A courtly proposal
Coaching your companion, making moves, volley varieties and more…
Welcome back to Couples on the Court! Our mission is to curate the tennis lifestyle for couples who are learning to play mixed doubles tennis. Jump on in!
Matteo’s Matrimony?
This couples on the court thing is really catching on. Apparently a fan proposed marriage during an interview and Berrettini quipped, “Let me think about it!” Hey, it wasn’t a no!
Coaching on the court (a no-no for couples?)
We had our usual Friday night couples tennis group together last week and it was really fun. With 4 couples we played 3 sets (one with each). I’ve noticed with one of our friends, the husband coaches his wife on the court quite a bit. We’re all still learning, and our games or informal, so it doesn’t bother me at all. I think she’s fine with it as well. It made me curious, though, about whether it’s a good idea in general. I found this video for Padel but I think it applies to Tennis doubles as well.
Here are their 4 Reasons Not to Coach Your Partner During a Match:
Mental Mess - If you coach your partner it can be read as telling them you don’t like what they are doing, which can lead to insecurity.
Technical Thinking - If you have your partner thinking about technique and tactics while playing, instead of strategy, they may get tripped up.
Giving it Away - If you are telling your partner how to play, guess who also hears you? Your opponents can gain a lot of confidence (and intel) if they overhear your advice.
You May Be Wrong - The advice you give on the court may be inaccurate, or it may be something that’s not helpful to your partner.
There are exceptions to every rule, of course, but these are some guidelines I found. I’d love to hear your experience! It all comes down, once again, to communication. Talk with your partner ahead of time about how much feedback to share. Also, consider creating some secret signals so you can communicate silently.
Doubles Moves
Ever wonder where to stand while playing doubles? That’s a trick question because, of course, we’re never just standing! I was intrigued by the promise of this video:
“Movement is the secret to doubles success and today I’m going to show you the number one movement mistake rec players make that ends 90% of all doubles points.”
Spoiler alert: the answer is follow the ball!
My husband and I tried this on the court and it’s easy to forget! But definitely something to work towards.
“There’s a ceiling for every tennis player on just how good you can actually get if you don’t know how to move on the doubles court.”
Volley Revelation
I took a group class this weekend and learned I have been all wrong at the net. The pro at the club advised me to think of it as catching a ball. You absorb the impact of the ball when you catch, so you don’t want to be moving your racket forward (which is what I was doing).
My husband sent me the video below to follow up.
Book Review
I started reading a book we had lying around the house this week. It’s called Master Your Tennis Game: 50 Mental Strategies and Tactics. Some of the advice so far is pretty basic (e.g., confirm what time your match starts). But I thought about it for couples. I could instantly imagine a scene where you arrive at the match with your spouse, discover one of you had the time wrong, and the stress spiral starts! It’s one thing if you get the time wrong for yourself. but I know I’d feel ten times worse if I told my husband the wrong time.
I’ll do a book review soon, but that’s my takeaway for now: Check your match time and place - and make sure you have gas (or charge) in the car!