Watch how Federer, Hass, Wawrinka, Youzhny, Gasquet and more all use the same common threads prior to hitting a hand top spin backhand.

Watch how Federer, Murray, Hass, Hewitt, Davydenko, Safin, Tsonga all make the same move when tossing the ball.

Watch how Federer, Haas,Wawrinka, Youhzny and other top professionals use the extact same technique to hit a one handed backhand slice. This video is part of the common thread series on www.tennisoxygen.com

Understanding the positive and negative aspects of the shot before is a good start to understanding how to play doubles. Understanding and realizing the point was lost due to the shot before will help reduce the your frustration level.
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In order to truly understand this next article, you should read the article I wrote about shot perception. Too often my students make the common mistake to gauge the effectiveness of their shot based on what it felt like hitting the ball versus how did their shot affect their opponents. Many players make the assumption that a hard hit ball is an offensive shot while a “blooper”, “dink”, “shank” or a ball hit with no pace is defensive. Learning to evaluate your shot based on the outcome and not what it looked like or felt like is the secret to understanding how to anticipate.  For more Doubles strategy tips join www.tennisoxygen.com

USE MORE SPIN TO REIN NERVES IN FROM TENNISOXYGEN.COM

One of the biggest differences between intermediate and advanced player is how they handle their nerves in difficult situations. The more nervous a lower level player gets the more likely he or she will “push” the ball caused by the deceleration of the racquet. In contrast, a nervous advanced player will hit the ball with more spin caused by the acceleration of the racquet. That’s right, advanced players get nervous too.

It is only natural to want to do less with the racquet and shorten your stroke in order to “play it safe” but that false sense of security will only make your shot more tentative and it will stunt your growth as a tennis player. With a shortened stroke you can’t create spin. Advanced players have realized that spin is what controls the ball.

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Be a neutralizer and not a terminator from the baseline from www.tennisoxygen.com

Before I get into this particular strategy you must buy into the theory that winners should be hit from inside the service line making contact above the net and not from the baseline. Learning to setup, build a point or as I call it “to set the table” is what separates players that know how to play doubles from players that just play doubles.

To “set the table” in baseball lingo means that you want players safely get on base with boring singles or walks ahead of the big sluggers who hit home runs and clean up the bases to score runs. Well relating this to doubles strategy, you want to set up the point with safe and boring low shots to and at the net players forcing short defensive volleys so you can then move in and hit winners when closer to the net.

We all know the first team to the net has a greater chance to win the point. But how close should you get to the net? You and your opponent’s court positioning plus the characteristics of the ball you have hit will determine how close you should get to the net. Too many of my students shy away from going the net because they are afraid of being lobbed. This only leaves them vulnerable to low volleys at their feet or passing shots.

For more doubles strategy tips visit:www.tennisoxygen.com