Doubles with friends
Ready when: Rally consistency and direction (i1) started.
What you are learning
Playing doubles: two partners share one side, call "mine" or "yours" on every ball, and move together like they are joined by a rope, so no gap opens. Doubles has more volleys and more talking than singles.
Words on this card Baseline, Serve, Volley, Deep, Doubles
- Baseline
- The back line of the court, the line that ends the service boxes, and the box the serve must land in.
- Serve
- The shot that starts a point; a serve hit after a bounce; from below the waist; from above the head after a toss.
- Volley
- Hitting the ball before it bounces, usually near the net.
- Deep
- A ball that lands near the baseline, or one that lands near the net.
- Doubles
- Two against two; the net player crossing to cut off a ball.
Show it first for the one teaching
- Stand two players side by side at the net and volley back and forth with the other pair, counting.
- Hit a ball down the middle: one player calls "mine" and plays it, the other calls "yours".
- Show moving together: when one steps left, the other steps left too.
Your part while they practise
Keep score; remind the pairs to talk.
Step by step
- Volleys at the net in pairs, counting to 20.
- "Mine" or "yours": one player calls every ball.
- Then serve, return and one more shot only.
How much: 3 games 15 min a session 2 days a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Doubles with a bonus
Play doubles games; a return that lands deep, behind the service line, scores a bonus point.
Who plays: 2 pairs; you keep score.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- Play doubles with normal tennis scoring, or first to 7 points
- Each player serves a game in turn
- A return of serve landing past the service line adds a bonus point
- Fair play
- The stronger pair must call every ball aloud.
- Points
- 1 point for each point won; 1 bonus point for a deep return.
- Fouls
- The point goes to the other pair
- Both partners hit the ball
- No call on a middle ball
- The ball bounces twice
- Winning
- The pair with more points after 3 games.
- 4 points for 1 star
- 8 points for 2 stars
- 12 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
Both at the back.
One up and one back, then both at the net.
What you will see, and what to say
- both go for the middle ball
Call mine or yours, loud
Call first. - a gap opens down one side
Move together, like a rope
Step together.
Self-check
20 volleys in a row in pairs; every ball in 1 game called.
Stop and get a coach when
The pair wants formations and poaching.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains doubles roles, communication, volleys.
awiseathlete.com/sports/tennis/tennis-i5