Doubles – the supreme discipline in point play

Even if the doubles pairings are defined by the association rules, it is extremely useful to set up “regular doubles”, i.e. doubles teams that play together regularly.
You can recognize a well-harmonizing doubles team by the fact that certain roles are distributed (who runs after aggressive lobs? Who plays the safer smash? Who is responsible for the backhand or forehand side?)

Another important aspect is court coverage. Successful doubles move together, so if the partner serves through the middle, for example, the net player automatically moves more towards the middle of the court because the opponent has little chance of hitting a lethal longline shot. These harmonious movements are celebrated very precisely by world-class doubles players, giving the impression that there is an invisible bond between the players that regulates the distance between them. A good doubles player must therefore not only keep an eye on the opposing players at all times, but also keep a close eye on how and where the other player is moving.

Of course, a balanced combination of strengths and weaknesses is also important for good doubles. The most important thing: For safe returns, the backhand side should naturally be taken by the player who feels comfortable and confident with his backhand. The same applies to volleys: If one of the two players is a confident volley converter, this should naturally be taken into account when running around the court. For example, the rallies could be started from the middle or the baseline until the “volley specialist” has the opportunity to work his way to the net.

A good doubles match depends on the match actually being played. To do this, you should always talk to each other as a team before and during the match and determine the respective forms of play. A surprise works particularly well in doubles, because ideally two players on the opposite side have to react to the situation synchronously - this increases the error rate.

Of course, the hard-hit cross-return is always a good choice in doubles, but it is not the only one. In any case, the net player should be deliberately targeted with the return from time to time. He is often so surprised that he doesn't kill a supposedly easy volley straight away. Another good option is to take out the net player with an aggressive topspin lob. The server then has to chase it down, even though he is probably already moving forward.
Also always worthwhile: a cross-court stop on the server, who ideally has to lift it over the edge of the net. This prevents him from developing any pressure and probably gives the return a good opportunity for a “deadly” volley. To completely confuse the opponent, spontaneous (agreed!) changes of position are also a good idea. For example, directly after the serve, with the net player already expecting the return on the service side and the server covering the longline side. Also great are very slowly hit but long balls to the baseline, behind which both players move up to the net. This is because the opponent has to accelerate such a ball very quickly under his own power. And this is particularly difficult for him if he has to deal with two attacking net players on the opposite side.

Tip: Especially if the game is “rippling along”, it is advisable to quietly discuss which variations you could use in the next game at the change of ends. This can provide an important impetus and get the opponents out of their routine.

Many passionate singles players criticize doubles on the grounds that they stand around so often and watch their partner play. This is of course the case with the popular game variant in lower classes, in which the serve and return players engage in endless cross-rallies at the baseline until one of them makes a mistake. A doubles match played mainly in this way is actually boring.

It's much more fun when you actually act as a team and try to play both vertically and horizontally “on the same line”. Examples have already been mentioned at the beginning, as the aim is to cover the court as well as possible - in a dynamic game, this is a lot of movement work that is guaranteed not to get boring.

Here are a few examples:
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‍Serve: If the server deliberately plays the serve all the way to the outside, the net player should automatically shorten the angle to avoid being passed longline. The server, on the other hand, moves forward and tends to orientate himself towards the middle of the court, because the net player's orientation towards the sideline leaves the middle dangerously free.

‍Lobin response to an attack: If one of you plays a lob, for example in response to an extremely hard attacking shot from your opponents, both defenders move back in line towards the baseline to await the smash.

‍Hardreturn through the middle: This is a very effective return variation because the server is much more likely to expect a cross ball. If your partner plays this return variation, you move up towards the middle as the net player, because your opponent will find it difficult to react to your partner's straight ball with a strong angle and will probably also be more likely to return through the middle.

‍Highcross-ball as your partner's return: If your partner comes close to the baseline with his high return, the opponent will most likely also play a high cross-ball. As this is long in the air, it is worth trying to switch to the other side and intercept the high cross with a deadly volley, but you should shout “switch” to make your partner aware of your intention.