Deep Desperation

This game requires some hustle.
Photo available as wallpaper here

Deep Desperation is another drill included in the Top 10 games we coaches are supposed to know. It is similar to Butts and Elbows in that the first ball is fed by the coach and is a lob. Both feature one doubles team starting at baseline. In DD, rather than have the other doubles team starting at the net, players are lined up at the net post and the first two in line do not enter the court until the lob is fed. Play out the point. Winners stay; losers go to end of line at net post.

This drill increases the level of difficulty of Butts and Elbows in two ways:

• The players have a little farther to run since they are at the net post rather than on court at the net.
• They must communicate effectively to avoid initial on-court chaos since they are not starting from clearly defined positions on court.

Hint: if you have an even number of players, the same players will be paired together throughout this activity unless you intervene in the line-forming process. This could be good, or could be bad. Adjust as needed.