Robert Lansdorp

[kmoranon]

thank you for bringing back some old memories for me with the "Robert Lansdorp and the Champion's Mind" article form Peter Boda... I used to "Take"
from Robert as well and I remember just hating the guy.. I didn't appreciate what he did at the time,but as I got older,I know that Robert is the best at what he does... just think,if you get all of Robert's students,past and present all in one room,you'd have a lot of who's who in tennis.. thanks for the article and a big thank you to Robert Lansdorp from me and the rest of the tennis world for what you GAVE us...

[uspta4271615439]

I would be interested in hearing your recollections of being taught/trained by Lansdorp. I have always been very interested in his attitude and technique on Tennis instruction. If you were to write about it you would have a very interested reader.

Sadly there is little outside TennisPlayer.net that I can find available covering Lansdorp.

I would certainly enjoy it if TennisPlayer.net could have more articles by Lansdorp.

-Shaun

[johnyandell]

Should be more later this year. Actually going over to Robert's house today to work on a couple of things.

[uspta4271615439]

Should be more later this year. Actually going over to Robert's house today to work on a couple of things.

Wonderful. I look forward to more. Thank you.

[rondance]

Three (or four) finishes

I enjoyed the article and clips about the 3 finishes to the forehand. I use them all. I wonder why the most common finish was left out. This is your basic across the body and up over the opposite shoulder, usually with the hitting shoulder rotating around to the front (but not always needed) David Ferrer and many other pros use this almost exclusively. I consider it the basic swing, involving strength from the uppercut motion, power from the shift across, often an open stance, and more or less topspin depending on racquet angle and how high to low the swing is.
Del Potro is a great example of dropping his racquet low before exelerating up and across. Djokovic uses a quick and shorter motion and gets plenty of power. The other swings mentioned all have elements of this with variations in the contact zone. Am I missing something? I think this most basic swing, which can have more or less foreward swing- through is the foundation of most great forehands. Even Nadal swings this way for his flatter shots.

[johnyandell]

I can't speek for Robert, but I think that the finish in which you come straight out leads to the over the shoulder finish in practice when the stroke is relaxed and hit in a match in real time. The extended finish is to emphasize going through the ball and in fact if you look at Pete or Sharapova or Lindsey this is what they do.

As for Nadal, I don't see him use it. It's either around the shoulder or the reverse.

[rondance]

Stroking across is basic today

(Response to John) I've looked at slow motion video for 10 players, including Sharapova,
Agassi, Gonzalez, Nadal. In my view they are all (Nadal sometimes) using a swing in which forward movement of the racquet after contact is minimal compared to coming sharply across the ball and up over or around the shoulder. There is always a certain amount of hitting through, and this varies with spin and position, but I still feel that the basic swing of most players emphasizes the cross motion more than the through. If you are looking at stroking across the ball as a "through" motion, then we are on the same page. But, if through is like old-school swing, then the wrap around motion is not affecting the ball; it's just completing the motion as you mentioned. Hitting across seems basic and can have a flat trajectory with more forward swing through, or driving spin with the racquet more closed on contact, or more loop with increased low to high. I agree that Sampras and Davenport used a more straight through the ball swing, but even they use the cross hit as well, more so later in their careers. I find Davydenko and Agassi perfect examples of the swing that I'm talking about, the type of swing which you seem to show more than any other swing in the videos here. Sorry if we are actually talking about the same thing. It's just that I don't believe Robert Landsdorf was focusing on this basic swing (as I see it). Thanks.

[johnyandell]

I've watched Robert teach and again the out in front finish is just an exaggeration. I've seen film of Pete working with him as a kid and a pro finishing over the shoulder and also filmed Sharapova age 10 or so doing the same.

[rondance]

Out front windshield wiper

Thanks for your reply John. From all this I'm learning how I have used and can increasingly use the out front windshield wiper, with the racquet finishing low. As Robert described, this can be a very powerful shot, especially using a lot of leverage and torque. It also saves some energy (like a chip shot), and is easier to move forward with, than a swing with a high finish or over the shoulder finish.
So, there. I said my piece. I'm new to writing on this forum. Thanks for the practice.

[johnyandell]

keep posting when you have thoughts!