Strategies For Your Doubles Game 

September 15th, 2015 by Do It Tennis

filed in Tennis Tips, Tennis How To

For many tennis players, the concept of playing a doubles match can stir up mixed emotions. Some players would prefer playing singles, yet others enjoy having the help of a partner to cover the court. Wherever you‘re at in your love-hate relationship with doubles tennis, here are a few tips to sharpen and strengthen your doubles game. Even if it’s not your favorite, it’d be worth your time to add some of these to your tennis wisdom; chances are you’ll find yourself in a situation at some point where you’ll be asked to play in a 2v2 tennis match.

Hitting

• Power is good, but placement is better: Sure, you can fire the tennis ball back at someone in a volley, but strategic placement would be better. • Mix up your shots: When you notice your opponents are closing the net often, mix it up with some lobs to push them back further. • Keep the tennis ball low and use angles as much as possible to make it harder for your opponent to return the ball, especially when doing an approach shot. Use angles to pull the opponent out of position. Use a low ball so the opponent has to hit the ball up therefore making it easier for you to move up to the net. • Always have a target in mind when hitting volleys and overheads: Decide early where you want the tennis ball to go so you can figure out if you’ll want to move up or stay back to hit it.

Teamwork

• Watch your partner and move with them around the tennis court. You’ll want to keep the middle covered, so take caution not to both end up on the sides, leaving an open court. • Communication is key: Call the ball if you are closer and have an easier hit than your partner. Tell them to move up or move back when needed and let them know if the ball is going out of bounds. This really could make the difference between winning and losing the match. • Use signals when serving: Signals are a great way to plan what you’ll do after your partner serves. The net player should signal whether they think they should stay, switch (poach) or form a T position. Best of all your opponents can’t see the signals, so you can keep them on their toes. Like your shots, mix up the calls so they can’t predict what you’ll do next. • Switch (aka poach) when your partner serves up the T, which will make it easier to hit to a return and also keep your opponents on edge • Commit to poaching/switching: When you decide to switch (poach) make sure you follow through with it. If you don’t commit to switching sides, you might end up leaving the court wide open and give away an easy point. • Front Player Move: The person at the tennis net should play more aggressively - always moving around to throw off the opponents. Whether you already knew all these tips or you’re brand new to doubles tennis, knowing them when you’re called as a partner comes will be sure to impress. What are some of your favorite tennis doubles strategies? We want to hear them!