Doubles 101 Tactics -The Three Ts

When playing doubles, or taking a doubles lesson, invariably you have heard your pro or partner say "get them (your opponents) out of position." Essentially, they are imploring you to hit the ball somewhere that forces your opponents to move in a way that should open up space for you to exploit on the next shot.  But what does this really mean?  HOW can you accomplish this?

What will allow you to do what is being asked of you is to target and exploit the three T's on the court.  They are the middle T where the service line and center line meet, and the two side T's where the singles line and service line meet.  The Bryan Brothers have used this theory of doubles to win a record number of grand slams, and it will help you win vastly more matches. Check out the diagram below

 Now you know visually the targets you are trying to exploit.  Next is to know which T to exploit and when.

Serve: At a high level, servers will attempt to hit their serves to either the middle T or the side T to get the returner out of position, either moving them outside the alley, or towards the center of the court.  This makes the "second shot" during the point self explanatory.  If the server serves out wide to the deuce court for example and the returner returns up the line, the server's partner should attack the middle T.  If the return goes cross court, and server's partner can pick it off, the ball goes to either the middle T or the side T on the ad court. If the return is low to the server as he comes in to net, he must put the ball back to the side T on the deuce court.  If the return is high to the middle of the court and the server has the shot, he should go to the middle T.  If the ball is high to the outside cross court toward the alley, the server should volley down the line to the side T on the ad court.

As you can see you are simply moving the ball from T to T, playing the high percentage shot each time.

Return of Serve - Returners should be aiming for the side T cross court.  This target should keep the ball away from server's partner and get your partner active in a "drift" (returner's partner poaching the server's first volley or groundstroke).  If the server volleys up the line and your partner is there, your partner attacks the middle T.  If your partner drifts to pick of the server's cross court volley or groundstroke he attacks either the middle T or the side T that is in the direction he is moving.

Poaching - Almost all poaches attacke either the middle T or the side T to the side you are moving.  What determines your shot selection is whether or not you have crossed the center line or not.  The middle T should be attacked if you pick off the ball but are still on "your side" of the court.  The side T to the side you are moving should be attacked if you are able to cross over the center line to pick off the ball, as volleying to the middle T in this scenario opens up space for your opponent to attack the space you vacated.

Overheads - Overheads should always be hit to the middle T or the side T to the "short side (side where the volleyer is)" if you are on "your side" of the court or the side T in the direction you are moving if you are crossing.  If both your opponents are at net or the person in front of you is at the net, then you may hit the overhead to the side T on your half of the court.

Approach Shots - Like the return of serve, approach shots should be hit to the side T cross court if you are engaged in a cross court ground stroke rally.  If the rally is down the line (after a switch for example) then your approach shot should attack the side T down the line.

There isn't much tactically to doubles when it gets broken down in this manner.  Attack the appropriate T to get your opponents out of position, then attack another to try to finish the point.  If you play the high percentage shot each time, you will not only get your opponents in poor positions, you will also reduce your own errors.

I encourage you to apply the theory of the three T's to your game, your match results and ratings will be happier for it.