If you're new to doubles volleyball, it can be awfully strange to take a swing at the net.

In one way, it seems like a dream come true: there are only two people on the other side of the court instead of the usual six, and you won't run into a double block unless the other team totally blows its commu- nication.

Then again, there are negative factors: You can't jump as high as you can indoors, especially if you're playing on the beach. The sets won't always be in the right place, thanks to passing that's a little less precise than in the controlled environment of a gym. And your footwork probably won't be as sure as on a hard court.

What's the bottom line?

In a nutshell: offense in doubles is both harder and easier than indoors. To make the transition simpler, here's a quick primer on the fundamentals.

THE CORNER/LINE OFFENSE THEORY

If you're blessed with a thundering spike that doesn't lose much potency on the beach, count yourself lucky. If blockers can't shut you down and you can put the ball ontothe sand or the grass with authority, go ahead and do it whenever possible.

But if you're one of the vast majority of mortal volleyball players, you'll need to use your head more than your arm. That's where the "corner/line theory" comes in.

Simply put, when you attack the ball, go for corners and lines. You avoid the middle of the court, because that's the area most easily covered by the defenders.

The four corners of the court can be summed up with the basic directional commands of "line," "angle," "cut" and "short". The deep line and angle hits target the far corners of the opponent's court, while the cut shot and short shot target the near corners.

Of course, the closer to the line you can put these shots, the better.

These are the places the defense is least likely to be. Plus, the four corner shots force the defender to scramble which puts them in a less -than- ideal transition situation.

A fifth spot that can be very successful is the deep middle. A good, fast hit into this zone can create the dreaded "hubby-wife" defensive situation, in which both of your opponents will freeze and watch the ball drop.

DEALING WITH A BLOCKER

If there's a blocker up, the directional commands take on a slightly different meaning. With no block, you can swing hard at the line or angle and trust that, at worst, you'll get dug. With a halfway decent block in your face, you should think twice before letting loose with your cannon - because it might come right back at you.

Luckily, there's an upside to having a blocker in your face. You now gain the advantage in making shots, since only one opposing player is covering the entire court.

You'll need to learn to go over the block, which usually means taking some heat off the ball and giving it some arc. (A word of caution. Too much arc will create too much air time for your shot and allow the defensive player to run it down.)

In a perfect world, you'll learn to have great peripheral vision and be able to see exactly where the opposing defense is set up while you take your approach.

However, an easier way to figure out where to hit the ball is to use your partner as an extra set of eyes. Your partner should be watching the opposing defender (the nonblocking player) while you're getting ready to hit the ball.

When your partner determines that the defender is covering a certain area of the court, he should call out a command that will tell you to send the ball toward the opposite area.

For example, if your partner sees that the defender is covering the line behind the blocker, he should yell out "angle!" and you should hit the ball over the block toward the angle.

Using cut shots and short shots can also be effective against a blocker, but you'll have to be a bit more precise. The cut shot needs to either be over the blocker's hands or inside them and the short shot needs to go over the block and travel deep enough into the court that the blocker can't turn and pick it up.

WORKING IT OUT

The key to getting these offensive options down cold is practice, practice, practice. Grab a partner and a bunch of balls, head to the nearest outdoor court and have your partner set you while you practice hitting down the line, angle, cut, etc.

When you get confident, ask your partner to call out a different shot with every set so you can get used to reacting quickly.

When you have that wired, get a third player to act as a blocker and work on moving the ball around the block.

Finally, add a fourth player and create some game-like situations to test out your new skills.