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If you HATE playing doubles with a weak partner who doesn’t know where to stand, where to aim, or how to avoid your opponents then this video is exactly for you! You’ll learn how to take matters into your own hands, dictate play, and be a hero to your weaker partner...
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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 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
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.
Thank you Ian! Very insightful.
Glad you enjoyed it!
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!
I absolutely love these kind of videos. So smart and so funny.
Thanks for watching!
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
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!
love the nacho scene: FANTASTIC!!!
😂
Good lesson Ian
Thanks for watching!
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!
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!
In other words, you have to be the Reverse Flash. Lol "I'm always one step ahead!"
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 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". 😝
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.
@@user-uu9kq8se1r 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 dominate a doubles coach ..😂😂❤..thanks so much for your lesson..
Great mathematical analysis.
Thanks for watching!
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!
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.
So often, man. Bout time.
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?
Like the term "fake-fake;" simple and memorable for fake and go!
Thanks for watching!
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Ian bro......51%
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!
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
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!
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.
She could make the lob the easiest option and you will have no option
STORY OF MY LIFE
😢
I am tired of being the week player. The other players treat me like crap!
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!
well done on the facial hair - you look five to ten years younger!
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
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.
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.
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.
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 😆