Allen and I have a philosophical difference. The question is when hitting the second shot, AKA the service return, if you should always move to join your partner at the kitchen line.
I am of the opinion that you should always go forward regardless of the quality of your return as the positional advantage is too great to pass up even if the service return is not good. Since the service side must let the ball bounce, I feel this provides enough protection and time to allow an advance.
Allen's view is that if you return a deep shot advance, but on shorter balls stay back so that you can more easily deal with the third shot.
Let us explore the various cases and see if we can resolve this question...
Deep Returns:
1) No one disagrees that if you hit a good service return you should move up to the kitchen line.
Middle Returns:
2) How about a mid court return that is spiny and doesn't bounce high? We would still want to be up at the KL since a low ball must be hit up to clear the net, it also can't be hit too hard as it would carry past the back line. If we can get to the KL, the net protects our feet from attack.
3) Mid court top spin shot? These shots tend to bounce a bit higher and are more easily returned. However they also tend to bounce aggressively towards the baseline, so in effect a mid court shot with top spin will tend to push the servers back a bit and if that happens, we again want to be up at the KL.
Short Returns:
4) We are left with short second shots. If the second shot is low, then we get net protection and we still want to be up to punish any high thirds.
5) If the second shot is short and with cut spin we are still in better shape than if we stay back.
6) If the second shot is mishit and and is very high and looks like a lob gone bad, you can make a case that you'd prefer to return it from further back. A shot that goes off the edge of a paddle usually is spinning a lot and is a tough shot to return. I'd still rather be up than back.
Second Shot Lobs (and bad ones at that):
In fact the only shot where you would like to field from the baseline is an over head. So if a second shot resembles a bad lob and is going to bounce quite high (more on this later), then sure, stay back.
Things that Happen and Most are Not Good:
More generally let me comment on what happens if you stay back. Note that your partner is at the KL and you've chosen to contest a point with the partners split. This provides a nice corridor for the opponents to hit at, splitting the defense. Even when you manage to return the third ball, you must return a good shot that doesn't imperil partner, not does it allow the shot up the open slot. The response in this case would be a fourth shot that drops in front of your partner. If you manage that, I think you need to quickly get to the KL and expect a dink shot back.
If you stay back to return a third shot, good opponents will always try to keep you back on the baseline by hitting only to you and as deep as they safely can. And what does that allow them to do? Hmm? Perhaps they will move to the KL while you are working from the back line? Then your partner is up, you are back and both opponents are at the KL. How many points are you going to win from there?
Is it Possible, an Overhead Third?
Here are my comments on hitting a second shot that ends up providing opponents with an overhead. Since the opponents have to let ball bounce, I think it might be impossible to hit a ball that will bounce over say seven feet in the air. I don't think it's possible. I'll test this soon. If I'm correct on this, worst case is some kind of drive from a short position. You might be able to block it from the KL, and it might be dinked back, or it may well go long.
Let's flip this around some more. If you had to defend a ground stroke, would you prefer to be at the KL and block the shot or at the backline and then try to keep the opponents from advancing?
Advice From an Expert:
Finally, I looked at the video called
This is a great discussion but one parameter is missing and that’s the level of the game.
ReplyDeleteI am a fast mover on the court and think my best shot is my return so naturally I always rush to line to join my partner but
As I play 4 and specially 4.5, I get punished by two outcomes
1- opponent hits a quality shot to me while moving which leaves me very uncomfortable. My solution: as soon as that happens I start splitting as soon as she tries to hit the ball
2- I have a lousy return usually short or very attachable, they attack my partner and either score or really push him off. My rush to line creates a big gap between us which makes us even more vulnerable
My solution: as soon as I see I am not returning well, I slow down and even move towards my partner to cover his back or/and ask him to step back into defensive formation
These usually happen at a level that I can be made uncomfortable by my opponents
Thanks for the comment and you make good points. If you are out matched any shot that is not great is going to be punished. Also, as you note, moving while trying to return a shot is very difficult. Stopping as the opponents start to swing is fine with me and I'd endorse that as an approach as long as you were moving as much as possible prior to stopping. Rich
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