Thursday, April 14, 2016

Crucial Strategies of Doubles

First of all,its great to be back. After a way too long hiatus, I'm back in the writing saddle  again. The other day I was out assisting my daughter (the Head Coach for Falmouth High School Girl's Varsity Tennis) and I was assigned the Doubles Teams. The level of play was 3.0 for both Marshfield and Falmouth High Schools. I also just finished up coaching for a Women's 3.0 League Team in Plymouth at the Village Racquet Club. There's a couple of points I'd like to address.

When playing doubles at any level your main goal should be to return serve and rally cross court away from the net player. If you cannot do this then that net players will pound winners against you all day. And your partner, who is located on the service line will become an easy target. If you want to get better at doubles, write this down--"Hit the ball cross court away from the net player." That is tennis 101. If you cant do that, take the course over again, and again till you pass it. Hit it deep cross court is the best, your opponent cant get to the net as easy and most players at 3.0 to 3.5 do not recover properly after returning a cross court ball. What do they do? They stand inside the baseline which makes returning a deep ball weak, they throw up playable shots from their feet. I've seen it happen over and over, and its a hard habit to break.

Then next most important strategy is to approach the net when your partner gets an easy ball or you get a short ball. When you do come in, stop just inside the service line. Many players stop short of the line or go right up to the net. Both of those ideas are not good. Hold the line, and take the came as it unfolds; you can move in on balls the pressure your opponent, or hold at the line if your opponent can lob or smack it at your face. You've got to know when to hold em and when to fold em.

How can I get better at these strategies? Practice!!!!!!

Get a good outside forehand and backhand so that you can isolate the deep court player, a tag team that player until you and your partner decide to change the direction of the ball to the short side of the opponents. You have to be able to rally on both wings right to left or left to right. Practice cross court rally's one on one! Get real good at it!

What else?

Practice volleys from just inside the service line and hit them to either side of the court. Hit volleys from the offensive net position (six feet from the net) to the back court player on either side of the court. Your partner will be expecting the ball so its good training for you and them. Its a great workout too.

How can I remember all of this, it seems complicated? " Okay remember this:

Rally or volley the ball to the deepest person, both you and your partner!!!!!

Opportunities will arise to take the point. This is percentage tennis for players working on getting better at doubles and its simple to remember. By the way, both doubles teams for Falmouth won and a number one doubles team form the South Shore lost a first set to two players from my Plymouth Team who who were old enough to be  their Mothers, and number doubles won against a couple of kids too! That was a moral victory.

In the trenches.

Kevin Pease