How to Know Where to Place a Serve in Doubles Tennis

Doubles tennis is a whole other game than singles. It's all about positioning, net play and a serve-and-volley strategy. But placing your serve is a part of that strategy and is the stepping stone toward winning every point. Here is how you should place your serves in doubles tennis.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Hit it where they ain't. The first thing you should look for when you are about to serve is if your opponent is giving you an ace opportunity. By this, I mean to look to see if they are shading toward one side or another. If your opponent is awaiting your serve in the doubles alley, you want to serve it right down the middle of the court to make it difficult to return; if your opponent is stand toward the middle of the court, you might want to hit it wide out of their reach. This element of serving does not involve any doubles strategy. It's just plain and simple: if they give you an opportunity, go for the easy ace.

2. Push the serve out wide. One of the best strategies for doubles serving is pushing the ball out wide and forcing your opponent to attempt a difficult return. If you have the placement skills to hit your serve out toward the doubles alley, get it out there as far as possible. In fact, if you can spin it away too, it'll be even more effective. At the same time, if your partner at the net knows that you are serving it wide (or can figure it out) they can cover their alley more tightly and should be given an easy volley winner. If you slice the ball into the corner, the only real shot your opponent will have is to either hit it down the alley or try to get it back to the server. Either way, it will be an extremely difficult shot and if your partner at the net is prepared, they will most likely be faced with an easy volley for the winner.

3. Play to your opponent's weakness. If your opponent has a strong forehand, try to hit it to their backhand; if they have a strong backhand, serve it at their forehand. It seems obvious, but with everything going on in tennis match it's easy to forget that you should constantly be pounding their weakness. Almost every player not on the professional tour favors one side or another. In fact, most people who are just casual tennis players often favor their forehand; it's just easier to hit when you haven't practiced. So figure out (in warm-ups or the first few games) which side your opponent favors and hit it to the other stroke. It's that simple.

Tips & Warnings

• Some doubles teams will have signals so the two players can communicate. This is really not for the casual player, but if you are playing some intense, demanding tennis, it might be a good idea to work out hand signals.

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