1. Hit the ball cross court to work the natural rotation of your hips, clear the lowest net and hit into the most court available.
2. Hit down the line to change the line of the ball and pressure your opponent to move further to get the ball.
3. Approach the net on a short ball as long as you've hurt opponent enough with your appraoch shot; if not you're better off dishing the ball back and returning to the baseline. Keep the approach in front of your body.
4. Serve wide to open up the court and move your opponent on the next shot.
5. Serve the middle to keep the angle of return down the middle and reduce the angles your opponent may use.
6. When playing a more consistent player you must play aggressive with attacking the ball and moving the ball to force errors upon your opponent. Bring your opponent to net or charge the net appropriately to finish points if they push.
tbc................
Your pro in the trenches,
Kevin Pease
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Doubles Strategy for the 3.0-3.5 level player
1. Get your first serve in!
2. See tip one and read it three more times. Never request this of your partner during match play because they will double fault.
3. Serve down the "T" to set up poaches for your net partner.
4. Use signals: fist for fake poach, open hand to poach, or one finger (poach on first serve), two finger (poach on second serve), open hand poach on both serves, or the fist (fake on both serves). The server should acknowledge the signal with a yah or no (change the signal). Another way is a quick discussion between points.
Verbal communication should be used between points when needed to develop your tactics as the match develops.
5. One up and one back strategy works if the other team plays that way.
The net player must be ready to poach cross court balls often.
6. When you are up by one or more points in a game, serve and volley or return serve and volley to put "quick pressure" on your opponents and to play aggressively. Returning serve and staying back is called "delayed pressure."
7. Put volleys away to the short side (the player standing closer to the net).
This becomes a "free ride" to the net for your baseline partner.
8. Discuss the weaknesses and strenghts of your opponents with your partner; the little guy is fast and the big guy has a nasty forehand but hasn't hit a backhand today.
9. When in trouble lob and your partner should back up as much as the point will allow.
10. If your partner returns well, poach off the return of serve.
11. Position yourself to hit your best groundstrokes and volleys cross court.
12. When both players are at the net and you are back, hit the ball low "down the middle" or lob. The are exceptions: the alley is open, that guy has a weak hig backhand volley...etc.
13. Hit your volleys cross court unless you have a put-away attempt.
14. Use the "I" formation to throw off a good return of serve.
15. Take a lesson from Kevin Pease.............this is only the beginning.
Your pro in the trenches,
Kevin Pease
2. See tip one and read it three more times. Never request this of your partner during match play because they will double fault.
3. Serve down the "T" to set up poaches for your net partner.
4. Use signals: fist for fake poach, open hand to poach, or one finger (poach on first serve), two finger (poach on second serve), open hand poach on both serves, or the fist (fake on both serves). The server should acknowledge the signal with a yah or no (change the signal). Another way is a quick discussion between points.
Verbal communication should be used between points when needed to develop your tactics as the match develops.
5. One up and one back strategy works if the other team plays that way.
The net player must be ready to poach cross court balls often.
6. When you are up by one or more points in a game, serve and volley or return serve and volley to put "quick pressure" on your opponents and to play aggressively. Returning serve and staying back is called "delayed pressure."
7. Put volleys away to the short side (the player standing closer to the net).
This becomes a "free ride" to the net for your baseline partner.
8. Discuss the weaknesses and strenghts of your opponents with your partner; the little guy is fast and the big guy has a nasty forehand but hasn't hit a backhand today.
9. When in trouble lob and your partner should back up as much as the point will allow.
10. If your partner returns well, poach off the return of serve.
11. Position yourself to hit your best groundstrokes and volleys cross court.
12. When both players are at the net and you are back, hit the ball low "down the middle" or lob. The are exceptions: the alley is open, that guy has a weak hig backhand volley...etc.
13. Hit your volleys cross court unless you have a put-away attempt.
14. Use the "I" formation to throw off a good return of serve.
15. Take a lesson from Kevin Pease.............this is only the beginning.
Your pro in the trenches,
Kevin Pease
Friday, April 17, 2009
Lob Options
The defensive lob is flat or sliced and is used when pulled out of position and requires a high cross court ball to get back into the point. This placement gives you the most time to recover and the opponent a difficult high deep ball to strike.
The offensive lob is a quick lob that is used as a passing shot that leaves the net player with a defensive shot: if the lob is executed correctly. It is best hit over the backhand and can be hit down the line or cross court.
Your pro in the trenches,
Kevin Pease
The offensive lob is a quick lob that is used as a passing shot that leaves the net player with a defensive shot: if the lob is executed correctly. It is best hit over the backhand and can be hit down the line or cross court.
Your pro in the trenches,
Kevin Pease
Australian
S=server, R=receiver, P=partner, O=opponentThe Australian net position is used to cut off difficult returns by the receiver and forces the receiver to consider hitting down the line which is a more difficult return, especially on wide serves: there's not much court there and the net is higher.
Your pro in the trenches,
Kevin Pease
Australian Poach
S=server, R=receiver, P=partner, O=opponentPoaching in the Australian position is easiest when the serve is placed down the middle. The receiver's best options are to a) rip it cross court anticipating a poach, b) hit the down the line anticipating a stay, c) hit a lob over the net player to take them off the net.
Your pro in the trenches,
Kevin Pease
Forward Net Position
S=server, R=receiver, P=partner, O=opponentThis graphic demonstrates two net players, the one in front of the ball is in the offensive volley zone, the other is set back in the defensive volley zone and can cover the lob. World class players both move into the offensive zone because of their athletic court coverage abilities.
Also, the third of the court that gives the opponent the hardest shot is left open.
Your pro in the trenches,
Kevin Pease
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