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Taking the Offensive From the Baseline
The Alley Shot
Good doubles teams always look for opportunities to take the offensive.
In this first scenario (Figure C below), the opposing team has given you
the opportunity to take the offensive: the net person is not covering the
alley. This often happens during the course of a complex rally. In this
case, Player 4 is pulled wide with a cross court return, but the opposing
net person, Player 2, is not shadowing the ball properly and leaves the
alley exposed. If you're Player 4, don't ignore this gift: take it when
it's given to you.
Taking the Offensive From the Baseline
The Lob
The other way to take the offensive from the baseline is to lob the ball
over the net person's head. In this scenario, Player 2 has abandoned the
neutral volley position (about 5/8th distance from the net to the service
line) and moved a step or two closer to the net. Player 4 now has the opportunity
to lob over Player 2 without fearing a punshing overhead reply. This lob
strategy forces Player 1 and Player 2 to switch sides of the court. Player
1 must run to cover the lob to the backhand corner. Player 2 must cross
to the other side of the net. Forcing your opponents to run and move like
this is always a good strategy and it often leads to several offensive possibilites
(a weak lob return that you can smash for a winner or gaps in their positioning,
enabling you to punch balls through their team).
Taking the Offensive From the Net
If you're at the net and you receive a high ball to hit, you have the opportunity
to take the offensive. Hit all high balls at the feet of the opposing net
person. If the opposing net person is crowding the net, taking away the
put away at the feet option, going right into her body and jamming her is
the play.
Part 1 Summary
To summarize the basic strategy of Part 1 (both teams playing one up, one
back), you should play the majority of your balls away from the net person
until you are either given the opportunity to take the offensive or you
seize it.
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