Let’s be honest – sometimes dealing with your doubles partner is even more difficult than dealing with your opponents, right?
Well, today’s episode of the podcast is going to give you four awesome tips to keep things running as smoothly as possible while striving for victory together.
As with any other relationship in life being successful with your doubles partner is all about communication! It’s about knowing when to communicate, when NOT to, and what tone to use among other things.
Find out how to do that successfully in this episode of the Essential Tennis Podcast!
Ahsen
A very nice topic as I have experienced the same in my doubles game. When I am not playing well communication with the partner is difficult. In that case I just try to fix the error and concentrate on the next point. In case my partner is misses an easy shot I tell him to relax and take it easy and do the basics right like returning the next ball deep etc. which helps him get rid of his -ve feelings if any. We constantly encourage each other and does help get through a tough match.
Pingback: “Fixation Friday” For January 2013!
Joe
I wish I could make my friend Josh listen to this episode. He's my workout buddy, a great friend and my fierce singles nemesis. Sadly, we just can't male it work as a doubles team. In fact we have been on hiatus from doubles tournaments since June when we lost 7-6 7-6. He likes trash talking when I miss shots and when he gets it done at the net, he looks at me and says "that's how it's done". If I miss a volley, he calls me out in front of the other team. He comes from a basketball and football sports experience and he carries that physicality and trash talking into tennis. I keep stressing that it's not how tennis is played and I'm not someone who – albeit being very competitive – brush those things off without letting them hinder my game.
Ian Westermann
Haha….ya, there's no way I could personally deal with that. You're right, the culture and customs around other sports is definitely different than tennis.
Stuart Koster
Incredibly difficult topic–keeping it relatively simple worked! I compensate for my normal silence by trying very hard to communicate positively, but I notice that the third time I say "we'll get 'em next time," the effect seems to be very much the same as if I had offered to pay for some training. What seems to be more effective than volunteered positivity is just renewing the team contract at the start of every point. It is also safer for me, since I cannot be voluntarily (or involuntarily, even) cheery when my partner dumps the second putaway volley right to him in a row. (Happened last week–I won all of his service games for him at net, and in spite of B+ service on my part, and good and attacking transition shots and volleys on my part, we lost all of my service games save 1). The contract renewal is safer also because it keeps us from siloing into singles players; it reminds us that we are a team and that we will win or lose as a team. Any conversation dealing with what I will do to help the team on this next point seems better than any response to the point just past.
Ian Westermann
Great comments, Stuart
Mark in Sandy Eggo
Great topic for the new year.
Completely agree with the idea of not telling your partner what to do. In fact a few people, generally known as contrarians, even stating an observation (the guy's backhand is weak) will kick them off into a mental spin. From their mindset, if they didn't think of it, then it must not be true, and they will spend all kinds of mental energy and focus on proving why the opponent has a perfectly good backhand.
The subtle way to approach this is with self depreciation. After you win the 4th point in a row by hitting to that opponents backhand, just mention to the contrarian partner "Gee, I am sorry it took me so long to notice that his backhand was so bad", From your partner's perspective, their ego in being all knowing and always right has not been assaulted. If fact, it was stroked because you are acknowledging to the guy that he is smarter than you. He gets more confident, and plays better, including hitting the ball to an effective location.
Ian Westermann
Haha…..partner Jedi mind tricks. Very sneaky, Mark. I like it!
John M
Great to hear the podcast back and am excited about 26 new episodes this year!
My experience playing doubles has led me to the same conclusions as Ian regarding doubles communications. I agree that there is only so much you can do for your partner. There are a certain percentage of doubles players who are so totally wrapped up in their own game and how well or poorly they are playing that they are literally oblivious to anything else going on in the match. We should all try to resolve to never become that player, and to keep our mindset positive, focused on the match, and to not be controlled by the occasional negative thoughts that we all have at times.
Ian Westermann
Thanks for listening, John!