A Few Basic Instructions for Tennis Doubles - Part 1

There have been a few outstanding tennis tandems throughout the years. Great team work is a trademark of any successful team. Doubles is four-handed tennis. It is just as vital to play to your partner in tennis as in bridge. Each shot you make should avoid putting your partner in trouble. When both players are of equal ability, an equal division of the court should be the strategy of play. If one member of the team is stronger, he may have the chore of protecting and defending the weaker player.

The first tennis instruction for doubles is to put the ball in play. A double fault is truly a no-no in doubles. Make sure to return the service. It should be low and to the servers feet if he is coming in.

Tennis lessons should stress that doubles is an attacking game. The fundamentals of doubles are that it is a net game and you should strive to attack from the net. Poaching is a way to go for the kill. To poach is to go for a shot that is really at aimed away from your net position. It is a win or nothing shot since it opens your whole court. If you are missing badly do not poach, as it is very disconcerting to your partner.

The tennis beginner will soon realize that in doubles the team is striving to attain net position at all times. And every shot has a purpose with that in mind. Retreat should be avoided. Volley and smash whenever possible.

In tennis basics for doubles, while both players are at the net position, when the ball goes toward the side-line the net player on that side goes in close and toward the line. THe other player should fall back slightly and to the center of the court. The two players should move to the opposite position when if the next return goes to the other side. The theory of court covering is two sides of a triangle, with the angle in the center and the two sides running to the side-lines and in the direction of the net.

An overhead ball should be covered by the man whose it is to unless he calls for his partner to take it. If one player is outguessed while poaching and a ball is played over his head, then the other player should move to take the ball. If a over head is allowed to drop, it allows the other team to attain better position.

A player should not take an overhead which is to his teammate's unless it is a certain kill. The player should call "mine" and hit decisively. These are general tennis fundamentals on how to play tennis doubles. Partners should arrange strategy according to their strengths and weaknesses.

Chop, Slice, and Drop Shot

Did you know there is a stroke in tennis called a chop shot? We are familiar with the slice and drop shots. The term chop shot may have been popular in the era of Bobby Riggs. :)

The chop stroke is explained in this manner: In Tennis, a chop stroke is a shot where the angle towards the player and behind the racquet, made by the line of flight of the ball, and the racquet traveling down across it, is greater than 45 degrees and may be 90 degrees. The racquet face passes slightly outside the ball and down the side, chopping it, as a man chops wood. The spin and curve is from right to left. It is made with a stiff wrist. Got that?

The slice shot is a shot that is used frequently by many players. In fact, Steffi Graf used a backhand slice very effectively the majority of time. The shot differs from the chop by reducing the angle mentioned from 45 degrees down to a very small one. The racquet face passes either inside or outside the ball, according to direction desired, while the stroke is mainly a wrist twist or slap. This slap imparts a decided skidding break to the ball, while a chop "drags" the ball off the ground without break. Both shots can be employed as defensive measures. A slice deep to the opponent baseline, though, is very effective when attacking the net, if the ball stays low and is penetrating. Both shots are not recommended when trying to pass a player at the net.

The drop-shot is an extremely soft, sharply-angled chop stroke, played with the wrist. It should land within 3 to 5 feet of the net to be effective. The racket face passes around the outside of the ball and under it with a distinct "wrist turn." Avoid swinging the racket from the shoulder. The drop shot has no relation to a stop-volley. The drop shot is all wrist. The stop-volley has no wrist at all.

The tendency in today's tennis is to drive the ball with topspin, although you see the slice with some regularity. The tennis novice should be aware that having a variety of shots in their arsenal will help you win points. It is good tennis fundamentals. Practicing these shots will pay off in match situations.