Handling drive returns in doubles

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by buluayam, Oct 20, 2004.

  1. buluayam

    buluayam Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2004
    Messages:
    25
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Singapore
    My own question about standing in front

    I've got a question about standing in the front in doubles. Here's the scenario :

    Supposing I serve a short serve. The usual response is for me to stand in front, to cover and take any drop or even certain slow drive returns which the opponent might try. If they lift, or drive, it's the back player's job to cover those shots as they'd be too fast for me standing in front (unless I'm extremely alert!)

    But what I'm wondering is...for most of these shots this is an alright strategy. But I've played with some really good players, who tend to keep it flat when returning my serve, but they are able to do it in such a way that it is just too quick for me to react and yet is short enough that it will either put the back player off balance or if I'm playing with a weaker player they wouldn't react/move quick enough either.

    Generally if it's a shot the back player isn't able to take, I tend to think that I should've taken it. But these shots truly are too quick for me! Not saying I'm that fantastic in skill, but I think I've got reasonably quick reactions to compare in such a way as to say that most other players standing in front wouldn't be able to retrieve these shots too.

    Can anyone suggest something to me? Or is it just the case of not being quick enough - I've certainly seen what some of the top pros can do! :eek:
     
    #1 buluayam, Oct 20, 2004
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 20, 2004
  2. Mag

    Mag Moderator

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2002
    Messages:
    3,347
    Likes Received:
    4
    Occupation:
    Graphic Designer
    Location:
    Stockholm, Sweden
    A drive return like that should be handled by the back player. You're doing the right thing if you're ducking it. If your partner can't handle it, there's not much you can do. :rolleyes:

    Having said that, if your opponents repeatedly do this, it is probably because you give them room for it: there must be something wrong with your serving.

    Work on your serve. There is always room for improvement, and a very small improvement can make a huge difference.

    Don't forget to flick serve! A good high serve every now and then really makes the receiver less confident in rushing the serve.
     
  3. cheongsa

    cheongsa Regular Member

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2003
    Messages:
    513
    Likes Received:
    1
    Occupation:
    Assistant Professor
    Location:
    Singapore
    Scramble the timing of your serve.

    Most people go through a standard preparation phase and then always serve at a particular point in time. This allows the opponent to read the serve like a book, andrush the serve to great effect, even if it just clears the tape.

    One thing you can try is to look at the opponent before you serve. Players waiting to rush usually tense up their muscles, but they cannot hold the stance only for a second or two, after which they would have to relax the muscles and tense up again. Serve at that point in time. I find that even if my serve is not of the highest quality, my opponent cannot rush the serve.

    Otherwise, just serve early some times, and late some times, so that the opponent has to keep guessing.
     
  4. buluayam

    buluayam Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2004
    Messages:
    25
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Singapore
    Thanks for the replies! Glad to know I'm not doing something too fundamentally wrong :)

    I guess I have to vary my serves more. My serves are generally low enough that a regular opponent won't be able to drive the shuttle or kill it (though I'm not always that consistent! :crying: ). But when I play with some of the better players, the reason why they are able to drive the shuttle even if my serves are just over the tape is that they tend to rush my serve. And it's those types of "in-between" drives which are quite out of reach for the back player and fast enough that I can't rightly take the drive well (or take it at all!)

    I vary my serves when I play with players like these, but usually the best I can expect is to put them off balance enough if I serve high so that they can't smash the shuttle - the ones I play with are still able to return well though!

    Think I need to go a little more into the psychological aspect and try to deceive my opponents better.... :)
     
  5. Mag

    Mag Moderator

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2002
    Messages:
    3,347
    Likes Received:
    4
    Occupation:
    Graphic Designer
    Location:
    Stockholm, Sweden
    A good return is a good return. It's supposed to be hard to deal with! :p

    Practising serving while looking at the receiver is a good idea (ie without looking at the shuttle). Many top players do this, most notably Ha Tae Kwon who really stares down the receiver before serving. This is not just psychological play -- it is easier to read what the receiver is going to do and actually gives you an umph of a second more to react.
     
  6. bighook

    bighook New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2004
    Messages:
    192
    Likes Received:
    4
    Occupation:
    student
    Location:
    burnaby british columbia
    Something to keep in mind about whether or not your serves are truly as good as you think and which explains the push to the gap is whether or not the bird is still rising as it crosses the net.The other points of varying timing will help but if the receiver is patient and you are hitting serves that are still rising at the point of contact the result will be the same.Many people practice their serves and ignore this aspect which is truly the decider of what kind of returns are available to the receiver.This is why some people add a little slice to their serves as the spin on the bird makes the bird drop faster.The other thing is shorten the distance the shuttle has to travel by aiming for the tee close to the center line.This also forces the receiver to take the bird in a more awkward position and reduces the angle of returns which your partner has to cover .Remember that you are trying to serve to eliminate as many obstacles for your partner as possible.I just hate it when people serve high rising serves to the center of the halfcourt making me have to cover the drive down the sideline or the shot you mentioned which often times gives the attack right away to the opposition.Remember you can only win points when your serving.Hence that is why serving and receiving are the most important parts of the rally as they often dictate what shots will follow.Some of the best players in the world practice serving for an hour each day when there is a break in their training day.
     
  7. toddster

    toddster Regular Member

    Joined:
    Nov 7, 2002
    Messages:
    112
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    Grad. Student PE instructor
    Location:
    Southern California
    Welcome

    Welcome to the world of fast aggressive doubles. :)

    I recommend to players that if you are in the front court and your can not make contact with the shuttle infront of your body, then let it go for your partner. This is important because your partner can make contact with the shuttle in front of his body, and at the same time look to see where your opponents are.

    When serving short in doubles, I move in towards the direction I placed the shuttle. When serving short, my responsibility is to cover any drops my opponent may hit off my short serve. If my opponent drops on me, I want to kill the shuttle and get my free cheap point.

    Now that you are starting to get a couple of cheap points, from covering the front, your opponents stop droping to you off your short serve. COOL!!!, now you can start to help your partner in the back court return flat fast serves. Generally, I help my partner by lifting my racket up. While this doesn't seem very effective in that I can not cut off a lot of shots, just haveing my racket up scares my opponents in thinking that I can cut it off.

    Don't get me wrong, I am not wildly waving my racket around, but rather I am just holding my racket up slightly above my head, ready to "BLOCK" any shots I can to cut off. If I swing, I will miss!!

    Now I am not trying to cover the entire back court, but rather, I am trying to cover just one corner. Which corner to cover is a manner of oppinion. Some people say cover your partner's backhand. Personally, I would rather have my forehand covered. I have had so many people rush to my backhand, that I think I hit better backhand drives than forehand drives (I also think it has to do with technique, but that is another discussion).

    Another possibility, is to cover the side your are serving from, the thinking is that you can cut off the slower cross court shot. When I do not know my partner that well, I usually do this untill i decide which is weaker for my partner, and then I will usually cover the weaker side.

    The final twist, is when I play with a left handed player. I always cover his backhand. Then we bring about the great advantage of having two players covering the court with their forehands. (this doesn't happen very often)

    However, you must acknowlege, that once you start to help our partner out by cutting off shots, you are starting to give away some of the net drops that your opponents can hit off your serve. As I see it, it is a trade off.

    I apologise for making such a long post, I was just trying to be clear.

    Honestly, you are starting to achieve a greater level of doubles play, while it may be frustrating right now. ENJOY the challenge. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. If your partner is having problems with the speed of the return, maybe its time for you and your partner to start spending some time with some speed drills and improve your driving techinques.

    Doubles is all about SPEED!!!!!

    Take care,

    Toddster
     

Share This Page