Just want to recommend these books for anyone looking to improve their dbls.

[pmata814]

Dynamite Doubles: Play Winning Tennis Today! by Helle Sparre Viragh, Jim Shock, and Rosie Casals

&

The Art of Doubles: Winning Tennis Strategies by Pat Blaskower

Maybe players above the 3.5 level already know all these strategies but for me (I am a decent 3.5 player) these books have helped me immensely. They both are very similiar but because I've read them both, they both seemed to have combined into one and I can't seem to remember what I learned from one or what I learned from the other. But they're both great! If you can only buy one I would recommend the Dynamite Doubles because it is more recent and easier to read.

They are written by women so it seems to be written FOR women, but I have learned a lot and it seems to apply equally to mens doubles as well.

edit:
I should mention that these books teach you strategy NOT strokes. It's all about zones, playing high percentage dbls, correct targets, when to poach (or not) etc.

 

[Cindysphinx]

I have read both of these (including the old and new version of Blaskower).

Not a big fan of Viraghe's book. A little too . . . chatty. It's just not as well-written, IMHO.

Blaskower gets down to business quickly, so I liked it a bit better.

I didn't care for the more recent version of Blaskower at all. I actually thought it did more harm than good in some ways.

 

[5263]

The Art of Doubles is MY personal fav.

 

[GuyClinch]

Doubles strategy just seems way too complicated to me. I would like it summarized in one paragraph. <g>

 

[Moz]

I didn't care for the more recent version of Blaskower at all. I actually thought it did more harm than good in some ways.

I seemed to remember you posting a summary of what she said in her revised version and it sounded like bloody nonsense. (What she wrote not your post).