The Unsung Hero of Doubles

Greg Moran

In high level doubles, a receiving team’s worst nightmare is an active opponent at the net who can pick off returns and end points quickly. That player can be you. In fact, with the right approach you can dominate the game–sometimes without even touching the ball!

It all begins with attitude.

When your partner’s serving, you (as the net player) are the most immediate offensive threat because, of the four players on the court, you’re the one closest to the net. Use this to your advantage and get in your opponent’s face!

As your partner goes through his serving ritual, go through yours: bounce up and down, move side to side, look eager and hungry! Your body language should leave no doubt in the receiving team’s mind that you’re re you’re here to play and coming to get them.

Here are three strategies guaranteed to help you crawl inside your opponent’s heads and make them so nervous they won’t be able to swing their racket.

Adjust Your Position

Classic doubles instruction tells you to stand halfway between the service line and the net, in the middle of the service box. Then, depending upon where your partner hits his serve, you’ll adjust your position. If he serves out wide, you follow the ball out wide. If he serves down the middle, you’ll take a step towards the center and look to poach.

This is great advice, however, I like my players to start off on a more aggressive note by positioning the server’s partner a few feet closer to the net. Give it a try. By being closer, it makes the receiver feel as if you’re sitting in their lap. They can see your sweat, which is intimidating, plus it makes it easier for you to pick off any weak returns.

Yes, by being closer, you’re more susceptible to a lob off the return of serve but you’ll be surprised how many players won’t pick up on this. If your opponent begins to lob, then you can adjust.

Doubles at its best is a game where both teams are constantly analyzing and adjusting to each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies. Pay attention! If you notice that the receiver never lobs, move closer to the net. If he always lobs, back up a step.

If you’re facing an opponent who hasn’t hit down the alley since 1969, move towards the center and tease him. Early in the match, test your opponent’s ability to hit down the alley. When the receiver sees a wide open space directly in front of him, he’ll undoubtedly start salivating.

However, taking a ball that’s traveling cross court and changing its direction to hit down the line is technically quite difficult. Plus, the doubles alley is just 54 inches wide and, under pressure placing a shot in that small space is no easy task.

Start off a bit closer to the net and vary your position as the match progresses so that you give the receiver different things to look at and think about.

Here are two more positional strategies to consider.

The Australian Formation

First used by the great Australian doubles teams, this clever formation places you on the same half of the court, in front of, your partner. A great strategy against players who have strong cross-court returns of serve, you’re telling the receiver that “you can’t hit your favorite return, unless you want to hit it right to me.” Most players are grooved to return serve crosscourt. The Australian formation takes them out of their comfort zone and forces them to hit down the line.

The “I” Formation

This is another variation designed to get your opponents scratching their head. As your partner prepares to serve, position yourself at the center of the net, one foot on either side of the center service line.

Crouch down as low as you can and, after the serve crosses the net quickly move to one side while your partner moves to the other. Of course, this was predetermined prior to the point either verbally or via a hand signal.

Use these formations as often or as little as you like. Mix it up between the standard setup, the Australian, and the “I”. Give your opponents something different to look at (and think about) every time your partner serves.

Fake

While adjusting your position can push your opponents off their game, “faking” can literally make them lose their minds! “Faking” enables you to accomplish two things:

1. You can entice your opponent to hit a particular shot.
2. You can disrupt their rhythm and force a weak return or an error.

When I play, I want my opponents to see me moving right away so I always fake on the very first point. This sets an immediate active tone. Here are a few great fakes to try:

• Lateral Fake: As soon as your partner’s serve lands in the court, take a quick step (with the foot that’s closest to the center) towards the middle of the court with your shoulder following the same direction. Then, quickly jump back to your original position. The goal here is to entice your opponent to come down your alley where (after you fake) you’ll be happily waiting. This one’s particularly effective when your partner serves out wide. When you fake, you’ll show the receiver a wide open alley which will more than likely be too much to resist. He’ll go for the glory, return down your alley and you’ll be standing right there to end the point with a volley between your helpless opponents.

• Forward Fake: Take a quick step towards the net and then quickly move back. Here you’re trying to make the receiver think that you’re closing in to pick off a volley in the hope that they’ll throw up a lob which you’ll then be waiting for.

• Back Fake: This one’s effective against a player that’s been lobbing his returns. Take an early, quick step backwards and then close in.

• Cross-over fake towards the alley: Take a quick cross-cover step towards your alley and then jump back into position. The purpose of this fake is to simply distract the receiver in the hope that you’ll force a weak return or error.

The poach is the slam dunk strategy of tennis, and when you commit to poaching you immediately make your team stronger in two ways:

• You gain the ability to end points in a quick and intimidating manner.
• You’ll forever keep your opponents off-balance.

As I've written in the past, poaching falls into two categories. The first is what I call the "there it is poach." This is when you see a weak return and then cross in front of your partner to go after it. Actually, I don't really consider this poaching. If you're standing at the net and your opponent hits a feeble, floating return, you're supposed to go after it. That's your job.

True poaching falls under the "here I go" category. This means that you've decided to make a move across the court just before your opponent actually strikes their shot. It's risky, exciting, and, when executed correctly, immediately takes the wind out of your opponent's sails.

Either way, poaching is a fabulous way to intimidate and deflate your opponents. Commit to become an active poacher and strive to get in one or two poaches every game. For an in-depth look at poaching strategy and techniques, see my previous article titled “Poaching Pointers.”

One final strategy you could employ would be a quick fake, then poach move. Here, you make a very early fake towards the center, return to your starting position and then, just before the receiver strikes the ball, take off across the court and poach.

From a timing standpoint, keep these tips in mind:

1. When faking, make your move as your partner’s serve lands in the court

2. When you decide to poach, move just before the receiver makes contact with the ball.

3. When doing the fake, then poach, move, begin your fake as your partner’s serve moves past you. Then quickly jump back and then poach just before the receiver makes contact with their return of serve.

To be successful with these moves you need quick feet and solid acting ability. You have to be quick to poach and, when faking, make your opponent’s truly believe that you’re poaching. To quicken your feet, check out some of the great articles in the fitness section of TennisOne and to become a better actor, watch great doubles players (the Bryan Brothers, Renee Stubbs, Leander Paes and the Williams sisters) and try to emulate their moves.

Never forget that the key to winning doubles is communication so before each point get together with your partner to set up your “play” for the next point. Decide where your partner’s going to serve as well as where you’re going to stand and what moves you’re going to make. Remember, each time your opponent prepares to receive serve, he should feel your presence. Adjust your position, fake, poach but never, ever stand still.

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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