It takes two: doubles for dummies

To the casual observer, the basic tennis doubles match follows a very clear pattern: serve, return, volley and eventually hit a winner. But like most things that seem simple at first, there is far more to a skilled doubles match than initially meets the eye.

Before getting into any great detail, it is important to establish some basic vocabulary for those uninitiated to the mystery that is tennis. The deuce side is the right side of the court as someone on the court would see it, while the ad side is the opposite. A groundstroke is a shot hit from the baseline (the back line), while a volley is one hit from near the net, before the ball bounces.

Clearly the ultimate goal in any doubles rally is to win the point, whether by hitting an unreturnable shot or by forcing the opposing team to make an error. How this is accomplished, however, is where doubles tennis gets interesting.

The most common strategy employed by the Tigers is the standard formation. A game begins with the server lining up on the deuce side baseline and the partner at the net of the ad side. The opposition mirrors this setup.

The real strategy comes in after the ball is put in play be the server. Here the player at the net on the server's team can either decide to play conservatively by protecting against a crisply hit shot down the line, or they can choose to gamble by performing a poach. A player executing a poach assumes that the returning player will hit a cross-court shot, so they move preemptively, hoping to cut off the shot and put away a winner. When executed properly, a poach can pay huge dividends, but when abused, it can result in frequent burns down the line.

Occasionally, though, the Princeton players turn to more sophisticated styles of play, some requiring entirely different formations. Two such styles are the "I" and "Australian."

When playing in the I style, the server stands toward the center of the baseline, while their partner crouches along the centerline at the net.

"Generally I have used the I to allow my partner at the net to put the balls away easier. The key for the I is to get the first serve in, for it is usually intimidating for returners when a volleyer is covering the center court, and it forces the returner to hit a better shot," junior co-captain Ivana King said.

Not only does this scheme throw off the opposition, but it can also be used to exploit their weaknesses. If the returnee on the deuce side has a particularly weak backhand, using the I formation forces them to make a difficult shot down the line, lest they set up their partner for a smash from the net player.

In the Australian style, Under this setup, the partner at the net lines up on the same side as the server. While this strategy may reveal an open half of the court, an effective backcourt player should be able to scramble to return most of the shots.

Australian can be particularly effective in hiding weaknesses of one's own.

"If I had a weak backhand and wanted to cover my weakness, for example, on the ad side, I would do Australian, and since my partner, instead of staying on the opposite box of me, stays on my side, I just have to cover everything to my right, which would be my forehand — the stronger side," King said.

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What's more is that during a match hand signals can be used to communicate strategies between teammates. If a player at net plans on poaching, for example, then the player at the baseline is responsible for covering the vacant side of the court.

The strategy and formations associated with doubles play truly makes it one of the most exciting styles of tennis to play and observe.

"I love doubles because of the quick hands needed at net — it is like a competition for superiority at net," King said. "The best part is when my partner sets me up well and I'm at the net, ready to put away a high volley."