with Peter Smith,
Jack Kramer Club (CA) Director of Tennis & General Manager;
University of Southern California Men's Tennis Coach from 2002 through 2019;
5x NCAA Champions, including Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back (2009/2010/2011/2012) titles;
5x Pac-10 Coach of the Year;
2011 & 2014 USPTA National College "Coach of the Year";
2x Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) "Coach of the Year" (2010 & 2012);
Pepperdine Head Coach from 1997 to 2002;
5x WCC Champion, 5x WCC Coach of the Year;
Teaching doubles technique and strategy has become a vital component for team success, from high school up through college. In this video, five-time NCAA championship coach Peter Smith demonstrates the same progression of competitive drills and match play situations that he uses with his team that have allowed them to continue their dominance of the Pac-12.
Coach Smith walks through a warm up, doubles-specific drills, and three-player drills. Each of these drills have variations and progressions to improve doubles play tactically and technically. The video focuses on isolating parts of the court to help players develop skills of serving, returning, volleying and ground strokes. Using a combination of instruction, competition and repetition, Coach Smith's methods will help players at all levels improve their game.
Dynamic Warm-Up
Coach Smith stresses the importance of getting the body warm with a sequence of dynamic stretches that target the legs, hips, and shoulders. Special attention is given to warming up the shoulders and rotator cuff using a resistance band to reduce the chance of injury. This dynamic routine will ensure that your team is prepared physically to hit the court running.
The USC Warm-Up
In this segment, Coach Smith reinforces the importance of shot selection and the smaller details in doubles tennis during their warm-up. He puts his team through a sequence of the following shots:
- Bounce overheads
- Defensive lobs
- Offensive top spin lobs
- Slice backhands
- Volleys
Coach Smith stresses hitting a variety of shots as a doubles player, noting that this sequence has helped his players throughout the years learn how to mix it up during match play. Each shot is only hit for 1-2 minutes.
Doubles Drills Series
Practice progresses into a 2-on-2 doubles series - the same series Coach Smith uses with his team immediately before they begin match play. Continually stressing the importance of making each drill competitive (games to 5 or 7), Coach Smith puts his team through the following drills:
- Poaching - With all four players at the service line, Coach Smith feeds through the middle to emphasize the importance of stepping in. Coach Smith prioritizes moving with the feet (not lunging with the arms) and the importance of keeping the ball out of the net.
- Poaching, Crossing - This drill simulates the return and the returner's partner crossing. Coach Smith feeds the return to the oncoming server, who returns cross court to get Coach Smith's partner to poach. Coach Smith stresses the importance of moving on an 'L', not on a diagonal.
- Two Up, Two Back - This drill stresses the importance of closing the net and taking away the middle.
Match Play Drills
Moving from the Doubles Drills Series, Coach Smith takes you through a series of drills that help isolate, focus, and emphasize the importance of the first four shots in a doubles point. As Coach Smith states, 80% or more of doubles points will be decided in these first shots. Each drill gives opportunity for team work, communication, poaching, defending and attacking the ball.
- Serve and Volley Cross Court - This drill isolates the serve, the return, and the third ball. Every ball is played cross court in a 1-on-1 situation. Coach Smith emphasizes the importance of serving to the body in doubles. Learn the signaling system Coach Smith incorporates with his doubles teams to stress the importance of serve placement and net movement.
- One Up, One Back - This drill focuses on the importance of, again, stepping in and through the middle. It alternates from the coach feeding the serve to the coach feeding the return.
- Offense, Defense - This 1-on-1 competitive drill emphasizes the importance of closing the net, as points can only be won at the net.
Group Games
Most tennis coaches deal with managing a large amount of players on one court at the same time. Coach Smith takes you through drills he uses at his academy and during practice play that can help you through large-number situations:
- Overheads
- Overheads/Poach
- Poach Drill
- Forehand Poaches
- Approach Shots
- Live Ball
Three Man Doubles Drills
Learn an innovative approach to working with your doubles teams. By taking away the fourth player, Coach Smith shows you a sequence of drills that again focus on the first shots, which are crucial to doubles success:
- Serve and Volley
- Straight Up
- Modern I
- Traditional I
- Straight Up with a Poach or Fake
- Coach is the Returner
- Isolation Drill
Tennis coaches of all levels are always looking for new and innovative methods for teaching doubles play. After viewing this video, you will have more than enough tools to help take your doubles teams to the next level!
"I have been looking for a doubles video that gives an intense and efficient way to focus on what really matters in doubles match play, this video is it. Players keep pace and challenge each other to make it pay off on matc