Charge!: The most aggressive players, and usually the more advanced, will use a good first serve as an opportunity to finish a point quickly. The speed and trajectory of a first serve will likely determine how well the ball is returned. A good serve out wide with some pace is generally tougher to handle, and the ball will come back with less speed, giving the server ample time to approach the net. Even if the ball comes back with a bit of pace, the server can use the “chip and charge” philosophy to establish position beside his or her playing partner at the net. This can fluster an opponent and force them to play a well-placed lob, which is a tough shot.

Criss-cross: The basics of doubles play call for anyone returning a serve to do so to the opposite court, away from the player of the serving team up at the net. This lessens the chance that the player at net will cram the ball back down your throat. But a solid offensive tennis team can anticipate such a strategy properly, especially on the first serve. The “poach” is a particularly sneaky and effective way to keep your opponent guessing. After the serve, the player on the serving side at net will shift quickly to the opposite side of the court, ostensibly to cut off a cross-court return. This play relies on solid communication, as the server must move quickly to cover the side of the court behind the poaching net player.

Down under: The Australian doubles set looks strange to most, but it can be very effective if played properly. Australian doubles forces the receiver, who is used to returning cross-court, to return down-the-line instead. This change from the familiar draws return errors. But the geometry of the situation is even more important, because the net is higher and the court is shorter down the line. Since you’re playing for a service-return error, and even though power serving is generally not a big help in doubles, it goes great with Australian doubles. It not only forces errors and weak, poachable returns, it keeps the receiver from lobbing the service return so you can’t poach it.

Stay back: For many beginners, playing up at the net can be uncomfortable. The ball comes back quickly – more quickly than normal, anyway – and excellent hand-eye coordination with proper form are a must. When starting out playing doubles, if one player is not comfortable playing at the net, you may see teams play both players back a bit. This gives players a more familiar feel to the game, as in singles play you generally spend much less time at the net than in doubles. It gives both players a chance to see the ball coming, and allows for better communication. Baseline groundstrokes are more familiar to most players, and it may help gain familiarity with a playing partner.