Where to Hit It

 I was teaching a Skills and Drills class last Friday.  This was my first time teaching in the evening and while it was quite hot to start with, the temperature dropped with the sun and grew comfortable.  The light wasn't the greatest towards the end, but I never needed to switch to non-sunglasses.  Always wear glasses!

One rule of thumb had occurred to me recently and I passed it on to the students I had.  

Here is the scenario, you've served the ball and it's been returned to you.  We are hitting the third shot.  My philosophy about the game lists the third shot as the most important in a point.  What direction the point takes is mainly controlled by where you will hit the third shot.

Case 1)  If the service returner does not come up to the kitchen line, then always return the ball to that person.  You want to keep them at the baseline.  You will hit the ball deep and automatically move to the kitchen line.  You must move up, this is such a strong strategic position for your side, that you cannot ignore it.  Hit and run up.

Case 2)  If the returner is still running up to the kitchen line, then hit the ball to him.  Aim for the feet.  The shot doesn't have to be hard.  The deeper the person is, the more you can advance towards the kitchen line.

Case 3) Both opponents are at the same depth on the court, be it up or deep, then hit the ball in the middle.  If they are at the kitchen line, then I like to drop the ball, but still target the middle of the court.  These shots are a problem for even experienced partnerships.

One more situation that comes up, it is fairly rare but it's important to get right.  You are going to hit a ball and you are deep in the court and your partner is at the kitchen line.  Both of your opponents are at the kitchen line.  You must hit the ball to the opponent in front of your partner.  You can cheat a bit towards the middle, but make sure the person in front of partner will field the shot.  Why is this?  You and your partner are split apart and there is a large vulnerable diagonal alley between both of you and you cannot cover it.  If your shot goes to the person in front of you, they will return the ball down this alley.  Hitting to the opponent in front of partner provides coverage for the alley.  If you hit a bad shot, partner might get whacked, but it gives your side a chance to get into the point.

So I tell my students this in the Skills class and student looks at me like I've got mismatched sneakers on and suggests that it's a really good bit of knowledge, but she had no confidence is controlling her shot to that degree.  Well, yes, maybe not now, but soon...

The astute reader will realize that I've never mentioned hitting the ball for a sideline.  There are some really good reasons for that.  It's a much more difficult shot.  Lot's of misses for each perfect down the line shot you hit.  Hitting for edges cross court is very difficult unless you are hitting at dinking speed.  I will hit for a sideline when I'm up at the net and I get a high ball and my opponent can't cover it.  I'll hit it very gently to keep it in.  PB is a game of mistakes and hitting the shots to the middle will eliminate an awful lot of errors.  Try it!