Poach Pattern
Why this drill
The doubles poach is pure choreography — split, cross, cut, recover — and choreography can be rehearsed alone until the real ball is almost incidental. The net player who owns this footwork owns the middle.
Setup
Net position on the deuce side, a cone at the center strap and another where your poach finishes — a meter past the center line, close to the net. Racquet in hand.
The drill
Rehearse the sequence at match speed: split step, explosive crossover past the center cone, shadow a downward punching volley at the finish cone, then two recovery shuffles back. Ten reps deuce side, ten ad side. Then ten "fake" reps — the same first step, then recover home — because a poach threat is half the weapon.
One thought to take on court
Move diagonally forward through the volley, never sideways along the net — the poach steals ground, not just direction.