Doubles Fundamentals (Part 2)

Doubles Strategy Continued

 Last column I left you with the basic doubles warm-up and scoring. Now the match begins. The serving team, decided by a flip of the racket, begins play. The server should stand (for the most common doubles position) one half between the center of the baseline and the far doubles alley. This will allow the server to cover the cross court return. The server’s partner should stand at the net on the left side of the court, six feet from the net, ready to cover the receiver’s return down the alley, or poach (a diagonally forward move to the center net strap) the return cross court heading back to the server). If the server can locate serves and hit with power then the net player can move and put away returns. If the serves are weak then the net player plays a conservative (stay at home) position. It is more of an advantage to get the first serve in. The server’s partner can now play more aggressively on the return. Put that down in your doubles handbook—“get the first serve in.” The net player of the server stands near the middle of the left side of the court. That player follows the serve laterally, for example: if the net player’s partner serves wide to the left then the net player moves to the left, toward the alley, to cover the down the line alley shot; if the serve is hit down the middle of the court, then the net player positions slightly toward the middle. This gives the net player a bisected angle of return. The net player is a “goalie” that reduces the angle of possible return. In your doubles handbook put down, “follow the ball.” If the server locates a serve down the middle of the service box, the angle of return is reduced. This gives the net player a chance to “poach.” When a net player poaches, it is easier to score winning volleys (balls struck from the air). The next fundamental is a, “serve down the middle.” Serving wide is good to have as a change of direction to catch the returner off guard. The receiver may have a weaker “outside return.” If the receiver has a strong outside return, then the server should try to locate the serve to the body or down the middle. The net player is many times taken out of the point when the ball is served wide, for two reasons: one, the net player slides over to cover the alley shot, and two, the receiver  has angle and  returns cross court away from the net player. The receiver’s main job (next to getting the ball back in play) is to “avoid hitting up to the net player.”

 

To be continued.