Dominant Offensive Strategy – Maintaining Downward Pressure
Regarding the impression of doubles, many tennis players’ words are ‘fast’, ‘violent’ and so on.
Of course, compared to singles, doubles has a significant increase in offensive and defensive rhythm. Both sides exchange quick attacks and defenses. Whoever can seize the fleeting opportunity of the opponent and expand it indefinitely will gain the most direct benefit – score.
In a more intuitive way, doubles tests both offensive and defensive players’ ability to anticipate.
Let’s teach you how to create opportunities and convert advantages in doubles.
First, let’s clarify what constitutes the true essence of doubles attack?
“Kill shot!”
A kill shot is just one aspect, a more accurate description is: keep the ball going from up to down.
Regardless of the ball speed or direction, as long as you can keep the ball going from up to down, it signifies that you are occupying an advantage on the court.
Regarding serve: short ball as the main, high ball as auxiliary.
Doubles serve is mainly short balls over the net. The purpose is to let the ball go down after passing over the net, thus not giving the opponent an attack opportunity. Due to the restrictions of the service line for doubles, high balls are not very advantageous.
It is mainly to disrupt the opponent’s rhythm.
Especially for opponents with obvious net awareness. If you often serve high balls, or the opponent’s position is far back, you are giving the opponent an attack opportunity.
Try to train the ability to send short balls, so that the ball is as close to the net as possible. Because this is the basic one. If the goal is to score in matches, you occasionally need to use high balls.
When receiving serve: flat push as the main, light push to the waist.
Many tennis players know how to lift the ball to the backcourt. Then wait for the opponent to attack (keep the ball going from up to down!). Even if the ball is very high above the net, they won’t rush to block or push it. This is a significant difference from singles. In singles, lifting the ball to the backcourt is to mobilize the opponent. In doubles, the player in the backcourt is already waiting for the shot.
Doubles receiving serve: positioning should be closer to the net, the professional are standing closer to the front serve line. Amateur because they are not quick, in order to prevent high balls in the backcourt, their positioning is slightly further back. But you must not be too far back, you need to have the initiative to charge forward. As long as the ball is high above the net, you should push it flat to the bottom corner of the line or lightly push it to the waist. Doubles receive serve: positioning is relatively wide.
When the positioning is wide, the players on the front and back positions are relatively wide.
▽
When the positioning is front and back, the waist is the weakness.
If you push the ball to the net, the front player cannot receive the ball, and the back player waits for the front player to receive the ball, or they are forced to passively lift the ball to the backcourt or to win, the ball goes into the net.
However, when the opponent has good net awareness or high level, returning the ball to the net can be very passive.
In this case, you need to see the situation.
Or only strive to improve your own level.
Avoid sending high-flying balls: down-pressure as the main, high-flying as auxiliary.
Who starts the ball, who is passive.
As long as there is an opportunity, you must make the ball go down. Casual players don't have the physical strength and ability to repeatedly kill shots and lift balls, but they should try to create opportunities to kill shots and lift balls, so that the opponent is in a defensive rather than offensive state.
In summary, don’t give up offensive opportunities – make the ball go down!
(Please add the circle card to the daily headline client to view)
▽
