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Strategy: Mixing Up The Pace


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Strategy Question

"We have trouble in doubles when a team is mixing up the pace of the ball. Sometimes they hit it hard, sometimes a floater, then a dink - we can't react to the pace and we hate it. What do we do?"

Answer

There are three major solutions.

1. Keep a consistent point of contact

The first solution is to maintain your stroking fundamentals by maintaining a consistent point of contact. When playing the type of opponents who hit hard, then soft, your game is often thrown off because you're hitting the ball too early on soft shots and too late on hard shots. Meet the ball the at same spot every time.

2. Act as though each ball were coming to you

A team that mixes up the pace can lull you and your partner to sleep. In doubles you want to be thinking every ball is going to come to you, not to your partner. So you must react as though every ball is going to come to you. To do that, take a small hop to unwieght yourself the instant BEFORE your opponent strikes the ball. It does not matter where you are on the court, do a small hop so you can react quicker and get setup quicker.

3. Don't play at the speed of the ball

The third solution is don't play at the speed of the ball (this is a lot like the baseball prohibition of not allowing the ball to play you). When the speed of the ball is medium or slow, players fall into the bad habit of setting up s-l-o-w and m-o-v-i-n-g s-l-o-w. Always move faster than the ball to set up early. This way you are ready for anything and everthing that they throw at you.


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