Fast women!

[jc4.0]

My friend M loves to serve fast, fast, fast. I know that and I don't want to slow down her serve rhythm, but...

It wasn't the first time that she has gone ahead and served before I was ready. Sometimes I just let it go (often losing the point), but yesterday I called her on it.

It was between points, just five seconds or so, and yes my partner, the receiver was in the court but I had turned around to retrieve a ball that I thought would be a hinderance a few feet outside the court. Before I could jog back into position at the service line (I was still outside the court actually), I saw her starting to serve so I held up my hand and called "hey, wait, not ready!" but she served the ball anyway.

She argued that we have to "play at the server's pace" and wanted to take the point because I hindered her serve. I said that she served before both partners were ready, in fact I wasn't even on the court when she served. After a short altercation she agreed to take two serves rather than the point.

Let me emphasize that no more than 5-10 seconds had lapsed between the end of the previous point, and nobody was delaying the game. I was simply retrieving a ball that was in our play area. I know that if the receiver is ready, the server doesn't have to wait for his/her partner - but in this case the partner (me) wasn't even on the court.

Later in the day, interestingly, all three of the other players waited on court while M toweled off, drank her pepsi, etc., delaying start of the game by at least 30 seconds. I jokingly called out, "hey, server's ready!" and my partner served the ball, then we called out "15-love!" She was the only one who didn't get it - she thought we were serious!

 

[sureshs]

There is a guy in the club in doubles who will serve when his partner is still picking up a stray ball from the previous point/serve.

 

[GPB]

yep, it sucks.

 

[spot]

There is a subgroup of people who take the "must play to the server's pace" to a ridiculous level. If you have your hand up then the person cannot serve. And no way in hell would I grant them a first serve if I had my hand up and they decided to quickserve anyway.

There is a girl on the women's team who gets in an argument with the opponents every couple matches because she insists that her opponents have to play to her pace. To me its just a losing argument... if the player isn't ready then you can't serve.

 

[timeisonmyside]

I was sorely disappointed to read what this thread was really about vs. what the title of the thread promised.

Anyways, quick servers are so funny. It's so easy to get them off their rhythm. I play with a guy like this. Let's say the point ends with me hitting the ball into the net. I walk up to get the ball, throw it over to him to serve, and walk back into position to return. At the moment I turn around, he starts his toss!

What I do is take a long walk back to the back fence, that way I can at least be facing him and have my momentum going forward when he quick serves.

 

[jc4.0]

Well I'm trying to be a good sport and not delay the server, I do understand about rhythm, but at least let me get my feet ready and bouncing, and my eyes forward, before you serve. If I had a "towel boy" i would probably waste a bit more time drying off, but we don't have towel boys at this public park (too bad).

 

[willshot]

I just do the same thing back. This time give them only 2 secs.

 

[blakesq]

thats perfectly fine, and the guy cannot get a let, because it is up to him to make sure his own partner is ready.

There is a guy in the club in doubles who will serve when his partner is still picking up a stray ball from the previous point/serve.

 

[sureshs]

thats perfectly fine, and the guy cannot get a let, because it is up to him to make sure his own partner is ready.

The problem is for me, because as the returner, I am waiting for his partner to be done with his ball clearing.

 

[blakesq]

don't wait, take advantage of the server's idiocy.

The problem is for me, because as the returner, I am waiting for his partner to be done with his ball clearing.

 

[sureshs]

don't wait, take advantage of the server's idiocy.

He is not an idiot at all. He is a known score and line call cheater. He now has to call people and beg them to play with him as one by one they started refusing.

He does this on purpose knowing most returners will wait for his partner to finish his job.

 

[dizzlmcwizzl]

Played a russian guy yesterday who would toss for his second serve before his first one had bounced a second time after hitting the net. He was quick.

I however would wait 15-20 seconds between points on my serve to wait for the best windless opportunity. At one point he complained, but I merely needed to point out that he had taken a phone call on his cell during his service game ... once you start taking phone calls in the middle of the match it is game on with regard to the clock.

 

[LuckyR]

Sorry to hear about all of the a55holes you guys have to put up with. No issues with this sort of schoolyard BS around here...

 

[Cindysphinx]

I think the problem in the OP wasn't the server, and it wasn't the OP herself. The problem was OP's partner.

When I am receiving in doubles, I am not ready until my net partner is ready. If I think there is any doubt about it, I hold up my racket or adopt an obviously not-ready posture. That's what OP's partner should have done, unless OP's partner is in the mood to win the point all by herself.

I have to say, however, that I will never understand quick servers. I mean, don't people need to take a moment to *think*? If you aren't having some sort of conference with your partner between points, don't you need to think and observe before you serve?

I'm thinking all sorts of things before I serve. Am I coming in? What serve did I hit last to this returner, and how did that go? What kind of ball can I expect back, and how will I handle it? How much pace v. how much spin?

What are quick-servers thinking? I mean, if you look at most tennis pros, they are very deliberate in how they serve. Some, like Roddick, are fast, but he is in the minority.

Now, I do have some partners who serve when I am not ready, which is quite baffling. If I have to keep my back to the net until I am ready, that's what I will do to keep my quick-serving partner from serving when I am still shoving a ball under my skirt.

 

[North]

Quick servers can be annoying but I have usually found them to be reasonable in allowing me time to get ready or clear a ball off the court, etc after I simply don't attempt to return the serve a couple of times. I make a point to let them know I appreciate them keeping the pace of the match moving, though.

My personal experience has been that quick servers are far less common than people who try to slow things down, even stalling (gosh - that might be gamesmanship! lol ) and taking up a lot more than the time actually permitted between serves.

 

[jc4.0]

Quick servers are usually players who just serve the ball to get the point started, they're not thinking too much about strategy, they just get it in the box and go from there.

That's not my attitude, I'm usually trying to serve to a spot (because I don't have a killer fast-serve), but I understand the tactic of serving so quickly that your opponent doesn't have time to get set for the return, and that's what I have a problem with. When you receive a serve before your mind and body are set, you probably won't make a good return, and that's what this type of server counts on. I call that an unfair advantage.

 

[forthegame]

Tell me about it. Someone I play regularly (also a girl :shock: ), does the same.

Recently played dubs and she served her second serve while her partner was retrieving her first serve ball from the net, she served over his bent body! I naturally stopped and said "hey, your partner's not ready so I stopped while waiting for him etc.."

She claimed the point... I didn't have the energy to argue...

 

[spaceman_spiff]

Tell me about it. Someone I play regularly (also a girl :shock: ), does the same.

Recently played dubs and she served her second serve while her partner was retrieving her first serve ball from the net, she served over his bent body! I naturally stopped and said "hey, your partner's not ready so I stopped while waiting for him etc.."

She claimed the point... I didn't have the energy to argue...

When someone does that a lot, hit your return at the partner. When you catch him/her off guard, you say "you might want to tell your partner to wait until your ready before they serve."

 

[Cindysphinx]

Tell me about it. Someone I play regularly (also a girl :shock: ), does the same.

Recently played dubs and she served her second serve while her partner was retrieving her first serve ball from the net, she served over his bent body! I naturally stopped and said "hey, your partner's not ready so I stopped while waiting for him etc.."

She claimed the point... I didn't have the energy to argue...

I understand not having the energy to argue, especially in a social match. Good call.

But if I were ready to receive and server's partner starts bending down to tie a shoe, retrieve a ball, etc., I would try to hold up my racket and then I would not play the ball. I would say I was not ready due to the distraction/hindrance of server's partner moving around in ways that are not a "feint with the body."

 

[sureshs]

Tell me about it. Someone I play regularly (also a girl :shock: ), does the same.

Recently played dubs and she served her second serve while her partner was retrieving her first serve ball from the net, she served over his bent body! I naturally stopped and said "hey, your partner's not ready so I stopped while waiting for him etc.."

She claimed the point... I didn't have the energy to argue...

See my post #2 - same experience