| It is a question that must be in the minds of | | | | affect talented players?" Parents, teachers and |
| many coaches and federation leaders around the | | | | coaches, have to understand that tennis is a very |
| world. At the French open in 1984 I was | | | | complex process that cannot be alienated by |
| approached by the head of the Australian junior | | | | success alone. Sometimes losing at an earlier age |
| development program R.R. at the time and was | | | | in order to develop the right game or strokes is |
| asked if I would like to join the AIS junior | | | | far more important. |
| development coach team, the reason being: "we | | | | For example, I have taken young players to ITF |
| need to develop the "Spanish" clay court game in | | | | and ETA tournaments where I observed doubles |
| our juniors". My answer was, "I am honoured with | | | | teams playing whole matches at the baseline! This |
| your offer but you must keep in mind that I am | | | | makes me often think that I am in the "Twilight |
| a strong believer in the all-round game as well as | | | | Zone" or in some kind of a nightmare! This kind of |
| in the teachings of Mr. Harry Hopman". Needless | | | | attitude from coaches often condoned by |
| to say, I never heard from AIS again for years | | | | shortsighted parents is exactly what produces |
| to come. | | | | robot tennis players and stymies development. |
| The Australian Open went on to adopt the slow | | | | Now what did Australia and the USA have in |
| surfaced rebound Ace tennis courts that totally | | | | common that made them dominant tennis nations |
| handicapped their marquee players Patrick Rafter, | | | | for many years and was ignored from top |
| Mark Phillipoussis and of late a French clay court | | | | officials and cognoscenti, I could argue: |
| especially developed for Australia is at Melbourne | | | | - They ignored and denied the greatest asset |
| Park. "Tennis Australia officials like to refer to the | | | | their players had and that was the extraordinary |
| particular blends of red dirt as 'Factor X'." | | | | innate ability their players had to volley from any |
| (Investment in French clay By Margie McDonald | | | | position on the court unlike any other players |
| December 16, 2005 "The Australian, Australia's | | | | from other nations. |
| national daily newspaper"). This would be pretty | | | | - They ignored and denied the extraordinary |
| harmless if the likes of Richard Fromberg 6'5'' (195 | | | | inborn ability Australians and Americans had to |
| cm) a baseliner, Lleyton Hewitt 5'11'' (180 cm) | | | | serve and volley with all its nuances perfected to |
| defensive baseliner (counter puncher) would not | | | | an art through the years, which players from |
| show as by-products of such a grand scheme. | | | | other nations could not rival! |
| In the USA an identical phenomena happened with | | | | - Finally, they ignored and denied the unequalled |
| the death of Mr. Harry Hopman in 1985, players | | | | perhaps genetic ability their players had to |
| went looking elsewhere for new training havens. A | | | | approach and attack the net to set up easy put |
| large sports management group very intelligently | | | | away volleys from any position on the court, |
| bought a tennis academy in 1987, then started | | | | coupled with the athleticism to hit incredible |
| and to this day continues to furiously herd | | | | overhead smashes when lobbed! |
| present clients and every future tennis star to | | | | After so many years of playing the game and |
| train there, as well as promoting itself with | | | | observing other players from all over the world, I |
| magazine ads, magazine and TV interviews and | | | | am lead to believe that even though there is |
| various other connections its power within the | | | | always an exception to the rule some countries |
| sport of tennis allows them. With this huge | | | | have generated a larger share of risk-takers, |
| marketing machine and new clients being scouted, | | | | quality net rushers, serve and volley, all-round |
| signed up and pumped in from around the world, | | | | players then other countries: |
| the dawn of baseline robotic tennis and two | | | | They are Australia, USA, England and |
| handed backhands supported by excellent | | | | México. Germany was a late entry with |
| forehands was at hand. | | | | Becker and Stich. |
| Fortunately, players like John McEnroe, Pat Cash, | | | | On the other hand other countries produced great |
| Stefan Edberg, Boris Becker, Michael Stich, Pat | | | | defenders and counter punchers: |
| Rafter, Pete Sampras and now Roger Federer | | | | Spain, Argentina followed by Italy & Sweden with |
| escaped the onslaught and were privileged to | | | | a dry spell at the moment. |
| have Coaches/Teachers that offered them the | | | | This leads me to believe, barring exceptions, that |
| option to fully develop their games with one | | | | certain groups of individuals (Nations) have certain |
| handed backhands, the serve and volley and the | | | | genetic characteristics that are more suited to the |
| all-round game. | | | | attacking all-round game then others, in this |
| Australia and the USA, as dominant tennis nations | | | | particular case Australia and USA. |
| for many years, were the standard that others | | | | That is why I dare say; that by making baseline |
| followed to develop their players. Now let us | | | | robots out of Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Agassi, Andy |
| make a small tally of the damage poor | | | | Roddick and others with fantastic innate |
| development principals can do world wide; false | | | | athleticism and abilities, myopic officials, leaders |
| "gurus", teachers conferences, tennis clinics, | | | | and teachers denied them an even higher ground |
| papers and books, DVD's and VHS, interviews, | | | | in the tennis world. |
| "expert" magazine articles, tennis camps and | | | | Roger Federer has opened the Pandora box by |
| sloppy training. | | | | blatantly showing the short comings of his peers |
| How did poor development affect talented | | | | and now there is no more place were to hide, |
| players? Let us take Lleyton Hewitt for an | | | | officials, teachers and coaches have to come to |
| example: | | | | recon that, slowing down surfaces, introducing |
| What do you think Lleyton Hewitt would be doing | | | | bigger and heavier tennis balls to favour baseliners |
| to the elite now, if at a young age, he had | | | | and limiting tennis to hitting the ball mindlessly |
| developed a good one handed backhand, a decent | | | | harder and harder from the baseline is just not |
| serve and a serve and volley combination? My | | | | enough! It is time for a change to one form or |
| forecast would be, that Hewitt with the amazing | | | | another of "retro tennis" the creative skilful "old" |
| speed he moves on the tennis court and his | | | | all-round game. |
| aggressive nature, Roger Federer would not be | | | | It is never too late but you better learn all skills |
| humbling him now with short scores like; | | | | while you are young, I would say very, very |
| Wimbledon 2005, 6-3 6-4 7-6(4) or US Open 05 | | | | young! |
| 6-3 7-6(0) 4-6 6-3, or with other even more | | | | Ok, enough of "status quo" bashing as I am critical |
| humiliating defeats! | | | | of such shoddy tennis development, I am also |
| Another example, Andre Agassi what would he | | | | responsible to present solutions, here it goes: |
| have done, if at an early age, he had developed a | | | | Five effective "old" ways to develop the all round |
| good one handed backhand, a decent serve and a | | | | player in you! |
| serve and volley combination? Agassi with his | | | | All athletes are influenced by several factors in |
| quick thinking, great anticipation (exceptional eyes), | | | | their development but no other has more |
| creativity and fantastic foot speed, Andre would | | | | relevant position on the scale then training and |
| have amassed more Grand Slams then anyone | | | | training methods. I am not going to get in depth |
| that ever played the game! (After all these years | | | | nor the details or individual specifics of training, I |
| of watching him play, in spite of all his talent, I still | | | | will rather give you a basic training session. |
| cringe when he volleys or hits a slice backhand!). | | | | Presently about 80% to 90% of the tennis |
| Andy Roddick is another flagrant case, of playing | | | | training time of most players is spent on the |
| robotic tennis sometimes up to 12 feet behind the | | | | baseline. When designing your training, reverse the |
| baseline or whatever the back of the court | | | | trend and schedule 60% to 70% of the training |
| allows, out-slugging opponents with little imagination | | | | involving the net game and all of it's components: |
| or creativity, at 6'2'' (187 cm) you can imagine the | | | | 1- Start the warm-up with all players at the net |
| threat this young man would be at the net to his | | | | gently volleying to each other (cross-court or |
| opponents instead! What a waste of energy and | | | | down-line). Transition to a mini-tennis serve & |
| raw talent! It is plausible that you all remember his | | | | volley in the service box (all touch shots) |
| last defeat at Wimbledon, if Andy had a solid | | | | 2- Switch to all players at the baseline and have |
| backhand volley to speak of and knew that most | | | | them play a 2 x 5 minute control drill cross court |
| attacks are down the line instead of cross court, | | | | to each other, involving all spin and pace |
| Roger Federer today would now be reflecting | | | | variations, the use and development of the slice |
| about the Wimbledon he lost and not the one he | | | | (forehand and backhand). Play a 7 point a baseline |
| won! | | | | game 1 against one or 2 against 2 all court (2 |
| Sérgio Cruz you are writing this article but | | | | points awarded for points own at the net). |
| you were responsible for the further | | | | 3- Transition to one player at the net one at |
| development of Jim Courier in 1988/89/90? Oh, | | | | baseline, work on consistency and control volleys, |
| yes I was! I can tell you with all honesty, as much | | | | after 3 to 5 minutes switch player positions (This |
| as I liked Jim, I was disgusted at the lack of | | | | can be done cross or up the line). Play a game to |
| variation, defensive skills, volleys or serve and | | | | 7 or 11 points, where the player at the net is |
| volley. As an experienced tournament player | | | | obliged to play a nice deep volley of off the feed |
| myself, I knew that I could not make radical | | | | from the baseliner (first volleys landing inside the |
| changes in Jim's game (especially since he was | | | | service box are points for the player feeding). |
| already 18 years old), so I gradually made the | | | | Players will keep the net position as long as they |
| following additions to his armour: | | | | win, once they lose a point they have to quickly |
| - Instead of the permanent run of the mill inside | | | | move to the baseline and the opponent moves to |
| out forehand only, I introduced the inside in down | | | | the net. |
| the line winner ("non percentage") that he started | | | | 4- Start a serve and volley exercise preferably |
| using after the Stockholm Open 1988 as a | | | | up the line emphasis on serve spin variation and |
| surprise factor throughout his career. | | | | solid volleying. The return focuses on bringing the |
| - Taught Jim the one handed backhand slice as a | | | | ball back into play low to the opponents feet or |
| variation, as a defensive shot and as an | | | | with chip shot (returns), on second serves even |
| aggressive shot especially in the approach to the | | | | simultaneously going to the net and force a quick |
| net. | | | | volley battle! :-). After 3 to 5 minutes warm up, |
| - Introduced him to smart serving, all spins and | | | | play a serve and volley match (no aces allowed!), |
| variations plus the serve and volley combination. | | | | 7, 11, 15 or 21 points. |
| - Worked extensively on Jims volleys, foot work | | | | 5- Finish the training session with a team or |
| included (seeding the premise to his mind that | | | | individual point play were serve and volley points |
| "you end up winning big matches at the net" | | | | are worth 3 points, points won at the net |
| which he did after the rain delay in Roland Garros | | | | (approach shots, chip-charge etc.) are worth 2 |
| final against Andre Agassi.) | | | | points, points won from the baseline are worth 1, |
| - Taught him from scratch the jumped overhead | | | | exception for clean winners 2 points! Play it to 21 |
| smash, foot work included. | | | | points. |
| - Influenced him to play doubles with Pete | | | | As I said at the beginning this is just a basic |
| Sampras in an attempt to develop Jims volley and | | | | training suggestion you can go from here in any |
| serve and volley skills. (They did not do too bad, | | | | direction you may wish to, just keep in mind that |
| won the Italian Open and at some point they | | | | the net game is the focus. I estimate this training |
| were as high as 3 in doubles on the ATP Ranking | | | | session to go for 1.30 hour to 2 hours. If you do |
| and made it to the ATP Doubles finals at Royal | | | | include variations of this training on your schedule |
| Albert Hall, England, 1989.) | | | | 2 to 3 sessions a week and reverse it to the |
| - Through hard conditioning training, I helped Jim | | | | baseline training the other days, you will soon see |
| become one of the fittest tennis players on the | | | | a substantial increase in the confidence you (your |
| ATP tour and created the base for his future | | | | players) will have at the net as well as a much |
| success! (Andre only achieved that kind of fitness | | | | higher percentage of variety and creative plays |
| in 1996 with Brad Gilbert!) | | | | that will emerge during match play. |
| Yes, I must admit I did not do everything | | | | As an instructor and former all court decent |
| perfect, if I could go back in time to Rome 1990, | | | | player I sincerely believe that, if you do not give |
| I would not have allowed Jim's agent or the ATP | | | | your young players the opportunity to develop a |
| to influence him to play the Nations Cup in | | | | well rounded game of tennis that encompasses all |
| Düsseldorf, instead of as we had planned | | | | facets of it, you are denying that youngster (or |
| resting that very week just before the French | | | | adult) the possibility to develop himself into a |
| Open! Unfortunately I feared to hurt Jim's | | | | better, more creative, more curious, more |
| confidence by saying that playing Düsseldorf | | | | interesting tennis player. Enjoy "The Game". |
| would compromise his performance at the French | | | | For comments or ideas about this article please |
| but that was dumb of me! It cost us a years | | | | email the author Sergio Cruz |
| work and a French title for which Jim was then | | | | Copyright © 1999-2005 Tenniscruz.com(R). |
| ready! | | | | All rights reserved. |
| Going back to, "how does poor development | | | | |