Monday, 24 March 2014
Monday, 10 March 2014
'A MIND GAME'
Seeded number 28 at a tournament players consider to be the '5th Grand Slam' Alexandr Dolgopolov from the Ukraine knocked out World number 1 Rafael Nadal in the 3rd round of the Indian Wells tournament . Just one week earlier Dolgopolov pushed Rafa all the way in the final of a clay court tournament in Rio but hard court tennis tends to even out the field with no real advantage to any particular style of game. Most times a player from outside the top 20 plays a top ten player the matches are tight but most results sway towards the higher ranked player, naturally , it's why they have success on a regular basis. If you look at the way a top tenner hits against a lower ranked player especially in a practice session the stroke for stroke ability is very similar but it's the mind that separates them in a match, so why is this ? Self belief in a sport such as tennis or golf is what sets champion players apart from the rest who make a good living but don't go deep into the final days of a competition . Take Australia's Marinko Matosevic for example; On the ATP Circuit he has played 107 matches with a 44 Win / 63 Loss record and has never won a match in a Grand Slam . Marinko is a very good tennis player yet his mind isn't quite where it needs to be , take the recently played Australian Open for example. He lost first round to Nishikori who was seeded 16 in 5 sets then blamed his coach Mark Woodforde for not cheering loud enough for him from the stands! Interesting statement from the World number 69 who has won over 1.3 Million dollars in his career and just under 100 Grand this year , not bad for a bloke who has failed to win a tournament.
Marinko is just an example of a tennis professional who makes a very handsome living from the game yet doesn't win regularly enough to be a household name . Would it be that his mind is not doing him any favors when it comes to the big matches against the top players ? Against Nishikori in Australia he pushed him all the way yet a close final set loss with just one break of serve was enough for his much higher ranked opponent to sneak away with a win . At the same above mentioned tournament at Indian Wells he pushed the current World number 16 Tommy Robredo to 3 sets , again falling to a single service break loss in the final set. Perhaps his mind is fearful when it gets to the closing stages of a match, the fear of failure, every tennis player's worst nightmare.
The game of tennis is played more between the ears than stroke for stroke , as the great Jimmy Connors once came up with a famous statement supporting this fact. With 107 Pro Tournament victories , the all time record for Men's Professional Tennis , 'Jimbo' once said 'the game of tennis is 90 percent mental , 10 percent physical ' . With that many tournament victories there has to be some truth in his statement that only the smartest tennis players are regularly successful. Keep thinking, after all it is just what the heading suggests, a mind game........
Marinko is just an example of a tennis professional who makes a very handsome living from the game yet doesn't win regularly enough to be a household name . Would it be that his mind is not doing him any favors when it comes to the big matches against the top players ? Against Nishikori in Australia he pushed him all the way yet a close final set loss with just one break of serve was enough for his much higher ranked opponent to sneak away with a win . At the same above mentioned tournament at Indian Wells he pushed the current World number 16 Tommy Robredo to 3 sets , again falling to a single service break loss in the final set. Perhaps his mind is fearful when it gets to the closing stages of a match, the fear of failure, every tennis player's worst nightmare.
The game of tennis is played more between the ears than stroke for stroke , as the great Jimmy Connors once came up with a famous statement supporting this fact. With 107 Pro Tournament victories , the all time record for Men's Professional Tennis , 'Jimbo' once said 'the game of tennis is 90 percent mental , 10 percent physical ' . With that many tournament victories there has to be some truth in his statement that only the smartest tennis players are regularly successful. Keep thinking, after all it is just what the heading suggests, a mind game........
Thursday, 6 March 2014
'TENNIS COACHING - BUSINESS OR PLEASURE ?'
Someone said to me a while back ' Glenn you are a good tennis coach , but a lousy Businessman', if he was looking for an argument then he wasn't going to get one. I don't charge much to teach the game of tennis , sometimes I do it for nothing , depending on the circumstances, but one thing is for certain , I do not treat my teaching as a Business. When you go from a hobby to being reliant on it for an income certain things change , most of the time to the detriment of the consumer. I refuse to teach in groups of more than 4 students per session and perhaps this is where my lack of 'business brains' are evident. The way I see it is that if you have more than 4 students on a court with you at a time then no matter what series of drills you do , replicating an actual game of tennis is an impossibility , as 4 per court is the maximum number allowed when playing matches. I like to refer to my tuition as 'reality' , not 'gimmicky' or one that would be simply a money making exercise.
I am hitting the road this weekend for a coaching clinic where I do all sessions without an assistant , seven hours ahead of me on one day , with a maximum of 4 players per session , plus a one on one session thrown in. Is this a money making exercise ? Yes I will make something out of the seven hours I put in but I consider it good value as the students will hit a lot of balls each session and won't be waiting around for a turn to hit .
Most coaches would probably charge more and take an assistant , halving the time spent on court but my theory on this is simple . Unless your assistant is just as qualified as you are as a leading coach then the pupils are not receiving what they have paid for and that is a session with the person who has offered it . I have taught this game for I believe now 27 years as I am 45 and began when I was 18 and with the game of tennis you really can't beat experience , especially with tuition.
I have a theory on most things in life but with my coaching I believe in giving value for money , not a token gesture as is typical with the way the sport is now heading . Will I ever lose my sense of humour ? Never , it's what keeps me sane.........
I am hitting the road this weekend for a coaching clinic where I do all sessions without an assistant , seven hours ahead of me on one day , with a maximum of 4 players per session , plus a one on one session thrown in. Is this a money making exercise ? Yes I will make something out of the seven hours I put in but I consider it good value as the students will hit a lot of balls each session and won't be waiting around for a turn to hit .
Most coaches would probably charge more and take an assistant , halving the time spent on court but my theory on this is simple . Unless your assistant is just as qualified as you are as a leading coach then the pupils are not receiving what they have paid for and that is a session with the person who has offered it . I have taught this game for I believe now 27 years as I am 45 and began when I was 18 and with the game of tennis you really can't beat experience , especially with tuition.
I have a theory on most things in life but with my coaching I believe in giving value for money , not a token gesture as is typical with the way the sport is now heading . Will I ever lose my sense of humour ? Never , it's what keeps me sane.........
Sunday, 2 March 2014
'MY TOP TEN'
When it comes to things i hate about the game of tennis , the following things are what really disappoint me; Hopefully you can see where i am coming from; The following examples are predominantly from junior tennis tournaments, however also involves 'Open Tournaments' where kids and adults may meet each other;
1- Junior Tennis Tournament Peanut Gallery- This is where kids hang off the fence behind the court and regularly ask their mates for score updates as well as do their best to put the opposition off their game . Don't quite know why this behavior isn't banned from Junior Comps , a lot has to do with the students' 'coaches' , poor pupil management i call it...
2- Why is it that junior tennis players go onto court with a racket bag big enough to sleep in ? How many times do these kids break strings and why are 3 or 4 rackets at the age of 12 necessary ? Image ??
3- Do bright shoes win tennis matches ?? Personally i love playing kids who wear this gear , it means they are more interested in looking good than winning games of tennis .
4- Why do 'Tennis Coaches' belt their students in tennis tournaments ? Surely this is called 'biting the hand that feeds' . Personally if ever i played a student who i knew i could beat easily i would give them at least 2 games per set , possibly 3 , great for their confidence . Smart Tennis Coaches do this ......
5- Why do junior tennis players yell out ' i can't believe i am playing this bad' . This is arrogance and ego all rolled into 1 - they simply don't realize that tennis is actually a tough game to play , mastering it at age 12 is really not going to happen.....
6- What is it with a long hit up ? Do kids think that just because the big boys warm up for what seems to be an eternity before they play that it also should apply to them ?? A long hit up is for players who are nervous , they want to play a set before they actually start a match ! I hate hit ups......
7- Why don't kids hit slice backhands and volleys during a match ? Would it be that their Coaches are simply following the current direction of the game and not thinking outside the square ? Personally i like to see a kid when drawn wide on the backhand side hit a one handed slice that gets them back into the point rather than go for a winner. I also like to see kids go to the net other than just to shake hands.......
8- Why do Parents 'Coach' kids ? Haven't they seen what Mr Tomic has done to his son ???
9- Why do kids who win tennis matches at local tournaments think that they have just beaten Anthony Mundine in a boxing match and strut around as though they are the next Golden Gloves Heavy Weight Champion ? It's a boxing match for sure , but 60 feet away from your opponent , get a grip.....
10- Why is it that kids complain that when they hit a ball on the line their opponent calls it out ?? My answer to that is simple - If you are hitting balls on the line then your 'Coach' is teaching you the wrong way to play tennis.......
FOOTNOTE; In reference to Number 7 - Who has won the most Grand Slams and who hits a beautiful backhand slice and a sublime volley? Yet the game is being taught predominantly from the back of the court, try and figure that one out.......
1- Junior Tennis Tournament Peanut Gallery- This is where kids hang off the fence behind the court and regularly ask their mates for score updates as well as do their best to put the opposition off their game . Don't quite know why this behavior isn't banned from Junior Comps , a lot has to do with the students' 'coaches' , poor pupil management i call it...
2- Why is it that junior tennis players go onto court with a racket bag big enough to sleep in ? How many times do these kids break strings and why are 3 or 4 rackets at the age of 12 necessary ? Image ??
3- Do bright shoes win tennis matches ?? Personally i love playing kids who wear this gear , it means they are more interested in looking good than winning games of tennis .
4- Why do 'Tennis Coaches' belt their students in tennis tournaments ? Surely this is called 'biting the hand that feeds' . Personally if ever i played a student who i knew i could beat easily i would give them at least 2 games per set , possibly 3 , great for their confidence . Smart Tennis Coaches do this ......
5- Why do junior tennis players yell out ' i can't believe i am playing this bad' . This is arrogance and ego all rolled into 1 - they simply don't realize that tennis is actually a tough game to play , mastering it at age 12 is really not going to happen.....
6- What is it with a long hit up ? Do kids think that just because the big boys warm up for what seems to be an eternity before they play that it also should apply to them ?? A long hit up is for players who are nervous , they want to play a set before they actually start a match ! I hate hit ups......
7- Why don't kids hit slice backhands and volleys during a match ? Would it be that their Coaches are simply following the current direction of the game and not thinking outside the square ? Personally i like to see a kid when drawn wide on the backhand side hit a one handed slice that gets them back into the point rather than go for a winner. I also like to see kids go to the net other than just to shake hands.......
8- Why do Parents 'Coach' kids ? Haven't they seen what Mr Tomic has done to his son ???
9- Why do kids who win tennis matches at local tournaments think that they have just beaten Anthony Mundine in a boxing match and strut around as though they are the next Golden Gloves Heavy Weight Champion ? It's a boxing match for sure , but 60 feet away from your opponent , get a grip.....
10- Why is it that kids complain that when they hit a ball on the line their opponent calls it out ?? My answer to that is simple - If you are hitting balls on the line then your 'Coach' is teaching you the wrong way to play tennis.......
FOOTNOTE; In reference to Number 7 - Who has won the most Grand Slams and who hits a beautiful backhand slice and a sublime volley? Yet the game is being taught predominantly from the back of the court, try and figure that one out.......
Saturday, 1 March 2014
'MAKE IT YOUR BEST'
Only a tennis player's head prevents them from making their worst shot their best , given of course that they are physically capable. How many tennis players actually cringe when a ball goes to their non preferred side which invariably makes them put back into play a shot that lacks substance ? I can lay claim to this 'phobia'.
I am unsure when things started to go wrong on my backhand side however i found that when i was doing a lot of coaching it was easier to simply slice or push the ball back to my students , as opposed to hitting through with the double hander. I also admired the way my hero Mats Wilander from Sweden nullified the heavy topspin hitting from Ivan Lendl in the 1988 US Open final by simply slicing his own backhand , keeping it low out of Lendl's hitting zone. The tactic worked however it took Mats nearly 5 hours to do it , he rarely hit his two hander which in it's day was one of the best backhands i have ever seen.
When i was a kid my two handed backhand was my best shot , i preferred it to my forehand so taking the mind back to where i used to hit it so well took me back down memory lane, an educational process.I have been tired of opponents picking on my backhand over the past few years so i decided to do what every keen tennis player does to refine a shot , wheel out the ball machine.....
I spent hours on this device just recently to see where i could make some changes , i also set up a video on a tripod and analysed it in detail , i threw my racket on a few occasions also ,( i don't think anyone was watching) , i was determined to get it right .I went to a little tournament just recently and tried a few things , my backhand on this particular day was remarkably better than my strength , the forehand , the mindset was different , i welcomed each shot to my backhand instead of cringing, all in the mind i told myself. Leading up to this tournament i played club tennis and played each set on the backhand side , sometimes even starting with a backhand grip , just hoping that it would come to that side , i was reprogramming myself to accept , not reject.
We can all fix our weaknesses , only the head will prevent us from doing it , we are usually physically capable of change , unfortunately too many times we talk ourselves out of positive play and revert to a negative mindset . At 45 i believe i am heading to a point with my game that i should have reached many years ago but my mind was not in the right place , keeping fit is the key, a challenge when you are into your 40's but a rewarding one . The backhand is on the way up , now for the serve.......
I am unsure when things started to go wrong on my backhand side however i found that when i was doing a lot of coaching it was easier to simply slice or push the ball back to my students , as opposed to hitting through with the double hander. I also admired the way my hero Mats Wilander from Sweden nullified the heavy topspin hitting from Ivan Lendl in the 1988 US Open final by simply slicing his own backhand , keeping it low out of Lendl's hitting zone. The tactic worked however it took Mats nearly 5 hours to do it , he rarely hit his two hander which in it's day was one of the best backhands i have ever seen.
When i was a kid my two handed backhand was my best shot , i preferred it to my forehand so taking the mind back to where i used to hit it so well took me back down memory lane, an educational process.I have been tired of opponents picking on my backhand over the past few years so i decided to do what every keen tennis player does to refine a shot , wheel out the ball machine.....
I spent hours on this device just recently to see where i could make some changes , i also set up a video on a tripod and analysed it in detail , i threw my racket on a few occasions also ,( i don't think anyone was watching) , i was determined to get it right .I went to a little tournament just recently and tried a few things , my backhand on this particular day was remarkably better than my strength , the forehand , the mindset was different , i welcomed each shot to my backhand instead of cringing, all in the mind i told myself. Leading up to this tournament i played club tennis and played each set on the backhand side , sometimes even starting with a backhand grip , just hoping that it would come to that side , i was reprogramming myself to accept , not reject.
We can all fix our weaknesses , only the head will prevent us from doing it , we are usually physically capable of change , unfortunately too many times we talk ourselves out of positive play and revert to a negative mindset . At 45 i believe i am heading to a point with my game that i should have reached many years ago but my mind was not in the right place , keeping fit is the key, a challenge when you are into your 40's but a rewarding one . The backhand is on the way up , now for the serve.......
'OLD BLOKES'
Don't you just love it when the 'old blokes' win tennis matches ? Doesn't it give you heart to keep persevering ? it's a progression the game of tennis , only the 'scary' ones make a splash in their early years , the rest of us take time to 'mature' , physically and mentally. Fed's win against Novak in Dubai has inspired me to keep fit , healthy and in form as he is a player who is quite possibly getting better with age. He reminds me of the great Andre Agassi who made the final of the US Open at 35 and the legendary Jimmy Connors , the semi finals of the same tournament at age 39, giving the 'older' players inspiration.
I love reading in the social media pages people's thoughts who know very little regarding the intricacies of the game of Tennis. I mentioned just recently a piece i read regarding the 'old blokes', I considered it a personal insult to have a go at older players being successful, i called it 'uneducated'. I like to look upon success at an older age as simply 'Experience shining through'.
There is a Tournament coming up locally that pits young vs 'old' and i really do hope that people who 'slander' the older players come down and have a look , it will be worth a look . It's where egos meet each other of all ages , the ultimate challenge. Are us 'old blokes' up for it ? You betcha, I wouldn't play it if i didn't think i could still match it with the young blokes , the ultimate tennis challenge, bring it on........
I love reading in the social media pages people's thoughts who know very little regarding the intricacies of the game of Tennis. I mentioned just recently a piece i read regarding the 'old blokes', I considered it a personal insult to have a go at older players being successful, i called it 'uneducated'. I like to look upon success at an older age as simply 'Experience shining through'.
There is a Tournament coming up locally that pits young vs 'old' and i really do hope that people who 'slander' the older players come down and have a look , it will be worth a look . It's where egos meet each other of all ages , the ultimate challenge. Are us 'old blokes' up for it ? You betcha, I wouldn't play it if i didn't think i could still match it with the young blokes , the ultimate tennis challenge, bring it on........
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