Hints & Tips

As a club we spend the majority of our time on a Tuesday evening playing games of Doubles. We do not have a coach and we do not practise drills, however if you are looking to improve your game there are plenty of people on hand who are always happy to offer advice.

There are also lots of websites that will offer you guidance/video tutorials on how to improve specific shots or your overall game; a quick google search is all you need!

If you’re really not sure where to start then Pam has these 5 suggestions if you want to make the most out of your games when you’re at Nomads…

1. Footwork – If/when there is a spare court (and especially when there is no-one to play against) use it to practise moving around the court in the most efficient way i.e. with as few a steps as possible.

2. Drill your Shots – Again, if/when there is an empty court (and another player spare who isn’t interested in playing you at singles!) ask them if they’d mind helping you drills some specific shots. Decide what it is you’d like to practise (i.e. a clear, a drop shot, a net shot, a smash, a lift or  backhands) and ask them to feed you lots of shots to practise.

3. Serving – A spare court can also be used to practise your serves. Grab a tube of shuttles and try to hit the same spot time and time again.

4. Positioning – We generally tend to play Doubles and a big part of this is positioning. Unless you are playing traditional ‘mixed positioning’ where the ‘weaker’ player stays at the net and the ‘stronger’ player takes the back of the court you should try to work with your partner to cover the court in a dynamic way. This means when you are ‘attacking’ i.e. short serves, net shots, drop shots or smashes you play with one player at the front and one player at the back. As soon as you have to lift or clear (i.e. you’re playing defensively) you should play side by side.

5. Watch and Learn – You can learn a lot from the sidelines. Watch how other players use footwork to move around the court, watch how they serve, watch which shots they choose and how well they play together as doubles partners. You can also look for weaknesses, for when you play against them!

If you have any questions about any of the above then feel free to chat to Pam on a Tuesday evening or Contact Us.