A simple match plan: two or three points, a plan A and a plan B
How to prepare a short, realistic plan for a match, doubles included, and how to use the breaks to adjust it.
Keep it short
The BWF Level 2 manual advises that tactical support in competition should be simple, focused on two or three points that are crucial to the outcome of the match. A page of instructions cannot be remembered on court. The same idea works for a pair preparing together.
Build the plan
- Choose two or three points. Mix what you need to do yourselves (for example, slow down between rallies) with what you want to do against this opponent (for example, pressure their weaker corner or hit into the body). The manual suggests balancing both.
- Only plan what you can do. The manual's example: do not count on deception from the back of the court (held clears and drop shots) if you have not practised it.
- Have a plan B. Decide beforehand what you will change if plan A does not work.
Use the breaks
In the 21-point format, the manual notes a break at the 11-point interval (60 seconds) and one between games (120 seconds); see continuous play: intervals, delays, advice and leaving the court for what the laws allow now, since the 3x15 format changes the count. During a break:
- keep it short and simple;
- be positive;
- end with a question, such as "what will we focus on for the rest of the game?", to check you both understood;
- stay calm: in most cases a calm tone helps most.
After the match
Immediately after a game, people are often in a high emotional state. The manual advises that feedback is often better left for a suitable time after the match.
Limits
The manual writes for coaches who support players, and a pair of club players will adapt it. It does not prove that written plans win matches. Use it as a way to simplify your thinking, not as a script.
General practice advice: play within your limits and stop if something hurts.