Whether you fancy upping your game for the doubles ladder, our annual men’s and ladies doubles tournament or your weekly doubles, here are five simple tips to take your doubles game to the next level:
1. Communicate With Your Partner
Communication is key. Whether you’re playing with someone you know or someone you don’t, talking to your partner is a must. We’re all guilty of watching the ball fly past us expecting our partner to get it, only to see neither of us have got it! So, before you play the first point, talk to your partner and discuss anything you might want to do in advance.
Now before you start thinking about all the complicated doubles hand signals you might see the pros doing on tv, don’t worry. It’s simpler than that!
Start with the basics, like telling your partner if you’ve got the ball, or you think they should get it. A simple “Yours” or “Mine” usually does the job!
2. Don't Be Afraid To Come Across At The Net
Once you’re comfortable communicating with your partner, you can start to consider some doubles strategy, like maybe trying to be more aggressive at the net.
If you’ve felt like a spectator during a long crosscourt rally and considered pulling up a chair mid-point to sit down while your partner does their thing, you’re not alone. But rather than waiting for someone to eventually miss or the person across the net getting a racquet on the ball, why not try poaching?
Poaching, or coming across at the net, is one of the most useful skills to have on a doubles court. It can put you in control of points and help you win easy points on serve, and put a little more pressure on your opponents when returning.
The key here is: don’t be afraid to fail. No one gets it spot on the first time, or the second. It’s a case of trial and error. Sometimes, you’ll get the volley you want and put it in the net or long. Sometimes, you’ll reach for the ball and miss it all together. Eventually, you’ll get it just right.
Just be sure to tell your partner if you intend to be aggressive at the net, so they know they need to cover you.
3. Aim For The Middle
One of the most common mistakes in doubles is trying to go for fancy shots down the line. They’re great when they work, but the reality is that they don’t work half as often as we’d like. More often than not, we put the ball wide or into the net.
Instead, focus on high percentage shots by going down the middle. Particularly when both your opponents are at the net, hitting low to the middle can be extremely effective as it makes it very difficult for them to create an angle off of a volley. You’ll likely get a volley back to you or your partner, and you’re much more likely to force a mistake. You might even get a little lucky and cause some confusion between your opponents.
4. Get To The Net
One of the most effective strategies in doubles is getting to the net. If you and your partner are both at the net, it puts your opponents under pressure to hit a passing shot or a good lob. More often than not, you’ll find that it forces a mistake.
So don’t be afraid to get to the net. You might miss a few volleys, but that’s all part of the learning process. If your opponents hit a great passing shot or lob, just say “too good!”. But a lot of the time, you’ll come out on the winning end.
5. Stay Out Of 'No Man's Land'
Hopefully, you won’t be surprised to hear that No Man’s Land is an area of the court you should stay out of.
It’s an area of the court between the service line and baseline you’ll want to avoid lingering in. If you stand in No Man’s Land, you’ll often find yourself torn between shots, either hitting volleys at your feet or trying to hit groundstrokes a little too early after the bounce. Either way, it’s going to feel awkward.
The solution is simple: stay on or behind the baseline during rallies, and if you get the chance to get to the net, do it quickly!
