The Best Doubles Tennis Strategy Tips To Dominate Opponents

With twice as many players on each team, doubles are the most dynamic and challenging version of tennis. You must react as quickly as you think. Focus on little aspects to enhance your game by paying attention to the small details. Playing doubles requires unique abilities compared to playing singles or teaming up with friends. Great doubles teams are distinguished from mediocre ones by their ability to read the other player, anticipate their shots, and respond appropriately. Keeping control over the court with your partner is vitally important, and these tips will help you improve your game. 

This article will teach you the top doubles tennis strategy tips to help you dominate your opponents. Becoming proficient in these skills will not be simple, but they are critical if you want to prevail in doubles for the foreseeable future.

Determine the Strategy Early

The strategy for doubles is often different from singles. The court is more extensive; two of you are covering the same space, and you must mix it up between the singles and doubles techniques. Most doubles teams will start the point with a soft volley to get the ball in play as quickly as possible. This enables the team to get a feel for the game's pace and start dictating. 

The best approach is to discuss your strategy with your partner early in the match. You can review your strategy after every few games. It will allow you to respond to the other team’s play style and adjust your strategy as the match progresses. 

You should also consider the strengths and weaknesses of your partner. Playing to their strengths will make your team stronger while hiding their weaknesses will prevent your opponents from taking advantage of them.

Communicate Constantly

Communication is vital in doubles. You should be communicating with your partner from the moment you step on the court. This includes discussing your strategy, reading the other team’s communication, and reacting accordingly. Communication doesn’t have to be verbal. It can be as simple as looking at each other simultaneously and moving to a certain position on the court. Your partner should be able to read your mind, and you should be able to read theirs. If you’re on the same wavelength, you can anticipate each other’s shots and respond accordingly. 

Communication should also be constant when the ball is in play. The best teams will talk to each other throughout the point. They will discuss their strategy, the way they’re playing, what they are expecting and what they are trying to do. This constant communication will allow your team to stay in control of the match at all times. There will be no surprises; you will know exactly what is happening at every point.

Find the Hot Spot and Dominate It

The most successful doubles teams will always find a hot spot on the court and dominate it. There is always one place on the court that is ideal for your team. Find the spot where you feel most comfortable and try to stay there for as long as possible. Avoid moving around the court unless you feel like you have to. Find a spot where your opponents feel uncomfortable. This can be in any area of the court — the backline, the baseline, or the service line. Constant movement on the court will keep your opponents off balance and out of rhythm. 

It will also stop them from finding that hot spot where they feel most comfortable. This is why you should rotate and move as often as possible. There are three main reasons why doubles teams should rotate. Firstly, it will prevent your opponents from finding their hot spots. Secondly, it will allow you to tire out your opponents by constantly running them around the court. Thirdly, it will allow you to take advantage of each player’s skill set.

Rotate and Move — Diversify Your Shots

Doubles is an extremely aggressive game where you must always dominate the return. You should always be looking to attack, especially when your opponents are serving. There are two main ways you can do this. The first is to attack the serve aggressively by consistently putting the ball into the service box. The other is to be consistent with your shot selection. Find the most effective shot for each situation and use it as often as possible.

You can’t afford to hit unpredictable shots, and you don’t want your opponents to be able to read your game. Rotate your shots as often as possible. This will force your opponents to think twice before returning the ball to you. It will also allow you to make mistakes and miss the ball. Find the most effective shots for each situation. 

Use Different Tennis Shoe Strategies

There are different tennis shoe strategies that you can employ during a match. Selecting the right ones will allow you to dominate your opponents and control the court at all times. There are five options you can use during a match. 

• The Dragged Outshot - Use this when you have one foot inside the baseline and the other outside. Place the inside foot at the center of your body, take a small step back with the outside foot and follow through with a normal shot. This is the most common tennis shoe strategy. 
• The Full Step Outshot - This is best used when you have both feet outside the baseline. Step backward with your inside foot and follow through with your outside foot. 
• The Half Step Outshot - This tennis shoe strategy is used when you have one foot inside the baseline and one foot outside the baseline. You must step back with your inside foot and follow through with your outside foot. 
• The Full Step In Shot - You will use this when you have both feet outside the baseline. Take a small step forward with your inside foot and follow through with your outside foot. 
• The Half Step In Shot - This is similar to the full step-in shot, but you only take one step forward instead of two. 
• The Inside Out Shot - This is used when you have one foot inside the baseline and one foot outside the baseline.

Don’t Be Afraid to Use Spin in Doubles

Doubles is a game that allows you to use spin because you don’t have to fear losing a point. You have your partner on the other side of the court. This means you can try more aggressive shots and shots with spin (especially when the ball is on your side of the court). 

Remember that you don’t have to use spin on every shot. It’s better to use it on the right shot rather than on every shot. This will help you prevent your opponents from being able to return the ball consistently to you. 

Don’t be afraid to use spin on your serves. This will make them more unpredictable and harder to return. Your service is the most important shot in tennis because it gives you the advantage at the beginning of the point.

Conclusion

There is no better way to learn tennis than through doubles, where thinking and reacting quickly are both required. These tips will help you improve your game by focusing on small details that make a big difference. Playing doubles requires a completely different set of skills than singles or even mixing it up with friends in a mixed team. The ability to read the other player, anticipate their shots and respond accordingly is what separates mediocre players from great doubles teams. 

These tips will elevate your game and allow you to keep control over the court with your partner at all times. Mastering these skills won’t be easy, but they are essential if you want to dominate your doubles opponents for years to come.