Communicating as a pair

No doubles works in silence. Communication with your partner is as important as every stroke — and it is at the same time the mental side of doubles, because it decides whether you grow together as a team or fall apart.

Communication runs on three levels. Before the serve you make short arrangements: who takes which area, which tactic you play. During the rally, short, clear calls help — 'Mine!', 'Yours!', 'Leave!' — which clarify in fractions of a second who takes the ball. Between points you give each other short feedback and coordinate anew.

What's decisive is that the calls are short, loud, and unambiguous. A mumbled, late word doesn't help. A clear 'Mine!' at the right moment keeps you both from running to the same ball — the most expensive doubles mistake.

But the mental side goes deeper than calling. In doubles your partner makes mistakes too, and how you react to them shapes the whole match. A partner who hangs their head after every mistake or blames the other drags the team down. A partner who builds up and stays calm holds it together. You win and lose together — this attitude is the foundation of every good partnership on the court.

Your doubles pair is like a rowing boat with two rowers. Only when you pull in time and in the same direction does the boat run. If one rows bitterly against the other, you turn in circles.

Before your next match, agree three things with your doubles partner: clear calls for the middle ('Mine!'/'Yours!'), who takes the middle ball in case of doubt, and that you build each other up after mistakes instead of blaming. In the match, watch whether you really call loudly and early enough. And observe yourself: how do you react when your partner makes a mistake? Your reaction shapes the team more than the mistake itself.