Reasons for the serving team to use this formation:

1. The serving team is both good volleyers.
2. The serving team has good overheads and likes to intimidate the other team.
3. The serving team likes pace or speed and wants the games to be fast with lots of quick action.
4. The serving team has poor ground strokes and does not want to get into long baseline exchanges.

Reasons for the receiving team to use this formation:

1. The receiving team has good chip returns and wants to get into the net before the other team.
2. The receiving team’s returns very strong and puts the serving team on defense – this neutralized the serving team’s advantage.
3. The receiving team does not have consistent ground strokes and has a low level of tolerance for long rallies.
4. The receiving team thinks that is how all good teams play.

How to play teams that play one up one back:

1. Get to your first serve in, it is more difficult to approach off of.
2. Direct your shots between them. Make them decide who will play the ball down the middle. Trying to hit angles is difficult because they close in and leave you little room to angle your shots.
3. If you get pinned back in a one up one back position – Lob the player closest to the net. If the lob is deep and bounces, come in and control the net against them.
4. Take the pace off your shots when they capture the net. Use softer shots with more spins so they cannot use your pace to kill your partner or hit aggressive shots between you.
5. Lob the serving team right away and force them to switch and run down the lob. You move in and now control the net.

What not to do:

1. Avoid getting sucked into their style of play if is not your style.
2. Take the pace off the ball to slow it down and give you more time to spin the next ball or lob them.
3. Never play one up one back formation against this team – they will pick off your partner in most cases.
4. Don’t try to hit hard passing shots, the balls will stay too high and give them speed to volley against.
5. Don’t miss first serves – you can’t get to the net on weak second serves and they love to attack weak 2nd serves.

Photo Credits: 1

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Don’t be afraid – pick a target and go for it.

Reasons for the serving team to use this formation:

1. The serving team can limit the receiving teams cross court return options.
2. The serving team has a good volleyer and wants to give them more opportunities to be able to volley on every serving point.
3. The serving team to compensate for a weak server by making the receiving team focus more on the server’s partner and not allow them to “T” off on the return so easily or dink the return back to the server’s side of the court.
4. The serving team has poor ground strokes and does not want to get into long baseline exchanges.
5. The serving team wants to intimidate the receiving team and get inside their head to make decisions instead of focusing on the ball.

Reasons for the receiving team to use this formation:

1. The receiving team has enough confidence in the receivers return that they chose not to guard the center of the court against poaches by the server’s partner.
2. The receiving team has good chip returns and wants to get into the net before the other team and put pressure on the server.
3. The receiving team’s returns very strong and puts the serving team on defense – this neutralized the serving team’s advantage.

How to play teams that play “I” or Modified “I” on serves:

1. Make a decision as to where you want to return and don’t change your mind.
2. Lob the returns a lot if you have a good lob and on second serves.
3. Move both players back to take the pressure off the return of server and take away the net player target.

How to play teams that play “I” or Modified “I” on returns:

1. Get to your first serve in up the middle to “C’ or at the “B” as it creates less angles on the return.
2. Serves up the middle forces the receiver’s partner to over to allow the returner room to make a cross court return.
3. If the return comes back high to the server, volley down the line.
4. Have your team play a Modified “I” or Australian against their formation.
5. Take the pace off your shots when they capture the net. Use softer shots with more spins so they cannot use your pace to kill your partner or hit aggressive shots between you.
6. Lob the serving team right away and force them to switch and run down the lob. You move in and now control the net.

What not to do:

1. Avoid getting sucked into their style of play if is not your style.
2. Avoid trying to hit too hard at the net player – it will only give them pace with which to pass your partner.
3. Avoid consistently serving wide serves as it allows more angles for the returner.
4. Do not look at the “modified” player.

Photo Credit: 1

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