Handling a Two-Back Doubles Formation

The following is a true story.

Kim and Betty, a #1 doubles team, had just won their first set 6-1. As they began the next set, they saw that their opponents had made a strategy decision -- both players would play from the baseline.

Having never seen this formation before, Kim and Betty began hitting short, trying to take advantage of their opponents' position at the baseline.

Kim and Betty lost the next two sets 2-6, 3-6.

What went wrong?

First, Kim and Betty had never seen this formation before, had never been told how to play against it and had never practiced against it.

Second, rather than playing their normal game, Kim and Betty began to try a new style of play neither had used before.

Finally, by trying to hit short balls, Kim and Betty were no longer forcing errors, producing short balls they could attack or creating weak shots they could put away.

In short, their opponents forced got Kim and Betty to abandon their original, winning strategy of forcing tennis.

When you encounter a two-back formation, in most situations, you should not change your shot patterns from the ones you have practiced.

If you have been taught to use depth to produce errors, short balls and weak shots, you should continue to use depth to do this.

If you think that you will be able to "dink" your opponents up to the net, you will most likely hit weak balls your opponents can run down and hit offensively. Now, instead of being on the offensive (the whole point of the short shot in this situation), you will find yourselves on the defensive.

Why do some doubles teams play two back? Often, it's because the other team is too dominant and is taking advantage of any weak or short balls with aggressive shots. But, if the aggressive team hits neutral or weak short balls, the other team won't mind coming to the net to play these balls.

If you have been playing aggressively against a one-up, one-back or a two-up formation team that suddenly changes to a two-back formation, continue to play aggressively -- but now, take advantage of the angles open on both sides of the court ONCE YOU HAVE PRODUCED A BALL YOU CAN EASILY VOLLEY AWAY!

While facing a one-up, one-back formation, you need to keep balls crosscourt and out of reach of the net person. Against a two-back formation, the directional pressure is now off you and your partner, and you can hit deep balls to either side of the court, as well as down the middle, to force errors, produce short balls or create weak shots.

While facing a two-up formation, you need to keep balls low and down the middle. Against a two-back formation, you now have the option described above.

If a two-back team resorts to the lob, your team can play a one-up, one-back formation with the baseline player taking lobs with a forehand (for a right-handed player, this means he or she would play the ad court from the baseline). The net player is then free to roam, picking off weak balls, because he or she knows their partner is staying back to take all lobs.

What you lose against a two-back formation is the ability to lob over the net person or to volley at his feet. What you gain against a two-back formation is the ability to angle short, winning volleys to either side of the court and to hit deep and down the middle, creating confusion in "husband-and-wife" territory.

It's important that you prepare for this situation.

This means practice this way by having your teammates play in a two-back formation so you can see what will happen to you and your partner.

Often, if you simply pretend that there is a player at the net, you will see that your basic strategy of forcing tennis will work just fine against this formation.

Of course, a major advantage you lose against a two-back formation is the ability to hit at the up player's feet and to hit volleys into the gap between and behind players. However, the short angle volley is now open to either side -- if you have properly pinned opponents back on the baseline.

Summary
Remember...

#1 -- The key to beating a two-back formation is to not panic: don't change your basic strategy of forcing tennis (forcing errors, producing short balls and picking off weak balls); don't go to the short ball to bring players to the net or try for angles that aren't there; use a one-up, one-back formation to guard against the lob.

#2 -- The key to not panicking is to have practiced against this formation prior to seeing it.