Clearing The Ball
Clearing The Ball There are always arguments over if a player has cleared the ball to let your opponent through. This weeks tip is on a strategy to do with this. If your opponent hits the ball loose in the front of the court, and you choose to drop, try and back out to the middle of the court so that he has to go around the long way to the ball. If you don’t know which way he is going to go, hold your ground and don’t worry too much if you are in the way. After all, he is the one that has hit the ball down the middle. If he had hit the ball in to a corner, you wouldn’t be in the way in the middle. Providing your shot is tight, he has to make an effort to go get it. You shouldn’t purposely block, but I wouldn’t be leaping out of the way if you know what I mean. Players need to learn that if they don’t play it tight, then they need to do the scrambling to get themselves back in the rally, not the other way around. Give them a bit of room to get it, but be economical with your energy clearing! Rob