Paying Attention To The Details Of Your Doubles Match

1. What is your hold rate? What's that? If you were to serve ten times, how many times would you hold serve against your peers? In doubles you need to be above 80%. Why? Your serve needs to be a weapon! Work on it till it becomes one or back it up with a volley that seldom misses or both!

2. What is your break rate? What's that? If you were to receive ten times, how many times would you break your opponents serve? If you can break 25% or higher and hold 80% or higher you are winning most of your matches.

In world class competition and very competitive doubles matches, just about everyone holds serve and all it takes is a mini-break in a tie-breaker to decide the match.

Are you competing against yourself in your doubles matches or your opponent? Many smart people would answer both. I guess that's true in a general sort of way. But that doesn't really help me manage my game in any specific way. I have come up with a simple formula to determine the level of competition you are playing: In competitive matches you must get your serve in play and the return of serve in play away from the opposing net player. If you can not do this, you are not at the level of the player(s) you are facing. If you can make two shots in a row -- serve and return the next shot, return a serve and return the next shot you are starting a competitive point. If you cannot start a competitive point then you are not competing and you are out of level. If you return more than two shots that are hit to you in or out of sequence then you are competing. The match now hinges on how well you compete during the key points for games, key points for sets and matches. Matches (any level) are exciting when competition is fierce. It's that's simple folks. Look at the facts. If you cannot remember what you do, ask your partner. It's a good idea to develop tennis memory -- who's doing what to whom, otherwise its really difficult to discuss point situations and adjustments.

In a future tennis tip I will discuss the key points of a tennis match. Point management helps putting strategies in perspective and helps you manage risk and pressure.

Your pro in the trenches,

Kevin Pease