It's All about Communicating

Singles or doubles, I love them both, but I have to say that there is something particularly fun about doubles and being on the tennis court with a teammate. It adds a bit of complexity to the game because instead of thinking about what you and your opponent are going to do, you now have to think about what you, your partner, and your two opponents are going to do.

One of the key strategies in doubles is to get to the net faster than your opponents. At the net you have a better opportunity to make aggressive shots. But what will often happen with beginning and intermediate tennis players is that instead of trying to get to the net, they view the ad and deuce sides of the tennis court as "my side" and "your side"--they cut the court in half and only play on one side from the net back to the baseline.

The most effective tennis teams don't view the tennis court in two parts; they see it as one court and communicate with their partners so they position themselves together to make the most efficient and strategic shot they can.

Here is one specific hint: when you are both at the net, you and your partner must be very active in moving around. You always want to position yourselves so that you keep the hitter on the other team in the middle of you and your partner. This will force your opponent to most likely try to hit a winning shot between you. You will be able to quickly attack a shot that is between you, and you will have a better chance to hit many winners. You will likely have to scramble to keep yourselves in position--moving up and back and even switching sides with your partner.

The other day I was working on a PowerPoint presentation for a homework assignment. I knew what the teacher wanted, but I didn’t want to do the assignment exactly the way she described it. I stayed within the boundaries she gave, but I tried something very non-traditional (in other words, I didn’t see the court as a rigid structure that had "your side" and "my side"). So I took the risk and tried something new. When I went to class the next day, the teacher raved because I didn’t follow the conventional way of doing the assignment.

Remember that limiting yourself to one way of doing something isn’t always the best. Don’t be afraid to try a new way of thinking--on the tennis court or off.