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Returning a sharp cross court return in doubles

by Keith West
(Pittsburg, Ca)

I play doubles three times a week with a bunch of old men who were pretty good as kids. Two of them are ex coaches, and both of them return serve sharply towards the side line across court with outside spin on the ball.

These returns are almost impossible to return. What can I do to reduce the effectiveness of their shot?

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Returning a sharp cross court return in doubles

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Jul 19, 2008
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starstarstarstarstar 		Change your position
by: Joe

If you're not in the right position to return these serves, then change your position. Try standing further out wide, and experiment with your front-to-back positioning as well. The danger of "cheating out wide", of course, is that your opponent will then serve down the T if he's smart. But not all opponents are smart. :-) So make him prove that he is.

Where he stands to serve can offer a clue as well as to where he plans to serve. Folks tend to stand out wide to serve out wide, and closer to the center line to serve down the center.

Best of luck!
Jun 04, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Make them change
by: Anonymous

We are talking handling a return of serve, not the original serve but I think the counter tactics are similar. If this is a consistant winning strategy for them you have no choice but to go up and wide to the ball. Fortunately since this is doubles you will have a partner to cover the large court area this will leave open.

You are on serve so you have some control about how the point starts. Angle begets angle so try to serve "down the T"...the middle of the court. This will make it more difficult for the opponent to hit a sharp angle return. It also will give your parnter a better chance at a poach. You may go so far as to "switch" on the serve (preferably on a first serve in) just to get in the opponents head.

If you are not switching on 1st serve in, make sure you are coming/falling into the court on your serve...you cannot hang back on the baseline. Force your opponent to hit back towards the middle by immediately coming up and wide. If they do go middle then your parnter should be there to cover/poach. You may give up a few points if the opponent hits down his side line, but that is a tough shot, especially if the side line is on his forehand side, and regardless you have succeeded in changing "their game". You have forced them to start thinking about what shot to hit which will cause their error count to increase.

One final thought. When you come up and wide to handle the sharp angle return you have several good choices of return since a sharp angle will put you fairly close to the net. You can return w/ a like sharp angle, go over the near net players head, go down the near sideline or simply hit a well struck ball directly at the net player. Since you are so close to them it should be tough to handle.

A big goal in doubles it to join your partner at the net. A sharp angle return by an opponent (by definition it must be a fairly short ball) that is not a winner allows you to join your partner at the net and control the point...IF you anticipate it and don't get strung out lunging wide...but are balanced on your return and can re-enter the court.

Good luck.

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