Secrets of Spanish Tennis: Footwork and Balance

[hockeyscout]

Watching the anticipation reaction hand feeds the two backhands seem well balanced. The forehands seems off with footwork and balance. Wondering how you correct these problems on court. When I have done hand feeding it is easy to say what I want but hard to correct what I see.

Do what we do, hit, squat, hit, frog jump, hit, sprint, hit, drop, hit, left shoulder roll, hit, backflip, and more. Then you will get an idea on real balance, and truly develop it.

[bobbyswift]

Watching the anticipation reaction hand feeds the two backhands seem well balanced. The forehands seems off with footwork and balance. Wondering how you correct these problems on court. When I have done hand feeding it is easy to say what I want but hard to correct what I see.

[stotty]

Do you actually have a lot of astroturf courts? I thought you had predominantly soft courts, meaning either clay or grass with the clay in the UK being predominantly green clay like the HarTru here in the States (crushed slate). My experience is limited. The only courts I ever played on there were the courts at Queens Club while I was there during the tournament. In fact, we might even have had to play on the club's hardcourts during the tournament. But my belief was that hardcourts, including artificial turf were much less prevalent over there.

don

Astro-Turf, or artificial grass as many call it, has become extremely prominent over the last twenty years here in the UK. The average club player loves the stuff. The LTA hate it as they are convinced (rightly so) that it's hard to develop good tennis players on it. For general club players they are kind on the feet, good in all weathers, and are aesthetically pleasing to look at.

The LTA will not loan or give grants to club who install artificial grass. They will go overboard to lend money (at very favourable rates) to clubs who install acrylic.

Some LTA performance centres have the green clay but these are rarely seen at tennis clubs where the maintenance they require is seen as hassle.

Thirty years ago we had red shale courts and many good players were developed on that surface. This surface has all but become extinct now due to the maintenance they require.

These days it's either acrylic or astro. Often clubs have a blend both...satisfying the club players' preference and the LTA loan requirements.

Most clubs need cheap loans and grants from the LTA as they often don't raise enough money from membership fees. This makes them dependent on the LTA for charity, which in turn means the LTA can control what surfaces a club can have in return for their cheap loan or grant. Complicated, but it works well for the consumer as tennis is cheap over here. My club costs $400 a year to join with coach run activities thrown in....cheap I think...how is it over there?

[tennis_chiro]

So you actually have a lot of astroturf courts??

...
My favourite is grass. We had many grass courts here in the UK once upon a time, but in the end clubs found them too difficult to and expensive to maintain, and one by one they became replaced by astro-turf.

Do you actually have a lot of astroturf courts? I thought you had predominantly soft courts, meaning either clay or grass with the clay in the UK being predominantly green clay like the HarTru here in the States (crushed slate). My experience is limited. The only courts I ever played on there were the courts at Queens Club while I was there during the tournament. In fact, we might even have had to play on the club's hardcourts during the tournament. But my belief was that hardcourts, including artificial turf were much less prevalent over there.

don

[stotty]

Phil,

Lucky you! Will be back in Germany for a year starting in August of 2015. So I'll get at least two partial summers of clay court tennis.

I have noticed one thing about playing on clay and I am wondering if you have any thoughts about this.

Before I played on clay I would stand very close to the baseline and take everything on the rise. I also came to the net a lot and tried to attack short balls as much as possible. I was always pressing forward.

On clay I would get killed for hitting that way. I would either misshit the ball or get passed.

Eventually, I learned to step way back and just hit lots of topspin.

I noticed that most hard court players like to hug the baseline. That works well when playing an inferior opponent or when the ball is short.

But if I step back about 3-5 feet behind the baseline on hard courts, then suddenly I have more time and space to move into the ball.

It seems to get me adjusting forward and back more. This gives my ball more weight.

When I play people who just stand on the baseline, I can see how after three or four balls they will miss hit something or give me a short ball.

Having played on hard courts for so many years and now playing on clay, I am wondering if you have noticed the front/back difference in movement.

I notice this a lot in Wawrinka and some in Verdasco. They will move back and then move forward.

That is the plus side of things. The minus side is that one is further from the net.

But even there. When I get a short ball, I am very used to moving forward into every ball so I rarely run through my approach shots.

Any thoughts?

Arturo

I have only played on red clay about a dozen times. I found the bounce long and slow. For me, it's the long bounce that allows you to stand further back and let the ball come to you...and more easily soak up aggression than on other courts.

Clay never really suited my game because I wasn't brought on it, but I do like the surface. It's kind on the joints.

I find acrylic a soulless surface that does little to encourage any kind of artistry.

My favourite is grass. We had many grass courts here in the UK once upon a time, but in the end clubs found them too difficult to and expensive to maintain, and one by one they became replaced by astro-turf.

[gzhpcu]

Yes, Arturo. I think also because the loop on the groundstrokes is bigger, needing more time.- Partly because of topspin, and also because you have to generate more pace as clay slows the ball down. So consequently, you stand farther back, take a lot less balls on the rise...

[arturohernandez]

Phil,

Lucky you! Will be back in Germany for a year starting in August of 2015. So I'll get at least two partial summers of clay court tennis.

I have noticed one thing about playing on clay and I am wondering if you have any thoughts about this.

Before I played on clay I would stand very close to the baseline and take everything on the rise. I also came to the net a lot and tried to attack short balls as much as possible. I was always pressing forward.

On clay I would get killed for hitting that way. I would either misshit the ball or get passed.

Eventually, I learned to step way back and just hit lots of topspin.

I noticed that most hard court players like to hug the baseline. That works well when playing an inferior opponent or when the ball is short.

But if I step back about 3-5 feet behind the baseline on hard courts, then suddenly I have more time and space to move into the ball.

It seems to get me adjusting forward and back more. This gives my ball more weight.

When I play people who just stand on the baseline, I can see how after three or four balls they will miss hit something or give me a short ball.

Having played on hard courts for so many years and now playing on clay, I am wondering if you have noticed the front/back difference in movement.

I notice this a lot in Wawrinka and some in Verdasco. They will move back and then move forward.

That is the plus side of things. The minus side is that one is further from the net.

But even there. When I get a short ball, I am very used to moving forward into every ball so I rarely run through my approach shots.

Any thoughts?

Arturo

[gzhpcu]

Arturo,
Playing on clay is better for the body: softer, no jolting stops, you can slide. I grew up playing on the concrete courts in L.A and now am playing on Swiss clay courts since ages. It also has another benefit: tennis balls stay fresh much longer!
Roland Garros is my favorite Grand Slam tournament, since the serve is not so dominant.

[arturohernandez]

Thanks again

I just wanted to thank Chris for opening this door for all of us. I have been beating myself up for ways to teach my kids the fundamentals of tennis. We don't have a lot of time on the court as I have a day job that keeps me occupied and all of them are in advanced academic courses.

The idea of integrating multiple aspects (balance, footwork, positioning, contact, acceleration) all in a set of simple drills has made life a lot easier. There is no need to try and train all of it separately. Integration makes it easier and it also transfers to real match situations. I also like the idea of reducing verbal feedback. I watched a lesson in which the pro was continuously talking to the student about some physical adjustment. It was exhausting and I was not the one taking the lesson.

There is one thing that I think really would change training in the US and the UK.

Clay!

After 25 years of play on hard courts I had to spend three summers in Germany on clay 5 years ago.

It was a revelation. My game has never been the same since then even when I got back to hard courts.

Thanks again!

Arturo

[hockeyscout]

Interested in the Spanish teaching system. The opening three points posture, contact point to side of body and out in front are invisible to the eye. Getting behind the ball is very easy to say but unmeasurable with your eyes. Are the coaches using video or guessing at what they see.

That's the simplest part to understand in tennis. However, coming from hockey, that is all we do. Get into the right position to execute. It takes A LONG TIME to develop an athlete who thinks with his feet, at that is a challenge in hockey, and every other sport. We spend hours just practicing moving to the ball without hitting it. If you can get to the right place, at the right time, with the correct momentum and in the proper window, you're gold in tennis (or any other sport).

[bobbyswift]

Interested in the Spanish teaching system. The opening three points posture, contact point to side of body and out in front are invisible to the eye. Getting behind the ball is very easy to say but unmeasurable with your eyes. Are the coaches using video or guessing at what they see.

[hockeyscout]

Like Bill Cosby, who was exposed for years, and the cops did nothing, and the reporters did nothing, and hurt all those women, the same thing is happening now, with spanish ped abusers, who have already been exposed. Politics only favors the connected and the rich and the supported. Don't you dare ever expose your daughter to peds. Cancer is a vicious thing to watch kill your loved ones. They don't even publicize abusers who have been caught, they just take time off ala nadal. Out of 50 guys caught, and the 50 who appealed, without the drugs in hand all were given reprieves/let off the hook. So they are protecting the game, while killing the athletes. Shame sticks to those who cheat. And it's not only the athletes cheating, it's the system encouraging them to. So the spanish system is ped ridden, and no one cares, just an no one cares really about stringing, or frames, affecting the game. Strange in hind sight equals strange in short sight.

Win now, and die later. All you ped cheaters out there, heed these words: Bobby Bonds/Barry bonds. Flo jo. Lyle Alzado. Lance armweak. Live strong will become, now/later, die weak.

This is why its not smart to trust these associations Geoff.

[GeoffWilliams]

Like Bill Cosby, who was exposed for years, and the cops did nothing, and the reporters did nothing, and hurt all those women, the same thing is happening now, with spanish ped abusers, who have already been exposed. Politics only favors the connected and the rich and the supported. Don't you dare ever expose your daughter to peds. Cancer is a vicious thing to watch kill your loved ones. They don't even publicize abusers who have been caught, they just take time off ala nadal. Out of 50 guys caught, and the 50 who appealed, without the drugs in hand all were given reprieves/let off the hook. So they are protecting the game, while killing the athletes. Shame sticks to those who cheat. And it's not only the athletes cheating, it's the system encouraging them to. So the spanish system is ped ridden, and no one cares, just an no one cares really about stringing, or frames, affecting the game. Strange in hind sight equals strange in short sight.

Win now, and die later. All you ped cheaters out there, heed these words: Bobby Bonds/Barry bonds. Flo jo. Lyle Alzado. Lance armweak. Live strong will become, now/later, die weak.

[hockeyscout]

Talk to uncle Tony about that, or Lance ARmstrong, and all his supporters who are now eating crow. It won't be the same for nadal or ferrer. The truth is already out and no one cares, nor will they if they die an early death. The enduring legacy of spanish tennis, sad that it may be peds. Peds work and can add as much as: 8% more speed, 20% more endurance, 50% faster healing time. The star that burns artificially bright is the star that burns artificially short, and dies out earlier. But it wins more often! That's all anyone cares about. Just win pedboy, just win. Instead of the Butt PIck Kid, we should call him: Pedboy.

Geoff, you need to understand one VERY important thing. Lance Armstrong made them money! However, when they did not need LA they threw him under the bus and exposed him. I am sure tennis will find their Lance Armstrong one day, it'll be very interesting to see who gets exposed. Someone will, it is bound to happen.

[GeoffWilliams]

Unfortunately I have to agree with you Geoff. It's sad. How it's been covered up is a disgrace as well.

Unfortunately people out their will do EVERYTHING to win, and create shortcuts.

This steroid epidemic is a result insecurity. Coaches, who should not be mentoring athletes in the first place, attempting to take shortcuts in the athletic developmental process because they do not understand how to properly run, lift, jump and set up long term neurology pathways. Athletes who are lazy and do not want to put in their time like professionals.

You know Geoff, that is why I like so much what you do. You're an artist, and that takes work. Unfortunately when you take steroids you become a machine, and your body stops manufacturing elements you need to be an artist.

I had a friend once tell me he lost badly at the Olympics, he wasn't on the steroids, however years later his friend who did take them and won said he went on the podium to accept his metal, and instead of feeling beautiful and filled with positive emotions like say when your first born arrives, or you bed a beautiful girl for the first time as a teenager, he felt empty.

It's rather obvious the athletes who are putting in the hard work over the long haul, as opposed to those who used drugs, get to the top and then fade away because they do not understand the boundaries of good scientific training principals.

Who'd want to live a life wondering, when will I get caught on a drug test?

This steroid epidemic we see in sports is as a result of coaches not understanding how to use food properly as a recovery tool as well in my opinion.

I really believe in having a great plan at the dinner table. And you know what, eating great food is the best, especially when you take the time to cook.

NHL teams got very smart a few years back. They understood they were losing tons of money with their players being injured all the time. So, the players would arrive to the rink in the morning, and boom, food would be ready. They'd practice, and boom, meal again. They'd go do their weight training. Boom, meal again. They'd go have their team meeting. Boom, meal again. Players then go home, boom, three to four ready to go meals ready in a packet to pick up going out the door.

The big question is, why isn't every parent in the world (athletes and non athletes) doing this with their children? And the second question is, how good could have these NHL players (and students) have been in the first place if they ate properly? I'd imagine a lot was left on the table, unnecessary injuries occurred and durability became a factor as they got older because its impossible to achieve maximum potential when your body is being forced to deal with all the crap that is proliferating the marketplace these days.

We're seeing a bigger, faster and stronger version of the NHL these days because coaches understand nutritionists we're full of shit all these years, everything you eat in the grocery store is shit for the most part and you've got to have a real plan, and the education to seek out, order and locate the best food you can for your athlete.

Even if my child did not play tennis, I'd still invest in the food department. That's the basis for child development. It takes time, money, people and a hell of a lot of organization to do it right, however, it'll make all the difference and be the # 1 thing that sets a child for life. So much of this crime we are seeing in the streets, and children not learning in school has been a result of governments not stepping in and saying enough is enough with this sugar, flour, caffeine and all the rest. Its got to a point where it is driving society bankrupt, driving people mad and causing an epidemic of obese individuals who are being manipulated by companies with food labels that are a joke.

Those who plan to come out on top in any field don't get their because they were talented. Everyone has talent, and it can be developed through a perfect storm which needs to be athlete driven. Talent comes from passion. Passion turns into fanatical enjoyment. Enjoyment turns into more reps than the next person. Love turns into winning. Winning results in positive emotions, and endorphins! And then, you have an athlete who develops a sports soul, and is one with the game. Its becomes automatic, and then it naturally flows like a waterfall. That is the point everyone says, "Talented individuals and so smooth." Well, that wasn't an accident.

Now, the issue with steroids. It robs the soul, and it creates emptiness. And, you'll probably die. Its just not worth it to have the regret, as it'll stick with you until the day you die.

Talk to uncle Tony about that, or Lance ARmstrong, and all his supporters who are now eating crow. It won't be the same for nadal or ferrer. The truth is already out and no one cares, nor will they if they die an early death. The enduring legacy of spanish tennis, sad that it may be peds. Peds work and can add as much as: 8% more speed, 20% more endurance, 50% faster healing time. The star that burns artificially bright is the star that burns artificially short, and dies out earlier. But it wins more often! That's all anyone cares about. Just win pedboy, just win. Instead of the Butt PIck Kid, we should call him: Pedboy.