Whose ball is the drop shot ROS in doubles?

[EddieBrock]

I played a guy in doubles that would routinely drop shot off of our serves. When I was at the net watching my partner scrambling up for it I was thinking I should move for it, but he said I'd have to move back so he should cover it. Also on my serve I had to sprint up for some drop shots and it's tough when you've got a guy at the net right in front of you.

Assuming you don't see the drop shot coming who should go for it?

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Where was the ball served to? And where has the drop shot been placed? In or near the server's alley?

If the serve who was placed out wide, then the server's partner (SP) might have shifted over to cover his own alley. So is the DS is close to the other alley, the net guy mighty not get to it easily.

But if it was T serve up the middle, SP might be in a better poaching position and might get to the DS easily.

 

[nyta2]

should easily be the server's ball if they are s&v'ing, and only the net player's ball if they are poaching
if not s&v'ing,... it's whoever can get their first
i'm presuming they are making contact very inside the court (weak serve?) to not make it easily a net person's ball all the time.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

@eah123

should easily be the server's ball if they are s&v'ing, and only the net player's ball if they are poaching
if not s&v'ing,... it's whoever can get their first
i'm presuming they are making contact very inside the court (weak serve?) to not make it easily a net person's ball all the time.

Don't know if EB and his doubles cohorts regularly play S&V. They might be more comfortable with 1 Up / 1 Back. I may have misread it, but it sounds like if his partner (S) comes up to play the drop shot, that he (SP) is expected to retreat from the net to play the back.

Did I read that wrong @EddieBrock?

 

[EddieBrock]

@eah123

Don't know if EB and his doubles cohorts regularly play S&V. They might be more comfortable with 1 Up / 1 Back. I may have misread it, but it sounds like if his partner (S) comes up to play the drop shot, that he (SP) is expected to retreat from the net to play the back.

Did I read that wrong @EddieBrock?

You're right about that. There are only 2 guys I play with that play S&V regularly

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

You're right about that. There are only 2 guys I play with that play S&V regularly

I almost always played S&V (and often return &V as well) when playing doubs. I've had a few partners, only a few, who would run away (back to the baseline) whenever I followed my serve up to the net (which was nearly every time).

I warned these guys that I would come in after almost every serve. So, if they we're not willing to stay at the net, perhaps they should have started in No Man's Land instead of up at the net

 

[socallefty]

If the server is not coming to the net, then there are no hard and fast guidelines on who takes it as it would depend on the drop shot depth, spin/pace and the mobility/speed plus starting position of the server and his partner. Generally, someone should call for it early and go for it so that there is no confusion where they both end up in the same spot and leave the court wide open for the next shot.

 

[TropicalFruit]

In doubles, both players should want every ball, at all times. The only reason not to hit it is:

1. You can't.
2. Your partner has an easier shot than you do.

If you're at net, and you react to the drop shot on time, get it, and call it early so your partner knows to switch behind you. That said, your partner should ALSO be sprinting up for it, but the second you call it, should immediately pivot, then switch behind you to cover the other side of the court. Similarly, if your partner calls it, you should immediately pivot off and go back to where you started.

This paradigm is true for all ambiguous balls, not just drop shots.

 

[onehandbh]

It’s your ball unless you see your partner already going for it and you see that he/she will reach it before you do or he/she calls you off.

but if you really want it, yell, “I got it!” and go for it.

 

[socallefty]

The ‘correct‘ answer might be that if someone is hitting effective drop shots off your serve, time to stop playing doubles amd go practice your serve every time you are on a tennis court for several months. The serve is the #1 most important shot in tennis once you get to a decent level and likely the least practiced by adult rec players.

 

[ptuanminh]

How do you dropshot in double????

 

[esgee48]

If you can hit a decent drop shot from the base line, then you can hit one on ROS. As to who is responsible for going after that ROS, it depends on your partner. If your partner is "brain dead", I would just let it go because they will not switch sides if you go for it. I learnt this from experience even when you ask them to switch AND they won't. My second observation is to tell my partner to serve more effectively. If they can't do that either, I tell them to pick up Pickle Ball.

 

[FloridaAG]

Relative speed and mobility of you and your partner is also a relevant factor.

 

[Slicerman]

IMO, I think if a drop shot is hit somewhere in front of the net player then the net player has the better chance at the ball. But if the drop shot lands in-line or behind the body of the net player then the baseline player would have the better chance to get the ball.

Also really depends on how quick each player reads and reacts to the ball and their balance/recovery. I guess its part of having team chemistry, which is knowing what your partner can manage.

 

[EddieBrock]

IMO, I think if a drop shot is hit somewhere in front of the net player then the net player has the better chance at the ball. But if the drop shot lands in-line or behind the body of the net player then the baseline player would have the better chance to get the ball.

Also really depends on how quick each player reads and reacts to the ball and their balance/recovery. I guess its part of having team chemistry, which is knowing what your partner can manage.

The other day I had this situation but it was a short angle off a rally instead of a drop shot. I saw it land short and close to the alley and thought about moving for it but saw my partner sprinting up for it. In singles I think I would have had it, but it's still an awkward shot for me. My partner moved up for it but wasn't able to get it over.

 

[Dartagnan64]

The ‘correct‘ answer might be that if someone is hitting effective drop shots off your serve, time to stop playing doubles amd go practice your serve every time you are on a tennis court for several months. The serve is the #1 most important shot in tennis once you get to a decent level and likely the least practiced by adult rec players.

I've hit drop shots off pretty good servers before. It's more of a short angled block than a true drop shot, but it gets into the alley and makes a tough reply as the opponent has to run up and try not to overhit. So few people play serve and volley anymore that the short angled return has become an effective shot in doubles.

 

[Morch Us]

I played a guy in doubles that would routinely drop shot off of our serves

As always there are no hard-rules. Depending on level of play of all 4 guys on the court, and agility/mobility some things do work and some others don't. So just because pro-s do it in a specific way may not mean it would work for everyone at every skill level. Mostly at pro levels, the server should be able to get to it, and should be able to finish it or at least avoid getting hammered an overhead of next shot and the SP closes the angles, leading to all 4 players at net. But it is also true that it will be extremely hard to do a drop-shot on a return, at pro-levels.

But now if we bring the agility level down, what maybe happening is that the server is barely getting to the drop shot, possibly popping it up for an easy overhead for the opponet net guy, who then hammers it down through the middle of the court. Now if the servers partner (SP) attempts to get there (considering the agility and anticipation), he also would be late to this ball, mostly ending up in an awkward position trying to hit the ball moving away from him, leading to a weak shot DTL or middle, which the opponent net guy can angle it away to the opposite short corner (since now that side of the court is pretty open, assuming the server did not have the agility to move quickly forward and sideways and cover it). The real issue is that either of the move calls for good agility on the guy who is not hitting the ball (partner), and your teams skill level may not be to that par. So the opponent team is able to take control of the point, without much agility from their side.

So first thing is to understand that this is a "defensive situation" for your team (even though it may not be for higher levels). Which means, the most effective method is to avoid getting into that situation. How? Try Australian formation (Server and Server partner at the same side of the court). Especially if this drop shot is on the adserve. This immediately takes away the short angle dropper, and now the drop has to be straigh ahead (DTL), which won't be going away from the court, and hopefully now the server or SP has a better chance to reach there with more comfort. It is also possible that the returner may not even be able to do that comfortably. Also even though the duece side of the court is now appears open, by inviting the returner to hit to there, you are actually getting him to play his weaker shot (back hand down the line) to your servers stronger side (forehand down the line), which immediately puts your team in a stronger position, and the rest is about the SP intercepting and helping to finish and bring error from opponent.

Now if this is happening on duece side, you may have to re-analyze how opening up the left side of the court works for your team in a few points. If the opponent has a good DTL forehand, and server has a weaker DTL backhand, and the opponent net guy is assertive, it may not work good on duece side. But you may be able to change the pattern immediately from DTL by throwing off a lob or short angle.... again.... depending on skills and comforts on shots.

Now, even if you end up in this situation, the first and foremost is to accept that you are now in DEFENSE (or you both have to work on your agility). So think of the basics, when you are defense. Cover the easiest targets and buy time if you can (lob it cross court straight to the baseline guy for example), and see if you can somehow get back in the point.

 

[Morch Us]

Try Australian formation

if you are not familiar with this formation look it up online. Assuming the server does not have good enough accuracy, you may have to improvise. For this specific case, the key is that the netguys job is mainly to take away the easy dropper angle going away from court, and to force the opponent to hit down the line. The servers main job is to "expect" DTL and move over quicky right after serve and start a DTL rally, hopefully on slight advantage. So this means he may have to serve from more closer to middle, and avoid serving too close to T if you don't have a good forcing serve (because that would invite a return going away from you). (if you have a good enough serve, and the net partner has good agility T serve is advantagious. But I don't think that is the case here for OP).

 

[socallefty]

As the thread has already covered, just don’t expect there to be hard and fast rules. It depends…

 

[FuzzyYellowBalls]

Never mine, I'm too lazy

 

[Steady Eddy]

I've hit drop shots off pretty good servers before. It's more of a short angled block than a true drop shot, but it gets into the alley and makes a tough reply as the opponent has to run up and try not to overhit. So few people play serve and volley anymore that the short angled return has become an effective shot in doubles.

Sometimes I s&v in doubles, sometimes not. But when I do come to the net on my serve it's because of these people who hit a sharp, short, cc, return. And if they hit a normal return, it's good to be near the net for those too.

The biggest reason I don't follow my serve to the net...I just feel lazy.

 

[LuckyR]

I played a guy in doubles that would routinely drop shot off of our serves. When I was at the net watching my partner scrambling up for it I was thinking I should move for it, but he said I'd have to move back so he should cover it. Also on my serve I had to sprint up for some drop shots and it's tough when you've got a guy at the net right in front of you.

Assuming you don't see the drop shot coming who should go for it?

Personally I don't have that problem since I S&V essentially 100% of the time. However my partners usually don't, so I get why it can be a problem.

Generally if I'm the netman, I'm going to be at second volley position, thus I'm in a great position to poach anything anywhere near the center of the court, ie hit drops as volleys. OTOH if the drop is wide (away from me) the only way I can get to it is if it is quite shallow and quite slow.

Everything else I can't make a play on the ball, which is a good thing since my partner's play on the ball is way more efficient, that is, the ball is moving towards him as he approaches it, whereas for me, if it is not a volley, it's traveling away from me as I try to outrun it.

 

[EddieBrock]

Personally I don't have that problem since I S&V essentially 100% of the time. However my partners usually don't, so I get why it can be a problem.

Generally if I'm the netman, I'm going to be at second volley position, thus I'm in a great position to poach anything anywhere near the center of the court, ie hit drops as volleys. OTOH if the drop is wide (away from me) the only way I can get to it is if it is quite shallow and quite slow.

Everything else I can't make a play on the ball, which is a good thing since my partner's play on the ball is way more efficient, that is, the ball is moving towards him as he approaches it, whereas for me, if it is not a volley, it's traveling away from me as I try to outrun it.

That makes sense.

Funny enough something similar happened in my last match. I had a strong 1st serve that got a high weak reply in the middle of the court close to the net. My netman just stood there towards the ally even though the ball was only a few steps for him. If he moved the ball was high enough for an overhead. It took me a few seconds to realize he wasn't moving for it and by then I couldn't move up in time. It was like slow motion as I watched the ball bounce up and saw he wasn't moving for it

 

[travlerajm]

If the server isn’t planning on S&V, and the netman is fast and can recognize it in time to reach it, then the netman would usually have the best play on the ball, because it’s easier to play a decent shot when moving laterally than when charging forward, and because he starts closer he can probably have a better chance to than the server reach it before it stops below net height.

 

[LuckyR]

If the server isn’t planning on S&V, and the netman is fast and can recognize it in time to reach it, then the netman would usually have the best play on the ball, because it’s easier to play a decent shot when moving laterally than when charging forward, and because he starts closer he can probably have a better chance to than the server reach it before it stops below net height.

Another issue that bears mentioning is that the netman (moving across the centerline) will be hitting to the opposing netman if he goes DTL. This would be easy pickings for that netman unless the shot is blasted. Thus the safer shot would back CC towards where he started (to the returner). But in order to go CC, the netman has to really catch up to the shot (not merely reach out and swat the ball).

 

[PMF]

I occasionally play round-robin-doubles with an older player who is 6’9”, 300 pds., a former 5.5, and plays 4.0 due to mobility issues. His specialty is returning serves with drop shots, which, unless you get a running start before he makes contact, are almost impossible to get a racquet on. Whenever I serve against him, I always assume I’m going to hit two first serves, and aim hard into the corners. No second serves for him. If the ball is in his wheelhouse, he’s capable of returning almost any serve with a drop shot. I’d say he does it close to 50% of the time.

 

[LocNetMonster]

I played a guy in doubles that would routinely drop shot off of our serves

From my perspective, if an opponent is hitting droppers routinely on serves, that says neither the server or his partner are putting pressure on the returner, nor working together to force the returner to abandon that strategy.

 

[onehandbh]

I occasionally play round-robin-doubles with an older player who is 6’9”, 300 pds., a former 5.5, and plays 4.0 due to mobility issues. His specialty is returning serves with drop shots, which, unless you get a running start before he makes contact, are almost impossible to get a racquet on. Whenever I serve against him, I always assume I’m going to hit two first serves, and aim hard into the corners. No second serves for him. If the ball is in his wheelhouse, he’s capable of returning almost any serve with a drop shot. I’d say he does it close to 50% of the time.

Have you tried hitting a sidespin, underhand serve to him?

 

[PMF]

Have you tried hitting a sidespin, underhand to him?

Interesting idea. I will try that next time I hit with him. He does stand ridiculously close to the service line, so it’s really hard to get the ball past him. It must be frustrating for him to play down, but he’s generally respectful, and tries to give everyone tips.