Doubles: Body Shots in Tennis during Net Play

Aiming for the body can be a legitimate target to force an error and not to necessarily hit your opponent.  It's usually their choice to turn and submit, face it,  or bail out and exit the court. I had a high school coach who was a college player at one time tell me to aim for the hip on the left, meaning actually the right hip which would always cause a difficult forehand volley response. 

Think of Safety and Drawing Errors

I never aimed high as in head shots or high chest. Generally you were trying to draw errors to either win the point outright or set up the next shot. I've told opponents more than once that if you can't handle the net you shouldn't be there. Of course if I were playing social doubles rather than some competitive match I'd generally just take it easy on them and come up with an alternative. 

A Generally Safe Approach

One thing I always counseled students to do is aim for the feet no matter where your opponent is on the court and you'll improve your chances of defending your position and it's a fair and safe way to be aggressive. That assumes you are in a position to reach their feet. If they're close to the net then that situation doesn't exist, but then a lob is easier to employ. This also may be because I've softened in my old age and don't want to hurt anyone.   

Why Go for the Feet 

A simple reason to go for the feet is that you will be driving the ball down and your opponent will be forced to angle the ball upward.  If you close on the net in this circumstance you'll often have a finishing shot available.