"The spin is the right shot to play on the clay, because when you play with a lot of spin you can produce a lot of important shots, a lot of winners, but without the risk, so that was the key to my success on clay " . Rafael Nadal.....
There is a video going around that involves Rafa and his take on the intricacies of spin. Interesting insight into the mind of possibly the greatest clay court player of all time.
A kid will have the perception that winners will need to be hit to win a tennis match, even Rafa says so in a way yet Rafa believes in spin and not hitting flat balls as many kids do.
Hitting flat balls with little margin for error leaves the ball in the opposition's hitting zone, a no, no, particularly on clay. It's why Rafa has owned both Monte Carlo and Paris for ten or so years with a net clearance that makes the opposition feel uncomfortable.
I love watching clips like this as it reinforces tennis fundamentals of consistency and smart play. The thing I noticed in this clip also is the grip change of Rafa which many times is neglected by coaching 'gurus'.
It's an old story that more than one 'coach' teaches the two handed backhand with a forehand grip and it's why the backhand of many kids is not one of substance. Watch Rafa slow motion and how he changes the hands between forehands and backhands.
Next time your coach gives you a lesson, ask the question...........
No comments:
Post a Comment