How to play against… · 4 min read
Against the serve-and-volleyer
Watch the ball (not the opponent), return low and soft to their feet, crosscourt, and use the lob so they can’t crowd the net.
The plan
- Watch the ball, not the player running at you. Seeing the movement makes you rush the shot.
- Soft, low return: a ball that drops at their feet forces them to volley up. Hitting hard makes the volley easier.
- Crosscourt return: more court, lower net, and it forces them to volley down the line to find the gap.
- Every now and then, straight at the body: when they close down the angles, it’s a legitimate target (no bad intent).
- Backhand-side lob: if they crowd the net, a couple of lobs push them back and open up passing shots.
- Mix it up: the key is they never know what’s coming.
To review after the match
In the app, when you mark that your opponent was “Comes to the net”, we ask whether you tried:
- I watched the ball, not my opponent
- I returned low and soft to their feet
- I returned crosscourt
- I used the lob so they couldn’t crowd the net
To practice on court
Return at the feet
Your partner serves and volleys. Score double if you win the point with a return that lands before the service line.
Goal: Return control under pressure.
Passing shot + lob
Partner at the net; you alternate crosscourt pass, down-the-line pass and lob depending on their position.
Goal: Reading the volleyer’s position.
Fitness that helps
- Reactive split-step with cuesSplit-step and explosive first step in the direction shown on screen.
- Shadow swingsForehands, backhands and serves without a ball, with movement beforehand.
Ideas inspired by Brad Gilbert, “Winning Ugly” (ch. 8, “Destroying your opponent’s game plan”).