Hitting Winners

One of my pet peeves is when I see players going for flat-out winners at inopportune times. Now, winners come in all shapes and sizes, and it's difficult to encapsulate this concept without some form of live demonstration. Nevertheless, it is important to understand that a smart winner will take place when (1) the opponent can't get to the ball (obviously!!!); and (2) when the risk of missing is small or non-existent. 

Often times, I see a player going for a winner that appears to be aimed directly from the line. If we freeze-frame the positioning of the opponent, we can sometimes see that her location is in the middle of the court. In effect, the ball is 12 feet away from the opponent (i.e., satisfying the first element) but the ball is also 2inches from the line/over the net (coming dangerously close to not satisfying the second component). This is very frustrating for a coach to watch because it's a lot like watching someone go "all in" in a Poker match with a weak hand.

A player has, generally, no business going for winners unless the SECOND element is satisfied. The player will be effective at achieving this objective when the player manages to move the opponent away from the middle of the court. For example, try to move your opponent 2 feet towards the backhand; then, 2 feet towards the forehand side; then 4 feet towards the backhand, then 4 feet towards the backhand side of the court, then maybe 6 feet towards the backhand. At this point, if you go for a winner (the other way) that is 12 feet from the opponent, you are only still aiming 6 feet from the middle of the court (cutting the risk for missing long/wide dramatically). Conversely, if you go for winners when the opponent sits on top of the center-T on the baseline, you HAVE to hit the lines in order for the opponent to not get there. This is HIGH RISK tennis and should be avoided 99% of the plays. 

Practice Patience

In terms of tennis, technological developments have had a positive as well as a negative effect on tennis development. Improvements in racket, string, ball and shoe technology has resulted in an exponential increase in power but with a detrimental effect in the artistry of the game. American players, in particular, are affected the most because we don't tend to play as much on clay (which takes away some of the advantages of power and teach the player how to create opening with angles, placement, spin, depth and guile). 

Now, we can talk about the benefits of playing on clay until we're blue in the face. The fact is that until clubs and parks figure out a way to make clay court maintenance as financially efficient as hard courts (maybe a wash once every two weeks) the fact remains that we will continue to be a hard-court nation. So, with this in mind, how do you learn to patiently push your opponent around the court and create openings? One answer is to PUT THE RACKET DOWN! Literally! Put the racket down and play games where the players have to THROW the ball around the court. This game will not only develop your throwing ability (good for serves) but is is also a great way to figure out the geometry of the game. In addition, this is one of the best ways to improve tennis-specific fitness because the points last longer and you don't have a racket with which to reach the ball. 

I suggest that, once in a while, you spend 10-15 minutes (perhaps as a warm-up, perhaps as a way to finish the workout) by playing games up to 15 where the players have to catch and throw the ball. The rules are fairly simple: the player must throw from the place from which s/he catches the ball (or, like frisbee games, can only take one more step to stop and throw). The clever player will figure out how to push their opponents around the court with just as much angle to make the opponent sprint for the ball, but not so short that the player can "attack". Your tennis IQ will improve dramatically when you learn how to open up the court and make the opponent work for every point. 

Barefoot Tennis

If you've read Christopher McDougall's book "Born To Run" (if not, I strongly recommend that you do), you will understand that humans are literally made to run. That is, our ancestor ran a lot in order to survive (be it after food, away from predators, and as a way to cover distances for various reasons). And, guess, what?! They did not possess the latest shoe designs with air pockets, straps, ankle support, inserts, or other bells and whistles. Their footwear, if they possessed any, was nothing more than a piece of leather which protected the foot from scrapes, blisters or cuts. As a result of this lifestyle, their feet (and, as a result, OUR feet) were shaped to resemble carriage springs (upside-down "U" shape). Accordingly, when people run barefoot, the forefoot tends to strike the ground first which then automatically propels the person to "spring" forward again.

However, due to technological developments (and our sedentary lifestyle) our feet have not only been weakened but our stride has shifted from toe-to-toe running to heel-to-toe rolling. The problem is that spending too much time on your heels is not good for tennis. Tennis players need to be EXPLOSIVE, they need to SPRING to and away from the ball. That's why coaches emphasize  "playing" or "moving" on your toes. This is that same movements that boxers use in the ring and, consequently, why boxers AND tennis players need to spend a lot of time jumping rope (in order to strengthen the muscles in their feet and ankles - which allow them to bounce around the court). 

A good way for players to understand what "moving on the toes" means, is by having them take their shoes off for a few drills (they can keep the socks on). These, obviously, don't need to be very difficult drills. Just some basic side to sides, inside-outs, up-and-backs, returns, etc. By being barefoot, the player will NATURALLY grasp the concept of shifting the weight forward onto the balls of their feet and keeping the feet "under their bodies" (as opposed to sloppily getting off-balance). It will be very uncomfortable for the player to lean their weight back on their heels and, God forbid, actually land on their heels. The players will try to avoid this pain at all costs and move the way nature and evolution intended us to move - on our front-foot. After the player feels that she has learned the concept, re-do the same drills and have the player explain the difference. This is a very fun way for players to learn proper footwork and balance. 

Who Does Roger Federer Practice With?

Parents usually have the best intentions in mind for their children. When playing practice sets (or even tournaments), they sometimes believe that the best strategy is to have their children practice with players who are of a higher caliber. When feeling like you're getting sucked into this mentality stop and ask yourself: WHO DOES ROGER FEDERER (OR WOZNIACKI, NADAL, SHARAPOVA, DJOKOVIC, ETC.) PRACTICE AGAINST? I guarantee you that the answer is not one of the other players  are of the same caliber. Often times,  Federer actually practices against juniors. The fact is that there are a lot of good players that someone can, and should, practice against in order to improve. 

I believe that the best option is to play 33% of the time against players who are "worse" than you. These are the players who might not give you all the pace, spin and consistency you want, but against whom you can play your game and work on certain components without worrying about hurting their feelings. For example, when playing sets, you can practice serving and volleying, hitting no forehand winners, chipping-and-charging, hitting mostly backhands, hitting only slice backhands, finishing the point in less than 3 (or 4, 5, 6) strokes, hitting only second serves or slice serves, working on not hitting winners, etc. These opponents will push you just enough if you don't pay attention but, overall, you can use them as a way to boost your confidence and develop feel. And remember, the way you "zone" against better players (because you have nothing to lose) they will be "treeing" against you. 

33% of the time, you should practice with players at or around your level. These are the players who will beat you even if you're only 2% off your game. These practices are often very competitive and, unfortunately, a lot of juniors tend to shun them because they are afraid that their confidence will be ruined if they happen to lose. Losing and winning is part of the game and you can use these matches to constantly fine-tune your game during drill workouts. 

33% of the time, you should play against people who are better than you. Unlike the players who are your level, these players will give you more pace, spin, consistency and accuracy so you really have to be on your game in order to even come close to them. But, beware! Just because you play well against them doesn't mean that you are AT their level. Sometimes, weaker player step up the game because they feel that they have "nothing to lose". But this is not always the correct attitude. Often times, during a match, you will play against people your level and there is something to lose even if that one thing is pride. Therefore, you should practice under pressure as well as when there is no pressure. 

Remember, winning can only be LEARNED. It CANNOT be TAUGHT. A coach's job is to help you with technique, strategy, tactics and attitude. But she cannot do the playing for you! You have to learn to figure stuff out (what/when/how to do it) on your own. If you constantly play matches against better players who kick your butt, what are you really learning?! You're learning how to LOSE. Furthermore, once you're content with losing, then turning the ship around is very difficult. All good players have learned how to WIN and have learned how to DEAL with losses. That's why not every tournament is a Grand Slam Event. Some smaller tournaments ("tune-up events" anyone?) are utilized for working on certain kinks and gaining confidence for the bigger tournaments. Same concept applies to practices. 

Cover The Line?

A concept that continues to linger is that a player who approaches the net should "cover the [down the] line". This principle may have been effective when players use to utilize small-headed, heavy wooden rackets where it was difficult to to flip the wrist and hit it cross court. Nowadays, with improvements in technology, I am not sure if blindly following the "cover the line" rule is such a good idea. A player doesn't have to be Nadal in order to squeeze a tight, cross-court passing shot by the attacking player.

I believe that a better strategy would be for the attacking player to think in terms of BISECTING THE ANGLE. That is, position herself in such as way as to cover just as much of the cross-court as well as the down-the line (and possibly the lob). In addition, the player's chest should be directly square to the opponent's shot (i.e. the shoulders should not be parallel to the net but an angle facing the oncoming ball) thereby enabling the player to move equally fast in either direction.

As a matter of fact, I would recommend moving slightly more towards covering the cross-court and thereby tempt the opponent to go for the low percentage down-the line (i.e. over the high part of the net; "short" side of the court; and, perhaps, while being on a fast run). When attacking with a cross-court, it is important to understand that the opponent's movement to cover the approach coupled with aiming for the down-the line will, in a lot of situation, "vector" the ball out wide. In other words, the momentum of the opponent's movement combined with trying to hit down the line will often result in the ball being "dragged" wide (if only slightly, but wide nonetheless). Therefore, it is often a better strategy to tempt the player to hit the down the line passing shots. If he beats you with shots that go in by mere inches (as opposed to feet), then it was simply her day. However, more likely than not, the chips will fall in your favor when you attack the opponent and force him to take chance after chance by going for the line.