Cindysphinx
G.O.A.T.
I have heard two schools of thought concerning the placement of the return and first volley in doubles, so I am wondering what you all think.
One pro advocates hitting the return (and when S&V the approach volley) deep and crosscourt and following it in. The idea is that you want to keep the crosscourt opponent back. This cuts off his angles, gives you more time to move in to net, keeps him back on his heels. Hitting the return or approach volley short, this pro says, allows the opponent to run in and tee off on the ball if the ball sits up at all. Hitting deep jams the opponent and takes away time, which may cause a lob (read "overhead opportunity").
Another pro advocates hitting the return (and when S&V the approach volley) short and crosscourt and following it in. This forces the opponent to run forward, which will cause them to pop the ball up for a put-away for the net player. If the opponent has already decided to take the net, the short return will put the ball on their shoetops. The short return also makes it difficult for the opponent to lob, so you can feel comfortable taking the net without fear of being lobbed.
So who is right?
One pro advocates hitting the return (and when S&V the approach volley) deep and crosscourt and following it in. The idea is that you want to keep the crosscourt opponent back. This cuts off his angles, gives you more time to move in to net, keeps him back on his heels. Hitting the return or approach volley short, this pro says, allows the opponent to run in and tee off on the ball if the ball sits up at all. Hitting deep jams the opponent and takes away time, which may cause a lob (read "overhead opportunity").
Another pro advocates hitting the return (and when S&V the approach volley) short and crosscourt and following it in. This forces the opponent to run forward, which will cause them to pop the ball up for a put-away for the net player. If the opponent has already decided to take the net, the short return will put the ball on their shoetops. The short return also makes it difficult for the opponent to lob, so you can feel comfortable taking the net without fear of being lobbed.
So who is right?