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Their strongest net player is on your forehand diagonal. Where do you rally?
Play the weaker net player. Down the line if you must, at the cost of your natural cross-court.
Their left-side player is a strong finisher and stands on your forehand diagonal. You are defending on the right. Which direction should most of your balls go?
Play the weaker net player. Down the line if you must, at the cost of your natural cross-court.
Why
Every pair has a stronger and a weaker net player, and the strong one usually stands where they see the most balls. Defensive rallying is about choosing which opponent gets to hit: send the ball to the weaker volleyer, lob the weaker overhead, and only give the finisher a ball when it is one that neutralises them: a lob deep enough that they have to bandeja, or a chiquita to their feet. Playing down the line is harder than cross-court and the margin is smaller, but sending easy balls to their best player is a guaranteed way to lose the point.
What this means at your level
Beginner
Notice which opponent puts away more volleys. Then lob and hit toward the other one.
Intermediate
Down the line from the corner is a low-margin shot. Take it when the ball is comfortable and cross-court when it is not, but choose, do not default.
Advanced
Isolating the weaker player also frustrates the stronger one. A finisher who goes five points without a ball starts poaching, and a poacher leaves gaps.
Common questions
Their left-side player is a strong finisher and stands on your forehand diagonal. You are defending on the right. Which direction should most of your balls go?
Down the line, to the weaker net player. Play the weaker net player. Down the line if you must, at the cost of your natural cross-court. Every pair has a stronger and a weaker net player, and the strong one usually stands where they see the most balls. Defensive rallying is about choosing which opponent gets to hit: send the ball to the weaker volleyer, lob the weaker overhead, and only give the finisher a ball when it is one that neutralises them: a lob deep enough that they have to bandeja, or a chiquita to their feet. Playing down the line is harder than cross-court and the margin is smaller, but sending easy balls to their best player is a guaranteed way to lose the point.
Why not only lobs, to whichever side is open?
A lob to the finisher is a smash. Direction matters more than shot choice.
What should a beginner do here?
Notice which opponent puts away more volleys. Then lob and hit toward the other one.
How does this change for an advanced player?
Isolating the weaker player also frustrates the stronger one. A finisher who goes five points without a ball starts poaching, and a poacher leaves gaps.
Puzzles like this one
The ball is at your feet at the net. What now?
A ball below the net cannot be attacked. Block it deep and wait for one above the tape.
beginnerBoth of them are at the net. What is the highest-percentage ball?
Only the lob moves a net pair backwards. Everything else invites them forward.
beginnerThe ball is coming off the back glass. When do you hit it?
Move back with the ball, let it pass you, hit it in front of your body.