Doubles tennis lets you enjoy tennis without exerting too much physical energy.
In this mode, there is more ground to cover but less movement to be made. This is also what makes it tricky because excellent players can exploit the limited movement that doubles tennis forces players to make for points.
Most doubles players have been playing in this mode for many years. The transition from singles to doubles is also very tough.
If it interests you, however, you have come to the right place. In the seven tips below, I will teach you how to excel at doubles tennis.
Learn where to stand in doubles
Positioning in doubles tennis is even more important than any other trick that you will learn from this piece. It is so important that is the first trick that any tennis coaching course teaches doubles players.
Poor positioning blocks both partners’ ability to hit good shots and can cost valuable points.
Follow these steps to improve your positioning in doubles tennis.
- If you are a net player, always stay on your toes to help you hit better shots and for poaching opportunities.
- Cover the angles for rallies and net play.
- Change your starting position at the beginning of all points to keep your opponents guessing.
- Move forward and backwards at the net to throw your opponent off.
- Stand halfway between the service line and the net for the best volleys.
Master the art of poaching
Poaching in doubles tennis according to tennis coaching courses is when the net player moves across to the middle, or even over to their partner’s side of the court, and interrupts the rally between the baseline players to put away a volley.
Singles players perform a similar action as well. If their opponent’s shots are too weak, they can cover more ground and volley it away from their opponents.
This strategy requires good timing and observation. This is because an over-eager net player can throw off his baseline partner’s rhythm or worse, sink the ball into the net.
These quick tips can help you poach better as a doubles player.
- Target backhand shots
- Target the return from a serve to the deuce side
- Target the return from a deep forehand
Exploit your opponents’ weak shots
Every tennis player has a weak shot. While forehand shots are the basic tennis shots, many are unable to release their full power with forehand shots in rallies.
Even many more are unable to do so with backhand shots.
One particular shot that a lot of tennis players struggle with is the backhand groundstroke. Players use the backhand when the ball comes towards their weak side. If you force them to use a groundstroke, it increases your chances of winning the point from that rally.
Before your doubles match at your favourite tennis club near you or in a competitive tennis match, research your opponent’s weaknesses. In the game, hit shots that will force them to use their weak shots. This way, you gain the upper hand in a rally.
Move side to side at the net
Net play is a key strategy in doubles tennis that many players tend to overlook either in response to their opponents’ superior tactics or because they just do not know how potent it is.
The best doubles players in tennis history always have this as the base of their match strategy. Various tennis coaching courses online and offline also teach this to rookie doubles players.
Taking over the net makes your opponents stay on their toes for the duration of the match or rally, which forces them to make mistakes. When you add lateral movements to this, your team becomes very hard to beat as the opponents will be forced to make even harder shots than they would thanks to your regular net play.
Do not take this for granted.
Hit the ball to the net player’s feet
In doubles tennis competition, hitting the ball to the feet of the opponent is a lot easier. It is not the easiest move as you will learn from various tennis coaching courses online.
The best doubles players to target with these shots are the net players, who are the volleyers of a doubles team. The best volleys are hit when the ball is at chest or shoulder level. However, hitting a volley from the feet or ankle level takes amazing luck which is rare in doubles tennis.
Two ways to get your shot to the net player’s feet are:
- Hit a hitting heavy topspin on your groundstrokes. The ball will dip at the opponent’s feet.
- Hit a soft volley close to the net which will drop at the opponent’s feet.
Always encourage your partner
It is called “doubles” for a reason. Even though each player is responsible for the point in their own way, the shared responsibility is greater.
After each point, meet with your partner to encourage each other or celebrate with each other. You get 20 seconds between each point to recalibrate in doubles but on the occasion that you have a few seconds more after each point, use it to congratulate your partner, encourage them or share your observations to help your partner play better for the next point.
Tennis is mentally exhausting as a singles game but as a doubles game, the mental load is more. The worst thing you can do is go back to your starting position for the serve after missing a point or even winning one.
Learn the rules of doubles
There are a few key differences between singles and doubles tennis.
The most popular one is the size of the court. What is considered out in singles tennis can still be considered in while playing doubles if the ball lands in the space known as the doubles alley.
When the players fail to understand the rules that apply to doubles tennis, they set themselves up for failure in a game. This is why signing up for tennis coaching courses online or offline is important for players who are new to doubles tennis.
Aside from learning tips to make your overall play better, learning what makes a point, where to serve, and the order you and your partner serve amongst others is important to your success as a doubles tennis player.
