If you'd like a comprehensive, A to Z solution to weak doubles partners including exactly where to stand, where to aim, and what patterns keep you in control be sure to grab access to this training: essentialtennisvideos.com/weak-partner-aim-here
From my experience, when you have a really weak partner, the best solution is just "grin and bear it." I've tried to be more aggressive, less aggressive, be at the net, be at the baseline, say nothing, or say a lot of things to my partner, etc. When your partner is significantly weaker than the other 3 players on court, you should just adjust your expectations and try to have some fun.
My partner and I are good 3.5 players. We played against my friend (who really sucked) and his partner (the Williams sisters hitting coach) and got fried. The hitting coach injected himself into the game, much like guy in this video. I'm taking lessons and learning as much as possible about doubles so I can win with an inferior partner. Winning is fun.
Another benefit of getting into your opponents’ head with your movement is that they may try to sneak a late peek at you when their eyes should be on the ball. Recipe for an error.
@@Vamos_Tennis_Club live the phrase: "one more ball". I am impatience, BUT i do always try to get all balls back if the opponent is able to hit it back and i didn't make an (un)forced error. I have won so many points by just scrambling that one more ball over the net. Standing outside the tennis court and seeing my opponent dumping that last ball into the net or out while it is an open court.
I would love to see a video on which points are the precursor for you to really think about poaching. Stretched for hand? On the back foot backhand? Which points are you sitting tight because poaching just simply exposes the alley too much
Absolutely, it's impossible to be a beast in the middle and cover the lob at the same time....but s good net player can shift back and forth, just gotta stay one step ahead of them
This video resonated. I play a lot with my wife, and we often play against 2 men. When my wife serves (her serve is accurate but not much pace) I have to do exactly this at the net, and as you pointed out it definitely works. You have to make the receiving team jittery and uncomfortable, otherwise they can get into a rhythm and win easily. Distract them and get into their heads early, and even when you just stay home/do nothing they end up focusing on what you are doing at the net, and less time on making their return shot. You can even just give a quick head or shoulder fake and if they see it it can throw off their timing.
Great video and a perfect example of how to get returners guessing. On serve, it is the net person's job to try to get as many of those first balls as possible. Also the amount of times you can draw an error just by moving a little bit and getting the returner worried is insane.
Thanks for this video and the related podcast episode - enjoyed both. I’d be interested to see examples of these strategies with some of your 4.0/4.5 opponents too.
Great video - as usual. I love the confidence you've given me to play the odds and stick with the smart strategy even if you get passed occasionally etc. One question: On the "fake fake" move, it looks like you moved parallel to the net instead of diagonally towards the net. Any comments on this?
Another really good video. I like how it is linked in with your previous episode about timing the poach. . . Which has been working great for me! Can’t wait to throw the fake in there and really take control of these points.
Looks like Indian Wells. Gorgeous. This is fascinating. Especially for someone like me who's probably played doubles 3 times in the past 4 decades. Just a complete different game, on a "bigger" court, different geometrical patterns and overall psychology. Looks like a lot of fun. Cheers. M
@@EssentialTennis Do you guys do singles coaching there as well or is it mostly for doubles since seemingly there are pretty good number of people who sign up for the experience?
I disagree with your strategy; the only reason you got away with it is that your opponents were not very good players; if they were they would have lobbed you to take you out of the point; if you started backing up to cover the lob they would have then hit aggressive returns at your partner that you would not have been able to poach. If I am playing with a weak server against a strong team I think the best approach is to stay at the baseline for partner’s serve and try to find a way to the net during the point.
Yes, that is a good trick. Cuz if opponent fall for the trap, you nailed it. Even if opponent didn’t fall for it, the play continues. The next opportunity will come. 👍👍
Ian, buddy, the last thing you want to do is hug the net with a weak partner, if you had taken just one step back you would have been able to reach both of those alley shots your opponent hit over your outstretched racket.
@@VideosCathythat’s weak lol shouldn’t ever be a tie in tennis but hey it is what it is! When do you tie? If you split sets and you’re not doing a full third just play a 10 point tie break. Is it all time based?
Gotta read your partner’s serve placement and communicate to your partner your planned move so that she can cover the return if/when you get passed. This being said, if your opponents are significantly better players (which isn’t evident to me in this video), in all likelihood you’re going to get destroyed. 😂
IMO, Doubles is like real state, location. We accommodate the weak partner in a location that they can be successful. Why is your partner not moving into the net, and you take over the court? The opponent team can go at your partner at the net, she can just tap back the ball, volley; or the opponent will try to lob, in which case you can step in and smash. Another option, why don’t both of you start at the baseline when you weak partner is serving? It gives the strong partner a chance to cross and poach to control the point. You can see all these strategies at the 4.0 and up level- specifically in the mix league. There is no weak partner, but there are partner at the wrong location, that is our moto. My female partner, in the weaker in the 7.0, 7.5, and 8.0 mix leagues I play, normally finish my points, no matter who is serving. I put them at the best locations for them to participate, and have fun winning. It is all about moving and giving yourselves a better chance to be at the right location at the right time. .
The name of the game in doubles is anticipate and take away! If the lob becomes consistent then drop back and smash an overhead. If they go back to driving then start poaching. Back and forth.
It's hard to lose a match when my partner wants me to stay at baseline, yet my partner hits into the net all my great shots that set her up. I prefer to play net but my partner does not like baseline and cannot hit somewhat deep shots. Should I just lob all day?
I love being the net guy and playing mind games with the opponents in doubles when my partner is serving. For me movement is the key as the returner to my service partner, my movement usually interferes with the returner’s concentration i.e. we are all useless at concentrating on two moving objects at the same time i.e. the ball coming at speed from the serve and the net guy moving around. This causes momentary indecision and quite often the receiver is left in two minds about which shot to hit. I also find weak doubles players tend to ball watch rather than read the game and take into account their partner’s movement and court coverage. I also find really good singles players are quite often relatively weak doubles players because they don’t have the strategy for doubles play.
At the rec level, one good poach will put your opponents off-kilter for at least the next two points, thinking more about avoiding or neutralizing you than attacking your partner. Oh, and the reason singles players struggle at doubles is because modern singles is a baseline game. If you have no instinct to attack the net early and often, you're already at a disadvantage against people who do.
if you do what you did against 2 good 4.5 players, you would not have faired very well. but i can see what you are saying with all the movements at the net.
I can show you pro examples of all these moves working. Why would it not work at 4.5? Of course, the higher the level of play the more timing and precision needs to be just right, but the principles/tactics work at all levels.
@@EssentialTennis No, what i meant was if your partner is serving weak serves, good opponents will have all day to determine if you are going or faking and can change direction at the last minute.
All the 3 female players are of low to mid intermediate standard. I suspect they are all not confident volleying judging by the fact they never come to the net. Your much superior technical ability will nearly always swing the match.
i came to same conclusion, their strokes are clearly not confident or anything remote to what ian suggested in his preamble. The three ladies are similar in level from what i am seeing.
At first I thought this would be a video made for me. But that's not the kind of doubles I have to face. My opponents count on me poaching all the time and are easily capable of returning cross court into my partner's ally. Stuck with those three late beginners it would be total carnage. Easy to tame them in your favour.
I have good success as a doubles returner but players like you are my kryptonite. I guess we need a “how to beat Ian” video for the victims of this approach 😂😂
The odds that matter isn’t the ratio of times you get beat vs not on the poach, fake, or fake/fake, it’s the chances of the opponent making those hard shots vs your partner handling shots to her.
You didn't give your partner enough credit. She was steady enough to keep the ball in play, giving you opportunities at the net. My experience has been that many of the weak players the stronger player is teamed up with for fairness give up unforced error after error, or lash out with lunge volleys and take the ball out of the stronger players hands with errors. The best thing they can do is what your partner did, keep the ball in play and give the stronger player the opportunity to win the match or the other team to lose it
I'm in this situation quite often, I'm a stronger player, so usually get the weakest partner. My strength is stable ground strokes, and quick reflex and aggressive mindset for poaching is not my strength. Having a weak player in the mix throws away the balance, and ruins the fun for me.
Honestly, that mindset might be the most important part of this whole thing. If you beat yourself up after a couple L's there's no way you're going to be a problem for good opponents.
Don’t play with a weak partner. Just today We were destroyed.tell the captain no next time he puts you with a weak player. I’ve had 4 this year out of 6 matches.I’m done.
Easy to do that when the returns are so weak on such weak serves. With stronger opponents, staying at the net after such weak serves would get you smacked real good ;-)
This happens to me all the time. I'm being pushed back by a deep ball. My partner goes running in. Or I'll be receiving, my partner turns all the way around to watch me receiving. Then he misses the next ball because he doesn't have time to turn around and hit the ball.. Coaches never correct these people. This is why league tennis is so mediocre, and I stopped playing, or they stand at the net with their racket head, almost touching the ground. By the time they try to hit the volley, they are too late. Coaches need to do better!
OK good story, but now your opponents wise up and start lobbing your partner's weak serves to the open back court (when the lobs go to your partners back hand, even worse for you). Your partner's weak returns again become smashes to your feet or in your face. They no longer care what you're doing at the net. You are now a duck in a shooting gallery. Your opponents have problem solved using their superior shot making ability against your partner's weak shots. Now what?
.....so you anticipate the lobs, adjust your position, and hit overheads and their feet and face. Every good tactical adjustment deserves a other. This is sports. There is no single tactic that works every time. Rather than complain, just learn how to be better.
@@EssentialTennis Whoa! No one's "complaining." Just one more step in the problem-solving involved in your video. The scenario you describe is very common, as you point out in your video. I was just taking it one more step based on my actual experience. I guess I should've added a wink emoji. No offense meant. And I am learning to be better, every week. I am playing better now than I ever have. Lots of thanks to your channel. Your videos are much appreciated.
Yes, wink would be super helpful, lol. I'm so tired of very, very serious comments just like the one you wrote who get triggered by a tactic or strategy getting neutralized by a great opponent....as if the strategy is bad and it "didn't work". Keep up the great work on your game, I appreciate your support!
Terrible judgment. Ian, you should be able to see if a ball is falling in. I can usually call it within 1 inch or 2. Geez. This is basic for a 5.0 player.
If you'd like a comprehensive, A to Z solution to weak doubles partners including exactly where to stand, where to aim, and what patterns keep you in control be sure to grab access to this training: essentialtennisvideos.com/weak-partner-aim-here
From my experience, when you have a really weak partner, the best solution is just "grin and bear it." I've tried to be more aggressive, less aggressive, be at the net, be at the baseline, say nothing, or say a lot of things to my partner, etc.
When your partner is significantly weaker than the other 3 players on court, you should just adjust your expectations and try to have some fun.
I respect that!
I absolutely hate playing with the weakest link.
My partner and I are good 3.5 players. We played against my friend (who really sucked) and his partner (the Williams sisters hitting coach) and got fried. The hitting coach injected himself into the game, much like guy in this video. I'm taking lessons and learning as much as possible about doubles so I can win with an inferior partner. Winning is fun.
@@123Rockchild You can try being the weakest link and see how much more fun it is, lol.
@@donnysworld6774 All best are off if you are PRO or COACH PROS. Ian's talking about recreational tennis.
I don't think those are 4.0 players based on the serve, the smash, the volley selection and execution and even consistency.
Another benefit of getting into your opponents’ head with your movement is that they may try to sneak a late peek at you when their eyes should be on the ball. Recipe for an error.
Very true!
What if you are the weak doubles partner😂.
Get working on your game!
Find someone that’s worse than yourself! Hahe
Fake it, then fake fake it.. 😂
Keep the ball in play as long as possible. Give your partner a chance to do something.
@@Vamos_Tennis_Club live the phrase: "one more ball". I am impatience, BUT i do always try to get all balls back if the opponent is able to hit it back and i didn't make an (un)forced error. I have won so many points by just scrambling that one more ball over the net. Standing outside the tennis court and seeing my opponent dumping that last ball into the net or out while it is an open court.
I would love to see a video on which points are the precursor for you to really think about poaching. Stretched for hand? On the back foot backhand? Which points are you sitting tight because poaching just simply exposes the alley too much
Return lob is an option to avoid an active net guy - unless they hit amazing overheads like you do 😅
Absolutely, it's impossible to be a beast in the middle and cover the lob at the same time....but s good net player can shift back and forth, just gotta stay one step ahead of them
This video resonated. I play a lot with my wife, and we often play against 2 men. When my wife serves (her serve is accurate but not much pace) I have to do exactly this at the net, and as you pointed out it definitely works. You have to make the receiving team jittery and uncomfortable, otherwise they can get into a rhythm and win easily. Distract them and get into their heads early, and even when you just stay home/do nothing they end up focusing on what you are doing at the net, and less time on making their return shot. You can even just give a quick head or shoulder fake and if they see it it can throw off their timing.
Great video and a perfect example of how to get returners guessing. On serve, it is the net person's job to try to get as many of those first balls as possible. Also the amount of times you can draw an error just by moving a little bit and getting the returner worried is insane.
Yes!
Thanks for this video and the related podcast episode - enjoyed both. I’d be interested to see examples of these strategies with some of your 4.0/4.5 opponents too.
Great video - as usual. I love the confidence you've given me to play the odds and stick with the smart strategy even if you get passed occasionally etc. One question: On the "fake fake" move, it looks like you moved parallel to the net instead of diagonally towards the net. Any comments on this?
Good eye, cutting in would definitely be better. Thanks for watching!
Another really good video. I like how it is linked in with your previous episode about timing the poach. . . Which has been working great for me! Can’t wait to throw the fake in there and really take control of these points.
YES! So happy to hear that. Keep up the great work!
Thank you Ian! Very insightful.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Looks like Indian Wells. Gorgeous.
This is fascinating. Especially for someone like me who's probably played doubles 3 times in the past 4 decades. Just a complete different game, on a "bigger" court, different geometrical patterns and overall psychology. Looks like a lot of fun.
Cheers.
M
LOVE coaching there!
@@EssentialTennis Do you guys do singles coaching there as well or is it mostly for doubles since seemingly there are pretty good number of people who sign up for the experience?
I didn't do any singles groups this year, almost all the interest is for doubles.
@@EssentialTennis I would imagine. Thanks! :)
I disagree with your strategy; the only reason you got away with it is that your opponents were not very good players; if they were they would have lobbed you to take you out of the point; if you started backing up to cover the lob they would have then hit aggressive returns at your partner that you would not have been able to poach. If I am playing with a weak server against a strong team I think the best approach is to stay at the baseline for partner’s serve and try to find a way to the net during the point.
love the nacho scene: FANTASTIC!!!
😂
Great analysis and lesson as always!
Great video, but this strategy requires mad skills at the net. It’s the one area I wish I could improve most. Thanks for pointing it out.
Now is a great time to work on improving!
I absolutely love these kind of videos. So smart and so funny.
Thanks for watching!
Great tips, thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Yes, that is a good trick.
Cuz if opponent fall for the trap, you nailed it. Even if opponent didn’t fall for it, the play continues. The next opportunity will come. 👍👍
Good lesson Ian
Thanks for watching!
Ian, buddy, the last thing you want to do is hug the net with a weak partner, if you had taken just one step back you would have been able to reach both of those alley shots your opponent hit over your outstretched racket.
Any tips on junior playing that plays very well with higher level players but down plays against lower level players?
I was looking for this exact content for my match yesterday..😢 I did have to be more aggressive at the net but not too good at faking...we tied...
Tied?? Hope this helps for next time!
@@EssentialTennis Yes, interestingly enough we can tie in our league...it's NITTL (Northern IL Travel Tennis League)...
Boooo
@@VideosCathythat’s weak lol shouldn’t ever be a tie in tennis but hey it is what it is! When do you tie? If you split sets and you’re not doing a full third just play a 10 point tie break. Is it all time based?
Gotta read your partner’s serve placement and communicate to your partner your planned move so that she can cover the return if/when you get passed. This being said, if your opponents are significantly better players (which isn’t evident to me in this video), in all likelihood you’re going to get destroyed. 😂
IMO, Doubles is like real state, location. We accommodate the weak partner in a location that they can be successful. Why is your partner not moving into the net, and you take over the court? The opponent team can go at your partner at the net, she can just tap back the ball, volley; or the opponent will try to lob, in which case you can step in and smash. Another option, why don’t both of you start at the baseline when you weak partner is serving? It gives the strong partner a chance to cross and poach to control the point. You can see all these strategies at the 4.0 and up level- specifically in the mix league. There is no weak partner, but there are partner at the wrong location, that is our moto. My female partner, in the weaker in the 7.0, 7.5, and 8.0 mix leagues I play, normally finish my points, no matter who is serving. I put them at the best locations for them to participate, and have fun winning. It is all about moving and giving yourselves a better chance to be at the right location at the right time.
.
What is the play if the opponents avoids the strong net player (Ian) with lobs?
The name of the game in doubles is anticipate and take away! If the lob becomes consistent then drop back and smash an overhead. If they go back to driving then start poaching. Back and forth.
It's hard to lose a match when my partner wants me to stay at baseline, yet my
partner hits into the net all my great shots that set her up. I prefer to play net but my partner does not like baseline and cannot hit somewhat deep shots. Should I just lob all day?
I love being the net guy and playing mind games with the opponents in doubles when my partner is serving. For me movement is the key as the returner to my service partner, my movement usually interferes with the returner’s concentration i.e. we are all useless at concentrating on two moving objects at the same time i.e. the ball coming at speed from the serve and the net guy moving around. This causes momentary indecision and quite often the receiver is left in two minds about which shot to hit. I also find weak doubles players tend to ball watch rather than read the game and take into account their partner’s movement and court coverage. I also find really good singles players are quite often relatively weak doubles players because they don’t have the strategy for doubles play.
Love it!
At the rec level, one good poach will put your opponents off-kilter for at least the next two points, thinking more about avoiding or neutralizing you than attacking your partner.
Oh, and the reason singles players struggle at doubles is because modern singles is a baseline game. If you have no instinct to attack the net early and often, you're already at a disadvantage against people who do.
In other words, you have to be the Reverse Flash. Lol
"I'm always one step ahead!"
I love it !!!!!!!!!!!!
Great mathematical analysis.
Thanks for watching!
I dominate a doubles coach ..😂😂❤..thanks so much for your lesson..
if you do what you did against 2 good 4.5 players, you would not have faired very well. but i can see what you are saying with all the movements at the net.
I can show you pro examples of all these moves working. Why would it not work at 4.5? Of course, the higher the level of play the more timing and precision needs to be just right, but the principles/tactics work at all levels.
@@EssentialTennis No, what i meant was if your partner is serving weak serves, good opponents will have all day to determine if you are going or faking and can change direction at the last minute.
All the 3 female players are of low to mid intermediate standard. I suspect they are all not confident volleying judging by the fact they never come to the net. Your much superior technical ability will nearly always swing the match.
i came to same conclusion, their strokes are clearly not confident or anything remote to what ian suggested in his preamble. The three ladies are similar in level from what i am seeing.
Agree totally.
At first I thought this would be a video made for me.
But that's not the kind of doubles I have to face. My opponents count on me poaching all the time and are easily capable of returning cross court into my partner's ally.
Stuck with those three late beginners it would be total carnage. Easy to tame them in your favour.
Like the term "fake-fake;" simple and memorable for fake and go!
Thanks for watching!
I have good success as a doubles returner but players like you are my kryptonite.
I guess we need a “how to beat Ian” video for the victims of this approach 😂😂
😂
@@EssentialTennis I think the answer is "be Mark Sansait". 😝
The odds that matter isn’t the ratio of times you get beat vs not on the poach, fake, or fake/fake, it’s the chances of the opponent making those hard shots vs your partner handling shots to her.
.....of course the ratio matters. If you're only winning 1 out of 10 then its not the right play.
So often, man. Bout time.
The solution to a weak partner is a to find a new better partner
Unfortunately who you play with is rarely up to you in league play.
@@EssentialTennis haha of course, I wasn't serious!
Oh 😆
You didn't give your partner enough credit. She was steady enough to keep the ball in play, giving you opportunities at the net. My experience has been that many of the weak players the stronger player is teamed up with for fairness give up unforced error after error, or lash out with lunge volleys and take the ball out of the stronger players hands with errors.
The best thing they can do is what your partner did, keep the ball in play and give the stronger player the opportunity to win the match or the other team to lose it
I'm in this situation quite often, I'm a stronger player, so usually get the weakest partner. My strength is stable ground strokes, and quick reflex and aggressive mindset for poaching is not my strength. Having a weak player in the mix throws away the balance, and ruins the fun for me.
Sounds like you know exactly what to work on!
Are you telling your partner what you are planning to do before each of her serves?
Most of these points I did tell her ahead of time, yes
I like your optimism after giving out 3 points at the net lol😂
Honestly, that mindset might be the most important part of this whole thing. If you beat yourself up after a couple L's there's no way you're going to be a problem for good opponents.
Don’t play with a weak partner. Just today We were destroyed.tell the captain no next time he puts you with a weak player. I’ve had 4 this year out of 6 matches.I’m done.
That's just the way team/league tennis goes. Doesn't sound like its for you.
@@EssentialTennisWhy should anyone suffer with “weakest links”? I say put them with other weak links.
they don't look like 4.0 players- more like 3.5 at best.
The point is
hah. your last 'fake fake' was started by a decent serve. The returner couldn't hit down the line with her backhand!
Seems like you aren’t communicating since your partner isn’t covering when you poach.
I am communicating my poaches but she's not covering behind me, big opportunity for her to improve!
Easy to do that when the returns are so weak on such weak serves.
With stronger opponents, staying at the net after such weak serves would get you smacked real good ;-)
This happens to me all the time. I'm being pushed back by a deep ball. My partner goes running in. Or I'll be receiving, my partner turns all the way around to watch me receiving. Then he misses the next ball because he doesn't have time to turn around and hit the ball.. Coaches never correct these people. This is why league tennis is so mediocre, and I stopped playing, or they stand at the net with their racket head, almost touching the ground. By the time they try to hit the volley, they are too late. Coaches need to do better!
I am 7 minutes into this video are you are the weakest player on the court !
Anybody can be the weakest player over a 4 or 5 point span. Being short sighted will cause missed opportunities.
STORY OF MY LIFE
😢
I am tired of being the week player. The other players treat me like crap!
She could make the lob the easiest option and you will have no option
Ian bro......51%
What if my opponents retaliate and watch this video?
Then a super fun game of "cat and mouse" begins! Its all about who can make the best timed moves, most often.
Love the fake fake, I will try this
It works like gang busters IF if save it until after You've already poached AND faked successfully
@EssentialTennis sweet I definitely will
OK good story, but now your opponents wise up and start lobbing your partner's weak serves to the open back court (when the lobs go to your partners back hand, even worse for you). Your partner's weak returns again become smashes to your feet or in your face. They no longer care what you're doing at the net. You are now a duck in a shooting gallery. Your opponents have problem solved using their superior shot making ability against your partner's weak shots. Now what?
.....so you anticipate the lobs, adjust your position, and hit overheads and their feet and face. Every good tactical adjustment deserves a other. This is sports. There is no single tactic that works every time. Rather than complain, just learn how to be better.
@@EssentialTennis Whoa! No one's "complaining." Just one more step in the problem-solving involved in your video. The scenario you describe is very common, as you point out in your video. I was just taking it one more step based on my actual experience. I guess I should've added a wink emoji. No offense meant. And I am learning to be better, every week. I am playing better now than I ever have. Lots of thanks to your channel. Your videos are much appreciated.
Yes, wink would be super helpful, lol. I'm so tired of very, very serious comments just like the one you wrote who get triggered by a tactic or strategy getting neutralized by a great opponent....as if the strategy is bad and it "didn't work". Keep up the great work on your game, I appreciate your support!
Ian, sorry for the misunderstanding. Thanks for all you do and for helping me be a better tennis player.
Terrible judgment. Ian, you should be able to see if a ball is falling in. I can usually call it within 1 inch or 2. Geez. This is basic for a 5.0 player.
well done on the facial hair - you look five to ten years younger!
i did not get any tips/ lessons at all. too much talking.
😥
u talk to much :D