Four Back
By A.J. Chabria
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Most doubles players play a lot of sets, but tend not to practice enough doubles-specific drills. Here's one that'll get you practicing the right things, and it can be played two-on-one, in case your fourth doesn't show.
In doubles we begin 50 percent of all points at the net, and we all know that's where doubles is usually won. It is easy to dominate a point when you’re already up there and you are given opportunities. In this drill, you'll need to develop the skills necessary to dominate a point starting from the baseline and create opportunities to attack, or get better at the defensive aspects of doubles. In this drill, you've got to prove your mettle without the use of a dominant serve or big return. Those can be practiced separately.
The drill is called 4 back, and as the name indicates, all four players begin the point at the baseline as a player feeds in a medium-paced groundstroke. After the ball crosses the net twice, the point is alive and should be played normally and competitively. The first team to seven wins, then you can change ends and/or change partners. Play 3 back if you've only got enough for "Canadian doubles". In 3 back, again, all three players start at the baseline, but the team of two are only allowed to hit to the half of the court the loner is covering (alternating deuce and ad courts). For 3 back you may have to draw a line (chalk, tape or imaginary) extending from the "T" all the way back to the center mark. 3 back is also a great way to practice avoiding a strong net player.
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Click start button to begin |
Whether you're playing 4 back or 3 back, all players should immediately look for short balls or high floaters they can move in on, together. The team which first assumes the attacking role gets to practice volleys and overheads while the team that stays back gets to hone their dipping shots, passing shots and lobs -- all while playing points.
As a team and as an individual, you'll discover which of your shots work best in certain situations. You'll also learn how strong your positioning and recovery skills are. Use this drill to ask yourself a few questions and learn from the answers. Observe which groundstrokes and approach shots cause weak, attackable responses, and which ones you should simply not follow to the net. With which shots are you most capable of creating a hole in your opponents' defenses? With which shots can you hit to that hole? How can you and your partner limit your opponents' options? When should you drive a volley/overhead smash deep? When is it best to angle a volley/overhead smash? How about a drop volley?
You'll also get to test your defensive skills. When should you rip a pass down the middle? Under which circumstances should you pass with an angle? When is the best time to lob, where is the best place to lob? When should you hit right at an opponent? Which of your opponents' attacking shots can you use to mount a counterattack, like an approach off a weak volley?
Intellectually and on paper, the answers to these questions seem apparent. Drilling 4 or 3 back can help flesh out the actual answers on the tennis court itself! Drill to discover...drill to win!
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