When there is someone very aggressive at the net I like to call them the predator. Like any good predator, they are hunting for prey – in this case, tennis balls that they can consume at the net! Fortunately, these predators are human, and a little psychology in tennis can unravel them.
Our natural inclination when there is an aggressive predator at the net is to avoid them. But the doubles tennis strategy I’m going to show you will get in their head and take away their power. The best way to unravel the predator is to GO RIGHT AT THEM. That’s right, don’t avoid them, do the opposite. Go right at them, EARLY and OFTEN.
What will happen when you use this tennis doubles strategy is the predator will freeze, both mentally and physically. If you are hitting balls right at them, especially right to their body, they will stop moving. After about ten balls (sometimes less!), they will be stuck and you’ll be able to hit effectively cross court. You’ve unraveled the predator and opened up the rest of the court for your team!
