Playing with a new partner

[Tennisnut2929]

How do you handle this? You have a regular partner but at playoffs she isn't available. So you play with two new people who you have practiced once together ( awful captaining decision). Your styles just don't mesh during the match and you, being an aggressive player, are told to change your strategy and what has won for you at high levels and play her " singles" game in a doubles match. She doesn't have as good a record as you but gets kind of annoyed that you don't want to. You poach and miss ( the right shot) and she tells you to play safe and not do that. She tells you to stay 2 back ( doubles, really? You aren't getting killed at net). Anyway you lose badly and your confidence is shattered. How do you handle this during the match?

 

[Mr.Lob]

How do you handle this? You have a regular partner but at playoffs she isn't available. So you play with two new people who you have practiced once together ( awful captaining decision). Your styles just don't mesh during the match and you, being an aggressive player, are told to change your strategy and what has won for you at high levels and play her " singles" game in a doubles match. She doesn't have as good a record as you but gets kind of annoyed that you don't want to. You poach and miss ( the right shot) and she tells you to play safe and not do that. She tells you to stay 2 back ( doubles, really? You aren't getting killed at net). Anyway you lose badly and your confidence is shattered. How do you handle this during the match?

Tell her thanks, but it's not working out and you're looking for another partner.

 

[spot]

It sounds like you had probably lost the match before you started. Sometimes in playoffs you need to play mismatched people because of poor availability and you need someone to step up to make it work under less than ideal situations.

If someone tells you not to poach when you know it was the right choice then you keep poaching and then let them see why it is the right shot. If they suggest 2 back but you are more comfortable at the net then just suggest something else that would be more effective (Australian and I formation before going 2 back).

They can't control how aggressive you are with your shots. If you were playing tentative then that is on you.

 

[beernutz]

OP it sounds to me like your problem wasn't so much that you had a new partner as it was that the one you played with was an *****.

Perhaps you were too passive aggressive? If I had a first time partner, or any partner, who told me not to poach after one missed shot I would first tell them thanks for the suggestion but I'm going to play the way I feel gives us the best chance to win. If they persist I will happily tell them how much their advice is worth to me.

Now if your partner has a puffball serve and you are getting killed by returns then maybe playing two back isn't such a bad option.

 

[samarai]

In league play, sometimes u just have to suck it up and play with whoever is available. With that being the case, u are only as good as your weakest player. Therefore u have to makes some adjustments to be competitive. U are not going to be able to play your game if she only plays on the baseline and does not have enough pace on her ball for u to effectively play up.

 

[LuckyR]

How do you handle this? You have a regular partner but at playoffs she isn't available. So you play with two new people who you have practiced once together ( awful captaining decision). Your styles just don't mesh during the match and you, being an aggressive player, are told to change your strategy and what has won for you at high levels and play her " singles" game in a doubles match. She doesn't have as good a record as you but gets kind of annoyed that you don't want to. You poach and miss ( the right shot) and she tells you to play safe and not do that. She tells you to stay 2 back ( doubles, really? You aren't getting killed at net). Anyway you lose badly and your confidence is shattered. How do you handle this during the match?

Clearly you guys have a personality conflict separate from tennis. She (rightly or wrongly) makes suggestions and though you disagree (perhaps rightly) you silently go along to get along, yet are fuming silently under it all. Not exactly a great mindset for playing your best.

Speak up, share ideas and go into whatever plan you guys come up with at least a common "understanding" of what the gameplan is.