Service: The Way to a Perfect Double: Part 2, Communication

The spoken word never has as much weight in double as the subconscious, non-verbal signals that you send through your body language and facial expressions. A hanging head is worse for the double partner to see than one: “Gee, what was that mistake?”. I must disappoint you. You won’t find any new rocket science in this article.

There is also no Klingon spell that you can cast at 1:6 and 0:3 with your double partner on the bench when changing sides. However, you will learn the basics of respectful communication.

In the non-verbal, as well as in the verbal area. If you know them, you and your doubles partner are much further ahead than most of the other doubles you will be competing against.

Attention is the highest form of respect you can show your double partner. How can you show your partner that he has your full attention when you discuss the tactics and the match on the court or on the band?

Whenever possible, you should turn to your partner. Don’t mean that you have to hold him every time he wants to tell you something. It is about turning with your body towards him, not crossing your arms in front of your body and showing yourself openly to him and his opinion.

Turning away and looking away are gestures that always tickle a little powerlessness in your partner – avoid this powerlessness.

Your feet can also reveal a lot about your inner attitude. If your toes point away from your opponent, this subconsciously signals an escape thought. Usually the toes point to where you want to move next – and as quickly as possible. If your toes point to your double partner, an open, respectful and relaxed posture is automatically much easier for your partner.

Note: Turn to your double partner with the body as soon as he speaks to you attentively and do not turn away during the conversation. Don’t cross your arms and keep your body language open

In doubles you cultivate an interpersonal relationship with your partner. In any interpersonal relationship, withholding information is a bad habit that can not only destroy trust, but also the “we-feeling”. Soon you no longer feel comfortable with your colleague, who is just starting to serve on her own back.

This form of subcommunication tears the rope that holds you together as a team. Let’s go over a simple example. In the rallies you will be praised as a net player. Your partner won’t call you. He is silent. You will not get any feedback about this game situation.

Although you know that your partner should be in the better position for praise at the baseline. You turn around, run and give everything to get the praise. As you walk, you realize in the corner of your eye that your partner would actually get better praise. That’s the information he didn’t give you.

It is precisely these moments in which a double can improve its communication or drive in front of the fence.

Without conflict there is no love. A good advice for a marriage – and the double. We stick to our example, where the net player was praised and the backer did not communicate that he took over the ball because he was in the better position. As the web player, would you approach your partner about this scene? And if so, how could you vent without immediately provoking a verbal argument?

Pronouncing uncomfortable truths is the most promising method of communication in a double. Those who cheer together on good points, but remain silent together on weak points, have a problem in communication. Uncomfortable truths can be formulated with a scheme that promotes productive communication in a double. This scheme looks like this:

If you roughen your partner directly with your relentless criticism, all shutters will go down, and fully electronically. This not only means that your partner won’t listen to you anymore. He’ll like you less, too. And that is expressed extremely carefully. Use the short and helpful scheme instead.

We continue to stick to our example of praise. You could say on the bench at the break: “Before I was praised, you played a really strong forehand. But you’ll have to yell when you see you can get to the ball better. I have my back to you and I don’t know what’s happening. Next time, you just yell,’I’ll take over,’ and we’ve solved the problem. Agreed?!”

Through the simple scheme, the conversation is conducted on a fair level, which makes it possible to make criticism without destroying the mood. Never forget that communication with your partner always consists of the spoken word and your body language. If you are and remain confident in these two disciplines, you have contributed an important part to profitable communication on the pitch with your partner.

Without teamwork there can be no success, without good communication there can be no teamwork.