I never really appreciated the way in which Brad Gilbert played tennis , I wasn't alone . After reading the Jimmy Connors book it seems that Gilbert was a man who was disliked immensely by fellow players for one reason or another , Jonny Mac was one .
After a loss at the Masters one particular year McEnroe took 6 months off the game and said that if he was to lose "to jerks like that" he needed time off. I like this melt down from a legend like Mac , it meant that the guy he lost to meant nothing to him as far as respect for a fellow pro was concerned, but it gave me some ideas. I have always thought that the game of tennis was too glamorous as far as style went , Gilbert was a man who threw a lot of theories out the window.
If you look at the way Gilbert used to play you will see that it is unconventional , ugly and involves giving your opponent garbage balls , but boy it was effective. Why do you think that Andre Agassi became so good ? It's because he was the opposite of Gilbert and owned every shot in the book yet had a tennis brain that 14 year olds owned , Gilbert turned his thinking into a man's.
I had a lesson this week with a kid who quite frankly is a smart kid , every shot in the book he owned , but he didn't know how to construct a point . I paused after a while and almost imagined myself as Gilbert with a young Andre down the other end and I in fact paid him a compliment. I told him " Hey Champ what you need is someone to teach you how to play tennis , you actually know how to hit a ball well but you don't know how to play the game ".
I was genuine in my praise , he hit the ball beautifully but had no tactical mind , understandable , he's young , plenty of time to gain a knowledge. Hopefully he will be back , he is probably the best kid I have seen in years.
I think sometimes in tennis as a coach we perhaps over coach kids , we need to teach them the tactical side rather than keep teaching them how to hit a ball, they get tired of that same old routine. Brad Gilbert picked the issues with Agassi in their very first hit together and told Andre that he was simply doing "dumb things" , things that were costing him on court . Andre was beating himself , not losing to opponents.
If a kid can hit a tennis ball then we should be teaching them how to play , not how to hit , there is a difference, yet some continue to treat students as imbeciles , like beginners , it's how kids are lost to other sports .
The other day I saw some potential in a kid that I believe has not been utilised by other coaches as the shots that were being hit to me had an air of maturity in them that gets us coaches excited at the prospect of nurturing the talent .
My views on tennis at times are not text book but I believe that it is a game that should be looked upon as a game of chess or checkers . A kid who learns the moves early will find a way to the finish line a lot earlier than a kid who is kept under wraps because his coach is too scared to teach them the next step .
We should be teaching 'Check Mate' at an early age for those that can hit a ball , not leaving it until it's too late , just as Brad Gilbert did for a young Andre Agassi who without a tactical mind as his coach's would have been just another wasted talent.
Brains win tennis matches , not just a big forehand . Watch Gilbert play on You Tube , tell me of I'm wrong.....
Thursday, 3 April 2014
Monday, 31 March 2014
'A SWEDISH INFLUENCE'
After growing up watching Bjorn Borg win Wimbledon in 1980 when i was 11 you could imagine my despair when i heard of the rather premature retirement of the great man less than 5 years later , i was devastated.
So what do you do when your biggest influence on your favorite sport disappears from the radar ? You find someone else to inspire you . I believe that it was in 1982 when i turned the tv on late at night and found a televised match of the Italian Open in Rome between a long haired 17 year old Swedish player called Mats Wilander and Czechoslovakian player Thomas Smid . I had heard that Wilander was being compared to Borg so naturally i was curious .
My first impression of Mats was that he had an appeal about him , not unlike his famous countryman Borg , a casual walk , long curly hair , a magnificent two handed backhand and an ability to run every ball down . I remember vividly watching Mats and Thomas walk into the arena with Mats wearing a black v neck jumper , the sort that you go to the pub in , and a hairstyle that fitted the typical trend of Scandinavia . I was looking forward to seeing this kid play .
In the warm up i could see similarities between Mats and Borg and his two hander was also strikingly similar to his more famous predecessor , he let go of the right hand on impact .You don't see too many double handers now days with a two handed strike but a one handed follow through such as the 5 time Wimbledon Champ's. Borg's was a shot in a million , never to be replicated , however Wilander's was similar, but not as defined , a brilliant shot none the less. I recall one of the commentators offering his views on who would win , he picked the more experienced Czech , i picked Mats , i liked his style from the first hit.
This match was one of those tennis matches that has stuck with me forever . I didn't even have to look the score up , it was a demolition of epic proportions , not one that i expected yet i hoped that the outcome was in favor of the 'New Borg' as i was desperate for a new hero , Borg was gone and wasn't coming back. I found this match just recently on You Tube , couldn't believe my luck as it was the match that got my interest going again as a kid, the disappointment of Borg's retirement was all but forgotten when i first saw this battle in Rome. To me it was almost like watching a ghost from the past play and it gave me what i needed to hit against my garage wall for some days up to 4 hours and it was myself as Mats vs anyone . If i hit it 20 times against the wall in a row it was my point , 5 sets was a regular event, but i wasn't just playing for myself , it was for my new hero .
My memory for the Quarter Final in Rome in '82 is as fresh as yesterday's weather forecast and i believe that it started an era of tennis knowledge for me that i will look upon as both educational and life changing. When i played tennis in Queensland for 18 months in the late 80's my nickname was of course 'Mats' .
Quarter Final Rome 1982 Mats Wilander defeated Thomas Smid 6-1, 6-1, don't bother checking the score , i guarantee you 'Mats' is 100 percent correct.......
So what do you do when your biggest influence on your favorite sport disappears from the radar ? You find someone else to inspire you . I believe that it was in 1982 when i turned the tv on late at night and found a televised match of the Italian Open in Rome between a long haired 17 year old Swedish player called Mats Wilander and Czechoslovakian player Thomas Smid . I had heard that Wilander was being compared to Borg so naturally i was curious .
My first impression of Mats was that he had an appeal about him , not unlike his famous countryman Borg , a casual walk , long curly hair , a magnificent two handed backhand and an ability to run every ball down . I remember vividly watching Mats and Thomas walk into the arena with Mats wearing a black v neck jumper , the sort that you go to the pub in , and a hairstyle that fitted the typical trend of Scandinavia . I was looking forward to seeing this kid play .
In the warm up i could see similarities between Mats and Borg and his two hander was also strikingly similar to his more famous predecessor , he let go of the right hand on impact .You don't see too many double handers now days with a two handed strike but a one handed follow through such as the 5 time Wimbledon Champ's. Borg's was a shot in a million , never to be replicated , however Wilander's was similar, but not as defined , a brilliant shot none the less. I recall one of the commentators offering his views on who would win , he picked the more experienced Czech , i picked Mats , i liked his style from the first hit.
This match was one of those tennis matches that has stuck with me forever . I didn't even have to look the score up , it was a demolition of epic proportions , not one that i expected yet i hoped that the outcome was in favor of the 'New Borg' as i was desperate for a new hero , Borg was gone and wasn't coming back. I found this match just recently on You Tube , couldn't believe my luck as it was the match that got my interest going again as a kid, the disappointment of Borg's retirement was all but forgotten when i first saw this battle in Rome. To me it was almost like watching a ghost from the past play and it gave me what i needed to hit against my garage wall for some days up to 4 hours and it was myself as Mats vs anyone . If i hit it 20 times against the wall in a row it was my point , 5 sets was a regular event, but i wasn't just playing for myself , it was for my new hero .
My memory for the Quarter Final in Rome in '82 is as fresh as yesterday's weather forecast and i believe that it started an era of tennis knowledge for me that i will look upon as both educational and life changing. When i played tennis in Queensland for 18 months in the late 80's my nickname was of course 'Mats' .
Quarter Final Rome 1982 Mats Wilander defeated Thomas Smid 6-1, 6-1, don't bother checking the score , i guarantee you 'Mats' is 100 percent correct.......
Sunday, 30 March 2014
'HAVING A PUNT'
When my life was getting me down i used to punt , on horses , footy , even tennis , i used to think that the latter was easy to win money on as i considered myself a rather astute judge of the game . Punting was what i considered a 'buzz' as it would take away the reality of a life that sometimes resembled 'ground hog day' or 'ho hum' day to day 'dead soul routine'. All it did in the end was raise the anxiety level , the losses outweighed the wins ten fold and the stress outnumbered the dollars in the pocket.
Sometimes i wonder if trying to make it on the tennis circuit is a bigger punt as the odds are even greater than trying to get a trifecta in a Melbourne Cup, yet some families are willing to make that call. This season on a tennis court for me has been one that i will look back on and question my motives for still teaching it . I had three sessions that i did not even finish as i asked both the student and their parents whether it was worth my time and frustration attempting to better the pupil . These three sessions will stick in my mind for a long time as i refused any payment , even though i travelled to and from the venue , spent around 25-35 minutes on court then left with disgust at the effort put in . So what do i want ?
All i ask for when i step on court is that it is not a waste of either my time or any one else's as when the game of tennis is being taught to a student of any age it needs to be respected as it's a bit more expensive than playing a play station . It's in a lot of ways 'taking a punt' on a sport that delivers very little success at a high level however it can bring self satisfaction to many players at a social level . It's the level that is required by the student that needs to be put under the microscope and analyzed.
I recall that just prior to last Xmas i spent around 30 minutes on court with a kid before realizing that he did not want to learn the game of tennis , he simply was following his Parents' wish for him to get better , he had no desire to do the same. Keep the money , here's some free advice i said as i left the venue , this is how i see it......
Tennis is one of the most individual toughest sports in the world and some Coaches do their best to try and tell the parents that their kid is the next big thing and drain their finances to the extreme . They also don't realize or don't care that it is also draining the kids of a normal life as one in a million is a generous figure when looking at success rate of kid to World Beater.
Call me a 'killjoy' or anything else you feel describes someone who gives parents a reality check on a kid's real ability at a young age but i won't be changing it in a hurry.
My punting days are over , perhaps some parents with unrealistic outlooks on their children s' ability should also stop punting and play the odds a little smarter.....
Sometimes i wonder if trying to make it on the tennis circuit is a bigger punt as the odds are even greater than trying to get a trifecta in a Melbourne Cup, yet some families are willing to make that call. This season on a tennis court for me has been one that i will look back on and question my motives for still teaching it . I had three sessions that i did not even finish as i asked both the student and their parents whether it was worth my time and frustration attempting to better the pupil . These three sessions will stick in my mind for a long time as i refused any payment , even though i travelled to and from the venue , spent around 25-35 minutes on court then left with disgust at the effort put in . So what do i want ?
All i ask for when i step on court is that it is not a waste of either my time or any one else's as when the game of tennis is being taught to a student of any age it needs to be respected as it's a bit more expensive than playing a play station . It's in a lot of ways 'taking a punt' on a sport that delivers very little success at a high level however it can bring self satisfaction to many players at a social level . It's the level that is required by the student that needs to be put under the microscope and analyzed.
I recall that just prior to last Xmas i spent around 30 minutes on court with a kid before realizing that he did not want to learn the game of tennis , he simply was following his Parents' wish for him to get better , he had no desire to do the same. Keep the money , here's some free advice i said as i left the venue , this is how i see it......
Tennis is one of the most individual toughest sports in the world and some Coaches do their best to try and tell the parents that their kid is the next big thing and drain their finances to the extreme . They also don't realize or don't care that it is also draining the kids of a normal life as one in a million is a generous figure when looking at success rate of kid to World Beater.
Call me a 'killjoy' or anything else you feel describes someone who gives parents a reality check on a kid's real ability at a young age but i won't be changing it in a hurry.
My punting days are over , perhaps some parents with unrealistic outlooks on their children s' ability should also stop punting and play the odds a little smarter.....
Saturday, 29 March 2014
'DON'T CATCH THAT FLIGHT'
There has been some rather fortunate stories of pro tennis players missing flights or cancelling flights which in the end either helped them win a tournament or in some cases , saved their lives , here's some trivia;
In 1986 two Swedish players , the legendary Mats Wilander and countryman Joakim Nystrom made it through to the quarter final stage of the Men's doubles at Wimbledon. They were due to face American pair Ken Flach and Robert Seguso who were seeded 2 and were ranked the best team in the world a year earlier. Mats reportedly booked a flight home the next day as he was certain that he and his good friend and partner Joakim were to be no match for the Americans. After losing the first two sets easily the Swedish duo fought back and won a remarkable match 11-9 in the fifth set . They went on to win the title two matches later which ultimately gave Mats a career Grand Slam , either a singles or doubles title at every major. Perhaps his booking of the flight made them play without fear , after all, they were heading home.....
Swiss player Mark Rosset won the Olympic Gold Medal in Barcelona for tennis in 1992 and rose to a career high of World number 9 in singles in 1995 . He also reached World number 8 in doubles which was no surprise as he owned one of the biggest serves in the game . In 1998 he lost in the first round in the US Open and was booked on a Swiss Air flight to take him back home. He changed his mind at the last possible moment and decided to stay in New York and practice instead . His would be flight crashed in the Atlantic Ocean killing all on board . Rosset famously told his buddy the next day that he was " looking for a boat to Geneva". Marc was in no hurry to catch another flight...
American star Derrick Rostagno was a tennis pro known for driving to tournaments in a Winnebago Motor Home with a surfboard strapped to the back , a real character . Rostagno reached a career high of 13 in 1991 and defeated among others John McEnroe and Pete Sampras at Wimbledon , his game suited to grass with a strong serve and volley. He also held two match points on eventual Champion Boris Becker at the US Open in 1989. Derrick was particularly unlucky not to convert the second one as he was all over a pass by Becker that unfortunately for him clipped the top of the net , saving the match for Boris.
In 1986 Rostagno was in Mexico and had a connecting flight through to Los Angeles booked yet he decided to stay and play another tournament instead of taking the flight. Lucky for Rostagno he chose to stay in Mexico as the connecting flight crashed not long after take off killing all on board. I remember reading this article at the time and saw a picture of Rostagno running along the beach not long after ,making the most of life. Rostagno always played with a bit of flair , probably even more so after this event.
Wilander , Nystrom , Rosset and Rostagno were all brilliant tennis players who booked flights and cancelled them for different reasons , lucky for them......
In 1986 two Swedish players , the legendary Mats Wilander and countryman Joakim Nystrom made it through to the quarter final stage of the Men's doubles at Wimbledon. They were due to face American pair Ken Flach and Robert Seguso who were seeded 2 and were ranked the best team in the world a year earlier. Mats reportedly booked a flight home the next day as he was certain that he and his good friend and partner Joakim were to be no match for the Americans. After losing the first two sets easily the Swedish duo fought back and won a remarkable match 11-9 in the fifth set . They went on to win the title two matches later which ultimately gave Mats a career Grand Slam , either a singles or doubles title at every major. Perhaps his booking of the flight made them play without fear , after all, they were heading home.....
Swiss player Mark Rosset won the Olympic Gold Medal in Barcelona for tennis in 1992 and rose to a career high of World number 9 in singles in 1995 . He also reached World number 8 in doubles which was no surprise as he owned one of the biggest serves in the game . In 1998 he lost in the first round in the US Open and was booked on a Swiss Air flight to take him back home. He changed his mind at the last possible moment and decided to stay in New York and practice instead . His would be flight crashed in the Atlantic Ocean killing all on board . Rosset famously told his buddy the next day that he was " looking for a boat to Geneva". Marc was in no hurry to catch another flight...
American star Derrick Rostagno was a tennis pro known for driving to tournaments in a Winnebago Motor Home with a surfboard strapped to the back , a real character . Rostagno reached a career high of 13 in 1991 and defeated among others John McEnroe and Pete Sampras at Wimbledon , his game suited to grass with a strong serve and volley. He also held two match points on eventual Champion Boris Becker at the US Open in 1989. Derrick was particularly unlucky not to convert the second one as he was all over a pass by Becker that unfortunately for him clipped the top of the net , saving the match for Boris.
In 1986 Rostagno was in Mexico and had a connecting flight through to Los Angeles booked yet he decided to stay and play another tournament instead of taking the flight. Lucky for Rostagno he chose to stay in Mexico as the connecting flight crashed not long after take off killing all on board. I remember reading this article at the time and saw a picture of Rostagno running along the beach not long after ,making the most of life. Rostagno always played with a bit of flair , probably even more so after this event.
Wilander , Nystrom , Rosset and Rostagno were all brilliant tennis players who booked flights and cancelled them for different reasons , lucky for them......
Thursday, 27 March 2014
'EVERY NOW AND THEN"
Every now and then the game of tennis throws up some situations that may seem as though someone is watching over us and saying 'you deserve this, make the most of your luck'. This happened to 90th ranked Benjamin Becker from Germany just this last week with a last 16 showing at the Sony Open Tournament in Miami USA. Becker picked up just over $51,000 US after losing eventually to 12th seed Milos Raonic, but it's how he got there that made it quite simply a 'bonus'. Becker's ranking was too low to be accepted into the main draw so he had to qualify where he lost in the second last round to Jaziri Malek from Tunisia, himself a battler on the circuit ranked 28 places below Becker at 118. Malek lost in the first round to Spain's Alejandro Gonzalez , ranked 83 but picked up a handy $9000 for his efforts , not a bad week's work.
Becker should have been on a plane to his next tournament when he received the call that he was to enter the tournament as a 'Lucky loser', spots that are given to losing qualifiers to fill a place in the main draw. This place was filled by a grateful Becker as Juan Martin Del Potro withdrew with an injury before the start of the tournament which guaranteed the German at least $16,000 as a potential second round loser. Becker however didn't want to go home just yet.
The man who put Andre Agassi out of his last ever tournament promptly won two more matches and sent himself through as an unlikely round of 16 participant. Raonic was way too strong for Becker , the difference in the rankings obvious but for Becker a pay day of over $50,000 was way more than what he could've expected after entering the qualifying event.
Stories like this are not rare on the tennis circuit but they are feel good moments for players and fans alike as it is a given that the top ten will generally come out of the big tournaments with pay days of anywhere between $50,000 to perhaps $1,000,000 or more . Andre Agassi once famously told a media conference that Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov should take his prize money and go and buy some 'perspective' when the Russian complained of 'not getting paid enough' for his job , he had a point. Up until then Kafelnikov had won a 'mere' $18,000,000 in his career.
Prize money has increased for tennis over the years dramatically as in 1988 when Mats Wilander won the US Open he picked up $275,000 , that title is now worth over $2,000,000 to the winner. Sponsorship dollars are now increasing and players are reaping the benefits but even back in 1999 when Yevgeny sparked a war of words between himself and Agassi the pay days were rather handsome .
Now days players such as Benjamin Becker who has amassed nearly three million in prize money but is in his twilight years as a pro at age 32 are making the most of their luck and fitness. Playing professional tennis into your 30's no doubt becomes physically tough on the body as was documented by Andre Agassi in his second last match of his career . Agassi complained of lack of breath and a physical melt down after 5 grueling sets on hard court with a much younger and fitter opponent.
This week Becker was a 'Lucky Loser' who made $50,000 and good luck to him , every now and then the game of tennis brings a little luck to those that persevere......
Becker should have been on a plane to his next tournament when he received the call that he was to enter the tournament as a 'Lucky loser', spots that are given to losing qualifiers to fill a place in the main draw. This place was filled by a grateful Becker as Juan Martin Del Potro withdrew with an injury before the start of the tournament which guaranteed the German at least $16,000 as a potential second round loser. Becker however didn't want to go home just yet.
The man who put Andre Agassi out of his last ever tournament promptly won two more matches and sent himself through as an unlikely round of 16 participant. Raonic was way too strong for Becker , the difference in the rankings obvious but for Becker a pay day of over $50,000 was way more than what he could've expected after entering the qualifying event.
Stories like this are not rare on the tennis circuit but they are feel good moments for players and fans alike as it is a given that the top ten will generally come out of the big tournaments with pay days of anywhere between $50,000 to perhaps $1,000,000 or more . Andre Agassi once famously told a media conference that Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov should take his prize money and go and buy some 'perspective' when the Russian complained of 'not getting paid enough' for his job , he had a point. Up until then Kafelnikov had won a 'mere' $18,000,000 in his career.
Prize money has increased for tennis over the years dramatically as in 1988 when Mats Wilander won the US Open he picked up $275,000 , that title is now worth over $2,000,000 to the winner. Sponsorship dollars are now increasing and players are reaping the benefits but even back in 1999 when Yevgeny sparked a war of words between himself and Agassi the pay days were rather handsome .
Now days players such as Benjamin Becker who has amassed nearly three million in prize money but is in his twilight years as a pro at age 32 are making the most of their luck and fitness. Playing professional tennis into your 30's no doubt becomes physically tough on the body as was documented by Andre Agassi in his second last match of his career . Agassi complained of lack of breath and a physical melt down after 5 grueling sets on hard court with a much younger and fitter opponent.
This week Becker was a 'Lucky Loser' who made $50,000 and good luck to him , every now and then the game of tennis brings a little luck to those that persevere......
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