Playing against annoying players
Mental Preparation
utkarsh agarwal Asked 11 years ago
Hello coach
i find many players whose game is very annoying and unpredictable and take many net points. It is a hard time playing with them. Please suggest me how to deal with them. He is an offensive style of player.
Alois Rosario Answered 11 years ago
Hi Utkarsh,
This can be really difficult however this is all part of the game.
Some players get more nets because their style is a little more risky with less margin for error.
Focus always on what you can do and think of the other person as someone that is there to provide a challenge for you.
Learn to deal with all types of players and you will improve yourself significantly.
Thoughts on this question
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Douglas Hill Posted 11 years ago
If possible find a more predictable player to warm up with, then you may feel better prepared for the challenge of an erratic opponent. If you do find someone you like to play, see if you can establish a warmup routine with them so they have some incentive to pick you to begin the day's play. A routine can help you get into a good mental state, too.
When I find that I have to begin play with an unpredictable player, I like to treat it as a footwork exercise, to try to get in the best possible position to return each shot, even though it is very hard! If they have strong side spin, as many of these players do, I like to practice countering it exactly to put the ball back to a spot I choose. This makes a great "watching the ball" exercise. I put off grooving my strokes till I have someone more predictable to play with. Perhaps some of these things will apply to your situation, too.
Good luck!