Attacking in doubles: one player front, one player back
The attacking shape in doubles, what the rear and front players each do, and when to swap roles.
The shape
When your side attacks in doubles, you stand one in front of the other: one player in the rear and mid-court, one near the net. When you defend, you stand side by side (see the next lesson). Moving between the two shapes, quickly and together, is a large part of doubles.
The rear player
- Covers the mid-court and rear court.
- Is patient: waits for a good chance to attack instead of forcing it.
- Sets up the front player: a steep drop or a smash that forces a weak reply gives the partner something to finish.
- Mixes the shots: steep drops, smashes at the player on the straight line or between the two opponents, cross-court drops and smashes now and then, and a clear to change the rhythm (clears are rare in men's doubles).
Why straight or between the two? A shot at the straight player gives them less time. A shot between the two cuts the angles they can use to reply.
The front player
- Covers the mid-court and forecourt.
- Takes the shuttle early, intercepts drives and pushes, and tries to finish.
- Keeps the pressure on.
When the shuttle is lifted deep to a corner, the front player moves to a mid-court position on the same side as the shuttle. Attacking the straight player or the middle from there gives a two-against-one feeling. We call it the "channel" position.
When the partner plays a drop, the front player steps forward to threaten the net and stop a soft net reply. The movement of the opponents tells them a drop has been played.
Swapping roles
The rear player can follow their own shot forward. They do it when there is a good chance to attack, and when the front player has read it and shifts toward the centre line (even into the other half of the court) to cover the space left behind. Move together, not one after the other, otherwise a hole appears.
Mistakes to avoid
- Smashing every shuttle: use the patient shots too.
- Staying at the net when the rear player has gone forward: nobody covers the back.
- Moving late: the front player must start when the partner hits, not after.
- Always hitting at the same player: the opponents learn the pattern.
A simple practice
- Shadow, no shuttle: four players start side by side. A coach or friend calls a name; that player goes back to a corner while the partner takes the channel position at the front. The opponents form a side-by-side pair at once.
- Rear player works: one pair stands side by side and keeps lifting; the other pair attacks with the rear player hitting drops between the two defenders. The front player steps in on every drop and steps back on every lift.
- Play the rally out after the defenders lift a little shorter and wider on purpose, so the rear player can smash or follow in.
Limits
Women's doubles is generally less explosive and relies more on patient rally-building, and men's doubles is faster and rarely uses the clear. These are tendencies, not laws. Use them as a starting point and adapt them to your pair.
General practice advice: play within your limits and stop if something hurts.