~ Aces & Faults ~ An Open Discussion
I've been meaning to write this a few days ago but life tends to prevent what we want at times. None the less, given the events taking place at the first Grand Slam of the year, where we are seeing first hand the results of a well orchestrated game plan and how that plan is executed on the Courts in Melborne.
Like many of you I'm sure, I've watched play that is dreadful to witness. Sitting at home, you often find yourself wondering how could it be these people are considered the best in the World in the Sport of Tennis?
Any one of you who are at least 5.0 or above Players could justifiably conceive taking a Set or better given you had control of your composure. Roger Federer played what I would confidently call, the worst two sets of Tennis by a Professional, I have ever seen and still won the Match. Andre Agassi, played a match against a serving monster, who bombed 51 aces in the match against him and still won the match. Serena Williams, was two points from defeat when the Officials decided to close the roof due to the immense heat and won the match and since I'm talking about unlikely comebacks so it would seem, Steffi Graf, was down 0-5 in the 3rd Set against Jana Novatna in the Women's Finals of Wimbledon and won the match. Mary Jo Fernandez was down 0-5 in the 2nd after losing the 1st, then rallied to win the 2nd Set and subsequently won the 3rd as well against Gabriel Sabatini at the French Open. On & on, example after example of these Giants in the Tennis World playing matches that challenge rational belief that they could be considered the best in the business yet they survive.
How could that be? Most of you know I teach High School Tennis however I'm not the Head Coach at this time because my schedule will not allow it. However, I have a unique roll amongst the Students. The Head Coach concentrates solely on technique while my role is Court Strategy. Playing to win as it were. How do you beat someone who is seemingly unbeatable?
How do you win the big points and most importantly, how do you control your nerves when the match is on the line?
For each person the answer is a different approach. During training, I study our students carefully. I scout their weaknesses & strengths and I build a game plan around that. For those who are shorter than the average, it's all about aggression. For those who are taller than average, it's all about footwork & placement. For those who are not known for their speed, it's all about being in control of the point from first strike. Anyone can win a Tennis Match as long as your heart is as big as your desire.
In the coming weeks I've decided to write extensively about what it takes to win tennis matches based on what I've seen in my students. This Thread is open for input. We can examine theories by anyone who wishes to contribute or you can tell me what you've tried based on what you'll read and if it worked for you. Also, for anyone who is having problems in certain areas or against certain types of Players, post it here and we'll see if we can turn that around for you ..