lesson 7 of 7
A real point, step by step
One of our own points, filmed by the court's camera and taken apart shot by shot. A deep serve, a cross-court drop, a speed-up down the line, and a backhand volley.
The point
Everything in this path, in one 13-second point from one of our own games. Watch the player in beige, serving from the far right, with his partner in red. They start at the baseline and win it at the kitchen line with four shots.
- Beige, serving
- Red, his partner
- Blue, returning
- Black, his partner
Tap a shot to see it at half speed.
Watch it once at full speed. Then tap each shot to see it at half speed, and follow the serving team, not the ball.
The drop makes them lift it
The third shot doesn’t win anything by itself. It lands low at Blue’s feet, so his next ball has to go up, and that buys the serving team the time to come in.
The drop, at Blue's feet. He has to scoop it up: no pace, no angle.
Beige is already moving in behind his own shot, not waiting to see where it lands.
Red moves with him, so they arrive side by side, not one up and one back.
Both at the line, then the speed-up
One shot later both are at the kitchen line, and the other team isn’t set yet. When the ball sits up, that’s the moment to speed it up.
Beige, at the line, takes a ball that has sat up and speeds it up.
Red, level with him. Two at the line is a wall: nothing gets through the middle.
Black, straight down the line. The shortest way through, with the least time to react.
Blue is still behind the line, a step slower to help his partner.
Finish off the block
A speed-up rarely wins on its own. It wins on the next ball, the block that comes back without pace. Beige stays set at the line, ready for it.
The backhand volley, taken high and early, at the line.
Black, pushed back by the speed-up: out of the point.
Blue, alone at the line, with the volley going down at his feet.
What made it work
- A deep serve kept the return honest: Blue hit it from deep and got only halfway in.
- The drop went at the player still coming in, low at his feet, so the next ball had to come up.
- Both partners moved together. Beige and Red reached the line side by side. See Moving as a team.
- The speed-up came off a ball that sat up, and went straight down the line.
- The point was won on the ball after the speed-up, by staying set for the block.