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I think I face my first retriever last tournament. HE would take any ball under the table and basically, lob or fish everything and send it high and deep begging to be smashed. MY problem is I'm inverted forehand and Long pips backhand. I can fairly loop or drive a standard ball regularly ( not consistently for my liking) but my game is more modern defense. His lobs fishes under the table are just ... weird as he puts sidepsin either left or right or heavy backspin. I 've beaten a few of the people that beat him before (mostly young people that can drive/smash with extreme regularity and stamina) but they're matches go long as he keeps sending them back. In fact , opponent that beats him pretty much loses next game because they're tired lol.


I tried taking it off the bounce but sometimes it just kicks out from my racket depnding on which side spin he gives. I tried backing up and wiating for it to bounce high and hit it on way down. Same problem I am out of position when it bounces one way or the other. Only shot that seem's safe was a backhand bump/punch block with my pips . I keep forgetting to hit it safely though and sooooooooooooo tempted to smash/drive a long high ball when that's not really my forte. I'ld rather chop or push all day long lol. But his shots are not conducive for either.

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If he keep playing it from under the table, where you can't see it, either keep it deeper so that you can see, or keep it short so that he has to play it over the table.

The way I play player like this is that I keep attacking at half power where my control is much better, and moving them around and in and out. I wait for an opportunity to smash and then I go full power. They can be very tough though, so you need to be patient and concentrate.

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Haggisv highlighted it well. This class of player is strong to his sides and can often move well, also good at keeping it deep, which takes away a lot of your angles and vertical room for error on your aggressive shots. This kind of player will get it back more than you can aggressively smash with power and still land it. In fact, he WANTS you to go full power out of control or position or for the wrong ball. That is why Haggisv says be patient.

Smash right as his grill if you get the chance, otherwise, try to bump it back low and look for another chance. if you get a ball that is not too deep but low, try to do a sidespin Hookshot to move him extreme side and smash the other way or right back from where he came.

You have to pay a lot more attention. DO not give ball that fall under the table at one meter, he will do what you say and impact it where you cant see and you end up going all out on the wrong ball.

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another thing I learned from my coach a few years ago. Take (contact) the ball at shoulder height everytime. Move to make it so. Stay back from the ball, let it bounce what ever way it will and then move in and attack as it falls to shoulder height.

Speaking from experience as a retriever when losing:

Very good ball placement, side to side or at the body or in then out, or various combinations of these, whichever causes the retriever most discomfort.
Don't give them time to make their trickier shots, so keep the ball moving at a fair pace

As for when you are smashing, lots of players seem to think that they have to hit the ball when it is at the top of its bounce. This is fine if that is what you have practiced, but in my experience, not too many players have practiced this. Taking a step back from this particular topic , you should be trying to make each type of shot the same by use of footwork. It is the same with your smash, as vanjr has said.

The particular type of retriever you are facing I have played against my self. The idea is not to let them play a hidden spin shot by making your shots either short or long, or if they do, to ether not commit yourself to an aggressive shot until you see which way the ball bounces, or to try to take the ball very close to the bounce to minimise the amount of sideways movement. In addition, they are probably getting what is known as corkscrew spin on the ball by hitting sideways under the ball, not simple side spin, which is going to make the ball jump sideways by a larger margin.

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I do flat drives or flat smashes when dealing with this kind of players. I can't loop successively since I do get tired

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Enjoy the game. It is a never ending learning experience once you play and keep the ball on that 45 sq ft of space or should I say half of that space.

I went into a tournament two months ago, thinking I had an excellent chance of winning my division (I was the 3rd seed). The first opponent I faced was a retriever. He typically lobbed with topspin, and I smashed, then he returned, (repeat), then I missed. Lost the match 3-0 (so much for moving forward in the division). I knew I could beat the guy. He was a cool dude, we chatted, and I told him I wanted to play him later, and make him "prove it." We played two more matches later in the afternoon, and I won them both, 3-0. What I'd realized is that in that first match, I feel into his trap and played his game. My game is a defensive, long-pips punchblock game. When I played that second and third matches with him, I didn't smash, I punchblocked, making him have to come in, then I'd hit the ball past him. So it was a great lesson about not getting suckered into playing the other guy's game (despite how juicy it seemed to want to smash), and instead stick with my own strategy. I had learned that lesson at my regular club against our only retriever, but had forgotten it in the tournament.

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