Playing Winning Doubles:
The Return Game

By Allen Fox, Ph.D.

In the first article we analyzed the basic geometry of the doubles court, saw how doubles is fundamentally different than singles, and analyzed the patterns and strategy for your team's serving games. Now let's look at the other half of doubles: the return game.

Attack or Defend?

When your team is receiving in doubles, you should make a conscious decision whether to attack or to defend. If you choose to attack, the partner not receiving serve should stand just inside the service line, but this is a temporary situation.

The purpose of this one up, one back position is to allow the receiver to join his partner at the net as soon as possible. He can do this by hitting an approach on his return of serve or by taking a short ball. The third option is to lob over the opposing net player's head and follow it in.

Another reason for starting one up, one back is to allow the partner at the net to poach. If the return of serve is good, the partner at the net can go across and pick off the server's first volley. He can do the same if the server stays back and gets into a crosscourt rally.

If the receiving team stays in this one up, one back formation and the serving team can establish itself at the net it gives the serving team the best of all worlds. They can hit difficult volleys back to the opponent on the baseline, but as soon as they get an easy ball they can blast it at the opposing net player, who has been standing around doing nothing but now makes a convenient target.

Defend

If you and your partner are returning serve against a strong serving team and aren't able to establish yourselves at the net, it's better to both stay on the baseline and defend. This eliminates the net partner on the receiving team as a target.

Instead the serving team has to hit through two entrenched defenders. From the defender's position there are two high-percentage plays. The first is down the middle, over the low part of the net. It leaves the volleying team with no angle. It also tends to pull the net players together and this opens up the sidelines for passing shots on subsequent balls.

The other key play from the defending position is to lob. Most people at the recreational level simply do not have overheads that are reliable enough to overpower determined lobbers.

Lobs fall into two categories: defensive and offensive. Defensive lobs should be hit as high as possible. Good defensive lobs test your opponent's overhead and their nerves. Usually they will produce errors from the attacking team. In addition they'll drive your opponents back off the net and this will open up the court for passing shots.

If the volleyers move in close to the net, hit offensive lobs with a lower trajectory and a higher velocity. If you can get an offensive lob over your opponent's head, you and your partner should immediately go on the offense and both rush to the net. Now you have the advantage and your opponents must defend.

Another element in your receiving strategy should be to hit a few crisp returns right down the line, either past or directly at the net person.

Do this at the beginning of the match just to show that you are willing and able to go down the line, and also that you don't fear the net player's volley.

This'll pay off later in the match by making your opponents more hesitant to poach on important points. Be aware not to over hit when you go down the line. The ball has to go in the court to have the desired effect.

Finally, if the second serve is weak and short, the down the line return can be a point winner. It may be the easiest shot you get at the net player.

When you advance to the net, avoid getting caught in the no-man's land between the service line and the baseline. Here you're vulnerable to both the pass and the low ball at your feet, and there's nothing you can do to hurt your opponents by staying there.

When going to the net move forward quickly and decisively. Make sure you get inside the service line.

One Up One Back

If the object of smart doubles is to take over the net, why do so many teams play with one player at the net and one player in the back court? The answer is that it can be effective so long as both teams stay in this formation.

Typically the points develop into crosscourt ground stroke exchanges between the two back court players, with the volleyers doing little or nothing until a ball drifts close to the center. Then one of them moves across, poaches, and hits a winner.

If your opponents play one up, one back, you can get a decided advantage if you can bring both players on your team to the net. If you're on the baseline, try to get to net as soon as possible. Hit your crosscourts deep to force a short reply and hit an approach that you can follow in.

Another alternative is to hit a lob over the opposing net player's head and follow it in. If you're unwilling or unable to go in, your partner should look for the first opportunity to poach. Move across the center and hit the volley at the opposing net player.