Friday 30 December 2016

'A FINAL POST FOR 2016'

As always I write a post to thank those who have tuned into this site over the past 12 months and in particular to those who I have upset with the content of some of my posts, well it's like this, we are all entitled to an opinion.
Tennis is the type of sport where so many perceptions confuse what's really important and that is of course simply getting the ball over the net and keeping yourself in the point as long as possible. Nothing worse than losing a match as opposed to being beaten, there is of course a huge difference though some 'gurus' will tell you otherwise.
My theories on the sport of tennis are perhaps not unique however every coach has a different way of explaining things, I am no different in that aspect. 
Part of me hates tennis due in large to the way in which it is now run by Governing Bodies who have taken all the uniqueness away from the game with their 'modules' and their 'latest methods' as far as teaching the game is concerned. Creating robots is now the 'norm'.
Part of me loves tennis because it keeps me amused as both a side project with my writing and my coaching as the thought of teaching the game full time repulses me for more than one reason. If you have read any of my book you will understand my reasons for coaching on a part time basis and why I charge accordingly.
If the public choose to spend up to $90 an hour with someone who claims to be a full time tennis coach even though they only 'work' before school and after but charge like a wounded bull to make up for the hours they sit on their arse during the day then good luck to 'em.
Just because someone owns a price tag that looks like they know what they are talking about it doesn't necessarily mean that they know how to teach tennis. I had a lesson before Xmas with a Doctor who hit me just two tennis balls on her backhand side before I corrected the obvious problem which was the grip, as always the grip.
'I had a lesson last week in the South West on our tour'.
So how did that go ?
'Yeah ok'.
So why are you holding the racket like that ? Did the coach not tell you how to hold the racket ?
'No I was only taught how to swing'.
( At $70 an hour personally I would like to be taught from the beginning, the grip may just help )
It seems that the public is more interested in spending big dollars or rather looking for the most expensive 'Zen Master' to learn from however it can be deceiving in a sport such as tennis as many charge that price to make them look and sound a whole lot better than what and who they really are.
All of these examples of course keep me entertained and keep me writing which hasn't been a whole lot lately due to work committments in my 'real job'.
The year 2016 will also be a year that I will remember for quitting the ATPCA ( Australian Tennis Professional Coaches Association ). I asked them for a full refund due to their inability to control who joins their association which is in fact in opposition to Tennis Australia.
Allowing TA coaches (who gain funding from their Governing Body to run their own programs) to be part of the ATPCA is in my opinion nothing short of farcical. I believe you should follow one or the other because if you follow both it shows that you have an identity crisis of epic proportions.
If you know nothing about either well I suggest you look up the ATPCA and do some research, these guys have no time for TA yet allow TA coaches into their system. All way too contradictory for my liking, yet that's tennis in Australia for you.
Remember if you are an ATPCA 'qualified tennis coach' it will not be recognised as a qualification by Tennis Australia as they have stated. So you do the sums on what I have just written. I refuse to be a part of either, way too much bullshit involved and no loyalty required.
I will leave you with a couple more posts from my book 'Delusions of Grandeur' which I put together in October this year and posted on this site, a book I am proud of and one that begins on my parents garage wall in Albany, Western Australia and then took me to Paris nine years later.
We all have a tennis story, we all have a theory or two on how the game should be played, I am sticking with my ideas and my rather affordable lesson costs that many wouldn't get out of bed for. Difference is simple, I aren't full of my own self importance, many in this sport are.........
All the best in 2017
Regards GT

Saturday 3 December 2016

'WHAT DID YOU EXPECT' ?

I find the following article to be not at all surprising. Tennis is a sport that does not look after the players who are battling to make their way, it only keeps paying the elite more money.

Not too many players are ever going to win a Slam yet they keep increasing the prize money in the major tournaments to an obscene amount with no justification.

Perhaps inflation ? If that's the case then increase the prize money in the lower tiered events. Those players are the future of the game yet most will never get the opportunity to finally show their full potential as they will not be able to afford to stay in the sport.

This article is typical of where the sport is currently, a sport which is happy to help Novak surpass the $100,000,000 mark yet fails to help future champions stay in the game......

Spanish authorities have detained 34 people, including six tennis players, involved in a tennis match-fixing network that made more than half-a-million dollars from lower-tier tournaments in Spain and Portugal.

Key points:

  • Alleged fixing occured in Challenger and Futures-level tournaments
  • Police say they found evidence of fixing in 17 men's tournaments in Spain and Portugal
  • If convicted, 34 face prison sentences of up to four years
Police said that Operation Futures probed several Futures and Challenger tournaments in Iberia for the past several months and found evidence that results were rigged.
The tennis players were not identified, but authorities said they were ranked between 800 and 1,200 in the world. Their Spanish rankings ranged between 30 and 300.
Police said they found evidence of match-fixing attempts in 17 men's tournaments in five cities, including Madrid, Seville and Porto.
Authorities said the two alleged leaders of the network were among those detained across 12 Spanish cities. The leaders were based in Seville and La Coruna. All those detained were Spaniards and are expected to remain free pending trial.
If convicted of corruption in sports, they could face prison sentences of up to four years.
The investigation began after a tip given by a player to the Tennis Integrity Unit, the sport's anti-corruption body.
"Investigation of corruption allegations by law enforcement agencies takes precedence over tennis disciplinary action," the body said in an email.
"The TIU will continue to work co-operatively with (Spanish police) and offer its full support and access to resources."
Authorities took the case forward after noticing an unusual amount of online bets related to the suspected tournaments.
The network allegedly used instant-messaging groups and social media to attract online betters who would pay for the information about rigged results.
The players who accepted participating in the scheme would receive about $1,000 for each match. In some cases, they were asked to lose specific points or games.
The network's earnings in some of the tournaments surpassed $10,000.
The Challenger tournaments are second-tier events organized by the ATP, while the Futures are single-week competitions organized by the International Tennis Federation offering either $10,000 or $25,000 in prize money.
There were nearly 39 Futures tournaments in Spain this season, and more than 10 in Portugal.
AP

Sunday 27 November 2016

'GETTING THE OLD LEGS GOING AGAIN'




Rested throughout winter, wrist is on the mend, not happy with my current 77.5 kg's either, way too much beer and lack of exercise over the cooler months. Thought it was about time I gave the old legs a bit of a run again. Funny isn't it how with a sport such as tennis we often look back at the days when it was a lot easier, just as the great Jonny Mac once said 'The older I get the better I was'. Love that terminology. 
Tennis is like that, it makes us feel old when we can't quite do what we used to do when the legs moved a lot quicker, however that's the appeal, it's a challenge.
You can take up a job as 'resident coach' anywhere you like in the World and look back on past days on court and the narrow losses that drove you insane or you can keep hitting the ball and finding ways to keep testing yourself.
When I had a scan on my wrist the Doc said 'It's stuffed, but you may just be able to manage it with a bit of care', so that's what I did, I managed it. I look at the older guys who play on the Seniors Tour who still hit the ball with all the brilliance that they once did twenty something years earlier, albeit a little slower than what they used to. Yet they still do it, not as much, not as well as they once did, but they still play, that's inspiring.
Going to hit a few balls this summer, I reckon with a lot of tape, a memory that still works ( despite too much beer ) and a desire to still show my students that I can still walk the walk ( with a slight limp ) I will still test the old legs.
You are a long time retired, see you on court soon,
Regards GT

Saturday 12 November 2016

'TA OR ATPCA ' ?

I wrote the following piece around three years ago however the whole debate now has resurfaced. Why ? Well it's like this, Tennis Australia coaching programs now have guys and girls from the ATPCA working for them.
All you have to do is look up a tennis coaching organization anywhere in this Country and put a coach's name into the system.
Once you have done this it will then tell you where the coach is aligned to, whether it be TA or the ATPCA. 
The funny thing is this, many TA 'gurus' who swear by TA in fact have assistant coaches working for them who are paid up members of the ATPCA. 
I find that to be nothing short of hypocritical.
So do Head Coaches really care who their assistant coaches are signed up with, whether it be TA or the ATPCA ?
Or is it only Tennis Australia themselves who really care ?
'TA OR ATPCA' ( written in 2016 )
I once read a rather amusing statement in the paper regarding Tennis Australia Coaches as opposed to 'others' , namely The ATPCA (Australian Tennis Professional Coaches Association).
I also read the letter that was distributed to tennis clubs around Australia, written by Tennis Australia in 2012 who did their utmost to demean the ATPCA.
In a word it was PATHETIC.
Whilst I do not have the article or letter in front of me they both read something along the lines of ; 'Tennis Australia recommend Tennis Australia Coaches only for junior tennis programs, nation wide, etc etc. 
Let's put this into perspective ; Woolies recommend their food over Coles , Dan Murphy's Liquor recommend their product over other Liquor providers as does Toyota over Mazda , but they word their sales pitch's a little smarter than what was written regarding Tennis Australia vs 'others'.
It is no secret that the ATPCA and Tennis Australia do not have much time for each other so rather than me try to explain it I will simply put the Link at the bottom of the page , it's worth a read. 
It is fairly easy to see where the issues began . 
So back to the newspaper article, this was written by a coach who runs TA programs and who is a paid up coaching member of Tennis Australia. 
So where does his point lay ? 
Nowhere, it is a small minded opinion and lacks any substance or credibility. It is a rather humorous way of trying to degrade other Tennis Coaching Associations but falls short of doing anything except embarrassing himself and his Organization.
Now here's the thing, this coach is now a member of the ATPCA as well as running Tennis Australia coaching programs.
Why is this ?
Is there a lack of vision here ?
Is there an identity crisis here ?
Why would you possibly want to be a member of both the TA and ATPCA Coaching organizations ?
Is it simply just something that looks good on a resume ?
Personally I quit the ATPCA about a year ago as I did not receive the answer I was looking for. I asked the ATPCA to explain to me why TA coaches could join the ATPCA after all the crap that has been said about them by TA over the years.
I believe firmly in being a member of one or the other, not both. 
Remember, TA state that if you are a member of any other tennis coaching organization your 'accreditation' will not be recognized. 
Why not TA ?
Not recognized by who ?
Tennis Australia ?
Get over yourself TA.
The ATPCA has been in existence for over 45 years, fact.


Anyone who is prepared to publicly write that their Coaching Provider is better than any other's without a detailed description as to why , including the performance win / loss ratio compared to the other's , in my opinion has his or her head firmly stuck up their own a... 
(I urge you to look up the following article , worth a read )
TA BLUNDER - ATPCA TENNIS
Good day
Regards Glenn

'A MUST READ '

The following piece of literature is from someone who did the sums on tennis, it's tough to read if you are looking to make the sport your career but here it is , word for word from 'tennis insiders.com;
'Right now there are about 14 US players on the ATP and WTA tours who are earning a net profit. They span about 17.5 years of playing on tour. That means that the US as a Country produces about 8 1/10's of one paying job per year as a pro tennis player. If you are pushing your child for that 8 1/10's of one job then you need to have your head examined. The pro tennis system is broken beyond belief. It is nothing short of a flat out Business catastrophe perpetrated against our sport .... but it is still our catastrophe. So unless you are going to start a new pro tour ..... you are looking at 80 percent of one paying job per year. 
It cracks me up that the 100's of 1000's of dollars that people spend on their kid's tennis, berating them after their losses, devoting their entire family's live's to the cause ..... only to find out that the average professional tennis player loses money as opposed to makes it.'

Thought that was worth a repost, I put it on this site quite some time ago as I thought it had merit.

Thursday 10 November 2016

' THE HACKER '

 Every player owns a style that they are comfortable with, some are effective, some aren't. Some look good, others look a little less glamorous. Either way we all have a particular style about us when we step onto a tennis court. So how would I describe myself ? Well I don't really need to as others have already done it for me. Yes folks I am officially 'the hack' ! 
It has been said to me and about me on at least two occasions but I would suspect there have been many more 'hack' comments sprayed in my direction over the years. So why am I a hack ? Well that's an easy one to answer, I simply keep getting the ball back into play and I am not really that interested in putting it back into the hitting zone of my opponent. 
So what is a hack ? Most kids will tell you that the terminology is not a compliment, more so a derogatory remark about a player who does things a little differently on court. Those things may include things like moon balls, plenty of lobs, sliced backhands as opposed to the 'cooler' topspin drive, softer hitting and an uncanny ability to do it all on a regular basis. This style drives opponents absolutely nuts because that sort of style should not be effective, yet it is, it is very, very effective. 
If you don't believe me then take a read of Brad Gilbert's best seller 'Winning Ugly', it confirms it.
I once wrote a post about a match that I played locally against a hot shot teenager from the City where I was in total awe of his hit up form yet that's where his ability to intimidate me ceased. Apart from being down an early break I won the match in straight sets but once I started getting on top his frustration became obvious, 'This guy is a hack'. 
That's the best he could come out with, he said it loud enough for me to hear it which gave me all the information I required to keep doing what I was doing as I knew it was getting to him.
So what was I doing ? I was annoying him in a way that he quite possibly had never been annoyed before because his game was big, particularly the forehand but he only hit it well if I gave him a hard ball in his hitting zone. After the first few games I realised that I was almost trying to play his game so I changed it up and gave him nothing that he liked and he did not recover from my change in tactic because I believe he fitted the mould of a lot of young tennis players. 
The player I am referring to is the ball machine player who can hit for an hour against a machine and believe that this is what is going to make them into a smart tennis player. 
It's all very well to be a 'macho man' when you play a sport like tennis however very few players can win by blasting winners at will all day long, leave that to the pros, in fact leave that to a player with few brains because even pros don't expect to blast winners all day. 
A smart tennis player or pro will actually win a match by making less errors than his opponent, not necessarily by hitting more winners but that's me stating the obvious, most people with an ounce of tennis grey matter will know that anyhow. 
I also apologise once again for giving a personal example on this site of mine however I firmly believe in relevance when writing about tennis and I have played a lot of tennis matches in my 35 years on court.
The smartest tennis players and coaches are the ones who have played a lot of matches, it's how you learn the game. You can be a 'seasoned tennis coach' in your own funny little World or you can draw on some past matches whether they be a win or a loss when you are looking to teach others the intricacies of tennis.
I was no star, in fact I was an average tennis player, a 'hack' to be more specific but I played enough matches to know what is right and wrong and what is effective when it comes to tennis. 
Happy to be a hacker, it can frustrate your opponents beyond comprehension, trust me and if you don't then please feel free to read 'Winning Ugly' by BG. He knew how to win without a conventional 'big' game........

' THE TOWEL, NECESSITY OR HABIT' ?


There is no way in the World that a tennis player requires a towel handed to them after each point by a poor little ball kid who actually signed up to chase tennis balls and not a pro who keeps pointing to his towel. How did this ridiculous habit even start and who let it happen ? ! Talk about pampered indeed.
I watched Groth ( who does sweat profusely ) sometime ago ask for the towel at an Australian tournament after each point he played and one thing occurred to me, it was a habit not a necessity. Let me elaborate. Groth asked for his towel after being aced after towelling off just moments earlier at the end of the previous point. 
Sure he won't stop sweating once he's started if he is that sort of person however a sweat band surely can do the job on the ace points as opposed to asking the ball boy to keep running the towel his way. 
To me it does nothing for the sport, in fact it gives it a prima donna type of aura as sweating and sport go together, it's like bacon and eggs. I don't see the big guns like Murray, Federer, Rafa and Novak going for the towel after each point. Sure Rafa has his funny habits however getting ball boys to run a towel to him after each point is not one of them. 
Roger simply uses his sweatband to wipe away the flow from his brow. McEnroe used to use his sleeve, Cash had a towel on his hip and Borg, well I don't believe he sweated at all, he was from another planet.
Let ball kids do their jobs, let them chase tennis balls and let the pros chase their own towels. If that means that they use all their time in between points risking a time violation then so be it but don't give other professional sport people the ammunition to call tennis a sport for the pampered......

Monday 7 November 2016

'JUST A THOUGHT FROM GT'

I have always wondered why on earth Pro Tennis players receive new balls after seven games because surely those balls are still rather hittable after those seven games. To me all it really does is give guys like Karlovic, Querry and Isner even more ammunition for their already ridiculously fearsome delivery.
Let's look at the average Saturday at your local tennis club, new balls at 1 pm, still in reasonable shape albeit either a little fluffier if played on synthetic grass or a little worse for wear if played on a hard court. So what's my view ?
Well as always I have a theory on what I believe should in fact transpire in a tennis match remembering of course that it is the same conditions for both players. New balls each set, nothing more, nothing less.
At least that way if it gets to a tie breaker between Isner and Karlovic it may just come down to the return instead of the serve which when you think about it is far from a spectacle for the crowd. Ace, unplayable serve, Ace, Ace, Ace, unplayable serve, pretty ordinary tennis for the public who pay good money to see the ball hit over the net more than twice during a point. Call me old fashioned but I love a good rally in tennis. A barrage of aces and unplayable serves will not wear a ball out like long arduous rallies so giving the big servers new pills after seven games really is not helping the sport become entertaining.
So what of two baseliners ? Should they receive new balls after seven games ? Well maybe they have a more solid case for it to happen however a certain style obviously cannot dictate a ruling in tennis so the rules must not favour one or the other. Baseliners may argue that their style will in fact warrant new tennis balls every seven games however it may just come down to tactics if each player knew that each set was to start from scratch with a new batch of furry things in a tin.
I firmly believe tennis players are pampered way too much and watching a pro dig for a new racket to go with the new balls even if that racket has being doing magic things thus far defies logic. New set, new balls, toughen up, spare a thought for the club player who is lucky to see one set of new balls each week let alone each seven games.
Allow for tactical matches as opposed to adding gunpowder to some already heavy artillery, just a thought......

Thursday 3 November 2016

' WORTH A READ'

I had a lesson recently with a teenager who had spent around five or so years playing tennis in various programs around the State as he and his family moved around a bit. He spoke to me about wanting to improve his technique so we hit a few balls and then I brought him up close to the net.
" Show me how you would treat this ball thanks buddy " as I dropped a ball in front of him nice and low about half way between the net and the service box. He netted the first three balls that didn't even look like clearing the net. We tried again, 'Just a little more height on your follow through mate, let's clear it this time, nothing fancy, not too much pace".
Net, net, net and net again on the next four balls I drop fed to him. " What would you say is the problem with your forehand Champ" ? as I asked the obvious. 'Not sure, maybe my grip'. So we had a look at his grip which wasn't totally incorrect but we made a slight adjustment then I fed another five balls to his forehand and he cleared the net just once however his shot went long.
Here's what was going on. The kid had never been shown how to loop a ball into court. All he knew was how to drive it hard with a net clearance of a bee's proverbial. The kid had no idea on topspin or how to take the pace off the ball and simply roll it into play and he had been playing for around five years.
"Have you ever had a one on one lesson mate ? "  'No, just group lessons'. So as usual I did the sums on the whole thing. What is happening in many programs is rather obvious, too many kids in a lesson, kids running around looking busy but no real substance to the sessions and definitely no work on technique. I asked the kid whether he had been shown how to abbreviate a shot, you know, break it down into parts and his reply was 'no' again.
Sure it's a requirement for a kid to have a fun session , run around and come off the court saying 'That was great fun Dad' ,but surely part of those sessions must be about slowing the tempo down and at least looking at the mechanics of a shot. Or are some coaches worried about boring a kid to tears ?
Are gimmicks taking over from learning ? I asked this particular student to throw me a few balls just as I did to him and I showed him how to simply roll a ball into play without the drive type of motion that he thought was the ONLY way to hit a tennis ball. I broke the shot down into parts and even started with holding the racket up near the throat to prove I could hit a ball into play with plenty of clearance and not so much as a racket handle to help me.
I also hit a few balls over with just my hand as he threw the balls to me. I struck the ball with the palm of my hand and proved that I could also hit topspin without a racket. ( Sorry, maybe a gimmick there ) I wanted him to see the motion that was required to come up on a tennis ball from underneath it to create spin.
He gave it a go himself and actually had some success with it which I was not surprised about because I have always found that hitting a tennis shot in parts is how to build technique. Tennis teaching to me is all about thinking outside the square and not necessarily following programs that look great yet miss the mark as far as technique building is concerned.
I still am rather bemused by certain programs in tennis that are a total waste of time yet are seen by some parents in particular as a program of substance for their child. Forget the 10 or 12 student classes, total waste of time once again and find something that has a bit of bite to it like a program that explains the game in detail at an affordable price.....
Hang on GT, that may just make way too much sense.....
Heading to the Wheat belt again this weekend to spread the word on the game, you know the word that explains the sport of tennis without all the glossy stuff that seems to be associated with the sport now days.....
See you all in a few days
Regards GT

Sunday 23 October 2016

'WORK THIS OUT' ( YMER BROTHERS )

I have always been fond of Swedish tennis as most of you who read this site are well aware though there is a current tournament being played in Stockholm that has two rising Swedish stars defying all kinds of logic.
Two brothers by the name of Mikael and Elias Ymer have made it through to the final of the Mens Doubles event at age 18 and 20 though that's not the only thing that I find remarkable about these two players.
It has been well documented that the average age of a current successful male tennis pro is around 25-27 years of age but what I find so infectious about these two brothers is their rankings. They have a combined current World doubles ranking of over 2000.
Mikael actually does not own a current ranking in doubles though his career high is 1387 which he achieved last year. Elias is currently ranked 954 in Mens doubles so if you do the sums on all of that you should be smart enough to work out that these two really have no place in a World tour final yet they have already taken out teams that have made it inside the World top 20 and even higher.
How is that possible ? Heart. These two are playing in their home town tennis tournament and they are playing at a level that is in fact well above what their rankings suggest.
It reminds me of Rafa at 14 and 15 playing practice sets against his mentor Carlos Moya which did two things, it took Rafa to another level but it also made Moya a better player as he was well aware of a kid breathing down his neck. Does a World number 1 appreciate a teenager belting regular winners past him with almost an attitude that has arrogance written all over it ? It is well documented that Rafa and Carlos made each other better, despite their age and difference in experience.
Whether the Ymer brothers win the doubles event in Stockholm tonight is almost irrelevant, the fact that they are defying tennis logic by even winning a round let alone making it to the final is inspiring for any budding tennis professional.
For the record, Elias has earned just shy of 100 grand so far this year but Mikael, well, he has pocketed what most council rubbish truck drivers take home in a month, 4 grand. Maybe that's before tax.
Silly sport tennis, it keeps dishing up stories that keep guys like myself scratching their heads in bewilderment at just what makes sense and what doesn't. It's a sport that can defy logic or it can have us 'experts' saying things like 'yeah that was always going to happen'........

****** FOR THE RECORD******
The Swedish duo won the final against Pavic and Venus by the score of 6-1, 6-1 in 51 minutes. What planet were those two on do you think ??
Quite remarkably the Ymer brothers came back from 6-9 in the final set super tie breaker to win it 11-9 in the first round.
Splitting around 30,000 Euros may just pay for a few expenses for a couple of battlers who have earned what Federer probably has as loose change in his car glove box.
Swedish tennis hasn't had a lot to smile about in recent years, these two lads may just be the start of something special once again.....

Friday 23 September 2016

'HEY JIM, JUST CHECKING'...........

In case you haven't read much on this site of mine I will reiterate a point that I made after the 2016 Australian Open after I took exception to a comment made by 'Mr Egotistical' himself, Jim Courier.
During the Federer/ Goffin match in the Round of 16 Jim came up with a theory as to why David Goffin of Belgium was ranked so high and quite frankly I found it both hilarious and insulting all in one.
Now you are probably aware of my views on certain Commentators of the Tennis World and why I don't like many of them and it's because of their ridiculous way of taking sides or refusing to even acknowledge a player. One at Wimbledon this year came out with "I don't know anything about this player" which I found to be rather confusing because if you take 5 minutes out of your busy schedule it's easy to look up.
You see on the ATP World Tour site there is that much information about players that it's easy to find out in probably less than 5 minutes what certain players like, dislike, their rankings history, prize money and where they reside. If I was a commentator and about to call a match then I would use my initiative, look up the site, do some homework before the match and perhaps even bluff my way through a few things.
'I see David Goffin has made over one and a half million dollars already this year, his Father is in fact a Tennis Coach in his home town in Belgium and he was voted by his fellow peers 'the comeback player of 2014'.
Now if a commentator doesn't already know this sort of stuff about a player such as Goffin well they really have no excuses because it's all there in writing, all you have to do is both use your initiative and press a few buttons, simple really. Back to Courier, Mr Egotistical.
At this year's Aussie Open Mr Ego felt that it was his duty to explain to the public why David Goffin was ranked World number 16 and he was far from complimentary about it saying among other things that he received ranking points from Davis Cup matches that held no significance. Well Jim it's like this buddy, Mr Goffin is now ranked World number 14, he did even get as high as number 11, so how did that happen then ey ? Did he bluff his way to that number ??!
You cannot fake a World Tennis ranking unless maybe it's in the Futures events where guys are ranked down in the seven and eight hundreds for example but on the World Tour it is basically an impossibility to hold a 'fake' ranking. Try telling that to Mr Ego himself.
I touched on the Jim Courier book reading saga in an old post where I relayed some facts about this particular person bringing the sport of tennis into disrepute. This all came about when Jim thought it would be a good thing to read a book at the change of ends, a book that had nothing to do with tennis and which had arrogance written all over it.
I believe that Mr Courier was told by certain people in tennis that this antic was not to be done again due to the look that it gave the sport. If every tennis player sat down and read a book at the change of ends it would look like a children's nursery rhyme session with the only thing missing being the ball kids huddled around the offending player with big cheesy grins waiting for the moment when 'Itsy bitsy spider crawled up the water spout'.
Jim Courier is far from perfect yet he makes out that he is a man of great integrity and who never put a foot wrong, I tend to dispute that and I take exception to him bagging current players and their rankings. Sure I may have had a dig here and there regarding certain players however it has never been over their World rankings, probably just their antics. A player is a number for a reason, not because he wears fancy clothes.
Personally I think Jim Courier should apologise to the little guy from Belgium because it was uncalled for and lacked substance yet that's Jim Courier for you, full of his own self importance. Silly sport tennis, full of silly egotistical people......

Sunday 28 August 2016

'TENNIS SCORING, GIVE IT A TWEAK'

The way that Mens Doubles on the World Tour is now structured leaves many teams wondering about the what if's and maybe's probably more than ever before in the history of the sport. Basically it is cut throat tennis at one set all as the super tie break system kicks in to decide a winner in all tournaments apart from the Grand Slams.
Doubles is a tough way to make a living no doubt about it due to the evenness of all teams competing with no real stand out combinations. Even the Bryan brothers have come back to the field and the chances of another team winning 100 plus titles I believe is a thing of the past.
The recent championship in the US at the Winstom- Salem Open typifies just how tough the two on two format is as the round of 16 matches provided no less than five out of eight results decided by a third set breaker. In the quarter finals three of the four matches were also decided by a super tie breaker and two of those were decided by the score of 10-8. No time for nerves.
The pairing of Henri Kontinen and Guillermo Garcia- Lopez was one that had no credentials whatsoever as it was the first time they had played together so to actually combine together effectively proves just how talented this team is. Their opponents in the final were Paes and Begemann, two players with vastly different backgrounds.
Leander Paes is possibly one of the greatest Mens doubles players of all time as well as one of the most successful Mixed doubles players in the history of the sport. Paes however could be competitive with my Mum and she doesn't play much now days at age 78.
His pairing with the German Andre Begemann was interesting to say the least however it just goes to show that a player like Paes is also generous, Begemann is ranked World number 140 in doubles. Playing with someone with a ranking that low has generosity written all over it.
One of Begemann's recent Challenger event's saw him and his 101 ranked partner have a win at 11-9 in the third set breaker over two guys with a combined ranking of over 600 which begs the question. What if more guys like Leander Paes combined with lower ranked players to compete on the main tour to bring their level up with the best in the World ? Would it speed up the improvement process ? Silly question GT.
So to the final at Winstom-Salem. At a set up Paes and Begemann lead 6-1 in the second set tie breaker and somehow managed to lose seven points straight. The match went into a super tie breaker which the pair from Spain and Finland won 10 points to 8 which also asks many questions but one more than anything else.
Is being match point down or rather several match points down simply a statistic that can be overcome with a mind set that owns no fear and an ability to simply keep swinging whilst ignoring the score board ?
I once wrote a post about Andre Agassi where his match at the French Open in 1988 against Mats Wilander, my hero, would own a moment that possibly has never been replicated. After winning the first set 6-4 Andre turned to his player's box and openly said 'I thought it was 5-3'.
I don't believe that it was arrogance, I firmly think that it was a player in the zone, not playing a scoreboard, just swinging his racket and letting the points accumulate. Could it be taught to a new player of the sport ? How could you teach that ? I don't believe it can, perhaps you may be born with that gift but it would be a tough one to learn.
In 2013 at the Monte Carlo Championships another first time pairing of Zimonjic and Benneteau saved seven match points against the Bryan brothers to win 14-12 in the third set tie breaker. Maybe there is an element of 'no fear' with first time pairings as after all what have they got to lose ? There is no reputation on the line.
Personally I love the format of Mens doubles in World tennis as it takes away the 'ho hum' type of feeling to matches that can drag on to say 15-13 in the fifth set and leave a player as cannon fodder for their next opponent.
Isner and Mahut proved the theory wrong that 'a match has to end sometime'. Theirs took three days at Wimbledon to complete which not only stuffs a tournament around but also stuffs a player out.
Tennis needs a bit of a tweak just as they have done in doubles, it requires a spice up, a change of format just as twenty twenty cricket has revived the sport in general. Tennis rewards the guys prepared to stay out there all day, not necessarily the shot makers who are the more entertaining ones to watch most of the time.
Two sets all in singles, bring in the Super tie breaker, add some life to a sport that needs to move ahead just as other sports have done by tweaking the format.
Remember the crowd also has to go home at a respectable hour....... 


Monday 25 July 2016

'A HAIRCUT AND A FOREHAND'

 Not sure how it became so popular but this particular post of mine gets a run in many Countries, in fact if you look up the famous quote by Ivan Lendl it comes up as a number 1 on Google. I always had a dream of being World Number 1 however I didn't expect it to be over something I wrote.
I one day hope that the great man Andre Agassi himself sends me a thankyou email regarding what I put together out of respect for him and the circumstances surrounding the Lendl quote.
Just for the hell of it I will repost it as I see that someone in Brussels just tuned in and had a read of that particular post on this site.
G'day mate, hope all is well over your side of the World.....

Written September 2014

If ever there was a famous quote in World Tennis it had to be the one from Czech Champion Ivan Lendl in 1987 when asked at a press conference what he thought of a young Andre Agassi.
 The Stratton Mountain Tournament in the US played in August of '87 saw the emergence of a 17 year old kid who wore denim tennis shorts and wore his hair rather long. The kid would go on to win every Grand Slam available and became the World's best player in 1995.
Andre Agassi entered Stratton Mountain as a player ranked 90 in a field of 64 players so naturally he had to receive a bit of a helping hand by the tournament committee, a Wild Card was granted.
 In the first round he faced American Luke Jensen , a player ranked number 415 but who could serve with both his left and right arms , now that's clever.
Andre struggled past Jensen in three sets then set up a second round meeting with '87 Wimbledon Champion, Aussie Pat Cash. On paper this match looked rather one sided however Agassi found a way to sneak past Cash in two breakers , people were starting to take notice.
The round of 16 saw Andre take out American Chip Hooper in three, then a quarter final win against countryman Joey Rive in straight had him up against World number 1 Ivan Lendl. Now this match was entertaining however I have only seen extended highlights of it , would love to watch the entire match one day.
This match saw Andre running around his backhand at any given opportunity to belt his already huge forehand back at Lendl who at times looked rather confused at the kid's ability. The big Czech eventually won the match in three sets , 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 but not before being given a huge fright by a skinny 17 year old with flash shorts.
The press conference after the match was one that produced this chapter's title as Lendl gave his opinion on the new kid on the block. Looking back I suppose Andre could've taken it as a compliment as it was rather obvious that Ivan rated the forehand highly, perhaps not so much the haircut.
A year earlier at the same tournament John McEnroe beat Andre at the quarter final stage in straight sets but paid him a huge compliment. Whilst I do not have the transcript in front of me he told a press conference that a winner by Agassi from his forehand was the hardest shot he had ever had hit against him. Fair endorsement for a 16 year old. 
Some people knock Agassi because he admitted taking drugs but they obviously haven't read all the detail.
 I don't remember the last time a recreational drug has been proven to enhance any sportsman's performance, Andre included. At the time that he tried it he stated he wasn't enjoying the game and his ranking had dropped. I believe everyone is entitled to a little 'time out'.
Andre Agassi didn't have to tell anyone yet he was big enough to admit he took something, I think that shows integrity.........

Friday 22 July 2016

'SILLY GAME'

The current ATP event in Washington saw some rather interesting statistics from two matches in particular over the last 24 hours, both involving huge servers.
Ivo Karlovic of Croatia in fact won five points less than Jack Sock but still won the match in two tie breakers, as Karlovic usually does. Sock had just four break points for the match and could not win any of them. When you look at it realistically, a match with the big man from Croatia hinges on a small opportunity and a break point can usually be pencilled in as a set point and I suppose it's what frustrates his opponents so much.
It's why the return is such a necessity to master and none do it better than Roger as his ability to blunt even the World's biggest servers with that magnificent chipped backhand sees him get over the line more often than not. A two handed backhand is the shot of most Pros' however the smarter ones learn how to hit the one handed return also. Variety in tennis is everything.
The other match between Johnson and Isner was one that saw 12 set points in total go begging for Isner who must be starting to question his ability to return serve when it's most needed. Five set points went begging in the first set and seven in the second set as Johnson served his way out of trouble.
As good as the American's serve is however it was pure poetry watching Federer dismantle it at Wimbledon this year as he owns no fear of the big servers, his tactic on the return is so technically brilliant yet simple if you look at it in slow motion.
For the record the two tie breakers in the Johnson / Isner match were 9-7 and 17-15 and in the other match Karlovic took them 7-4 and 8-6 which says something of the Croatian's ability to return a slightly 'slower' delivery.
Tough way to make a dollar in tennis, playing twelve games against a big server before really even seeing a slight glimmer of an opportunity to break.
Mentally taxing as well as physically, silly game........

Thursday 30 June 2016

'LESS THAN PERFECT'

In 1991 Brad Gilbert beat his future 'student' Andre Agassi 6-1, 6-2 at the Semi Final stage of the San Jose tournament in San Francisco, absolutely belted him , a tennis lesson in any man's language. Two years later Andre asked Gilbert to be his Coach , the rest is history as Andre won six of his eight Grand Slam Titles under the guidance of a man who knew the intricacies of the game of tennis.
Brad Gilbert was far from perfect technically with his own game, but a brilliant mind, Agassi was a technical genius, but lacked brains, their partnership was always going to be a winner . If you know anything about tennis in the 80's and 90's you would then have an idea on the way Gilbert played , if you don't then here's the best way to describe him , he was a 'pest'.
Gilbert hit the ball so unlike any other players , almost in the Mats Wilander clay court style , slow and annoying but he did it on hard courts as well as carpet , he made the opposition make their own pace , he gave them none. Most players rely on the ball coming over the net at a reasonable pace to give them some rhythm and to almost be a spring board .
If a ball is coming slow then a player has to swing through harder to force the pace , slow balls are a lot harder to deal with than harder hit balls .
Brad Gilbert had a tactical mind that Andre Agassi desperately needed as he was fast becoming a 'wasted talent' with losses to guys who he should have beaten easily with his game that was in a word 'exhilarating' , he just needed a brain. 
Tennis has seen some contrasting styles over the years ; The Borg - Mcenroe rivalry was chalk and cheese as far as their playing styles were concerned as were the Agassi - Sampras matches but they all had a mental battle to them as well. Brad Gilbert felt that because Andre was aiming for perfection on each shot and more or less going for winners at inopportune moments that all he had to do was 'reprogram' his way of thinking that would make his opponents play more balls .
Of course in Andre's case most of his shots were so good that this was eventually the way that he ended up being the World's best, he simply stopped trying to be perfect on each ball, he made his opponents play more.
Tennis is like that , I wrote an article that was published in the ATPCA's monthly journal that more or less stated the Gilbert way of playing , but i put my own twist on it . I felt that the game now days is too predictable and needs a different approach to throw the opponent's rhythm out, Brad Gilbert made 40 Tournament finals with this way of playing and won 20 of them .
Kids could take a leaf out of his book by looking up his style and implementing some  different tactics that can work in their favour , an unpredictable game plan.
Tennis is a thinking man's game , simply just playing to the current style of sitting on the baseline won't guarantee you a win , these players are a dime a dozen , think outside the square........

Saturday 28 May 2016

'SOMETHING SPECIAL'

In 1984 at the French Open in Paris there was a gentleman by the name of Hans Gildemeister from Chile who owned a rather interesting style of playing, he hit with two hands off both sides. Hans went into Roland Garos un seeded in '84 as his ranking had dipped quite dramatically from his career high of 12 in 1980. He in fact sat outside the top 100 for his shot at the title in Paris in '84.
Gildemeister was not just a singles player however as he reached World number 5 in doubles in 1987, the year he actually retired. He won 23 doubles titles in his career, 17 of those were with 1990 French Open Mens Singles Champion Andres Gomez of Ecuador. Hans was a remarkably talented tennis player as he had to be to survive in the Borg era of the 70's and early 80's. 
He in fact played Borg in the quarter finals at Roland Garos in 1979 losing in straight sets though the final set was 7-5. Anyone who knows tennis will realise that if you managed to get to five games all against Borg on clay you were a gifted tennis player, to say the least. So back to the draw of 1984 and Gildemeister started his campaign with a straight sets win over the '79 finalist Victor Pecci and then won even more convincingly against Brad Gilbert in round two.
In the third round Hans was drawn to meet Swedish Davis Cup hero Henrik Sundstrom, the number 9 seed, a tough assignment on clay as the Swede was known for the brutal amount of spin he put on the ball. On clay that is tough to deal with. It is unclear just how Gildemeister actually did it as footage of this match is not available yet he lead Sundstrom by a score that would have any tennis die hard searching for the video for tactical ideas.
It is set in concrete that Hans Gildemeister of Chile lead Henrik Sundstrom of Sweden in the 1984 French Open, round three by the score of 6-2, 6-0, 5-1, 30-0. He then lost. Yep he LOST from there. How did that happen ??! It is uncertain what on earth went on in that match from that point that seemingly had the Chilean cruising to an easy straight sets upset victory against one of the fancies for the title in '84.
At 5-1 up in the third set Hans Gildemeister was receiving Sundstrom's serve and won the first two points then after that his whole game fell apart. There were no fewer than 12 unforced errors in a row from Gildemeister from that point on which later Sundstrom would in fact describe as a 'choke'. Not quite sure about the etiquette of players back then however can you imagine that being said now days of an opponent ? Would go down about as well as a fish milkshake.....
For history's sake the final score in that particular match was 2-6, 0-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 to Sundstrom and he would go on to win his next match in straight sets before the great Jimmy Connors found a way to hit through the topspin with his flatter style of play and beat him in straight sets.
I would give anything to watch what transpired from the 5-1, 30-0 moment in this match as it may in fact be the all time greatest comeback and 'choke' in the history of tennis.
There have in fact been more high profile matches such as the Davis Cup final of 1996 where Boetsch defeated Kulti after trailing 6-7, 0-40 in the final set in the fifth and deciding match but that particular match was tight throughout. The Gildemeister/ Sundstrom match was ridiculously one sided for the first three sets yet it went the way of the player who needed an alarm clock inside his head to wake him up before posting an outrageous comeback victory.
Sometimes in tennis a player can almost pace himself to a win even when victory it seems is not even on his agenda but we as spectators are non the wiser as to what is going on in their thought process. Did Faldo's win against Norman at the Masters in Augusta in 1996 have the same type of feel to it do you think ? After all the scoring was similar if you compare them.
Norman lead by six shots going into the final round yet shot a 78 whereas Faldo shot 67, there's an eleven shot discrepancy not unlike the twelve shot 'discrepancy' from the Gildemeister/ Sundstrom match.
The match in Paris in '84 will without a doubt go down as one of the all time greatest tennis comebacks from a seemingly impossible position yet the match was not a high profile one that people still talk about as they do the Norman/ Faldo result. Coming back from those types of losses is however where the mind comes into play.
Can you imagine the devastation ? It would be a tough thing to recover from.
For history's sake again, Gildemeister recovered, he won another nine doubles tournaments. Norman won three more including a million bucks in one particular event which required a birdie on the final hole for victory. The Swede Niclas Kulti went on to win the pivotal doubles with Bjorkman in the Davis Cup finals of '97 and '98 which set Sweden up for their two titles of those years.
A tough thing is professional sport. We as spectators simply look at it and offer our thoughts, "he choked, he's got no heart" or  "he's in the zone, he's a freak show".
A professional sportsman is a genius whether he wins a match or loses because he owns a mind to compete against the World's best and that requires something special.......

Friday 13 May 2016

'TED ADAMS' ( BIG TED )

The following is a chapter I wrote  just recently about an old mate of mine, Ted Adams. Sorry Ted I put it to a draft copy when I was tidying up this site just recently. It's now top of the page again out of respect for the man who won me a local doubles title through an act of sheer brilliance. Enjoy Big fella....

'OK, I read your blog and you are still managing to piss people off.
You were obnoxious as a 15 year old and, while I will concede you have mellowed a little with age, you still come across obnoxious and a little truculent as an adult (I use the term 'adult' loosely!)
You wouldn't play 'Pennants' for Lawley Park when you were a kid and it appears you still 'dont play well with others' now.
You broke rackets (Emrik Blitz's) like they cost you nothing! Sometimes I know they did?
You would ride your bike everywhere and sometimes you had a fat passenger on the back.
You loved to eat snickers bars but never put on weight.
You were the only serious tennis player in the Southern Hemisphere that still wore Dunlop 'Volleys'.
You went to Queensland with Kieron and when you guys came back he still couldn't take me.
And in all the years we would hit together I never did beat you.
Remember me!'
That was an email I just received from 'Big Ted', a mate of mine from way back in the 80's. I used to ride about 7 kms to Ted's house, he then sat on my seat while I dinked him down to the Lawley Park Tennis Club. The hardest part of our training session was in fact taking Ted on my bike as the big fella was just that, a big fella even in High School but boy he could serve.
It's funny but Ted and I trained a lot, as we also did with our other buddy Kieron ( as Ted mentioned ) yet we only played a couple of tournaments together as juniors. I recall Ted and I losing to two South Australian kids in the semis of the 18's Boys Doubles at the Albany Open Junior Tournament one year but we made 'em earn it.
Ted and I didn't really have any success on court together until we were around 30 years of age when we put in a late entry for the Albany Open Championship just for a bit of a laugh. In our second last match we faced match point against Max Loveridge and John Quinn and Ted did the most ridiculous thing, yet it worked a treat. 
I actually said to Ted "Just get it back mate, nothing fancy, make 'em play", so this is what Ted did. He ignored me, took Max's serve half way to the service line, chipped it on his backhand and came to the net where he hit a sublime backhand volley winner in the tram lines past John.
I remember looking at him with a rather wry smile and nodded in appreciation at his rather gutsy move but it was tough to watch. It was all up to Ted whether we won that match or not.
We saved one more match point then I served it out from memory to 15. We won our last match easily to take the title, classic day out at the Emu Point Tennis Club. I believe it was the year 2000.
Absolute legend of local tennis here in Albany was Big Ted and I am grateful for being able to play against guys like him in my junior days. Our practice matches were plentiful and most involved 4 or 5 sets where we put the friendship aside for several hours and did our best to kill each other on court. There were no niceties when Ted and I trained at Lawley Park in the 80's.
Ted won me my first ever Albany Open with a display of guts that I was simply in awe of as most players would tighten up at match point down, not Ted, he only knew one way of playing.
One day Ted when you get back to the land of Oz we will renew our rivalry down at our old tennis club but we may just cut that best of 5 sets down to best of 'one' as the old legs may struggle to do much more.
Legend you are buddy......

Wednesday 27 April 2016

'THE C and S DEBACLE' ( Part 5 )

My days of playing at C and S included sets against my School Teachers which always made for a bit of light banter either during or before a timed set on a Saturday afternoon. 'Hey Glenn if you want that A in Maths'......
That tennis club was so busy with players on a Saturday that it was not unusual to play a set against your local Doctor, Accountant, Vet or anyone else who owned a title of esteem in the Community. The Country and Suburban Tennis Club was THE place to play tennis in Albany, WA.
It's not to say that there weren't other tennis clubs in town but if you wanted a great hit then you wouldn't look any further than the Albany Highway facility. 'Hit and giggle' tennis was not on the agenda at C and S, it was a case of pride as the Senior set play from 1 pm onwards was your chance to make a statement amongst the elite of Albany's tennis community.
The club was fortunate to have Mark Leuba as a member, an outrageously talented kid who was in fact coached by his Dad. Bill Leuba took Mark to the top of the State rankings for the 12's and 14's training him at C and S three or four times a week. Mark would also play the senior club sets on Saturday afternoon but he was way too good for the junior club.
One of my first experiences playing Mark was in the afternoon tea break hit for the keen juniors who would never go and have a coffee with the 'oldies', it was a chance for that little bit of extra court time.
I thought I would try my luck and asked Mark for a few games, he obliged, nice kid was Mark. It was another one of those early tennis 'educations'. It only took him around 15 minutes to beat me 5-1, ( I never forget a score) with the afternoon tea bell ringing to save me from total humiliation. I knew I would have to get close to Mark's standard if I wanted to make an impression in Perth but at least I had that bench mark ( pardon the pun ) of ability etched in my mind. 
How lucky was I ? Fair dinkum I had the best Tennis Coach this town has ever seen and one of the State's best ever Country juniors both playing and coaching at my tennis club. Spoilt rotten no doubt about it when I first commenced the journey into my chosen sport. It took around six months of coaching with Peter to become competitive enough to play sets with Mark but I recall telling Peter that I wanted to get to Mark's standard and we worked hard.
Mark and I would hit regularly once I became good enough to play him and I regularly won sets from him both at C and S and the indoor facility where we hit throughout winter. In an old chapter I wrote of the devastation of losing to Mark perhaps a year later at the State Schoolboys Championships in Perth at Trinity College. I lead Mark 7-5, 4-3 and won just ONE more game which I put down to my mind seeing the finish line way too soon yet I remained philosophical. I knew I was heading in the right direction as Mark lost in the final to David Culley in the 16's that year so my standard was thereabouts but I lacked the polish that guys like Mark owned.
The C and S Tennis Club was a place to forge your game against some talented players no doubt about it and the hallmarks were all there to raise your standard if you used your brains as far as training was concerned. By that I mean it was up to you how well you took your opportunities as far as junior club, senior club, hits with the better players when the chance arose and taking a lesson from Peter was concerned.
It was as though you were a kid in a candy store at the courts on the highway with an abundance of sweets to treat yourself with. If you had the inclination and the desire to get better it was all out there at C and S yet one thing has stayed in my mind from those days more than anything else and it was the amount of POINT PLAY that we did.
We learned drills from Peter and worked on technique in those sessions however I firmly believe that it was the hours and hours of point play throughout the whole of Saturday's matches that was the deciding factor in our improvement.
Point play is 'KING' when working towards tennis success because when you play points you develop a sense of knowing what to do and when at different stages in a match.
Players who train too much without point play lack that vital ingredient that is required to win at tennis.
It's the one thing that separates a good hitter from a good player, court intelligence. Plenty of great hitters out there, not as many great tennis players.......

Tuesday 26 April 2016

'THE C and S DEBACLE' ( PART 4 )

You will have to excuse my way of writing, it stems from owning a mind that goes around at 100 miles per hour when it comes to tennis, a sport that has been good to me but a sport that has also consumed me. Axel Rose put things into perspective in one of the all time classics '.....reminds me of childhood memories where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky'.....
That song, 'Sweet child of Mine' was not only a classic hit for the 'Gunners' but a song that made you reflect on past days and past feelings about life, it was a song for the ages. My time in tennis has been around 35 years, time to know right from wrong but not enough time to work out a formula for success, no one will ever own that status.
The C and S tennis Club towards the end of it's existence in fact held a tennis tournament on those 8 courts that for some unknown reason has never been replicated at another club in the region which I find to this day both disappointing and bemusing. Around a month or so before I was married I received an entry form in the mail from the C and S Tennis Club Secretary for a tournament that went by the title of 'The Great Southern Men's Singles Championship'. The tournament was of course put together by Peter Holmes who gained sponsorship through local businesses to the tune of roughly $1000, not a bad effort.
I looked at the entry form for about 30 seconds and said to my better half  'Let's go to Albany and visit the folks next month, my old club has a competition on, haven't played there in years'.
I was 28 years old at the time and it had been probably 15 years since Peter had first coached me and quite remarkably it was maybe the only Singles Championship for the town apart from club championships since the Albany Open Junior Tournament had ceased to exist.
Sentiment drew me to enter this competition because I wanted to take a trip down memory lane where my old coach was not only the person who put the tournament together but the number one seed also. When you look at that realistically, well, that was Peter for you. I had been to Europe, taken up coaching in Perth, given up playing, fallen in love, taken up playing again, got engaged, got a real job outside of tennis, and all this time there was one bloke who kept that old tennis club of mine running in my home town, Holmsey.
So this was the plan, we go to Albany and work on the theory that I can make the final providing I am on the other half of the draw from Peter. I finish runner up to a bloke who I had the most ridiculous amount of respect for and I pick up $100 as runner up for the privilege of playing him at the club where it all started for me as a kid. Plan was 'idiot proof'.
So we get to Albany and book in to possibly the most famous beachside resort on the South Coast of WA, The Esplanade, overlooking Middleton Beach, a place I had spent many hours of my miss spent youth at drinking like a fish and chatting up young blondes. I paid $200 for two nights accommodation which when you think about it was rather cheap for a room over looking the beach that also had a spa and was about twenty five steps from the main bar. It was the type of situation that had 'rock star' written all over it. Problem was I was no rock star and I was in desperate need of at least making the semis to at least pay for one night at the 'Nard'.
Now to try and finish this chapter in a reasonable time frame I will do my best to shorten the events of that weekend in Albany Feb, 1997; Saturday, GT wins both Mens Singles matches as the number 2 seed ( not sure why I was seeded 2 but I took it as a compliment ). That night my better half and I walk into the bar to have a 'quiet ale' and a counter meal. We bump into a couple who we knew well from Perth, we get stuck into the ale and neglect the counter meal. I looked at the whole scene realistically, I was never going to beat Peter, even though I had 12 years on him in youth, he was just too tough, let's just live a little. Idiot.....
Six beers later and a burger to soak it up we get back to the room, I do the sums, my semi has to be quick against Tarkin Lockyer, a talented young fellow who would eventually become the Captain of the Collingwood Football Team, nice kid. I belt him 1 and 2, an energy saving match. Peter wins comfortably in his semi, as expected.
One hour break, then the final where Peter picks the court ! This is what he said to me, 'Let's play on court 4 and let me take you into the wall with my serve' ! You see, court 4 at C and S had a brick wall to the left of it and Peter knew that if he put enough slice on his serve it would get to the wall before his opponent. I told you he was clever....
Pete leads 4-1, 40-30, just killing me, one point away from demoralising his former student when something clicked inside my head. 'You know where this is going GT, as soon as he throws the ball up start moving to your left, nothing else has worked so far but you know what's coming, think buddy, think.
Peter throws it out wide and I was there before it got to the wall. I hit a two hander to his feet and clean up his half volley easily with a forehand. I break, 2-4, break again, 4-4, hold, 5-5, 6-6, tiebreak. I lose the first point and win the next seven straight. I take the second 6-3 by doing exactly what Peter told me to do as a kid. There are ways to beat a serve and volleyer even if he is your former coach. If you take things in as a kid, one day it may just pay dividends.
Peter won me that match and title plus the $200 that paid for the accommodation for the weekend at my favourite beachside haunt. I mean that in all due respect. 
The only way I got out of that hole I was in was from Pete's tuition, the days of coaching where we simulated match play and the days we worked on moments in matches that would prove critical to the end result. You can hit as many balls as you like in practice but if they don't have structure it is a wasted exercise.
I never told anyone I got half cut the night before that tournament out of respect for Peter but there was a reason why I drank that night and it was out of respect for my old mentor. I never gave myself a chance, I was only going for second place and a hundred bucks to help pay the expenses for the weekend. I was 28 years of age, I was over trying to make a living out of the game !
I cramped in that last game when I broke Pete's serve to win it. If it went to three, I was gone. From memory I hit a two hander down the line off Pete's serve to take it, Pete taught me how to hit that.
Nothing more memorable than beating someone who taught you how to play but one thing sticks in my mind about that match and it's called perspective.
Pete was 40, I was 28. Pete still was prepared to put it on the line against the 'young' fellas, that  typifies the sort of person Pete was. He could walk it, not just talk it..........
Chapter 5 to follow

Monday 25 April 2016

'THE C and S DEBACLE ( Part 3 )

In sport we hear the word 'culture', often used when talking about an AFL side such as the Sydney Swans, a team which takes that word to a whole new meaning. The way in which the Swans go about their business is inspiring and can even boast calming 'Buddie' Franklin's ego to a respectable level that now sees him play as a team man and not an individual. Culture in sport is what makes a team or an individual player disciplined  enough to carry out their 'work' with pride.
I think that with a club such as C and S there was an element of wanting to play the game not only to the best of your ability but there was also a sense of pride when you played at that tennis club. Peter Holmes would have that sort of aura surrounding him when he either played out there or when he talked about the game to you during a lesson.
In fact he was that knowledgeable on the game that at times it was just as much an education to listen to his take on the sport in general as it was for him to teach you how to hit a shot better. At less than twenty bucks an hour with Pete it was ridiculously great value.
Peter never charged much for a lesson because he got so many of them plus he wasn't full of his own self importance as many coaches are today. He knew that tennis took time to learn, a realist of the sport and he also knew that affordability was a big factor in keeping students in the game.
I would often ride my bike to C and S, possibly 15 k's from my house as a warm up, do a session with Pete then ride home, fit as a fiddle back then. What I liked so much about what Holmsey did on court was his variety. I recall one day he didn't come out with his usual basket of tennis balls, just his racket and a new tin of balls. 'Two sets Thommo, let's do this, think about what I have taught you'. He smashed me but boy it was an education of sorts. 'So this is why Pete doesn't want me to just look good in practice ey ? A dose of reality'...... ( Tough to grasp back then, easy to understand now ).
I suppose Pete instilled a type of culture at C and S that did not reward mediocrity because he did not accept mediocrity from you in a session. I believe I adopted his hard nosed approach to coaching as I am certain one day he took me home early because I cracked the shits with the game and threw a tantrum. That was just me wanting to get better and getting frustrated because it didn't happen over night.
I have many memories of C and S and they all involved Holmsey and my school buddies who lived for the sport and in particular the Saturday of each week. Once I became strong enough I would pack my lunch and play all day, perhaps 6 hours, maybe more. At afternoon tea time I would grab someone and we would play singles for 20 minutes, anything to milk the day for what it was worth.
I liken the time at C and S to what a surfer would do at a beach pumping with good waves all day as I am certain that I was looking for the perfect ride with a two handed backhand.
Holmsey was the equivalent of a surfing 'Zen Master', someone we all idolised, someone who we looked up to and strived to become as good as one day because he won everything locally, he was the bench mark of local tennis. He was the 'rock', the one who you would gauge your form against as to whether or not you should continue with it or go and find a team sport.
I loved the way Pete would teach you something and then watch as he delivered it in a tournament or pennant match exactly the way he described it to you in a session. Pete typified a tennis coach of that era who made a point of walking and not just talking, that back then was important, not so much now days.
The culture of the C and S Tennis Club in the 80's in particular could never be questioned as far as professionalism was concerned and neither could the strength of the playing groups. By that I mean the Junior Pennant teams as well as the Senior teams, both women's and men's who had a wall full of flags pinned up around the club house for all to see from their on court exploits. The argument could be said that it's not all about winning however back then it was almost a given that C and S teams would win the flag just about every season due to their programs.
Having senior pennant teams train on the courts next door to you as a kid was invaluable because it gave you a sense of what was required. At times it was a lesson in itself to just watch the best men from our club practice particularly when Pete organised the drills as they were 'reality' drills, ones that would help you in a pennant match or a tournament.
Again I never compare myself to Pete's coaching ability but I have never used a 'Walt Disney' drill that you can grab out of a Weetbix packet that looks dazzling but never really helps a player in a match.
So why was the C and S Tennis Club on Albany Highway so good ? It was like a burger with the lot, it had everything including the extra bacon, egg and sauce, it was outrageously appealing to someone wanting to take their tennis as far as they possibly could because quite frankly the club was King. Peter Holmes was a man who loved his tennis to such an extent that it oozed out of him when he either played on a Saturday arvo, a pennant match or a local tournament as well as when he fed you a ball in a drill.
He was a man who basically single- handedly kept a tennis club running and kept people coming through the gates to either join the club or experience his brilliant teaching. There was definitely an aura about that tennis club on the highway, a culture that will be difficult to replicate in this Region as the sport now is a pale shadow of it's former self.....
Chapter 4 to follow....