Sharlene Jerome
These ladies can play but also know how to party!
We had so much to celebrate this season. We wrapped up the season securing third place overall in our division. Melissa Craig graciously hosted a wonderful end of season party at her home on March 28, where the team gathered to toast another memorable year. We were thrilled to welcome back Dianna Wreford, who made a quick trip down from Canada just to join the festivities.
We also took a moment to honor our dear friend and former SunChix member, Jen Walden, who passed away last year after a courageous battle with cancer. Her spirit, strength, and love for the game continue to inspire us.
As always, we shared stories, laughed hard, reminisced about seasons past, strengthened our camaraderie, and simply had a “ball”—pun fully intended.
Doubles tennis is as much of a mental game as a physical one, often leading players to tell themselves half-truths to maintain confidence or justify questionable tactical choices.
Here are 10 things doubles players tell themselves that are usually not true:
* “I need to hit a winner to win this point.” Consistency, pressure, and smart placement win far more doubles matches than outright winners. Trying to hit winners frequently leads to high unforced errors.
* “I should stay back because I am afraid of getting lobbed.” Unwillingness to stay at the net due to fear of the lob is a major mistake. A solid net position is crucial, and the risk of being lobbed is usually lower than the risk of losing the point from the baseline.
* “I’m playing ‘smart’ by playing passively on big points.” Many players slow their swing and play safely at 4-4, telling themselves they are in control, when they are actually shifting from playing to win to playing not to lose.
* “I’ll cover the alley to stop them from hitting down the line.” The down–the–line shot is a low-percentage target for opponents. Over-covering the alley leaves the middle exposed, which is a much higher-percentage shot for opponents.
* “I‘ll just apologize to my partner for that mistake.” Apologizing is a selfish, self-serving habit that breaks momentum. Instead of apologizing for a missed shot, focus on the next point.
* “It’s my partner’s fault we lost that point.” Blaming is common, but it destroys team dynamics. Effective doubles require accepting responsibility for your role in the point.
* “The stronger player must play on the Ad side.” The deuce court returner actually gets more opportunities to return throughout a match, making it a better spot for a stronger player.
* “I should look at my partner to get instructions.” Having full conversations during the match is often distracting. Quick, strategic communication about serving or returning is efficient, but over-communicating can disrupt flow.
* “I have to hit harder to win.” Doubles is a game of angles, not speed. A soft, angled shot that forces the opponent to move is often better than a high-speed ball hit directly to them.
* “The weather/sun/wind caused us to lose.” The weather is the same on both sides of the court. Telling yourself this is just an excuse to avoid dealing with the conditions which are the same for both teams.