Vintage Tennis

US Open Men’s final today is a David and Goliath physical event and by evidence of who they are, signals the start of tomorrows tennis … where are the usual combatants for these events … still great and maybe a small blimp in their dominance, but today’s mid-twenties players believe they are now beatable and that belief is all that is needed to start the evolution … again, as it has always been.

Fitness focused with ‘advanced movement’ and brain maturity young players and some others, a little more serious about things, are equal with their ‘top of the tree’ opponents psyche and are seeking their own greatness.

Players similarly in their late teens and early twenties see this change starting to occur and with the aid of good coaching consultants and mentors know that this could be their time also … learn the ‘big boys’ game and chase the current crop with a view to overtake !

I believe the next era will have multiple ‘slam’ winners and the ‘big 4’ eventually replaced by the ‘big 10’ … sooo looking forward to this and sooo looking forward to the resistance put up by the current champions.

The next four months will be fascinating to witness the setting of new goals and development of play leading into 2015 and the Australian Summer of Tennis. The men and also the women’s tours are going to send us scrambling for info on the new names in the game … hopefully quite a few Aussies among them.

Wimbledon 2014 comes to a close and we look back on the lessons or non-headline, subtle whispers to come out of the Championships.

As in the past, the birthplace of tournament tennis delivers the unexpected, the depth of talent in our game and the style/direction of the tennis played to be successful in this professional arena.

One of the statistics to come out this year was that up to the quarter finals over 100 tie-breaks had been played – more than in any other year since its inception in 1971 (introduced at 8-8 altered to 6-6 in 1979) …. what does that indicate ?

A few scenarios exist in this explanation … Serving is more powerful and easier to hold, compared to the era of Lendl, Sampras, Becker, Edberg, Ivanisevic, Rafter, Roddick – not likely… Return of serve is weaker, compared to Connors, Kriek, Wilander, Agassi, Hewitt – improved movement/footwork, also suggests not likely … so what, in the modern game is different that reduces the likelihood of a break of serve and a set finishing at 6 rather than 7 !

Is it that the modern competitor is so mentally tough that each player finds a way to compete with each other until a point score, sudden death game is the decider … possibly, or that serving points are so well constructed that breaking it is very difficult … strong truth to this, compared to the skill set of the past … again unlikely.

Today’s players stand further back from the baseline to return these days and the thinking of having more time to swing and power the ball creates a falsehood of pressuring there opponent where in fact it gives the server more angle and the time to recover.

Looking at the best of receivers in the modern game and those giving themselves the best opportunity to create break points, look no further than the 2014 Championship Finalists! Court position, on or near the baseline … compact back swing to catch and direct … bouncing and moving side steps/jumps … this is more likely !

The US Open and it’s fast hard courts is the next major, the whispers that will be heard will have Vintage Tennis  listening and learning.

Vintage Facts

Holistic is the over used term to describe the ‘whole of something’ and how it integrates and inter-relates, but do we pay enough attention to the development of it.

Tennis detail requires many components to be a successful professional athlete – when does this start and does it have a finish. It starts with the passion for tennis (love, determination, perseverance) and as we never stop learning or growing then there is no finish and the development is also never ending, as is the passion.

Paying attention to the matching of character to the development of skills (armory) for the player is set at the early stages of their desire to improve, thus attention increase and focus.

Introduction to the required physicality, health science links what the player does with their racquet to their body (movement, balance, agility, flexibility, strength) and how the body works (nutrition, diet, hydration ).

Thinking about what to achieve, the when, how, why of combat against another person like them, the psychology component and brain power (education).

Values and respect, plus appreciation of all who ‘buy in’ to this journey together with what they give to receive scenario is life’s balance and human-ness.

Develop the holistic – always see the big picture and by embracing it all, all the time, all to be delivered – then the path is clear, efficient and rewarding.

This is an extract from the USTA website announcing the proposed facility for the organisation to be relocated, however the underlined shows the holistic nature in the USA to propel tennis to a world standing once more.

American tennis will soon have a new home. The USTA is planning to build a state-of-the-art facility in Orlando, Fla., with the goal of enhancing the sport at every level and creating an unparalleled playing, training and educational experience for players, coaches and spectators.

With an eye toward growing the game and enhancing the sport at every level, the USTA is planning to build a new 100-plus-court facility (artist rendering shown) in Orlando, Fla.

•  Once completed, the facility will stand among the finest in the world, serving as a centre for education and innovation to grow the game at all levels in the years to come.

• A Team USA area that will include eight hard courts and eight clay courts. The courts will be utilized by the 17 USTA sections, along with coaches and their players throughout the country, to work collaboratively with USTA Player Development.

•  USTA Player Development as we strive to work with coaches across the country to develop our juniors into world-class American players,” said Patrick McEnroe, USTA Player Development General Manager. “We’re very excited for the new facility and everything it means for Team USA.”

   Australia has a new National Tennis Centre in Melbourne … holistic is the best pathway !!

Identifying the split-step as a ‘movement where the athlete momentarily stops’ … stops! … in modern tennis ?!  Agree or disagree, as educators/coaches we must constantly look at the changes in our game and adapt one of the forgotten essentials (footwork) to match and the split-step is one area of change.

Agree with the player getting back to a ‘ready’ position but evidence of players standing /moving (anticipating) like on a mini trampoline is more beneficial and as modern players now react by footwork first (outside leg) – racquet a very quick second, momentum is vital.

Further evidence is on return of serve where players are bouncing (light like boxing) on the balls of their feet and reacting as mentioned by a side step/jump rather than a split step and lunge which is very restrictive.

Players are non-stop movers with balance the key on recovery and take off to another ball. This then translates into the forward movement to the net to volley (major reason modern players avoid this play is that they get passed and are not close enough to the net due to the split-step hesitation … and are lost) and the introduction of a side step (quick change of direction off one foot – as other sports implement) and a running volley. Thus a change to the volley action to more of a ‘catch’ in front and open body ala baseball, cricket, netball, basketball and hands closer together with the action a minimum of two steps not one lunge and not able to recover quickly enough.

The volley will make a return and leading academies around the world are bringing it back, but it must be modified, as explained above to cope with modern day hitting – remembering that time taken away from your opponent is the focus of winning points, then the volley is one of the best methods to utilize.

Hoad Rose Rosewall – footwork

Fast tracking of the talented junior towards ‘Open’ tennis in Australia has seen an attention to the players fitness, strength, technique, footwork, repetitive hitting (training) – primarily the same things that was the focus during their developing junior years!

Attending and witnessing the ‘play’ at the  Victorian Claycourt ITF  this week, and whilst all the before components are evident and important, what stood out glaringly was the lack of ‘play’ components ie: the feel for the game, anticipation, reading the other end of the court, a method/plan for each point, advanced movement and the sustained pressure for the whole match whilst one eye on the bigger picture (future success) and most importantly, the courage to be creative and play to character.

A few examples –

• players moving inside (one step) the baseline and hitting a positive shot, then retreating to one metre or more behind the baseline rather than hold position and continuing to dictate the point
•  allowing the opponent to put up a defensive low lob and moving backwards to hit the ball at head level rather than playing a drive volley to keep the pressure on the opponent, who is in a defensive frame of mind
•  look at an opponent stretching wide to hit a slice or under spun ground shot that will travel slow and bounce low rather than move in and play a volley 
•  failure to keep the pressure on their opponent when poor body language is evident along with groans/verbals.

In no way is blame being aimed at the players, their commitment, energy or dreams – past history shows Australia’s under 18’s are world class (and there are many) but history also shows the ‘transition’ is not being converted to the ‘pro tour’ and this should be fast tracked, a 4 year apprenticeship not the much talked about late bloomer and learn to play at this level in ten years !!

The balance of shot development, advanced movement, maturity and discipline needs to lean more to the focus of ‘play’ for these aspiring young ‘pro’s’, then more numbers will transit and with good old fashioned ‘peer progress’ Australia’s stocks will rise.

Hoad Hopman Rosewall 1954