DOUBLES INSTRUCTION

The First Thing To Know About Playing Doubles

as seen in Tennis Life
By Kathy Krajco

Too often in doubles, the two opposing players at net watch the ball go back and forth between their partners at the baseline. Eventually one net player dives for the ball, makes the volley and finishes the point.

Meanwhile, the other net player can only stand there feeling blind-sided by the interception or, worse, getting hit by the ball.

Why? Because the opposing net player never saw the volley coming and had no chance to play it.

This is more than a strategy issue—it’s a safety issue. And, it proves that the first thing to know about playing doubles has nothing to do with hitting the ball.

It’s about playing the net while your baseline partner hits the ball.

Rule 1:   Don’t Look Back

When both teams are in the Up-and-Back Formation, a point is a crosscourt rally between the two baseline players. The net players want to play, too, so they look for a chance to cut off one of these shots and volley through the angular gap between partners on the opposing team.

If the opposing net player gets a chance to hit that shot, your only chance lies with your net player getting a racket on the ball to keep it in play. To do so, your net player must see the volley coming in advance, so that he or she has time to back off toward the “T” to close the gap and have a chance of returning the volley.

Sounds simple, right? But your net player can’t see that volley coming if he or she is looking back to watch their partner hit the previous shot.

It is physically impossible to turn the head that fast. That volley-to-the-gap is a cut-off shot that’s back at you in less than one-third the usual time. Plus, it’s from close range. If your net player looked back, he or she won’t get their head turned forward in time to see the volley coming.

Rule 2:   Watch your net opponent

Therefore, while your baseline partner hits, watch the opposing net player, not your partner. If that opposing net player makes a move on the ball, you will know it instantly. You need that advance warning because it gives you time to back off.

Watch that opposing net player’s eyes as they track the ball. Those eyes tell you whether your partner’s shot is down the alley or crosscourt or overhead. If you see the opposing net player’s eyes passively tracking the ball, you know your partner’s shot is getting safely past him or her. However, if you see that opposing net player’s eyes light up as he or she raises the racket and starts moving to intercept the ball, look out—a volley-to-the-gap is on the way!

Now you have time to take a step or two to back off and close out the point. Or, if you fear that you might get hit, you have time to turn your back with a step toward the alley and out of harm’s way.

Rule 3:   Put the Whole Point Together

Your job at net is twofold: While your baseline partner hits, your job is to be on guard in case the opposing net player cuts off the shot. While the opposing baseline player hits, your job is to try to cut off the shot.

Considering your respon-sibilities, your eyes should click on one of your opponents, then the other, back and forth between them, like clockwork.

Eyework:
1. While the ball is behind you (in your court, where your partner is playing it), watch the opposing net player.
2. While the ball is in front of you (in the opposition’s court), watch the opponent hitting it—ordinarily the baseline player.

Following the action in the accompanying diagram, which shows the direction of the ball’s flight in yellow. In Step 1, the ball enters your court, where your baseliner plays it. In Step 2, the ball enters the opposition’s court, where the opposing baseliner plays it. The red arrow in Step 1 shows that your net player is looking toward the opposing net player. The green arrow in Step 2 shows that he is now looking toward the opposing baseline player.

The diagram also shows that your net player backs off a little toward his alley in Step 1 to widen his partner’s hitting lane. If he sees the opposing net player prepare to hit the ball, he will back off further and toward the “T” to close the gap. But if his partner’s shot gets past the opposing net player, he steps up to confront the opposing baseliner as shown.

Step 2 is never a problem because we naturally watch whoever is hitting the ball. For the same reason, however, Step 1 is a very common problem. Looking back causes more lost points than any other mistake. It is also the leading cause of accidents in which a player gets hit.

One exception: If your partner is chasing a lob, you do have time to look back. You may want to see where he or she will be hitting from so that you know if you should step aside to keep out of the way or duck to let the ball go over you. Be sure you’re facing the net again before your partner contacts the ball.

Rule 4:   Kick the Habit

Fortunately, unlike most bad habits, the head-turning habit is easy to break. For best results, get a foursome together and have the baseline players exchange crosscourt drives. Position yourself as the net player for your team. Don’t actually play or try to cut off shots. Think only of training your eyes. Shift them from one opponent to the other: net player to baseline player to net player to baseline player, etc., as the ball goes back and forth.

Don’t be discouraged if you get mixed up and out of sync. You’ll catch yourself having head-jerks and looking at the net player when you should be looking at the baseline player, and vice versa—your brain is just uninstalling the old program while it installs the new. The confusion will clear quickly, and soon your eyes will be doing the right thing automatically. It will take 10 or 15 minutes at most. Reinforce your memory within 24 hours by repeating the practice the next day at the same time or earlier.

Kathy Krajco, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, is a former science teacher who now works as a tennis instructor and freelance editor. She played varsity No. 1 singles in her first year in college.

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