Hi {{first name |there}},

Every doubles player knows that poaching done right is game-changing, and this week we’re taking that to the next level, with a primer on fake poaching. Master this and your opponents will never know where to place their shots!

On the fashion front, we’re taking inspiration from the renaissance of tennis dresses on the pro tour with 8 great picks under $62, plus a few fun off-court dresses (all under $100!) that will see you through late summer and into fall. In case you missed it, the most-clicked links in last week’s accessories round-up were this great value, quilted 2 racquet backpack, this scalloped detail tennis tote, and these maximum-cushion, no-show performance socks.

🕵️‍♀️Finally, here's a fun trivia question: Vogue's new "Dogue" series interviews celebrities' dogs. One tennis legend named their pup after a completely different tennis legend. Whose dog is it, and what is its name?! Scroll down to the link list for the answer…

Welcome to the club, we’re so glad you’re here!
Team Tennisette
P.S.: volley this email to your favorite doubles partner!🎾

Mastering the Fake Poach to Win More Doubles Matches

The fake poach is both one of the most psychologically sophisticated plays in recreational doubles, and one of the most underused.

The goal isn’t necessarily winning the point immediately: it’s disruption.

Most points in recreational doubles aren't won with brilliant shots. They're won by making your opponents uncertain about what's coming next. The fake poach is one of the simplest tools available for creating that uncertainty: a well-executed fake poach results in weaker shots from your opponents because they are forced to constantly adjust to your movement.

Here’s why fake poaching is effective, when you should use it, and how to do it well.

Why is fake poaching effective?

Fake poaching works because real poaching is so dangerous. An active net player —whether they are actually hitting the ball or simply looking like they’re about to is an ongoing threat.

Here’s what poaching does:

When should you poach — and when should you fake?

The fake poach only creates pressure after it’s been established that the net player is active and will poach.

For this reason, Will Boucek of Tennis Tribe recommends poaching the serve return early in the match: “Most players never return down the line early in a match, so you should be able to poach a few returns during the first few games.”

It’s time to start fake poaching once the baseline player adjusts their pattern and begins hitting lobs or groundstrokes down the line. They’re doing this because they expect you to continue poaching their crosscourt balls from the middle of the court: the fake poach reassures them that that’s exactly what you’re going to do, when in fact, you’re moving to the middle before quickly recovering to the alley where—hopefully—you will intercept their ball.

Style Steals: 8 Great Tennis Dresses Under $62!

Tennis dresses are having a moment: from Naomi Osaka’s floral embellished Wimbledon dress to Marta Kostyuk’s feminine electric blue for the hard court season, high-performance, high-style options are everywhere!

But it’s not easy to find affordable, hard-working dresses that hold up to serious on-court competition, plus repeated washes. So we’ve done the sleuthing for you and rounded up 8 excellent options.

Plus, we couldn’t resist adding 5 off-court dresses (all under $100!) to take you through the last days of summer and into fall…

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