After you hit your return of serve, you have plenty of options for your next shot.
Your opponent has delivered his serve and you’ve put your return back in play. Now what? There are three basic plays you can try, and each has its own variations. An effective doubles player knows how to mix them up to be successful. Here’s a rundown of what you can do:
VOLLEY
Your opponent may choose to serve and stay back (particularly on a weak second serve), so a solid return will give you a chance to move forward and take the net. If your opponent does serve and volley, but you hit a good, low return and you feel comfortable closing in on the net, you can volley the next ball out of the air. You’ll generally hit this first volley from around the service line, so be sure to hit it with some authority, or at least try to keep it low so your opponents have to volley up.
GROUND STROKE
If you prefer to stay at the baseline, or you didn’t hit an effective return, you can try a ground stroke. Going down the middle is the safest play because that’s where the net is at its lowest point, and the other team may be confused about who covers the shot. Hitting crosscourt is also a highpercentage play, and presents an opportunity to keep the ball below net level and set your partner up for a poach on the next ball. The last option is to drive the ball down the line at the net player. The distance is shorter between you and this player, and the ball will get on him quickly, potentially forcing a weak reply. Since you’re keeping the ball in front of you, there’s a good chance it will come back to you. But you’re also leaving yourself open to an angled volley between you on the baseline and your partner at net, which makes the downthe- line shot a riskier tactic.
LOB
Depending on how fast your opponents close in on the net and the quality of their first volley, the lob can be useful. If your opponents have put you on the defensive with the first volley, you might need to throw up a high defensive lob to keep your team in the point. Other times, when you hit a good return that forces your opponent to float a volley, you’ll have time to set up and try an aggressive topspin lob that can put you in control of the point.