Junior Tennis: National Points vs Who You Beat

Before Y2K, the junior landscape for gaining entry into Sectionals and Nationals was very different from what it is today. Currently, the USTA has implemented the point system which rewards players for reaching certain rounds in certain tournaments. The further you go, the more points you get.

Before the USTA implemented the point system, the junior ranking system consisted of your wins and losses. Players were required to fill out their "Player Record Forms" to submit to tournament directors, sectional offices, and the USTA for ranking and seeding purposes (you had to send it before the entry deadline through snail mail). It was all about who you beat and who you lost to. You were penalized for losing to poor players (you couldn't have a bad day all year) and you were also penalized for taking an injury default during a match (eliminated the mental shenanigans for weak players). The combination of your wins and losses determined your ranking.

Furthermore, in big sections like the South or Midwest, one had to qualify from parts of their state to make it to sectionals. For instance, Chicago might take 15 of the top players to go to Sectionals for a 128 draw. You had to qualify, no silly exemptions, everyone had to play. Whether you were Jack Sock or #533 in Chicago, you had to go through the avenue to get to Sectionals. Then to get to Nationals (Clays, Hards, Indoors), one had to be in the top 15 in the Section of the Midwest Section. The draw size was not 192, it was a smaller 128 draw with clear cut quota spots for each section.

The competition was viscious and everyone had to go through this pipeline. Nobody could duck competition, everyone had to face the music and display guts. The best tennis players were rewarded and it promoted a certain amount of toughness. The mentally weak were weeded out and the sneaky parents couldn't buy their way to the national tournaments (abuse of point system today). Kids were tougher and college coaches could rely on that stats the ranking system spit out. Today, college coaches have a harder time deciphering who is the real deal when the system is all about points, skipping levels, ducking tournaments, playing ITFs, playing Pro Circuit Events, and such.

Back in the day, only the top 10 players from SoCal would be able to attend Nationals. Think about how viscious the competition was? Think about how good it was for the kids to experience this type of pressure, year and year, multiple times per year? It allowed amazing players to develop and nobody was allowed to cut corners. People who were left behind had to fight that much harder, there was no other way to Kalamazoo!

Parents: Next time you whip out the credit card to travel 1000 miles to a tournament to get his/her ranking up, save your money. It's not money well spent. A better option is to play a local tournament at his/her level (don't play up) and make them prove time and time again, they can handle the pressure of winning. All college coaches will not be fooled by points, they will first check how they did against the top players and who they lost to. It all comes down to wins and losses.

First The Smile, Then The Good Tennis

"Champions love to practice when nobody is looking and champions love to compete when everyone is watching" -unknown

The title of this article sounds kind of cheesy, but it is very true. Tennis is a really long journey and the MOST important thing is falling in love with the game. Ultimately, you want a player who can be their own coach. Sure, there have been and always will be a giant of list of players who don't "love" the game or never had the "bug" for it, who happened to blossom because they were gifted athletes driven by tough parents and/or coaches. Usually these types of players only frustrate the ones who care about them because they never fully realize their potential. The smile never was there from the beginning or more likely, the smile was lost along the way.

Here are some ways to ignite the tennis "bug" from a young age (pay attention hungry, overachieving, perfectionist parents):

1) Make tennis a family activitiy. You should play with your kids.
2) Take them to local college tennis events, pro events, get autographs.
3) Introduce them to the wall and explain how the The Wall is the best player in the world.
4) Don't force heaps of tennis lessons on them. Let them play with other kids.
5) They do not need $60 private lessons at age 8. Keep it light and fun.
6) Don't be technical, just let them swing for the fences or tap the ball. Whatever they want.
7) Play points, forget drilling. It's like when you first learn the piano, would you rather learn chords or a popular song off the radio. Make it fun!
8) Take tennis away from them, limit their play. It will make them want more.

Now if they catch the "bug," you have done an excellent job. Now how do you maintain the smile for the next 10-15 years?

Stay out of their tennis and just be supportive- no matter what. Don't be the one who ruins their love for the game. If you are the type who can't stay away, must micromanage, cherry picks from mutiple coaches, calls coaches after lessons to discuss backhand technique, chases tournament points all over the country, makes excuses for your child's poor play, and has an opinion on everything- STAY OUT OF THEIR TENNIS and JUST BE SUPPORTIVE! (We all know who you are, atleast there is never a shortage of drama and characters in tennis).

Tennis is hard enough as it is. You can't force a horse to drink from the river. And you can't drag your spouse down the aisle at your wedding...

Always the smile, then the good tennis.

Analyzing Your Opponent

Tennis has been compared to life, war, boxing, martial arts and a number of other human endeavors. Heck, I've even compared it to ballet through a minefield with a tennis racket in hand (yes, I have an active imagination). But the analogy that works best is probably war. Sure, nobody dies or gets injured but all the elements are there: weapons, strategy, tactics, elements, planning and preparation (both physical and mental). However, it's the planning aspect that really correlates the two activities. In order to devise a proper strategy (as well as tactics to implement the strategy) you must have a complete understanding of your opponent: stroke by stroke; attribute by attribute; characteristic by characteristic. Before doing battle, you must know your opponent better than he knows himself.

Often times, the only feedback is that the opponent is a righty and has a big forehand. That's a start. In the grand scheme of things, however, it's like saying that he's "half-white and good at square-dancing". It scratches the surface but doesn't quite get into the substance of the matter. Before preparing for a tough match - preferably the night before - try to approach the match as a general would approach a battle. Start by asking some questions about the opponent so that you have a better understanding of what's to come. Remember, this is only an exercise; you will not be right immediately or all the time. In many ways, breaking down your opponent is like appraising the value of a house: there are a number of factors to consider but in the end it's more art than science. However, by continuing to continuing to engage in this process you will become more proficient at it. At some point, you will face a 6'3" lefty from Perth, Australia (with a two-handed backhand) and you will identify him more by strategy than by name. Again, the underlying theory is that a BAD PLAN IS BETTER THAN NO PLAN AT ALL. A bad plan can be changed (particularly if you have back-up plans). If you have no plan, then it's harder to get one going on the fly (especially if you're down 2-3 breaks). So here are some questions to help you along the way. These are NOT the only questions and you have to formulate your own to assist you through this process.

1. Is the opponent a righty or a lefty? We've covered this before, but this a good starting point as it will assist you in visualizing his serves and weapons as well as your own serves and weapons.

2. Does he have a two-handed backhand or one? This can have various consequences based on your own attributes but it may assist you in figuring out whether to hit the ball high (usually against a one-hander) or low; make him pass you on the run (easier for one-handers than two-handers); where you serve (generally, one-handers hold a backhand grip on the returns); etc.

3. Is your opponent tall or short? Tall people like high balls and, generally, move better up and back than side to side. Short people usually like lower balls and are better moving side to side than up and back. If you hit a high ball, will it elicit a short response (around the service line) that you can thump? 

4. Is he fast or slow? That is, how good does he cover medium distances around the court (e.g. baseline to net)? Slow people are like walls - they hate to move and love pace directed to them. If you make the opponent move will he (a) miss, (b) get tired and/or (c) hit short? If so, you can figure out a game-plan. 

5. Is he quick? Unlike #4, above, this deals with how well the opponent adjusts to the ball and covers small distances. Someone can be fast but not quick. If they're not quick, wrong-footing them or hard body-shots sometimes work as they will not be able to change direction as well or adjust to your shots.

5. Is he strong or weak? That is, can he generate his own pace or does he feed off someone else's pace? Make a weak player generate his own pace. A strong player should be forced to generate pace from the most awkward positions (high/low/jam/slice).

6. What type of player is he? Serve and volleyer; baseliner; pusher; touch-player; all-around? What does he like to do; what does he not like to do? Who coaches him and do you know the coach? This may be a more advanced concept but there are certain "schools of tennis" throughout the world. Some produce big forehands; others have more of a serve and volley approach; some produced fighters; etc. If you know the "school" you will be in a better position to develop a counter-strategy. Furthermore, "indoor" players sometimes hit the ball flat and "without dimensions" (i.e. deep). Indoors is not as conducive to angles (maybe because the air is thinner) and, usually, favors bigger-flatter hitters (who, incidentally, are not accustomed to long rallies or sharp angles). If he's a high-altitude player, there's a chance that he might not hit the ball as hard when playing at sea level (since, at high altitudes, the ball tends to fly). However, high altitude players normally have incredible serves and strong lungs so it's important to be prepared for big serves and long points.

7. Who are the players that have beaten him? You want to defeat this opponent, correct?! Well, often times you're going to step outside of your own comfort zone and emulate another player. It doesn't have to be Roger or Rafa; it can be Johnny from down the street. What did he do to win.

8. What are his weapons and when does he like to use them? How does he use them? It's not enough to say that he has a big forehand. You have to know FROM where and TO where so that you can either stay away from it or know where to go if he manages to get a shot where he wants it. So, for example, in the first diagram below, which "X" represents his "kill shot(s)" and which question mark represents his preferred target(s)? In the second picture, from which height does he like to hit the ball: 2 feet off the ground (white line); 4 feet (purple); 5+ feet (red)? Not every player can hit the best shot from all positions so it's important to break it down three-dimensionally so that you can figure out exactly the spot to keep it away from.

9. Where does he like to serve under pressure? How good is his out wide serve? Kick-serve? Does he get nervous when you "crowd the T"? Does he have specific serving patterns (e.g., does he always starts the game with either flat "down the T" or a slice out wide)? If you chip and charge, does he start to get shaky on his passing shots?

10. How is is head? Is he a fighter? Is he smart? Does his concentration lapse? Is he better when he's in the lead than when he's behind? Can you "get in his dish" if you show some "game" (i.e. feistiness) or would it better if you were an iceberg? Is he patient or does he try to rush off the court?

11. Does she have obvious weaknesses and how does he defend them? Someone with a glaring backhand weakness will often plant herself in the backhand corner. Hitting MORE shots to the backhand won't get her out of that spot. You have to break some eggs and hit some shots to the forehand AND THEN pick on the backhand (like a dried booger).

12. If the opponent is an attacking player, is he just as good when he's BROUGHT in (e.g. through a drop shot or short, low-lying slice)? Some players will love to attack but only like to come in on their own terms. If you take the initiative and bring them in once in a while, they will be coming in unprepared. Sometimes, it's best to also try "taking the net away from them" by beating them to the net. For example, if you're first in, your opponent will be forced to play a defensive role - something she might not be accustomed of doing.

13. How is her overhead and backhand volley? These are two shots with which most young players struggle. It takes a great deal of pressure off you if you know that your opponent can't hit overheads to save his life or "duffs" the backhand volley short. If that's the case, when your opponent makes it to the net, belt the passing shot for the backhand and bolt in.

14. How does your opponent handle losing the first set? Does she usually "bag it" or is she a fighter. If so, maybe it's important to be fired up early and steal the first set away from her (obviously, "steal" DOESN'T mean cheat). Figure out the best way to "fire on all pistons" from the get-go. Don't rely on winning the second and third set. Scratch, fight and crawl for the first one.

15. How are the opponent's returns? Does she run around the backhand a lot? Maybe preparing for a slice serve to "keep her honest" would be a good play. Also, someone who routinely punishes the second serve return should not see many second serves to begin with (i.e., MAKE YOUR FIRST SERVE). Does he have specific targets that he likes to hit with the return? If so, cover them. Kids are NOT THAT SMART. They will, generally, do things over and over (even until they lose) without realizing that they're getting burned. All you have to do is figure out their patterns. Remember, if any of your opponents were actually good they'd BE ON T.V.

16. Does he have endurance (is he fit or fat)? Is he a fighter; could you "take him down" if you were 1-on-1 in a cage match with him? How many matches did he play the day before? Is he far away from home and homesick (i.e., looking for a "way to the airport")?

Etc.

As you progress through the sport, you will, hopefully, identify further issues and trouble spots. By being a "thinking player" you will often find yourself beating players who are far superior on paper. It all boils down to figuring out your opponents' likes/dislikes and tailoring around it. Will these strategies work for everyone? Of course, although many "pure hitters" will continue to do things without realizing whether they are doing the right thing or the wrong thing. Many will stumble onto the correct strategy over and over (until wily opponents figure out the best way to take them out of their game).

As a player, it is important to be confident but to FORGET ABOUT CONFIDENCE when you're faced with a tough match. Coldly analyze the facts and figure out how you would beat the opponent on your WORST day. Or, alternatively, figure out how to beat your opponent if you believe that, between the two of you, he is the best ball-striker. Don't assume that the chips will fall in your favor this time (or every time). Perhaps it helps to assume that things will NOT go your way. NOW HOW DO YOU WIN?! When you know that you can (and will) win on your worst day - THAT's true confidence (the rest is cockiness that masks uncertainty).

Q&A: Stroking Felt With Robert Lindstedt

Welcome to our second edition of Stroking Felt With... Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Swedish Davis Cupper Robert Lindstedt. I had the pleasure of meeting Robert (draped in a Swedish flag coming out of the airport terminal) when he joined our Fresno State team in the spring of 1997. Thereafter, we transferred and played for Pepperdine. He left school early in order to pursue his pro career and looks like things have been working out quite well for him. My first impression of Rob was that he had a big, all-around game (even though, for some reason, he preferred to be regarded as a "grinder"...haha). He had a huge down-the-T serve that's only gotten bigger as he's gotten older, a nasty slice and kick-serve which he used as change-ups as well as a frekishly hard/flat down the line backhand (which seemed to spin outwards like a sind-winding missile). He also moved pretty darned well for his size (particularly when crazy Romanians jumped out of his closet in the middle of the night..long story..haha). Lastly, he was funny as heck and everyone seemed to have a good time when he was around. 

Quick Bio: 1998 NCAA Doubles runner-up (along with Kelly Gullett); back-to-back All-American honors; 2-times Wimbledon doubles runner-up (with Horia Tecau of Romania); won ATP Tour doubles titles in Mumbai; Tokyo; Washington, D.C.; Auckland; Zagreb; Casblanca, Hertogenbosch, Bastad, New Haven; runner-up in doubles in Ho Chi Minh; Las Vegas, Stuttgart; Dubai; Estoril; Bastad; Marseille; London; Brisbane; Hertogenbosch; Washington, D.C.' Beijing. He is an active member of the Swedish Davis Cup Team as well as its ARAG World Team Cup squad (which defeated Russia for the title in 2008). Career High (to date) ATP ranking: doubles - 13; singles - 309. Website (user discreition advised): http://answermyquestionjerk.se

1. At what age did you start playing tennis?

A: 4 years old.

2. When did you start taking tennis seriously?

A: When I left college and realized that it was my job now; no time for mucking about.

3. How did your workouts change once you decided that you wanted to be a tennis player?

A: Early I was just doing as I was told and no more. Later in my career I realized what I should do is what was working for me. I am working harder than ever now, but smarter and listening to my body much more. Core workouts have taken over all my training. All exercises I do have something to do with core.

4. If you've had to guess, how many hours on the court do you think you've spent between picking up the racket and turning pro (i.e. before 20 yrs old)?

A: Impossible guess really. I practiced 3 times a week until my teens I would say, then twice everyday when I went to high school. (Not impossible to guess it seems after all...) {Editor's Note: again, no magic. Just lots of on-court work as well as off-court preparation}

5. Who influenced you most as an athlete?

A: My brother [Niclas] played, so I wanted to play also. Otherwise all the Swedes. Edberg, Wilander, Järryd, Björkman, Enqvist, Johansson. All of them, I like to watch and see what I could do {Editor's Note: no mention of ABBA? On a serious note, it seems that the Swedish system is very close-knit. It helps to be positively influenced by your peers}

6. If you had the chance to go back in time and talk to yourself as a 15year old, what tennis-advice would you give yourself?

A: Work harder. Much harder. And don't worry about heavy lifting. Core workouts!! Pilates!!! {Editor's Note: [slapping gut] gotta look into that pilates thingy}

7. What was your favorite drill or thing to work on growing up?

A: I liked to work on all court game. Not just one drill. I tried to get good at everything.

8. If, on the scale of 1-100, top 50 ATP player is 100 (in terms of skill/toughness), how would you rate college tennis?

A: College players compared to pros? If a top 50 player is 100, overall I would say an average D-1 college player is around 15-20. It is not even close, Ini....not even close. Some top players could go up to 40-50 maybe...maybe. Some college players could beat a top 50 guy in one match. But you don't have to be tough for one match. There is a huge difference there. Then again, I left college 13 years ago and have been told that college is not as good as it used to be...

9. You obviously chose to attend CA schools for gorgeous beaches and hot girls. What else did you enjoy about your college tennis experience? 

A: [I enjoyed the] friends that I got out of it.

10. Your highest singles ranking was 309 and doubles 13. You played Davis Cup for Sweden. What were your top 3 wins and what lessons would you take away from those matches?

A: Beating Jonas Björkman was huge for me. He was sort of my mentor in doubles when I was coming up. Gives you confidence to beat players you never thought you could beat and makes you realize that anything is possible. 

Winning my first Davis Cup match. Huge relief and great feeling knowing that I could play good when it mattered most!

The third one is not a win, but a loss. Our first loss in the Wimbledon finals. I learned a lot there. That big matches are not so much about tennis, but attitude and preparation. We were not ready to play that match. But from now on, we will be.

Rob, we thank you for your time and wish you the best of luck and health in the upcoming season. We look forward to seeing you at the BNP and all Grand Slam finals. 

Court Geometry: Run-around Forehands

Few things irk me more (strike that; a LOT of things irk me) than players who do not understand the geometry of the court or the consequences of their actions on court. Some of the bad decisions stem from either no coaching, bad coaching or coaching that is focused solely on stroke production that does not take into account tactics. Take for example, the run-around-forehand (i.e., where the player runs around the backhand to pound the forehand). Normally, this is a very popular shot because of the range that is offered by the forehand in opening up the court through power and spin. Furthermore, developing players often feel more secure with their forehands than their backhands having practiced the former in a 4:1 ration. However, there are times when the run-around-forehand is simply not the best idea: (1) ad-side kick serve [Figure 1]; and (2) running around a slice backhand [Figure 2].  Let's take figure #1. In this instance, the server kicked you out wide on the ad-side. If you run around the backhand, you may very well find yourself off the court (running around a deuce-side kick-serve places you in the MIDDLE of the court - prime location). Unless your return is a winner (or close to it), it's, as the Croats say, zbogom drago for you ("good-bye dear"). If you hit the ball down the line (blue line), your opponent is likely to barbecue you with the forehand cross-court. That's a lot of real estate to cover. You're really not in the best position if you run around backhand and hit it cross court because the opponent can either flatten a ball down the line with the backhand or, should you be relatively fast, wrong-foot you with a cross court. 

The same concept applies in the second scenario. A lot of players elect to run around a slice bakckhand from their opponent (red line). The slice, however, tends to not just skid and stay low (forcing you to move faster and stay lower) but if it's struck from the "outside" of the ball, it will curve more-and-more and force you to move further off-center than yo may have initially anticipated. Again, a weak shot by you will result in a barbecue (or more court to cover). The more you move, the more energy you will utilize and the greater the likelihood that you will make poor decisions towards the end of the match. So if you're a sneaky player, try to implement the following play once in a while and see if you can take an opponent off-guard: (1) hit the first shot cross-court with your forehand (blue line); (2) assuming that the opponent does "the usual" and hits to your backhand, slide a slice backhand into the middle of the court (or slightly off-the-middle) (yellow line); (3) the opponent will likely scramble to get there and hit another shot to your backhand in order to "stabilize" his condition. If he does that, slide another slice cross-court - slightly more to your opponent's left than the previous shot (red line). Chances are, he will try to hit an inside-out forehand. Regardless of what s/he does, now you have managed to sneakily open up the court. Time for the opponent to put on her track shoes and cover some real estate. 

Will these strategies work every time? Of course not. Is it always a bad idea to run around a kick-serve or slice? Of course not. However, before you take action, make sure that you are making an informed decision. Know what you're getting yourself into in advance. If you're willing to cover the ground, have off-the-charts stamina and feel that your run-around-forehand is far superior to the opponent's response, then do what you feel is right. However, if you're routinely getting steamed and dry-cleaned by an opponent who's got the angles on you, figure out what's going on and stop the bleeding.