As I’m not a very aggressive player, so I learned to play on the right side where I really improved the defense and preparation for the next shot.. the only exception is when I play with a “leftie” partner, then I move to the left side and play on preparing the next shot, just like if I was on the right side of the court.. Before you say anything else, YES, I’ve started on being more aggressive and it’s quite good finishing some points while keeping a good sort of control - it definitely “surprises” the guys that used to play with me.. 😎
I'm a lefty and new to the game. Normally I play to the right when returning and a normal setup when we have the serve. Gives us a chance to play both sides
My coach asks me every lessons if I've chosen my side. It's so stressful as I'm not fixed yet. I didn't play enough and need more time and experiment more to decide which side I'd be more comfortable with. At the same time it's embarrassing not knowing which side to play each time with a new partner...
PierreM BK in my opinion this is the biggest mistake made by new players/coaches. Until you understand fully both sides I wouldn’t make a specific decision. Even after you know, you might choose a different side depending who you play with...it really only becomes important when the smashing gets aggressive anyway. But if you know how to smash for both sides you can still take your time deciding!
Whats the correct rules? Lets say we are gonna play the first game in the first set. If I decide i play the left side of the court, am I supposed to start there every game of the set, or can we switch side for every game and serve?
The side you select for the return must be the same for the whole set (when returning). In a new set you can change return side, but then must keep that for the whole set again...But for the serve, you can stay on the opposite side if you prefer or you can switch each serve. Does that help?
I see some people switching sides when serving, where I feel that keeping sides unless you need to switch mid-point is the way to be most consistent. Where do you land on this?
I would say that at beginner level, you can’t really go wrong by switching sides. I would encourage players to try both sides wether it’s during play or service. At intermediate and advanced level, it’s more beneficial to keep sides.
