The Problem with Strange Styles

I will admit that I'm a bit of a style snob and think that the third shot drop and following the service return with movement to the kitchen line is the most efficient way to play.

But not everyone plays this way.  I wanted to write about why playing differently or unexpectedly is a problem.

In the rec play that I'm used to, there is no discussion of style before the ball starts going to and fro.  Though there probably ought to be.  I played the other day and told my partner that I dropped thirds and liked the soft game.  He was fine with that.  There was no discussion of following service returns in, as that is expected in all but beginner games.

I played with someone who loves to roam the back court and seems to rarely move to the kitchen at the expected times.  This guy hits the ball beautifully with excellent paddle to ball contact and he rarely over hits a shot.  He chases down a lot of shots, but since he is playing from the back court and the opponents usually from the kitchen, he doesn't do very well in a better game.  

And as his partner recently, I found it very difficult to know where he was and predict how the point was going to play out.  I was the only person on our side at the kitchen line often and that's not fun and not very successful.  

I decided a few years back, that control from the kitchen is most efficient way to play.  That decision was not shared by this partner and that made for an awkward game.  It was hard to understand how he and I needed to play to be a successful team.  Maybe with some discussion that might have been possible, but if I were adjust to his style, I would have to give up the kitchen line.  

Let add one more anecdote to this...  I was played a couple of games with a gal who was just getting started playing.  I think she had some tennis background as she could hit the ball ok.  But the skills required to play PB were lacking.  Here's scenario.  She is at the net and I'm returning the serve. I hit it back and come up the kitchen line.  As I'm doing that, she is backpedaling furiously.  As the point ended, everyone but she was at the net.  I found it amusing and interesting.  If you start to play a new game and you are not doing what everyone else is doing, I think you should realize that you might not be doing the right thing.

Let me sum up a bit.  I have no real problem with folks playing with an unusual style.  But it does create more problems for your partner than for your opponents.  If insist on this, then having a 30 second discussion with your partner before the game is important.  Now what you tell your partner is another blog post!  I'm not coming to the kitchen line -- so should partner?  I'm going to play from the back court -- again, where should partner play?  Who gets which shots?  The questions are endless and maybe unique for every style.  It might be easier to everyone to play classically and work out a strange style with a long term partner.