Hello, all. I've been on this forum for a while now, but this is my first thread, so forgive me if there is some rule or another that I have unintentionally violated. I have tried searching for similar issues in the forum but have had no luck. Basically, I am looking for tips on playing with a partner who has a weak smash, to put it bluntly. In my group there are a couple of these players (some basically don't smash at all), but more importantly I have a tournament tomorrow with a partner who CAN smash, but is basically a defensive player. He prefers high clear serves and plays many drops in rallies. I do not really know my skill level, as I do not often play competitively, except in our group (church), in which I considered one of the better players. I can certainly smash, clear, and drop decently (in my biased opinion, at least.) In doubles, I am usually an offensive net player, and I am worried how this playstyle will work with a defensive partner. Are there any strategies or tactics I should attempt to make the most out of our partnership? Cheers, KW
Can't seem to find the edit button... P.S. Though this may not be replied to before tomorrow, it's alright, as I usually do play with such defensive players too in my weekly group.
he doesn't have to smash hard... as long as he smashes smartly ie. down the middle, at the racket hip, at the weaker player, etc and as long as he drops tight down the middle, at the weaker player, etc and as long as he doesn't lift
give him constructive feedback while playing... saying "that was good" when he does something right, and giving him advice on what is a better shot if he does something not right but even then, doubles strategy can often times be in the grey area... sometimes there's no correct answer
Thanks for the tips! You're completely right, I suppose that good placement is better than hard but random smashes. I know that I can trust his strategy, at least. He's not a bad player at all, just primarily a defensive player and singles player. Thanks again
Makes sense. Thanks. Should I try to push forward and dominate the net, or would that leave the rear court open? Should I instead take the offense at the back and smash? Of course, I understand that I know myself and my partner better than you guys would, but from the info you have what do you think?
If you think you control a rally better than him, ask him to cover the forecourt area more and get him to focus on hitting downwards as advised earlier. Just this simple game plan helps many players, even if they have played competitions before. However, as you quite rightly point out you know him better than we do.
Haha... sounds a lot like me, which bugs my partners and coach a lot as I seldom go on offense. What they did to me - put me in front and tell me to do anything I like except lifting unless I have no choice. Even if I have to lift, lift to the corners, lift it high, lift it deep and aim that square box. A good lift limits opponents' attack opportunities, so to a certain extent, it could set you up to take offense. If I am pushed to the back court, do a punch clear (a clear that's fast and has a fairly flat trajectory) to limit opponents' chances of smashing. Drop shot is also OK. For mid court area, I need to keep piling pressure on the opponents with flat exchanges, with some variations of neat touches. Lesser emphasis on downwards striking. So long as I can keep to the above, they will be able to play with lesser pressure and I might be able to set them up for an attack. It also puts lesser pressure on me to change a mindset and play style. I can still play in a way that I like to. Of course, the best is if your partner could change his mindset and play style, but as changes won't be overnight and it can be hard to change, slight modifications that fit both players well could also turn out well.
Thank you all for the insights! It gave me many ideas and much food for thought about my game. I will keep your suggestions in mind, definitely. I think ultimately I still have to simply go with the flow though. I can't let all the strategies, no matter how good, distract me from playing the game itself.