Two good singles players do not automatically make a good doubles team. You share the court, but you also share decisions: where to serve, which ball to leave and when to move forward. A useful doubles plan makes those decisions clearer before the ball arrives.
These ideas are for recreational and club doubles. Treat them as options to practise with your partner, rather than promises of a quick ranking boost.
1. Agree on a starting plan
Before the match, discuss your preferred receiving sides and the shots you trust. Tell your partner if a particular return is difficult or if you prefer to stay back after serving. A realistic plan built around both players is more useful than copying a professional formation.
Try this: finish the warm-up by answering three questions together: Which return feels safest? Who will call a short ball? What will we do when a lob goes over the net player?
2. Move with the point
The net player’s position should change with the situation. Move closer when your team has created an attacking ball; give yourself more time when your opponents are in control. Adjust sideways with your partner rather than defending a fixed patch of court. The LTA emphasises active movement in all four doubles roles, not just by the player hitting the ball.
3. Give your return a clear job
A sensible starting return is one that gets the point underway without offering an easy interception. A crosscourt target often helps, but it is not compulsory on every point. The server’s position, the net player’s movement and your own contact point all matter.
If the opposing net player keeps crossing, discuss a change: a different return direction, a lob you can control, or a more defensive starting position for your partner. Choose an adjustment you can repeat instead of attempting a spectacular passing shot every time.
4. Plan the serve and the next movement
Tell your partner where you intend to serve and whether you expect to stay back or come forward. If the net player plans to cross and intercept the return, the server needs to know so the vacated space can be covered. Hand signals can help once you both understand them, but a brief conversation works too.
5. Make communication specific
Useful communication gives your partner information. “I will cover the lob” is clearer than “Be ready.” Call early when taking a shared ball. After an error, reconnect and agree on the next task rather than analysing the missed shot at length. USTA coach Brandi Bratek highlights both pre-point planning and supportive communication when partners are learning to play together.
A practice game for your next session
Our suggested drill is a normal practice set with one extra habit: before every point, the team names its first target and intended movement. Keep the conversation short enough to respect the pace of play.
- During your service games, announce the serve target.
- During return games, name a return you can realistically execute.
- At each changeover, identify one successful pattern to repeat.
Assess whether the plan helped you work together, not just whether you won the set. You may discover that a quieter return, an earlier call or a better-covered lob contributes more than another ambitious winner.
Further reading: the LTA’s doubles tactics and hand signals, its beginner doubles guide, and the USTA’s advice on playing with a new partner.
Unsure about the scoring at the end of a close set? Read our guide to tennis tie-break rules.
