Positioning and Decision-Making during Overheads
Overhead Targets
One of the most important decisions of a match is where you will hit overheads as a team. Before you begin your match, you should have a brief discussion about where safe targets are and where the opponent’s strengths are located. For the following examples, we will say we are all right-handed, and the stronger opponent is on the ad side. For 90% of the matches you play, this will probably hold true, but even if the stronger player is not on the ad side, these targets will still probably be the best to begin a match.So, the overall best target is #1, the ad side backhand screen. #2 is the deuce court middle backhand. #3 is the ad court forehand. #4 is the deuce court forehand. The order of #3 & #4 is debatable, but if you understand the positioning issues on your side of the court, then #4 is undoubtedly worse than #3. A "down and up" to target #4 is often called “don’t feed the shark” in the paddle world. Where you hit your overhead changes the positioning on your side of the net slightly. 
Overheads to Target #1 When your team hits the overhead to target #1, then your position should look similar to this picture. The positioning is staggered, with a strong center player taking 70-80% of the overheads and the duece-court net player ready for any drive down the line and middle. The key is to hit multiple overheads in a row to this target and use variety and patience. Notice how the ad-court overhead player is standing in the middle! They do not need to close into the net very much when targeting #1.
Overheads to Target #2When hitting the overhead to target #2, then your position should look similar to this picture. The positioning is staggered, with a strong center player taking 70-80% of the overheads and a net player closer to the middle than when hit to target #1. When you hit target #2, there are fewer angles for the opponents to hit a drive. This target is often one of the best “reset” targets when neutralizing a good lob. Great teams focus on patterns that go from target #1 to target #2. This is a timeless way of taking and keeping control of paddle rallies when you are at the net. 
Overheads to Target #3This is where things get a little scary but still manageable. There are players who can hit big drives from this target, but both players can crowd the middle and hold a strong backhand volley to reduce the angles for the drive. The ad court player should still be a little closer. Ideally, when hitting to this target you are hitting a push volley to keep it deep and low, or a roller to make the opponent think twice about driving it. Avoid going “down and up” to this target.
Overheads to Target #4Here is where things can turn to chaos and a good team will only hit to this target if they get the overhead to the screen. The main problem with target #4 is that the duece-court player needs to move to a strong center position, and the ad-court player needs to move in slightly to cover the down-the-line drive. This leaves nobody covering the Lob to the middle & cross-court. Additionally, a good opponent will take your attempt to target #4 early (don’t feed the shark) and drive it before the ad-court player can establish their position. It's chaos for the overhead team who is not prepared. Thus, target #4 is used sparingly in better games or only after sequencing the other targets, which leaves it wide open. Yes, pros use target #4, but that's with rollers, high waterfalls, and soft-touch volleys after an opponent tries to sneak over on targets #1, 2, & 3.In conclusion, every overhead you hit needs to have a purpose for both players. Next Monday, I will discuss the variety of overheads you need to be successful. 