Newsletter - United States Professional Tennis Association

Junior Team Tennis in Palm Beach and Broward Counties
Over 200 juniors participate in
the 7-week league offering an excellent
opportunity to hone their
match play skills in a low key yet
competitive environment.
continued from page 26
The last power of “three” deals with the player who gets
trapped on the baseline while the opponents are at the
net. This “three” deals with shot recognition also. There
are three types of balls that come to the baseline player:
1. A deep ball within a couple of feet of the baseline. 2.
A ball in the area between the service line and a couple
of feet before the baseline. 3. A short ball landing well
inside the service
box. The challenge here is twofold; one is making the
right shot selection and the second is incorporating your
partner in your plan. Assuming the other team is at the
net, the defensive team (one up, one back) has the challenge
of trying to win from this situation. Looking at the
three types of balls, the baseline player faces how (s)he
can best play from this position.
First, the deep ball landing within a couple feet of the
baseline requires the player to “BUAL” (back up and
lob). Many players try to volley this type of ball, often
playing an out ball or they try to make a heroic shot off
the half volley. Accept that the opponent hit a good shot
and lob. Your best chance for an effective lob is if you
move back.
The second type of ball is the one that lands in your
ZONE, generally between the service line area and in
front of the lob zone. This is a hittable ball, so Hit IT!
This is where your partner’s assistance is up to you. I like
having the partner hug the center line looking for an opportunity.
That opportunity will only occur if the baseline
player directs the shot down the middle or down the line.
If you’re not that fond of your partner, hit wide. A well
placed ball low in the middle or down the line can give
your partner opportunities to cross and kill. Go wide and
high, you die.
The last kind of ball is the short ball, a ball you HAVE TO
run up to get. The objective here is to get the point to
neutral. The situation now changes to having all four at
the net. Unless the ball is sitting way up and you would
like to give your opponent a free tattoo, the player’s job
is to hit a short low ball that is not too hard to allow the
point to get to neutral with all four players at the net.
Now all four are at the net looking to drive the first high
ball and close the net.
The job of a teacher is to explain things in a way that can
be understood and remembered. We all teach doubles
a little differently, using gimmicks and sayings, cones
and french fries. The bottom line is that players need to
know what the best choice is and can execute that choice
which in turn builds confidence. The game should come
down to one team’s execution versus the other team’s.
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