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Eyework at the Net in Doubles
Virtually every point in tennis doubles begins with both teams in the Up-and-Back Formation. Therefore, even if
you play Attacking Doubles, understanding how to play the Up-and-Back Formation is the foundation for your doubles
game.
Let's take a look at the typical Up-and-Back doubles point.
When both teams are in the Up-and-Back Formation, a point is a crosscourt rally between the opposing baseline players.
The net players look for a chance to cut off one of these shots and volley through the angular gap between partners
on the opposing team.
If you are your team's net player, your job is twofold:
- When the opposing baseline player hits, you to try to cut off the shot.
- When your baseline partner hits, you guard against a possible cut-off by the opposing net player.
To fulfill the second part of you responsibility, you must see the opposing net player making a move on the
ball in time to do something about the impending emergency. This means that you had better not be looking somewhere
else when the opposing net player starts going after the ball.
In other words, while your partner hits, you should be watching the opposing net player, not your partner.
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Watch the Opposing Net Player
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Not Your Partner
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In other words, don't look back to watch your partner hit the ball. Instead, during a rally, shift your eyes
from one of your opponents to the other, back and forth between them, like so . . .
We can summarize this pattern of eyework at the net, thusly:
- While the ball is behind you (in your court, where your partner is playing it) watch the opposing net player.
- While the ball's in front of you (in the opposition's court) watch the opponent hitting it, ordinarily the
baseline player.
Since, we naturally watch whoever's hitting the ball, the second step is no problem. For the same reason, however,
the first step is a very common problem. Looking back causes accidents more lost points than any other mistake.
A volley from the opposing net player is a cut-off shot returned in less than one-third the usual time. And when
you're the net player for your team, that volley is coming at you from point-blank range. So, you never see it
coming if you look back. You simply cannot turn your head fast enough.
Hence, this is also a safety issue. In the vast majority of cases, when a player gets hit, it's because he or she
looked back to watch their partner hit and didn't get their head turned forward again in time to see the subsequent
cut-off volley coming.
When you are the net player for your team, you need to know that cut-off volley is coming before it's on the way.
You need to anticipate it by knowing the instant the opposing net player starts to make a move on the ball.
That advance warning gives you time to back off and defend against the shot . . . or (if you feel that you're about
to get hit) take yourself out of harm's way by stepping aside to your alley.
What's more, that opposing net player tells you everything you need to know about your partner's shot. Whether
it's crosscourt or down the line, whether it's a drive or lob. Everything. Just watch that opposing net player's
eyes.
There are times when you have time for a quick glance back to see where your partner will be hitting from (e.g.,
when your partner is chasing a lob or a deep, wide drive), but be facing forward again before he or she contacts
the ball.
Breaking the head-turning habit isn't hard. Get a foursome together and have the baseline players exchange crosscourt
drives. Position as the up-player for your team and just train your eyes. Don't give yourself too much to think
about by actually playing or trying to cut off shots. Just train your eyes for ten or fifteen minutes. Then repeat
the practice within twenty-four hours.
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