So Where Do I Stand On The Sand Court For Serve Receive?
In
doubles, since you are one of only two players on either side, it's
important to line yourself up on the court so you know where you are in
relation to your partner, the sideline closest to you and the service
line behind you. In regards to where a player needs to stand in
relationship to the service line I was taught to be my height's distance
away from the back line. So, I'm six feet tall which means that I want
to be six feet into the court from the service line for my serve receive
starting position. This way, if a ball is served that comes at me
that's above my waistline and around my shoulder level then I know that
that ball is out.
From my sideline, if I were to stick out my arm towards the line, I would want to be several inches more than my arm's length away, so that I know automatically (and with practice) where I am in the court and how many steps it takes me to get to either the side or the service line. Compared to indoor it should take me about a little over a shuffle step to get to my sideline.
These are basic guidelines to follow and of course there are adjustments that are to be made based on your personal height, your speed, the wind, the other team's tendencies and the type of serve the other team is using (if the opposing team is jump serving for example). But here I've given you the guidelines that most players use as a starting point.
Don't Sink, Swim
Okay, you don't really want to swim in the sand but you do want to try and keep your feet above and on top of it. Beginners have a tendency to sink down in the sand (it feels like quicksand at first, but its not) while waiting to receive serve. To avoid this tendency, before the server serves, take two or three baby steps in place, right where you are to insure that you're above the sand and not below it.
Pass First
Unless you are chasing down a ball that's pretty far, you want to concentrate on taking the time to pass first. What I mean is don't pass and run at the same time if you can help it. Force yourself to do two distinct skills, run to get to the ball and then get stopped and prep yourself to pass. Use your feet, knees and legs to deliver a nice pass to your setter first and since you can control the speed of the game with your pass, you can also determine to a certain degree how good a set you should get. So take the time to make it a good one.
Here's why, if you give yourself a good serve receive pass then you can control how much time you have to make a good strong spike approach and to look at the open spaces on the opposing team's court so you can see where to hit to. If you rush your pass, you rob yourself of these opportunities.
From my sideline, if I were to stick out my arm towards the line, I would want to be several inches more than my arm's length away, so that I know automatically (and with practice) where I am in the court and how many steps it takes me to get to either the side or the service line. Compared to indoor it should take me about a little over a shuffle step to get to my sideline.
These are basic guidelines to follow and of course there are adjustments that are to be made based on your personal height, your speed, the wind, the other team's tendencies and the type of serve the other team is using (if the opposing team is jump serving for example). But here I've given you the guidelines that most players use as a starting point.
Don't Sink, Swim
Okay, you don't really want to swim in the sand but you do want to try and keep your feet above and on top of it. Beginners have a tendency to sink down in the sand (it feels like quicksand at first, but its not) while waiting to receive serve. To avoid this tendency, before the server serves, take two or three baby steps in place, right where you are to insure that you're above the sand and not below it.
Pass First
Unless you are chasing down a ball that's pretty far, you want to concentrate on taking the time to pass first. What I mean is don't pass and run at the same time if you can help it. Force yourself to do two distinct skills, run to get to the ball and then get stopped and prep yourself to pass. Use your feet, knees and legs to deliver a nice pass to your setter first and since you can control the speed of the game with your pass, you can also determine to a certain degree how good a set you should get. So take the time to make it a good one.
Here's why, if you give yourself a good serve receive pass then you can control how much time you have to make a good strong spike approach and to look at the open spaces on the opposing team's court so you can see where to hit to. If you rush your pass, you rob yourself of these opportunities.
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