TennisOne Lessons

Strategy Lesson of the Week

Doubles: How to Play Against a One Up/One Back Team

Advertising Space

Strategy Question of the Week

How do we play against a team that plays one up (at the net) and one back (at the baseline)?


Answer

(Note: This is a basic doubles lesson aimed at beginning and intermediate club doubles players. For the sake of readability, it is assumed that these are two female doubles teams).

First and foremost, your team needs to determine your own style of play before you look over the net and decide how to play your opponents. Are you a team that plays one up and one back like your opponents or are you a team that tries to come in every chance you get? Once you have determined your own style of play then and only then are you ready to know how to face the opposition.

In Part 2 of this answer, we'll look at the strategy if you and your partner like to come to the net. Part 2a focuses on tactics to use when your team is serving. Next week, part 2b will focus on tactics for the receiving doubles team.

How to Play Against a One Up/One Back Team--
When Your Team Likes To Come to the Net
(Tactics for the Serving Team)


By Monty Basynat, TennisONE Editor

If your doubles team likes to seize control of the match by coming into the net, you have definite advantages over teams that play one up, one back. In general, you are in a much better position to volley all balls hit at you, which gives your team many more opportunities for a variety of forcing and winning shots. Your opponents' one up/one back positioning, on the other hand, will make them hit more defensive groundstrokes and lobs as well as create spacing problems which you and your partner can exploit with your superior positioning closer to the net. So the answer to the question in the title is to be found in all the smart ways to come to the net. I've broken these down into five tactics for coming to the net.

One cautionary note: All the positioning of the players in the doubles lessons shown here will change depending on a variety of factors, including your shot velocity and placement, your opponents' positioning, as well as your opponents' strengths and weaknesses. In other words, there is no one correct position during the dynamic movement and positioning required in doubles. In particular, how close your team closes to the net and how tightly you guard your alleys depends on a variety of factors you must assess and respond to instantly.


If you can serve and volley, this diagram lays out the basic tactic for coming into the net on your serve. On the serve and volley, you normally you make your first volley around the service line. (Naturally, you should be taking a split step (see Dan Leon's lesson) before making your first volley.) But where do you play that volley? The safest and most reliable tactic here is to take your opponent's return of serve (as shown by Player #2) and volley this ball deep and crosscourt. This does two things. First, a deep volley gives you more time to close to the net, as Player #1 has done here. Secondly, a crosscourt volley keeps the volley safely away from Player #3 who should be looking for any floating return across the middle of the court. Note as well that your partner (Player #2) has seen your crosscourt volley and shifted over to cover her alley.


Volleying the return of serve deep and crosscourt is an excellent tactic for coming to the net, but a short, angled volley is also a good tactic--especially if your opponent (Player #4) likes to play from behind the baseline. A short angled volley will force Player #4 to take several steps in to a hit what is generally a low, sliding ball. If your angled volley sits up, your partner (Player #2) will have to guard the alley more closely, as Player #4 will have the opportunity to take your high ball and drive it down Player #2's alley.


Send in Your Strategy Questions to TennisONE

If you think you have a good TennisONE Strategy Question, please send an email to: question@tennisone.com.