Yes, standing closer to the net was a conscious choice I made based on my last few matches. I used to stay deeper, and opponents noticed that and tried to hit through me and play at my feet, which often left me in a less advantageous position. Since I manage to reach all the lobs, I decided to stand closer so I can “shot-stop” their shots earlier.
I agree about the smashes, in the previous matches we played against stronger opponents, and they simply didn’t give me many chances to hit them. This time the guys were around our level and, given that their footwork wasn’t the fastest, hitting more smashes seemed like a good tactic to me.
