"Australian" Formation - Where to Serve
by: Dave Winship @ On The Line

You should use the "Australian" formation very sparingly, because it leaves you vulnerable to the angled return into the empty court. However, you can try it occasionally to disrupt the rhythm of an opponent who is consistently causing damage with a cross-court return. When your partner takes up position on the same side of the court as you, it forces the returner out of the groove - he or she has got to come up with something different.

If you and your partner decide to try this tactic, you should serve as close to the centre line as possible and avoid opening up angles for the returner. It's one of the few situations in doubles where serving down the centre is not such a great idea. Try jamming the serve into the body of the returner or force a tight backhand that your opponent can't take too much of a swing at.

It's easy to remember - when you go Aussie, go for the body!

Regards.

Dave Winship