Tennis is a game of skill, stamina, strategy and tactics, and in doubles tennis, there are two key tactics which will increase your chances of winning every match.
1. The stronger player should play in the ad court.
Though there are many reasons why, there are three that are very important.
- On the ad side, most serves and groundies will be more to the middle of the service box, and because most players are right handed, the stronger player will be able to hit more solid forehand returns. And if the ball does go out wide, the stronger player that has the better backhand will also have a better chance for a successful return.
- The stronger player is better at handling the high-pressure of game winning points (40-0, 40-30) and game saving points (0-40, 30-40) which are all served to the ad court. The stronger player is also responsible for the outcome of the “ad-in” and “ad-out” situations, as well.
- The right-handed player on the ad side will be able to take all of the overheads that come up the middle of the court, as well as handle deep lobs over his/her partner’s head.
2. The net player has to move, move move!
A lead-footed net player is a source of comfort to his/her opponents, because they know that he/she won’t try to pull anything sneaky. However, if the net player establishes that he/she might decide to poach at any time, the opponents then have to try that much harder to keep the ball away from him/her. So, if you’re at the net and you see an up-the-middle shot coming, don’t be afraid to suddenly bound into mid-court to intercept it. Even if you botch the attempt, it still is a mental victory, because for the rest of the match, your opponents will be worrying about what you do next.
Remember these keys tactics, and you’ll be playing better doubles tennis, and have more success on the courts!
