Oh, Terry.  While I love playing all kinds of tennis, your comment is a perfect example of why I enjoy doubles so much.  Peoples’ true personalities come out when you partner up with them for a competitive tennis match.  And nothing brings out a tennis partner’s true personality better than being in a competitive match where he or she is losing.

And it appears that Terry got an up close and personal look at her partner’s true personality.  And what she saw wasn’t pretty.  But guess what Terry?  If you play doubles for any length of time, it’s bound to happen.  At some point, you’ll be paired with . . . the worst doubles partner ever.

Who Is The Worst Tennis Doubles Partner Ever?

How do I know Terry had the worst doubles partner ever?  Because it’s happened to me.

And I can promise you that the worst doubles partner is not the one with the least amount of tennis skill.  The worst partner is not the one in the poorest physical shape.  The worst partner is not the one who is blissfully unaware of strategy, tactics and/or court positioning.  The worst partner is not even the one who arrives to a match 15 minutes late, clueless as to why her tardiness is so stressful for everyone else.

No, the worst tennis partner is the one who makes you feel like crap.

The worst tennis partner doesn’t care about how the two of you function as a team.  The whole partnership dynamic thing has gone out the window with this player.  The worst tennis partner is in it for him or herself, not for your team and certainly not for you.

Now, this is my personal opinion.  And you may differ with me on this.  But I can tell you that I have played with lots and lots of people.  And this is the type of partner that I absolutely can’t stand and find almost impossible to deal with.

So what do you do when you’re playing with the worst partner ever?

How Do You Play With The Worst Partner Ever?

My advice on how to deal with this type of partner is not very pretty.  I’m sure many of you won’t find it too helpful.  But this is one of those “face reality” situations where you just have to make the best of it.  So here’s how I suggest you deal with this partner:

1.  Realize that you may not win this match.  With the worst partner ever, there is a very low likelihood of winning the match.  And that’s because your partner is not working with you.  He or she is working against you.  Doubles requires lots and lots of constant teamwork.  But you can’t work together as a team if you can hardly speak to each other in a civil manner.  I’m not saying it’s a given that you will lose.  Just that your chances of winning go way down with this type of partner.

2.  Accept that you are not going to change your partner.  You often realize you’re playing with this type of partner in the middle of the match.  And anything you say or do to “help” this player realize the problem he or she is causing may just make matters worse.  I think that’s because this type of partner is playing their own mind games – either they’re beating themselves up over how poorly their own play is going or they’re frustrated at the amount of time they believe they’re wasting playing with you.  It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to change these mysterious thought patterns, certainly not in the middle of a match.

3.  Suck up the criticism and carry on.  When you are playing with this type of partner, you have to be pretty tough mentally.  Because this partner’s remarks will get you to play mind games with yourself instead of concentrating on the match.  Just look at Terri’s situation.  Once her partner told her that her serve wasn’t any good, Terri began questioning the quality of her serve, her partner’s opinion of her serve, and her partner’s unwillingness to play at the net.  All of these are unproductive thoughts that distracted Terri from what was happening on the court.  And when those kind of thoughts are filling your head, it’s difficult to think about what you need to do to win the point.  The best thing you can do for yourself is to put this partner’s remarks out of your head, commit to playing your game and carry on.

Well, Terri, I know this advice won’t prevent you from having to play with the “worst partner ever” again, but I hope it helps you deal with that situation a little better.  Just know that this is something that happens to all doubles players at one time or another.  And any  partner who thinks that belittling your serve (or any other part of your game) is going to make you play better is probably dealing with his or her own self-esteem issues.

By the way, in the post, I HATE My Tennis Partner!, I have six tips for playing with a “mismatched” partner, someone who doesn’t play on the same level as you.  And I think all of those tips are helpful as long as you’re playing with someone with is NOT being an inconsiderate jerk.

Leave me a comment and let me know who’s the worst partner you’ve ever played with and how you dealt with it (or how it blew up in your face).

© Kim Selzman 2013 All Rights Reserved

But I’ve also got some great “non-tennis” apps that I think help my game too.  Because a big part of my “winning” tennis strategy is being in good enough physical shape to outlast any opponent I come up against, these non-tennis apps help me stay as “fit to hit” as I can be.

• RunKeeper – RunKeeper is one of my absolute favorite apps because it tracks the distance I run (or walk or bicycle or whatever) no matter what route I take.  I like to keep track of my mileage and, before RunKeeper, this meant I had a limited number of running routes because I only knew the mileage on a few.  But with RunKeeper, I can step out my door and just start running, no route needed, because RunKeeper is constantly tracking my distance by GPS.  I’ve customized the friendly RunKeeper voice to tell me my mileage, my time and my pace and have selected my “Running” playlist to play in the background.  RunKeeper also allows me to upload my workouts to its site so I can track them over time and compare them with my RunKeeper friends.  The only way this app could get better is if it would go out and do the runs for me.  Available for iPhone or Android.

• Fitocracy – Looking for a new place to socialize?  Check out Fitocracy – the Fitness Social Network.  This app not only tracks your workouts (syncing with RunKeeper for example, thank you very much), but connects you with other like-minded workout friends who encourage you to achieve your fitness goals.  Plus, you can earn badges for completing workout challenges.  And who doesn’t want badges?  You can even find a group of tennis lovers cheering each other on set by set by set.  Available for iPhone or Android.

• Nike Training Club – Wanna work out with Serena Williams?  Well, you can get pretty darn close if you download her Core Power Workout on the Nike Training Club app.  This app provides you with killer full-body 30 to 45 minute workouts and lets you earn your way to some incredible bonus workouts with star athletes like Serena.  You pick the workout, you pick your playlist and then you go.  Video demonstrations are available making it easy to follow along.  And all of the trainers and superstar athletes are outfitted in the latest Nike gear so everyone looks fabulous as they’re sweating.  As I always do.  Available for iPhone or Android.

• Podrunner – This has been a long-time favorite of mine.  I absolutely have to have my tunes to be able to run.  The genius of Podrunner is that not only does it provide you with heart pumping music to get you through your next workout.  Whether you are looking for a mix at a brisk 135 bpm walk pace or a mix to get you through a speedy 170 bpm run, Podrunner has the playlists you’ll love to listen to again and again.

• Evernote – Am I the last person to learn about Evernote?  I thought it was just one more note-taking app that I didn’t need. But this is the most fantastic note-taking app ever because it syncs across ALL of my devices.  I always take notes after my tennis matches and lessons.  With Evernote, I can add a note with my iPhone, pull it up to add to on my computer, and then review it later while reading on my Kindle.  I even use it for all kinds of non-tennis related notes (recipes anyone?).  It allows you to tag notes, search within their text, add items from the Web and even scan documents that can be converted to notes.  Amazing.

All of these apps are available for both the iPhone and for Android devices.

Well, that’s my collection of fav non-tennis apps that help my tennis game.  Do you have favorite apps that you think everyone should be using?  Let me know in the comments below.

And if you’re looking for some truly great tennis apps, check out these Tennis Fixation posts:

Free Tennis Lessons!
Follow ALL The Action With The ATP/WTA Live App
Get Your Tennis Fix With The (Updated) Tennis Fixation App

© Kim Selzman 2013 All Rights Reserved

You know that one of the most basic doubles strategy is to “pick on the weak link” – figure out which of your two opponents is worse and hit to him or her again and again.  While this strategy alone may not win the match, it is usually a big component of doubles success.

The time to start looking for the weak link is, of course, during the warm-up.  So recently, I played a match where my partner and I had warmed-up and then discussed who we thought was the weaker of our opponents.  We had decided that both women were pretty consistent and we wouldn’t necessarily pick on one of them.  As the match wore on, I found myself getting into rallies at the net with one of the two women – the one who was taller, played the net more aggressively and got most everything back.  Finally, thank goodness, my partner said to me, “Why are you hitting to her? The other one’s a lot weaker. Hit to that one!”

Oh yeah!  Pick on the weak link!  I had not only forgotten that strategy, I was actually engaging in a one-on-one battle with the better player!

The lesson – just because you don’t see the weak link early in the match doesn’t mean there isn’t one.  The warm-up doesn’t reveal everything.  Lots of players are great at going through the motions of the warm-up.  But then they refuse to come up to the net during the match.  Or they get worn out and suddenly aren’t so great.  So constantly be talking to your partner and looking for that weak link.  And if your partner keeps hitting to the stronger player, by all means tell her to stop doing that!

What are your favorite “easy” tennis strategies?  Let me know in the comments below!

© Kim Selzman 2013 All Rights Reserved

While I thought the answer here was pretty obvious, it turns out not everyone knows all of the in’s and out’s of service lets.  In fact, this issue came up in a match that I officiated.  And since the players in that match were top-level teens (Girls Super Champ Division A 18s) and one of them didn’t know the correct answer, I realized the answer might not be so obvious.

The question you might ask, and which one of the Super Champ Girls asked me, is why should the server get two serves?  Why not just one?  If the server faulted on her very first serve, why should she now get two serves?

ITF Rule of Tennis 23 – “The Let” – comes into play here.  Rule 23 says that, “In all cases when a let is called, except when a service let is called on a second service, the whole point shall be replayed.”  Seems pretty clear.  If the “whole point” is being replayed, that means start from scratch which means take two serves.

But if that’s not clear enough for you, Case 1 of Rule 23 addresses the exact situation that occurred in my Super Champ Girls match:

Case 1:  When the ball is in play, another ball rolls onto the court.  A let is called.  The server had previously served a fault.  Is the server now entitled to a first service or second service?
Decision:  First service.  The whole point must be replayed.

Conclusion – replay the point, take two serves.

There are, however, two little things to keep in mind here.  First, just because a ball from an adjacent court rolls onto your court doesn’t automatically mean you get two serves.  For example, if the ball rolls onto your court between your first and second serves, you might only get your second serve.  USTA Comment 23.3 explains:

What happens when a ball from an adjacent court rolls on the court between the first and second serves?  The time it takes to clear an intruding ball between the first and second serves is not considered sufficient time to warrant the server receiving two serves unless this time is so prolonged as to constitute an interruption.  The receiver is the judge of whether the delay is sufficiently prolonged to justify giving the server two serves.

So a ball rolling in from another court while you’re between your first and second serves only restarts the point if there has been a “justifiable delay.”  That would mean more than just the minute or so it might take to retrieve the ball and return it to the court from where it came.  And, note that the receiver, not the server, is the judge of whether the delay justifies two serves.  (So the polite receiver will say something like, “Take two serves.”  To which the polite server might reply, “Thanks.”)

The second twist to know is that, should that stray ball come rolling onto your court during your second serve, you once again get two serves per USTA Comment 23.1:

What happens when the server is interrupted during delivery of the second service?  The server is entitled to two serves.

And, in that situation, taking two serves is not dependent on the receiver’s judgment of what constitutes an interruption of delivery of service.  If you’re taking your second serve and you think you’ve been interrupted by a stray ball, you get to take two serves.

Frankly, in my opinion, that’s a little weird.  Why not just retake your second serve?  Why should you get two serves?

The only thing I can think is that the USTA is concerned about safety.  Most of us are looking up at the ball when hitting a serve, not down at our feet where stray balls may be rolling around.  By allowing the server to take two serves in this situation, you avoid the possibly unsafe situation of the “impolite” receiver who doesn’t say anything about that stray ball in hopes that he or she wins the point off a service fault.

And you thought there wasn’t much to say about service lets!  I would love to hear your questions on tennis rules.  If you have any, let me know in the comments below and I’ll try to get you an answer (with lots of quotations!).

Happy Tennis!

© Kim Selzman 2013 All Rights Reserved

TENNIS STUFF:
U.S. Tennis Congress – OMG!  I am so excited about this!  And I am really hoping to attend.  The first U.S. Tennis Congress will be held October 11-14 in Atlanta, Georgia.  This incredible weekend will feature high level instruction from so many amazing tennis instructors that I can’t list them all here.  A weekend playing tennis and working on my game with other fanatics like myself?  What’s not to love?  Visit the site – www.USTennisCongress.com – and sign up to go!

Tennis Coach TV – Well, thank you once again for YouTube for providing a black hole where I can spend all of my time.  There are so many great tennis instructional channels on YouTube and this is definitely a favorite.  Jeff Salzenstein’s Tennis Coach TV provides hours of coaching that is both easy to understand and to apply.  View a few of his videos and I’m sure you’ll see changes, for the good, in your game.

Micaela Bryan’s Twitter Account – After driving her around for the recent U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships, I can tell you, there is no cuter, sweeter tennis celebrity than Micaela Bryan, baby daughter of doubles phenom Bob Bryan. If you are not following her Twitter feed, you are truly missing out on some excellent photos featuring Micaela and an incredible array of tennis pros.

NON-TENNIS STUFF:
The 30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge – As of today, I have completed the 30 day green smoothie challenge put together by SimpleGreenSmoothies.com.  A green smoothie (if you don’t know) is a drink blended up from fruit, water (or other liquid) and leafy green vegetables.  I have had more kinds of kale (green, purple, curly) this month than I knew existed.  Did it change my life?  I’m not sure.  But I’m going to keep drinking them and I’ll probably let you know.

Debunking Diets: Paleo Pros and Cons – What’s the Paleo Diet and why should I care?  I am hearing more and more about it and was wondering if it was something I should be doing.  Well, I’m not doing it, not yet anyway.  But here’s an easy-to-understand summary of what the Paleo diet is and what it might do for you.

What were you fixated on this month?  Have you found any great tennis sites that you’ve become obsessed with?  Or cute babies with Twitter accounts?  Just let me know in the comments below!

© Kim Selzman 2013 All Rights Reserved