First Three Shots
Why this drill
Doubles points are shaped — often decided — by the serve, the return, and the third shot. Practicing them as a unit, with each shot graded, fixes the part of your game that plays out before any rally begins.
Setup
Full court, played on the diagonal like a real doubles point: server behind the baseline on one side, returner diagonal on the other.
The drill
Play only the first three shots, then stop and grade them. Serve: deep half of the service court or not. Return: behind the transition zone or not, with the returner following it in to the kitchen line. Third shot: a drop the returner would have to hit up on, or not. Each shot scores a point for its hitter when it meets the standard. Play ten sequences, total the points, swap roles. The stop-and-grade format is the drill — playing the rally out hides which shot actually failed.
One thought to take on court
Serve deep, return deep, drop soft — three shots, one job each.