JAK'S MONTHLY ESSAY SERIES: Achieving Your Personal Best
On poaching and fake poaching: Becoming a Force at the Net in Doubles
August 2023
It's rare that you come across eager, pro-active poachers in most club level doubles. And it's practically non-existent to find pro-active fake-poachers.
The former is because the fear of failure often overcomes the desire for success. A lack of necessary daring-do, especially in no consequence practice matches, also contributes mightily to developing the skill. Yet, one should keep in mind that since you only have to be successful two out of three poaching attempts on average. That's a winning percentage! And then the accompanying risk becomes very acceptable.
After all, the major difference between singles and doubles is lots of net play in the latter. Ideally, the team that controls the net has the best chance of prevailing.
I'd be remiss by not mentioning that being afraid to incur the wrath of a partner if your attempt has failed – they do so love to remind you that they "could have had it." That simply means you need to find a more supportive, less bossy, self-perceived perfect partners. Partners are supposed to be unconditionally supportive with "good effort," or "keep going for it," etc. Otherwise, then going forward in a match, they'll do nothing at the net and become a non-factor.
Poaching opportunities can be both self-made by opportunistic players, and also as a direct result of well-placed shots, especially on solid first serves – or anytime your back court partner has made an opponent uncomfortable - when risk is reduced and success is enhanced. That would generally indicate serving up the "T" to make opponent returns, at least in geometric theory, more poachable. And/or if an opponent has an obviously weaker forehand or backhand then forget any generalized theorems, just simply serve to their weaker side all day. Additionally, when the point is ongoing, taking advantage of any deep, penetrating cross court strikes generated by one's partner.
Of course, there are those moments when you're at the net, and your team needs a lift in a big moment. But self-doubt can creep in regarding your poaching skills, and you become reluctant to take the chance. Understood. A fake poach, at the very least, represents a tactic meant to still impact play with zero risk done well. Certainly far better than standing motionless like the proverbial cigar store Indian, actually hoping that an opponent's shot is not playable for you.
Fake poaching allows you a legitimate opportunity to distract opponents from the ball right at the moment they are striking their shot and cannot change its intended direction, or, better yet, draw their return into your little trap since you've actually stayed home after that little early juke move, and dupe them into thinking you were crossing resulting in a relatively easy volley opportunity right at you!
More specifically, when fake poaching, a good acting job, along with good timing on the movement, is crucial in consistently out-foxing returners.
Some of the key poaching or fake poaching components are:
- On the poach start crossing right at their contact moment making it difficult to change their shot. On the fake poach make your feint or juke move early on - just prior to their contact - to draw their shot into your position,
- Make sure that you are re-acquiring the ball once a partner's serve lands in the box since, initially, you're visually keying on the receiver…don't continue to key on them instead of the ball!
- Read their shot contact point – especially well in front or when late - to determine as early as possible the direction of their shot.
- Finally, be aware of any predictable patterns of play.
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