Use Doubles to Improve Singles

Many of the dominant singles player of the modern game have also been the top doubles players of their era, including John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova, who simultaneously claimed the titles of top singles and doubles player during their heyday.

Today, dominant singles players like the Williams sisters and Martina Hingis are also top doubles players.

What are the benefits of practicing and playing doubles more often?

#1 Doubles Play Improves Singles Skills
Because the court is protected by two players, there is less room to work with, and so a doubles player's strokes must be more accurate. Additionally, in order to win in doubles at higher levels, you must learn to take and play the net, adding a variety of technical and tactical skills to their games.

The Serve
In order to win at competitive levels of play, you must learn to serve down the middle in order to take away the return down the alley and the severe, crosscourt angle. A serve down the middle also forces the receiver to hit the ball inside out if they wish to keep their return away from the net player.

Playing doubles helps you improve the placement of your serves.

The Return
The return of serve is more difficult in doubles because the receiver has less room to work with, due to the fact that, in order to keep the return from being picked off, the receiver must either lob or return crosscourt. Additionally, at higher levels of play, the receiver will have to hit this shot using an inside-out stroke in because the ball will usually be served down the middle.

Playing doubles helps you improve your return.

The Volley
The oldest axiom in doubles still remains, “The team that gets to the net first, wins.”

In addition to putting away volleys from up close to the net, doubles players must learn to volley from the mid-court as they work their way in. You must learn how to hit volleys moving both forward and laterally (during a poach).

Even if you play a one-up, one-back formation, you will still need to play the net each time your partner serves.

Playing doubles helps you improve your volleys.

The Overhead
Once you are at the net, you will undoubtedly be lobbed, and will have to learn how to aggressively judge lobs and hit overheads.

Playing doubles helps you improve your overheads.

The Lob
If the opposing team takes the net first, you will have to learn how to hit lobs, including topspin lobs at higher levels of play, and how to advance off lobs.

Playing doubles helps you improve your lob.

#2 Improved Competition for Your Teammates
If you like to play singles but do not practice with any doubles, your teammates are never going to get a chance to practice against the best members of your team. Let your singles players know that as part of a team, they have a responsibility to help their teammates improve.

#3 Increased Opportunity to Play Collegiate Tennis
Additionally, if your players wish to increase their chances of playing at the collegiate level, they must learn to play doubles. With possible rules changes that may prohibit players from playing singles and doubles in the same dual match, and with more points decided by doubles than singles, players who can play doubles have a better chance to make a college team as more and more college coaches specifically look to recruit doubles players.

If your singles players are reticent about playing doubles during practice, show them how playing doubles improves their skills in the following ways.

Practicing doubles helps every facet of a singles player's game, and demands even more precision and accuracy than singles. If you can do it in a doubles match, you'll probably be able to do it during a singles match.