HOW TO PLAY DOUBLES

This morning I was enlisted non-forcibly in the Doubles Jousts of our dear friends, the Ladies Internats (8 different nationalities among 10 last time, American Captain, Judy-the-Tallest). I was against Scottish Loic & Dutch René-la-Grande, as for some reason, I'd asked to play with Jane-the-English. (Can't stand the English in general.)

We started off pretty well, & it seemed we were going to have an easy win: it was me to serve. I noticed, with some consternation, that my dear partner was standing in the best position to avoid all balls that were not in her small quarter of the court. Well perhaps she's just bluffing I thought: she's going to move like greased lightning the moment they lob her. Not on your life! She didn't move a centimetre, and me, anticipating a cross-court return, watched the ball fall far away on the other side. The game went on to a miserable defeat, & I'm pretty sure, if I'd drawn a circle around dear Jane before a point, she would have still been inside that circle after the point was decided.

To tell you the truth, she played very well most of the time this set, & even together with my mistakes, we only lost 3/6; I'm just making my first point :

1. BE MOBILE ! ANTICIPATE WHERE THE BALL IS GOING !

Watching average sociable doubles play, another very common error, is the player who sticks close to the net with partner serving - then remains near to the net - rather like a spare-part.

Moving from one side to another barely helps, & looks rather ridiculous as the poor server runs from side to side recuperating the lobs. Far better to move back to the service line to help cover the whole court! And if the opponents get a good initiative & start smashing...... move right back behind the base-line. Just until you two have returned everything & are ready to move forward volleying. Next rules then......

2. THE CLOSER YOU ARE TO THE NET, THE MORE IMPORTANT IT IS TO HIT A WINNER!

3. MOVE BACK WHEN YOU'VE NOTHING TO HIT! DON'T BE A SPARE PART!

For my second match, I again, without thinking, chose Barbara-the-English! After the first few mistakes, we played pretty well & won our first set 6/3. There was some combined play with quite a lot of volleying & overhead work. This reminds me, that some English are not all that bad, & of further important points about doubles play..........

4. TRY TO SET UP YOUR PARTNER FOR A WINNER!

This often means returning service as a strong ball to an inconvenient place on the back-line,

so that your partner can advance to make a winning volley. There are many other occasions for you to play as a team!

5. ADVANCE TO VOLLEY & BE PREPARED TO PLAY OVERHEAD BALLS!

The alternative is to indulge in cross-court singles in a doubles match........Ugh!

Much better, more exciting, & more attacking, is to make a first long, high return, & then to advance mid-court to give a first, long volley. The second volley or smash depends on your technique - try to practise smashes in the warm-up. (I'll give some description of classic smashes in a later post.)

6. ENJOY YOUR TENNIS! (as I know we all do!)