Poaching may be
one of the scariest moves you'll make on
the tennis court, but to be a good
doubles player, it's essential that you
learn to do it well. There are four
critical elements to poaching:
positioning, stance, timing, and
direction. Let's take a look at each of
them.
Positioning-most
players stand too close to both the
net and the alley to poach
successfully. For best results,
stand right in
the middle of the service box.
In this position you are right in
front of the returner, who will
immediately consider you more of a
threat. You are also in position to
intercept any return not hit
perfectly crosscourt.
Stance-lower
your center of gravity by
widening your feet and bending your
knees. In this stance you will be
more balanced and able to push off
to go in either direction, right or
left.
Timing-take
off for your poach either just
before or right as the returner is
hitting the ball. This way
you are making your move when the
returner is concentrating on hitting
the ball so they won't notice you
(or even better, notice you and make
an error on the return).
Direction-always
move diagonally toward the net.
Players often just move
sideways(usually because they are
already too close to the net). By
moving forward as well, your
momentum helps you punch the volley,
helping to resist the urge to take
the racket back for power.
I hope these tips help you develop good
poaching technique. Remember, practice, practice, practice. That
goes especially for the timing part of the poach. Developing
good timing on the poach will yield big results in points won.
