Defense in Doubles

The defenders are at the mercy of the smasher. Since hitting downwards is the most effective way of winning the rally in doubles, doubles players should avoid using the great defenders as role models and instead should play doubles aggressively.
The main aim/objective of the doubles rally is to force the opponents to lift the shuttle up in the air to you. Once the shuttle is lifted to your side, your aim is to maintain quality attack until the rally is over. However, you may be forced to lift the shuttle, your side should reverses the opponents' attack in one (1) shot and your objective is to regain the attack.

Position of Defense :-

You and your partner must ready in side-by-side and in square to the direction of the shuttle is coming from. Square means that the cross court defender is slightly closer to the net than the down-the -line defender.

	•	Move straight back if you lift the shuttle from the net, no matter where you lift the shuttle to which corner.
	•	Move back to cross-court position from the shuttle if your partner clears from the back-court. You are not considerate for your partner's safety if you often like to do clearing from the back-court while your partner is at the net. Cross-court clearing from the back-court is even worse choose, because your partner first reaction is to move back cross-court away from you and your partner is highly vulnerable(not well protected) to face the powerful down-the-line smash.
	•	Stay close together and protect your alley. If the opponents are to smash the shuttle from one of their corners, the down-the-line defender should move over toward the sideline and stands almost straight in front of the smasher. The cross-court defender should sidle over too, to around the centre line, so that both defenders can graze each other rackets when take a smash return stroke.
	•	Move forward and backward together depending on how deep or shallow the shuttle been lift. (A) Lift the shuttle to the back line, the defender could move to the half way up the court and as close as possible to the net and prepare to return the smash. This position allows the defenders to meet the smash shot as high as possible so that the defenders don't have to lift the shuttle much, and also allows the defenders to return the smash faster by giving the opponents less time to recover and to react. (B) Lift the shuttle to mid-court(half-court), the defenders should move back almost to the doubles long service line.

Stance of Defense :-

	•	Correct side-by-side position (square position).
	•	Hold your racket up in front of your body and moves your hip back out of the way. Jut your shoulder forward, get the elbow in front of you and cock(in position ready to flip) your wrist.
	•	Backhand defense is much stronger than the forehand.
	•	Aim/objective is to protect your body and middle of the court, leaving the wide cross-court smash relatively undefended. (A) Double backhand defense stance - Down-the-line defender doesn't bother with smashes to his forehand as his partner will get it. (B) Cross-court defender uses forehand defense stance - The two(2) rackets should barely meet each other.

Shots in Defense :-

The purpose of the smash return is to return/place the shuttle in such position so that the offense parties cannot smash effectively and aggressively for the second time.

	•	Straight or cross-court block - Useful when the smasher's partner stands back from the net.
	•	Straight half-court block - The shuttle should go behind the net man but land in front of the smasher.
	•	Straight drive - The objective is to flatten the smash and attack the smasher before he recovers from the smash. Very risky to drive cross-court because the shot has to pass through the net man and he can intercept.
	•	Cross-court lift over the net man's head - This shot is only effective when the smasher is near to the sideline or he is off balance.

The End