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They have a left-hander on the right. What changes?
Two forehands in the middle means two backhands on the outside. Go wide, not central.
The opposing pair has a left-hander playing the right side, so both their forehands are in the middle. What do you do differently?
Two forehands in the middle means two backhands on the outside. Go wide, not central.
Why
A left-and-right-handed pair with both forehands in the middle is the standard professional configuration, and it inverts the usual rule. Normally the seam between two defenders is the best target; here it is the strongest part of their court, because either player can take a central ball on their forehand. Their backhands are pushed out to the side walls, so the balls that hurt are the wide ones: deep to the outside corners, and low into the side glass on the tramline.
What this means at your level
Beginner
Just notice which hand each of them holds the racket in during the warm-up. That one observation is already worth points.
Intermediate
Serve wide rather than to the T against this pairing, and put your bandejas into the outside corner instead of down the middle.
Advanced
The other consequence is their court coverage: with both forehands central they are strong in the middle and slower to the outside, so a wide ball followed immediately by a middle ball catches them still recovering.
Common questions
The opposing pair has a left-hander playing the right side, so both their forehands are in the middle. What do you do differently?
Wide to the outside walls, at the backhands. Two forehands in the middle means two backhands on the outside. Go wide, not central. A left-and-right-handed pair with both forehands in the middle is the standard professional configuration, and it inverts the usual rule. Normally the seam between two defenders is the best target; here it is the strongest part of their court, because either player can take a central ball on their forehand. Their backhands are pushed out to the side walls, so the balls that hurt are the wide ones: deep to the outside corners, and low into the side glass on the tramline.
Why not lob everything and wait?
Lobbing is fine, but it does not use the specific weakness. Against a pair with both forehands central, direction matters more than height.
What should a beginner do here?
Just notice which hand each of them holds the racket in during the warm-up. That one observation is already worth points.
How does this change for an advanced player?
The other consequence is their court coverage: with both forehands central they are strong in the middle and slower to the outside, so a wide ball followed immediately by a middle ball catches them still recovering.
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Only the lob moves a net pair backwards. Everything else invites them forward.
intermediateYour partner got pulled wide. Where do you stand?
The pair moves like one body. When your partner is pulled wide, you take the middle.
intermediateWhat do you do with the return of serve?
The return lob is how the receiving pair steals the net. Aim over the player who is still moving.