Does this happen to you - when partner clears in doubles?

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by wedgewenis, Sep 9, 2006.

  1. wedgewenis

    wedgewenis Regular Member

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    Too much of the time when I am side by side with my partner .. one of us forces a short lift to our side - rather than wait for my partner to hit the shuttle I take the advantage to move to the net while my partner attacks ...except he clears... and i'm pinned at the net and can't back up in time to do anything ... Other side will always hit a winner off of this clear as we are front/back and neither can cover the return smash

    My partner will then argue why I didn't go side to side on the clear - and I explain that is impossible since i'm already halfway to the net before he clears .. After the fact it is clear that I should not have went to the net untill my parter cleared or smash/dropped but given the fact that technically - since its mens doubles in my view my parter should not clear when his is fully behind 3 quarter court clear (ever) .. and my going to the net is logical given the advantage of the attacking formation and his opportunity to smash.

    keep in mind this is Not during a time when my partner is caught and can't get behind the shuttle - this is when he has plenty of time to attack but chooses to waste it on a clear (in my opinion)

    this doesn't happen with my regular parter since we are team attack and don't do anything else - but very often when playing with older players.. 30+ years old ..many aren't the hardest attackers but most have good dropshots ...shouldn't they atleast drop it?
     
  2. t3tsubo

    t3tsubo Regular Member

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    before a match that you want to win / dont want to lose, always discuss strategy with your partner if you arent regular partners. During this time tell them when you expect them to smash/clear/drop etc and you should be fine.
     
  3. cappy75

    cappy75 Regular Member

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    It does kinda suck to have partners clear when your team's on the offensive:p. I would rather they clear than do a lousy 'drop' when I am at the front. At least, I would have time to form up on defence when they do lift... opps... CLEAR:p. Then again, I would rather they keep it flat and low most of the time. Oh well... nobody's perfect.
     
  4. stumblingfeet

    stumblingfeet Regular Member

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    Remember, in doubles the front person dictates the play. If you go to the net, your partner is in a way obligated to hit an attacking shot because you are telling him to, and that you'll pick up the rebound at the net. A big part of this is because the back person can see the back person, but not the other way around.
     
  5. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    First, you are right that your partner should hit dropshots or smashes in preference to clears. Clearing gives away the attack, and should only be used when you suspect you cannot play an effective attacking shot (or when both your opponents are morons and are waiting at the net).

    Second, your positioning "at the net" is probably incorrect and is making life hard for you. If I guess right, as soon as your partner goes back you will rush to the short service line.

    This is too far forward. The "net player" should actually stand roughly in the middle of the court, a metre or more behind the short service line. He will normally bias himself slightly to the same side as his partner. In this position, you are optimally ready for all possibilities:

    • If your partner smashes, you will be able to cut out drive returns (this is not possible from farther forward). You will also have plenty of time to move forward to the net if the opponents block the smash instead. Your movement forward rather than sideways to the net will allow you to take the shuttle in front of you rather than to the side of you, so that you will play a more accurate shot.
    • If your partner drops, you will follow it in to the net and threaten the reply.
    • If your partner clears, you will stifle your inward groan and move a small distance back into a defensive position.
    • If you think your partner is in trouble, you will angle your feet so that you can move quickly to the opposite rearcourt corner. Then, if the opponents lift to that corner, you will go back and attack while your partner moves to the "net position". This allows you to maintain the attack, but is impossible when you are waiting on the short service line.
     
  6. B-KJoe

    B-KJoe Regular Member

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    I don't understand why you are pinned and cannot back up in time. Suppose he did decent clear to baseline, once you saw the birdie flying high, back off side to side for defending. Frankly, I think you'll have more than enough time to back off instead.


    From Gollum
    "
    If your partner clears, you will stifle your inward groan and move a small distance back into a defensive position. "
     
  7. DivingBirdie

    DivingBirdie Regular Member

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    it's a matter of shot selection, and perhaps how good the partnership is. sometimes what you think would be the best shot is just not what your partner thinks.
    However, if that deep clear actually ALLOWED your opponent to smash down on you at such speed such that you can't even move back to side-side formation in time, it would most probably be a wrong choice of shot.
     
  8. wedgewenis

    wedgewenis Regular Member

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    Well I ALWAYS hit an attacking shot of some kind whether drop or clear for better or worse ...but often my partners fall back to side/side and when the defending team drops my smash/drop back over there is nobody at the net ...and I always look at my partner and i'm like where u going? lol.

    In my view u shouldn't overhead clear unless you are 'caught' off gaurd by thier lift and you know a clear will be a more positive shot than a loose defensive drop that u know they'll kill. *OR* in those rare occasions where you want to pick apart an opposing team and in a moment of intuition you know they aren't ready for a attack-push clear.

    But the people I play with aren't clearing because they are in trouble or because its throwing off the opposition - they are quite stubborn and insist that its thier call to clear from the back even though in my expience playing with them nothing good ever comes from it.
     
  9. cappy75

    cappy75 Regular Member

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    Then you should stop playing with them and end your frustrations right now. Folks who do stupid shots willy-nilly would do better playing singles, at least they would get back 100% of what they gave:rolleyes:. You wanna get quality games, you need to play with quality players. Quality players don't need to be too skilled, they should at least be adaptable and receptive to new ideas thus opening up their own potential to improve their own level of play.
     
  10. david14700

    david14700 Regular Member

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    Yeah, it's really annoying when that happens.

    You see your opponents hit a weak mid-court clear and you step forward expecting your partner to bury a jump smash into their floor, only to see a long clear going over your head and you think WTF???

    I think the best thing is not to over-commit to the net. You should always be ready to step back into your defensive position, even from the net and a clear should give you time.
     
  11. wedgewenis

    wedgewenis Regular Member

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    Hahahaha ... yea thats exactly what i'm thinking when it happens too!
     
  12. iamBT

    iamBT Regular Member

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    You should have more than enough time to rotate back to side-side if your partner does a clear. Try working out your communication.
     
  13. Surreal

    Surreal Regular Member

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    Wedge , could it be that your partner is not confident of his smash or drop ?
    It could be affected by his fear of not getting the shuttle past the net on when he is standing on a particular position that gives him trouble?

    It could be also the reason where your partner worry if he hit a poor shot at the net , the opposing team will be able to go offense right away and possibly a above net hit offense.
     
  14. event

    event Regular Member

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    In my opinion, Gollum said it all, as usual. I used to have the same frustrations until my coach told me where to stand when "at the net". That changed everything and, as Gollum pointed out quite clearly, moving the "small distance back into a defensive position" is cause for only an easily stiflable groan. Incidentally, this was most often a problem for me when playing mixed with a partner who objected to being expected to stay up front all the time. One such partner got caught off guard often and was forced to hit a clear in many situations that I expected to be attacking ones (and therefore departed from the scenario with which wedgewenis started this thread) and the others would hit "smashes" which, because of height or inexperience, would end up more like high drives. In other words, I was often scrambling back trying not to eat the shuttle. One metre behind the service line makes a lot of difference and knowing your partners' limitations helps a little, too.
     
  15. Nikchan

    Nikchan Regular Member

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    i think this is quite true. if your partner has hit a decent clear, you should have enough time to get back to a defensive position. i play a lot with such people in my club, they dont get the basic concept of 'attack whenever you can.' im forced into this position quite a lot of times so im ok with it now, though i still always wish he's do something better than clear lol
     
  16. jet28

    jet28 Regular Member

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    ...hmmm...very well said and explained...thanks...
     
  17. extremenanopowe

    extremenanopowe Regular Member

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    Not easy to get good partner. Till now, I am still searching for the one. Life is a journey. just enjoy it. Both should shout square when lifting.
    rgds
     
  18. Avatar

    Avatar Regular Member

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    in general, when u force a short lift, your partner should be either dropping or smashing to kill off the rally. however, i have tried to drive or deceptively cleared to fool the opponent when i see them moving towards the wrong direction. if your partner insist on clearing, one way to clarify this, is to ask your partner to tell you "split" or "sides" RIGHT AFTER he made that clear. because while u r already in front, u won't have time to anticipate his clear. basically everyone in the court can see his clear, and u are the last one to know. so he can orally tell you so that u can move! makes sense to you?
     
  19. badboy4life

    badboy4life Regular Member

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    ye it happens but u need ur coach 2 help u n ur partner practice that and 2 do rotational work!

    but u shud get back..if hes cleared that gives u a second 2 get back to the middle... as soon as u go 2 the front....ur partner shud b behind ya in the middle of the court! not on his side in the middle!
     
  20. haifeng7

    haifeng7 New Member

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    when u play back to front, u do not literally stand in the middle.. when you play front, you stand to one side to the court and cover the front.. u do not hav to stand in the middle, if u stand in the middle, ur partner will be confused on which side u are going to move to.
    if u get wat i mean..

    it is better if u stand infront of ur partner & choose one side of the court to cover when playing front.
    When i first played i always stood in the middle & found it hard to return to side by side, and i used to confuse my partner alot, until i learnt how to play front & back.

    just watch fu haifeng & cai yun or just any doubles player and see how they move around the court, they r fast.
     

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