Communicate to Win

Greg Moran

One of the things that make doubles so much fun is that it’s a team game. When you play singles you have to figure things out by yourself. On the doubles court, you have a partner and, as they say, two heads are better than one.

As in any relationship, communication is the key to success. In fact, when doubles legend Todd Woodbridge, who captured eleven Grand Slam titles with partner Mark Woodforde, was asked what made the “Woodies” so great, he replied “we communicated very well with each other both on and off the court.”

Before you and your partner step onto the battlefield, sit down and decide how you‘re going to share your thoughts before, during and after your matches. 

Pre-Game Meeting

Communication before your matches should revolve around your upcoming opponents as well as yourselves. The conversation should be both tactical and technical. If you’ve faced them before, go over the previous match. Remind each other about the other team’s tendencies and discuss what worked and what didn’t.

“Each time Bill served to you on game point, he served out wide.”

“Betty’s second serve is really weak so, when she misses her first serve, remember to move forward and jump on her second.”

“John hasn’t hit a lob since 1963 so, when we move forward, we can position ourselves right on top of the net.”

If you’re facing the other team for the first time and don’t know anyone who has played them, have no fear. Focus on your team’s performance. Legendary UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden, did very little scouting of opponents. Wooden felt that if his team focused primarily on exerting maximum effort and running their plays to their best of their ability, the rest would take care of itself.

I’m a big fan of this approach. I’m told that Jimmy Connors rarely scouted opponents and sometimes didn’t even know who he was playing until he stepped onto the court. He felt that if he played his game, to his potential, he’d be in good shape.

In your pre-match discussion, remind each other about important tactics and technique:

• “If I start to miss my first serve, remind me to keep my head up.”
• “Make sure you’re not too aggressive on your first volley. Hit it back cross-court and then we can settle in at the net.”
• “We’ve got to remember to lob when we’re in trouble.”

Remind yourselves that you’re going to continue to analyze the match,.as it’s going on, discuss potential changes in strategy that might become necessary.

Once You Take the Court

When you’re on the court and in the heat of battle, everyone’s pumped up and emotions can run high.  Communication at this time can be a sensitive issue, so be sure to have a predetermined approach for between points and during changeovers.

During points, communication will be at a minimum. Obviously, there will be no extended conversations but as the point progresses there will be many times when a quick single word of direction is necessary.

For example, when your team is positioned at the net and your opponents throw up a lob. One of you should quickly say “mine” or “me.”  If you know you have no shot at the ball, say “you.”

Another situation where a fast word is important would be if you’re running down a lob that has gone over your partner’s head.  A quick “switch” will remind your partner to move to the other side if he hasn’t already done so.  If you’re really struggling to chase down the lob and are certain that you’ll hit a weak shot, you want to yell “back” to bring him to the baseline with you.

Balls hit down the middle are one of the most effective shots in the game because they can cause great confusion.  I’ve watched some of the top doubles teams in the world turn and look at each other as the ball travels between them. Here is another situation where a quick word can help. Often the ball is moving too quickly, but if there’s time, the player who’s closer to the net should call out “me” and go for it.

Always Keep It Positive

Once a point ends, you have twenty-five seconds to get ready for the next. These few seconds, if used correctly, can be a weapon for your team. This is where you can keep positive momentum flowing and stop negative momentum in its tracks.

High level doubles points can be extremely intense and strenuous so, when the point ends, catch your breath and come down from the emotional stress of the point. As a team, turn away from your opponents walk to the back fence and keep your vision focused on the court. 

Your minds will dwell on where your eyes focus so resist the urge to look around. Place your racket in your other hand and look down at your strings. Take 4-5 deep, controlled breaths and, as you push the air out, relax your neck and shoulders. Give yourself 5-10 seconds to recover.

The goal between points is to keep each other pumped up and focused on the match.  If you’re partner has double faulted three times in a row, use this time to help him regain his confidence. If you notice something your opponents are, or are not, doing strategically you can make adjustments during this time. 

Once you’ve caught your breath, use the next 5-10 seconds to relive the previous point. Observe, without emotion, why you won or lost the point. Give each other two quick tips and then move on. For example, if your opponents beat you with a lob, remind each other to “look for the lob.” If your partner made a tentative forehand error, remind him to “drive through the ball.” 

Keep the conversation simple and above all, non-judgemental. Here’s my top ten list of thing to never say to your partner before, during or after a match.

10. “We have to win this one”
9. “How could you miss that shot?”
8. “I could have had that.”
7. “Stay on your side.”
6. “That’s the third overhead in a row you hit onto the next court.”
5. “I can’t believe we’re losing to these guys.”
4. “You really stink today.”
3. “See if you can hold your serve this time.”
2. “I never lost with my last partner.”

And, my all-time favorite…

1. “We’re losing because of you.”

Believe it or not, I’ve actually heard players spit out these words to their partners during matches. Aside from being rude, these comments do your partner, and team, no good whatsoever.

Be Aware of Your Body Language

The shoulder slump, the rolling of the eyes, the dropped head and the hands on the hips stance are just a few of the more popular movements insensitive doubles players will make to express their displeasure over an error by their partner.

Nobody tries to miss a shot or blow a point and negative body language can cut like a knife and take your partner completely out of their game. Plus, when your opponents see this they’ll know that there’s dissention on your team and that will only pump them up.

Every tennis player in the world has a bad day from time to time. A good partner understands this and realizes that his teammate is not trying to double fault three times each service game or volley into the net on break point. Rather than beat him down further, an experienced partner will do things to pick up his struggling teammate.

The next time your partner makes one of those horrible, unforced, errors at a big moment, use positive body language: stand tall and pump up your shoulders. Walk up to him, gently pat him on the back, pump your fist and, in a positive tone, say things like.

1. “Don’t sweat it, we’ll get this one.”
2. “No problem, let’s keep being aggressive.”
3. “Come on. We can still come back and win this match.”  

Using words like “we” and “let’s” will show your struggling teammate that, even though they may be playing the worst tennis of their life, you’re still with them.  You’re a team no matter what.

The next time you get a chance to watch the Bryan brothers play you’ll notice that they talk after every point. They set up plays, never get down on each other and they keep the energy flowing.

With the remaining few seconds make a plan for the next point. Bounce up and down on your toes. Take a long look at your opponent and give each other a quick tip for your next shot. If you’re serving, visualize where you’ll place your serve. Say to yourself, “out wide” or “into the body.”  If you’re receiving serve, tell yourself to “focus on the ball and block it back.”

The Changeover

During the changeover your team has 90 seconds before the next game begins. Sprint to the sidelines, sit down and towel off your arms, legs and neck. Sip some water, close your eyes and take five deep breaths. Use the first 20 seconds to physically and emotionally recover from the previous two games.

Over the next 45 seconds, take a good look at what’s happening in the match thus far. Review the last two games and analyze how your team is winning and losing points. If your opponents are beating you to the net, figure out a strategy to keep them back. If you notice that one of your opponent has a weak overhead, talk about lobbing him.

Also, during this time, sneak a glance at the opposing team. Check out their body language. Do they appear tired, frustrated or angry? If they’re arguing, that’s a good sign for your team. It means that you’re obviously getting to them so stick with the game plan you’ve been using. 

Pick Up On Their Tactics

Most players will hit the same shot again and again in a given situation so remind yourself of your opponent’s tendencies. Where do they serve on big points? When you attack the net on your opponent’s deuce side, does the player try to pass you cross-court or does he go for the big shot down the alley? Identifying and planning for to these tendencies can often win you the match.

I saw a great example of this recently when two of my players, Arnie and Roger played in their club championship final. Throughout the match, they had paid strict attention to the opposing team’s tendencies and noticed two things:

1. That on big points, one of their opponent’s, John, always served out wide.      
2. When under pressure, Frank (John’s partner) tended to panic and try to rip a winner down the alley.

When the third set tiebreaker reached six points all, John was preparing to serve to Arnie. Roger immediately reminded his partner of John’s tendency to serve out wide on the big points. As John released his toss, Arnie shifted out wide, began to prepare his racket and, sure enough, the serve came right to him—just as expected. Arnie was then able to drive a low return of serve at John’s feet for the mini-break.

On the next point, match point for Arnie and Roger, Frank was set to return serve. Roger was playing the net and Arnie reminded him of Frank’s tendency to go for the alley.  Just before Frank hit his return of serve, Roger shifted over towards his alley.

Staying true to form, Frank went for the big shot down the alley. Roger could barely conceal his smile as he easily volleyed the ball away to capture the title. These small pieces of information, that Arnie and Roger had picked up during the match and actually written down during a changeover, won them the title.

With the remaining few seconds, plan your team’s strategy for the next two games. If you’re winning the match, don’t change a thing. “Never change a winning game” as the legendary Bill Tilden once said.

Be sure to avoid the all too common trap of complacency. I’ve lost count of the number of times a team has come up to me after a loss, complaining that, “we won the first set and were rolling. Then, it all got away from us. We don’t know what happened.” 

What happened, in all probability, was that once the team got ahead, they suffered a letdown. Relieved that they won the first set, their focus drifted. They lost a few points in a row, then a few games and then it all snowballed. Before they knew it, they were shaking hands at the net on the wrong end of the score.

Once your team takes the lead, keep the pedal to the metal. Be ready for an increased effort from your opponents as they’ll fight hard to change the momentum of the match.  To ward off that surge, focus your efforts towards winning the first two games of the next set. Strive to get up 30-love in each game and keep each other pumped up between points and during changeovers.  

If your team is comfortably ahead or the match is close, stick with your game plan. Bounce up out of your chair and be the first back on the court. Let your opponents see that you’re eager to play.
  
If your team finds itself slightly behind, don’t panic. Close matches are usually won and lost by a few points. Stick with your game plan. If you can win a few of the big points, you can easily turn the match around.

If your team is getting blown off the court, slow the pace of the match down. Use every one of your 90 seconds. Let your opponents walk back onto the court first. Make them play to your pace. Once play resumes, use the full 25 seconds between points.    

Just because your opponents may be on a roll for the first few games of the match, it doesn’t mean that they can keep it up for two or three sets. By making them play to your team’s pace, within the rules of course, you can often take them out of their rhythm and turn the match around.

At least seventy-five percent of a tennis match is spent in between points and during changeover.  By learning to control this game within the game you’ll most likely be the team smiling at the end of the match.

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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