Marvelous. Just learned a lot from that thank you!! My friend and I are both around 4.0/4.5 but hardly ever play doubles. Once or twice a year we’ll play these old dogs who are barely even 3.5s but who play almost exclusively doubles. We always get our asses kicked and always feel like we’re part of some twilight zone episode. But watching this video makes me realize that we might have the better strokes, but have been going about court position all wrong!!
I mean if you're really 4.0/4.5 and playing 3.5s, you should just be able to play double back on all return points and either hit it away from the net person and wait for the 3.5 to miss, or smoke the ball right at the net person and win most of the points.
@@pacersfan550 well I’m being slightly hyperbolic about a) them being 3.5 and b) us getting our asses kicked, but my point being: we’d murder them in singles and they beat us in doubles.
Thanks - this is exactly what my coach taught me a few years ago, but I've had trouble convincing partners to do this, perhaps because many players I play with are terrified of the net!
This is great, I always love your strategy videos. It's always a good feeling when you cover the easy shot and force your opponent to hit the harder angle and you force them to miss. It feels like a free point as you haven't even had to hit the ball. The hard part is staying sharp for the whole two hours of a match.
Absolutely! I was on a fairly weak 3.5 team a while back (the guys form the club I played at only so it was very shallow) and our coach drilled positioning all the time so we could beat better teams. It’s amazing how much it helps and how much other club level players do it poorly. The hard part for me though was always fighting my ADD zone outs 😂!
Yes I try to follow these principles, however where I tend to struggle is playing at net with a weak service partner. On club nights I am often paired with a 3.0 or 3.5 (I’m 4.0) with a high propensity for slow flat/lollypop serves. At times I’m a sitting duck at the net, so tend to defer to a deeper, defence position so as to not get passed down the line. This forces a more defensive response from the returner to send back across the diagonal to server. But I’m often nullified at the net as a result, having to play deeper. Because of the level, my opponents have so much time on the ball it makes it so difficult with my positioning that I often have to gamble and just pick the most defensive position so as to help my partner. Any hints and tips for how I can get back in the point? I want to be more offensive and force errors.
Fernando González and Nicolás Massú Doubles during Athens 2004: They played both on the farther side of the court, which made very difficult for the opponents to make an attack they had to adapt to beat them. They ended up winning the gold medal and Massú had been the only one to win both singles and doubles gold medals on the same Olympics.
Retired and no longer playing competitive tennis, but I actually still do those alignments and moves. Those positions just always seemed to be the natural thing to do. It's amazing that almost nobody I play against these days do those things. At 72, I still love to play the net. I like to hear the opponent saying "I was watching him at the net so I missed it". Great video and much appreciated.
This is entirely level-dependent. At 4.0 level, I find the returner's partner should almost stand in the no-man's land. Because if the server has a strong serve that pressures the returner, the return would offer the serving side opportunities. If the returner's partner stand too close - even at service line, oftentimes he would need to be moving back for the serve + 1 shot. If you start at no-mans zone, you can then decide if the return is of decent quality - go forward - and leverage your forward momentum to set up your potential volley. If the return is just barely getting the ball back, then you can easily take a few steps back and assess. Now at higher level I don't know :) Just hit all aces and be done with it. :)
lol I don't know, I play in our local 4.0 league and was taught this way for doubles. There are quite a few sandbaggers at 4.0 for sure, but my experience in league play is thus far very limited.
No your wrong and thst is why your a low level 4. 0 player. I went back 4 years ago to play a 5.0 tournament i won all at least 6/0 every set. I also win 35 now going for world championship 45 next year. Move back learn futuristic tennis srrve and volley died in singles... Get back in doubles... Even the pros play baseline... U can se me hitting in my turbo tennnis consulting channel hittijg with doubles champion us open rsjeed ram... Stop listening to low level coaches
I think something else to note is that the net players on both sides were looking BACK at their baseline partner hitting the ball. They should be keeping their eyes on their opponents instead, especially the one at the net. How the opposing net player reacts (and they must act immediately if they are intercepting the shot) tells you everything you need to know. Glancing to the side to watch the ball bounce on a serve is fine, but looking all the way back and waiting to see where your partner is hitting the ball actually reduces your ability to react to a poach.
Good observation. Also, I would add that in the first example, the returners partner, standing on the service line, was facing and looking at the server. He should be facing/looking at the servers partner (at the net) because he is the threat, not the server.
This is really helpful! I've been playing for about 15 years, but never really got past the upper part of 3.5-ish level (our country has a different rating system). I've had tennis lessons and generally feel more comfortable at doubles than singles, but the video had some great reminders and other tips that I didn't realize I neglected in my doubles play. I'm good at the more difficult shots (backhand smash, low/reflex volleys, tweener), but lack the fundamental court awareness and volley placement that I see in the "4.0" level constantly. I'm also much more passive with poaching than I could get away with. Without that positioning insight/these fundamentals it always feels like I'm making things harder for myself than necessary lol.
You make some really good points. Tennis is a game of small steps and adjusting around them is part of the perpetual motion. When you close the opponents’ view and ability to attack, they have to work around you and your partner’s racquets.
Ian, this is an excellent illustration of how doubles can bee a much more tiring game than most of us make it. A small nit pick: your animated beginning has singles sticks on the net while illustrating doubles! Just the antithesis of what we "all" do: play singles without sticks. Wanted you to know I really do watch your videos.
Im over 70 and i run two teams. I have to tell/convince my partner NOT to stay closer to the net than the rear serve box line or the opp will just hit the ball over their heads left and right to run me back and forth at the rear of the court until they exhaust me, which doesnt take long at my age! so if my partner stands on the rear service box line, they can usually easily cover any shot trying to get over their heads and cut that off by backing up 4 steps. my partner can run forward 4x faster than they can run backwards is what i tell them, which soon becomes obvious if they ignore me. my fast shots down the sideline is my bread n butter, and drop shots if u can scare the opp into staying far back. most of my opps are 10 20 30 yrs younger than me but i can still score on them no problem. i bring my bluetooth speaker and play it LOUD salsa music, everyone loves it!!
Very helpful, put it to use and got immediate positive results and passed on to several weekend players I play with. Another key observation I learned is that although a right-handed player can drill the ball down the alley to catch me off guard it is seldom more successful* than the natural swing direction across court. *Seldom because of the higher position of the net and because it takes a seasoned player to execute it routinely without sending it wide or long if the shot does clear the high part of the net.
Great video! A key topic I cover in my adult doubles coaching frequently at my club! So many club players and above would benefit from learning this! Well done 👏
This stuff works! After watching this video, I tried moving closer to the middle when at the net. Our opponents saw that the middle was covered and tried to hit to the alley. Ball after ball whizzed by me, over the alley, and landed out. I won points without even touching the ball.
Can not wait to get on the court to try and put this into practice. As a beginner I knew I didn't understand how I was supposed to move, and didn't figure it out just yet (I figured out that I should move out from aggressive net spider, but where was the question), was quite frustrated with myself... now I'm here cutting corners. Doing a sneaky-sneaky extra curriculum studying.
This is basically playing Zone tactics. My basketball, hockey, soccer players pick up on this when they play doubles. It also helps to practice situations that occur in doubles matches like we do in other sports. Practice the way you want to play 🎾🎾
It would be interesting to see a top view (even a shematic one) of the court that would make it more obvious how stepping back from the net closes the large open angle
if you're too close to the net, or too aggressive, they can just lob the ball over you and win the point. This happens a lot with older players who longer hit with speed and pace and play with more finesse.
Nice tutor just what I need. Auto subs. Btw, can you advise who should take the lob? Should the net player goes back? Or the baseline player move to side? Thanks
This advice is for players 4.0 and below. Anyone who is playing 5.0 and above should be looking to attack second serves and move forward. If you can’t avoid the net person on a second serve go work on your return. If your opponent is serving and volleying on second serves and the return is below their knees you have to be in possibility to make that volley hard. If you are standing on the service line that volley just became 50% easier all I have to do is make it. But if you are closing I have to do something with it and that is a hard volley. If there are not serving and volleying and my partner put them off there back foot with his return that person can play a much more defensive shot than if I was closing off the second serve return. In doubles you have to attack second serves breaking is already hard in dubs and being defensive off second serves makes it harder. If you can do this you will be surprised how the pressure will get you some double faults as the match gets tight.
As a competitive badminton player since college, I can second that. The rotation with teammate is a must for any serious doubles players, a coach told us, it’s like you and your mate are connected by a stick, you should keep the distance and rotate on the court to make sure you cover the most.
Enjoyed your video Ian but disagree that the easiest shot is always between the opposing two players who can adjust that positioning even while attacker takes their shot. What's easier a stretch return or a shot right at your feet, especially if you are close to the net? I'll gladly return stretch volleys or stretch baseline returns as opposed to shots aimed at my feet. Particularly if I'm at or near the net. 3 advantages you are rushing the opponent by aiming for the feet. Chances are I won't get my strings on it. Even if I do have laser quick relexes getting a shot back from my shoe laces over the net are slim indeed. If I luckily do make it over the net and* in play. It will only be a weak defensive play thereby increasing opposition's chance of crushing a winner. Aim for the net player's feet is the percentage shot they scarecely have a chance. Threading the needle between players is good don't get me wrong but more likely to give opposition a chance to get their strings on your return.
Makes sense yet defensive positioning is situational and factors such as server accuracy and returner skill level must be taken into account. At the 3.5 - 4.0+ level, I notice a higher percentage of successful down the line returns, particularly on weak 2nd serves, than at higher recreational levels and of course for the pros. In some cases, if I know the returner is strong and the server weak, I'll move back to the baseline on 2nd serves and then try to approach the net with my partner upon a good serve+1 shot, which tends to distract the receiving team's 2nd shots. Would be helpful to hear about strategies for addressing these situations.
Hey Daniel, yes it's definitely situational as if you know your opponents and they like to go for the harder shots (down the line) then you'll need to adjust accordingly. However, I guarantee if you keep a win/loss tally of how many times you get beat down the line...odds are you're winning a majority of the points. All of this info can be found in our new program at www.TextbookDoubles.com
Standing close to the center does not mean you abandon the alley. Most of the time the problem is the net player does not watch their opponent and readjust accordingly. For example, when my partner throw a weak second serve wide, and I see my opponent winds up his forehand (assuming forehand is his strong shot), I'll move wide with the ball. Because if he makes it down the line, it would be a winner. If he hits cross court, it would probably be a strong shot that I may not be able to put away. The odd does not work on my favor here. So I would cover the alley and let my partner handles the cross court. But if I see a decent serve to the opponent weak side, I would stay near the center and take my chances. Another advantage at lower levels is that most of them don't play this way (most adults don't think logically for some reasons), and the strategy will be very disruptive to their games. I often have people get mad at me for being "rally killer", "net bully", ...
In your opening example this is very typical of players who lack important skills necessary in doubles. The Receiving team is a good example that the player closest to the ball should make the shot to gain the advantage. This is doubles and you should play a two on one strategy. The receiving teams net player cuts off the ball as his partner also closes in on the isolated opponent who is guarding the doubles alley. As a high school tennis coach I teach zone offense/ defense. Players have to constantly adjust positions on the court depending on the flight of the ball. Athletes that have been trained in other team sports like basketball, hockey, soccer understand this concept. Playing doubles properly is more challenging because it requires more skills like volley, overheads and precise placement. Lots of doubles teams actually play a version of singles with two players on one side. One player rallies the second acts as a cheerleader/ alley guard.
Sometimes even when I receive, my partner stands in the doubles ally, close to the net! It leaves a huge space in the middle of the court that they expect me to cover. I always feel like playing one against two with a partner like that.
Except both players moved up on example one. So if he moved to the correct position wouldn't that have made his left side open if the ball went to the server who was now at the net?
If both of your opponents are back, I would try to get both of your players to the net and be aggressive. If they lob over the left player generally the opposite (right) player should run back. When they are poaching (on offence), I am playing defense, try heavy top spin crosscourt, or down the line winner if given the opportunity. The net player should step back a little and guard the center of the court from the poacher as said in the video. It's all very situational though. Just keep an eye out, what part of the court is open, and who should be guarding it if it should be guarded at all.
@@appleducky5234 Interesting, I wonder how well that would go as a mindset transition. I'm not very comfortable with coming up to the net. It was said by my coach to be unkind to your opponent if you did so. Moreso that offensive play was to be unkind and out of control. How did you learn to approach the net? Your point on depending on the circumstances makes sense though.
@@jlook6070 I've never considered coming to the net to be unkind in a bad way. An underhand serve is the most disrespectful strategy I've ever seen. Drop shots can be unkind too, but drop shots are effective so I use them ;). To be more comfortable at the net, practice volley/overhead drills. Reaction speed is key. Putting both players at the net is not out of control if you hit a really good approach shot that is hard for your opponents to return. Sometimes I rush the net in singles too, same ideas apply. Just have to be aggressive/careful, because being at the net can make you vulnerable if you don't hit a good approach. I've won a lot of points by whipping the ball straight past the net guy, and I've lost many points to well-placed lobs.
@@appleducky5234 I'll try those training drills to get better. But it'll be a long journey as I still fear being unkind and immoral if that's the proper word. It's taken a few years to just accept the fact that it's not unkind to cross the baseline and enter the court during points. The service line is the new line I cannot seem to cross morally.
With most recreational players their issue is that when they play doubles they just play. They "want" to play and win. They dont want to "exercise" playing doubles also if that means they could lose.
I think that the main thing to remember is that you can't just stand at the net. you're constantly going to be moving in order to cover the potential angles that your opponent can abuse.
6:00 example is perfect, but the defending player is soo far from the baseline and then hits a high ball back to the middle for an attacking net player on his fh to destroy, a bit yikes.. yes that alley and middle shot too easy for a put away.
In your very first example, the server was weak, so as a result, the returner ended up at the net. In the second example , the server was much stronger and pulled the returner wide, making it much easier for his partner to volley. Sure, most of your positional analysis is correct, but if you are the first server's partner, you are going to find yourself in more troublesome positions.
One mental trick I learned from "Tennis" magazine about 40 years ago, when your partner is driven wide off the court, is to imagine there is a 15 ft rope tied to both his/her and my ankle. So, if my partner is driven wide (or the reverse), the partner needs to shift to maintain that 15 ft distance between the two of us
The server returned a bad shot which allowed the returner's partner to smash the ball at the server's partner. The server should try a lob down the line which forces the opposing player at the net to hit a difficult backhand overhead with no power. Then you can go for a passing shot.
So many players insist on standing near the alley at the net because they have no confidence of their ability to volley, and yet they insist on going to the net, thus leaving a big hole on their side of the court not covered.
At 7:20, the serve is just too good. The returner barely gets a racket on it. It doesn't much matter what everyone else on the court does as long as the netman does his job. Point over with a put-away by server's partner.
Thank you for these tips. Notice how good net player /partner of a serving player asks their partner where they going to serve and move to different position depending on the serve shot ball landing zone. So could you please cover cases when serve goes to a T vs wide and describe movement of the net player /partner of a returner depending on the serve landing zone.
I guess I should get over my fear of giving up the alley and just try it and count how many times my opponent can beat me there. Maybe I imagine it to be worse than reality.
At ua-cam.com/video/Y3dHyGhvFeU/v-deo.htmlm47s the server's partner plays center and tight to the net, which essentially blocks the server's second shot from being hit cross court and short. This allows purple shirt guy to play center field with little fear of a ball coming to his right. So that aggressive positioning during the serve turns out bad when the return is placed deep to the deuce side.
Looks like you are exaggerating for the sake of the demonstration, if the defensive net player does stand at the end of the green arrow right in the middle of the court, while the other player is far back in the corner, that leaves half of the court completely empty. but it shows the direction where he should reposition himself to cover the most ground. just standing without moving is never gonna work
It doesn't "came out nowhere". In the late 80's I was already studying and publishing collision avoidance robotics. It is a continuous progress over years, slowly but surely.
Dude I played ATP and coaching 20 years non stop. But thr lower level olayers do this becsuse other uspta coaches tell them to stand there . Thank you. I already correct my wife
For lower level doubles, the reason the net player stays close to the alley and looks back at his baseline player partner is that he’s worried about getting hit in the back of the head. He’s leaving the middle open for his partner by staying out of it.
They fail to mention this on vids. Personally, I think the serving teams net player stands too close to the net. Just chip or lob the ball over the net player and make the server chase a ball and probably have an advantage
3.0 players should disregard this advice. At the 3.0 level, the second serve and in most cases the first serve is not strong enough to produce setups for the net guy. Yes, you will get a few, but for 3.0s, they see the entire court as a target...down the line, at the net player more than crosscourt. They haven't been taught that crosscourt is the best percentage shot.
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I used your advise in a recent tennis match.. OMG! What a difference!! We won against great opponents in two easy set! Thank you!!
Marvelous. Just learned a lot from that thank you!! My friend and I are both around 4.0/4.5 but hardly ever play doubles. Once or twice a year we’ll play these old dogs who are barely even 3.5s but who play almost exclusively doubles. We always get our asses kicked and always feel like we’re part of some twilight zone episode. But watching this video makes me realize that we might have the better strokes, but have been going about court position all wrong!!
Following what you learned in this video is going to make a HUGE difference!
I mean if you're really 4.0/4.5 and playing 3.5s, you should just be able to play double back on all return points and either hit it away from the net person and wait for the 3.5 to miss, or smoke the ball right at the net person and win most of the points.
@@pacersfan550 well I’m being slightly hyperbolic about a) them being 3.5 and b) us getting our asses kicked, but my point being: we’d murder them in singles and they beat us in doubles.
Thanks - this is exactly what my coach taught me a few years ago, but I've had trouble convincing partners to do this, perhaps because many players I play with are terrified of the net!
This is great, I always love your strategy videos. It's always a good feeling when you cover the easy shot and force your opponent to hit the harder angle and you force them to miss. It feels like a free point as you haven't even had to hit the ball. The hard part is staying sharp for the whole two hours of a match.
YES, you totally get it, Kenneth!
Absolutely! I was on a fairly weak 3.5 team a while back (the guys form the club I played at only so it was very shallow) and our coach drilled positioning all the time so we could beat better teams. It’s amazing how much it helps and how much other club level players do it poorly. The hard part for me though was always fighting my ADD zone outs 😂!
Yes I try to follow these principles, however where I tend to struggle is playing at net with a weak service partner.
On club nights I am often paired with a 3.0 or 3.5 (I’m 4.0) with a high propensity for slow flat/lollypop serves. At times I’m a sitting duck at the net, so tend to defer to a deeper, defence position so as to not get passed down the line. This forces a more defensive response from the returner to send back across the diagonal to server. But I’m often nullified at the net as a result, having to play deeper.
Because of the level, my opponents have so much time on the ball it makes it so difficult with my positioning that I often have to gamble and just pick the most defensive position so as to help my partner. Any hints and tips for how I can get back in the point? I want to be more offensive and force errors.
Fernando González and Nicolás Massú Doubles during Athens 2004: They played both on the farther side of the court, which made very difficult for the opponents to make an attack they had to adapt to beat them. They ended up winning the gold medal and Massú had been the only one to win both singles and doubles gold medals on the same Olympics.
Retired and no longer playing competitive tennis, but I actually still do those alignments and moves. Those positions just always seemed to be the natural thing to do. It's amazing that almost nobody I play against these days do those things. At 72, I still love to play the net. I like to hear the opponent saying "I was watching him at the net so I missed it". Great video and much appreciated.
Some of the better players at my club are Wiley old foxes in their late 60s/early 70s. Keep rocking 💪
the older you get the more you realize position is everything!
This is entirely level-dependent. At 4.0 level, I find the returner's partner should almost stand in the no-man's land. Because if the server has a strong serve that pressures the returner, the return would offer the serving side opportunities. If the returner's partner stand too close - even at service line, oftentimes he would need to be moving back for the serve + 1 shot. If you start at no-mans zone, you can then decide if the return is of decent quality - go forward - and leverage your forward momentum to set up your potential volley. If the return is just barely getting the ball back, then you can easily take a few steps back and assess. Now at higher level I don't know :) Just hit all aces and be done with it. :)
At 4.0? that’s some high 4.0 players lol usually 5.0 and higher like pro level they do this.
lol I don't know, I play in our local 4.0 league and was taught this way for doubles. There are quite a few sandbaggers at 4.0 for sure, but my experience in league play is thus far very limited.
@@majormajor9672 lol at least you were given some good info
You're absolutely right, Major! There is no ONE place that ALWAYS works. Against a big server starting further back is absolutely smart.
No your wrong and thst is why your a low level 4. 0 player.
I went back 4 years ago to play a 5.0 tournament i won all at least 6/0 every set. I also win 35 now going for world championship 45 next year.
Move back learn futuristic tennis srrve and volley died in singles... Get back in doubles... Even the pros play baseline... U can se me hitting in my turbo tennnis consulting channel hittijg with doubles champion us open rsjeed ram...
Stop listening to low level coaches
The guy in purple is so good. And this analysis great for understanding why
I think something else to note is that the net players on both sides were looking BACK at their baseline partner hitting the ball. They should be keeping their eyes on their opponents instead, especially the one at the net. How the opposing net player reacts (and they must act immediately if they are intercepting the shot) tells you everything you need to know. Glancing to the side to watch the ball bounce on a serve is fine, but looking all the way back and waiting to see where your partner is hitting the ball actually reduces your ability to react to a poach.
Good observation. Also, I would add that in the first example, the returners partner, standing on the service line, was facing and looking at the server. He should be facing/looking at the servers partner (at the net) because he is the threat, not the server.
This is really helpful! I've been playing for about 15 years, but never really got past the upper part of 3.5-ish level (our country has a different rating system). I've had tennis lessons and generally feel more comfortable at doubles than singles, but the video had some great reminders and other tips that I didn't realize I neglected in my doubles play. I'm good at the more difficult shots (backhand smash, low/reflex volleys, tweener), but lack the fundamental court awareness and volley placement that I see in the "4.0" level constantly. I'm also much more passive with poaching than I could get away with. Without that positioning insight/these fundamentals it always feels like I'm making things harder for myself than necessary lol.
You make some really good points. Tennis is a game of small steps and adjusting around them is part of the perpetual motion. When you close the opponents’ view and ability to attack, they have to work around you and your partner’s racquets.
This was an excellent explanation of the importance of positioning in doubles.
Glad you enjoyed it, Deniz!
Ian, this is an excellent illustration of how doubles can bee a much more tiring game than most of us make it. A small nit pick: your animated beginning has singles sticks on the net while illustrating doubles! Just the antithesis of what we "all" do: play singles without sticks. Wanted you to know I really do watch your videos.
Im over 70 and i run two teams. I have to tell/convince my partner NOT to stay closer to the net than the rear serve box line or the opp will just hit the ball over their heads left and right to run me back and forth at the rear of the court until they exhaust me, which doesnt take long at my age! so if my partner stands on the rear service box line, they can usually easily cover any shot trying to get over their heads and cut that off by backing up 4 steps. my partner can run forward 4x faster than they can run backwards is what i tell them, which soon becomes obvious if they ignore me. my fast shots down the sideline is my bread n butter, and drop shots if u can scare the opp into staying far back. most of my opps are 10 20 30 yrs younger than me but i can still score on them no problem. i bring my bluetooth speaker and play it LOUD salsa music, everyone loves it!!
Very helpful, put it to use and got immediate positive results and passed on to several weekend players I play with. Another key observation I learned is that although a right-handed player can drill the ball down the alley to catch me off guard it is seldom more successful* than the natural swing direction across court. *Seldom because of the higher position of the net and because it takes a seasoned player to execute it routinely without sending it wide or long if the shot does clear the high part of the net.
Nice video. I miss the commentated doubles matches. I learned so much and they were fun.
Great video! A key topic I cover in my adult doubles coaching frequently at my club! So many club players and above would benefit from learning this! Well done 👏
Keep up the great work on your videos, Liam!
This stuff works! After watching this video, I tried moving closer to the middle when at the net. Our opponents saw that the middle was covered and tried to hit to the alley. Ball after ball whizzed by me, over the alley, and landed out. I won points without even touching the ball.
I just started playing doubles and this is very helpful. Thank you.
Can not wait to get on the court to try and put this into practice. As a beginner I knew I didn't understand how I was supposed to move, and didn't figure it out just yet (I figured out that I should move out from aggressive net spider, but where was the question), was quite frustrated with myself... now I'm here cutting corners. Doing a sneaky-sneaky extra curriculum studying.
Great video. Our club pro teaches this BUT the visual you display is much easier to understand.
Great video! I always feel like I am in the wrong spot playing doubles. This makes a lot of sense and more detail than "follow the ball".
This is basically playing Zone tactics. My basketball, hockey, soccer players pick up on this when they play doubles. It also helps to practice situations that occur in doubles matches like we do in other sports. Practice the way you want to play 🎾🎾
This is great. I've just gotten started playing tennis again after some injuries. Thank you Ian!
Welcome back to the game!
It would be interesting to see a top view (even a shematic one) of the court that would make it more obvious how stepping back from the net closes the large open angle
if you're too close to the net, or too aggressive, they can just lob the ball over you and win the point. This happens a lot with older players who longer hit with speed and pace and play with more finesse.
At 4:30 when the server strikes the ball he is completely vertical. How does he generate any pace??
This is so helpful!!! Thanks for a lovely analysis
Nice tutor just what I need. Auto subs. Btw, can you advise who should take the lob? Should the net player goes back? Or the baseline player move to side? Thanks
Thank you very much, I love your instructions.
This advice is for players 4.0 and below. Anyone who is playing 5.0 and above should be looking to attack second serves and move forward. If you can’t avoid the net person on a second serve go work on your return. If your opponent is serving and volleying on second serves and the return is below their knees you have to be in possibility to make that volley hard. If you are standing on the service line that volley just became 50% easier all I have to do is make it. But if you are closing I have to do something with it and that is a hard volley. If there are not serving and volleying and my partner put them off there back foot with his return that person can play a much more defensive shot than if I was closing off the second serve return. In doubles you have to attack second serves breaking is already hard in dubs and being defensive off second serves makes it harder. If you can do this you will be surprised how the pressure will get you some double faults as the match gets tight.
Good lessons here… having played badminton for years, positioning felt pretty natural. If only i could actually hit the ball 😁
Glad you found it helpful Coren! Keep working at it! 💪
As a competitive badminton player since college, I can second that. The rotation with teammate is a must for any serious doubles players, a coach told us, it’s like you and your mate are connected by a stick, you should keep the distance and rotate on the court to make sure you cover the most.
Enjoyed your video Ian but disagree that the easiest shot is always between the opposing two players who can adjust that positioning even while attacker takes their shot. What's easier a stretch return or a shot right at your feet, especially if you are close to the net? I'll gladly return stretch volleys or stretch baseline returns as opposed to shots aimed at my feet. Particularly if I'm at or near the net.
3 advantages you are rushing the opponent by aiming for the feet. Chances are I won't get my strings on it. Even if I do have laser quick relexes getting a shot back from my shoe laces over the net are slim indeed. If I luckily do make it over the net and* in play. It will only be a weak defensive play thereby increasing opposition's chance of crushing a winner. Aim for the net player's feet is the percentage shot they scarecely have a chance. Threading the needle between players is good don't get me wrong but more likely to give opposition a chance to get their strings on your return.
Makes sense yet defensive positioning is situational and factors such as server accuracy and returner skill level must be taken into account. At the 3.5 - 4.0+ level, I notice a higher percentage of successful down the line returns, particularly on weak 2nd serves, than at higher recreational levels and of course for the pros. In some cases, if I know the returner is strong and the server weak, I'll move back to the baseline on 2nd serves and then try to approach the net with my partner upon a good serve+1 shot, which tends to distract the receiving team's 2nd shots. Would be helpful to hear about strategies for addressing these situations.
Hey Daniel, yes it's definitely situational as if you know your opponents and they like to go for the harder shots (down the line) then you'll need to adjust accordingly. However, I guarantee if you keep a win/loss tally of how many times you get beat down the line...odds are you're winning a majority of the points. All of this info can be found in our new program at www.TextbookDoubles.com
Standing close to the center does not mean you abandon the alley. Most of the time the problem is the net player does not watch their opponent and readjust accordingly. For example, when my partner throw a weak second serve wide, and I see my opponent winds up his forehand (assuming forehand is his strong shot), I'll move wide with the ball. Because if he makes it down the line, it would be a winner. If he hits cross court, it would probably be a strong shot that I may not be able to put away. The odd does not work on my favor here. So I would cover the alley and let my partner handles the cross court. But if I see a decent serve to the opponent weak side, I would stay near the center and take my chances. Another advantage at lower levels is that most of them don't play this way (most adults don't think logically for some reasons), and the strategy will be very disruptive to their games. I often have people get mad at me for being "rally killer", "net bully", ...
@@chubun6631 Good points and thank you. I'll try positioning myself more in the middle court and track the results.
Look for an older video from ET where he discussed about moving in a triangle pattern. You may want to give that a try.
In your opening example this is very typical of players who lack important skills necessary in doubles. The Receiving team is a good example that the player closest to the ball should make the shot to gain the advantage. This is doubles and you should play a two on one strategy. The receiving teams net player cuts off the ball as his partner also closes in on the isolated opponent who is guarding the doubles alley. As a high school tennis coach I teach zone offense/ defense. Players have to constantly adjust positions on the court depending on the flight of the ball. Athletes that have been trained in other team sports like basketball, hockey, soccer understand this concept. Playing doubles properly is more challenging because it requires more skills like volley, overheads and precise placement. Lots of doubles teams actually play a version of singles with two players on one side. One player rallies the second acts as a cheerleader/ alley guard.
Love that idea, Thomas! Keep up the good work!
These scenarios are exactly what I face every week. Awesome analysis
So happy to hear it was helpful, Monica!
Sometimes even when I receive, my partner stands in the doubles ally, close to the net! It leaves a huge space in the middle of the court that they expect me to cover. I always feel like playing one against two with a partner like that.
maybe your partner could watch this video with you -
I can’t tell from the video how far should the aggressive net player position from the net. Please explain, thanks.
Excellent video
What about defending against i formation?
Great doubles lesson 🎾♥️
Glad you enjoyed it Kenzie! Hopefully you can apply it to your game!
Really illuminating.
Thank you
Except both players moved up on example one. So if he moved to the correct position wouldn't that have made his left side open if the ball went to the server who was now at the net?
Excellent!!
Tha is for watching
Thanks
what if one team has both back? or one up one back defensive poaching and baseline respectively? do you need to transition forward to be offensive?
If both of your opponents are back, I would try to get both of your players to the net and be aggressive. If they lob over the left player generally the opposite (right) player should run back.
When they are poaching (on offence), I am playing defense, try heavy top spin crosscourt, or down the line winner if given the opportunity. The net player should step back a little and guard the center of the court from the poacher as said in the video.
It's all very situational though. Just keep an eye out, what part of the court is open, and who should be guarding it if it should be guarded at all.
@@appleducky5234 Interesting, I wonder how well that would go as a mindset transition. I'm not very comfortable with coming up to the net. It was said by my coach to be unkind to your opponent if you did so. Moreso that offensive play was to be unkind and out of control. How did you learn to approach the net? Your point on depending on the circumstances makes sense though.
We break down all different scenarios inside of TextbookDoubles.com be sure to check it out!
@@jlook6070 I've never considered coming to the net to be unkind in a bad way. An underhand serve is the most disrespectful strategy I've ever seen. Drop shots can be unkind too, but drop shots are effective so I use them ;). To be more comfortable at the net, practice volley/overhead drills. Reaction speed is key. Putting both players at the net is not out of control if you hit a really good approach shot that is hard for your opponents to return. Sometimes I rush the net in singles too, same ideas apply. Just have to be aggressive/careful, because being at the net can make you vulnerable if you don't hit a good approach. I've won a lot of points by whipping the ball straight past the net guy, and I've lost many points to well-placed lobs.
@@appleducky5234 I'll try those training drills to get better. But it'll be a long journey as I still fear being unkind and immoral if that's the proper word. It's taken a few years to just accept the fact that it's not unkind to cross the baseline and enter the court during points. The service line is the new line I cannot seem to cross morally.
With most recreational players their issue is that when they play doubles they just play. They "want" to play and win. They dont want to "exercise" playing doubles also if that means they could lose.
I think that the main thing to remember is that you can't just stand at the net. you're constantly going to be moving in order to cover the potential angles that your opponent can abuse.
6:00 example is perfect, but the defending player is soo far from the baseline and then hits a high ball back to the middle for an attacking net player on his fh to destroy, a bit yikes.. yes that alley and middle shot too easy for a put away.
In your very first example, the server was weak, so as a result, the returner ended up at the net. In the second example , the server was much stronger and pulled the returner wide, making it much easier for his partner to volley. Sure, most of your positional analysis is correct, but if you are the first server's partner, you are going to find yourself in more troublesome positions.
makes alot of sense
Starting from 0:30 those players forgot to remove the singles sticks...
One mental trick I learned from "Tennis" magazine about 40 years ago, when your partner is driven wide off the court, is to imagine there is a 15 ft rope tied to both his/her and my ankle. So, if my partner is driven wide (or the reverse), the partner needs to shift to maintain that 15 ft distance between the two of us
The server returned a bad shot which allowed the returner's partner to smash the ball at the server's partner. The server should try a lob down the line which forces the opposing player at the net to hit a difficult backhand overhead with no power. Then you can go for a passing shot.
So many players insist on standing near the alley at the net because they have no confidence of their ability to volley, and yet they insist on going to the net, thus leaving a big hole on their side of the court not covered.
At 7:20, the serve is just too good. The returner barely gets a racket on it. It doesn't much matter what everyone else on the court does as long as the netman does his job. Point over with a put-away by server's partner.
Thank you for these tips. Notice how good net player /partner of a serving player asks their partner where they going to serve and move to different position depending on the serve shot ball landing zone. So could you please cover cases when serve goes to a T vs wide and describe movement of the net player /partner of a returner depending on the serve landing zone.
I guess I should get over my fear of giving up the alley and just try it and count how many times my opponent can beat me there. Maybe I imagine it to be worse than reality.
When I play doubles, I tell my partner not to hit the ball to the opposing net player. That helps a lot! 👍
The server's partner (at the net) can't hit the return of serve back to the receiving team, he has to let it bounce.
😂 That’s a pickleball rule! Not tennis!
At ua-cam.com/video/Y3dHyGhvFeU/v-deo.htmlm47s the server's partner plays center and tight to the net, which essentially blocks the server's second shot from being hit cross court and short. This allows purple shirt guy to play center field with little fear of a ball coming to his right. So that aggressive positioning during the serve turns out bad when the return is placed deep to the deuce side.
Looks like you are exaggerating for the sake of the demonstration, if the defensive net player does stand at the end of the green arrow right in the middle of the court, while the other player is far back in the corner, that leaves half of the court completely empty. but it shows the direction where he should reposition himself to cover the most ground. just standing without moving is never gonna work
It doesn't "came out nowhere". In the late 80's I was already studying and publishing collision avoidance robotics. It is a continuous progress over years, slowly but surely.
Dude I played ATP and coaching 20 years non stop. But thr lower level olayers do this becsuse other uspta coaches tell them to stand there . Thank you. I already correct my wife
It seems strange to me that the better the player, the higher the percentage of errors.
For lower level doubles, the reason the net player stays close to the alley and looks back at his baseline player partner is that he’s worried about getting hit in the back of the head. He’s leaving the middle open for his partner by staying out of it.
They fail to mention this on vids. Personally, I think the serving teams net player stands too close to the net. Just chip or lob the ball over the net player and make the server chase a ball and probably have an advantage
I should’ve paid more attention in geometry.
Doubles players should just hit lobs all day if there is a player at the net
👍👍👍👍
Lost with the picture’s
G8
Are you showing a singles court with singles sticks for doubles. . .fail!
Eff! Thought this was pb
M..
3.0 players should disregard this advice. At the 3.0 level, the second serve and in most cases the first serve is not strong enough to produce setups for the net guy. Yes, you will get a few, but for 3.0s, they see the entire court as a target...down the line, at the net player more than crosscourt. They haven't been taught that crosscourt is the best percentage shot.
If you partner sucks at serving you will get peg in the head
The word is forward... not forwards.
stop doing videos just in front of a wall. How about doing them on say a tennis court
Thanks for the feedback! Here's a recent on court video for you to enjoy! ua-cam.com/video/m-ssdFAEqXc/v-deo.html
Thank you so much for telling me where not to stand :) I play tennis to exercise. Win of lose I am a winner.
M..