Real Doubles Strategies for Real Doubles Players

The tennis industry is filled with tennis teaching professionals of varying levels of expertise and experience. These "pros" are quite skilled in regurgitating the playing styles and strategies of elite players such as Andy Roddick, Roger Federer, Kim Clisters, and the Williams sisters to their charges. Likewise the club and recreational players that attended and pay for classes lap up this cavalcade of information like kittens at a saucer of milk. The question then becomes, is it useful or even helpful to the player? Sadly, the answer is a big honking no. Real players, those at the club and recreational level, need real instruction. They need real strategy tips that they can actually use in matches. This article is the result of when one tennis pro stops rainy down insincere praise and adulation and starts being real!

It is time for club and recreational players to hear the cold hard truth, to face the stone cold facts and here it is; you are not Andy Roddick, you are not Roger Federer, and you most certainly not either of the Williams sisters. There I said it. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, let's clear up so other misconceptions you may be holding on to. You are not a great athlete. You do not have limitless stores of energy. You are not is perfect shape and conditioning. You do not know all there is to know on a tennis court. Your shot selection and thought processes are shoddy at best. You are a club or recreational level player; accept that already! Good, now we can move on to more important business.

Real tennis players need real strategies and tactics that they have a better than average chance of actually using and succeeding with during a tennis match. This article will focus mostly on doubles but the concepts laid out here can be translated well to mixed doubles and even singles. First and foremost the most important thing any tennis player at any level can do is to be absolutely honest with themselves about their abilities, both positive and negative. Taking an honest evaluation of your particular game is critical in being able to get the most out of your current set of skills and then knowing what skills you need to add or develop.

The second tip is to be sure, if able too, find a partner that complements your game and whose game you complement. If you are a baseliner and love to stay back then playing with a net rusher will probably drive you both nuts! However it can work, which leads me to my next point. Communication is key between doubles partners and not just about strategies and tactics! Let your partner know that you rarely come to net or that you second serve is a bit on the weak side or that you are a lobbing fool. This way there are no surprises and then, as a team, you can formulate a plan to maximize your combined strengths and minimize your combined weakness.

Now onto actual real world strategy for the real doubles players. The most important thing a doubles player, or any tennis player for that matter, is to get the ball in play! If you cannot hit ball in, you cannot win, plain and simple. Forget all the trickery, forget all the signals, forget all the advanced formations, like the I formation, and just get the bloody ball into play. If you are good enough to direct the ball, aim crosscourt. This allows you to hit the ball over the lowest part of the net and gives you more room to hit into, there is more court area on the diagonal than hitting down the line.

The next tip is to play your strengths on as many points as you can, especially the big ones. If you have a big down the line forehand that is more reliable and better than your crosscourt forehand, then use it. Just be sure to let your partner in on your play so they can prepare as well. Even if your best shots are a little off and you miss some, that is far better than trying to hit shots that you have zero confidence in or have never practiced. Why would you try to perform brain surgery if you have never had any training? Stick with what you know!

Next, if you are taking lessons and are actively working on your game then don't be afraid to use what you are learning on court. You cannot make an omelet with breaking some eggs first. If you are working on serving and volleying, then, gosh darn it, serve and volley in all your matches! Using what you are learning is the only way to develop it and build confidence. True you will lose some matches but again this is part of the learning curve. You are paying for the instruction, so use it already!

Finally come to realize, understand, and accept that there is no one right way to play doubles. I know it is popular for teaching pros to spout off that real doubles is play with both players at the net or doubles is won from the net. In some cases that is true. However, in other cases that is not true. Winning doubles is when both individuals of a team come together and use their combined strengths to put forth a successful effort. Doubles can be played with both players at the net, one up and one back, or with both players back. Whichever style fits your combined strengths is the style you should be employing.

Always you do you do well, communicate, and most importantly get the ball in is the best way to play winning doubles. Now dust off your ego and get back on the court and win some matches!