Help with doubles net play…

[precision2b]

I need some help with net play in doubles. I play singles mainly and I don’t know how long I will be able to play just singles dew to getting older and it is getting harder to find someone that wants to play singles. (everyone plays dub’s)… My biggest problem is I seem to be late reacting to the ball when at net. Am just not reading it fast enough can any of you tell what you do to help on this. Thanks

 

[Nonentity]

well assuming you are split stepping on every shot, and your volley take backs/followthoughs are quick and compact, then it really is your reaction time.

practice hitting volleys with someone, and work on reading the shot as fast as you can. As soon as you read where the ball is going, your racket should automatically, and quickly go to take back position. Then just wait for the ball and punch it back, dont forget to step in on the volley.

You can also tell where the ball is going by the way the player hits the ball, it takes a while and varies player by player, but most people's strokes can be read as they are hitting them.

Along with that, you could try some reaction time tests on the computer, where you press a button as soon as the cue pops up.

 

[SethIMcClaine]

There is a current similar thread in the TIPS/INSTRUCTIONS forum since this question is seeking INSTRUCTIONS
but check it out http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=276128

 

[Fedace]

Racket out in front at all times and stay on your toes. Also watch the opponent's Racket face til he hits the ball. You can read where the ball is going or what kind of spin he is going to hit.
If it is a Rocket then just block the ball up the middle and don't try to do too much. and if it is a weak ball then take 1-2 step forward and punch the ball up the middle hard or angle it into the alley.
Also watch your opponent's eyes just before he prepares for the return. If he looks or takes a peak at you, he is going to hit one right at you or going into your alley. So get ready for the ball. He is not looking at you cause he thinks you are hot.......lol

 

[LuckyR]

I need some help with net play in doubles. I play singles mainly and I don’t know how long I will be able to play just singles dew to getting older and it is getting harder to find someone that wants to play singles. (everyone plays dub’s)… My biggest problem is I seem to be late reacting to the ball when at net. Am just not reading it fast enough can any of you tell what you do to help on this. Thanks

If you play a lot of singles you may not be a S&V style player and as such your volley skills may lag your groundstroke skills. Add to that the potential guilty feelings of flubbing on a poach that your partner could have gotten to and you have a recipe for being somewhat passive at the net. You need to get over this, since correct doubles play requires the netman to be very aggressive.

You know your personality and the variables much better than we do, so you are in a better position to identify ways to get yourself over this hump.

 

[precision2b]

Racket out in front at all times and stay on your toes. Also watch the opponent's Racket face til he hits the ball. You can read where the ball is going or what kind of spin he is going to hit.
If it is a Rocket then just block the ball up the middle and don't try to do too much. and if it is a weak ball then take 1-2 step forward and punch the ball up the middle hard or angle it into the alley.
Also watch your opponent's eyes just before he prepares for the return. If he looks or takes a peak at you, he is going to hit one right at you or going into your alley. So get ready for the ball. He is not looking at you cause he thinks you are hot.......lol

Yes, and I hope not LOL… Reading your post and others, I think my biggest problem is that am starting the point to close to the net. In singles am coming in and split stepping about the time my opponent starts to hit the ball. So if I stay back a few steps to give me room to step in and then split step that should help right???

 

[LetFirstServe]

I think this same thing is going to happen to me one day. I think I need to start working on my volleys...they are way behind my commanding groundstrokes.

 

[precision2b]

If you play a lot of singles you may not be a S&V style player and as such your volley skills may lag your groundstroke skills. Add to that the potential guilty feelings of flubbing on a poach that your partner could have gotten to and you have a recipe for being somewhat passive at the net. You need to get over this, since correct doubles play requires the netman to be very aggressive.

You know your personality and the variables much better than we do, so you are in a better position to identify ways to get yourself over this hump.

Am not a per say S&V player, but I do like to come to net on good shots. And yes you hit the nail on the head (potential guilty feelings of flubbing) in singles, if you flub a shot its just you but in doubles I feel like I let my partner down. I know I will have to work on that…. Thanks for the reply…

 

[larry10s]

i too had trouble at the net in doubles although my volleys are a strong part of my all court style.. i seemed to always be reflexively hitting defensive volleys. what helped me was to expect every ball to be coming to me. #1 it helped my poaching because i was going after balls and #2 i wasnt surprised by the ball because i was "expecting " it. hope this helps

 

[precision2b]

i too had trouble at the net in doubles although my volleys are a strong part of my all court style.. i seemed to always be reflexively hitting defensive volleys. what helped me was to expect every ball to be coming to me. #1 it helped my poaching because i was going after balls and #2 i wasnt surprised by the ball because i was "expecting " it. hope this helps

Interesting thought larry10s… Besides that’s what we do in singles. Thanks :idea:

 

[SethIMcClaine]

Thats a good mentality to have larry, good call

 

[subaru3169]

i too had trouble at the net in doubles although my volleys are a strong part of my all court style.. i seemed to always be reflexively hitting defensive volleys. what helped me was to expect every ball to be coming to me. #1 it helped my poaching because i was going after balls and #2 i wasnt surprised by the ball because i was "expecting " it. hope this helps

my take is pretty similar.. the way i volley for some reason is kinda different when i play doubles, it's like there's too much waiting and i lose focus.. but i guess that's tennis.. i'm able to concentrate better when i play singles and i do s/v about 1/3-1/2 of the time strangely enough

 

[Cindysphinx]

Yeah, like Larry says, you have to get into your head that every ball coming off of your opponents' rackets is yous.

I play my best when I treat the match like a drill class. In a drill class, you would never just stand there and let a ball whiz by you, as you know the instructor is going to hit them to you for you to practice.

I will say that this mindset does get me into trouble with my partners during matches. I will sometimes go for balls that my partner has called, if her call is a little late. 'Cause mentally I was pretending she wasn't there! They tend to forgive me if I hit a great shot.

 

[mlktennis]

Yeah, like Larry says, you have to get into your head that every ball coming off of your opponents' rackets is yous.

I play my best when I treat the match like a drill class. In a drill class, you would never just stand there and let a ball whiz by you, as you know the instructor is going to hit them to you for you to practice.

I will say that this mindset does get me into trouble with my partners during matches. I will sometimes go for balls that my partner has called, if her call is a little late. 'Cause mentally I was pretending she wasn't there! They tend to forgive me if I hit a great shot.

Therin lies the problem, whenever I look like I am reaching for that volley in doubles- crosscourt and miss, I get a look from my partner/ or feel like I got a look like. I'm thinking that it is within my range- not being a hog- just aggressive. I've played doubles passive and it just doesn't work! Oh well, maybe that's why I don't have a reg dubs partner.

 

[Cindysphinx]

Therin lies the problem, whenever I look like I am reaching for that volley in doubles- crosscourt and miss, I get a look from my partner/ or feel like I got a look like. I'm thinking that it is within my range- not being a hog- just aggressive. I've played doubles passive and it just doesn't work! Oh well, maybe that's why I don't have a reg dubs partner.

I have gotten The Look. I have also given The Look, I have to admit. The problem can be that partners will decide to be active and aggressive at the net (a good thing) without regard to whether they have any chance of actually making the volley (a bad thing).

I have one partner who has good hands at net and I like as a partner. If she gets a volley above net level, she will will angle it off nicely for a winner. If she tries for a ball that is below net level, she will hit it the same way, which means it will go into the net. She doesn't have the mechanics to strike low balls well at net, especially if she must move sideways at all.

We have a deal now. The deal is that she will go for everything she can reach above the level of the net, and she will let everything else go through to me. We call it "You take the high ones and I'll take the low ones." Even if the low ball is short and near her, she will leave it for me, and I can reach these balls or even approach off of them.

We are winning a lot now, and neither of us is getting or giving The Look.

 

[precision2b]

Yeah, like Larry says, you have to get into your head that every ball coming off of your opponents' rackets is yous.

I play my best when I treat the match like a drill class. In a drill class, you would never just stand there and let a ball whiz by you, as you know the instructor is going to hit them to you for you to practice.

I will say that this mindset does get me into trouble with my partners during matches. I will sometimes go for balls that my partner has called, if her call is a little late. 'Cause mentally I was pretending she wasn't there! They tend to forgive me if I hit a great shot.

Looking back on my last 2 weeks of doubles play, two things mention here that I can work on is 1) I was standing to close to the net to take a split-step (racquet length away) and 2) like Larry & Cindy stated: every ball is mine. Cindy, I like the drill approach because in a drill I do a lot better with volleys because I know every ball is for mine.

 

[Cindysphinx]

Yeah, you don't want to be too close to the net. You actually need to step in toward the net to hit a volley that has weight on it. If the incoming ball has little pace, the only way to volley it with pace is to step in.

Cindy -- whose BH volley has nothing on it these days because she has started stepping across rather than in

 

[skiracer55]

XLNT advice...

Racket out in front at all times and stay on your toes. Also watch the opponent's Racket face til he hits the ball. You can read where the ball is going or what kind of spin he is going to hit.
If it is a Rocket then just block the ball up the middle and don't try to do too much. and if it is a weak ball then take 1-2 step forward and punch the ball up the middle hard or angle it into the alley.
Also watch your opponent's eyes just before he prepares for the return. If he looks or takes a peak at you, he is going to hit one right at you or going into your alley. So get ready for the ball. He is not looking at you cause he thinks you are hot.......lol

...the bit about watching your opponent's racket face is a really good one that my coach told me about last summer...

 

[precision2b]

I have gotten The Look. I have also given The Look, I have to admit. The problem can be that partners will decide to be active and aggressive at the net (a good thing) without regard to whether they have any chance of actually making the volley (a bad thing).

I have one partner who has good hands at net and I like as a partner. If she gets a volley above net level, she will will angle it off nicely for a winner. If she tries for a ball that is below net level, she will hit it the same way, which means it will go into the net. She doesn't have the mechanics to strike low balls well at net, especially if she must move sideways at all.

We have a deal now. The deal is that she will go for everything she can reach above the level of the net, and she will let everything else go through to me. We call it "You take the high ones and I'll take the low ones." Even if the low ball is short and near her, she will leave it for me, and I can reach these balls or even approach off of them.

We are winning a lot now, and neither of us is getting or giving The Look.

I got “The Look” for letting balls go by that I should have played. I think getting “The Look” for missing a volley I tried to play would make me feel better about my game…

 

[Cindysphinx]

I got “The Look” for letting balls go by that I should have played. I think getting “The Look” for missing a volley I tried to play would make me feel about my game…

Heh, heh. Yeah, it ain't easy to get The Look. Sends a shiver up the spine, doesn't it?

Yeah, The Look happens to partners who let balls go they obviously should have played. Like sticking the racket out and then bailing for no apparent reason. Or for lining up for an overhead and then deciding not to hit it and shouting "Switch!" much too late.

The only way to avoid getting The Look in those situations is for the partner to offer up The Mea Culpa. Quickly.

 

[mlktennis]

I have gotten The Look. I have also given The Look, I have to admit. The problem can be that partners will decide to be active and aggressive at the net (a good thing) without regard to whether they have any chance of actually making the volley (a bad thing).

I have one partner who has good hands at net and I like as a partner. If she gets a volley above net level, she will will angle it off nicely for a winner. If she tries for a ball that is below net level, she will hit it the same way, which means it will go into the net. She doesn't have the mechanics to strike low balls well at net, especially if she must move sideways at all.

We have a deal now. The deal is that she will go for everything she can reach above the level of the net, and she will let everything else go through to me. We call it "You take the high ones and I'll take the low ones." Even if the low ball is short and near her, she will leave it for me, and I can reach these balls or even approach off of them.
We are winning a lot now, and neither of us is getting or giving The Look.

So this is the teamwork everyone talks about One day I too shall have this...one day.

 

[Cindysphinx]

Yeah, teamwork.

But the way we got there wasn't because either of us is a Tennis Genius. Instead, we were doing a drill class on poaching. Three women and a pro. One lady would rally crosscourt with the pro and the other two were at net. The net players were told their job was to finish the point with a winning poach, and the crosscourt players were to keep the ball low and crosscourt and burn the poacher up the line if she cheated over too far.

As you might imagine, there were quite a lot of booted volleys. Either the poacher would pop it up, or more commonly, she would take a desperate, off-balance lunge for a difficult ball and the volley would go into the net (if it reached the net).

After enough of this, the pro stopped the drill and told us we had to be more selective about what was a properly poachable ball. His guideline was poacher takes the high ones and lets the low hard ones that can't be volleyed offensively go through to the deep player.

That is what my deal with my partner is based on, as she was part of this foursome. I don't know if it would be as easy to strike such a deal with a partner without that foundation and common understanding.

 

[chrisplchs]

i do this thing called being ridiculously close to the net as possible so even my frames have a chance of going over

 

[precision2b]

Heh, heh. Yeah, it ain't easy to get The Look. Sends a shiver up the spine, doesn't it?

Yeah, The Look happens to partners who let balls go they obviously should have played. Like sticking the racket out and then bailing for no apparent reason. Or for lining up for an overhead and then deciding not to hit it and shouting "Switch!" much too late.

The only way to avoid getting The Look in those situations is for the partner to offer up The Mea Culpa. Quickly.

Yes, but it’s not too bad. These guys have been after me for the last 2 years to play with them on a regular basis. I do play with them maybe once a month. And for now I will play singles on weekdays and doubles with them on weekends. It’s a good group guys so The Look is not that bad. Working on the tips I got from u guys I feel good about Saturday… The main thing, I will play hard and have a good time and be thankful I have the health to play. May have more questions next week!!! Thanks