ETI 015 | Lobbing along the line of your shadow

In addition to consistency, control, spin and power, much less trying to produce your best tennis when the chips are down, a large part of the game includes your precise awareness of the conditions – meaning the direction of the wind, as well as the location of the sun.

The next time you are on court with the sun high in the sky, but equally when it is at your back, take special notice of your shadow.  As the sun moves through the sky the line or alignment of the shadow will change.

But (THIS IS IMPORTANT) when you see your shadow pointing exactly across the net toward your opponent, try the following.

Bring her (or him) in with a short shot, and then put a lob up in the air exactly in line with your shadow.

Not an overly high lob, not a winner lob, just an average lob, but exactly “into the sun.”  I believe the results will surprise you.

And once you get the hang for this particular strategy, use if often, use it wisely, and if at all possible use it on the biggest of points – I was on the receiving end of one such play years ago and learned my lesson – though it took a few years for it to sink in (stubborn at this end)

ETI Podcast 15 - Lobbing along the line of your shadow Download

ETI 014 | Alignment – Swinging Up and or Down

Many ways to play this game, many ways to grip the racquet, and truly many ways to hit the ball.

Flat, topspin, slice, sidespin, under spin – just to name a few (if not them all).

We know to hit up on the ball for topspin, to swing slightly down on the ball for slice or under spin, and to swing more or less level for a flat hit.  And one proviso, the ball will always leave the racquet with some amount of spin, it is impossible to hit the ball perfectly flat.  But for our purposes, flat will mean a ball with relatively little spin.

But in addition to the swing path, and how that will help produce spin, consider simply the orientation of the racquet handle as the racquet accelerates toward the ball.

Pointing the racquet handle down during a down swing will magnify that leverage (good) and pointing the racquet handle up during an upswing again will magnify that leverage (good).

Build your awareness for this “alignment” and your spin will increase – REALLY

Leave a comment and let me know what you think

ETI Podcast 14 - Alignment - Swinging Up and or Down vid 0652 Download

Indian Wells – Federer Sent a Message

Photos courtesy Jim Fawcette ©jfawcette

Yes Roger still has it. And no, those of you who are starting to write this “old guy” off have it all wrong. After his heart breaking loss to Djokovic in the US Open semifinals, where he held two match points (just as he had done in the 2010 US Open semifinals) he finished the year with a 17 match winning streak. And watching him first hand at Indian Wells for the recent BNP Paribas Open, I can assure you that Roger is playing dominant tennis.

But as much as his game is about artistry, movement, and outrageous shot making, Federer is making a statement with his serve. In an interview some months ago, when Rafa was asked what stroke on the tour he admired or wished he could have, he remarked, “Roger’s serve!” Though not nearly the fastest (think Raonic or Isner) or the biggest (think Del Potro), Roger serves with pin point accuracy and more importantly with less effort than any player on the men’s or women’s tour. On that score, think, ELASTIC ENERGY. More on that later.

In capturing his 19th Masters 1000 Shield, as well as his 4th title at Indian Wells, Roger played and beat Milos Raonic, Juan Martin Del Potro and John Isner (as well as Rafael Nadal along the way) but note those three guys are always atop or near the top of the serving stats leader board. And in every match Roger served notice – really.

Aces rank total average

• Ranoic 1st 307 16 per match
• Isner 2nd 287 15 per match
• Del Potro 3rd 194 8 per match
• Federer 4th 183 7 per match

1st serve points won

• Raonic 1st 84%
• Berdych 2nd 80%
• Federer 3rd 79%
• Isner 11th 76%

2nd serve points won

• Federer 1st 62%

Service games won

• Raonic 1st 94%
• Federer 2nd 92%
• Delpo & Isner 89%

And when Roger played these three dudes, the story line went as follows.
Against Raonic they both served 10 aces, against Del Potro Roger served 13 aces to 0 for Juan Martin, and against Isner Roger served 7 aces to John’s 4.
When it came to percentage of points won on first serve, Roger was again dominant. Against Raonic he led 88 to 75% on points won, against Del Potro he led 80 to 65% points won on first serve, and incredibly against Isner he led 94 to 71% points won on the first serve.
Finally, Roger leads all players on the tour winning an incredible 62% of points played on his second serve.
The message – excellent serving is a combination of accuracy, disguise, speed, and efficiency. Roger gets more from less effort than any player – all due to ELASTIC ENERGY.

Muscle pre-tension (elastic energy) Dr. Bruce Elliott

In a stretch‐shorten cycle, elastic energy is stored during the stretch (eccentric) phase of swing (the stretch), such that the shorten (concentric) phase of the swing is enhanced. For practical purposes, imagine a forced muscular swing as compared to one that truly appears loose or “elastic.”

Service: The trick on the serve is to drive the legs as the racquet begins to drop down behind the shoulder. The stretch of the anterior shoulder muscles (Don Kerr called this a “bulge”) is maximized by a vigorous leg drive which positions the racquet “down behind and away from the lower back” in preparation for the drive to the ball.

The key to the recovery of the elastic energy is the timing between the stretch and shorten phases of the motion. It is essential that only a short pause occurs between the backswing and forward swing phases of stroke production or at maximum knee flexion during the serve.

Translation – Roger (and Pancho above) appears looser, more relaxed, and fluid than nearly all others. If loose and relaxed, the arm will lag or trail the body, and the racquet head will lag or trail the hand. And when done in that manner, the hits resemble a whip like action more than something purposeful, or workman like. And the key will be in how low the racquet head drops as the body accelerated upward from a powerful leg drive.

Note – I will explore ELASTIC ENERGY in the April issue of our ETI Membership Network.  I filmed Roger at Indian Wells, and believe that there is much more to this relaxed loose swing than initially meets the eye.  Something similar occurs on the Djokovic two hander, but at the end of the day one can truly swing quicker and with less effort using compact swings that source elastic energy.

SAP Open – Raonic and McEnroe capture the event

First off, John McEnroe still has it. Love him or hate him (and he does provoke an extremely wide if not vociferous response) he still has all the skills in place. At 53 I believe he could still compete in doubles at the highest levels, and with the right partner could have had a chance to win this event. He only played an exhibition with Jack Sock against Gael Monfils and Steve Johnson – and through all the smiles – for these three were delighted to be on court with Mac – it was Mac who held serve most easily, it was Mac who volleyed most sharply, and it was Mac who carried Sock to a 64 64 win.

Consider the simplicity of Mac’s game, which truly contrasts with many of the big hitting from behind the baseline two handed backhand opponents. Mac holds his ground. Mac’s groundies are short and simple. Mac’s volley’s are short and simple. Somehow I believe that it is this simplicity in all areas of his game that allows him to play with the “big boys” at 53 years of age.

And what a backhand, if you ever want to learn how to knife the ball “McEnroe style” we have something coming down the road – but more on that later.

This same Monday night, the second match featured Kevin Anderson and Grigor Dimitrov – the match went down to the wire, finishing a little past midnight (to the delight of our own ball kid squad) with Anderson barely getting by 26 76 76. But, and this must be said, Dimitrov, nicknamed “Baby Fed” plays beautiful tennis. Quick as a cat, deadly off both wings, enormous promise, and just like Federer – he rips a full bodied one handed topspin backhand.Who says the one handed backhand is a thing of the past?

Not me.

Now to the tournament winner, Milos Raonic, defended his title with an impressive serving performance. He faced only one break point in his last two matches of the tournament, and thoroughly dominated Ryan Harrison and then Denis Istomin, both by the scores 76 62.

Yes Raonic is tall, but there are now many tall players on the tour. And yes his serve is very big, and again there are many big servers out there. But to my eye, his motion is simple, flowing, effortless, and very hard to read. Much better than Del Potro, Berdych or even Soderling. I believe Raonic had idolized Pete Sampras and has essentially copied that serve – to deadly effect.

Take a moment with the following video to really appreciate the flow – this guy is the real thing. He still has some work to do on the backhand wing, but with a weapon on the serve – the sky will be the limit.

photos courtesy Jim Fawcette

ETI 013 | Circle of Play

This one is entirely visual.
Draw a full circle with your racquet, visualizing the face of a clock.

At 3 and 9 o’clock, your arm is horizontal, the racquet head is well away from your body.

Down at 5 and 7 o’clock your arm points down, the racquet head falls below your hand, and your reach is not as extended as it was at 9 and 3.

Use this feel to know that when balls are low (5 and 7), you actually want to play them “inside” but when balls are bouncing up (9 and 3) you actually want to play them “up and away.”

The circle of play is a natural way to feel how your arm moves at various heights, and how to position for the low and high shots.

ETI 013 | Circle of Play Download

Australian Open 2012 Final thoughts

What a magnificent time to be a tennis fan.  And especially for the men, the Australian Open was as good as it gets.  Absolutely as good as it gets. I don’t know about you, but I have played a lot of tennis, and the game I played is in no way the game they play.

There have been (and will be) many articles with specific match analyses of tactics, swings of momentum and more.  I would look at this match with a broader brush.

At the end of nearly 6 hours, Djokovic broke serve at 5 all in the 5^th, and held serve to close out the match.  After 369 points – Novak somehow PREVAILED.  I heard the announcer’s use that word, and prevail is apt, for Novak simply withstood and overcame Nadal’s furious defense.

For Rafa, unerring and unflappable defense (remember what it did to Federer in the semis) is a matter of WILL   Loosely defined as the power of control the mind has over its actions, purpose or determination, with a hearty if not stubborn determination.  Rafael Nadal epitomizes will power with every movement, every reply, and with an indefatigable willingness to run for every ball.  Some of the televised slow motion close ups of his facial contortions as he ripped forehands from extreme positions spoke volumes about his effort, his indomitable will.

But when it comes to the champion, I believe Novak epitomizes BELIEF.  Conviction, assurance, confidence, trust – and as regards our game of tennis this means the belief in one’s shots.  Novak Djokovic, who has in his own words, “matured” exemplifies belief with every swing of his racquet.  Always, repeat always, going for his shots.  Where Rafa was willing to scramble, Novak moved every bit as well but more often played the ball much closer to the line.  This guy simply believes in his shots.

On this one the stats to tell the story:

And with a match this close, with so much on the line (prestige, titles, records, and even money) we cannot overlook CHANCE – the absence of any cause of events that can be predicted, understood or controlled, “chance governs all.”  There were any number of chance events that could have turned the tide in this match, but two stand out in my mind.

In the 4^th set tiebreaker, with Djokovic serving at 5-all, Nadal retrieved from the backhand corner with a short slice backhand.  Djokovic moved forward for the kill, his signature inside out forehand, but this time his rifle shot clipped the tape.  Nadal won the next point and the set on that routine Djokovic error.  And Novak had to put that reversal behind him, though at moments within the 5th set he did not look all that “committed.”

Then in the 5^th set – Nadal serving at 4-2, 30-15, Djokovic angled a lunging forehand volley, Nadal moved forward for a relatively easy up the line pass into the open court, but mysteriously hit the ball just wide.  Inexplicable, he may remember this for some time, and there is no telling whether this was luck, bad luck, something unconscious, a momentary lapse, or again just chance.  But with that error, Novak gained energy, gained confidence, broke serve in that same game and got his “legs” back.

Ofttimes we hear the game is 95% mental.  When two opponents are evenly matched, the 5^th set is said to be about HEART.  And in this struggle between will power and belief, only the tiniest of margins separated the winner from the loser.  But in common, tremendous self confidence created the foundation for their will and belief.

I have taken the following from one of the lessons in the Mind Games section of the ETI network.

If you want to take a stab at improving your mental game, the best place to start is with Fred Earle’s 5 keys to building self-confidence.  He taught, and I believe, that if you can answer yes to these 5 questions every time you are on court in either practice or a match, you will be growing your mental game and your confidence.

1. I put out 100 per cent effort today.  I gave it all I had.
2. I maintained and sustained a positive mental attitude. Smile and enjoy what you are doing.  Your thoughts control your feelings, keep your thoughts positive.
3. I was and am patient  As you become a better player, improvement comes slower.  Be patient.
4. I allowed myself to make mistakes. Throughout life, you learn more from mistakes than from most any form of learning.
5. I accepted  full responsibility for me today. What I did and did not do is a result of me and me alone.

The 2^nd serve.  As you may know, I am always following second serve stats, and believe that more than any other number, that one always aligns with the winner.  I am slow to infer cause and effect but it was Laver among many others who said, “You are only as good as your second serve.”

Andy Murray played Novak neck and neck, down to the wire falling 75 in the fifth.  But, here we go again, in that fifth set, though he won 77% of the points on his first serve (pretty darn good against the best returner in the game) he won just 2 of 15 points on his second serve in the fifth and final set.  Unfortunately 13% conversion on 2^nd serve is just not good enough.  Murray is climbing, coach Lendl is all about no-nonsense – I firmly believe they will attack and resolve the service delivery problem, namely precession. *

In the women’s final, there came a moment when Azarenka began to dominate Sharapova, in a way that few people have truly beaten her.  Vika’s hitting was a bit crisper, her movement a bit sharper, but to me I believe there was a mental pressure on Sharapova every time she stepped up to the line for her second serve.  Over the years that delivery has been suspect with many many double faults, of late it is better, but again I believe somehow it is fraught with tension.  And in that match Maria won just 18% of the points on her second serve, winning just 3 of 17 points on that delivery.  Under pressure, rocks as well as people “crack.”

* Note to Ivan – Some years ago I tried to reach you through our mutual friend Warren Bosworth about something known as the serving window.  But you may not have received the note.  At this point I believe Andy “throws himself forward and into the hit” making for some big bombs on first serves, but with so much physical action Andy actually “wobbles.”  For better or worse, wobbling, or precession, especially on the second serve, diminishes the precision of the service delivery.  Place him in video side by side with Sampras or Federer and you will see the difference.

Getting the job done – Rafa advances to the Australian Open finals

Roger and Rafa have given us (yes they play, but really these matches are gifts) some incredible tennis over the years. Wimbledon, Roland Garros, and now two matches here in Melbourne, the finals a few years ago (yet another 5 set masterpiece) and now this spell binding four set struggle.

The lead up to this match presented a few contrasts. Federer had looked brilliant in his straight set dispatch of Juan Martin del Potro – and within this match Fed traded flashing ground strokes matching power for power, all punctuated by incredible sidespin serves to the deuce court and booming topspin backhand winners. Roger had remarked in an interview that he doesn’t necessarily work on his weaknesses (implying the backhand) as those same strokes become stronger because the opponents direct most of their play in that direction. But still whether he works on it, or it simply improves on his own – this guy hits a REAL one-handed topspin backhand.

Rafa has still been nursing wounds inflicted by his losses to Djokovic in the previous year. In capturing the 2010 US Open (over Djokovic in four sets) he appeared to have changed his service motion and added considerable speed to the delivery, with many serves reaching if not exceeding 130mph. But in 2011 that same delivery had become ever so slightly suspect, with less ball speed, less penetration, and as a result less free points. Though we cannot overlook the difficulty of serving to the best absolute serve returner in the history of the game – Novak.

So we know Rafa captured another one, and is now 8 and 2 against Federer in Grand Slam tournaments. And as ever, the match was a brilliant display of movement, angles, offense, defense, unbelievable winners, and some really other worldly winners from impossible situations (yes that is Rafa for sure).

Perhaps the match statistics may tell part of the story. And as ever, the art with statistics is not in the presentation but rather in the interpretation – so as usual I am going out on a limb. Rafa got this particular job done but serving an inordinately high percentage of first serves. That and nothing more, to my mind, tells the story of this match.

Rafa won 146 points overall, with 34 unforced errors and 36 winners. Roger won 130 points, making 63 errors with just 46 winners – and to beat this Spanish Bull one must reduce errors and increase winners. But, the serve stats provide the real eye opener.

Rafa got 77% of his first serves in play, against 64% for Roger.
Taking this further Roger had to play 49 points on his second serve, where Rafa played just 32 points on his second serve.

Pressure is always cumulative, and to my mind this swing of first and second serves told the story. But there is more. Of the 75 points won by Rafa on first serve, 33 occurred when serving down the middle to the Tee in the deuce court, and 21 occurred when serving out wide to the ad court (in both instances to Feds backhand wing).

As to the art of winning, consider the role of the first point in every game influencing momentum, pressure and more. Certainly it is much easier for you and I to serve when calling the score 15-love, and it must be (it truly must be) that many of those 33 points won to the backhand in the deuce court created an early service lead.

Brad Gilbert may have summed up this match well, saying, “Somehow Andre seemed to bring out the best in Pete (certainly that was true in their US Open contest though the same cannot be said that Pete brought out the best in Andre) and now it appears that Roger brings out the best in Rafa.” How true.

For the other semifinal – I believe it will be close, everyone agrees that Murray must be more aggressive. But as to stats, Murray must exceed 70% first serves, and must convert more than 50% of the points on his second serve, or Novak will move on.

Andy Murray + Ivan Lendl = Australian Open title?

Andy Murray enters this year’s Australian Open ranked 4^th (as usual), coming off a strong head of stream with a 5-0 record in 2012, at last years Oz Open he was the presumed favorite – but something is different this year.  Or so it may seem.

Murray has won over $19 million in prize money, has yet to capture the elusive Grand Slam title, but has come close a few times.  He lost in the finals at last years Australian Open to Djokovic 46 26 36, but in that same year he reached the semifinals of the French, Wimbledon and the US Open (each time losing to Nadal).  Further, Andy reached the finals of the Australian Open in 2010 losing to Federer 36 46 67, and the finals of the US Open in 2008 again losing to Federer 26 57 26.

It has been his court demeanor, particularly when losing, that so many find “galling.”  Complaining, moping, deploring those in his box with his seeming “bad luck,” those are more often the actions of a petulant junior rather than a leading world class player.

Enter his new coach, Ivan Lendl, and a rather unusual quote from the Scot, “You win like a man, you lose like a man.”  As many wonder whether this coach player pairing will work, Lendl must either improve or remove the notion that Murray’s head and on court temperament has been the issue.

There may be something to this partnership, and though not readily remembered, Lendl secured his Grand Slam title run with the benefit of a particularly keen “logotherapist.”  In 1985, Alexis Castorri made the tennis player an offer he couldn’t refuse:

“I’ll bet you $1,000 I can design a physical and mental program for you and, if you follow it honestly, by the end of the U.S. Open, you will be the No. 1 player in the world.  And if you win, you don’t have to pay.”

Seven months Lendl won the US Open.

Castorri devised a program for Lendl based on logotherapy, which posits that man’s only freedom is the attitude they choose. Meaning, players must face the possibility of losing before walking on court, face that fear, and then put it behind them – perhaps this is what Murray meant when he mentioned “winning and losing like a man.”

For interesting reading, check out Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl

Murray has yet one more hurdle to face.  In 2011 he was ranked 93^rd in percentage of points won on his second serve, and Djokovic was ranked first in points won returning the second serve.  This year Murray has improved a little, now ranked 66^th in this important points won on the second serve category.  But to my mind, this is still Murray’s Achilles heel.  In many matches his first serve reaches 130 mph, but in those same matches some second serves are 80mph or less.  And as I continue to study nuances of the serve, and what Pete Roger and Pancho (Gonzalez) have in common, Andy’s serve appears different.  My hunch is that he strokes it, you see way too much hand and arm speed in the follow thru, and far less snap or whip at the top of the swing.  Sampras once credited his seven Wimbledon titles to having the “best second serve in the game.”  For Andy to take the next steps, that I believe is his real project, along with (of course) playing like a “man.”

ETI 012 | Tossing into the Swing

As Blackie Jones (my first coach) would ask of a student,”If there are two parts to the serve, being the toss and the swing, do you think it is better to swing at the toss, or toss into the swing?”

And as his lessons and demonstrations proceeded, we were schooled in the tempo, the technique, and the benefits for a toss that was low without being overly low, and this produced a motion that was rhythmic and flowing.

Consider servers with the overly high tosses – Del Potro, Sharapova, Safina, Berdych, Soderling – they all serve well but with an overly high toss that requires the slightest pause or hitch as the ball descends. And hopefully these servers are not playing in the wind.

Now contrast with servers who lower their tosses, essentially tossing the ball in the way of the swing – Federer, Serena, Dolgopolov, Kirilenko and remember Roscoe Tanner – they use a lower toss that unlocks a flowing rhythm.

Try this at dusk when you can see, but not perfectly. Now rhythm will be the key, and that key will unlock a serve where you are truly “tossing into the swing.”

ETI 012 | Tossing into the Swing Download

ETI 011 | The Non Dominant Arm

Whether pitching, throwing footballs, unleashing your forehand, or unwinding on the overhead or the serve – your non dominant arm plays a very, very important role.

I have a daughter, and have never liked the term, “throwing like a girl.”

That said, inexperienced as well as inexpert throwers let their non dominant arm hang at their side when throwing. And in that manner the throw is one sided.

But take a look at any throwing skill and you will see the non dominant arm coil with the wind up and uncoil prior to the throw/pitch/forehand/overhead or serve.

ETI 011 | The Non Dominant Arm Download