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Tennis Doubles – Inside Out Backhand Return of Serve

February 9, 2011 By Brent 44 Comments

You can do this…!

Yeah, it was once a major problem for me too, but I spent a lot of time practicing some specific technique that really helped me develop a dependable backhand return of serve from the deuce side.

Lefties, you know the problem from the ad side.

You know how this goes, it’s so easy to play this shot right back at the server’s partner.

Here are two things I want you to work on so that you can become a highly sought after doubles partner.


Download Video or MP3

OK, make sense?  Yes or no I want to see what’s on your mind with this shot.

Let me / us know below.  Thanks in advance.

Brent

Filed Under: Tennis Backhand, Tennis Strategy - Doubles, Tennis Tip, Tennis Tip - Return of Serve

Tennis Strategies – It’s Serve & Transition (Not Volley)

February 1, 2011 By Brent 40 Comments

Serve and volley is a misleading term.

Whether it’s singles or doubles, if you play your serve as an approach shot, a way of getting up to the net, you don’t have to automatically make the next shot a volley.

In fact, too often we move forward into the court behind our serve and force ourselves to play a volley that in effect creates a more difficult shot for us.

We could choose to play a 1/2 volley or even split step sooner than normal and allow the return to bounce up high enough to where it’s more like an approach shot.

Look, the term serve & volley is a misleading.

It should be serve and transition because frequently reaching down low and way out in front just for the sake of playing a volley after your serve could easily be the wrong shot to play.

And the reality is that the shot you play after your serve (a volley, 1/2 volley, mini approach, etc.) is rarely if ever a put away opportunity.


Download Video or MP3

Transitional Shot – It’s the shot you play in between your serve and your 3rd shot.

Your 3rd shot is then usually either a volley or an overhead (sometimes a 1/2 volley).

Your first normal put away opportunity happens at the earliest on that 3rd shot and not before.

I want you to get really comfortable with your transitional shot, take your time with it, and never think that you have to end the point with that shot.

You might end the point right there, but your strategy is to always think of serve and volley as at least a 3 shot play.

Serve – transition – put away (maybe)…

The put away portion of that strategy just might take a few shots longer to really work the point for that opportunity.

You’ve got to begin to feel comfortable staying in the point longer if that true put away opportunity doesn’t present itself for a few shots.

And the other reality is that you’ll win more points from errors from your opponent because your opponent feels forced to hit a winner past you.

The pressure you apply by consistently making your transitional shot will win you more points than you putting the ball away with winners.

One of the keys to being consistent with your transitional shot is to think about your split step as a way for you to create the proper spacing for the next shot.

Remember, proper spacing for your transitional shot allows you to play the ball to your side (volley, 1/2 volley, or mini approach), to be on balance when you make contact, AND to efficiently move forward to the proper place on the court for your 3rd shot.

Your split step posture and timing are crucial to your success with your transitional shot.

So, this week, I want you to make sure that mentally you’re OK with taking your time with your transitional shot in both singles and doubles.

Since this is rarely a put away opportunity, there’s no value for rushing through this shot.  Taking your time to calmly handle this shot on your own terms will help you get to that 3rd shot court position.

QUESTION – What specific situation in either singles or doubles creates the most anxiety for you when you serve and move forward into the court?

Let me / us know below in the Comments area.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Brent

Filed Under: Tennis Mental - Competing, Tennis Mental Skills, Tennis Strategy - Doubles, Tennis Strategy - Doubles - Returner of Serve's Partner, Tennis Tip, Tennis Tip - Approach Shots, Tennis Tip - Half Volley, Tennis Tip - Volleys

Doubles Strategies – Creating Doubt

January 21, 2011 By Brent 5 Comments

Think of a specific challenge or problem we face in doubles.

The solution to this problem is NOT to develop a one-shot weapon that will work every time you have to deal with this situation.

I recently told you a story about when I was learning a lot about the game, and specifically about doubles in the mid 1970′s.  I was teaching tennis in Key Biscayne, Florida working for a former Top 10 USA player, Donna Floyd Fales.

I was in my late 20s, and I could grip and rip pretty well then (even with the old Head Pro metal), and so here I am, playing against Donna in doubles and I’m taking her serve and just mashing my return down low at her feet.

I won a few points, but eventually Donna knew I was going to grip and rip again and she was ready for it.

And I don’t think I ever won another point when she was serving to me for the erst of the match.  She kept feeding me the ball she knew I would go after, and when I did, she was there waiting for it.

This is all about predictability.

No matter how big a weapon you have, once your opponents know what’s coming, they can adjust and eventually take advantage of that big weapon because they know exactly what’s coming.  Better players / teams will actually feed you balls to your big weapon because they know exactly what, where, and when you’re going to do with it.

Here’s what I mean.

For example, let’s identify a common problem we face in doubles.

How about when you serve and volley behind your 2nd serve and the returner plays a tough low slice return down to your feet.

OK, quickly, what 3 things can you do here to neutralize the returner’s advantage?

1 – Play an absorbing soft half valley that goes back cross court low to the returner so that he now has to deal with a ball down at his feet as you and your partner settle into good court positions.

2 – Play an absorbing half volley lob over the returner’s partner (who is directly in front of you) so that you and your partner can get set up for a probable lob.

3 – Play a quick firm half volley directly at the returner’s partner (who is right in front of you) so that you might be able to force the returner’s partner into handling a tough shot played directly at them that could get popped up to you or your partner.

OK, rate those 3 choices by the highest percentage of making the shot and the highest percentage of setting you and your partner up for their next shot.

Once you come up with the shot choice that yields the highest percentage for you and your partner, your job now for the rest of the match is to show the other two choices just often enough so that your opponents will have to think about covering those two choices.

Once they have to honor the other shot possibilities, then your #1 choice becomes easier to play on big important points because your opponents have to maintain court positions in hopes of being able to cover all 3 shot possibilities.

So, let’s start a discussion here – what would be your #1 shot choice based on highest geometrical shot percentage combined with allowing you and your partner having the best possible court positions after you play your shot.

And if you’ve got a 4th or 5th shot choice, let us know.

Let me / us know below in the Comments area which choice and why.

Let’s give this discussion a few days to build and then I’ll post the “answer” video.

Brent

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Filed Under: Tennis Strategy - Doubles, Tennis Strategy - Doubles - Returner of Serve's Partner, Tennis Strategy - Doubles - Server, Tennis Strategy - Doubles Poaching, Tennis Tip
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