Hello, Gregg le Sueur for Online Tennis Instruction.
Previously we talked about a tip on how to generate more power and your volleys.
About today's tip, to help you become a better doubles player, we're
going to show you how to poach effectively and how to tail it based
on your own height and your own reach.
So let's take a look at how you can position yourself and how you need to move in
order to become more dominating force up the net.
So in order for you to be a dominating force up at the net,
you'll be very successful in poaching. So one thing you want to do is you
always want to move diagonally forward. So to help you do that you can use to
reference points. when approaching you can use the center net strap and when
covering down the line you can use the the net post to the outside. The closer
you get to the net, you'll have any easier target, but the closer the
ball is to the center of the court.
These lines here represent the path of the ball.
So let's take this far line over here. You'll notice the further back I go,
The racket is not out of the path of the ball. So only a close up to
the net,
so I can intercept that ball and cut the angle off.
Also by moving a diagonal it's going to help me give that valid forward momentum.
Very often with club players I see the hills are back and they move naturally
over here and they end up having to use the arm to get the ball back end up
missing.
Same thing when poaching if they go out this way, you cannot cover enough ground.
You cannot be effective enough up at the net. So what you want to do is general
you gotta follow the ball first. But let's say the starting position, this is a body
serve, this is in the rally,
so if the serve is that wide, you make a shift over slightly because you going to
cover down the line more. But let's say the starting position - you want to have a
little for momentum when you split step - forward for and you're going to fall
forward and when you splitting you're going to decide where the ball is going
to be cross court. Or if it's gonna go down the line so you're looking to
read that so when you fall you catch yourself in the direction where the balls
going.
You want step towards that nets strap just like we talked about
previous video and then from here you can now step through with the other leg
and really propel yourself forward using that sensor net trap as a reference point.
It's going to help you move closer to the net.
Same thing over here when the ball is hit down the line, you're going forward
you gotta split and when you are in the air, you're going to read if it's going to go
down the line, step towards the net post and then step through and cover the ball
down the line. You can see how much distance you can cover and again you get
that valid forward momentum, you get closer to the net where you have the easiest
volley.
Now understand we'll not
don't have the athletic ability of top touring pros,
so we can't do everything exactly, but we can't copy certain things.
You can move diagonally forward but you have to adjust how far you can move. These are
you moving lanes, these lines how far you're moving lanes are based on your
age, your height, your reaching, your speed.
For instance,
I may have a longer reach so I've been in the ready position to step out step through.
I can cover a lot more but say I was a little bit shorter maybe don't move as
fast
I'm going to be able to cover this area over here, but the important thing
is I'm gonna be a more successful because i'm moving diagonally forward
and I'll be ready to take anything up the middle.
So what you need to do is, is adapt that your own ability.
So what you should to start with, you can do a drill:
You can step out and step towards the net post, see how far down the line you
can cover and place the ball down and then you want to adjust your
starting position accordingly. You may have to go just a little bit to the left
of the center
still to cover down the line. It's going to take you a little bit further away
from the center net strap. You place the ball down here, then you step out and
step through, place the ball down.
So now you've kind of established your moving lanes and now you can practice.
So you can go and maybe it's a good idea to move the ball here.
Don't trip on it. You gonna split step, step out, step through towards and
that strap to poach, come back down the line, split step, step out, step through
towards the net post to to cover down the line and you want to keep doing those
shadow swing movements over and over until the movements become familiar and
you go try the next time you play. So key takeaways here: You want to use the net
strap and the two net post as reference points to help you move diagonally
forward and cut the angle off.
Also you want to take consideration for your own height, your speed and your
reach and adjust your starting position accordingly. If you have trouble poaching
and you struggle something specific when it comes to to covering the net in doubles,
post your questions below and we'll get back to you!