Doubles Play—Season Plans and Games for Players 10 to 18

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chapter 12

Doubles Play—SeasonPlans and Gamesfor Players 10 to 18

Doubles Play—SeasonPlans and Gamesfor Players 10 to 18

The season plans for doubles players 10 to 18 (USA Team Tennis Whitedivision—10 to 14, and Blue division—13 to 18) are in this chapter. Thischapter includes plans for beginning levels (Stars) and advanced levels(Stripes). The plans are set up as a number of practices per week, some-times followed by a team match. This chapter also includes instruc-tions for all the games that are integrated into the season plans.

164 Coaching Youth Tennis

Season PlansThese are the season plans for the beginning levels (Stars) and the ad-vanced levels (Stripes) for both the White and the Blue divisions.

Beginners (Stars)Players in this division are generally rated 3.0 or lower on the JNTRPscale (see table 9.1, page 105). They have chosen or been assigned toplay doubles for their team. Although they should work on all thebasic tennis skills, most of that work should be within the context ofdoubles. Since their skills are not yet very developed, modificationsto traditional doubles strategy will be helpful. For example, most ofthe play at this level will be with one player on a team at the net andthe partner near the baseline. As the players’ skills improve duringthe season, coaches should encourage players to begin working onoffensive strategy that calls for both players to play from the netposition.

Week 1

Practice 1� Purpose: Teach serve consistency and placement� Game 1: Serving to Targets (see page 172)� Skill Practice: Review serve and return of serve skills; introduce

positioning of all four players to begin a point; play first threeshots to begin a point

� Game 2: Doubles Serves and Doubles Returns (see page 173)� Cool-Down and Review

Practice 2� Purpose: Review serve, return, and rally skills� Game 1: Doubles Stations (see page 175)� Skill Practice: Play crosscourt with emphasis on consistency,

height, direction, and depth; introduce volley skills (forehand andbackhand), practicing consistency and control of height

� Game 2: Volley to Ground Stroke (see page 175)� Cool-Down and Review

Team Match

Doubles Play—Season Plans and Games for Players 10 to 18 165

Week 2

Practice 3� Purpose: Review serve and return, emphasizing consistency and

placement� Game 1: Serve to the Middle and Poach (see page 176)� Skill Practice: Review volleys with forehand and backhand;

introduce the concepts of hitting to the middle and of avoidingthe net player

� Game 2: Play the Middle (see page 177)� Cool-Down and Review

Practice 4� Purpose: Introduce communication between teammates

(determining who has priority on a shot and calling for a shot)� Game 1: Serve to the Middle and Poach (see page 176)� Skill Practice: Review serves (to the inside of the service box),

returns (crosscourt and deep), and volley placement (forehandand backhand)

� Game 2: Poaching With Signals (see page 176)� Cool-Down and Review

Team Match

Week 3

Practice 5� Purpose: Introduce lobs and the overhead smash� Game 1: Attack Serve and Take Net (see page 179)� Skill Practice: Introduce lobs, emphasizing consistency, height,

direction, and depth; introduce the overhead smash, stressingconsistency and direction

� Game 2: Lob the Return (see page 179)� Cool-Down and Review

Practice 6� Purpose: Introduce the concept of moving as a team� Game 1: Moving As a Team Mini-Tennis (see page 177)


� Skill Practice: Review the serve, return, volley, lob, and smash� Game 2: Defensive Lob (see page 180)� Cool-Down and Review

Team Match

Week 4

Practice 7� Purpose: Introduce offensive strategies� Game 1: Receiver Poach (see page 182)� Skill Practice: Review doubles skills (serve, return, crosscourt

rally, volley, and smash); introduce offensive strategies (playingone up/one back offense, returning deep and moving in, rallyingfor a short ball, and hitting deep and attacking)

� Game 2: Doubles Serve and Volley Progression (see page 182)� Cool-Down and Review

Practice 8� Purpose: Review offensive strategies and introduce defensive

strategies� Game 1: Baseline Doubles (see page 180)� Skill Practice: Review side-to-side coverage at the net; introduce

defensive strategies (hitting low to the net player, lobbing over thenet player, and driving the ball to the middle of the court)

� Game 2: Hot Seat Game (see page 181)� Cool-Down and Review

Team Match

Week 5

Practice 9� Purpose: Review doubles skills� Game 1: Shadow Doubles (see page 183)� Skill Practice: Review defensive strategies; introduce net play

offensive skills (hitting to the open court and angling the ballaway)


� Game 2: Two Points at Net (see page 183)� Cool-Down and Review

Practice 10� Purpose: Review doubles skills� Game 1: New Partner Please (see page 178)� Skill Practice: Introduce how to attack a weakness, play the

weaker player, and attack specific skills of the opposing team� Game 2: Attack Serve and Take Net (see page 179)� Cool-Down and Review

Team Match

Week 6

Practice 11� Purpose: Review skills that need improvement� Game 1: Hot Seat Game (see page 181)� Skill Practice: Identify individual player and team strengths� Game 2: Doubles Serve and Volley Progression (see page 182)� Cool-Down and Review

Practice 12� Purpose: Review skills that need improvement� Game 1: Two Points at Net (see page 183)� Skill Practice: Identify individual player and team weaknesses;

develop tactics to cover weaknesses (for example, modify positionto cover weakness on forehand or backhand)

� Game 2: Tiebreak Move-Up Doubles (see page 184)� Cool-Down and Review

Team Match

Season-Ending Event

Advanced (Stripes)Players in this division are generally rated 3.5 or higher on the JNTRPscale (see table 9.1, page 105). While they should continue to work on


their tennis skills, the primary focus of their practice time should be toimprove their skills within the context of playing doubles. They shouldstress the development of skills that apply directly to the strategic con-cepts for doubles.

Week 1

Practice 1� Purpose: Teach serve consistency and placement� Game 1: Serving to Targets (Consistency and placement to the

inside or outside half of box. See page 172.)� Skill Practice: Review return of serve, emphasizing consistency

and directional control crosscourt� Game 2: Doubles Stations (see page 175)� Cool-Down and Review

Practice 2� Purpose: Introduce spin on serve� Game 1: Serving From Knees (see page 173)� Skill Practice: Review return of serve, stressing consistency,

height, and direction crosscourt� Game 2: Doubles Serves and Doubles Returns (see page 173)� Game 3: Moving As a Team Mini-Tennis (see page 177)� Skill Practice: Introduce communication between teammates

(determining who has priority on a shot and calling for a shot)� Cool-Down and Review

Team Match

Week 2

Practice 3� Purpose: Teach doubles strategies� Game 1: Shadow Doubles (see page 183)� Skill Practice: Review volleys (forehand and one-handed back-

hand); introduce the concept of hitting to the middle� Game 2: Play the Middle (see page 177)� Cool-Down and Review


Practice 4� Purpose: Focus on ground strokes and introduce poaching� Game 1: Crosscourt Rallies (see page 174)� Skill Practice: Review deep, crosscourt returns and forehand and

backhand placement on the volley; introduce poaching by the netplayer

� Game 2: Serve to the Middle and Poach (see page 176)� Cool-Down and Review

Team Match

Week 3

Practice 5� Purpose: Add poaching by the net player� Game 1: Serve to the Middle and Poach (see page 176)� Skill Practice: Introduce the progression of returning and coming

to the net (no lobs allowed from the other team)� Game 2: Poaching With Signals (see page 176)� Cool-Down and Review

Practice 6� Purpose: Introduce lobs and the overhead smash� Game 1: Lob the Return (see page 179)� Skill Practice: Introduce lobs, emphasizing consistency, height,

direction, and depth; introduce the overhead smash, stressingconsistency and direction

� Game 2: Attack Serve and Take Net (Require the receiving team toattack second serves. See page 179.)

� Cool-Down and Review

Team Match

Week 4

Practice 7� Purpose: Introduce serve and first volley� Game 1: Doubles Serve and Volley Progression (see page 182)


� Skill Practice: Review doubles skills as needed: serve, return,volley, and smash

� Game 2: Receiver Poach (see page 182)� Cool-Down and Review

Practice 8� Purpose: Introduce the concepts of closing in to volley, angling

the ball away, and backing up to smash a lob� Game 1: Two Points at Net (see page 183)� Skill Practice: Review the serve, return, and first volley� Game 2: Tiebreak Move-Up Doubles (see page 184)� Cool-Down and Review

Team Match

Week 5

Practice 9� Purpose: Introduce defensive strategies� Game 1: Defensive Lob (see page 180)� Skill Practice: Introduce defensive strategies (hitting low to the

net player, lobbing over the net player, driving the ball to themiddle of the court, and playing with both players back at thebaseline)

� Game 2: Hot Seat Game (see page 181)� Cool-Down and Review

Practice 10� Purpose: Introduce ways to attack a weakness (playing the

weaker player, attacking specific skills of the opposing team,serving, returning, and playing the net)

� Game 1: Receiver Poach (see page 182)� Skill Practice: Review doubles skills and defensive strategies as

needed� Game 2: Shadow Doubles (Play points using specific tactics to

attack a weakness. See page 183.)� Cool-Down and Review

Team Match


Week 6

Practice 11� Purpose: Review doubles skills that need improvement� Game 1: Tiebreak Move-Up Doubles (see page 184)� Skill Practice: Identify individual player and team strengths� Game 2: Play set (emphasize offensive and defensive strategies

using strengths)� Cool-Down and Review

Practice 12� Purpose: Develop tactics to cover weaknesses� Game 1: Receiver Poach (see page 182)� Skill Practice: Review individual skills that need attention� Game 2: Play set� Cool-Down and Review

Team Match

Season-Ending Event

GamesYoung players need to learn the strategies and skills for successfuldoubles play. If they continue to play team tennis in high school orcollege, being competent at doubles skills increases the probabilityof their earning a spot on the team and playing regularly. Adultplayers overwhelmingly play doubles rather than singles through-out their lifetimes, so the ability to play skilled doubles is alwaysuseful.

In addition to using the games and activities that follow, refer tothe games presented earlier in this guide. Many of the games tar-geted for players 6 to 12 (Red division) work well here, especially ifthe players are beginners. Likewise, the games that have been pre-sented for singles players are also helpful in the development ofdoubles players, as they use many similar shots. Of course, playersoften alternate playing singles and doubles during a season or fromone year to the next.


A

C B

D

Figure 12.1 Serving to Targets.

Game Descriptions

SERVING TO TARGETS

ObjectiveDevelop consistency and placement on the serve

DescriptionPlace targets such as ropes, cones, or other fairly large objects on theoutside, middle, and inside thirds of the service court. Four playerstake the court, each taking up the doubles serving position halfwaybetween the center mark and the doubles sideline.

Players on one side of the net serve three serves, each aimed at oneof the three targets in the order listed above. The partners across thenet catch the balls and then serve them back following the same se-quence (see figure 12.1). Each time a player hits a prescribed target,she earns one point, and the first player to reach 10 points wins. Playersthen play a new game from the other half of the court.

Variation� To avoid players’ tendency to simply tap the serve in, require that

the ball land past the baseline on the second bounce to count.


SERVING FROM KNEES

ObjectiveEmphasize hitting up to apply spin on the serve

DescriptionPlayers serve from the baseline from their knees. The racket backswingmust be abbreviated, but the emphasis should be on the upwardmotion to contact the ball. This motion will apply some spin, whichwill bring the ball down into the service box. In doubles, a good spinserve with depth is the foundation of effective serving. A weak secondserve in doubles puts the partner at the net in a precarious position.

Variations� If necessary, allow players to start the serve from the knees closer

to the net and gradually move back.� Have players stand outside the fence and serve balls upward to

clear the fence and land in the court area. Hitting up is the key togood spin.

DOUBLES SERVES AND DOUBLES RETURNS

ObjectiveImprove consistency and placement of serves and returns

DescriptionPlayers work in pairs, one serving and one returning. The serverchooses one of the three targets described in Serving to Targets andannounces his choice. The receiver must direct the ball crosscourt (toavoid the imaginary net player), aiming for one of three spots: deepin the middle of the half court, wide near the singles sideline to pullthe server wide, or short at the feet of the onrushing volleyer. Youmay award points for a successful shot. Be sure to have players workon both the deuce and ad courts.

Variation� To discourage players from overhitting serves or returns, penal-

ize them for errors by subtracting two points.


CROSSCOURT RALLIES

ObjectiveDevelop consistency and control of ground strokes

DescriptionAssuming right-handed players, players in the deuce court rally fore-hands crosscourt and players in the ad court rally backhands. Twogames can be played at the same time. The players on one side putthe balls in play with a drop and hit, and the rally begins. All ballsmust land in the half of the court between the centerline and thedoubles sideline. Players earn one point for winning a rally and losetwo points for hitting a ball into the net. The same player continues toput the ball in play until a total of five points have been played, andthen the other player begins the rallies. Play continues until one playerearns 10 points. See figure 12.2.

Variations� Add a requirement that shots must land behind the service line to

count.� Set up targets at key points and award bonus points to players for

hitting the targets.

A

B C

D

Figure 12.2 Crosscourt Rallies.


A1

C1 D

B1

2

1

2

T

T

(continued)Figure 12.3 Volley to Ground Stroke.

DOUBLES STATIONS

ObjectiveTeach the correct positions for doubles

DescriptionDescribe a game situation to players, including the score and whichteam is serving. Four players must move quickly to their correct po-sitions on the court. If they are correct, each player earns a point forthe team. For bonus points, you may ask a player where her next shotshould be directed.

Variation� Rather than just describing the situation, have the players actu-

ally play the point out and judge the correctness of their shots.

VOLLEY TO GROUND STROKE

ObjectiveDevelop volley consistency

DescriptionTwo players use half a court while hitting straight ahead (see figure12.3). One player takes the ideal volley position halfway between the


Volley to Ground Stroke (continued)

service line and the net. The other player is at the baseline or, for lessskilled players, at three-quarters court. The baseline player hits onlyforehand drives to the net player, who hits only forehand volleys.Next, both players switch to backhands only. Finally, they mix upforehand and backhand. The object is to keep the ball in play. Playerswork together to score a total of 10 successful hits before moving tothe next technique.

Variations� Have players hit crosscourt, since that is the more common doubles

shot.� After some individual practice, have players play a similar game

in doubles teams.

SERVE TO THE MIDDLE AND POACH

ObjectiveEncourage movement by the net player

DescriptionPlayers play normal doubles except that the server must serve to theinside half of the service box. If the server succeeds, his partner at thenet must poach to cut off the return, and the point is played out. Thisprogression helps players realize the importance of reducing the pos-sible angles on returns and allows the net player to be more aggres-sive.

Variation� Allow the server to elect to serve to a weakness, such as a weak

backhand, rather than to a specific area of the court.

POACHING WITH SIGNALS

ObjectiveTeach the net player when and how to poach


(continued)

DescriptionThe server and net player as a team decide whether or not to poachand where the serve should land. The signal is given to the server,who then serves to the outside, middle, or inside of the service box.The net player poaches or stays, depending on the plan. The receivermust return crosscourt or down the line. If the net player is able tomake a successful volley over the net, that team wins two points. Ifthe receiver avoids the net player, that team wins one point.

Variations� Give a prearranged play that the players must carry out.� Make sure that players practice from both the deuce and ad courts.

MOVING AS A TEAM MINI-TENNIS

ObjectiveTeach teams to cover from side to side

DescriptionBoth teams start at the service line. One team puts the ball into playwith a drop and hit, and a rally ensues. Players try to move the oppos-ing team from side to side using angles and touch. Both teams shouldlearn to follow the ball from side to side to defend against possiblereturns. Points are scored on errors.

Variation� After teams have gotten some experience from the service line,

have one team move to the baseline and the other stay at the net.Play the same game and note whether the players move to followthe ball. Teammates should generally be not more than 10 to 12 feetapart.

PLAY THE MIDDLE

ObjectiveLearn the percentages in hitting to the middle


DescriptionMark the middle third of the net by attaching brightly colored clothsto mark the spot. During play, all shots must cross the net betweenthe markers or the point is lost. Players will soon learn to aim for themiddle and cover the middle. See figure 12.4.

Variation� Allow one team to play normally while the other is restricted to

playing all shots down the middle. Discuss afterward what effectthis had on the outcome of the set.

Play the Middle (continued)

C

D1

2

T

A

B

B

3

A

Figure 12.4 Play the Middle.

NEW PARTNER PLEASE

ObjectiveAttack a weak serve

DescriptionThe serving team assumes the normal positions, but the serve mustbe hit underhanded out of the hand and below the waist. This willproduce a weak serve that should be attacked. The receiver shouldmove inside the baseline and drive the ball low at the net player. Thejob of the net player is to protect himself and hit a defensive volleythat the returning team should then play aggressively. Play a series ofpoints or a normal scoring game before switching roles.


Variation� Allow the server to serve overhand but only allow one serve. If it

is a weak serve, the receiving team should attack it the same way.

ATTACK SERVE AND TAKE NET

ObjectiveHit a deep approach shot and take the net

DescriptionThe serving team is allowed only one serve and may not follow it tothe net. The receiver should drive the ball deep and, along with herpartner, seize the net position to attack. Players play the point outand keep regular score.

Variation� After a period of time, ask the receiver to vary her returns by hit-

ting them short to force the server to move forward to lift the ball.The receiving team may want to move in to pick off a weak shotor play it safe from the baseline.

LOB THE RETURN

ObjectiveUse the lob for variety and to take the net position

DescriptionThe receiving team lobs the return over the head of the net player. Ifthe net player can play the ball, he should call for it. If it is out ofreach, he should cross to the other side and retreat to the baselinewhile his partner chases the lob and plays the ball. The point con-tinues until conclusion. If the receiving team succeeds in moving theserving team back to the baseline, the receiving team should take thenet position.

Variation� Allow the receiving team to choose the type of return depending

on the serve.


BASELINE DOUBLES

ObjectivePractice transition to net from baseline

DescriptionAll four players begin at the baseline. One team puts the ball in playwith a drop and hit, and a rally begins. When one player gets a shortball, she calls for it and moves in to play an approach shot, and herpartner moves in with her. Play continues, with the defending teamusing drives and lobs while the net players try to put the ball away.Play to five points and then switch teams to begin the point. Fifteenpoints win the game.

Variation� Have one team start at the service line as the ball is put in play to

the baseline team. The point continues with the defensive teamtrying to draw an error and the net players trying to end the point.

DEFENSIVE LOB

ObjectiveDefend against the lob

DescriptionOne team is at the baseline. The other team comes to the net, and bothplayers touch it with their rackets. A coach puts the ball in play witha lob over the net players’ heads that they must chase and retrieve.Their return should be a high defensive lob. The baseline team shouldmove in to play the defensive lob with a smash if it is short. Very highlobs should be allowed to bounce before smashing. A team waiting atthe sideline replaces the team that loses the point. See figure 12.5.

Variation� Allow the retreating team to choose to lob or drive, depending on

their position, but require them to communicate with each other.


HOT SEAT GAME

ObjectiveDefend against a volley from the “hot seat”

DescriptionFrom a normal beginning of a doubles point, the focus is on the part-ner of the receiver, who is at the service line. The return must gostraight ahead to the net player, who moves in and volleys aggres-sively at the feet of the receiver’s partner, who is on the “hot seat.”The hot seat player tries to dig out the volley and keep the ball inplay. A coach may fill the role of the receiver to ensure the success ofthis game. After three to five trials, the players can rotate from theserving position to the net to the hot seat, while the coach continuesto return. Extra players should be waiting their turn from the servingposition.

Variation� Be sure players play points from both the deuce and ad courts.

Servers should only have one serve or they lose their turn.

B

CA

DD

1

Co

2

Figure 12.5 Defensive Lob.


RECEIVER POACH

ObjectiveEncourage aggressive play from the receiver’s partner

DescriptionFrom the normal doubles positions, the server must hit a second serveand follow it to the net. A coach plays the role of receiver and hits areturn low at the feet of the server, who is forced to volley defen-sively. The receiver’s partner should close in to the net and interceptany weak volley within reach to hit a winner. After three to five trials,players rotate around the coach from server to net player to receiver’spartner.

Variation� If a coach is not available to return and players are too inconsistent,

have the receiver drop and hit the return out of his hand ratherthan return a live serve.

DOUBLES SERVE AND VOLLEY PROGRESSION

ObjectiveMove to the net after the serve

DescriptionFrom the doubles serving position, the server puts a half-speed serveinto play and moves forward quickly toward the net. The receiver’stask is to return the ball crosscourt at a moderate pace. As the re-ceiver begins the forward swing, the server should take a split-stepand then move to volley the ball deep back to the receiver. The nextserver in line should repeat the same sequence. After achieving somesuccess, the servers should move in for a second volley and then finallyadd a lob that they can smash.

Variations� Rotate players from serving to receiving positions after some time.� Be sure to practice from both the deuce and ad courts.


SHADOW DOUBLES

ObjectivePlay doubles points with serve and volley

DescriptionThe server must serve and volley. The point begins as though therewere four players, although only two play the point crosscourt. Thepoint is played out, although all shots must be hit crosscourt into thearea between the centerline and the doubles sideline. This game helpsboth servers and receivers to hone their skills. On a full court, onegame can proceed on the deuce court and a different one on the adcourt, provided the players alternate playing points. Two points beingplayed at once would be a safety concern.

Variations� Require the receiver to drive only, not lob.� Allow the server only one serve.

TWO POINTS AT NET

ObjectiveEncourage players to seize the net

DescriptionPlay normal scoring but award two points when the winning shot ishit at the net on a volley or smash. The next point is then played fromthe same side of the court to keep the score and side in proper rotation.

Variation� Add bonus points for any strategic move that you want to em-

phasize and reward, such as poaching, receiver poaching, lobbingto take the net, or hitting a winning shot down the middle.


TIEBREAK MOVE-UP DOUBLES

ObjectiveTeach tiebreak procedures with competition

DescriptionUsing several courts, have each court play a 12-point tiebreak tofamiliarize the players with the serving rotation and other rules. Whenall courts have completed their tiebreaks, the winning team stays onthe Champions’ Court, and the other winning teams move up onecourt toward that court. The losing teams stay, except for the loser onthe Champions’ Court, who moves down to the lowest court.

Variation� Have players play two out of three tiebreaks to extend the length

of the matches while still keeping the time necessary to completea match relatively even on every court.

Documents

Doubles Play—Season Plans and Games for Players 10 to 18