Each team has twice as many players as doubles, the most dynamic and challenging version of tennis. You have to react as quickly as you want. Focus on the small aspects and enhance your game by paying attention to the small details. Compared to singles or teaming up with friends, doubles require unique abilities. What distinguishes a great doubles team from a mediocre doubles team is their ability to read each other, predict their shots, and react appropriately. It is very important to control the court with your partner, and these tips will help you improve your game.
This article will teach you the top doubles tennis strategies to help you win your opponents. Mastering these skills is not easy, but they are crucial if you want to win in doubles for the foreseeable future.
Determine Your Strategy Early
The strategy of doubles tends to be different from singles. Courts are broader; The two of you are covering the same space and you have to mix between singles and doubles techniques. Most doubles teams start scoring with gentle volleys to get the ball into the game as quickly as possible. This allows the team to feel the rhythm of the game and start calling the shots.
The best way to do this is to discuss your strategy with your partner early in the game. You can review your strategy after every few matches. It will allow you to respond to other teams’ style of play and adjust your strategy as the game progresses.
You should also consider your partner’s strengths and weaknesses. Playing to their strengths will make your team stronger, while hiding their weaknesses will prevent your opponents from exploiting them.
Constant Communication
Communication is crucial in doubles. From the moment you step onto the pitch, you should communicate with your partner. This includes discussing your strategy, reading information from other teams, and reacting accordingly. Communication doesn’t have to be verbal. It can be as simple as looking at each other at the same time and moving to a certain position on the court. Your partner should be able to read your thoughts, and you should be able to read theirs. If you are at the same wavelength, you can predict each other’s shots and react accordingly.
Communication should also remain constant during the game. The best teams will talk to each other throughout the game. They will discuss their strategy, how they play, their expectations, and what they are trying to do. This constant communication will keep your team in control of the game at all times. There will be no surprises; You’ll know exactly what’s going on at every point.
Find the Hotspot and Control It
The most successful doubles team always finds hot spots on the court and dominates. There is always a place on the pitch for your team. Find where you feel most comfortable and stay there for as long as possible. Avoid moving around the pitch unless you feel you have to. Find a place where your opponents feel uncomfortable. This can be in any area of the court – the backline, the baseline or the tee. The constant movement on the pitch can make your opponents lose their balance and lose their rhythm.
It also prevents them from finding the hot spots they feel most comfortable with. That’s why you should spin and move as much as possible. There are three main reasons why doubles teams need to be rotated. First, it will prevent your opponents from finding their hot spots. Secondly, it allows you to constantly run around the pitch and wear out your opponents. Thirdly, it will allow you to utilize each player’s skill set.
Rotate and Move – Diversify Your Shots
Doubles is an extremely aggressive match, and you have to control the return at all times. You should always seek to attack, especially when your opponent serves. There are two main ways to do this. The first is to aggressively attack the tee area by constantly putting the ball into the tee area. The other thing is to be consistent with your shooting choices. Find the most effective lens for each situation and use it as much as possible.
You can’t afford unpredictable shots, and you don’t want your opponent to be able to read your game. Rotate the lens as much as possible. This will force your opponent to think twice before returning the ball to you. It also makes you make mistakes and miss the ball. Find the most effective lens for each situation.
Use Different Tennis Shoe Strategies
You can employ different tennis shoe strategies during the match. Choosing the right one will allow you to control your opponents and control the pitch at all times. There are five options you can use in the competition.
- The Dragged Outshot – Use it when one of your feet is inside the baseline and the other foot is outside the baseline. Place your inner foot in the center of your body and your outer foot back a small step and perform a normal shot. This is the most common tennis shoe strategy.
- Full Step Shot – Best used when both feet are outside the baseline. Take a step back with your inner foot and follow with your outside foot.
- Half-step strike – Use this tennis shoe strategy when you have one foot inside the baseline and one foot outside the baseline. You have to take a step back with your inner foot and follow up with your outer foot.
- Full-step shooting – you use this when both feet are off the baseline. Take a small step forward with your inner foot and follow up with your outer foot.
- Half-step incidence – This is similar to full-step incidence, but you only take one step forward instead of two.
- Inside Out Shot – Used when you have one foot inside the baseline and one foot outside the baseline.
Don’t Be Afraid to Use Spins in Doubles
Doubles is a game that allows you to use spins because you don’t have to be afraid of losing a point. Your partner is on the other side of the pitch. This means you can experiment with more aggressive shots and spinning shots (especially if the ball is on the side of your court).
Remember that you don’t have to use spins every time you hit the ball. It is better to use it on the right lens than on every one. This will help you prevent your opponent from passing the ball to you all the time.
Don’t be afraid to use spins on your serve. This will make them more unpredictable and harder to return. Your serve is the most important shot in tennis, as it gives you the upper hand in the opening game.
Conclusion
There’s no better way to learn tennis than doubles, which require quick thinking and reaction. These tips will help you improve your game by focusing on the small details that make a big difference. Playing doubles requires a completely different set of skills than singles, and even mixing with friends in a mixed team. The ability to read other players, predict their shots, and react accordingly is the ability to distinguish mediocre players from great doubles teams.
These tips will raise your level of play and allow you to always control the pitch with your partner. Mastering these techniques isn’t easy, but they’re essential if you want to dominate your doubles opponents for years to come.