This email floated across my desk recently. “Coach, thanks so much for your daily tips. Here is a question for you. Do you have any advice about women playing men. I play a lot of men and have to out think them all the time. Thanks in advance–
Anonymous Lady from LA
Dear Anonymous,
Since I am a senior player I can relate to the being over-powered part for sure. Here are five tips for playing the brutes. Also, I should add the strategies below work with any opponent you play, male or female!
1. Off-speed serves–soft drive serves–most testosterone laden young men love to hit the ball hard but so do alpha-Barbie types! Give them a soft serve and let them whale away. Get back to center court fast so you can kill errant shot.
2. Do not forget to use your charm! Let them know how hard they hit the ball and how much you appreciate them playing an unworthy player such as yourself. Use their egos against them.
3. Keep the ball into the corners at different angles, especially on the serve. Serve from the extreme right, left etc. into the side walls. It is hard to discern exactly where the ball will hit the side wall so the extreme angle gives the server an advantage.
4. Play deep-very deep center court, At least two feet behind the receiving line as the ball will come to you. Any further up and you will be jammed by their power.
5. Employ the yo-yo offense. Last month I coached against several players who would flick to the ceiling from the front court. Their opponent often would shoot again and the yo-yo began with a flick back to the ceiling and by the third or fourth ball frustrated opponents would skip the shot. I like to call this the yo-yo because you are moving them up and moving them back.
One more tip-keep the ball soft and chest high on the opponent as much as possible. This usually works with power players.
Go get’em Tigers!!