What the Great Players Don't Know
Kyle LaCroix
Starting in 2012 I was contracted by the ATP Tour and WTA Tours in conjunction with the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) to help veteran and retiring professional tennis players transition into a career of teaching and coaching.
I was thrilled to start this new venture, have the opportunity to be on court with some world class players and be influential in the next chapter of their tennis life. Besides, what could be easier than teaching world ranked players something they should clearly be experts on?
These certification events would be scheduled with ATP and WTA players during the Miami Open event which was then held at the Tennis Center of Crandon Park in Key Biscayne. Each year the group would consist of between 10-20 touring pros, many of whom any avid tennis fan would be able to recognize.
The educational experience was concurrent with the live tournament matches going on around us. Spectators would stroll past us, some even staying to watch and wonder why all of these players were gathered together around a teaching basket and listening to me speak.
Going into my first certification with these players I was nervous. Partially because I knew it was an important opportunity in my career but also because I had to deal with my own personal insecurities as to whether I could really teach them.
Did I bite off more than I could chew? Are they really going to take me seriously? I had a palpable feeling of intimidation.
The intimidation wore off quite quickly from my end when I greeted all of them personally when they entered the conference room and then introduced myself and my background formally to the group. I realized I was the one they were looking up to.
Literally and figuratively. A few of the ATP players referenced my size (6'5") and said they wished they had me as either their doubles partner or their security detail. The WTA pros joked that they would be afraid to talk back to me in a practice if I was their coach. I assured them that I'm a gentle giant and certainly did not intend to scare anyone.
After breaking the ice we jumped into some basic teaching/coaching concepts. They were appreciative, respectful and curious. They asked a lot of good questions, albeit some softballs relative to what my assumption about their coaching skills actually were.
Inverse Proportion
It was at this moment it struck me that these players tennis and ball striking skills were inversely proportional to their experience and knowledge of teaching/coaching. I had my work cut out for me.
After a 90-minute collaborative session in the classroom we hit the courts. You could immediately see the players were much more comfortable in this setting, like fishes in water.
I went through several demonstrations of basic coaching concepts and broke down the different types of feeds (hand feeds, dead ball feeds, live ball feeds). Then I went into explanation, diagnosis and cure of a given stroke. To start, I demonstrated the proper mechanics and technique on a backhand volley.
Several of the players commented that my swing was too short and looked compact and stiff. They said that they always took the racquet much further back and swung out to the ball "across their body," slicing deeply down for spin.
I inquired if any of them would like to provide an example. They were happy to show off, and by doing so, we all learned valuable lesson.
Several players attempted backhand volleys and explaining the steps as they went. Many of these "steps" they described as "you just do this," then do "like this". No one gave details or even visual cues. Just a "do what I do" idea.
Before their shots, I asked one of their fellow players to record using their cell phone camera with a fast shutter speed. What the players claimed they did and what was actually seen on camera were two very different things.
Big Backswing
The big backswing some of the players swore by was actually a world class, perfectly timed shoulder turn that made it feel as if they were taking the racquet back. The swing out to the ball they defended fiercely was actually no forward swing at all but a weight transfer with the contact being slightly behind and the momentum of the racquet head winning the collision.
And remember that the idea of slicing steeply downward and across their body? That was nowhere to be found.
The reason: The volleys they were used to hitting were coming from a ball struck much harder and faster with more rpms than any traditional feed or the quality of ball 99% of the players they will be teaching could generate.
In essence, their volleys evolved in order to handle tougher passing shots than your basic, standard teaching volley that was ripe with fundamentals. The one they would have to demonstrate in front of students.
Coming to these conclusions was a journey in guided discovery for many of them. The look on their faces was amazed when they realized what they thought was happening was not actually happening. It was akin to telling the most devout Roman Catholic that the Pope has resigned from his duties at the Vatican and applied to Rabbinical School.
Grips
Another interesting topic was grips. Asking the class about grips, the vast majority of them could not, with any accuracy, explain, describe or name all the grips nor what effect the grips had on a swing path or contact point. Roger Federer, for example, was unable to describe his forehand grip when asked in a press conference.
In fact, the most common answer to nearly every technical issue or stroke production query was, again, the player simply standing in front of the student and saying "look at me, just do it like this" as they shadowed their own world class swings that took years to hone, perfect and sharpen against the world's best tennis talent.
The problem was their students were local tennis players and enthusiasts that had signed up to be guinea pigs and receive free private and group lessons for the class. These were 3.5 (being generous) players from the Miami suburbs that did not have the speed, power, athleticism of the former top 100 professional they were sharing the court with.
But that didn't stop the tour players from treating them like such. A lesson on the forehand had one ATP player showing the student how to swing wildly with a semi-western grip.
Which may not seem that awful. Except for the fact that the student was a 64 year-old man who plays with a continental grip and predominantly uses underspin and slice.
One WTA player was teaching the backhand and spent 15 minutes talking, giving verbal tips and sharing stories about she had hit her ballistic two-handed backhand and against some big name opponents in past matches. The issue, her student had a one-handed backhand.
Then there was the student who elected to receive a lesson on the serve. Innocent enough. The student was an athletic and avid player who didn't have a bad serve but wanted to learn a kick serve.
The WTA Tour player who was giving the lesson showed the student her serve. A pinpoint stance with an abbreviated motion and lower toss that had little topspin component to it, more of a heavy slice.
The student had a platform stance with a higher toss and a staggered rhythm. The touring pro and student could not have been more opposite, which isn't always a bad thing.
But the teacher/coach did not know how to relate or even approach the student's serve, rendering the lesson useless as the player just grew frustrated.
And herein lies the problem. Just because you are elite in actively competing and playing a sport does not give you a magical power to coach or teach it to others.
Playing is not coaching. However, there is an assumption, legitimatized within the sports culture, that a professional athlete background is the sole criterion for becoming a successful coach.
If you want a great example look no further than Tennisplayer.net. John Yandell was an elite Norcal 4.5 player and ranked in the seniors as well. Not exactly tour level!
But he built an entire teaching system based on the video study of pro technique, a system that has transformed the games of hundreds of players at the club level.
I personally, as well as everyone else I know, have been unable to find evidence that states a person can only coach at the highest levels if they have performed there. There is no credible playing threshold to be eligible for future coaching success.
It doesn't hurt to have that experience of emotions and wisdom from having done it. But the two are far from going hand in hand.
In fact, many psychologists will agree, that as an athlete gets better and better at what they do, their ability to communicate their comprehension and understanding to help others learn that skill often gets worse and worse. Many top athletes are simply unable to communicate how or why they're so skilled.
Yes, hard work and tenacity play a role, but being able to pass on what they do so well to others who struggle is the challenge. This fact can be seen in other sports. Here are two examples from arguably the greatest athletes in their respective sports.
Wayne Gretzky, a hockey deity, known as "The Great One" had just one winning season in 4 years as the coach of the Phoenix Coyotes in the NHL. He finished his unsuccessful coaching career with no playoff appearances and a .473 winning percentage.
Ted Williams, a legendary hitter for the Boston Red Sox. Ted was the last player to finish the season with a .400 batting average. As good as he was as player, his five seasons spent managing the Washington Senators and Texas Rangers were far from legendary.
Each year his team's record became progressively worse. According to baseball writers and biographies on his life, Williams became impatient with ordinary athletes abilities and attitudes, particularly those of pitchers, whom he admitted he never respected.
Industry analysis has shown playing experience does contribute to some coaching skills related to "organizational socialization." For example, finding a practice partner, tournament scheduling, pre and post-match routines, locker room norms etc. But these experiences can only provide a partial and relatively minor view of the big picture.
Research shows there are advantages for coaches who have not played at an elite level. For example, those without elite playing backgrounds are generally able to start coaching and developing their craft much earlier.
They tend to have more extensive and varied experiences in all aspects of coaching work and the pathways of their sport. Coaches with more modest playing backgrounds generally have more opportunities to gain other qualifications and experiences that are valuable and relevant for coaching.
Getting back to Key Biscayne. Having spent several days with these players, hours in the classroom as well as on court, it was evident that although they had what many would consider perfect forehands, their tennis skills were blatantly lacking one thing: the ability to relate, communicate, share with their students.
When going from playing Grand Slams to teaching someone who may not be able to what those Slams is a vast chasm in the tennis landscape. It requires patience, empathy, adaptability and a willingness to learn.
These ATP and WTA professionals begin the training overconfident and at times, cynical. But they came out the other side much more appreciative of what they have. Grateful for what they learned. Confident for what they now know. Optimistic about their new careers.
The experience of working with these players was eye-opening and made me thankful for what I was able to contribute to their careers. I know they will take many of the topics we touched on, and spread it to their future players. And thus, the coaching circle continues to get stronger.
It's important to know that not every former player was lacking in the coaching/teaching department during these workshops. A few former players that I was impressed with turned out to have already had experience of running clubs, resorts or working for a federation.
I was given permission to share their names. And I am still in touch with them from the connection and friendship we developed over the years.
Cyril Saulnier (ATP Top 50) was an exquisite communicator, wonderful personality that students gravitated towards. He spent time in Egypt as well as under the French Tennis Federation as a coach, which gave him a strong technical base and knowledge.
Eric Prodon (ATP Top 100), another French player, was remarkably gifted with his hands and creativity. His father was a Judo martial arts coach and this made Eric a disciplined student as well as a highly skilled coach himself.
Finally, there was Tamarine Tanasugarn (WTA Top 20). Tamarine was running a tennis program at a big resort in Thailand at the time and had experience with players of all levels.
Her studious nature and understanding of how to adapt her teaching to the student was skillful and professional. And yes, all three of these players knew how to hit that backhand volley.
