When to poach in doubles tennis

Move when they commit. Threaten to move when you don't.

Key facts

1
A simple reaction takes about 200 milliseconds, and a full perceive-decide-move sequence takes longer, so a poacher has to read the returner's swing rather than wait for contact.
2
The right moment to leave is the start of the returner's forward swing. Leaving earlier exposes the alley.
3
The pinch, a half-move to take a weak return without switching sides, is the most used team play at the net.
4
After a full poach the partners switch sides and the server fills the side the poacher left.
5
A useful heuristic is to poach more when you're ahead in the game and behind T serves, which shrink the return angle.

Why it works

Poaching is the net player's aggressive cross to intercept a return meant for the server. It shortens points and rattles returners. The timing is keyed to the returner's commitment: leave as they start the forward swing. Too early and they redirect the ball down the alley you vacated. On time, and your volley angles into the open court.

The pinch is the half-commitment. Read the return's quality, take it if it's weak, and don't switch sides. The fake freezes the returner without crossing. The threat alone taxes their decision and their contact.

Together the three moves make a coin flip the returner keeps losing. A net player who never moves gets the cross-court return every time. One who always moves gets passed down the line. The mix is what makes both threats real, and the score and the serve set the mix.

The line to say on court
“Leave on the swing, not before. The threat is the move.”

Drill: The poach ladder

15 min · with a partner

With a partner at net and a feeder or server, take ten fed returns and poach every one. Count the volleys that land in the open court.
Take ten more. Poach on even reps and fake on odd ones. The feeder notes where the return went on the fakes.
Play live, server and net player against two returners, first to seven. The net player must poach, pinch or fake every point, and the server calls the cover.

Number to beat6 of 10 poach volleys into the open court

More drills like this: volley and net, doubles

Faults and fixes

Leaving before the swing

The returner redirects the ball down the open alley.

FixWait for the forward swing. The window starts there.

Poaching, then staying put

Both players end up on one side and the other side is open.

FixA full poach means switch. The server fills the empty side.

Never faking

The returner learns you only move for real.

FixFake on a signal. The fake is a move too.

Questions players ask

Who covers the alley when my partner poaches?

The server. After a full poach the partners switch, and the server moves to fill the side the poacher left.

What is the difference between a poach and a pinch?

A poach is a full cross that switches sides. A pinch is a half-move toward the middle to take a weak return, with no switch.

Does faking a poach actually work?

The fake freezes the returner without you crossing, and the threat itself taxes their decision and contact. Hard numbers on fakes are scarce, because doubles is under-charted.

When is the best time to poach?

When you're ahead in the game and your partner serves to the T, which shrinks the return angle. At 15-40 behind a wide serve, a fake is often the better choice.

What this doesn't cover

Hard numbers on poach success are scarce, because doubles is under-charted. The case for mixing poaches, pinches and fakes is a shape, not a set of rates. The score-and-serve rule is a heuristic, not a law.

Sources

Tennis.com: poaching using the Australian formation
The Tennis Tribe: doubles strategies
USTA doubles instruction

Play the pointWhere to stand in doubles: standard, I and AustralianIn doubles, pick the serving formation that takes away the returner's favourite shot. The default is standard: the server about halfway between the centre mark and the doubles sideline, the partner at the net guarding the alley. If the cross-court return is hurting you, go Australian to remove it. The I-formation makes the returner guess which way you'll move.Play the pointWhere to serve in doubles to set up your partnerIn doubles, serve to set up your partner's volley, not to hit an ace. T and body serves shrink the return angle and feed the poach. Wide opens the court but invites a sharper cross-court reply. Agree the serve target, your partner's move, the expected return and the planned next shot before the toss, as one plan.Play the pointHow to communicate with your doubles partnerIn doubles, decide before the ball is hit. The net player sets the play with a hand signal behind the back before each serve. The pair agrees in advance who owns the middle ball, by position and handedness. In the rally you use four words, mine, yours, switch and back, and you call the switch before a lob lands.StrikeHow to hit a volley in tennis: punch, don't swingTo hit a volley, catch the ball on the strings in front of you with a continental grip, keep the racquet ahead of your front shoulder, and step across into the ball. Don't swing. Depth at the net comes from your body moving forward plus the pace the other player gave you, not from your arm. A slightly open face adds a little steadying backspin.