John McEnroe: Learning from the Pros

People overlook the fact that my style was based on playing
the percentages and forcing opponent’s to beat me with better shot making.

I think every tennis player including myself wants to learn something from the pros. When most
players watch pro matches they tend to focus on the obvious things. Yeah, it’s fun to try to copy Andre Agassi’s
forehand, or try to hit 125 mph serves like Pete Sampras. But to play winning tennis at any level, you’ve got to
be realistic about your capabilities. There are other things to look for if you want to really learn from
watching the best players.

Over the past few years as a commentator, I’ve watched hundreds of matches, far more than I ever did
as a player. My conclusion? Almost any player can learn a lot by watching the strategy in pro matches, how the
players set up their points, and more importantly, how they finish them off.

The point is, when you go into a match you need to have several specific ideas about how you’re going to beat a given opponent. This means knowing what your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses are and how they match up with yours….