Doubles as Easy as 1, 2, 3

If you rely on doubles points to win matches, the best way to ensure you win these matches is by relying on two, fundamental strategies for serving and returning which end points in three shots. Practicing these three-shot routines will make them automatic for your players, and allow them to relax during match play, by acting, instead of reacting.

Serving Combination

Shot #1 — As a rule, serve down the middle. This takes away the alley shot; allows the net person to stay in the point and possibly poach (because he or she doesn’t have to cover the alley shot); takes away the short, crosscourt angle to a serve-and-volleyer’s feet; and forces the opponent to hit an inside out forehand or backhand to keep a groundstroke away from the net person.

Of course, based on your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, you may vary this strategy. For example, weaker players don’t hit backhands well, so you might serve wide to right-handers returning from the ad court. At better levels of play, court geometry becomes all-important in doubles, and even if your opponent knows you’re going to be serving down the middle, it’s still the best strategy.

Shot #2 — If you can serve and volley, you will only be able to make it to mid-court by the time the return comes back to you. From here, you will not be able to hit a winning volley, so you have two choices. At the high school level, a deep, crosscourt shot will pin the opponent back at the baseline and possibly produce a weak shot, which can be picked off by the net player, or put away on the next shot by the closing server. A deep ball may force the returner to lob, however, so be ready to cover.

If the lob is a recurring problem, or if the opponent has a Western or semi-Western grip and has difficulty with low forehands, a shorter crosscourt volley may be appropriate here.

If your player does not serve and volley, he or she should try to attack the first weak ball sent back by the returner. Hopefully, this weak shot can be produced by the serve. To play through the mid-court, see our article, Playing Through Short Balls.

Shot #3 — After you have made the mid-court volley (or half-volley, if necessary), continuing moving forward to the net. Your partner should take a step back to cover you if you’re lobbed. Now you should be close enough to the net by the time the next ball comes back to put away an angled (short) crosscourt putaway or a winner to the feet of the opposing net player.

Returning Combination

Step #1 — Your opponent will either serve and volley or serve and stay back.

If you are facing a serve-and-volleyer, you should return short and crosscourt to the server’s feet. Depending on the abilities of the opponents, a lob may be appropriate, as well. If the net person is not a threat, a return down the middle may be a smart choice to take away the angles from the opponents. Check out our return of serve drills in the database to help your players learn how to return.

If the opponent serves and stays back, a deep, crosscourt return which pins the opponent back is the best choice.

Steps #2 & #3 — If your players have developed an attacking return or have solid groundstrokes that can pin an opponent back deep, follow steps #2 and #3 above by closing the net after a return off a weaker serve.

Teach Three-Step Patterns

The key to aggressive doubles is to take the net, and at the recreational level, this is generally done with a three-shot combination: an aggressive serve or return; a mid-court ball played deep to pin an opponent back; and a closing volley angled off to the open court, or at the net person’s feet.

Remember to teach your players to try and end points with high-percentage geometry rather than by simply keeping the ball in play without thinking or going for outright winners from the baseline. Have your players work on these three-step routines by playing crosscourt points, two players at a time.

Serving Drill

Step #1 — Have serve-and-volleyers practice serving second serves down the middle and coming in. Have the returner take it easy on the server by returning and staying back so that the server can practice the three-shot combination.

Step #2 — Once this routine becomes familiar to the server, have the returner become more aggressive.

Step #3 — If your player serves and stays back, practice taking the net against an opponent who serves and stays back (often the case on second serves), by having the server practice serves down the middle and/or into the returner’s body to produce weak returns, then finishing the point using the next two shots as described above.

Return Drill

Step #1 — To practice attacking off the return, have the server serve only second serves, staying back to allow the returner to work on this combination of shots.

Step #2 — The returner should practice the attacking return, which may even allow him or her to close the net by the very next shot.

Step #3 — Have the server then begin serving first serves and serving and volleying to help the returner learn to counter this tactic.

While no opponent plays the same each point, enough high school doubles matches are played with servers who serve and stay back, and returners who do the same, to rely on these three-shot combinations to dominate match play.