The System:
Introduction

Bill Previdi

Welcome to the System, my presentation of how to play winning doubles at any level. The System is based on 40 years of playing and teaching and is unlike any other approach I know.

I grew up playing all sports and always understood that in team sports every player had a role to play on every play and if one person failed, the entire play would fall apart.

As I taught at more clubs I realized that players tended to have the same problems in doubles but coaching did not address these problems in a systematic way. In other team sports, as many as eleven players have to work as one for a play to work.

Why can't two players work as one in doubles? This insight is the foundation of what I call the System. As an active competitive player I was able to test out my theories and see for myself how playing in a systematic way is the key to success in doubles.

My college tennis coach, George Seewagen, often said tennis was the only game you will play where no one will teach you the plays. Coach Seewagen was an All-American soccer goalie as well as a four sport letter winner in college.

He understood the importance of the team concept in doubles and tried to apply it to our play. One sentence he taught us It has defined what I have tried to do in doubles ever since. “Keep the ball low so the other team is always hitting up, and if you can't keep it low, lob."

Sheer brilliance. As I thought about it more this sentence didn't just tell me where to hit, it told me which partner would be better to hit to. It told me what kind of spin to use depending on where I was on the court. It told me which person to lob over.

The most effective shot you can hit in the System to limit your opponents’ options and set up your partner is a short, angled, low return, approach or volley. If you can get your opponent hitting up from midcourt they will be severely limited in their ability to hit hard, hit at your feet, and to lob.

The Hunter and the Helper

The System is based on the concept that one player on a team is always “The Hunter." The other player is the “Helper." In the system, both players play predominantly in the forecourt at or near the net, but with very specific shot making and positioning.

Controlling the net is a huge part of the System. The Hunter and Helper positions let you control play at the net while leaving very few openings for opponents. This means in most cases getting to the net as soon as possible, either behind the serve or the return.

So how do you get both players to the net? First, let’s talk about serve and volley.

If you can get proficient at placing your serve and getting a high percentage of first serves in, and you follow the principles of the system regarding your volleys, there’s nothing stopping you from serve and volleying effectively, regardless of your level.

There are some common fears, misnomers and myths about serve and volley. Some players say their serve is too weak.

You don’t need a big serve. You need to develop a reliable spin serve for doubles, something virtually everyone can do.

If you get a high percentage of first serves you and your partner should be able to control most points, especially if you communicate where the serve is going.

Remember in doubles, the returner must hit you the ball to one half of the court—unless he wants to hit it to your partner at the net. I don’t care how well opponents return, if you follow the principles in the system, you can easily handle balls that are coming, in most cases, right to you. Unless you give opponents a steady diet of wide serves someone on your team will have a good play on the ball.

I always laugh when people tell me that their serve is too weak to come in on but they’re more than willing to stay back where it’s safe and leave their partner at the net alone. If you hit a weak serve and stay back the opponents can now get two players at net ready to take your partners head off.

Return and Volley

In a perfect case scenario I would love for you to get to your helper position right after your return. At 2.5-3.5 levels especially this is not difficult because most players at those levels don’t serve well and have no game plan on their serves. They also stay back a lot which makes it easier.

At higher levels you might have to wait for a second serve. Once you stay back and your opponents comes in you have to play 1 up 1 back. That is not preferred although we will address how to play 1 up 1 back in a later article.

It’s also important to remember that most players tend to play most of their tennis at or near their own level. If you’re a 3.0 player, you’re not facing 4.0 returns on a regular basis but if you do on occasion and you’re confident in your mid court game you can hang in with them.

Specifics

Now let’s talk more specifically. Here are some of the problems the system and the concept of the Hunter and the Helper solve for any doubles team:

1.) Overlapping responsibilities: How many times have two players hit rackets in the middle or let a ball go through because they both thought the ball was theirs. Or when one player goes for a lob and their partner is running behind them at the same time. In our system this won't happen because there are distinct responsibilities that never overlap.

2.) Losing to lobbers: I realized after being at several clubs in the past few years that everyone loses to or struggles to beat "lobbers." There are two reasons this happens, positioning and patience. We address the lobbers in The System and will show you how to be successful against them.

3.) Positioning. Both players need to be in the correct position or there are too many good options for the opponents. Unfortunately I almost never see that happen. Players need to change their positions when it is appropriate and in The System you will always know where to be.

4.) Shot selection: If I am your partner and we are both in the right place, and I can count on you to hit the appropriate shot. I can be thinking ahead to where I am going to move and I can anticipate what my next shot will be if the ball comes to me. By choosing shots systematically we eliminate two things that create most mistakes in doubles; indecision and poor shot selection. If you practice using our drills and games proper shot selection becomes second nature and you and your partner will mesh your games seamlessly.

There are many reasons why players struggle tactically in doubles and continue to lose to “the lobbers" or players they feel are inferior to them. Usually they feel like things keep happening to them instead of for them.

Most players don’t take ownership. They don’t realize that they continue to cause their own problems. But almost all of those issues can be successfully addressed with positioning, tactics and shot selection.

We don’t lose matches because our opponents hit a million winners. We lose matches because we make too many errors, we are indecisive and we don't play smart.

If you and your partner play according to the System, your success won't be dependent on who hits better shots or who is having a better day. Your success will be based on setting up points, making good choices, making adjustments where necessary and being consistent, things that can be accomplished in every match. Over time, doubles will get easier and easier.

Players who use The System know instinctively where to hit the ball, where to go, and where their partner is going to hit as well. The game flows. There is less thinking and more reacting and anticipating. Best of all perhaps, the game is much more enjoyable because you understand what is happening and why and how to make adjustments when necessary.

Ready for More? Go on to Part 2 also in the March issue! (Click Here.)