Trouble - What to do in doubles when you're opponent is in trouble

In doubles, "trouble" as it pertains to your opponent, means anytime they are off balance, stretching, or retreating. It also means anytime the net player has a ball at their feet or at least very low in relation to the net.  In these circumstances, your opponent's ability to accurately control the direction and intent of their shot is limited at best.  What does this mean for you?

If you are playing at net, and are down the line from the ball, it means attack!  Close the net (move forward) immediately upon seeing your opponent's in trouble, before they strike the ball.  Look to cross and take the next ball wherever it may go.  This is your team's offensive opportunity to end the point now!

By not attacking, you allow your opponents to recover and get back into the point.  This lengthens the point, and increases your chance of losing the point.  Attacking when your opponent is in trouble increases the odds of you winning the point.

Here are a few examples of players "in trouble:"

 In the above photograph, David Ferrer is on the full stretch to the forehand side.  He is about to hit a squash shot of some kind, with a continental grip, which is not his normal forehand grip.  This is important, because anytime a player, especially a recreational player, switches their grip to hit a ball back, this means they are in trouble.  In the above picture Ferrer is also "in trouble" because e is on the full stretch and will be off balance after this shot.

 In the above photograph, Agnieszka Radwanska is about to hit a forehand slice from a slightly stretched out open stance position.  This is her "in trouble." Again, this is not her normal forehand by any stretch of the imagination.  In single she might get away with this shot, but in doubles, if you recognize the trouble, this shot is easy pickings for a net player.

In the above photograph, the player is fully stretched out to the backhand side, and the racquet and arm create a 180 degree angle.  He is "in trouble."  In other words, there is no L to create stability.  This will be a weak reply.  Your net partner, if they recognize this poor position before they strike the ball, will easily pick this off.

Learn to recognize when your opponent is in trouble, and attack, and your poaching rate of success will go up astronomically!

Au Revoir Tallahassee!

October 3rd, 2014 was my last day as a City of Tallahassee employee, and a Tallahassee resident.  I now live in Charlotte., North Carolina, having accepted the Head Tennis Professional/ Jr Development Coordinator position at Providence Plantation Racquet & Swim Club.

The new position offers greater opportunity to expand my knowledge base in the game, as well as to implement programming without the stringent bureaucracy of city government.  In other words, more freedom, opportunity, and potential earnings.

I leave behind my father, and many friends, coworkers, and clients that have helped make the past nine years in Tallahassee (last four with the city) some of the most enjoyable and wonderful times of my life.  I am grateful to so many people, I couldn't have made this move without your influence on my teaching, my outlook, and my life.

There were many successes over the past nine years - I helped usher in a slew of Super Series to Tallahassee for Junior Tennis in 2006.  I ran three Super Series, a local and a rookie USTA junior tournament. When I was hired by the City, Lenin Mongerie and the Tallahassee Tennis Association took over those same events.

Junior Match Play, first ushered in to Tallahassee when I was running my teaching business at Chiles High School was an enormous success.  18 kids on 6 courts for two hours on non-tournament Saturday mornings. It took nearly four years, but the City Of Tallahassee finally approved a similar program on Fridays, and with any luck and drive Lenin Mongerie will keep my program alive and well going forward.

In 2012, the City finally raised private lesson rates for the pros, for the first time in 23 years! Not sure if my complaining (and the complaining of the other pros) had any influence on this or not, but it makes a huge difference to the life of the pro to be making more money, even if the rate is still at least a 25% discount from the going private marketplace rate.

At Forestmeadows, I was able to put my footprint on the Adult clinic program, changing how the clinics were run from a court management perspective.  Cooperative drills, everyone active, lots of balls being hit back and forth, with lots of points and games,  Sounds "normal" but you'd be surprised how many clinics aren't run that way.  I can tell you, almost no one else in Tallahassee does their clinics that way.  The fact that at one point for two straight sessions I had 16 people in my intermediate class on Tuesdays with no help, and no one complained is a testament to my on court strategy for player management.

In addition, the assessments for adult clinics that every non-computer rated player must take prior to joining a clinic was at my urging.  Prior to the assessments, people were signing up for any clinic they desired, and the levels at the clinics were nowhere near accurate or consistent.  Today, I am proud to say the levels are much more even, which makes the clinics more fun for everyone.

The City now has a high performance junior tennis program.  Lenin Mongerie and myself had been pressing for this for sometime provided we got a pay and pricing structure that was commensurate with the private marketplace.  Thanks to the hard work behind the scenes of Glen Howe, Superintendent, we were able to begin High Performance this fall.

Brett Landau and Chris Perrigan, two of my students since 2006 won the Team State Doubles Title for 1A in 2012. Both played the 14's Zonals for Florida in 2008. Both play collegiate tennis, Brett at UNC-Asheville, and Chris at Florida Gulf Coast University.  They teamed up this summer and won the ITA summer circuit event at Florida State this year in doubles.

Estella Waczewski was the highest ranked 12 and Under girl in Tallahassee when she aged up, and played 14's Zonals, as well as numerous national events.  Very proud of her considering I started her as a raw beginner on my very first day with the city in 2010. 

I would like to credit Lori Cartwright for pulling out of me the equivalent of tennis lesson gold.  She began working with me weekly last fall, and was determined to ave a physical lesson, in which she would work on movement and shot selection in a fast paced, instinctual way.  The format I came up with to meet her needs, was the reason the search committee members I taught at my interview loved the lesson I gave - an identical lesson to what I did with Lori.  If you want to know what the lesson was like, talk to Lori - she might tell you unless she plays you frequently :-)

Working for the city expanded my friendships and helped me find some great friends I hope I never lose contact with. 

In hindsight, Tallahassee was the perfect place at the right time in my life.  I loved it - more and more the longer I stayed.  I will miss it and everyone I taught.  You are all part of me now, like it or not.

Au Revoir!