Control The Middle of the Net in Doubles and Win More
By Max Wennakoski The game of doubles has evolved a lot during the past decade, with the surfaces being slowed down and players hitting bigger serves and better returns. In this article I will focus on a tactical component of doubles that you will see being used more and more, moving up from the club level all the way to the professional level, and that I guarantee will improve your doubles game: controlling the middle 70 percent of the net. Today on the ATP and WTA tours, you will often times see the serving team starting in the I-formation, where the server usually starts serving close to the middle line, and the server's partner is crouching somewhere along the middle of the net (there are a few variations to this position). Traditionally after the serve, the server's partner may take one side and the server will cover the other, but it is now common to see the server's partner stay in the middle, very close to the net, and take away the middle 70 percent from the returner and force the receiver to try to go around the net player with 78
their return. At this point, many of you are asking the question, “in doubles, aren't you traditionally supposed to cover only one side while your partner covers the other, and only during a switch or a poach will that change? While this is true, the benefit of this modern I-formation, as I’ll call it, is controlling the middle 70 percent of the net and being able to put away more balls at the net. In this formation, usually the server’s partner will be very close to the net to attempt a put away volley from close to the net, which is crucial for the net player’s success. In recent years, perhaps the most famous example of this strategy we’ve seen on the professional tour is Rafael Nadal and Marc Lopez, with the latter standing in the middle of the net and the former standing on the baseline after the serve ready to cover the remaining part of the court. While nobody might be able to cover the baseline like Nadal, or hit a topspin forehand like him to set up his partner at the net, this strategy can also be used at the club level. But for it to be done successfully, the location and accuracy of the serve are critical, as is the net
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • NYTennisMag.com
players positioning to the net and the alertness of the net player. Most often the server in this position will serve towards the "T", or "body of the receiver", to take away the angle from the receiver, and the net player has to be very alert and focused on keeping his or her racket in front of the body. By doing so, they will be able to control the direction of the volley and make it easier to hit successfully. The other main benefit of this strategy is that the receiver will not know which way the opposing net player is going after the serve. It also takes away the middle of the court from the returner as a large target, as long as the net player has confidence in their volleying ability and is close enough to the net that just the threat of the net player can result in an unforced error from the returner. This is caused by the increased pressure applied from the serving team through their positioning. With this note I'm wishing you all a happy spring practicing your doubles game for the upcoming tennis season! Max Wennakoski is currently a professional tennis coach who spent time on the ATP World Tour. He can be reached at max.wennakoski@gmail.com.
