Taking Weekend Tennis Seriously

Two posts ago, I wrote, more-or-less, on what not to say to your doubles partner.  I figured I should do a follow-up and cover what to say.

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Right.  Um…

I wish players would come attached with a tag or a script, and this document would be presented to their partners prior to matches.  Something, anything, that lists out what they need to hear in order to perform well.  For example, I never know what to say when my partner double faults.  When I say, “Come on, you got this!” do my words ring hollow?  Does she think I’m actually upset and the act of saying something indicates this and now the situation is worse?  If I say nothing, is that a sign of being upset?  Does she want me to not acknowledge the double faults as if they didn’t happen?  Should I always ignore the first double fault like it’s an anomaly?  What do I do on the second, third, or fourth one?

Do you think I think too much?  Feel free to feel sorry for me.  I have to live with this.

Some players want verbal support.  Some players don’t want it at all.  Some players are naturally more vocally supportive than others.  Some are more standoffish.  Some players like to high-five after almost every point.  Some players say, “Right here!” when it’s a big point and you are the returner.  Some players might be annoyed by that.  They might be thinking, “Yeah, I know it’s a big point.  You don’t need to tell me.  I’m not the one who made us down in this game.”

…It’s possible they might be thinking this.  I’m just sayin’.

Some players are good at figuring out strategy.  Some players are not.  Some players can’t execute strategy.  Some players think talking strategy is a veiled way of criticizing them.  Some players don’t want to hear it.  Some players just want to play and not have to think.  Some players will take whatever you tell them and just go do it…because they’re awesome.

If this was a real article whose purpose was to provide advice, first of all, it wouldn’t be this meandering, rambling mess.  Secondly, I’d say something generic like “You can never go wrong with supporting and offering up encouraging words to your partner.”  But I don’t know that.  Maybe you’re annoying with how you dish out niceties.  Maybe the one positive phrase you possess is getting old.  Maybe I’ve now turned it into a drinking game in my head and whenever you say it, you’re just distracting me from our goal of winning because all I can think of is “DRINK.”

You know the best thing you can say to your doubles partner…wait for it…is the talking you do with your racquet and your play.  After we get over the awfulness of this sentence, I’ll re-visit this idea.

The whole “some players” repetition in this post isn’t just me eating up space.  Everyone’s different.  And many of us are constantly playing with new people – those of us unluckily enough to have not found our one true doubles partner soul mate, yet – as our frantic captains scramble to find warm bodies to throw out there on match day.

I don’t know what you can say to your doubles partner that will work every time.  You just have to be you and hope you’re playing with someone who gels with this “you.”  Try to be civilized and normal, if possible, even if that’s not you.  That goes against what I just said, but now that I think about it, being civilized and normal might also work every time.

And play well.  Playing well and winning tends to cover up many blemishes.  There are two things you can control: your play and what you say – both verbally and non-verbally.  Be positive, play well, and hope your partner follows suit.

And if you don’t play well with someone…well, you should absolutely go running to your captain immediately after the match and tell her that under no circumstances should you be paired with this person never, ever again.  Now you won’t have to worry about what to say to this person!  Ah, problem solved!