Tennis Doubles

Great teams like the Bryan brothers talk between points, keep each other pumped up and focused on what they are planning to do to play the next point. They also have to know what their job description is as a teammate to help their partner play effectively.

Do you know your job description?

Here are 7 simple descriptions for each of the 4 positions on the court in a match:

Server:

1. Talk to your partner and tell them where you intend to serve – to the opponent’s forehand, backhand or body.
2. Decide where you will stand to serve to create an advantage for your team – near the center service line, near the alley or neutral between the two.
3. Decide if you plan to – serve and stay back, serve and volley or serve and attack the first short ball.
4. Know what your partner at the net intends to do – stay, fake or poach.
5. Get your first serve in play 80% of the time with a specific – direction, spin or speed.
6. When you miss your first serve – you create a “must” situation for your second serve, your partner goes into more of a defensive mode and your opponent plans more aggressive returns.
7. Get ready for another ball to be returned as the point is seldom over with the first shot.

Server’s Partner:

1. Know where your partner intends to serve and – will they stay back, serve and volley or attack the first short ball.
2. Decide and communicate what you plan to do on the return of serve – stay, fake or poach.
3. Your job – D.A.D. – distract the returner (legally) by getting your feet in motion, attack the return or once the ball passes you – move back to play defense.
4. If you poach – aim for 1 of the 3 valleys with your volley – the 3 Service line “T’s” on the court and not at the player where they might defend themselves and accidentally get the ball back in play.
5. Avoid the 2 mountains – the two players aim to the outside of either player or up the middle in the 3 valleys.
6. If you do not poach, move back on a diagonal when the ball passes you to face the opposing net player or the net rushing team and play defense.
7. Get ready for another ball to be returned to you as the point is seldom over with the first shot.

Receiver:

1. Tell your partner which part of the court you plan to direct your return – 1 of the 4 squares on the opposite court is a good start.
2. Decide if you will – chip, drive, loop or lob the return.
3. Use the D.A.D principle – distract with your positioning, attack the return or defend by getting the ball back in play.
4. Position yourself to be able to move forward into your return of serve.
5. Decide if you will – return and go in, return and stay back or fake a move in after the return
6. Use your return to set up your partner at the net so they can finish the point.
7. Get ready for another ball to be returned as the point is seldom over with the first shot.

Receiver’s Partner:

1. Know where your partner plans to return the serve – one of the 4 squares.
2. Know if your partner plans to – chip, drive, loop or lob the return.
3. Call the service line for your partner so they can focus on the return.
4. Once the serve is determined to be good – look at the opposing net player and prepare to defend your position in the event they poach or your returner hits to them with the return.
5. If the return is past the net player move over and up to defend your net position against the ball to be hit by the server.
6. Prepare to D.A.D – distract the server who is now returning your partners shot, attack the return by the server or defend your net position if they attempt to hit at you.
7. Move back on a diagonal to defend if the ball goes back to your partner by facing the opposing net player or both opponents if they both come into the net.

These are a few key concepts that can help you and your partner become a more effective team by knowing what your Job Description is for each of the 4 positions on the court.  You can do your job well and help your partner do theirs.

Communication is vital, movement is critical and execution necessary for success as a doubles team.

Check out my website at www.kendeharttennis.com for UDF’s or Unusual Doubles Formations that can greatly enhance your teams positioning and ability to change momentum in a match.

Ken DeHart

Director of Tennis-SJSRC
USA High Performance Coach
PTR & USPTA Master Professional
2 Time PTR International Pro of the Year

Photo Credits: yingtak

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78 feet long – 36 feet wide for doubles and 78 by 27 for singles

Love- Score when a player has no score

15- Score when you win the 1st point
30- Score when you win the second point

40 - Score when you win the third point

Duece- Score when both players have won 3 point

Add– Score when a player has one the next point after duece, Add-In if the server won it –Add-Out if the receiver won the point

Game- When a player wins 4 points and is ahead by 2-points. Or when two players have reached a score of DUECE, one player wins the next point for an ADD-IN then wins the next point for GAME

Serve – Stroke used to put the ball into play. You get 2 chances to put a serve into the service court to start a point

Return of Serve - Stroke used to return the servers serve to play out the point

Ground Stroke - Stoke (forehand or backhand) used to return the ball after it hits the ground

Volley - A shot used near the net (similar to catching the ball) before it touches the court

Overhead - Stroke used near the net (similar to a serve) to smash the ball out of the air and above your head

Rally – Term used when players hit the ball back and forth in practice or a match

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Reasons for the serving team to use this formation:

1. The serving team is both good volleyers.
2. The serving team has good overheads and likes to intimidate the other team.
3. The serving team likes pace or speed and wants the games to be fast with lots of quick action.
4. The serving team has poor ground strokes and does not want to get into long baseline exchanges.

Reasons for the receiving team to use this formation:

1. The receiving team has good chip returns and wants to get into the net before the other team.
2. The receiving team’s returns very strong and puts the serving team on defense – this neutralized the serving team’s advantage.
3. The receiving team does not have consistent ground strokes and has a low level of tolerance for long rallies.
4. The receiving team thinks that is how all good teams play.

How to play teams that play one up one back:

1. Get to your first serve in, it is more difficult to approach off of.
2. Direct your shots between them. Make them decide who will play the ball down the middle. Trying to hit angles is difficult because they close in and leave you little room to angle your shots.
3. If you get pinned back in a one up one back position – Lob the player closest to the net. If the lob is deep and bounces, come in and control the net against them.
4. Take the pace off your shots when they capture the net. Use softer shots with more spins so they cannot use your pace to kill your partner or hit aggressive shots between you.
5. Lob the serving team right away and force them to switch and run down the lob. You move in and now control the net.

What not to do:

1. Avoid getting sucked into their style of play if is not your style.
2. Take the pace off the ball to slow it down and give you more time to spin the next ball or lob them.
3. Never play one up one back formation against this team – they will pick off your partner in most cases.
4. Don’t try to hit hard passing shots, the balls will stay too high and give them speed to volley against.
5. Don’t miss first serves – you can’t get to the net on weak second serves and they love to attack weak 2nd serves.

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Tennis Talk

This is the first post of three consecutive posts on the secrets to winning doubles in tennis.

Secret #1 “Tennis Talk” – What to say and when to say it!

Before the match:

• Decide with your partner ahead of time if you want to serve first, receive first, and choose which end to play from or let them choose so when you spin you will already have a plan.
• Decide who will serve first for your team, who will serve from the sunny side or the strongest serving combination to start the match.
• Decide on a “game plan” for the first 3 games of the match to take control (serve and volley, use the “I” formation, Australian formation, two back, lob and take the net and etc.)

During the match:

• Compliment what you are doing as a team to win so you will know why you are winning and what to continue to do as the match progresses.
• “High 5″s” after each lost point to reconnect with your partner and get their mind off the lost point.
• Make your partner tell you their plan for the next point to stay in the present and to get your partner ready at the net or after the return of serve.

After the match:

• Ask the “5 Essential Questions”
  1. What did we do best in the match?
  2. What did they do best in the match?
  3. What was our weakness in the match?
  4. What was their weakness in the match?
  5. If we could replay the match again right now, how would we play differently?

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Reasons for the receiving team to stay back:

1. The serving team is too strong with the serve and it is difficult to return the ball past the server’s partner – fear factor.
2. The net player of the serving team is too aggressive and creates a “monster in your mind” about getting the ball in play or past the monster at the net.
3. The receiving player is afraid of getting their partner killed.
4. The serving team hits the ball too hard and plays too aggressive at the net so we will stay back and lob until they make a mistake.

Reasons for the serving team to both stay back:

1. The receiving team keeps hitting the server’s partner with the return of serve.
2. The serving team’s serves are too weak to put the receiving team on defense.
3. The receiving team chips and comes into the net and dominates play.
4. The serving team is not a traditional doubles team, does not volley well and is much more successful dinking and lobbing.

How to play teams that stay both back:

1. Hit short, dinky balls and drop shots that force them to come into the part of the court they hate – then lob them.
2. Hit short angled returns to pull them off the court and create open spaces to use your power to put the ball away.
3. Stay back and loop with them for a few shots then come into the net to volley the loopy returns out of the air – short angled shots.
4. Keep your feet moving, hitting more spin overheads, short angled volleys and play overheads as overheads and volleys as volleys so as not to over hit.

What not to do:

1. Avoid hitting hard deep overheads at the players on the baseline, they will use your power to lob the ball back as a lob.
2. Do not under estimate this team because of how they play. They are smart to play this way if you can out hit them. Give them their respect or you will choke. Keep your feet moving or you will get tight and make lots of errors in the net.
3. Avoid easy errors and simple mistakes. This team relies on free points – not great shots to win matches. Do not look up as you hit to see where they are – they are back.

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Doubles Situations

1. The receiving team must lob the return of serve and try to take the net at least twice in each game. This is especially effective when the serving team is serving into the sun.
2. The serving team must play out of the “I” formation or Australian formation.  Get use to using the formations so you will have confidence to use them in a match as well as experiencing how to return against the formations.
3. The receiving team starts with both players back. This takes the pressure off the receiver to make a great return to avoid getting their partner killed by the poaching player of fast charging net player
4. The serving team starts both players on the baseline. This formation helps when the receiver is killing the net player because they cannot volley or the serves are too weak.

Singles Situations

1. Players must serve, return and rally 6 balls cross court before the point can begin.  Serve to the deuce court and rally deuce court then serve to the ad court and rally ad court cross court.  Keep score like in a regular match.
2. Player serves and rally out the point.  If the ball lands inside the service line the striker loses the point.  You can also play that the short ball requires the receiver of the short ball to go to the net to play out the point.
3. “3 to win a major” – (with 3 players) one player will serve 3 points.  If the server or receiver wins all 3 points they win a “major point”.  If they win 2 of the 3 points they stay on the court and a third player comes on to replace the person who lost the 1 point and a new game is played. If they win 1 of the 3 they are the one replaced by the third player who will now play 3 points against the player who stayed on the court.  This stresses the difficulty in winning 3 points in a row.  (*when the score is 30-love there is an 80% chance the person with the lead will lose the next point and 65% chance they will lose the 4^th point as well).
4. “3 to win a major” – (with 2 players) one player serves and tries to win 3 points in a row to win a game.  If the receiver wins the point, they become the server and have 1 point while the former server loses all their points and starts at zero again.  Players keep games won and play out a set.

Situational scoring and match play can help to focus on specific skills necessary to improve ones tactical and mental approach to the game.  They also make great coaching opportunities. The shortened scoring and sets make great challenge match format that can be completed in a short period of time.

This form of altered play helps to make practice exciting and more challenging so players stay focused and do not experience “mindless” practice.  They get use to specific situations and proper responses to the score or situation so they play with a “been there before” confidence in actual match play.

Photo Credits: 1

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Reasons for the serving team to use this formation:

1. The serving team has one player who is “afraid” of the net.
2. The serving team has a player who is “afraid” of getting lobbed.
3. The serving team has a player who thinks they are playing singles and loves to stay back and rally for 30 balls.
4. The serving team has such a weak serve they can’t come in and the receiving team returns deep enough to never hit a short ball they can use to come to the net.

Reasons for the receiving team to use this formation:

1. The receiving team has a player who is “afraid” of the net.
2. The receiving team’s returns are too weak to put the serving team on defense.
3. The receiving team does not know how to chip or drop shot and come into the net to dominate play.
4. The receiving team is “afraid of the other team lobbing and their partner at the net does not know where or how to volley at the net to finish off points.

How to play teams that play one up one back:

1. Get to the net at all costs.
2. Direct your shots between them or past the person closest to the net who will have the least amount of reaction time.
3. If you get pinned back, keep the ball away from their net player with loopy – spinny balls.
4. Lob the net player and come in to an area about 2-3 feet behind the service line to allow you to play overheads, volleys or drop shots. Control the net and keep their team split.
5. Stay back and loop with them for a few shots then come into the net to volley the loopy returns out of the air – short angled shots.
6. Return drop shots to force the player who stayed back to come into the net then lob that player.

What not to do:

1. Avoid getting sucked into their style of play.
2. Do not miss the return. The server is staying back, slow down the return and loop it deep to them so they have no pace to hit back at you. This return is difficult to for the server’s partner to poach against – no pace and high.
3. Avoid easy errors and simple mistakes like trying to kill the volley “at the net person” – find the “valleys” to volley into.

Photo Credit: 1

• Ken DeHart Presents "Strategy and Tactics of Tennis" at Missouri Valley USPTA USPTA Master Professional, Ken DeHart was the kick-off speaker at the 2009 Missouri Valley USPTA Conference at the Homestead Country Club in Kansas City, Missouri. Ken presented a 4 hour continuing education course on Strategy and Tactics to more than 80 tennis teaching professionals and high school coaches attending......
• Winning in Practice, pt 2 This is part two in a two part set. Doubles Situations The receiving team must lob the return of serve and try to take the net at least twice in each game. This is especially effective when the serving team is serving into the sun. The serving team must play......
• Australian Receiving Formation – Both Back - 1st Point of the Match **This UDF works well at club level play, USTA league play, junior and high school matches as well as college matches. This (UDF) Unusual Doubles Receiving Formation puts the receiver and partner on the same side of the court.  One player is in the deuce court near the deuce......
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• Modified “I” and “I” Formations These players like variety and want to get into your head. They like to volley and want to distract you. This formation can be use by the serving team on every point as well as by the receiving team. Don’t be afraid – pick a target and go for it.......

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Playing the Score

Practice your singles and doubles match with altered scoring situations:

1. Start all games at love 30, 30 love, 30 all, 15-40 to experience the  pressure of being ahead, tied or behind with no room to play lose points.
2. Start all sets at 2 all, 3 all or down 2-4 and serving to feel the pressure of set scores that create no wiggle room for unfocused play
3. Play best 3 out of 5 tie breakers using the 10 point tie breaker used in place of a third set.  Use this in place of regular sets for challenge ladders and tie breaker experience (first to 10 points by 2 wins the breaker)
4. Play best 3 out of 5 tie breakers using the 12 point tie breaker used at 6 all in a set (first to 7 wins the breaker).

Situational Tactics

1. You can only score while serving.  If you lose the point the opponent serves until someone scores a point from that side of the court (deuce or ad court).  Like the old system of volleyball scoring, this situation teaches the players how to win while serving.  *Regular games and sets are played using this scoring or you may use some of the altered scoring scenarios from “Playing the Score” above.
2. Players must serve and volley both first and second serves.
3. Serves can only go to the backhand in both the deuce and ad courts, only to the forehand or into the body for a designated numbers of games to work on placement of the serve
4. Players only get 1 serve per point – no second serve.
5. All players must serve from the sunny side of the court each game.
6. Serving from the sunny side of the court, the servers must serve underhanded, side arm or some below the shoulder type of serve.
7. Servers must play with only a specific type of serve: slice, topspin or flat for a specific number of games.  This helps the players get lots of experience in practicing a particular type of serve.

Photo Credits: 1

• Ken DeHart Presents "Strategy and Tactics of Tennis" at Missouri Valley USPTA USPTA Master Professional, Ken DeHart was the kick-off speaker at the 2009 Missouri Valley USPTA Conference at the Homestead Country Club in Kansas City, Missouri. Ken presented a 4 hour continuing education course on Strategy and Tactics to more than 80 tennis teaching professionals and high school coaches attending......
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Don’t be afraid – pick a target and go for it.

Reasons for the serving team to use this formation:

1. The serving team can limit the receiving teams cross court return options.
2. The serving team has a good volleyer and wants to give them more opportunities to be able to volley on every serving point.
3. The serving team to compensate for a weak server by making the receiving team focus more on the server’s partner and not allow them to “T” off on the return so easily or dink the return back to the server’s side of the court.
4. The serving team has poor ground strokes and does not want to get into long baseline exchanges.
5. The serving team wants to intimidate the receiving team and get inside their head to make decisions instead of focusing on the ball.

Reasons for the receiving team to use this formation:

1. The receiving team has enough confidence in the receivers return that they chose not to guard the center of the court against poaches by the server’s partner.
2. The receiving team has good chip returns and wants to get into the net before the other team and put pressure on the server.
3. The receiving team’s returns very strong and puts the serving team on defense – this neutralized the serving team’s advantage.

How to play teams that play “I” or Modified “I” on serves:

1. Make a decision as to where you want to return and don’t change your mind.
2. Lob the returns a lot if you have a good lob and on second serves.
3. Move both players back to take the pressure off the return of server and take away the net player target.

How to play teams that play “I” or Modified “I” on returns:

1. Get to your first serve in up the middle to “C’ or at the “B” as it creates less angles on the return.
2. Serves up the middle forces the receiver’s partner to over to allow the returner room to make a cross court return.
3. If the return comes back high to the server, volley down the line.
4. Have your team play a Modified “I” or Australian against their formation.
5. Take the pace off your shots when they capture the net. Use softer shots with more spins so they cannot use your pace to kill your partner or hit aggressive shots between you.
6. Lob the serving team right away and force them to switch and run down the lob. You move in and now control the net.

What not to do:

1. Avoid getting sucked into their style of play if is not your style.
2. Avoid trying to hit too hard at the net player – it will only give them pace with which to pass your partner.
3. Avoid consistently serving wide serves as it allows more angles for the returner.
4. Do not look at the “modified” player.

Photo Credit: 1

• “I” Receiving Formation – Both Back /caption]**This UDF works well at club level play, USTA league play, junior and high school matches as well as college matches. This (UDF) Unusual Doubles Receiving Formation puts the receiver and partner on the same side of the court.  The receiver (let’s say – deuce court) is in regular receiving......
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• Ken DeHart Presents "Strategy and Tactics of Tennis" at Missouri Valley USPTA USPTA Master Professional, Ken DeHart was the kick-off speaker at the 2009 Missouri Valley USPTA Conference at the Homestead Country Club in Kansas City, Missouri. Ken presented a 4 hour continuing education course on Strategy and Tactics to more than 80 tennis teaching professionals and high school coaches attending......
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