Loved it. This is the kind of stuff I wanted and couldn't find on TH-cam. There is already plenty of coaching of the strokes. Not enough of this strategy, thinking, mental side of the game, which I happen to find the most interesting. Thanks. Keep up the good work.
Great video. I am a 4.0 level doubles players. My regular group includes players from 3.5 to 4.5. Some of these guys are very adept at hitting down the alley and every time they pass me down the alley it feels like I just got burned and now I want to cover the alley more. Somehow it feels worse getting beat like that than any other way. I guess I just have to get over it and remember it is just one point.
I feel like another big thing is that if you know they love the alley, squeeze the center to tempt them into that alley shot and be ready to cut it off at the net. Easier said than done but I find I am too passive at the net sometimes. One guy I play with sends it down that alley constantly but a big part of that is that my partner's second serve is fairly easily punished. Serving just well enough to make players uncomfortable helps force them to return something the net player can punish.
You can always use Ian's fake step! fake moving to the middle as soon as he hits it with your split step then poach the lane if they are hitting the lane often
I have coached High School Tennis for a long time and drill my my players on how to cover their “Zone” in doubles. First you have to constantly move with the ball. Second you want to isolate one player and double team one of your opponents. Athletes who have played other sports like basketball and hockey seem to understand this tactic. Up the line is a low percentage play. Going up the middle and down at the feet is a much higher percentage shot. So many doubles players at the level that you play don’t work as a team but play a game of singles with 4 players on the court. Doubles requires more tennis skill because you need to volley, hit overheads and be able to place your shots against two opponents. It good doubles one player set it up so their team mate can knock it down. It’s like knowing how to get in position for a rebound in basketball or spike in volleyball. You should practice your net game and try playing lots of serve/approach and volley tennis in practice points to train for doubles.
@@thomasmedeiros5722 yeah, my grounsstrokes are far more developed than my overall game and so I find doubles forces me to use the shots I feel least comfortable with. I like playing doubles because it forces me to focus on the things I don't do particularly well. If someone has a good doubles positioning and tactics video to share I'd love that. I can bash from the baseline and construct points around that for ages. But I am way too slow to come to the net when I am in an offensive position and fail to punish soft returns as much as I should 😕
This is very instructive for me: I was tought to cover the line at all cost, seeing balls regularly wooshing through the middle ground. I will definitely reprioritize my real estate focus!
I wish more players were open to recording their matches and sit down and analyze it together after. It really is a lot of fun to learn that way! We think we know what we are doing, but in most cases we really don't. It's very eye opening.
Nice idea but a bunch of 3.0s looking at the video might just say "wow that was great playing" and miss a lot of these ideas. They would need a pro or someone more experienced to kibitz with them.
Other topics: * Placement when partner is pulled off court. * When to switch sides and when not to * Various lineups, serve, and switch strategies and when to attempt them
Such a great video. I'm a 4.5 player and my wife and her friends are 3.0-3.5 and I tell them all the time about covering more of the middle vs the alley. I sent this along to them all.
The movement comparisons were very helpful. Also seeing how movement or lack of the correct moves exposed the middle of the court. This helped me. Thanks
Love this Ian, thank you! Also, the technology you are using is SO visually helpful. One thing I noticed when you were playing, you peeked at your partner prior to the shift. Is this something that 3.5-4.0 players should be doing? We have been taught not to turn around (so we don't get hit with the ball). Just something I noticed. Also, I am really learning from the comparison with the two different level courts.
Don't worry about the ball hitting you- it's just a tennis ball. In general you should have enough info without looking backwards based on the speed, angle and spin of the stroke your opponent hits. Want to know how your partner responded- quick glance is fine.
This is exactly what I love watching on this channel. Strategy and analysis is so valuable and it's definitely what I like for your "What Next?" focus!
Good video Ian -- for more advanced players, I'd love to see the strategy and plays you like to run to create the space on the court to win points, e.g. slicing the ad court service return cross-court that pulls the server in and makes them hit up to the return partner at the net, serving wide and server partner pinches to the middle to volley the return back through the middle, hitting high and deep to the baseliner's backhand and poaching the response with a forehand volley, etc.
Great video, wish a lot of players I play with would watch your vids. I don’t often hear this ‘cover the alley’ with guys my level, but I do when playing against/with lower level and mixed doubles players. My observation is that at lower levels there is not much movement/poaching going on, and often attackable serves. So, when I hear this, my first thought is that they are warning me that their serve is going to drop in slow and set up nicely for receiver to attack the alley. I’ll watch the alley, but don’t move over, at least until the receiver proves they can hit past me down the alley on a regular basis. It’s just not that easy against an active net player, even off a slow serve.
This is the doubles analysis content I suggested and I appreciate very much that you listened. I hope others are watching as it is only works when both partners are aware of the proper court positioning. I agree that the alley is given too much priority. As the saying goes, down the middle solves the riddle." I find that when I cover the middle the ball comes to me like a magnet. If you are at the net you have to read the returner to make sure he is not going down the alley. Even if you are covering the middle you can protect the alley by taking one cross step. If the returner hits a perfect shot down the alley then tip your hat to him. Thanks! Take care and stay safe.
Ian, I really appreciate your analysis and breakdown comparing levels - this is what I was thinking when I made my comment about what should come next for ET...
Right on with this presentation. I have a friend who plays double with me and he actually stands in the doubles alley. It dries me crazy because the middle becomes huge, exoecially when I am receiving a wide serve.
Thank you for this, one of the clearest explanations I have seen. Seems like so many doubles players (at my measly 3.5 level anyway) are hesitant to move to the center line when I get pulled wide. Love your channel, as a lefty,they are SO helpful!
After seeing this video I tried it on court to cover the centre as much as possible instead of the side lines which I used to ...it made me a better player in terms of volley and winning... thank you for your videos.
At all the club's I worked with in the past 15 years, I hear the myth of you cover the alley at the net. When I first started playing I fell victim to those people. Didn't enjoy dubbles at all, it was boring, standing there just beside the alley waiting for those 3 balls I saved. Missing half the opportunities because I was watching a different court. Only getting involved when I played at the baseline really. For many that is how it stays. Because the group they play with tell his that how you suppose play. These people often never took a lesson in their lives. Most even enjoy playing the game that way.
As a low level player that is always getting a strong partner, I must say that you are absolutely right. It is paralyzing.You just so afraid of getting a point through the ally that it's the only thing on your mind.
Love your videos! I play a lot of ladies doubles where both opponents move into the volley position quickly. Would love some tips and points for strategy!
I'm glad I stumbled across this and your other videos. You seem to be finding all my faults and errors! ;-) Seriously, I am learning a lot about court coverage here, and now that I am quite a bit older than I was during my most active tennis playing days, I need to play smarter, not faster. I have a doubles match tonight and cannot wait to put some of this knowledge to use. Thanks!
Everything you said makes sense. My challenge, at the 3.5 level, is my fear of being hit in the back by my partner's return stroke. I tend to step a little more towards the alley to give my partner more room to return. Same dynamic when my partner serves and I am closer to the alley for fear of being hit by the serve. Perhaps you can address the psychology of these fears. I have no problem moving towards the middle in anticipation of cutting down the angle of my opponent's stroke.
I've coached a lot of high school students at and below your level, and a lot of them had the same fear. I found that for a lot of them it was a fear of the unknown. They didn't know what it felt like to get hit, and once they experienced it they weren't as worried. Getting hit never feels good, but it's not the same as getting hit with a baseball or softball. Generally, be the end of their first season they had either been hit by an opponent, a teammate, or accidentally by a coach at practice. Then the fears mostly went away.
Several of the players I play with do the same thing! The easiest solution is watching your partner serve and stepping over as it passes you. Or you can play a little back and step in just after the serve. *both of these assume your partner isn’t crushing some +60mph serve😅
I play with some wild servers so I also am off a bit to give them room. But the second I see it pass me I get ready to change depending on its direction because that position is no longer useful once the ball makes it over the net.
I recall you at some point using a triangle to show how the court shifts based on where the ball is hit. This is an easy way to show positioning and how the partners move together.
Great stuff, Ian! I would love to see a video about when/how to move forward and press the net (singles or doubles). I often find that I move in at the wrong time or I hit the wrong shot on my approach and set myself up for an easy lob/pass. Either that or I just need to get better at playing the net. :)
Ian, this very video is what I would (should) have said I would like to see next! Thank you for clearly showing me what I do wrong!! Can't wait to get get back on the court to better my positioning.
Good video. I play weekly doubles with a group of seniors, 4.5 guys. But there's one 5.0 in our group who often dominates the court with his positioning and movement. When he's at net, he'll squeeze the center and give up about half of the alley. He'll "graciously congratulate" (and encourage!) anyone who beats him down the line knowing that he'll win about 80% of those points. The better players cover the center of the court and force their opponents to beat them on the outside. That's a good strategy.
In the third demonstration Kevin's starting point is close to the service box. One effect of his being there is it makes the box look a smaller target to the server: that positioning pressures the server just a little bit,
The same thing is true of the returner. When the server's partner "covers" the alley, it leaves a big open space for the returner. When the server's partner squeezes the middle, it makes the returner's space seem smaller because he must avoid getting poached by the server's partner.
Thanks Ian. Just this week I played dbls with a friend and he did precisely what you described, hugged the alley. Several times he could have picked off a return down the middle by moving just a step or two toward the middle. Frustrating, but I wasn't about to give a lesson in the middle of the match.
Perfect Ian!! I really appreciate how tennis can resemble basketball and football ( sports I also played and enjoy the dynamics of team play). Tennis can cause us to become self absorbed and NOT want to be the one who messes up..super exposed during doubles when a player becomes passive! Great video!
I understand covering the big areas of the middle. What I’d like to see you address is how to also cover the alley on the next shot. In my 4.0 group we have about a dozen players and virtually all of them are very good at and love to finish up the alley. On occasion we have new players play with us who love to take the tennis drills where the pro “drills” into them the importance of covering the middle. And we eat them alive hitting up the alley.
Thanks to the sharer, very gutsy Will! Ian do you remember I emailed you once about a comment that Kevin once made in a Shankcast podcast "Doubles is all about taking time away from your opponent" that sort just went by un-noticed and un-remarked? If you agree with it, that might make a good topic for a video. Thanks....
OMG what great stuff. I try to move back like Scott does but never really understood why. Now I really do understand. Love the concept of the most valuable real estate. As they say "Solve the riddle, hit down the middle. Love all of your videos, they have definitely helped my game. Especially love your comedy videos.
Great video, totally agree. What I would like to see is how you put things together the tactical side & technical side. How they are in twined. Some of the mistakes of the 3.0 players made have a technical also a technical flaw hiding. 3.0 players looks back to see how his partner is doing. You only looked back to see how far he was off the court, to see if you should move to the middle looking back to your opponents instantly. Split stepping ready for your opportunity. 3.0 keeps watching not moving but spectating what is going to happen next. The opponents could have moved any where without him knowing ( he can't see). Also when he does look forward again he needs to adjust his focus again on 3 different things netplayer position baseline, player position & the ball. That why many coaches get the response if I have to think it goes wrong because they don't give themselves the time to think& react. in split second before making choices to pouch or not & to move. So he is just standing there. Making students aware of those little things helps them out a lot.
Love this! Thanks so much! I have had this problem playing with partners that sit over by the alley and leave 75% of the court open for me to cover. What about some content on when to poach? I feel like I miss a lot of poachable balls because I'm afraid to make my partner switch sides. How do you know when to poach and how close to the net should you be? Thanks!
Great video Ian. Once you get passed down the alley, it's like you're forever in fear of getting passed again so you guard it with your life. Big mistake as you pointed out. Please also post more singles strategy, preferably with some actual point played for demonstration. Thanks for posting.
This was really helpful. Comparing the two levels for each scenario is a great technique to drive home the lesson. I would appreciate seeing more of these comparisons used in future videos for both singles and doubles play. Cheers!
I've been playing for years and it drives me crazy when people just stand in the alley. I've tried to show people to move to the middle but have gotten a lot of negative comments about leaving the alley open. Way too many amateur players are stuck in very poor strategic decision making and worse yet, refusing to change.
Marc Noble same, as a teen when adults tell me to move, I try to explain that the middle is the best place and they just don’t get it. It’s extremely frustrating
Fab extremely helpful video Ian!! In most cases this is right on strategy, but there are some players who are quite proficient in hitting down an open ally. What to do then? Getting "passed" at net is not fun & often times invites a stern "watch your alley" response from one's partner. Thanks again sir!!
I consider myself a good...decent double player, and often in team competitions I find myself "lead" the couple as far as positioning and strategy are concerned: I'm usually been told "cover the alley" from my partners or I need to try to convice him not to leave the centre unguarded, because I would be covering 70% of the court that way. Nonetheless, this video helped me understand better the one other video you made of "moving along a triangle" in doubles, this explanation made that pattern way clearer and useful.
I've tried this and I keep getting passed down the alley. This happened 3 times in my last match. I was playing on the right and facing a left handed player who is much better than me. My partner is also better than me but has a relatively weak forehand, he returned the ball cross court and I moved in a similar way to the 5.0 net player in the game you are showing. The next I know the ball is flying down my alley at speed with my opponent saying thanks for leaving such a big gap. He did also added that I moved to early again I don't know how to fix that. I agree with everything you are saying but I can't seem to get it to work when my partner has a weak forehand. Thanks for making these videos, I'm getting a lot of insight from them even if I not improving.
Great video. You talked about players feeling the need to protect the alley and talked about protecting the middle instead. Makes sense because the middle is the high percentage shot. However, you didn’t address how to manage the alley. The reason club players protect the alley is they get beat down the alley a lot. I suspect the answer is that the net player needs to keep moving and move toward the alley when their opponent has a shot that could go down the alley but it would be helpful to hear you address this.
I've been so guilty of this before. Feeling like I'm doing nothing at the net. Getting stuck there and not really covering anything. Thanks for forcing me to address this.
Squeezing the center also has the effect of narrowing the target area the other side has to hit to. Just be sure to keep your eyes open though because it does open up the alley. An alert player will put it down the line. If the opposite side net player covers too close to the alley, hit wide cross court to move the back player out of position. Then hit down the middle hard for a winner. Thanks for sharing Ian, some good points people need to be aware of. I see poachers put the ball right down the middle for easy winners.
Keep the strategy content coming ! In 3.5 doubles, the serve is not always the weapon we need it to be, and the return can be targetted down the alley. What would be a good place to stand when the serve is not looking strong enough?
Great video. One of my real pet peeves is when I am covering the middle and our opponent hits an absolutely brilliant winner down the line only for my partner to angrily tell me to "cover your tram/line". I must show them this video! Thank you! :) That said, I know there are times when I perhaps mistime my move and leave them a relatively easy shot down the line. A video with advice on this would be fantastic.
Amen, Stephen - especially when your partner serves either a 'gimme' serve or serves to the opponent's strength, and then proceeds to berate you for not covering the line!
Thanks, Ian. I think my partner and I will go ahead and crush our opponents today in our USTA 3.5 match, thanks to a few adjustments that we will make after watching this video. :-)
This is great, but I'd like to see the points you're using play out. It's frustrating to not see the point. Maybe play it thru and then do the analysis. My 2¢.
Appreciate the feedback! It's a tricky thing because you can do the "wrong" thing and still win the point....just like you can do the "right" thing and lose it! Players tend to be obsessed about the outcome instead of being focused on the process and as a result often get really stuck in bad patterns. Hope that makes sense!
@@EssentialTennis I get rewarded for doing the wrong thing often enough to make it hard to break away from bad habits. Btw, the match against Scott and Nate was fun to watch!!!
Really good stuff. I only wish that some of the people I play with would watch some of these videos. I've recommended to some of my colleague some of these ideas and recommended these videos but rarely does anyone do it. I've taken a lot of the advice and don't guard the alley and do a lot more moving up and back to protect the middle. Am I winning more points, sure, but if your partner is still guarding the alley and standing still, well, there is only so much one can do when you're playing doubles. I just try to take satisfaction that I'm playing better and doing the right thing most of the time.
u cover the middle i will hit it down the line, u stay close to net then i lob you, u stay at base line then i drop u, u drop me i usually drop u back...
Ian please man continue this series. This is exactly what I need. I'm at a decent level but my tactics have always lacked and I feel that this is what is missing from my game. Hopefully these videos will help me go to the next level. Thanks
Good video indeed! However, I feel it does take a good amount of skill and competence to pull it off. I often have to play doubles with slower partners who don't excel at the net. I have to confess I tend to advise them to cover their alley because I feel it's safer for me to control the point from the back with solid ground strokes than having them swoop in. This kind of movement does require good footwork, and if someone is lacking that I rather have them at least covering their side and let me do the running for balls hit to the center of the court. However if you have a competent partner this way of playing is obviously preferable!
Very useful. Await more double tactical clips to improve our mindgame - low level 3.0 to 5.0. These make us more confident that we are moving properly in the game, not in the stupid way . Thank you.
I’d like you to play the full point first without stopping and analysing. Then go back and do exactly what you did in this video. For me it helps the context to see the point at full speed to set up the coaching advice. Loving these tactical videos 👍🏻
Helpful video, thanks. I guess what causes the alley-alley position is that lower level players struggle to hit approach volleys and also tend to be lazy, so they stand right on top of the net and can't react to any return that isn't straight to them. So their options are to get passed down the alley over and over, or cover the alley but leave the other 80% of the court for the server to try and cover.
Good stuff! Percentage tennis. I think in terms of the player hitting the ball is at he apex of 2 lines, going from their position to the other side of the court, encapsulating the possible in bounds shots, hitting away from the players and the 2 players on the other side have the job of cutting off the hitting players ball, positioning themselves in the most advantageous position to them. The hitting players and his partner need to position their selves such that they can protect the most court, the most advantageously to them. Depending on where the ball is hit, they need to move up,, back or to a side. But standing still is NOT an option!
One of the classical mistakes for lower level doubles players (or inexperienced) is that the players at the net tend to follow the ball past them going to their partners'. This way they cannot see what's happening in front of them and they cannot react in time whenever their opponents poach or move, etc. I'm always teaching my students to keep focused on the fact that the ball will ALWAYS come from the front and never from the back. You can see this in the video as well. Also, regarding the first shot, it would be OK for Kevin to cover closer to the alley if he knew you were chip and charging and covering the mid zone. He moved instinctly to the left because he didn't notice (I presume) you were going at the same spot. Still good fundamentals tho :D As always, great job.
In my experience players at lower level don't look where the ball is bouncing in correlation to their position on the court& the angle they must cover.
It is an awesome video! Thank you very much! I played in several doubles match where my opponent kept on lob and hit the ball away from me. So my question is when should I move back to the service line? I felt I couldn’t help my partner. Thank you!
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Loved it. This is the kind of stuff I wanted and couldn't find on TH-cam. There is already plenty of coaching of the strokes. Not enough of this strategy, thinking, mental side of the game, which I happen to find the most interesting. Thanks. Keep up the good work.
Appreciate the great effort you put in doing all this vids all by yourself. Great content! I've learnt a lot!
You're very welcome, Alex!
I also applaud all the work you do to produce these quality videos. I know it isn't a simple thing to do.
Great video. I am a 4.0 level doubles players. My regular group includes players from 3.5 to 4.5. Some of these guys are very adept at hitting down the alley and every time they pass me down the alley it feels like I just got burned and now I want to cover the alley more. Somehow it feels worse getting beat like that than any other way. I guess I just have to get over it and remember it is just one point.
I feel like another big thing is that if you know they love the alley, squeeze the center to tempt them into that alley shot and be ready to cut it off at the net. Easier said than done but I find I am too passive at the net sometimes.
One guy I play with sends it down that alley constantly but a big part of that is that my partner's second serve is fairly easily punished. Serving just well enough to make players uncomfortable helps force them to return something the net player can punish.
You can always use Ian's fake step! fake moving to the middle as soon as he hits it with your split step then poach the lane if they are hitting the lane often
I have coached High School Tennis for a long time and drill my my players on how to cover their “Zone” in doubles. First you have to constantly move with the ball. Second you want to isolate one player and double team one of your opponents. Athletes who have played other sports like basketball and hockey seem to understand this tactic. Up the line is a low percentage play. Going up the middle and down at the feet is a much higher percentage shot. So many doubles players at the level that you play don’t work as a team but play a game of singles with 4 players on the court. Doubles requires more tennis skill because you need to volley, hit overheads and be able to place your shots against two opponents. It good doubles one player set it up so their team mate can knock it down. It’s like knowing how to get in position for a rebound in basketball or spike in volleyball. You should practice your net game and try playing lots of serve/approach and volley tennis in practice points to train for doubles.
@@thomasmedeiros5722 yeah, my grounsstrokes are far more developed than my overall game and so I find doubles forces me to use the shots I feel least comfortable with. I like playing doubles because it forces me to focus on the things I don't do particularly well.
If someone has a good doubles positioning and tactics video to share I'd love that. I can bash from the baseline and construct points around that for ages. But I am way too slow to come to the net when I am in an offensive position and fail to punish soft returns as much as I should 😕
This is very instructive for me: I was tought to cover the line at all cost, seeing balls regularly wooshing through the middle ground.
I will definitely reprioritize my real estate focus!
Glad it was helpful!
I wish more players were open to recording their matches and sit down and analyze it together after. It really is a lot of fun to learn that way! We think we know what we are doing, but in most cases we really don't. It's very eye opening.
I would be afraid to see myself play. I’ll stick with what my mind thinks!
Nice idea but a bunch of 3.0s looking at the video might just say "wow that was great playing" and miss a lot of these ideas. They would need a pro or someone more experienced to kibitz with them.
Other topics:
* Placement when partner is pulled off court.
* When to switch sides and when not to
* Various lineups, serve, and switch strategies and when to attempt them
Someone once told me that when you haven't been passed in the alley at least 4 times in a match, you've been too passive at the net.
I’m a junior player who plays mainly singles and is trying to get better for doubles, thanks dude
Such a great video. I'm a 4.5 player and my wife and her friends are 3.0-3.5 and I tell them all the time about covering more of the middle vs the alley. I sent this along to them all.
Thanks for sharing!
The movement comparisons were very helpful. Also seeing how movement or lack of the correct moves exposed the middle of the court. This helped me. Thanks
Love this Ian, thank you! Also, the technology you are using is SO visually helpful. One thing I noticed when you were playing, you peeked at your partner prior to the shift. Is this something that 3.5-4.0 players should be doing? We have been taught not to turn around (so we don't get hit with the ball). Just something I noticed. Also, I am really learning from the comparison with the two different level courts.
Don't worry about the ball hitting you- it's just a tennis ball. In general you should have enough info without looking backwards based on the speed, angle and spin of the stroke your opponent hits. Want to know how your partner responded- quick glance is fine.
This is exactly what I love watching on this channel. Strategy and analysis is so valuable and it's definitely what I like for your "What Next?" focus!
Appreciate the support, Randy!
Good video Ian -- for more advanced players, I'd love to see the strategy and plays you like to run to create the space on the court to win points, e.g. slicing the ad court service return cross-court that pulls the server in and makes them hit up to the return partner at the net, serving wide and server partner pinches to the middle to volley the return back through the middle, hitting high and deep to the baseliner's backhand and poaching the response with a forehand volley, etc.
Great video, wish a lot of players I play with would watch your vids. I don’t often hear this ‘cover the alley’ with guys my level, but I do when playing against/with lower level and mixed doubles players. My observation is that at lower levels there is not much movement/poaching going on, and often attackable serves. So, when I hear this, my first thought is that they are warning me that their serve is going to drop in slow and set up nicely for receiver to attack the alley. I’ll watch the alley, but don’t move over, at least until the receiver proves they can hit past me down the alley on a regular basis. It’s just not that easy against an active net player, even off a slow serve.
This is the doubles analysis content I suggested and I appreciate very much that you listened. I hope others are watching as it is only works when both partners are aware of the proper court positioning. I agree that the alley is given too much priority. As the saying goes, down the middle solves the riddle." I find that when I cover the middle the ball comes to me like a magnet. If you are at the net you have to read the returner to make sure he is not going down the alley. Even if you are covering the middle you can protect the alley by taking one cross step. If the returner hits a perfect shot down the alley then tip your hat to him. Thanks! Take care and stay safe.
Appreciate your support very much, Glen!
Ian, I really appreciate your analysis and breakdown comparing levels - this is what I was thinking when I made my comment about what should come next for ET...
Awesome, great to hear, Jeffery!
Right on with this presentation. I have a friend who plays double with me and he actually stands in the doubles alley. It dries me crazy because the middle becomes huge, exoecially when I am receiving a wide serve.
Thank you for this, one of the clearest explanations I have seen. Seems like so many doubles players (at my measly 3.5 level anyway) are hesitant to move to the center line when I get pulled wide. Love your channel, as a lefty,they are SO helpful!
After seeing this video I tried it on court to cover the centre as much as possible instead of the side lines which I used to ...it made me a better player in terms of volley and winning... thank you for your videos.
Awesome, so happy to hear that!
This is an excellent video. Keep "em coming. More analysis of club level doubles play.
In my opinion, saying ‘cover your alley’ to your partner freezes them at the net.
It ABSOLUTELY does. Could possibly be the worst thing you can say to a doubles partner.
Yep, I always encourage them to "Be active and do what feels right and comfortable!"
I have only said cover the alley if I’m serving out wide or if my opponent is historically known to go for the alley during certain situations
At all the club's I worked with in the past 15 years, I hear the myth of you cover the alley at the net. When I first started playing I fell victim to those people. Didn't enjoy dubbles at all, it was boring, standing there just beside the alley waiting for those 3 balls I saved. Missing half the opportunities because I was watching a different court. Only getting involved when I played at the baseline really. For many that is how it stays. Because the group they play with tell his that how you suppose play. These people often never took a lesson in their lives. Most even enjoy playing the game that way.
As a low level player that is always getting a strong partner, I must say that you are absolutely right. It is paralyzing.You just so afraid of getting a point through the ally that it's the only thing on your mind.
Love your videos! I play a lot of ladies doubles where both opponents move into the volley position quickly. Would love some tips and points for strategy!
Good Afternoon, Ian
I'd like to see more tips on when to poach in dubs. Thanks
Great topic!
Very clear message, thanx. Love your style!
Appreciate your support, Chris!
I'm glad I stumbled across this and your other videos. You seem to be finding all my faults and errors! ;-) Seriously, I am learning a lot about court coverage here, and now that I am quite a bit older than I was during my most active tennis playing days, I need to play smarter, not faster. I have a doubles match tonight and cannot wait to put some of this knowledge to use. Thanks!
You're very welcome, Tom!
Everything you said makes sense. My challenge, at the 3.5 level, is my fear of being hit in the back by my partner's return stroke. I tend to step a little more towards the alley to give my partner more room to return. Same dynamic when my partner serves and I am closer to the alley for fear of being hit by the serve. Perhaps you can address the psychology of these fears. I have no problem moving towards the middle in anticipation of cutting down the angle of my opponent's stroke.
You make a really good point, Carlton! I'll definitely address it in the future.
I've coached a lot of high school students at and below your level, and a lot of them had the same fear. I found that for a lot of them it was a fear of the unknown. They didn't know what it felt like to get hit, and once they experienced it they weren't as worried. Getting hit never feels good, but it's not the same as getting hit with a baseball or softball. Generally, be the end of their first season they had either been hit by an opponent, a teammate, or accidentally by a coach at practice. Then the fears mostly went away.
If I feel my partner doesn't have a whole lot of control I will crouch down more. Even if I do get hit, its not bad at all.
Several of the players I play with do the same thing! The easiest solution is watching your partner serve and stepping over as it passes you. Or you can play a little back and step in just after the serve. *both of these assume your partner isn’t crushing some +60mph serve😅
I play with some wild servers so I also am off a bit to give them room. But the second I see it pass me I get ready to change depending on its direction because that position is no longer useful once the ball makes it over the net.
I recall you at some point using a triangle to show how the court shifts based on where the ball is hit. This is an easy way to show positioning and how the partners move together.
Glad it was helpful, Pete!
Great stuff, Ian! I would love to see a video about when/how to move forward and press the net (singles or doubles). I often find that I move in at the wrong time or I hit the wrong shot on my approach and set myself up for an easy lob/pass. Either that or I just need to get better at playing the net. :)
Great topic. I'll add it to my list, Scott!
I was much more aware of how I moved at the net to avoid opening-up the court after this video and it worked! Thank you.
Great video and explanation of doubles court coverage. Thanks and will use it next time on court!
You are the best of many tennis instructors!
Ian, this very video is what I would (should) have said I would like to see next! Thank you for clearly showing me what I do wrong!! Can't wait to get get back on the court to better my positioning.
You're very welcome, Brad! Are you one of the players in the example clips I used?
Ha ha! Easily could have been one of the up players covering the alley. No more though!
Thank you for this great video. More doubles strategy is always appreciated.
Good video. I play weekly doubles with a group of seniors, 4.5 guys. But there's one 5.0 in our group who often dominates the court with his positioning and movement. When he's at net, he'll squeeze the center and give up about half of the alley. He'll "graciously congratulate" (and encourage!) anyone who beats him down the line knowing that he'll win about 80% of those points. The better players cover the center of the court and force their opponents to beat them on the outside. That's a good strategy.
In the third demonstration Kevin's starting point is close to the service box. One effect of his being there is it makes the box look a smaller target to the server: that positioning pressures the server just a little bit,
The same thing is true of the returner. When the server's partner "covers" the alley, it leaves a big open space for the returner. When the server's partner squeezes the middle, it makes the returner's space seem smaller because he must avoid getting poached by the server's partner.
Thanks Ian. Just this week I played dbls with a friend and he did precisely what you described, hugged the alley. Several times he could have picked off a return down the middle by moving just a step or two toward the middle. Frustrating, but I wasn't about to give a lesson in the middle of the match.
Great breakdown on double movements. Valuable lesson. Thank you.
Very welcome!
Awesome video. Cant wait to use on the court. especially the triangle move...they might think Im crazy but Im going to do it
Perfect Ian!! I really appreciate how tennis can resemble basketball and football ( sports I also played and enjoy the dynamics of team play). Tennis can cause us to become self absorbed and NOT want to be the one who messes up..super exposed during doubles when a player becomes passive! Great video!
I understand covering the big areas of the middle. What I’d like to see you address is how to also cover the alley on the next shot. In my 4.0 group we have about a dozen players and virtually all of them are very good at and love to finish up the alley. On occasion we have new players play with us who love to take the tennis drills where the pro “drills” into them the importance of covering the middle. And we eat them alive hitting up the alley.
Ian, can you show a higher level match (4.0+) where server or returner comes in, then that team gets lobbed?
Great presentation.
Consider discussing where to hit/place volley/poaches as influenced by opponents position. Middle , sharp angle etc.
Awesome video. Will improve my doubles play for sure!!!
Loved this video! Our pro tells us this all the time but it's great to see it so clearly. Also, love the video teaching tool. I wish our club hand it.
Thanks to the sharer, very gutsy Will! Ian do you remember I emailed you once about a comment that Kevin once made in a Shankcast podcast "Doubles is all about taking time away from your opponent" that sort just went by un-noticed and un-remarked? If you agree with it, that might make a good topic for a video. Thanks....
Thank you sir!
Yes! Movement that does that is so important! I would love to see more of that!
Fingers crossed that Ian's got this on his to-do list! 🤞🤞
OMG what great stuff. I try to move back like Scott does but never really understood why. Now I really do understand. Love the concept of the most valuable real estate. As they say "Solve the riddle, hit down the middle. Love all of your videos, they have definitely helped my game. Especially love your comedy videos.
Keep at it Ian thanks so much for such content
You're welcome, Mohamed!
Great video, totally agree.
What I would like to see is how you put things together the tactical side & technical side. How they are in twined. Some of the mistakes of the 3.0 players made have a technical also a technical flaw hiding. 3.0 players looks back to see how his partner is doing. You only looked back to see how far he was off the court, to see if you should move to the middle looking back to your opponents instantly. Split stepping ready for your opportunity.
3.0 keeps watching not moving but spectating what is going to happen next. The opponents could have moved any where without him knowing ( he can't see). Also when he does look forward again he needs to adjust his focus again on 3 different things netplayer position baseline, player position & the ball. That why many coaches get the response if I have to think it goes wrong because they don't give themselves the time to think& react. in split second before making choices to pouch or not & to move. So he is just standing there. Making students aware of those little things helps them out a lot.
Awsome video, Ian!
Please, keek oferint those incredible videos!
A huge from Barcelona!
Love this! Thanks so much! I have had this problem playing with partners that sit over by the alley and leave 75% of the court open for me to cover. What about some content on when to poach? I feel like I miss a lot of poachable balls because I'm afraid to make my partner switch sides. How do you know when to poach and how close to the net should you be? Thanks!
Great video Ian. Once you get passed down the alley, it's like you're forever in fear of getting passed again so you guard it with your life. Big mistake as you pointed out. Please also post more singles strategy, preferably with some actual point played for demonstration. Thanks for posting.
I appreciate the comparison between these levels of play, very helpful!
I love the fact that that you are using "relatable level" players and situations!!!!
Good to hear!
Great stuff, Ian. I love the monitor and your software!
Love that you are sharing strategy and court positioning. Thank you!
This was really helpful. Comparing the two levels for each scenario is a great technique to drive home the lesson. I would appreciate seeing more of these comparisons used in future videos for both singles and doubles play. Cheers!
Great to hear you enjoyed it, Sean! Thanks for the feedback.
Keep the doubles strategy coming! Love it
I've been playing for years and it drives me crazy when people just stand in the alley. I've tried to show people to move to the middle but have gotten a lot of negative comments about leaving the alley open. Way too many amateur players are stuck in very poor strategic decision making and worse yet, refusing to change.
Marc Noble same, as a teen when adults tell me to move, I try to explain that the middle is the best place and they just don’t get it. It’s extremely frustrating
Fab extremely helpful video Ian!! In most cases this is right on strategy, but there are some players who are quite proficient in hitting down an open ally. What to do then? Getting "passed" at net is not fun & often times invites a stern "watch your alley" response from one's partner. Thanks again sir!!
Great real life analysis. Keep them coming! Thanks
I consider myself a good...decent double player, and often in team competitions I find myself "lead" the couple as far as positioning and strategy are concerned: I'm usually been told "cover the alley" from my partners or I need to try to convice him not to leave the centre unguarded, because I would be covering 70% of the court that way.
Nonetheless, this video helped me understand better the one other video you made of "moving along a triangle" in doubles, this explanation made that pattern way clearer and useful.
Thank you Ian. This is great analysis and strategy.
Loving this new content you put out. 👏👏👏
I've tried this and I keep getting passed down the alley. This happened 3 times in my last match. I was playing on the right and facing a left handed player who is much better than me. My partner is also better than me but has a relatively weak forehand, he returned the ball cross court and I moved in a similar way to the 5.0 net player in the game you are showing. The next I know the ball is flying down my alley at speed with my opponent saying thanks for leaving such a big gap. He did also added that I moved to early again I don't know how to fix that.
I agree with everything you are saying but I can't seem to get it to work when my partner has a weak forehand.
Thanks for making these videos, I'm getting a lot of insight from them even if I not improving.
Thanks Ian I glad I found this video Finally a video I can forward to my friends
Thanks mate, am forwarding this video to my doubles partner:)
you know it!
Great video! Could you consider poaching strategies at a 4.0 and higher level for future topic
I have dubels today thanks for helping
Another great video. Thanks. Appreciate it doing all by yourself and you're doing a great job. 2 thumbs up
Great video and explaining ONe lady I play with lobs so much maybe 90% of the time. What is the best way to cover for me and my partner
Love this. More doubles content and strategy in particular is much appreciated.
Great video. You talked about players feeling the need to protect the alley and talked about protecting the middle instead. Makes sense because the middle is the high percentage shot. However, you didn’t address how to manage the alley. The reason club players protect the alley is they get beat down the alley a lot. I suspect the answer is that the net player needs to keep moving and move toward the alley when their opponent has a shot that could go down the alley but it would be helpful to hear you address this.
Thanks , made Court positioning clearer .
I've been so guilty of this before. Feeling like I'm doing nothing at the net. Getting stuck there and not really covering anything.
Thanks for forcing me to address this.
I love the video! I agree with a previous comment that I would like the point played thru and then give your commentary. Thanks!😁
Glad it was helpful!
Great information! Thank you again!
You're very welcome, Nancy!
I'd love to watch more of your match versus Nate & Scott!!
Thank you for this great video. Great insights and help.
You're very welcome!
Squeezing the center also has the effect of narrowing the target area the other side has to hit to. Just be sure to keep your eyes open though because it does open up the alley. An alert player will put it down the line. If the opposite side net player covers too close to the alley, hit wide cross court to move the back player out of position. Then hit down the middle hard for a winner. Thanks for sharing Ian, some good points people need to be aware of. I see poachers put the ball right down the middle for easy winners.
Keep the strategy content coming ! In 3.5 doubles, the serve is not always the weapon we need it to be, and the return can be targetted down the alley. What would be a good place to stand when the serve is not looking strong enough?
Great video. One of my real pet peeves is when I am covering the middle and our opponent hits an absolutely brilliant winner down the line only for my partner to angrily tell me to "cover your tram/line". I must show them this video! Thank you! :)
That said, I know there are times when I perhaps mistime my move and leave them a relatively easy shot down the line. A video with advice on this would be fantastic.
Amen, Stephen - especially when your partner serves either a 'gimme' serve or serves to the opponent's strength, and then proceeds to berate you for not covering the line!
Excellent topic!
Thanks, Ian. I think my partner and I will go ahead and crush our opponents today in our USTA 3.5 match, thanks to a few adjustments that we will make after watching this video. :-)
This is great, but I'd like to see the points you're using play out. It's frustrating to not see the point. Maybe play it thru and then do the analysis. My 2¢.
Appreciate the feedback! It's a tricky thing because you can do the "wrong" thing and still win the point....just like you can do the "right" thing and lose it! Players tend to be obsessed about the outcome instead of being focused on the process and as a result often get really stuck in bad patterns. Hope that makes sense!
@@EssentialTennis I get rewarded for doing the wrong thing often enough to make it hard to break away from bad habits. Btw, the match against Scott and Nate was fun to watch!!!
I agree!
Also 3 reasons why you don't need to cover your alley is risk: net is higher, sideline acts as an opponent, opponents forehand is typically there
Great tips! Love them! Thanks!
Good work. I would love to see a breakdown of I formation and Aussies formation.
Really good stuff. I only wish that some of the people I play with would watch some of these videos. I've recommended to some of my colleague some of these ideas and recommended these videos but rarely does anyone do it. I've taken a lot of the advice and don't guard the alley and do a lot more moving up and back to protect the middle. Am I winning more points, sure, but if your partner is still guarding the alley and standing still, well, there is only so much one can do when you're playing doubles. I just try to take satisfaction that I'm playing better and doing the right thing most of the time.
Excellent presentation. Have always arguments from my 3.0 players when I push them to the middle.
u cover the middle i will hit it down the line, u stay close to net then i lob you, u stay at base line then i drop u, u drop me i usually drop u back...
2 requests!!
1. How can you tell what number level you are
2. Review of the app called SwingVision (Looks like some awesome tennis analysis)
Ian please man continue this series. This is exactly what I need. I'm at a decent level but my tactics have always lacked and I feel that this is what is missing from my game. Hopefully these videos will help me go to the next level. Thanks
Glad you've been enjoying them, Thomas! These videos will absolutely help....IF you apply what you learn! 🙂
Good video indeed! However, I feel it does take a good amount of skill and competence to pull it off. I often have to play doubles with slower partners who don't excel at the net. I have to confess I tend to advise them to cover their alley because I feel it's safer for me to control the point from the back with solid ground strokes than having them swoop in. This kind of movement does require good footwork, and if someone is lacking that I rather have them at least covering their side and let me do the running for balls hit to the center of the court. However if you have a competent partner this way of playing is obviously preferable!
can you do the same thing but let the rally play out more? once things get messy, it's confusing and everything is a scramble
Very useful. Await more double tactical clips to improve our mindgame - low level 3.0 to 5.0. These make us more confident that we are moving properly in the game, not in the stupid way . Thank you.
I’d like you to play the full point first without stopping and analysing. Then go back and do exactly what you did in this video. For me it helps the context to see the point at full speed to set up the coaching advice. Loving these tactical videos 👍🏻
Helpful video, thanks. I guess what causes the alley-alley position is that lower level players struggle to hit approach volleys and also tend to be lazy, so they stand right on top of the net and can't react to any return that isn't straight to them. So their options are to get passed down the alley over and over, or cover the alley but leave the other 80% of the court for the server to try and cover.
Good stuff! Percentage tennis. I think in terms of the player hitting the ball is at he apex of 2 lines, going from their position to the other side of the court, encapsulating the possible in bounds shots, hitting away from the players and the 2 players on the other side have the job of cutting off the hitting players ball, positioning themselves in the most advantageous position to them. The hitting players and his partner need to position their selves such that they can protect the most court, the most advantageously to them. Depending on where the ball is hit, they need to move up,, back or to a side. But standing still is NOT an option!
Great stuff, David!
One of the classical mistakes for lower level doubles players (or inexperienced) is that the players at the net tend to follow the ball past them going to their partners'. This way they cannot see what's happening in front of them and they cannot react in time whenever their opponents poach or move, etc. I'm always teaching my students to keep focused on the fact that the ball will ALWAYS come from the front and never from the back. You can see this in the video as well. Also, regarding the first shot, it would be OK for Kevin to cover closer to the alley if he knew you were chip and charging and covering the mid zone. He moved instinctly to the left because he didn't notice (I presume) you were going at the same spot. Still good fundamentals tho :D As always, great job.
Love it, please do kore doubles tactics
In my experience players at lower level don't look where the ball is bouncing in correlation to their position on the court& the angle they must cover.
It is an awesome video! Thank you very much! I played in several doubles match where my opponent kept on lob and hit the ball away from me. So my question is when should I move back to the service line? I felt I couldn’t help my partner. Thank you!