Doubles strategy

Singles is about covering ground on your own. Doubles is about covering it together. The good news is that you don't need lightning reflexes or a monster smash to play smart doubles. You just need to understand two simple shapes, know when to switch between them, and talk to your partner. Get those right and you'll already be ahead of most recreational pairs.

The two shapes: front-and-back vs side-by-side

There are only two basic formations in doubles, and each one has a job. Front-and-back is your attacking shape: one player stands near the net, the other behind them covering the rear court. The back player hits the powerful downward shots (smashes and steep drops) while the front player hovers at the net, ready to pounce on any weak reply. This is where you win points.

Side-by-side is your defending shape: you and your partner stand level with each other, roughly splitting the court down the middle, so between you, you cover its full width. You use this when the other pair is hitting down at you, because a smash can come to either side and you need someone within reach of both.

When and how to rotate

The shapes aren't fixed positions; you move between them constantly. The simplest rule is to follow your own shot. If you're at the back and play a drop into the net, follow it forward and take over the front; your partner slides behind you to cover the rear. If you're caught at the net and have to lift, you and your partner fan out level into side-by-side to defend the coming smash. Rotation feels awkward at first, but it quickly becomes automatic.

1. You hit downwards (smash or drop): settle into front-and-back and keep attacking.
2. The shuttle goes up off your racket: drop into side-by-side to defend.
3. You play a shot and move toward it; your partner covers the space you left.
4. You win the attack again, regroup into front-and-back, and repeat.

Serving low and pushing to win the attack

In doubles, almost all serves are low serves, dropped just over the net to land near the front service line. A good low serve stops your opponents hitting down on the very first shot, forcing them to lift or play a soft, loose return that you can attack. Serve high in doubles and you simply hand them the smash.

When you receive serve, your aim is the mirror image: take the shuttle early and push or net it so that the servers are the ones forced to lift. Whichever pair makes the other lift first usually grabs the attack, so this little battle at the start of the rally matters more than it looks.

Who covers what

Clear responsibilities prevent the classic doubles muddle where both of you chase the same shuttle or both leave it. In the attacking front-and-back shape, the front player owns the net and any loose returns; the back player owns everything deep and hits the smashes and clears. In the defending side-by-side shape, you simply each guard your own half of the width: cover anything smashed to your side, and trust your partner with theirs. The dividing line shifts a little depending on which side the attack is coming from, but the principle holds.

Talking to each other

Communication is the cheapest way to improve as a pair. Keep it short and clear: call 'mine' or 'yours' for shuttles down the middle, 'out' or 'leave' when one of you can see a shot is drifting long, and 'up' or 'switch' when you've swapped sides. A quick word between rallies (who takes the middle, where to serve) saves countless lost points. The best recreational pairs simply talk more than the rest.

A note on mixed doubles

Mixed doubles (one man, one woman) follows the same shapes but with more defined roles. Pairs usually aim for the woman at the front covering the net and the man behind in the rear court doing the heavy hitting. The idea is to play to each player's strengths and keep the attacking shape for as long as possible, with the front player fighting to control the net so the back player can attack from deep. The same rule still applies: when you're forced to lift, you both move into side-by-side to defend, then work your way back into your roles once you regain the attack.