The following is an extension of the art of winning (see library), where one attempts to understand during a match why one is either ahead or behind. When understood, the player who is leading will know how to continue to impose his winning style, and conversely, the player who is trailing will be both willing to change his game and have an idea about what changes to make.

Jim McLennan

In a more practical sense, this example may illustrate. If winning, try and continue to play a similar style. If losing, determine if the cause is unforced errors, and if so concentrate on becoming more consistent. Or if losing and not making errors, determine which of the opponent’s strokes are creating the most winners and avoid that situation. As simple as this sounds, the art of winning is truly an intricate matter, and players of any stripe rarely dwell on these patterns.

The same can be said of doubles, but with an important caveat, doubles is a team affair. The secret, in my opinion, is whether both players agree in their assessment of why they are winning, or if losing, whether they agree as to what should be done to change their game. 

Over the years I have played a lot of tennis in high school, college, satellite tour, men’s open, and now (sadly I guess) in senior tournaments. And somehow a number of partners stand out, not necessarily because of our success, but because we struck a resonant tactical chord: we agreed on what to do in certain situations. 

Scenario 1 - Lobbing the Second Serve

Also, over the years I have had many a partner where somehow the partnership was not as vibrant, and in most instances it was because we did not agree on the “best shot” in certain situations. Perhaps, some of my choices fooled those partners and likewise, their choices fooled me. It may be okay to try and fool the opponent, but for my money, it is rarely okay to fool one’s partner.

So in that spirit, the following questions describe specific tactical situations. Share these questions with your partner, then see whether your answers match up. This may provoke lively discussions, and reveal opportunities to improve your partnership and win a few more of those “tight matches.”

On the second serve to the deuce court, the receiver routinely lobs over the net man into the backhand corner:

• Where should the server’s partner at the net move?
• What should the server do with this ball?
• Where should the server aim their reply? 

On the second serve to the deuce court, the receiver routinely lobs over the net man into the backhand corner: 

• Where should the receiver’s partner reposition?
• Where should the receiver reposition?

The server has a good volleying partner and wants to create poaching opportunities for that partner (let’s assume everyone is right handed):

• Do you favor wide serves or serves to the “T”?
• Which service court provides most advantage?

You are playing a net rushing type of game. The opponents sense this and lob often, not all the time, but they are starting to lob:

• Do you prefer the hitter to call mine, or the non hitter to call yours?
• Do you prefer your partner to back you up on these lobs, or stay on their own side?
• If the lob is average, not great but equally not short, do you prefer to play the ball in the air or let it bounce?

Your partner is hot as a pistol, playing as well as they have ever played:

• Do you play more or less alley shots in this situation?
• Do you poach more or less?

Your partner is playing dismally, they may improve in the match, but at the moment they are playing badly:

• Do you play more or less alley shots in this situation?
• Do you poach more or less?

The opponents routinely follow their return of serve to the net, so you are in the one up and one back position, and they are positioned at the net. As regards their return or in this case their coming in shot:

• When do you decide to lob?
• When do you drive the ball crosscourt at the coming in players feet?
• When do drive the ball down the line into the alley?

Scenario 2 - Opponents Serve and Rush the Net

There are literally dozens of questions that can be posed to a doubles team, and they involve the routine tactical situations where a decision must be made, but to my mind these decisions work when your partner is expecting the shot that you have chosen. 

Have fun with these questions. I suspect there may be a few instances where your answers do not match up. At that point, it is not really about who is right and who is wrong, but more about the resolutions that may be reached when these issues are brought into the light.

Appendix

The following are the answers that I would give to these questions, based mostly on the doubles play I learned as a partner, first with Bill Strei in Northern California and then from Juan Weiss in New Orleans. In both cases, they were the teachers and I the student, and in both cases, they were the better players. Both players were older than I and our opponents usually assumed they were the weaker member of the team.  As a result, we had splendid careers.

On the second serve to the deuce court, the receiver routinely lobs over the net man into the backhand corner. 

• The net man must do everything possible to take this ball in the air with an overhead. If that fails, they recover diagonally to the service line, if not deeper.  The server should lob this ball high and to the middle of the opponent’s court, nothing tricky, just get the ball up because your partner is now positioned defensively.

On the second serve to the deuce court, the receiver routinely lobs over the net man into the backhand corner: 

• The receiver should follow this ball to the net, so that both partners are positioned just inside the service line (not a step closer) expecting a lob.

The server has a good volleying partner, and wants to create poaching opportunities for that partner who is at the net (and let’s assume everyone is right handed):

• Serving down the middle in the deuce court sets up a backhand return to a poacher's forehand volley.  If the server has a good wide serve in either the deuce or ad court the net partner should know in advance to be willing to cover the alley.

You are playing a net rushing type of game. The opponents sense this and lob often, not all the time, but they are starting to lob….

• Always assume that whoever is lobbed will hit the overhead, there is no mine and yours. Further, if your partner is playing the overhead do not back them up, do not make noise with your shoes, do not make any move that indicates you do not trust them. If they cannot reach the ball they will call “yours.”  Whenever possible, always play the ball in the air. If your partner prefers to let the ball bounce, trade that partner in for one with more facility for the overhead.      

Your partner is hot as a pistol, playing as well as they have ever played:

• When your partner is hot, play as many shots as possible in front of them to set them up, no need to poach in front of them, no need to play to the alley for a winner.

You are playing a net rushing type of game. The opponents sense this and lob often, not all the time, but they are starting to lob:

• When your partner is off, try to win the point on your own with alley shots or outright winner attempts. Further, in this scenario, poach more frequently, you would like to avoid your partner missing three or four shots in a row and then exclaiming, “I can’t do anything right today (unfortunately I have said that once or twice).

The opponents routinely follow their return of serve to the net, so you are in the one up and one back position, and they are positioned at the net. As regards their return or in this case their coming in shot:

• If the approach is exceptionally deep, the lob is the best choice, if the approach is average or short, the crosscourt is the best choice, if the approach is extremely wide, the alley may be the best choice.

As always, we would love to hear from you! Questions, comments, personal experiences all create helpful dialogue for everyone! Please click here to send us your email.