Tennis Coaching DVD / Download Lessons: Virtual Tennis Coach Blog

Happy Christmas everyone - just press play!

2011-12-24T07:27:00.012Z

Happy Christmas everyone - just press play!

More Christmas posts:
BBC Radio 5 Live - Djokovic's 'Outrageous' Year
Roger Federer Nike Advert (Number 1)
Roger Federer Nike Advert (Number 2)

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BBC Radio 5 Live - Djokovic's 'Outrageous' Year

2011-12-23T21:50:00.007Z

BBC Radio 5 Live - Djokovic's 'Outrageous' Year

"After an amazing 2011 we look back at Novak Djokovic's year at the top of tennis. We hear from the man himself, his coach, Marian Vajda and greats of the game. In the studio afterwards, Eleanor Oldroyd is joined by Jonathan Overend, the Evening Standard's tennis correspondent Chris Jones and speaks to Mats Wilander about what 2012 may hold".

More Christmas posts:
Happy Christmas everyone - just press play!
Roger Federer Nike Advert (Number 1)
Roger Federer Nike Advert (Number 2)

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Roger Federer Nike Advert (Number 2)

2011-12-20T10:02:00.011Z

Here is the second of two fun adverts from Nike with Roger Federer.

More Christmas posts:
Roger Federer Nike Advert (Number 1)
BBC Radio 5 Live - Djokovic's 'Outrageous' Year
Happy Christmas Everyone - just press play!

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Roger Federer Nike Advert (Number 1)

2011-12-20T09:47:00.014Z

Here is the first of two fun adverts from Nike with Roger Federer.

More Christmas posts:
Roger Federer Nike Advert (Number 2)
BBC Radio 5 Live - Djokovic's 'Outrageous' Year
Happy Christmas Everyone - just press play!

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BBC Radio 5 Live - Andre Agassi Interview - Part 3.mov

2011-04-29T10:31:00.015+01:00

Part 3 of a fascinating interview by Simon Mayo on BBC Radio 5 Live with Andre Agassi following the release of his book "Open" in December 2009.

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BBC Radio 5 Live - Andre Agassi Interview - Part 2.mov

2011-04-29T10:28:00.018+01:00

Part 2 of a fascinating interview by Simon Mayo on BBC Radio 5 Live with Andre Agassi following the release of his book "Open" in December 2009.
CLICK HERE for Part 3 of the interview

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BBC Radio 5 Live - Andre Agassi Interview - Part 1.mov

2011-04-29T10:20:00.016+01:00

Part 1 of a fascinating interview by Simon Mayo on BBC Radio 5 Live with Andre Agassi following the release of his book "Open" in December 2009.
CLICK HERE for Part 2 of the interview

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4 FREE Video Tennis Coaching Tips

2011-04-28T17:18:00.021+01:00

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Playing & Living in Fear

2010-03-08T11:04:00.019Z

Are we witnessing a generation of players learning & playing the game in fear?

Question – fear of what?
Answer – a fear of failure directly related to the expectations of parents
End Result – fear of parents

Magnitude of the problem? – has reached plague proportions.
A visit to any junior tournament or junior team competition will provide indisputable evidence of nervous players’ first reaction to a mistake being a furtive look over one’s shoulder in the blind hope that a necessity to visit the bathroom or get a drink etc might take away the eagle eye – the eye of judgment.

Here we have a generation of parental tennis experts - adults who in many cases are successful, well adjusted, solid citizens in every walk of life, that is, except for their involvement in their children’s tennis development.

Hundreds of times over the years I have attempted to convince players & “less over interested parents” that as victims of ugly parental behaviour they should not give tennis away in favour of other sports as this behaviour is not isolated to tennis.

Many parents, friends etc with a history of involvement in other sports are adamant that the “parental problem” in tennis is not only rife, but considerably more “colourful & vicious” than in other sports. If this is true then tennis administrators need to take a strong stand – 20 years ago I tried to sell the idea of trialing tournaments that were off limits to parents. Somehow it does not seem to matter what time of the day or night, jobs & personal life etc take a back seat as “calm, relaxed, impartial adults use a bit of flexi time to come out & casually watch their kids have a bit of a friendly hit”.

What a bad joke this is! I recall the newly appointed State Coach of Tennis SA fifteen years ago making the observation that after monitoring a couple of tournaments he felt he had inadvertently been placed in a war zone rather than what was supposed to be part of a development process for young tennis players.

Fifteen years later has anything changed? I think not!

Let’s look very carefully at the behavioural evidence:

Young players obviously anxious about the parental presence during matches
Parents becoming involved in matches – coaching etc
Parents becoming involved in matches – arguing with the parents (or other supportive spectators) of their child’s opponent
Parents becoming involved in matches – openly criticizing & demeaning their own child
Parental body language – can change within seconds – covers the full range of emotions: agitation, fidgeting, anxiety, pleasure, happiness, disgust – there are no boundaries
Parents openly attempting to manipulate results – intimidating their child’s opponent, calling lines, scoring etc

Some of the above behaviour is so blatant as to suggest a total lack of concern from the parent as to what is acceptable stable behaviour, what others might think of their behaviour etc while others are involved in more subtle methods such as offering to score/umpire because the “kiddies have trouble”.

Of even greater concern are the obvious examples of physical violence to one’s own child/children – the pushing, the poking, the dragging off to the car etc – one shudders to think of what happens in the car or on arrival home.

Can these suggestions be written off as one big dramatization (on my part) of the friendly, healthy rivalry that exists within the tennis community? No way! Make no mistake, this is a real live problem – one that is having a detrimental effect, not only on the lives of young tennis players but also on other members of the families involved. Siblings are neglected in many cases as one child may show more “promise” – often younger children are neglected as the first child is bigger & is therefore perceived to be a better player.

In many cases the family structure is put at risk by the more unsavoury elements of the game – worst case scenario – a breakdown – one parent (usually the mother) seeking some escape from the paranoia of the other.

Question: What have we got here? What is it that drives some parents to such despicable behaviour? Is it a lack of achievement in their own lives that now motivates parents to demand the highest level of achievement from their own children? Are parents living their lives through those of their children? Are the worst case parents those that have achieved in their own lives, particularly in the field of sport? If so, have these parents usually achieved at a sport other than tennis? Do the “ugly parents” really believe that their pushing actually helps? Does it? Can learning be accelerated by fear of verbal or physical abuse?
Is the motivating factor money? That is, do parents rather naively see the “pot of gold at the end of the rainbow”? Herein we often have the classic “Catch 22” – so much money is outlaid that when anticipated results are not forthcoming, then this is what is pushed down the throat of the player – “We’ve spent all this money on you, airfares, racquets, new shoes, accommodation etc etc - & look what you’ve done – lost first round again!!”

Is it possible that what tends to happen in these circumstances is short term success motivated by fear followed by the player “hitting the wall”? For example, the young player who improves very quickly by being forced to spend long hours on the court & playing matches at every opportunity who then “plateaus out”because they simply don’t have the natural athletic ability to keep improving or the psychological strength to deal with the pressures of the game (including parental).

What happens when the young player simply decides they don’t like the game anymore – are they forced to continue to play? – and if so, how long will it be before they stand up for their own rights & refuse or eventually reject the whole situation & leave home?

SOLUTION(S) TO THE PROBLEM:

Administrative bodies need to take a tough stance – What does this mean?
Tennis administrators need to make a genuine professional attempt to address the problem with an appropriate degree of respect & understanding – ie an educative attempt
Is the existing code of behaviour for administrators, coaches, players, parents etc a superficial, token attempt? If so, then let’s get real – the game is suffering – big time!!!

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The Natural Tennis Player Theory

2010-03-08T10:52:00.015Z

I often hear certain people referred to by others as being “natural tennis players”. It is as if anyone who plays well was just born to play tennis.

Associated with these concepts is the common belief that good players were born good or at least at some stage they automatically became good.

Firstly no one is a “natural tennis player”. Highly skilled players are invariably naturally talented athletes who if brought up in a different sporting environment would almost certainly enjoy a high level of success in that particular sport. Naturally talented athletes would logically have the potential to excel in a wide range of physical activities. I have a strong belief that if even the very best players eg Lleyton Hewitt were not introduced to tennis, then of course they would not even play the game let alone excel at it.

In Lleyton’s case I am sure he would be capable of achieving a high degree of success in a number of other sports eg football & golf.

With reference to the “natural tennis player” there is no such person – anyone who plays the game well has achieved that situation by endeavour – thousands of hours of hard work. The combination of natural athletic ability, opportunity & a passion for the game leads to success. Some people have similar theories related to certain sections of the game. For example, some players are described as “natural volleyers” – again a misconception – there is no such player, only those that don’t volley well & those that do (very few I might add) & all of these develop skills in the area by sheer hard work.

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False Desperation

2010-03-08T10:49:00.014Z

My observation suggests that adults teach infants to behave on occasions in a dramatic & exaggerated manner. Behaviour is rather loud & extravagant as young children are encouraged to develop an ever increasing range of physical skills.

Initially, walking is a major conquest – but there is no shortage of assistance – numerous people willing to hold each hand in order to support weight that the infant is struggling with.

Every gain (or every attempt) is greeted with raucous applause – every child (maybe more so in really caring families) is led to believe that they are performing feats of enormous magnitude – running faster, jumping higher or throwing further than any other human being on the planet.

Tennis provides a whole new stage for performing – a whole new range of skills to dramatise. Result: young children generally playing on a full size court, logically having enormous difficulty covering the area become desperation machines – diving to short balls & wide balls, jumping in vain to anything & everything that flies over their head but in fact reaching very little.

Question: Is the effort genuine? ie Is it the best effort possible to reach that particular ball or is it often an example of “false desperation”? ie In the mind 100% effort but in reality an action that can’t possibly be successful.

Example: How many times do we see, not just young children but often quite skilled adults, lunge desperately (often associated with a very audible groan) only to be passed, when a couple of controlled steps would have created the opportunity to play a relatively easy shot.

My experience suggests that once the player is made aware of the above, they quickly realize the inefficiency of many of their actions & immediately set about making more genuine attempts.

The most obvious examples of this “F D Syndrome” tend to occur on anything that is hit out of reach – eg quite a friendly lob can be missed completely (smash) only to be followed up by an attempt to turn, run backwards & retrieve the ball with a back to front over the head hook shot. Surely if the lob was good enough to beat a genuine desperate attempt to smash then it could not be possible to recover from the attempt & then go & successfully retrieve the ball.

Short balls provide another excellent opportunity to exhibit “FDS” – dozens of times a day I see players battle unsuccessfully to “dig up” a half court ball when a simple skill test with a much shorter ball proves that the player is easily physically capable of chasing down the original ball.

I frequently find myself talking to players about how I trust them to “intend to put in 100%” to reach a challenging ball while at the same time challenging them with the concept that with a 100% planned & structured effort they may well have reached that particular shot comfortably.

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Accelerated Learning

2010-03-08T10:33:00.015Z

In recent times a number of general beliefs appear to have evolved e.g. the earlier a player starts to learn thegame, the better, and the younger a player achieves a successful professionalstandard, the better. These 2 beliefs imply a need for some form of acceleratedlearning.

This whole concept with regard to otherareas of learning is very much open to debate, particularly when sensitiveissues such as overtaxing the pre-adolescent body, psychological burnout, lossof “childhood” and education etc are taken into account. There is no shortageof evidence, particularly in the past 2 decades of child prodigies who reached“superstar’ status at very young ages only to see the wheels fall off for awhole myriad of reasons.

Some of the more widely documentedexamples are very tragic in their own right, suggesting that at least in manycircumstances this whole area is a very tricky business. Of major concern is the apparent dramatic escalation in the number of cases where young children from 7 to 12 years of age are treated like miniature professionals.

The entourage connected with each player is often extensive and often without experience or qualification in the area.

Result: uneducated, emotive adult mindsdesigning and structuring the learning experiences of young children – at worstthere appears to be a total ignorance of the learning process, grosslyunrealistic expectations, severe psychological pressure etc.

Not withstanding the above, my experience suggests that in almost every case it is possible to accelerate learning and development in a “healthy way.” i.e. improve the efficiency of the learning process – learn more and develop further in a shorter period of time.

Nice theory!
How can this bedone?

Basically, I think it is all aboutyoung people playing a greater part in their own learning process – i.e. anownership of the process that needs to occur for them to achieve excellence atanything. There is a need to develop a “feel” for the game, an almost intuitiveor instinctive ability to see a direct connection between skill developmentsessions and the actual playing of the game. Let’s see a lot less mundane, routine, technical developmentfor the sake of technical development and more of a genuine understanding ofthe strategy of the game.

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Everyone loves their Coach!

2010-03-08T10:29:00.015Z

As a school teacher, experience suggests that at an infant/early primary level everyone loves their teacher – it is not uncommon to see open, wonderfully spontaneous examples of warmth & affection extended by young children towards the teacher, something that I might add, for probably understandable reasons is frowned upon by “authorities” if the teacher is to reciprocate.
At a secondary level, however, it becomes decidedly “not cool’ with a majority of students to cooperate with one’s teacher let alone like them!

A comparison with pupils on the tennis court proves an interesting exercise. Very young pupils tend to “idolise” the coach, constantly trying to impress, seek approval etc etc – the coach can do no wrong. Adolescents & young adults treat their coach quite differently to the school teacher. Although not as openly expressive as their younger counterparts, pupils from this group nevertheless generally hold their coach in the highest regard – often having to strongly defend their coach’s skills, reputation etc – the “my coach is better than yours” syndrome.

It seems logical that both groups are highly supportive of their coaches – after all, unlike the school situation, the pupil (or their parents) has made the choice of coach. Except in some squad type situations, selection of a coach (particularly in larger centres) is a free choice.

PROBLEM: Most young players & their parents are not sufficiently “tennis wise” to make an informed choice. We therefore have a situation where the player (and their entourage) are very friendly with & highly supportive of a coach with sometimes very limited teaching ability.

Assuming that tennis is a very difficult game to learn to play at a high level, then we have a dilemma – “an uneducated tennis community” desperate to be successful is frequently placing its formative development in the hands of coaches who are sometimes not capable of doing the job in a professional manner.

This lack of capability is often a matter of personal ignorance of one’s own coaching ability while in other circumstances, unscrupulous “coaches” are well aware of the superficiality of their “teaching”.

Either way, the result, or lack of, is a dilemma that recognised late or not at all will ultimately lead to lack of development & consequently “under performance” as related to “potential”.

Related articles from Peter Smith

Watch and learn from the Greats of the Modern Game

Accelerated Learning

The Natural Tennis Player Theory

False Desperation

Playing & Living in Fear

Potential downside of having successful role models

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Potential downside of having successful role models

2010-03-08T10:19:00.033Z

Particularly in a relatively small tennis community like Adelaide, it is easy to have contact with local stars like Lleyton Hewitt & Alicia Molik – they can be seen practicing or working out at Next Generation or in Lleyton’s case playing the Australian Mens Hardcourt.

The emergence of players like Lleyton & Alicia tends to lead to a belief with certain people that similar success is therefore very achievable. It proves that it can be done.

“See what Lleyton has achieved!”
“I remember when he was playing here as a junior, he wasn’t that special.”
“If he can do it so can you!”

The problem with this belief is that Lleyton & Alicia are special – they are the highest ranked players in the history of SA – the possibility of other players becoming as good is quite remote – we are literally talking 1 in millions!

The whole concept of believing that if you want something badly enough you can have it, is fundamentally flawed! One can think of an endless number of situations where this is simply not true.

An example I often use is the challenge of being able to jump high enough to clear the backstop at the end of the tennis court – in theory possible but in practice clearly not possible – it would require the existing world high jump record to be broken by a metre or two – there will always be limitations to what someone can achieve regardless of “how badly they might want it”.

As coaches then please let’s get away from this line – by all means encourage pupils to strive to improve, to be inspired & motivated by the great players & therefore ultimately to become as good a player as they can be. However, at the same time let’s keep the whole thing in perspective – the best they can be will probably fall way short of what they see on TV & maybe even shorter than what their parents expect having watched TV.

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Watch and Learn from the Greats of the Modern Game

2010-01-22T13:20:00.026Z

Watch and Learn from the Greats of the Modern Game

If you are like me, you probably have a tendency to watch what is almost a daily smorgasbord of sensational tennis either live or on television, purely for its entertainment value. It can be such an adrenalin rush to watch the energy and artistry of the likes of Federer, Nadal and the Williams sisters and the list goes on.

Unfortunately this approach, although hugely enjoyable, to a large degree wastes a potentially valuable learning experience. So I am trying hard to develop new skills of “watching and learning from the Pros”.

Just to make analysis easier, I have divided the game into 4 broad areas: Technical, Tactical, Mental and Physical.

Under these headings it may sometimes be more productive to make a general observation or alternatively there may be some very specific learning point that catches your eye.

So, let’s have a go as I share with you a quick glance at some of the superstars of world tennis! Just a hint: see if you can differentiate between the “must-do things” that make all good players good and the additional really creative things that maybe make a genius but are probably too ambitious to be attempted by the average club player.

ROGER FEDERER

Technical
Beautiful classic technique across a full range of strokes – made achievable by using quite conventional grips (not extreme)Hits each stroke with apparent ease – everything is calm & smooth – never appears to force a shot even when his intention is clearly to hit a “big winner”Even in his early junior days, Roger had the reputation of being capable of producing amazing racquet head speed - the best example is probably his forehand groundstroke which is arguably the most dangerous stroke in men’s tennis.

Tactical
Very few if any other players possess Roger’s total all-court game – this is made possible by not only having all the standard strokes but having a number of additional variations to each of these as well. The outcome is an ability to play at the highest level from any area of the court, on any court surface & against any style of opponent.

Mental
Has an aura of great self belief which eliminates from having almost total confidence in every area of the game - opponents feel this as well, even before walking onto the court Roger is clearly quite intimidating in his own quiet way – what an advantage!

Physical
A gifted elastic athlete – this allows Roger to make very subtle changes to standard strokes – great variation of spin Excellent perception in addition to being deceptively incredibly quickAlways beautifully balanced leading to superb preparation on almost every stroke – rarely hurried

RAFAEL NADAL

Technical
Renowned as having the “heaviest” groundstrokes in the game (quite extreme grips) – due to his physical strength is capable of producing extraordinary topspin without losing penetration through the court Wonderful example for all aspiring players as he continues to strengthen every area of his game – the heavy topspin is now complimented with a quality serve, a variety of slices & very competent volleying – a genuine all-court game!

Tactical
The basis of Rafael’s game is all-court soundness, as he seems to have an answer for every ball that comes into his court.He also has an amazing ability to create difficulty at the other end of the court.Perhaps the best defensive player in the world – brilliantly complimented with great offensive options

Mental
Possesses extreme competitiveness – just seems to love the contestHis mental toughness appears to allow him to actually “will” points.Plays the big points incredibly well converting a high percentage of break points when receiving while demonstrating an enormous capacity to defend break points when servingQuite superstitious – famous for the thoroughness of his “routines” when serving, receiving or even changing ends (check out the drink bottles)

Physical
What an athlete! Extraordinarily explosive, he has amazing court coverage tracking down almost every ball no matter how difficult, always trying to make the opponent play one extra shot – an energy machine!Seems to possess endless stamina, rarely showing signs of fatigue – quite amazing considering his incredibly demanding match schedule

LLEYTON HEWITT

Technical
The standout feature of Lleyton’s game is his overall soundness. He has a proven ability to play on all surfaces & a Grand Slam Doubles’ title is testimony to his all-court game.His backhand groundstroke is respected for its consistency & range of variations while his volleying, particularly through the short corners, is often underestimated.

Tactical
Not as big as many of the leading players, Lleyton has made a feature of some of the more subtle areas of the game. A brilliant, creative counter-puncher, he has turned lobbing, returning serve & hitting passing shots into an art form.

Mental
Exceptionally competitive, Lleyton is renowned for never giving up. He loves a team environment & has an unwavering commitment to Davis Cup. He is motivated by pitting his skills against the best in the world & thrives in difficult circumstances, often playing on adrenalin generated by performing at his peak.Famous for the catch phrase “Come on!”

Physical
He is respected by opponents & spectators alike for being one of the quickest players in the game. He is extremely fit, with amazing court coverage & a very resilient body that has endured an extremely demanding style of play for ten years on the tour.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC

Technical
There is virtually no technical weakness in the Djokovic game. This is just reward for a relentless pursuit of excellence even to the extent of seeking expert assistance for such specialist areas as volleying. He has a really high quality serve, the result of a beautiful, smooth, efficient action on both first & second balls & is capable of serving very big on important points.

Tactical
Perhaps the most impressive feature of Novak’s incredible game is his ability to, not only play groundstrokes cross-court & down-the-line, but to be able to change the direction of play almost at will. This allows him to tactically play the direction of his choice when structuring the point, rather than tending to play the percentages & rally predominantly cross-court.

Mental
Possesses a strong sense of self-belief – one gets the distinct impression that Novak is a young man in a hurry to fulfill his expressed dream of becoming the number 1 player in the worldAlthough the excessive bouncing prior to serving can become a little tedious, there is no questioning his determination to play only when he is completely ready.

Physical
Almost the perfect build for tennis – very strong & capable of exceptional court coverageHas the ability to produce quality shots from positions of genuine disadvantage – it is not uncommon to see Novak slide on hardcourt, allowing him to achieve near perfect balance under pressure

VENUS WILLIAMS

Technical
There are many stand-out features of the Venus Williams’ game, not the least of which is all-round awesome power. Her first serve is measurably the biggest in the game – the second serve, however, can be a little unreliable as it tends to slide quite regularly to the right-handers’ forehand.Both groundstrokes are hit off very open stances which requires great strength but allows her to change direction of shot with very little indication to her opponent.

Tactical
It is impossible not to be impressed by Venus’s incredible defensive skills – these often go unnoticed, however, as she is capable of being so aggressive from difficult situations that she can turn almost any defensive situation into offence. Brutal power off both serve & groundstrokes leads to many floated replies which Venus deals with using her explosive trademark drive volleys from mid-court.

Mental
As strange as it seems in the modern game, Venus has been able to mix professional tennis at the highest level with study, fashion & business. When on the court, however, this full lifestyle does not appear to have diminished in any way, pride in her performance & hunger for success.

Physical
Venus must surely be one of the great athletes of all time. She is very tall, very strong with an almost cat-like ability to cover every area of the court.

MARIA SHARAPOVA

Technical
Maria is an extremely aggressive baseliner – both groundstrokes are hit incredibly hard, quite flat & amazingly close to the lines.Both serves are hit very heavily, frequently setting up weak returns that are often punished with penetrating drive volleys often from very deep in the court.Perhaps the most characteristic feature is the follow-through on the forehand groundstroke which usually finishes upwards & backwards from the point of contact.

Tactical
There appears to be one game plan – all-out aggression. Although this approach is potentially high risk, in form she can be almost totally domineering. Some would suggest that the trademark “screeching” is tactically motivated.

Mental
Very intense & very focused throughout matches – highly sophisticated, superstitious routines between points especially when serving

Physical
What a great athlete! Very tall & incredibly strong, it is easy to see how she can be so intimidating. Her height is perhaps a slight disadvantage when moving out wide or to short low balls. It is amazing to see the power Maria generates, often off the back foot & with the flourishing follow-through.

AMELIE MAURESMO

Technical
Amelie has such a classical all-court game and, like Justine Henin, the standout feature is her ability to play an amazing range of one-handed backhand groundstrokes. Her topspin variety is played with a heavy backhand grip & a correspondingly quite open stance. She has great feel off the slice backhand as well, which she often uses to approach the net or to set up points with creative dropshots.

Tactical
Not possessing a particularly reliable or penetrating serve, Amelie has developed an amazing range of strokes which allow her to play effectively on all surfaces. She can do just about anything, with her standard baseline game being complimented by many creative options such as serve & volley, slice return & slice approach.

Mental
Great to watch a no-nonsense player who just wants to get on with the job. Sadly, her inability to win at Roland-Garros has probably created an impression, at least within France, of not being mentally strong – so pleasing therefore to note the other grand slam victories.

Physical
An amazingly sculptured athlete who, despite numerous injury problems, continues to play tennis with great artistry & a style of play that requires movement to all areas of the court – maybe the most graceful player in the game.

SERENA WILLIAMS

Technical
Perhaps Serena is the most complete player in the women’s game. It is hard to find a weakness anywhere. Her first serve is very big & her topspin second serve is of the highest order. Both groundstrokes are extremely penetrating & she possesses a full range of volleys.

Tactical
Everything about Serena’s game is aggressive & dominant. She is constantly attempting to establish an advantage, moving forwards at every opportunity to attack short groundstrokes or to approach the net with a view to finishing the point as quickly as possible.

Mental
Despite the challenges of frequently having to play sister Venus (hard to imagine how difficult this must be), Serena is an amazing “big match” player. Even in recent times, playing almost part-time, she has demonstrated the ability to come into a tournament out of form & to just keep improving match by match – who can forget her Australian Open victory in 2007 (ranked 81st & unseeded)?

Physical
Although not as tall as some of the other leading players of the past decade, Serena is arguably the most powerful athlete on the women’s tour. Despite some injury problems in recent years, she continues to be capable of playing at the highest level in the most intimidating & imposing manner.

SUMMARY

Well, if you have been like me & needed some encouragement to start a process of not just watching but actually learning from the Pros, I hope this helps. One final tip – look past the power aspect of the modern game & focus your attention on technical & tactical soundness which, without exception, would have taken 10 to 15 years of relentless hard work & sacrifice to develop.

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'The Development Stage' DVD Review

2010-01-15T13:25:00.038Z

ACE Magazine - 'The Development Stage' DVD review
Issue 134 / August 2008

Watch all 'The Development Stage' trailers

“Over the last 40 years Australian Peter Smith has produced many world class players. His debut coaching DVD looks at “The Development Stage” and provides simple, effective coaching advice for anyone interested in learning to play the game. As a tutorial for beginners and social improvers, this DVD is a sound investment, as the instruction is simple, easy to understand and, more importantly, easy to implement. The first in a new series of coaching DVD’s from Peter, this is an ideal investment for beginners”.

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“In my mind he’s the best technical coach out there”
Lleyton Hewitt
Former World No. 1, US Open and Wimbledon Champion

“There is a great argument to say that Peter Smith has had more influence than any coach in Australia in the past two decades in terms of producing world class players”
John Fitzgerald
Former World No.1 (doubles), current Australian Davis Cup Captain

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Roger Federer - Slice Backhand Analysis

2010-01-15T12:50:00.050Z

Without question Roger Federer has been, and still is, a breath of fresh air in the modern game. Although regarded by his peers, even in the formative years, to possess the ability to produce amazing speed of racquet head, Roger has brought an artistry to the game reminiscent of some of the legends of bygone days. We are indeed privileged to witness a game that places great emphasis, not solely on power, but equally on more subtle competitive aspects of the game.

A great tactical thinker, Roger displays perhaps a more extensive range of skills than anyone that has played the game. In an era when the ball is being hit heavier than ever before, Roger has almost single handedly been responsible for the re-emergence of some of the “touch and feel” areas of the game.

Maybe the most obvious example of this shift from uncompromising power is Roger’s slice backhand, used primarily as an offensive option, frequently challenging opponents with a “different look”, a shot with endless variety of flight path, spin and bounce pattern.

Let’s have a closer look at just one of Roger’s variations – a shot that sets up as a regulation slice only to transform into a heavy side spinning backhand, fading and breaking away down the line.

PIC 1 Roger has obviously made an early decision to set up for what appears at this stage to be a regulation backhand slice. There is no evidence of being in a position of disadvantage as the oncoming ball is routine. Roger’s movement pattern is very positive, both laterally and into the court. It is worth noting the wonderfully early backswing preparation as he loads up on the left foot.

PIC 2 Roger’s classic shoulder rotation continues, the racquet arm has been “opened” creating a correspondingly open racquet face with the racquet head above the left shoulder. The right elbow bend established in the ready position has been maintained and the left hand supports the racquet at the throat. Weight transfer into the shot has commenced.

PIC 3 Shoulder rotation continues as the right foot now makes contact with the court and begins to slide forwards (claycourt).

PIC 4 The classic preparation is complete - the hitting shoulder is lined up with the “down-the-line net post”. The right foot slide has almost finished creating excellent weight transference as the ball approaches the hitting zone. Balance is perfect with the head directly facing the ball, maximising eye contact.

PIC 5 Forward and downward swing commences with a slight uncoiling of the shoulders, the left hand releases the racquet throat, the hitting arm begins to straighten – note the slightly unusual position of the left foot which has splayed marginally backwards effectively acting as a brake. At this stage the preparation could still be for a regulation slice.

PIC 6 Captures the moment immediately after contact - perfect balance and head position are maintained. The key factor here is that, with a rapid straightening of the right elbow, the swing pattern has continued downwards and significantly left to right, effectively imparting massive side spin on the ball which has already begun to fade fractionally to the left.

Note: If the stroke had continued as “regulation slice”, the swing pattern would have been significantly more horizontal with the follow -through finishing with the racquet directed down the court. Rather than the racquet face contacting the back of the ball left to right, contact would have been under the ball imparting standard underspin.

PIC 7 Racquet position now is a clear indication of the severe left to right action. The vertical straightening of the arm and wrist, along with the slight leaning back from the ball, suggest drop shot or extreme short corner fade. Considering Roger’s closeness to the sideline, the fade in the air will need to be minimal.

PIC 8 The swing pattern is complete, body weight continues to withdraw, perfect head position – continues to face the ball. A successful outcome to this shot will result in the ball barely clearing the net, landing very short just inside the line, breaking sharply left away from the court. At best, a winning drop shot, at worst the opponent will be drawn forwards and out of court.

CONCLUSION
Just another example of the Federer artistry and tactical genius – not satisfied with using the slice backhand as a variation, he has gone to another level by developing a string of variations to the variation.

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