Doubles strategy⏱ 2 min read
Front-and-Back Attack: How a Doubles Pair Works Together
The back player creates, the front player finishes. Here is how to make the system click.
When your pair is attacking (hitting down), you play front-and-back: one player in the rear court smashing or dropping, one at the net hunting weak replies.
The back player: create pressure
- Hit steep and straight more often than cross-court. Straight shots keep your partner's net coverage simple.
- Mix smashes with drops and half-smashes so the defence cannot settle.
- Keep the attack going; do not clear unless you are badly out of position.
The front player: finish
- Stand just behind the short service line, racket up and in front.
- Hunt the replies at the net. Push or kill anything that rises.
- Do not chase shuttles going past you to the back; that is your partner's job.
Talk and trust
Call "yours" or "mine" on the middle. Agree before the match who takes shuttles down the centre (often the player whose forehand it is).
Key takeaways
- Back player creates with steep, straight attack.
- Front player keeps the racket up and finishes at the net.
- Agree who takes the middle before you start.
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