Beware of Dark Alleys

Greg Moran

For many players, the doubles alley holds a mysterious fascination. Though visually it’s a small target, a big shot between the lines can be as tempting as that midnight bowl of ice cream.

As I work with doubles players round the country I notice that many do not have a true understanding of when to, and when not, to attempt a shot down their opponent’s alley. Point after point, they'll try to fire the ball past their opponent, only to be frustrated by their own errors or easily put away volleys by an alert net player.

Usually it’s the big hitters who suffer from alley obsession. These are players whose top priority is to burn the cover off the ball as they rip a shot past their helpless opponent. In their minds, the person who hits the ball the hardest is the better player, regardless of where the ball lands or what the scoreboard says at the end of the match.& For these macho men and women, “percentage” is a dirty word yet the fact is that the down the alley shot is a low percentage play.

Ten-time Grand Slam champion Anne Smith agrees. "Hitting down the line to the alley either on the return of serve or during the point is one of the lowest percentage shots in doubles.” This is true for a variety of reasons. To begin with, the alley is an extremely small area of the court (just 54 inches wide), plus the net is six inches higher at the corners.

Also, to place the ball down your opponent’s alley, you’ll often have to change the direction of the oncoming ball, which is a challenging task. Even if you do hit the shot well, you’ve given your opponent two easy options to beat you: they can volley the ball away down the middle or drill it at your partner at the net.

Finally, by hitting to the outside of the court, you’re presenting your opponent with many angles to play with their return. “When all is said and done,” says Smith, author of the book Grand Slam: Coach your Mind to Win in Sports, Business and Life, “this strategy does not give you the best opportunity to win the point.”

Does this mean that you should never venture down your opponent’s alley: of course not. If used at the appropriate time, the shot can be a tremendous weapon and have a dramatic impact on your matches. When then is that “right” time?

In doubles there are three scenarios in which you would try to hit the ball down your opponent's alley: if they fail to cover it, if they volley poorly or if they're actively poaching.

1. If they leave the alley open
   
   Let’s say your opponent has pulled you out wide with a heavy slice serve. As you move to the ball, you sneak a quick glance and notice that the opposing net player hasn't shifted (as he should) to cover his alley.
   
   Knowing that the straight, down the line shot is the fastest way to get the ball past your opponent, a hard drive down the alley can most definitely win you the point and deflate your opponent at the same time.

2. Your opponent volleys poorly or isn’t mentally alert
   
   This one's a no-brainer. If the opposing net player appears afraid of the net, doesn’t volley well or looks unfocused, simply keep hitting to their alley (or right at them) until they miss enough shots to win you the match.

3. Your opponent is actively poaching
   
   The server’s partner is driving you crazy each time you prepare to strike the ball (as he or she should). He’s moving, faking, poaching, and basically has you so nervous you can barely take your racquet back. Then, a hard drive down the alley can be a useful tactic.
   
   By hitting the occasional shot down this player’s alley or again right at them, you’re telling him that you can, and will hit there. This will undoubtedly force him to be a bit more hesitant about being aggressive.

While these are all excellent situations to drive the ball down your opponent's alley, you must keep in mind that, at the 4.0 level and above, the first two of those three scenarios largely disappear.

At the higher levels of the game, experienced players understand court positioning and will move as they should. This means that if your opponent hits you a shot that pulls you out wide, his net-playing partner, ninety-nine percent of the time, will shift to cover his alley.

As before, take a quick look and if the player hasn’t shifted go for it. However, if he has moved as he should, don’t force it. If you do, your opponent will most likely have a huge smile on his face as he easily ends the point with a volley down the center of the court, between you and your partner.

In the second scenario, strong players usually like the net, are alert, and volley well. This means that if you hit down their alley they will, again, be quite willing and able to end the point with a put away volley. That leaves you with only one true scenario in which you should be attempting to drive the ball down your opponent's alley: if he or she is actively poaching.

Making the Alley Work for You

At the 4.0 level and above, you will often be faced with a net player who is skilled and aggressive in their movements. As you prepare to receive serve or strike a groundstroke, they'll be doing anything they can to distract you: bouncing up and down, feinting left and right and, on occasion, shooting across the court in an attempt to pick off your return. That’s their job, so the question is how will you respond?

Geoff Norton, a High Performance coach for the USTA says that, “This is where the match becomes interesting. One of the most exciting facets of doubles is the game within the game that goes on between the receiver and opposing net player. As the match progresses, each makes adjustment after adjustment in an attempt to see who can get deeper into the other’s head. It’s one of the subtle things that make doubles so exciting,” says Norton.

Many players, when faced with an aggressive net player, simply wilt under the pressure. They panic and quickly deteriorate into a puddle of errors. Others understand how to control that active net player and are often able to turn the match in their favor.

Your response to the lively (and frequently annoying) opponent should be to challenge them early in the match. When I play, I almost always attempt an alley shot in the first game of the match for no other reason than to show my opponents that I can, and will, hit there. Even if I give away an early point, the message I've sent makes them think twice before they poach. Going right at the net player and lobbing over them are also effective ways to keep opponent’s guessing and, in the process, lessen their eagerness to poach.

Though the occasional alley shot can be effective, proceed with caution. Remember, in high level doubles the vast majority of your points will be won by hitting the ball down the middle of the court, at your opponent's feet or over their heads. Avoid alley addiction and you'll see your errors decrease and your number of doubles wins increase.

Your comments are welcome. Let us know what you think about Greg Moran's article by emailing us here at TennisOne.

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