Tip of the day
Stacking lets you and your partner stay on your preferred sides, but it falls apart if you return the serve down the line. When you return down the line, you are still deep in the court at contact, so the opponent can drive it hard crosscourt while your partner is stuck covering her own line and cannot help.
Return crosscourt instead. It gives you time to cross to your side while your partner takes the middle, which is the whole reason the crosscourt return works on defense.
On offense, stacking is nearly free in gender doubles. You serve, then take three steps over to your preferred side, with almost no downside.
You can return down the line in two cases: when your opponent does not have a strong drive, or when you throw up a high, lofted return that buys you enough time to reach the kitchen before they can attack.
To beat a team that stacks, hit a crosscourt drop into the kitchen at the player who just moved and has not set her feet. That forces her to reach in and pop it up so your partner can finish.
Key points
Returning down the line leaves you deep and lets opponents drive hard crosscourt.
Return crosscourt so you have time to reach your side while your partner covers the middle.
On offense you just serve and slide three steps over, with almost no risk in gender doubles.
Return down the line only against a weak driver or behind a high lofted return.
Beat stackers with a crosscourt drop at the player who has not planted her feet.
Deal of the day
Meme of the day
They won’t understand 🤣
That’s it for today! As always, thank you for reading. 🙏
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Happy pickling,
Paul
