Interactive Forum: August 2008 Serve Recovery Footwork

[EricMatuszewski]

Some of you made the observation that it's easy to "overanalyze" things and maybe over consider their relevence. in particularly the importance of small forearm movements and their relevant contribution to winning a tennis match or "being a great player".

And I agree, I think it's easy to get caught up in the details and forget the big picture. So today were looking at a part of the game rarely talked about probably because it's more of a transition between strokes rather than an actual stroke or movement within a stroke (strokes seem to get more of the attention, although they may be less important than what you do between strokes).

We're looking this month at the transition between the serve, and the first groundstroke of Rafa Nadal. Has he optimized his ability to transition in to the first groundstroke? or is there something he could do better as a general rule?

Nadal Serve Recovery Footwork 1


Nadal Serve Recovery Footwork 2


Nadal Serve Recovery Footwork 3

[EricMatuszewski]

QuickTime Versions

Nadal Serve Recovery Footwork 1




Nadal Serve Recovery Footwork 2



Nadal Serve Recovery Footwork 3

[airforce1]

Is this about the left foot coming over and past the right foot with a jab step, to start the recovery back to the baseline?

[johnyandell]

I think it's about the overall pattern of recovery to the ready position, what the ready position looks like, when and where it is achieved, and also the various step patterns to start the stroke. Here we can see 3 distinct variations with Nadal.

Maybe Eric sees something he thinks can be better, and if so I'm sure he'll comment. I see some very strong, efficient step patterns including differences in where the split takes place.

[EricMatuszewski]

For starters, take a look @ where he lands on his split steps on these 3 serves.

The split step happens after he's stopped his bodyweight from taking him into the net with a "Jab" step after his landing foot touches down. (For Rafa the "jab" is with his left, because he's lefty, for the rest of us this happens with the right.)

Note: If you don't understand what a split step is please check out the footwork section of the site.


The most obvious outlier of the 3 examples is the 3rd. (His split lands well into the court, whereas the other 2 examples having him splitting to a position on or behind the baseline).

Might you make some assumptions about how effective of a return Nadal perceives these three examples to be?

Specifically, Is a split well into the court a sign that Rafa perceives (or expects) the return to be short?

[EricMatuszewski]

Basic pattern of post serve recovery

I think we should all be able to see a pretty clearly defined pattern of recovery here from the serve that prepares Nadal to hit his 1st groundie post serve. . .


landing (non-dominant foot), Jab step to stop toward net momentum (dominant foot)

and here is where I think the variation will happen. . .

Either a split immediately, as in the 3rd example.

Or quick and forcefull "backpedaling" steps to get near of behind where the player believes he will need to play the next ball from and then "split", putting him into a pattern of what a player does on a standard groundie.


Aside from all this analysis. . . I just get inspired to move when I watch this guy hustle w,his feet.

I think this is one of the most overlooked but important parts of the game. Certainly a major point of focus when dealing with taking teenagers (who's strokes are pretty solid) to the next level.


P.S. John, I got a 97% on my final practical (identification of 100 pinned things on multiple cadavers, only missed 2 pins out of 100 (other was a missed spelling I think). I missed the greater omentum (assumed it must've been the gastric artery, It did just look like a tube comming off the body of the stomach, not a whole curtain, and I missed the quadratus plantae. I couldn't remember the name. I think my other deduction was a spelling mistake on something. Anyway, It's good to have a few days off and enjoy life a little.

Next time you come over, were playing on those red clay courts.

[johnyandell]

Eric,

Great job on the analysis. I think the other interesting thing is the variety of first steps after the split.

By the way if you guys are wondering what Eric is talking about, he's in med school in the NY area and we finally got to meet and have some dinner in the first week of the Open. He was studying for a huge test and now we know the result.

He also told me about the 8 public red clay courts on the Upper East side. Didn't have much to do that night so went up there and looked at them in the dark. Awesome with a view out over the Hudson River. Made me want to move to the neighborhood.

John

[airforce1]

Nice article today on the Bloomberg Eric.

[EricMatuszewski]

Funny, all these Matuszewski's in tennis

Airforce, It's funny the only other people I've ever known w/ my last name are in Tennis in some way. . .

I'm not the guy who writes for Bloomberg. Never met him. . . maybe I should.

Here's a pic of who I actually am (on the left with my favorite coach Chuck Kriese who wrote "Winning Tennis" and another pic of me with Pat and Christian Harrison (I think they're pretty nice people).

and some other tennis people. . .

Good luck guys.

Cya.

[airforce1]

Airforce, It's funny the only other people I've ever known w/ my last name are in Tennis in some way. . .

I'm not the guy who writes for Bloomberg. Never met him. . . maybe I should.

Here's a pic of who I actually am (on the left with my favorite coach Chuck Kriese who wrote "Winning Tennis" and another pic of me with Pat and Christian Harrison (I think they're pretty nice people).

and some other tennis people. . .

Good luck guys.

Cya.

Great pics and what a coincidence.

Funny thing is that I didn't think the article sounded like you. If it had been, I was thinking that it was an amazing adjustment that you made for different audiences.

[uspta146749877]

the Nadal's serve recovery footwork again

For starters, take a look @ where he lands on his split steps on these 3 serves.

The split step happens after he's stopped his bodyweight from taking him into the net with a "Jab" step after his landing foot touches down. (For Rafa the "jab" is with his left, because he's lefty, for the rest of us this happens with the right.)

Note: If you don't understand what a split step is please check out the footwork section of the site.


The most obvious outlier of the 3 examples is the 3rd. (His split lands well into the court, whereas the other 2 examples having him splitting to a position on or behind the baseline

Might you make some assumptions about how effective of a return Nadal perceives these three examples to be?

Specifically, Is a split well into the court a sign that Rafa perceives (or expects) the return to be short?

Hi,
just to add:
at 5-5 the second set Nadal vs Murray yesterday
A Nadal recovery footwork when he served was NOT quick enough.
Murray won at least one point on a return of serve.
Maybe a wrong anticipation on the Nadal part -
landing too much inside?

[airforce1]

Hi,
just to add:
at 5-5 the second set Nadal vs Murray yesterday
A Nadal recovery footwork when he served was NOT quick enough.
Murray won at least one point on a return of serve.
Maybe a wrong anticipation on the Nadal part -
landing too much inside?

Don't u think Nadal just looked out of gas yesterday against Murray? I'm sure this led to tons of footwork errors like you cite. Usually when you watch Nadal, you are astounded by the sheer "footwork attack". Clearly not the case in this simi. I even saw several gets he made where he didn't even bother to turn and face the court after making the shot, much less taking a guess and trying to cover some court.