MODULE 02
PROGRESS

MODULE 02 — DOUBLES IQ

Serve
Strategy.

In singles, the serve is about power. In doubles, it's about placement, patterns, and setting up your net player. One serve decision changes the entire point.

01
3 Targets — Wide, Body, T. Each creates a different problem for the returner.
02
Serve + 1 — the serve is shot one. What you do next decides if you win the point.
03
Patterns, not guesses — elite servers choose their target before they toss the ball.
04
The Body Serve — the most underused weapon at every level. Almost nobody teaches it properly.

"Most players just serve and watch what happens. The best teams communicate before every point — and based on where the serve goes, they can already read the return and position themselves for what's coming."

— OLIVER MARACH · AUSTRALIAN OPEN CHAMPION

INTERACTIVE COURT

The 3 Targets

Click each serve target to see where it lands, what it does to the returner, and how your net player reacts.

SERVE TARGETS — DEUCE SIDE Select a target
Doubles court — serve targets Interactive doubles court showing four player positions and three serve target zones. Click WIDE, BODY, or T below to see the trajectory and how the returner shifts. NET WIDE BODY T S SP RP R S — Server SP — Net partner R — Returner RP — Return partner
Select a serve target above to see the tactical breakdown.

SERVE SCIENCE

What Each Target Creates

Each target creates patterns — not certainties. A well-placed serve narrows the returner's options without eliminating them. Know what each target does, who it works against, and when to use it.

WIDE
Opens the Court
Pulls the returner off the court, opening a gap down the middle. The server moves forward to just left of the centre service line to cover the gap; the net partner stays on his side to cover the down-the-line return or a lob.
Best used: on big points when the returner stands near the centre service line — and only with sharp placement.
BODY
Jams the Elbow
Hardest serve to return with pace or direction. Forces a defensive, floating reply. The most underused weapon at club level. At the top of the game, it's a standard weapon — especially on second serves.
Best used: second serves, pressure points, or when returner is in a groove.
T
Pulls Off Court
Hits the centre service line. Keeps returner tight to the middle. Less angle created, but highly predictable for your net player to poach.
Best used: deuce side against a returner with a weaker backhand — produces predictable, low-angle returns your net player can read.
ATP FIRST SERVE PLACEMENT — TOP 100 DOUBLES
Wide (Deuce)
38%
T (Deuce)
42%
Body (Deuce)
20%
Body (Ad)
28%
T (Ad)
36%
Wide (Ad)
36%

TACTICAL SYSTEM

Serve + 1

The serve is the only shot where you're always in charge — and that makes it the most important shot in doubles. A high first-serve percentage gives you a higher chance to win the match. But the serve is still only half the equation: what you do on the very next ball — shot number one after the serve — determines whether you win the point. It depends on where you placed the serve, what you do next, and how your partner moves with you.

WIDE SERVE → SERVE+1
Move to Middle
  • 01Returner is pulled wide — gap opens down the middle
  • 02Server moves forward to just left of the centre service line
  • 03Net partner stays on his side — covers the lob and down-the-line return
BODY SERVE → SERVE+1
Expect the Float
  • 01Returner is jammed — return will be slow and high
  • 02Server comes in aggressively — the return is attackable
  • 03Net player can poach OR hold position — both work
T SERVE → SERVE+1
Hold the Centre
  • 01Returner is compressed toward the middle
  • 02The return can go anywhere — read it before you commit
  • 03Net partner: more aggressive on first serves; covers the down-the-line on second (returner charges in)
  • 04Server moves straight forward and holds the centre
THE GOLDEN RULE
Decide Before You Toss
  • ✓Before the toss, agree on formation (normal or I-formation), target, and Serve+1 move
  • ✓Communicate with your net partner — signal the target ("wide", "body" or "T") and the play
  • ✓Commit fully — don't change mid-point; hesitation kills the pattern
  • ✓Reset at every changeover — your partner sees what you can't (returner reading the serve early, an early step). Talk about what's working and adjust.

MISTAKE CLINIC

Serve Mistakes That Cost Points

// MOST COMMON SERVE ERRORS
⚠️
Serving to the same spot every time. Returners are pattern readers. If you go wide 3 times in a row, they're already there. Mix your targets deliberately.
⚠️
Second serve = defensive serve. At amateur level, most players just try to get the second serve in — and a slow second serve is the easiest ball for the returner to attack. Elite doubles players go after the second serve, especially with the body serve. Even in modern pro tennis, second serves are now fast and aggressive — the soft second is becoming extinct. A defensive second serve hands the returner all the control.
⚠️
No communication with your net player. If your net player doesn't know where you're serving, they can't position to poach. Use finger signals behind your back or talk before the serve — either way, your partner needs to know.
⚠️
Stopping after the serve. The serve is shot one — what happens next defines the point. If you are a serve-and-volley player, get to the net as fast as possible to be in the best position for your first volley. If you play from the back, move immediately into your position so you are set and ready for a strong groundstroke. Either way — commit, move, and be ready.
⚠️
Ignoring how you feel on the day. Serve strategy is not just about the score — it is about confidence. If you are feeling your serve, you can go anywhere. If you are tight, a well-placed body serve is your best friend. The most important thing is to dominate with your first serve as often as possible. On second serve, the returner is more pumped and aggressive — so placement and disguise matter even more.

"We signalled every single serve. Every. Single. One. Verbally it took us 10 to 15 seconds before each point — or even less with hand signals. That habit saved us hundreds of lost rallies."

— OLIVER MARACH · AUSTRALIAN OPEN CHAMPION

Module 02 Quiz

4 questions — test your serve strategy IQ

QUESTION 01 / 04
On the deuce side — which serve gives the returner the least angle to work with?
AWide — pulls the returner off the court
BBody — jams the returner into their hip
CT — tight to the centre line, compresses the returner
DAll serves give the same angle
Correct: C — T serve. The T serve on the deuce side goes straight into the centre, leaving the returner almost no angle to work with. The wide serve creates the most angle for the returner. The T and body serves compress the returner and produce the most predictable, manageable returns for your team.
QUESTION 02 / 04
You are a serve-and-volley player. You just hit a wide serve on the deuce side. Where do you move?
AStay at the baseline and wait
BMove toward the sideline to cover the down-the-line return
CMove forward and toward the centre as fast as possible
DFollow the ball direction and drift wide
Correct: C — Move forward and toward the centre as fast as possible. The wide serve pulls the returner out wide, opening the middle of the court. As a serve-and-volley player, your job is to get as close to the net as possible to put away the first volley. Drifting wide with the ball is the number one positioning error after a wide serve.
QUESTION 03 / 04
Why is the body serve most effective on the second serve?
ABecause it's easier to land in the box with a slow serve
BReturners lean wide or T expecting the second serve — the body serve catches them off balance
CThe body serve has more spin on second serve
DIt gives the server more time to get to net
Correct: B — Returners shift their position on second serve. Most returners move slightly inside the court and lean toward the most common second serve target. A well-placed body serve catches them mid-lean — completely off balance — and forces an uncommitted, defensive return.
QUESTION 04 / 04
Your partner is at net. You serve T on the ad side. The serve lands but not in a great spot. What does the net player have to be aware of?
AMove immediately to poach — always cross on a T serve
BMove back to the service line to cover the lob
CRead the returner — if the T serve is not deep enough, the returner has a forehand and can go cross-court or down the line
DShift wide to protect the alley
Correct: C — Read the returner. A great T serve on the ad side gives the net player a poach opportunity. But if the serve is not on a perfect spot, the returner gets their forehand and suddenly has two options — cross-court or down the line. The net player must read the quality of the serve first, then decide. Crossing blindly on a weak T serve is a mistake.
0 / 4
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0
CORRECT
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WRONG
0%
SCORE

COMING NEXT

Module 03 — Deuce Return

The 3 return directions, how to position when your partner is at net, the Return+1 pattern, and the sign system that turns reaction into pre-planned attack.