Playing doubles can be just as exciting and fulfilling as winning a match in a singles game. One iconic doubles player who can attest to this is Grand Slam title holder Australian Stephen Huss who, along with his partner South African Wesley Moodie, became the first qualifier to win the Wimbledon men's doubles championship in 2005.
But what factors should you consider when switching from a singles type of play to a doubles match?
Let’s find out how these two types of play are different from each other and how you can improve your singles game by playing doubles.
Three main differences
While both share almost the same goals and rules, there are three main differences you should be aware of in terms of playing matches. First, singles tennis obviously involves only two contesting players while you have two pairs on each side of the court when you play doubles, each one covering their respective halves of the court.
When it comes to strategy, the players who win a doubles match are usually the ones who are better at strategy than those who simply rely on speed and strength. A doubles team should always be cohesive and work together flawlessly in identifying the opposing team’s weakness and capitalizing on the same to core points. This entails hitting the ball in areas where their opponents won’t expect them to go, which requires a high level of on-court IQ for a doubles team.
Lastly, if in a singles game you see players going to and from the baseline and the net and vice versa several times, doubles teams move all over the court with the objective of covering the entire space while reducing the amount of running they both have to exert during play.
Focusing on doubles
If you want to improve your singles game, giving ample focus to how double matches work is quite important. Just take Former No. 1 women’s doubles champion Australian Samantha Stosur’s achievement for example. After winning three Grand Slam doubles from 2004 to 2006 with her partner Lisa Raymond of the US, she rose to the singles ranks reaching her highest at No. 4 and capped off her impressive career with 9 WTA Tour titles including a 2011 US Open Grand Slam title.
Thanks to her focus on doubles games, Stosur’s singles performance was optimized to the point that her strategies against higher-ranking players paid off particularly in how she handled their various types of serves and gained control of the play. In a doubles match, you can review how your opponents usually position themselves from their side of the court as opposed to how they can choose to play at a particular area during singles matches whether from behind the baseline or in a better position to counter punch with your return of serve.
Mastering your doubles game sharpens the major components of your singles game from your serves, returns, and volleys. Seeing where your opponents are all over the court improves your accuracy in your return of serve over power as you have a smaller margin of error when it comes to playing doubles. In short, you can improve your singles game by first learning how to work with smaller areas of the court during doubles matches. Add to this how you can be more conscious of your serves and subsequently set up an attack as well as developing hand speed and instinct for your volleys since you usually deal with close-range bullet returns when playing doubles.
Honing your net skills and shot selection
Have you ever noticed how most singles players avoid the net at all costs? If you frequently practice in doubles, you can better acquaint yourself with how effective plays are done near the net area as it forces you to be more aggressive. Working your net game will boost your confidence and give you a better opportunity to return shots that can throw off your opponent in a singles game.
When in practice, try to work on your volleys and overheads near the net so you can apply it during a singles match and end up on the more fearless side of the court than your opponent. While you’re at it, focus on how your doubles game forces you to work within constrained spaces and come up with strategies on how you can score from more creative angles by utilizing your speed and footwork. Doubles are also played at a faster pace when it comes to volley exchanges than in a singles game so you not only develop your strategy but your reflexes, instincts, and hand-eye coordination as well.
Polishing your skill set
When playing in doubles, your approach shots towards the net can redefine your transition game, similar to how legends Martina Navratilova and both Serena and Venus Williams have all shown us in the past during their singles games. And do take note of how the Willilams sisters also improved their respective performances by playing doubles.
Aside from the physical aspect of play, a doubles match can greatly increase your on-court IQ as you constantly think on your feet so you can be on top of what’s happening on the court at all times. In both singles and doubles matches, you are going to have to follow the movement of the ball and that of your opponent to determine which positioning is best for you to take in every back and forth.
Playing doubles also increases your match training to further develop your competitiveness in real match situations. On Stosur’s part, she worked on improving her big serve, return of serve, and her strategies on finishing the point off the net with volley shots. Eventually, the champion amped up her singles performance in the next three years with better hitting positions that execute perfect strokes and properly rephrasing the right footwork that’s effective in a singles match.
With that, it’s easy to see how playing doubles can greatly improve your anticipation of the ball and which areas of the court you can land them, or how you can instinctively return a shot at the right angles towards your opponent’s weaker spots. The more you perfect your doubles style of play, the more you can bring your singles game to a new and higher level.
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