Doubles – the game of pressure

Doubles. Who doesn’t love to play this game? Four players on the court. Wider playing area. Possibility to run less, play more volleys and win even if the opponents could easily beat you in singles. It all looks really simple but too many times players competing in team format don’t know exactly what to do in doubles to have more success.

To create successful strategy for doubles we have to understand the differences between singles and doubles formats. If there are two players on the court each one has more space to hit the ball so it means that the opponent has to run. Additionally each competitor plays most of the shots around the baseline so there is more time to prepare for all strokes. And let’s not forget about accountability. In singles there is no one else to blame – if you make mistakes it is all on you.

On the other hand, we have 4 players on the court competing on wider tennis court. Players have less space to hit into so they have to control the ball more. There is also a rival staying at the net most of the time so abilities to observe this opponent and anticipate his actions are crucial to win more points. Of course we don’t have to run as much on the baseline in comparison to singles but if we are really effective with our footwork at the net we can also burn a lot of calories in doubles.

Now as we know the crucial differences between 2 formats of tennis game it is time to start working on skills that will allow us to win more doubles games. Doubles is the game of pressure. Even when you don’t have exceptional skills you can win a lot of combats if you know how to put pressure on opponents.

Matches are not won by winners – matches are won by errors so if you „help” your opponents to make more mistakes you can be a great doubles player. Too many times athletes think that to beat great rivals they have to play extremely well, possess terrific skills and hit winner after winner. That’s not true at all. Solid game combined with a lot of psychological strategy will give you bigger chance to leave the court with balls in your hands.

Ready to put some pressure on your rivals? Here are the areas you have to implement in your next game:

Net game poaching

One of the basics of putting pressure on your opponent is poaching. If you try to cross the center line and intercept the ball using volley you make your baseline opponent really stressed. He doesn’t know where to aim the next shot. Additionally you can also use fake-poaching approach when you imitate poaching but then you stay in your regular position. After few attempts of these 2 tactics you will see many unforced errors from your opponent because of uncertainty of your next action.

Serving position

There are many opportunities to put pressure on rivals while serving. Firstly, if you serve you can change your position. You can serve closer to the middle of the court or you can pick position almost in the doubles alley. This change will give you new tactical opportunities as also it will put returner into uncomfortable position. Secondly, when your partner is serving and you are at the net you can make returner more stressed when you change your position. Remember that you don’t have to stay on the opposite side of your serving partner. That is only one option. You can also pick staying in the middle (kneeling down) or you can stay in line with your teammate. Make these changes and you will see more opportunities to hit offensive shots or to get unforced mistakes.

Rally strategy

The biggest mistake that doubles players make is to stay with wrong strategy for the entire match. I see many players play 1 up 1 back formation for the entire match and lose 1/6 1/6. If you lose so many gems in a row it means your approach is not effective. You have to try something different. Move back and stay with your partner on the baseline. You will see if your opponents are as skilled with drop volleys as they are with deep ones.

It doesn’t work? Don’t worry. Try to come to the net as soon as possible and play with your partner at the net. Maybe rivals know how to play at the net but they are not as effective while hitting passing shots under pressure. There are many tactical variations that you can use so if something doesn’t work in your favor try to put pressure on your rivals in different way.

Doubles is a great game because it creates different opportunities than individual tennis. You don’t have to be great individually to win most of the matches as a teamplayer. Always remember that doubles is a game of pressure so don’t think about your strokes – THINK HOW YOU CAN PUT PRESSURE ON YOUR RIVALS.

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