Hey, Federerer, er-er, adapt or die!

[GeoffWilliams]

Anacone gone is #1. 98 sq. in frame is #2. Use a new method of stringing is #3: Increase tension from 48/46 to 59/61. Use the proportional method, with one twist: increase the tension of the 4th and 5th cross down from the bottom a few lbs, and then drop the last three crosses down from the middle tension, and drop the top three crosses down as well. Come to the net more often. Stop lifting your hitting foot on the bh side as you strike the ball, it degrounds you and causes too many short balls of bh side. Use a depolarized lead tape set up, with total mass of frame: 365g, an ra of 65, and use an 18 x 20 pattern. That will suit your game, gut mains, alu crosses.

You have also gained some weight. Probably losing testosterone. Get that checked out by a doc! Lost too much speed and desire. Oh well, it happens to everyone, except maybe Nadal! He will be gobbling test. like Lance Armstrong! I was saying that Lance was cheating way back, and I'm imo, saying the same about the butt pick kid. Check out the spanish doctor who was prescribing peds for soccer players, with Nadal on the patient list. Records were sealed by the Spanish govt.

[arturohernandez]

Interesting post. I noticed that about Fed's backhand. He seems to lift a lot and hit across the ball more than others. Wawrinka seems to come up through the ball more and hit a more consistent backhand. Fed's backhand was absolutely stellar in his prime. But it is built around his athleticism and breaks down due to so much whip and lift. John has sung its praise but I really wonder if a simpler backhand would get him further at this point than his complex one.

[tennisplayer]

What would Federer gain by using a larger racquet? Power? Spin? Cleaner shots (less mishits)? Just curious.

[GeoffWilliams]

Bigger sweet spot, allowing a tighter tension, and fewer errors going long. Anyone seeing that is why Jedi Fed is no longer winning big matches? He's going long on his fh too often under pressure, and he has a spare tire growing around his belly now! Adapt or die Fed. 2 1/2 years to go until the Olympics. He's not going to make it with a 90 sq. in. frame strung at 48.6/46.5lbs! And gaining ten pounds. After I gained 50lbs, I couldn't win either!

So why add sq. in. if you are just going to increase the string tension? Because you increase the size of the sweet spot doing so, esp. if using proportional method!

Which is basically lowering the tension of the shorter strins, top, sides, to increase the size of the pocket where you are hitting the ball: at the 3-8 cross string down from the top. I've also found that if you raise the tension of the 4th-5th cross up from the bottom, higher than the lower and the higher crosses, the tension won't drop as fast as normal, and the pocketed feel is increased.

[GeoffWilliams]

All those fh errors. 12 winners, 32 errors. I guess Fed is not listening to me. Why not play with a 65 sq. in frame? The result would be the same. HOw many ue fh can he miss anyway before he realizes his tension is too low and his frame is too small. May have been fine when the body was younger and the comp. was not as good, but those days are over now. Stick to the same equipment and he will have the same results. Needs to have his testosterone level checked at this point.

[GeoffWilliams]

I first put this thread up 11/04/2013. I guess Fed must have heard me: get rid of annacone, use a 98 sq. in. head, ra of 65, strung at 59/61 with vs/alu, at 365g! Took him awhile to get use to it. At least he's got the guts to make the change, which Annacone argued against for so many years. How's unemployed life going, Paulie?

[GeoffWilliams]

On a side note, Raonic, will never advance if he does not raise his string tension from 42/44lbs. He aslo uses m2 pro. Not the best set up for his style or his future at all. With that set up, with the original k blade, paint jobbed, he will not be consistent in longer rallies ever. Hey, Raonic, adapt or die!

[GeoffWilliams]

Oh well, the tactical errors on Fed's part continue. Why in hell approach, cross court, to Nadal's fh, off your own bh, with topspin? Crazy. Inside out, dtl to Nadal's bh, with side spin/hard slice every time. What the hell is Edberg teaching Fed anyway?

[DougEng]

Oh well, the tactical errors on Fed's part continue. Why in hell approach, cross court, to Nadal's fh, off your own bh, with topspin? Crazy. Inside out, dtl to Nadal's bh, with side spin/hard slice every time. What the hell is Edberg teaching Fed anyway?

Agree. Federer never played great tactics and never had the discipline. Instead he relied on talent and pure skills. He's not a worker like a Ferrer or Robredo.
He should learn from Stanimal. The new racquet allows a heavier ball and now Federer can angle Nadal off the backhand better. So he needs to attack the backhand like Wawrinka and go with his forehand against Nadal's backhand and come in. He's too used to the inside-out forehand to Nadal's forehand which is no advantage.

[GeoffWilliams]

Fed has to cut down the unforced fh errors and string tighter. I'd use L-tec as mains, and gut as crosses with his frame, and string it at 59/61. Hey, Fed, try that combination just once. (LIke he's listening to us at all! Ha, ha. He once answered a question I asked him about what type of artwork he owns.)

[worldsbesttenniscoach]

Good observations, Geoff. If I ever have a world class player, I should bring him or her to you, for racket & string details, & for at least listening to your observations about stroke mechanics.

Federer has a weaker backhand grip than does Wawrinka. (With that weak grip, no wonder Fed has difficulty with Nadal's high shots.) Fed's first reaction on his topspin backhand wing is to get the racket back behind his body quickly, with air between body and racket. One time I saw Roger almost whiff a low short ball to his topspin backhand, because Roger's topspin backhand often pulls him back to the back fence rather than allow him to flow forward into the ball.

On the topspin backhand, Wawrinka prepares his more compactly, so the tracks the ball better. His backhand is set more forward than Fed's is, so Stan can get more power than Fed can. Stan's topspin backhand is not perfect, but it's often impressive.

About Nadal & doping: I have had a hunch that Rafa uses that stuff. Maybe we will find out in the future. The ATP needs to do a better job testing, somehow.