Hit ’Em Where They Ain’t? Forget About It in Doubles!
By Greg Moran

“Hit ’em where they ain’t.” These were the first words most of us heard when we were learning tennis strategy. Translation: Hit the tennis ball where your opponent is not standing so that he or she will not be able to return it.

While this is relatively sound advice when playing singles, for those of you who play doubles, this strategy often loses more points than it wins. The reason lies in simple mathematics. When playing singles, one player is responsible for the entire 27 foot width of the court. In doubles the court is 36 feet wide but there are now two players to cover it. Each player now only has to patrol 18 feet.

Plus, if you and your partner are playing against an experienced team that follows the ball and moves well side to side, there will be very little “open” space for you to aim at. What little space there is will undoubtedly be the most difficult place for you to hit your shot.
Consequently, I try to stay away from the “hit ’em where they ain’t” approach when coaching doubles teams for the simple reason that I believe it produces far too many unforced errors—the cardinal sin of recreational players.

So how do you win points against good doubles teams? By hitting a large percentage of your shots three places: down the middle, at your opponent’s feet or over their heads.

Down the Middle

Hitting down the middle is arguably the best shot in doubles for several reasons. First, a shot hit down the center of the court travels over the lowest part of the net, reducing the chance for error. Second, there will always be an element of confusion by your opponents over whose ball it is. Third, by hitting down the middle, you won’t be giving your opponents any angles to play with.

Finally, a ball hit down the center—even if it’s not a great shot—will probably stay in play. Balls hit toward the sides of the court not only offer your opponents numerous angled returns they also greatly increase your chances of hitting the ball out.

Tennis legend Vic Braden agrees. “I’ve long been fascinated by the intermediates who say ‘Watch your alley’, while the pros are always talking about protecting the middle. Intermediates are so afraid of their opponents hitting down the line that one of them plays wide to the left and the other wide to the right. Unfortunately, they’re one man short.” Braden continues, “You could drive a truck between them. They’re so intent on guarding their alleys that when a ball is hit down the middle, they both automatically turn and say ‘Yours.’ You always want to entice your opponents to try those difficult, low percentage shots to your outside.”

At Your Opponent’s Feet

How many times have you made an error trying to angle an easy, high volley to the side of the court? The next time you’re faced with one of those high, floating, mouthwatering sitters, try aiming the ball right at your opponent’s feet. Even if your opponent manages to return your shot, he or she will have to hit up, which will allow you to move forward and drive the return down again. Plus, as with hitting down the middle, you’ll almost certainly keep the ball in play if you hit at your opponent’s feet.

A word to the wise about hitting at players: good doubles is an extremely fast and aggressive game in which the best shot is often right at the opposing player. However, be sure to exercise control so that you don’t unnecessarily injure someone.

Although it is each player’s responsibility to be in the correct position and stay alert so as not to get hit, make certain that you direct the ball down at your opponent’s feet. If you do accidentally hit someone, immediately make sure that they are okay, and apologize in the spirit of good sportsmanship.

Over Their Heads

One of the most misunderstood and underutilized shots in recreational tennis is the lob. Watch a tennis game at the 2.0 level and you’ll see plenty of lobs, as this shot is the one that players at this level can hit consistently to keep the ball in play.

As players get a little better they learn to hit the ball harder. Focused on (and seduced by) their new-found skill and power, they abandon the lob, which they now deem to be an inferior shot.

As players move up to the 4.0 level and beyond, they learn that the lob is quite often their best friend on the tennis court. These players know that when they’re in trouble, a high and deep defensive lob gives them time to recover. They also understand that a lower, offensive, lob can stop their net-rushing opponents in their tracks.

One Final Tip

In singles, your goal is to move your opponent from side to side to open up the court. Since this is difficult to do in doubles, you need to make a mental shift from thinking “side to side” to thinking “high or low.” Low at your opponent’s feet, which will force him or her to pop up the ball. High over your opponent’s head so that you force him or her to chase down your lob or move back and hit overheads, which are the most physically demanding shot in the game.

Remember the No. 1 rule of recreational tennis: Make your opponent hit the ball to beat you. The next time you and your partner take the court, hit the majority of your shots down the middle, at your opponent’s feet or over their head and you will be amazed at how many fewer errors you will make—and how many more points you will win.

Greg Moran is the Director of Tennis and part owner of the Four Seasons Racquet Club in Wilton, Connecticut, and writes tennis articles for various media. He has recently completed his first book titles The Joy of Tennis.