Doubles Poaching Signals

At every level above 4.0, serious doubles teams use hand signals. Below 4.0, almost nobody does — which is exactly why adding them to your game gives you an outsized edge.

Quick answer

The standard doubles hand signals: closed fist = "I'm staying, no poach"; open hand = "I'm poaching"; two fingers = "I'm faking a poach then staying"; finger pointing down at center service line = "I formation." The net player signals behind their back before every serve. The server confirms by starting the service motion.

Why signals matter

Doubles at 3.5–4.5 is 80% predictable. The net player stands in the same place every point. The returner hits the same crosscourt return every point. Points look identical.

Signals break the pattern. Every point, the returner has to guess:

• Is the net player going to poach?
• Is this a fake, and are they going to stay?
• Is the whole formation changing?

That doubt causes returner errors. Missed returns. Balls hit right to the poacher. Balls that "should have" gone crosscourt but instead float down the line into empty space.

The core four signals

1. Closed fist — "Stay"

The net player will hold their normal position, no poach coming. The server serves normally.

2. Open hand — "Poach"

The net player will cross to the middle after the serve. The server should serve deep and slightly to the T (center) to make the return more likely to come through the middle where the poacher lives.

3. Two fingers — "Fake and stay"

The net player will lean or step toward the middle, then quickly recover back. Great after a real poach — the returner assumes you're poaching again and hits down the line into empty space (their normal reaction). Except you're not — you recover and cover the down-the-line target.

4. Finger pointing down — "I formation"

The net player crouches on the center service line. After the serve, they pop up and move to a pre-agreed side (usually the same side the serve is going to). This disrupts the returner's crosscourt look entirely.

How the signal sequence works

1. Server prepares to serve. Bounces the ball.
2. Net player crouches slightly, right hand behind their back, forming the signal shape.
3. Server looks at the signal. If they agree, they start the service motion. If they disagree, they turn away, wait, and the net player signals again.
4. Server serves. Net player executes the signal.

Common mistakes

• Signaling too early. The returner can sometimes see the hand shape before it's hidden. Signal only after you're crouched.
• Poaching without commitment. An open-hand signal means you cross, no matter what. Half-poaches leave the middle exposed.
• Serving to the wrong spot. If your partner signals poach, serve to the middle. If they signal stay, you have more freedom.

When to signal

You don't need to signal every point. Use them:

• Whenever the returner has settled into a rhythm and needs disruption
• On big points — deuce, ad, break points
• After a lost service game, to change the pattern
• With a returner who has one predictable return direction

What if I don't have a regular doubles partner?

If you play with different partners each week, agree on the four core signals in the first five minutes of the warm-up. It takes 30 seconds to explain. Most 3.5+ partners will happily play along.

Practice pattern

Play a set with your partner using signals on every service point. It will feel awkward for one set. By the second set, it becomes automatic.

If you're on the south side of Indianapolis and want to install signals with your regular doubles partner, semi-private lessons with both of you are the fastest way — one session covers the signals and the movement patterns behind them.