net player about to hit the ball:

I'd rather be on the top team.

...in general. In the diagram that deluxe included, I see the net person on the lower team about to get a new navel...in general. On the other hand, if it's an exceptionally hard hit ball, low over the net, and the net player on the top team doesn't have much of a volley...then maybe that's a good idea...and it's a good idea to do this once in a while just to keep 'em honest. But in general, I dunno about everybody else, but if I'm the baseline player on the bottom team, the percentages aren't in my favor for "hard hit, low over the net", so I'm going cross court, where you can see lots of space away from the net person, or maybe lob over the net person.

I'm really mystified that so many pros apparently are telling people to go down the line in this situation, because IMHO, it ain't the percentage play...

 

[Cindysphinx]

The big problem I have executing this theory is my DTL shot is often not as hard to handle as my cross court shot, and I'm not always accurate enough to get it truely DTL, and not to their forehand. Needless to say, if my DTL top spin ends up in their sweet spot it's pretty much their point. If I could hone my forehand to dip or spin more and ensure it gets to their backhand a low backhand volley return would be what I'm looking for.

You are not alone in this. When I get passed down the line when I am at net, I think to myself, "That's one." And I start counting. It is rare for me to lose more points when opponents try this than the opponent loses. I mean, there are three possible outcomes: (1) They pass me for a clean winner or make me miss; (2) I make the volley diagonally into the hole; (3) They miss their shot into the net, long or wide. I'll take those odds!

People often think their DTL shot is better than it is.

 

[deluxe]

I mean, there are three possible outcomes: (1) They pass me for a clean winner or make me miss; (2) I make the volley diagonally into the hole; (3) They miss their shot into the net, long or wide. I'll take those odds!

You never volley back to the deep player in this situation?

 

[LuckyR]

Hmmm. No consensus on the DTL question on the wide ball. (BTW, I'm not talking about a wide ball that sends you into the viewing area. I'm mostly talking about a ball that bounces in the alley and is kind of average in terms of its angle.)

I find it isn't hard to get the ball crosscouort. The reason is that most doubles players live in mortal fear of being burned down the line. So they will protect against the alley shot at all costs, leaving the crosscourt shot more open.

I'm starting to think there is no right answer on the lob question. For instance, if one player has showed me she has no overhead, that is the player I will lob, regardless of direction (DTL, Xcourt).

The reason there is not a concensus on the first scenario is because there are two answers. If the returner is pulled wide, then the opposing netman should move from the neutral (or poaching) position to cover the alley. Many are lazy and do not. In that case the correct play is into the alley (DTL). Your angle is favorable and the opposing netman is taking away the center of the court. True you do have the server CC but if you can make that shot, you can make the DTL shot easier, so the answer is DTL. Of course if the opposing netman shifts over to cover the alley then your correct play is either CC if you can make it (low percentage for many players) or for most folks, over the right side of the netstrap (the center) since by moving over the opposing netman gave you the center. This ball will likely catch the server a half step slow since from his angle it will look like the opposing netman's ball. In addition it will catch the right handed server's BH, which is rare when serving to the deuce court.

The second scenario is well described in your OP. Go CC. Your only real fear (other than throwing up a sitter) is going long, so CC will give you the most margin. In addition it will be to the BH of the RH netman from the ad court (the location you mention).

 

[deluxe]

The reason there is not a concensus on the first scenario is because there are two answers. If the returner is pulled wide, then the netman should move from the neutral (or poaching) position to cover the alley. Many are lazy and do not. In that case the correct play is into the alley (DTL).

I think neutral netman positioning was implicit in the question.

 

[Cindysphinx]

You never volley back to the deep player in this situation?

Only by accident!

The ball will come to my BH. I normally hit a 1HBH volley. It takes real effort for me to hit that shot DTL, which would be to the deep player. It will go crosscourt 99% of the time. To the hole.

 

[Cindysphinx]

I think neutral netman positioning was implicit in the question.

Or perhaps you simply don't know what your partner is doing. It's not possible to keep an eye on him/her and deal with the ball also.

 

[LuckyR]

I think neutral netman positioning was implicit in the question.

To be clear, I am refering to the server's netman. Asking what to do if the server's netman is in a single position is nice, but you will run into both situations in real life.

 

[LuckyR]

Or perhaps you simply don't know what your partner is doing. It's not possible to keep an eye on him/her and deal with the ball also.

I make no distinction about the returner's partner's position.

 

[deluxe]

Or perhaps you simply don't know what your partner is doing. It's not possible to keep an eye on him/her and deal with the ball also.

Surely if you don't know where the net men are, you assume they're in a neutral position when deciding where to hit your shot?

 

[deluxe]

Only by accident!

The ball will come to my BH. I normally hit a 1HBH volley. It takes real effort for me to hit that shot DTL, which would be to the deep player. It will go crosscourt 99% of the time. To the hole.

ok. When the ball is hit hard and low over the net and/or I'm streteched, I put it back to the deep man.

 

[cak]

I'm impressed Cindy can get it to the hole on the left of the service line guy. I tend to hit it cross court, but can't get the severe angle, so it does go to the service line guy who should be on the right side of the center line. As a net guy I need to work on those angles.

 

[Cindysphinx]

I'm impressed Cindy can get it to the hole on the left of the service line guy. I tend to hit it cross court, but can't get the severe angle, so it does go to the service line guy who should be on the right side of the center line. As a net guy I need to work on those angles.

Or just spank it harder. The funky angle makes it tricky for the net guy if you can get any pace at all on it, even if you miss the hole.

Weirdly, I am most likely to miss that shot wide by hitting with too much pace/angle (so it flies off the ad court). Then i really look stupid . . . .

 

[Cindysphinx]

ok. When the ball is hit hard and low over the net and/or I'm streteched, I put it back to the deep man.

Oh, wait. You mean if you are in a desperate, emergency situation?

Yeah, in that case, I'll hit all sorts of crap shots (pop-up, sitter for deep person, into the net). I thought you meant if you were ready and actually had a decent play on the ball.

 

[Redflea]

The average player's DTL is a low-percentage shot...missed or volleyed back for a winner more often than made in real-life, regardless of how "strategically sound" it may appear to be. I have lots of friends who love to try it, few who truly execute it consistently. Trouble is, they mostly remember the glory moments, and forget the "just missed" moments.

Bjorn Borg is supposed to have said that he won so many matches by hitting cross-court...now I know he wasn't playing doubles, but it's hard to disagree w/going for the lowest part of the net, and the easiest angle, especially for a rec player.

For 3.5 trending to 4.0, I'd go for the cross court more often than not, but throw in an early, aggressive DTL just to keep the net player honest. Doesn't matter really if you make it, you just want them thinking about it from early on. More of a "You better be careful!" statement.

Also, the common mistakes on DTL shots are 1) Going for too much, i.e., aiming for the sideline; and 2) Thinking you have to blast it. Aim for the middle of the alley, if they are poaching or even leaning that's going to be enough, and if they move to aggresively to cover the line, you'll put the ball directly into their body which is hard to handle. Use around 80% pace, and even consider going with a high shot - many developing players have problems w/a high BH volley, and quite often you'll get weak or muffed returns.

On the lob, the less reliable your lob is, the more you should go DTL. I love the length (as Cindy notes) afforded by the x-court lob, and especially like the fact that the deep player has to cross the court and hit a BH on the move...so that's my preferred shot in that case. I have a pretty decent lob, tho.

 

[P8ntballa]

SIT. 1: Crosscourt and, if u can, keep it low. This is the more natural shot based off body position and racquet face position, u want to contact the ball out in front. To go DTL u have to wait for it to pass or line up with ur waist in order to get the right trajectory, thats not good. Now to go crosscourt u must swing earlier, making contact out in front, this will make u feel less jammed and give u a safer shot.

SIT. 2: If ur on the run its a heck of alot easier to put the ball back where it came from rather then change the direction of the shot, go DTL. This also opens up more options, u dont have to lob if the person that lobbed stays back (dumb move fyi.) u can hit a rolling groundie with alot of spin, that is a very safe shot, or if u can get in position with time to setup u might even wanna rip an offensive groundstroke. ALL THESE SHOULD GO DTL.