Mixed Partner Retreats To Baseline
- Thread starter Cindysphinx
- Start date
Steady Eddy
Legend
It's bad when your partner goes to the baseline on your serve. The only thing worse is when they retreat to the clubhouse.
eagle
Hall of Fame
Hope this thread doesn't deteriorate any more than it already has.
Anyway, in playing dubs I normally play at net. Positioning varies to give the opponents different looks along with a few fakes here and there. I watch a lot of Bryan brothers matches and tips.
The only time I move back near but not completely at the baseline is when the returner is really strong and hits the balls way too fast for me to intercept. Once he returns the ball, I sprint up and try to take charge of the net again. Sorry, old school habits I guess.
Cindy, it's probably best for you to simply ask your partner. That would get you the real answer why he changed his strategy as opposed to posting here and getting a barrage of suggestions based on assumptions only from your side of the story.
r,
eagle
Anyway, in playing dubs I normally play at net. Positioning varies to give the opponents different looks along with a few fakes here and there. I watch a lot of Bryan brothers matches and tips.
The only time I move back near but not completely at the baseline is when the returner is really strong and hits the balls way too fast for me to intercept. Once he returns the ball, I sprint up and try to take charge of the net again. Sorry, old school habits I guess.
Cindy, it's probably best for you to simply ask your partner. That would get you the real answer why he changed his strategy as opposed to posting here and getting a barrage of suggestions based on assumptions only from your side of the story.
r,
eagle
I don't know if you would get the truth, afterall how do you tell your partner that your serve is not very good and that I think I will stand back here where I feel safe.
I know for me I have never been moved back off the net, if my partner has a weak serve I just remind myself even more that every ball may be coming at me. But then netplay is one of the better parts of my game.
And don't women read minds fairly well...? I know mine always tells me what I want. :shock:
just a few thoughts.
i agree that in most doubles, the team at net most often is the team that wins. but in cindy's example of her partner staying at the baseline while she's serving -- i don't really see anything wrong with it. he's obviously back there for a reason. if he's not comfortable at net, then he's not going to be very effective. maybe he's normally a pretty good volleyer but not when facing 90mph returns (would wager pretty good money that it's not 90mph - likely 20 mph slower). and for every partner who dances up at net and poaches and makes himself a nuisance all in the hopes of helping the server hold serve -- there are others who might not have that ability or game or quite frankly desire to dance around the net like an idiot.
as a server, i do expect and want help from my partner in holding serve. on first serves i expect him/her to put away any weak returns. on second serves i expect them to move to a more neutral position in the service box and not cough up weak volleys if they get a ball blasted to them. on the flip side, i know as a server in doubles i have an obligation to not get my partner killed by either hitting a deep serve and/or one to their backhand.
it's doubles. there's a ton of different ways to skin a cat. i've played and won with partners who camp out at the baseline. and i've lost to doubles teams who camp out at the baseline. definitely not the norm, but it's doable.
i agree that in most doubles, the team at net most often is the team that wins. but in cindy's example of her partner staying at the baseline while she's serving -- i don't really see anything wrong with it. he's obviously back there for a reason. if he's not comfortable at net, then he's not going to be very effective. maybe he's normally a pretty good volleyer but not when facing 90mph returns (would wager pretty good money that it's not 90mph - likely 20 mph slower). and for every partner who dances up at net and poaches and makes himself a nuisance all in the hopes of helping the server hold serve -- there are others who might not have that ability or game or quite frankly desire to dance around the net like an idiot.
as a server, i do expect and want help from my partner in holding serve. on first serves i expect him/her to put away any weak returns. on second serves i expect them to move to a more neutral position in the service box and not cough up weak volleys if they get a ball blasted to them. on the flip side, i know as a server in doubles i have an obligation to not get my partner killed by either hitting a deep serve and/or one to their backhand.
it's doubles. there's a ton of different ways to skin a cat. i've played and won with partners who camp out at the baseline. and i've lost to doubles teams who camp out at the baseline. definitely not the norm, but it's doable.
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