Interactive Forum: January 2009 Michael Chang High Speed Video: Footwork

[EricMatuszewski]

What happens when you take some of the quickest feet that have ever moved on a tennis court, and film them at an incredibly high frame rate?

You can actually do some analysis. . .


Michael Chang's been known as one of the best movers in tennis history. As the archetypical "counter-puncher" he built a history making career on just getting one more ball back.

Driving opponents crazy with a tenacious willingness to push beyond physical failure, Chang became the youngest grand slam champ @ 17 yrs old, winning the French Open in 1989 while disturbing Ivan Lendl so profoundly as to cause the normally iceberg cool "machine" to yell at the crowd and to even double fault match point.

While battling cramps in the 5th set, Chang pulled out every trick in the book, moon-balling, serving under-handed and even standing on the "T" to return serve. It was one of the most memorable matches in history.

So now that we can see some of what his feet were doing, do you think there was something technically unique about how he moved?

Or was is purely a fitness/genetic gift? Or, was his speed all just a result of how bad he wanted to win?


Michael Chang High Speed Video: Footwork

[EricMatuszewski]

Quicktime Versions

Quicktime Versions

[GMann]

The one thing I notice is that Chang has a very wide stance with a low center of gravity which is what Pat Dougherty talks a lot about and calls the "athletic stance."

Chang certainly dispels the notion that stride length is critical for quickness as he has very short legs.

I'm afraid that most of Chang's quickness comes from genetics but I hope I am wrong.

[johnyandell]

In addition to the great athletic stance, what I see is the incredible balance and the use of a very wide variety of steps, stances to maintain this balance and to move and set up. It's a David Bailey clinic in one clip.

In order we see:

front foot landing on serve
recovery step push back to ready position from serve
Split step with outside foot turning in direction of shot during split
neutral stance backhand with back foot kickback
forward recovery step
Reverse pivot step to initiate inside forehand
Spin move hitting inside forehand with left foot landing
Classic step out with right foot for forehand
Two long strides with coiling on second step for open stance forehand
left foot landing with crossover recovery step
pivot step to initiate backhand
outside leg coiling on open stance backhand
Small drop step or gravity step to change directions in air
another cross over recovery
larger drop step and extreme open stance backhand
Closed stance backhand
Swing around recovery step with left foot
And what Bailey calls a two foot pivot with both feet on the court open stance and rotating together through the shot

Did I miss anything? Quite a sequence for one point.

[normand_trempe]

great thread

This is just the kind of topic i was hoping for :-) As i am a small guy, i happen to think smaller players have to do more steps to hit certain kind of balls, (john said he didn't think so). And i have always wished someone would show something like this. I have always wondered also, if i may go off topic a bit, If being smaller doesnt require a different mind set before going into a match as a tall player does, because i would be tempted to think that smaller players have more running to do during a match, and so get tired quicker over a tournament period.(or is it just my personnal lack of fitness that's made me think that ?;-p)
I personnally enjoy Olivier Rochus and Arnaud Clement as well as Michael Chang if you are thinking about putting other clips in there. I will try and analyse the Chang clip when i get a bit of time. Do you guys have more videos like this ? thanks for the thread and i will be back Later!

[normand_trempe]

response and weight division in 1 to 1 combat sports

[QUOTE=EricMatuszewski;7520]

So now that we can see some of what his feet were doing, do you think there was something technically unique about how he moved?

Or was is purely a fitness/genetic gift? Or, was his speed all just a result of how bad he wanted to win?

Question 1. I don't think he invented any new steps i haven't seen from other players in this clip.

question 2 Is the question asked from a coach point of view ? asking if in time, someone with the will to do it could learn how to be fast ?
The normal answer to this question would be he was born with this gift and kept working at it. But then i don't know much about genetics and biology. I would like to think you can develop speed and become faster but i don't think it is possible to transform someone totally. I have read in a Rick Macci interview from tennis player, that people are born with it. BUT, there are some players on the pro tour that aren't really fast, like Davenport looks slow... The question is, are there any small players on the tour that have made it to a high level without being fast ? i would think not.
It makes me think of something else... the miracles of small players on the tour...miracle because they seem to be so few. In other combat sports 2 players have to be in the same weight division to compete, in tennis it is not the case and with the power of the game always growing i think it is a definite disavantage for smalle players.

A cool thing would be to compare how many steps rochus does in a match compared to an opponent. John are you up to this ? i wish i had the time to do it :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0aRu3nD_Ok

This is a cool clip from him playing Federer and coming close to beating him.

[normand_trempe]

teaching stuff to regular slow people with no fitness

In addition to the great athletic stance, what I see is the incredible balance and the use of a very wide variety of steps, stances to maintain this balance and to move and set up. It's a David Bailey clinic in one clip.

In order we see:

front foot landing on serve
recovery step push back to ready position from serve
Split step with outside foot turning in direction of shot during split
neutral stance backhand with back foot kickback
forward recovery step
Reverse pivot step to initiate inside forehand
Spin move hitting inside forehand with left foot landing
Classic step out with right foot for forehand
Two long strides with coiling on second step for open stance forehand
left foot landing with crossover recovery step
pivot step to initiate backhand
outside leg coiling on open stance backhand
Small drop step or gravity step to change directions in air
another cross over recovery
larger drop step and extreme open stance backhand
Closed stance backhand
Swing around recovery step with left foot
And what Bailey calls a two foot pivot with both feet on the court open stance and rotating together through the shot

Did I miss anything? Quite a sequence for one point.

Nice description :-) After watching this clip it makes me think of the fitness and strenght level needed to be able to keep this kind of balance throughout such a long point. I feel i would be dead playing that point, as Chang probably had 50 like that in his match. incredible. Also it brings to my mind another question for you guys. What should or should not be taught in terms of movement patterns, steps, hitting stances to regular folks who don't have any fitness ? Let's say you take a player level 2.0 to 3.5. Would it be ok to train mainly closed stances to them ? as they require less steps i would think. The opposite would be the Wegner method of teaching mostly open stance. What would you do ? Thanks!

[johnyandell]

Learning square stance I think facilitates full turns and hitting through the shot. But that really only works with less extreme grips for basic forehands.
Ultimately you want to hit with all stance, appropriate to the ball position and ball height.

[normand_trempe]

out of topic - grips related to stances

Learning square stance I think facilitates full turns and hitting through the shot. But that really only works with less extreme grips for basic forehands.
Ultimately you want to hit with all stance, appropriate to the ball position and ball height.

In response to your first phrase, i agree because i have always thought the square stance looked a bit odd when western grippers are doing it, it never looks as natural, powerful or comfortable. Maybe you have given me the answer i was looking for...because when i teach beginners i play with a continental grip on the fh and it is more natural for me to hit closed stance like that :-)

If we agree that learning the square stance facilitates full turns for mid western grippers, it seems to make sense to me that the open stance allows for better hitting through the shot with a full western grip. What do you think ?

In response to your second phrase, i totally agree. It's just that where i come from (canada) lessons are sooo expensive in the winter time (we play indoors) that people seldom take them, unless they have lots of money, or unless they are crazy passionate about it. So to regular folks who treat themselves to a special once a year lesson, or once a month, i have to prioritize what they will learn first. That is our big problem down here.

Thanks!