Doubles Tip: Play From the “Inside-Out”

One of the very basic premises of doubles is that it is a team sport, and partners need to move and shift together as a team in order to cover the maximum amount of court.  For example, when the person on the deuce (forehand) side of the court gets pulled out wide, his or her partner, who is playing on the add (backhand) side of the court needs to physically move more towards the center of the court in order to cover part of the space that the deuce court player has vacated.  Teaching pros will very often use the analogy of trying to act as if you and your partner have a rope connecting the two of you. This “rope” should allow you to stay about 15 feet apart from your partner, but no further.  Also, when your partner moves in a certain direction, you move in that same direction and about the same distance.  This theory of a doubles team moving and shifting together as a single unit is absolutely correct, and when done well, can be very effective at covering the vast majority of a doubles court. 

When most doubles players think about opening up the court to create space for which to put the next ball away, their thought process is to play “outside-in”.  This means that they think about pulling an opponent off the court in order to open up the middle of the court for the put-away shot.  This is a great strategy when you are playing against inexperienced doubles players who don’t understand how to move and shift together.  However, a well-coached doubles tandem will understand that they must always cover the middle of the court, even when one of them is pulled wide. 

So, what can you do as a doubles team to get your opponents out of position if the “outside-in” play is not working?  I believe the best answer to this question is to play “inside-out”.  By hitting a shot down the middle, you will force your opponents to converge on the center of the court.  This, obviously, will open up the allies to hit your next shot into.  When thinking of the “rope” theory, the goal of an opponent should be to not allow a doubles team to keep that 15 feet of space between one another.  If you are unable to spread them out further than the 15 feet because of their ability to shift as a team, try to “push them together” and have both players be in the same area of the court.  By not allowing your opponents to remain in the position they prefer, you will gain a clear advantage in the point and have many areas of open space in which to hit the ball.