Partner communication in doubles

Strategy

Roy J
Roy J Asked 8 years ago

Should your doubles partner be made aware of the type and placement of your serve before you make it?

Roy


Alois Rosario
Member Badge Alois Rosario Answered 8 years ago

Hi Roy,

This will help if you can work out a communication strategy.  It gives them more time to adjust.  You will see that most top doubles combinations will use hand signals to let your partner know what type of serve you are going to do.


Recommended Video

Table Tennis Video Tutorial

Gerada v Lu

Once again Alois and Jeff discuss a great match from the PingSkills Classic. This is the first quarter final between the number 1 seed Simon Gerada and Percy Lu. Without giving too much away, just make sure you watch the incredible backhand that Percy Lu hits in the 4th set. It really is the shot of the tournament.

Watch Now

Thoughts on this question


Roy J

Roy J Posted 8 years ago

As I thought, but that is fine if you have the same partner all the time, but when you are in a group of, say, 12 players and you are "in a drawer" and have different partners and opponents for every game, you cant do that. You may be playing with partner A in the 1st game but player A might be your opponent in the next game. I wish now I hadn't asked the question except you are telling me "yes, but have a permanent partner" then it would work. I think I have answered my own question!


Alois Rosario

Member Badge Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 8 years ago

You can always just speak and tell your partner what serve you are doing.


Bojan De Reya

Bojan De Reya Posted 8 years ago

Hi. I'm having the same troubles with my random double partners.

Question: is there any standard for that "finger language" that top players indicate each other which serv is to be performed. Like: showing 1 finger means underspin, 2 fingers sidespin or whatever...


Alois Rosario

Member Badge Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 8 years ago

Often the little finger means short backspin and the thumb is short topspin.  The index finger can mean long backspin and a waving of fit fingers means long fast  serve.


Roy J

Roy J Posted 8 years ago

sorry guys......just gotta say.....the middle finger means "YOU JUST LOST US THAT POINT BECAUSE YOU MADE A SILLY STROKE"


Alois Rosario

Member Badge Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 8 years ago

Thank you Roy! 


Become a free member to post a comment about this question.