Your Last Match (Doubles Edition)

Cindysphinx

Cindysphinx

G.O.A.T.
What happened in your last doubles match? Did you win or lose? Was there a point when you wanted to kill your partner? :D

I'm .500 on the season. I won my only ladies match 6-4, 6-3 and lost my only 7.0 mixed match 6-4, 6-4. In the win, we won ugly and never got a rhythm going. In the loss, we were just outplayed.

I have a ladies' match this weekend. Our No. 1 team is impossible to beat, and our No. 3 team doesn't have much of a chance. Which means it's all up to me and my partner. She and I are 6.0 combo, and we will likely face a 6.5 combo. Uh oh.

Wish us luck. We're gonna need it.
 
I lost my last doubles match in a 4.0 league. Won the 1st set 6-2, lost the second set in a tie-breaker. Then lost in a tie-breaker played at 2-2 in the third as we timed out.

The team won, so it wasn't a total loss. But I was more than a little bit frustrated with the loss.
 
first match last nite got drilled 1 and 1 since the partner i was put with doesn't seem to understand to hit the ball in thecourt:confused: Every time i hit a good serve getting a weak return to kill It was hit into the fence or the net sigh I hate playing dink tennis which is what i faced One guy basically served underhanded. After the match I got to play against some other guys from the local CC and drilled them with another partner so the night was not a toltal loss;) ;)
 
sigep1967 said:
first match last nite got drilled 1 and 1 since the partner i was put with doesn't seem to understand to hit the ball in thecourt:confused: Every time i hit a good serve getting a weak return to kill It was hit into the fence or the net sigh I hate playing dink tennis which is what i faced One guy basically served underhanded. After the match I got to play against some other guys from the local CC and drilled them with another partner so the night was not a toltal loss;) ;)
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What level was this dink tennis?
 
3-6, 7-5, 10-8. Our team played horrid. It was so friggin cold. 28 degrees and I couldn't even form a drop of sweat. Couldn't feel my left hand and partner was double faulting badly enough he resorted to serving underhand. Somehow we won in the 3rd set tiebreak. That has got to be the coldest weather I've ever played in.

You people up north who play in this weather have just gotten a buttload of respect from me now. Sometimes it just ain't worth it, but then again I hate losing too.
 
Mixed doubles against a big lefty guy with the biggest serve I have ever faced. We were playing line 2 when I had been line 4 to start the season but I haven't lost so I have been moving up. I don't think that my partner and I didn't win 10 points the entire match against his first serve when it landed in.

We lost the first set 6-4 when my partner double faulted 3 times in a row to lose her service game. We came back and won the second set 7-5. We just got the one break on the other girls serve when we needed it.

In the third set we got down 5-2 and my partner thought I was being too tentative at the net. My partner won her serve to get us to 5-3 and he had the chance to win the match on his serve. I was playing ad and I fought off 3 match points but we finally broke him. I think that the guy just couldn't move past the idea that he missed his chance and my partner and I were able to win the last 3 games as well to take the match. It was the toughest league match I have ever had by far. The guy was better than me and my partner stepped up huge. It was just an incredibly fun day.
 
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Last week we both started-out ... stupid. 0-6, 6-3, 6-3. We finally "clicked" -- and the better guy on the other team actually started missing some shots. (First set, he was playing magical tennis! Even though we were getting *schooled* it was an honor to be on the court with him....)

We are .750 so-far as a team....

- KK
 
Lost a 6.0 mixed match last night 3-6, 6-3, 2-6. I held my serve all the way up to 2-2 in the third then got broken. Then we had three break points on the next game, but couldn't convert. (yeah, I know, I hear 'ya!) After that we just kind of lost our spirit a bit.

It was a great match though...very competitive. I had too many forehand errors...I'm working on my topspin and sometimes I get it, and sometimes I don't!

Last weekend I won a small tournament though...playing 7.0 mixed! It was a Valentine's Day tourny! ;)
 
Cindysphinx said:
What happened in your last doubles match? Did you win or lose? Was there a point when you wanted to kill your partner? :D
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Won first set 6-4, lost the next two 4-6, 4-6. Really tight match and really fun. I served like crap. Well, actually not that bad - the serves went mostly in, and with good speed - but our opponents managed to handle it too well :-(-

But all in all it probably was one of our better doubles matches the last season :-)

(Both me and my doubles partner are more singles players)
 
Oh, ouch. I'm still sore from the *beating* I just took.

We were facing a tough team We got spanked, 4-6, 1-6. I was actually thinking of you TW guys during the match. Wanna know why?

Because my partner was having serious trouble at net, and it was getting us killed. I came thiiiiiiiiiiis close to saying the dreaded words I abhor: "You know, if you're just going to keep dumping volleys into the bottom of the net like that, stop poaching already and just let those balls through to the baseline."

I didn't, though. I bit my tongue. I tried to remember all my yapping here at TW about playing to improve, about playing the game properly. So if the net person thinks she has a play on the ball, by gum, she should poach. She'll miss some, but she'll make some so it's worth it, right?

Uh, no. The trouble was that my partner was doing a number of things wrong on her volleys. The more she missed, the more she drifted back toward the service line, making the volleys even more difficult. The other team loved this and even started going right at her. And she was intimidated, so she was stepping backward when she volleyed. Ugh. I did get her to move closer to the net, which helped.

As for me, I played OK. Not too many errors, not many shots for the highlight reel. I felt pretty tight when I served and I think I could have pressured them a bit more by going for it. I didn't poach much, although I'm not sure why. The other team was awfully good at keeping their cross-court returns low and away. I just can't seem to get into points when that happens. Must work on this.

Overally, it was an ugly afternoon at the tennis facility. The other team was better, we needed to play out of our heads to win, and popping the ball up and missing volleys doesn't get it done. Oh well.
 
Cindysphinx said:
... my partner was having serious trouble at net, and it was getting us killed.
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Cindy - It's okay to think tactically -- and situationally -- you know....

... if the net person thinks she has a play on the ball, by gum, she should poach. She'll miss some, but she'll make some so it's worth it, right?
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Usually. Yes....

The more she missed, the more she drifted back toward the service line, making the volleys even more difficult. The other team loved this and even started going right at her. And she was intimidated, so she was stepping backward when she volleyed. Ugh. I did get her to move closer to the net, which helped.
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We've all had our partners game's fall apart. Rather than even *appear* to be judging her play, try this progression:

1 - Encourage her. If my partner misses the first 1-3 poach attempts, I assure him "I'll never get upset for you being aggressive at net. We'll get it; keep going."

2 - If the "flubs" become epidemic she can succumb to being very "down" on herself. If encouragement isn't helping, it's your job as her partner to suggest alternative tactics. (Like) "It seems like your getting killed on my Second Serve. Let's try this.... If I miss my First, drop back into the Two Back formation for my Second; we'll fight our way into the net together."

(Many times a floundering player loses his/her ability to focus on "fixes". They tend to dwell on the errors instead of the solutions. A partner can be invaluable during these times. Remember, you're a TEAM. Help him/her focus on tactical fixes....)

The other team was awfully good at keeping their cross-court returns low and away. I just can't seem to get into points when that happens. Must work on this.
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Read-up on Operation Doubles or other good Dubs sources on the Australian formation. It will force your opponents to abandon a "grooved" pattern of sharply-angled crosscourt returns. (Both Server's and Receiver's roles are different. Make sure you know your responsibilities.)

I am impressed that you are so dedicated to improving. Trying new tactics is part of that. You'll have some set-backs ... but you'll ultimately reach the next level. Keep going...!

- KK
 
KK, I would have loved to try Australian, but this was the first time this player and I had set foot on a court before. It would have been a mess; she was subbing at the last minute for an injured player.

After the match, we played some social doubles, and I tried some signaled poaches. It was a complete mess. Ya just gotta practice this stuff beforehand.
 
Cindysphinx said:
Uh, no. The trouble was that my partner was doing a number of things wrong on her volleys. The more she missed, the more she drifted back toward the service line, making the volleys even more difficult. The other team loved this and even started going right at her. And she was intimidated, so she was stepping backward when she volleyed. Ugh. I did get her to move closer to the net, which helped.
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If someone is having trouble volleying, you think they should be closer to the net? I don't know if you read about my match earlier in the thread, but I was pounding the ball towards the woman who couldn't react quick enough since she was very close to the net, when her partner was sending me these really dinky serves. I would've stood at the service line if I was in her shoes. The only time I stand in the front part of the service box is when my opponent is at the baseline. Otherwise if the net guy diagonal from me hits any of my partner's shots they have a wide opening right behind me.
 
Cindysphinx said:
Oh, ouch. I'm still sore from the *beating* I just took.

We were facing a tough team We got spanked, 4-6, 1-6. I was actually thinking of you TW guys during the match. Wanna know why?

Because my partner was having serious trouble at net, and it was getting us killed. I came thiiiiiiiiiiis close to saying the dreaded words I abhor: "You know, if you're just going to keep dumping volleys into the bottom of the net like that, stop poaching already and just let those balls through to the baseline."

I didn't, though. I bit my tongue. I tried to remember all my yapping here at TW about playing to improve, about playing the game properly. So if the net person thinks she has a play on the ball, by gum, she should poach. She'll miss some, but she'll make some so it's worth it, right?

Uh, no. The trouble was that my partner was doing a number of things wrong on her volleys. The more she missed, the more she drifted back toward the service line, making the volleys even more difficult. The other team loved this and even started going right at her. And she was intimidated, so she was stepping backward when she volleyed. Ugh. I did get her to move closer to the net, which helped.

As for me, I played OK. Not too many errors, not many shots for the highlight reel. I felt pretty tight when I served and I think I could have pressured them a bit more by going for it. I didn't poach much, although I'm not sure why. The other team was awfully good at keeping their cross-court returns low and away. I just can't seem to get into points when that happens. Must work on this.

Overally, it was an ugly afternoon at the tennis facility. The other team was better, we needed to play out of our heads to win, and popping the ball up and missing volleys doesn't get it done. Oh well.
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Doubles is a game where both players have to form a single entity. So I never feel like strangling my partner, because in essence, it was up to me to figure how we could do things better, and also to communicate with my partner to implement the change.

When I play doubles with a weaker partner, I only encourage them, and make small hints on how to make adjustments ONLY IF THEY ASK. Remember the golden rule ... treat others as you would have them treat you.

My regular partner and I lost a match a while ago because we weren't communicating. We kept losing the net, so I told him we needed to adjust our strategy and start double back from the baseline. When we did the strategy (including lobs to get them to back off of the net), we started winning. But once we were within reach of winning the match, he went back to rushing the net without me and we lost. It was a fun match, and I was pretty happy at how we performed since my partner was never really great at volleys. But I learned from this particular match I should have kept communicating with my partner, so that we weren't out of sync.

At a certain point, you should have adjusted your strategy. If you notice your partner doesn't have much confidence playing at net, recommend starting double back before advancing to the net.

Just remember, doing your best and losing is fine, but playing to lose isn't doing your best. And always apply the golden rule.
 
Either be close to the net so you can get the volley above net level, or play two-back if you can't handle the pace.

People think that drifting backward will buy them more time, but it will also buy them a screamer on their shoe-tops. Our opponents went right at me a couple of times today, and I hit (reflex) winners up their gap. So they stopped.

Am I incorrect about this? If I am, I need to know before I get myself killed.
 
We did make some adjustments. I suggested lobbing more, and this helped (but my partner says she can't lob so it was a lopsided effort). We took off some pace, and that drew some errors. We played two back on a few points, but they had heat on their groundstrokes that was tough to get back without popping up to the net person. And I served and volleyed to dig out of trouble on my serve once, which was certainly a change in strategy. We noticed that one server got the yips on her second serve, so we would charge the service line during her service motion and she would double-fault.

The trouble was that our opponents kept adjusting to our adjustments. Darn them!

But yeah, the volleying thing was frustrating. I kept waiting for the natural "Oh, crap. I've blown a bunch of volleys; maybe my poaching is too aggressive and ineffective so I'll stop" light to kick on and it never did.
 
Doubles is a tough gig in this sport when you're used to the gladiator vibe of singles and you're playing with competence and your partner is shanking. Unfortunately, it goes with the territory.

No apologies is what I always tell a doubles partner. Just have fun, go for it and play one point at a time.
 
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won 6 - 3, 5 - 7, 7 - 6

didnt drop serve which i was happy about, returned well.

in the super tb we were up 9 - 5 and my partner served a wide ball and our opponent blocked back a floaty FH so i jumped all over it, it was so slow i had time to chnge my mind from thru the middle to a c/c angle. In the end i hit it almost into the side fence, hilarious. Next point i hit a topspin lob off a deep volley that landed on the baseline to win it. Thank god, my partner would have killed me if we let them back after missing the easiest shot of the day.
 
Won my men's match today: 6-4, 6-1.

Played with my 10.7-oz 365 SW tweener today and played well.

I had one of those days when I had "magic hands" so that every time someone pounded a ball near my feet, I seemed to find a way to send it back a few inches over the net.
 
Can we start adding the NTRP Rating to these updates ?

I find there is a difference between a 3.5 Tiebreak and 4.0 Tiebreak

(The 3.5 being who shanked less)
 
Cindy - It wasn't clear to me (before) that you were making tactical adjustments. It seems that you did the best you could in the situation you were in.

Cindysphinx said:
The trouble was that our opponents kept adjusting to our adjustments. Darn them!
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The fun thing about Dubs is most matches have a "friendly" tone ... even when it's tense competition. I enjoy bantering with the opponents in-between points with quick "editorial" comments.

(One of my opponents recently commented on my doubles banter.) He said, "You are the most psychological player I've ever met. You always have some subtle comment which makes us think about what we're doing ... instead of focusing on our strategy." He was quick to explain he didn't think my commentary was "under-handed"; just that I am capable of making the opposition over-think.

I decided that was cool. I have kept doing it.

That was a LOOONG preamble to my first thought on reading about your opponents adjusting to your adjustments. I'd probably -- with a friendly smile -- say something like, "I think it ought to be *illegal* to change your tactics to counter our changes. Please stick with one strategy so we have a chance...."

_______________


I was a Sub last week. I played with a guy I rarely play with and he was struggling ... except at the net. We won 6 and 4. (Wa-hoo!)

In the second set, on my serves, he started signaling whether he was poaching. I didn't even realize it until the last game, but my "Okay" to him on each signal seemed to -- ever so slightly -- disrupt the minds of the opponents. I think they were a bit rattled and thinking too much about what my Netman was going to do ... and not enough about just Returning my serves.

Either be close to the net so you can get the volley above net level, or play two-back if you can't handle the pace.

<snip>

Am I incorrect about this? If I am, I need to know before I get myself killed.
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As previously posted, I think it depends on the Level of Dubs.

I play with 5.0 and some 4.5 players. It bugs me to distraction if my Netman either crowds the net or plays "Net" too deeply. (If he crowds it at our level we'll get *killed* by Lobs. If he plays too far back, near the Service Line, the Bad Guys will be ripping topspin drives at his shoelaces.)

In my experience it's frequently somewhere between 3.5 and 4.0 that Dubs players start getting a grasp of the "Three Dimensionality" of Dubs. and learn to recognize (and exploit) a Net Player who is ... "postionally challenged."

At the 3.0-3.5 levels I'd encourage Net Players to be "quite mobile" for their Ready Position (while their partner is Serving) ... in an area that incorporates a Step and One-Half forward to a Step and One-Half back of the midpoint from Net to Service Line ... AND Two Steps either side of the lateral midpoint (from Service Line to Dubs Sideline). And I'd place a premium emphasis on them learning to *close on the Net* for each volley they make from whatever "Ready Position".

BUT ... the above paragraph assumes elastic/dynamic movements all through the points. Learn to close to volley ... and "ease" off the Net when play is redirected to your partner in the point.

(I hope that made sense. I'm hurrying....) Watch the Bryans when both are at net. Watch Paes/Bhup... or Bjorkman/Myrni. These great Dubs players are very active and dynamic when at the Net.)

- KK
 
Cindy- I agree with you on the positioning for a weak net player. if they are having trouble with the pace then they should either move up to the point where they only have to get their racket on it or back to the baseline. Otherwise they are just a target.

For the most part if I see someone playing right on the net I will try pounding them on their backhand volley. (I play ad so on return of serve thats to the middle of the court). If they can do something with that ball then I will topspin lob them to force them back.
 
Yesterday my 11-yo step son was my secret weapon. We picked up a dubs match against a couple 4.5's (one is a very strong 4.5, maybe 5.0). We won 6-4,6-4. The boy made drop volley angle winners, about 6 of em, from the net position. I think that's my first dubs match of the year. (1-0)
 
Kaptain Karl said:
I play with 5.0 and some 4.5 players. It bugs me to distraction if my Netman either crowds the net or plays "Net" too deeply. (If he crowds it at our level we'll get *killed* by Lobs. If he plays too far back, near the Service Line, the Bad Guys will be ripping topspin drives at his shoelaces.)
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KK,
I find that I'd much rather have a partner who crowds the net than one who plays too far back. As a quick player who always plays the ad court, it makes it easier for me to make a quick decision on whether I should roll right to cover a lob over my partner's head if my partner is close enough to be out of my way.

In fact, in mixed doubles, I think in most cases it's imperative to have the woman crowd the net and always have her play on the deuce side (if the guy is righthanded). And I always serve Aussie from the deuce side when I'm playing either mixed or with a male partner with weaker volleys than me, because that allows my partner to "cheat" closer to the net and not worry about the threat of the opponents lobbing. Once the opponents realize that any weak lob over my partner's alley is going to be hammered down hard, they stop lobbing. And then they have to decide between hitting at my partner, who is close enough to the net to be a legit offensive threat, or playing a ball to my side of the court. Also, having the weaker net player up tight on the net makes it possible for her to poach floaters over the middle that she would ordinarily have no chance at.

On the other hand, if my weaker volleying partner plays too far back at the net, then there is no reason for the opponents to ever hit a ball to my side of the court. And we end up with my partner hitting every ball from her shoelaces, and that's no way to win in doubs.

My point is that most people divide the doubles court up into two side-by-side zones, where each person's responsibility is one side of the court. But I think that it makes more sense in mixed or even in men's doubles to have one player cheat closer, because it really only takes one player to cover a lob. It's just as easy, if not easier, to roll back and to your right to cover an overhead, than it is to backpedal straight back to cover a lob with an overhead. This type of positioning makes better use of both the weaker player and the stronger player, as it tends to channel the opponents' shots to the stronger player.
 
travelerajm - What I like about your post is ... you have a firm foundation -- strategically speaking -- which forms the core of your approach to dubs. Good job.

As much as I post from the POV that "There's only one RIGHT way to play Dubs" I really am capable of allowing for variances. If you can back-up your mindset with a well-thought-out strategy, I'll support you in your methodology. You seem to have thought it through quite well (and I assume it's working for you). "Carry on...."

- KK
 
This word Dubs ? I've never heard it used before. It's kind of maddening that you keep using the word to drive me insane.
 
Kaptain Karl said:
travelerajm - What I like about your post is ... you have a firm foundation -- strategically speaking -- which forms the core of your approach to dubs. Good job.

As much as I post from the POV that "There's only one RIGHT way to play Dubs" I really am capable of allowing for variances. If you can back-up your mindset with a well-thought-out strategy, I'll support you in your methodology. You seem to have thought it through quite well (and I assume it's working for you). "Carry on...."

- KK
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My strategy was born after playing some 8.0 mixed matches, where I played as a 4.5 with a 3.5 partner. In this situation, I quickly learned that a team MUST play the general strategy I described if they want be a competitive team. You show me a 3.5 gal who doesn't crowd the net in 8.0 mixed, or a 4.0 gal who doesn't crowd the net in 9.0 mixed, and I'll show you a team with a miserable league record.

Obviously, the strategy I described won't work for everybody. But I do think that it can really help some teams (that are unbalanced in net skills) to liberate the weaker net player from the burden of worrying about the lob.

My golden rule of doubles is that the effectiveness of a player's volleys is inversely proportional to the player's distance from the net. By evening out the effectiveness of you and your partner, you take away the obvious target for your opponents so that they don't have a free "safe" place to put the ball.
 
Nick Irons said:
This word Dubs ? I've never heard it used before. It's kind of maddening that you keep using the word to drive me insane.
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It is very common among higher level players, and teaching pros, I don't think I have ever heard a fellow pro say doubles unless they were mocking someone at the club. As well as any circiut/tour players I have met/casually spoken with.

J
 
Nick Irons said:
This word Dubs ? I've never heard it used before. It's kind of maddening that you keep using the word to drive me insane.
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I have only this to post, "You'll get used to it."

The following is how I type my contact notes in my records:

Ths wd trly drv y crzy. I rrly use any vwls whn typ'g my nts. My prob is, I typ ths wy so mch in my nts to myslf, I actly hv trbl -- & hv to *thnk* mr -- whn typg ltrs to clnts or gn'l biz ltrs. (& as smlr as ths "styl" is to "AOL-spk" I hv enrms diffty cmprhndg wh AOL kds ar typg! I thnk th diff is, AOlers do it to be "cl" ... I do it to sv tm.)

There have been (two) times when clients have requested copies of my contact notes. That ^^ is what they received. (I told them, "I'll re-compose them ... but I'll charge you for doing so. Or ... you can get them straight off my system. Both times they elected to see the "raw" notes....)

- KK
 
LOL

Scary, I actually could understand it !
It is very common among higher level players, and teaching pros
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I've been around both; strangley have never heard it used (Then again, I'm a singles kind of guy).
 
travlerajm said:
My strategy was born after playing some 8.0 mixed matches, where I played as a 4.5 with a 3.5 partner. In this situation, I quickly learned that a team MUST play the general strategy I described if they want be a competitive team. You show me a 3.5 gal who doesn't crowd the net in 8.0 mixed, or a 4.0 gal who doesn't crowd the net in 9.0 mixed, and I'll show you a team with a miserable league record.

Obviously, the strategy I described won't work for everybody. But I do think that it can really help some teams (that are unbalanced in net skills) to liberate the weaker net player from the burden of worrying about the lob.

My golden rule of doubles is that the effectiveness of a player's volleys is inversely proportional to the player's distance from the net. By evening out the effectiveness of you and your partner, you take away the obvious target for your opponents so that they don't have a free "safe" place to put the ball.
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So lets say you are playing with a partner crowding the net, when you are hitting the ball. If your opponent poaches your shot, you are guaranteed to lose the point because your partner is out of position to respond and they can volley it cross-court right behind your partner.

I find that playing close to the net is counterproductive if your partner can't hit the ball deep and keep from getting poached. The other day I was playing doubles with a guy that was a pusher hitting dink shots and I couldn't play close to the net because our opponents kept coming up into the two-up and were attacking all of his shots. I kept having to step back to the service line so I had any chance of keeping the point alive.

I guess my stance is that if your partner is crowding the net, there is the out of position problem when your shot gets poached. I also see them as a target, because if they already are weak volleyers, the closer they are, the less time they have to get their racquet in position to hit the ball, which means they are more likely to get hit with the ball. But then again, if they are in the back part of the service box, if you can hit the ball low at them they will have problems volleying as well. I guess thats why mixed doubles is usually frustrating, because you are always going to have someone at a higher skill level pounding shots at someone who is at the net with lesser volleying skills.

I think the women should be rated higher than the men in league mixed doubles, to even the playing field.
 
raiden031 said:
I think the women should be rated higher than the men in league mixed doubles, to even the playing field.
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Why...because *YOU* think the women are weaker? In my mixed team, there isn't one 3.0 guy who is as good as the 3.0 women. They make tons of errors because they always try to macho the ball, hit the crap out of it, and into the net (or out of the court) it goes. Most of the 3.0 women don't even bother with 6.0 anymore...they all play 7.0 with a 4.0 guy because it ends up being a better match up.

Just because *YOU* have had a bad experience, don't put down a whole gender of players!
 
Raiden, if your team is one-up, one-back and the other team is taking the net, you're pretty screwed unless your partner can lob or has a good passing shot.

Yes, you should fall off the net a bit when your partner is hitting. But if he can't get the ball past the two opponents at net, you are much better off if you play two-back rather than one at baseline and one at service line. Then at least you have formed a wall at the baseline.

I think that's the conventional wisdom.

Regarding whether women playing mixed ought to have to be higher-rated than the guys, my understanding is that the weakest 7.0 mixed combinationis 4.0 woman + 3.0 guy. That's what I hear, anyway.
 
Cindy benn gone a few days so in response to your question on the dink tennis it was 3.0. I play much better with higher ranked players 3.5 to 4.0 for some reason. I am a 3.0 on the computor but I have only played one season after a 20+ year of not touching a racquet. My brother in law from a another stat who is a good 4.0-4.5 says i am sandbagging;) I play him very tough but I always play the dinkers terrible just can't get into the game at all just no fun at all watching 5 lobs go over the net in a row:mad: If i every get a serve worth a damn I will move up and quick to get away from the dinkers.
 
I'm on vacation, so I had my first match since last Wednesday. And this one was different, we played on CLAY! (My first time ever, in California clay courts range from incredibly rare to illegal.) And I played with my husband in a mixed match, which really doesn't happen much. It was great fun, we won 6-0, 4-6, 6-4 against some tough and incredibly nice players. They needed a set to warm up, I'd been in a clinic, and had gotten used to moving on the clay. My husband never got really comfortable with the bounces and sliding, so he was less fast than usual, but compensated by setting me up for poaches at net. (I alway play ad, and I'm a ball hog, and he plays with me anyway...) I love how slow the ball is on clay, you can really position your shots.

Oh, and on poaching, our club pro tells us your partner gets 10 misses for everyone they make before you can get mad. It really takes the pressure off, and lo and behold, before we hit 10 misses we are making our poaches like mad. So, when your partner is netting them, just remind her, okay, only 9 more before I get mad...:-)

And I've heard mixed with the woman rated >= the men referred to as queen's doubles. I'd love it if they had a season of that offered here every year, as it would get me back into mixed doubles leagues. At this point I'm a 3.5, and though I have no problem facing a 3.5 man at net, I don't feel I have the reflexes to face a 4.0 guy. Between that, and the fact my husband hasn't been bumped yet, due to taking a season off or so off, my partner and I add up to 6.5, and our mixed 7.0 captain wouldn't play us together. But boy today was fun, I wish there were leagues we could play together again.
 
raiden031 said:
So lets say you are playing with a partner crowding the net, when you are hitting the ball. If your opponent poaches your shot, you are guaranteed to lose the point because your partner is out of position to respond and they can volley it cross-court right behind your partner.

I find that playing close to the net is counterproductive if your partner can't hit the ball deep and keep from getting poached. The other day I was playing doubles with a guy that was a pusher hitting dink shots and I couldn't play close to the net because our opponents kept coming up into the two-up and were attacking all of his shots. I kept having to step back to the service line so I had any chance of keeping the point alive.

I guess my stance is that if your partner is crowding the net, there is the out of position problem when your shot gets poached. I also see them as a target, because if they already are weak volleyers, the closer they are, the less time they have to get their racquet in position to hit the ball, which means they are more likely to get hit with the ball. But then again, if they are in the back part of the service box, if you can hit the ball low at them they will have problems volleying as well. I guess thats why mixed doubles is usually frustrating, because you are always going to have someone at a higher skill level pounding shots at someone who is at the net with lesser volleying skills.

I think the women should be rated higher than the men in league mixed doubles, to even the playing field.
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raiden,

The whole idea is to have the weaker player crowd the net, not the other way around. If you are hitting shots that gets poached, and your partner is good enough to do something with it if she stays back further, then it sounds like YOU should be the one who is crowding the net, not her.

Anytime your shots are getting poached, that's a sure sign that you are not close enough to the net.
 
3.0 men

I was supposed to play #1 Mens Dubs for my 3.0 team but due to my arriving late, I was thrown togeteher with another straggler to play #3 dubs. We won the spin and I let my partner serve. Up 30-love we get into a net exchange and my partner gets nailed in the sack! Needless to say we got broken, but that seemed to be the only bad spot in the day as we took the match 1 & 2
(1-0)
 
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GRANITECHIEF said:
On purpose or incidentally? Was it a drive volley? Did the opponent go down or what? BTW, nice shot!
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I was at net on the ad side...opponents mis-hit a shot to the deuce side...I run over and it is a classic sitter. I let it bounce and then let 'er rip! And the opponent's net person was right there...I was going for the angled forehand between the players, but she was standing there! I hit her right underneath her eye and the side of her nose. It was most certainly *NOT* on purpose. I went over to their side to see if she was ok. No bleeding!

The thing is...it bounced off of her face and went back over the net!!! Who's point is that?

We ended up just playing a let eventually, and she was an excellent sport about the whole thing.
 
Got another doubles win tonight...3.0 level. I got to play with the partner I played with at Districts last year, and we're very comfortable with each other. We squeaked out a *very* tight first set 7-6 (8-6). Then we started to rock and roll in the second, and we were up 5-2 when we ran out of time.

Things I did well: volley, overheads (they were putting up a lot of lobs), held serve every time and NO double faults!

Thing I didn't do well: racked up soooo many UE from my forehand! Ack!
 
Another weekend, another good match! We dropped a couple of breadsticks on the visiting mens' #2 3.0 team. My partner was on fire I had the best seat in town to enjoy the show! They broke my serve in the 2nd set so that's something to improve on.
(2-0)
 
Lost 6-1,6-3 at the 4.5 level (playing up). Match was split up by rain, so today we started with me and my partner down 0-4.

The good: I served well (held every time) and returned OK.

The bad: I missed too many volleys.

The ugly: nasty wind..again. Only once out of the last 7 times I've played has the wind not been howling. It's getting old. Also, all the nets at the public park we were paying on were at least an inch low, and there was no way to adjust them higher.
 
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