When And Why To Chip In Doubles..

If you have been watching Wimbledon you will seen many a time the players chip the ball and then move to the net – reasons for doing this are many.

But in doubles when and why do you want to use this shot?

First of all think of this shot the same as a volley, but after the bounce – a very short racket movement with the racket face slightly open – as in the photo below.

So when do you use it?

When you are receiving a very high bouncing serve, try to make contact below your eye level by moving forward.

When you are receiving a very hard, fast serve. If you are stationary, chip low crosscourt. If off balance, chip a lob over the net player.

When your opponent is hitting an overhead at you, return this shot off the bounce just like a volley. Do not add pace; try to the take pace off.

When you are hitting an approach shot and you want to pull the deep receiver forward to take away their lob and hard low drive at your feet. Hit this chip shot short; make them play forward out of their comfort zone.

When you have been over hitting the easy second serves, try chipping softly and coming in to the net behind it. This is very high percentage and forces your opponent out of their comfort zone The chip is often a very under used shot. Many players never use it. Most players do not like to play against under-spin. If used sparingly, it can be very effective. Keep adding it into the mix to keep your opponents off-balance.