Have a Question for Me?

[johnyandell]

None. Except in the case of Venus who hits almost a left-handed forehand. Think even Serena is stronger. Disatrous for a player like Roddick, who is bent/straight. That one needs a strong initial pull with the bottom hand in my opinion. So a stronger grip is better--but Andy can't and so starts the swing way to far from his body. Barely swings inside out on a lot of balls. Not to mention the slice transition issue...

[uspta4201423750]

grips

OK, but my 2 primary questions remain: is there a definitive resource on what grips pros actually use (i can't get a good enough view in the stroke galleries), and is there anything wrong with a semiwestern left hand if the right hand is eastern lefty forehand. I read an article on your site that siad the continental right hand helped tilt the raquet face down, but many look for a dominat left hand and why not let the left hand tilt the face just like the right hand on the forehand does? thanks, Harry

[johnyandell]

Harry no, not that I know of, other than a few thousand video clips of 20 players... And I agree it is hard to see. But when I have looked long enough and hard enough especially at the arm actions I have always been able to figure it out in close proximity. If you want to teach the semi-western fh grip maybe you are the trailblazer. In my opinion, that's just not the way the good men and good junior players are now doing it. There may be a reason for that or a player may come along and show they had it all wrong.

[uspta4201423750]

Cool! I like that! Trailblazer! Thanks, John!

[johnyandell]

Maybe or you could be making a mistake. Don't quote me to your pro please or anyone else as saying that I agree with you, as I already gave you my differing opinion. But it's a free tennis world.

[uspta990770809]

A little different reasoning

OK, but my 2 primary questions remain: is there a definitive resource on what grips pros actually use (i can't get a good enough view in the stroke galleries), and is there anything wrong with a semiwestern left hand if the right hand is eastern lefty forehand. I read an article on your site that siad the continental right hand helped tilt the raquet face down, but many look for a dominat left hand and why not let the left hand tilt the face just like the right hand on the forehand does? thanks, Harry

Harry,
I have a little different reason for wanting the left hand in an Eastern forehand grip (or close to it). I think there has to be some kind of a grip change of the right hand and there is not time to change the grip before taking the backswing or making the unit turn. So the right hand has to be off the grip while the left hand controls the racket. This has to happen fast. The right hand needs the left hand to hold the shaft in a position where the right hand can find its final position very quickly. For me, the simplest way to do this is for the left hand to hold the old shake hands, Eastern forehand grip. The palm of the left hand vertical is a position anyone can find very quickly. If this makes the racket face vertical, then the right hand can easily find the correct position on the grip (for me the simplest is the Eastern backhand grip for the bottom hand with the palm on top or horizontal. I try to teach turn the right hand around the racket as opposed to turning the racket in the hand (with the left hand rotating the shaft). This goes for one and two handed strokes. And when the grip change is completed, I want the shaft of the racket to be parallel to the shoulders, whether they have completed their turn or not. Then it is easy to drop the racket back and down to a loaded position and fire. There is no real "hitch" that makes the player late on a deep ball. I advocate a backswing where the face of the racket goes past the eyes so you still have a gravity drop, although there are a lot of successful 2hbhs that use the straight back and down backswing. I think, however, that is limiting, whether it is a one or two-handed backhand.

Hope that gives you a little different perspective,
don brosseau

[uspta1556240966]

Tennis Ireland conference

HI John

Quick note to thank you for your talk at the Irish coaches conference last week. It was by far the best event I have attended in a while (snow aside).

I'm sure your aware of it but I got a casio exilim (240 frames per second) camera from dublin airport. It does a great job and only cost 200 euro.

Thanks a lot john.

Steve Landpon

[johnyandell]

Thanks. To clarify for everyone, I had the pleasure on Thanksgiving Sunday to present for a day at the Tennis Ireland Coaches Assoc annual convention.

It was a great conference and yeah, that is a great camera! Have fun with it. You can really help people using that camera and the Tennisplayer footage!

[stotty]

Have you ever considering dedicating a page to drilling and training advanced junior players? I've watched top flight players warm up on the practice courts at Wimbledon but all they seem to do is knock-up.

How do top players train and get better? What drills do they do? What key drills should advanced juniors do?

The only top player I caught really drilling and striving to improve a part of his game was Connors. That was a hell of a sight. The work and focus was phenomenal. Connors training was one of the best sights I've seen in tennis.

Have you seen top players drilling and working on shots, John? Do they keep it basic or do are they doing something the rest of don't do?

[kakashi]

Wonderful question

This is wonderful question....

And not only that I am very curious how their stroke were taught in their early age...

I am very sure many of you have seen the video when pros were young...

I saw Clijsters 9 years old and boy her stroke is just like today

I talked about this stuff with top performance coach and he said it is depends on where you grow up and that is true.

However, my point is are there any statistic which teaching open stance in early age is beneficial or teaching wiper swing in early age is any benefit??

From my experience... it is easier for people to learn close stance and finish the racket up... however, soon they are going to have some problems.
for example, when they return the serve or hitting the high balls.

[johnyandell]

Stotty,

Good question and I am sure there is no one answer. The approach of Agassi who worked hard with great focus was like Connors. Pete when I saw him at the Open and elsewhere, it was always more just a warmup and a couple of breakers. That was also the way Mac did it. He had a famous comment after watching his brother Patrick drill hitting dozens and dozens of crossscourts: "when are you ever going to play a point that looks like that?"
He almost had a stroke when I made him do these kinds of drills when we were filming the Winning Edge.
Federer is a bit like Pete and Mac in the practices I have seen at Indian Wells--might be different in Dubai. Nadal is very intense more like Connors and Agassi. You get the point.
John Yandell

[stotty]

I suspected there was no magic formula; just hard work and fine tuning. Interesting Mac's comment on his brother. I'm very in favour of the Connors/Agassi style of practising. Lot of the kids I teach are just plain lazy and could with top players work so hard and intensely. Thanks, John

[kakashi]

interesting

Yes I do agree with you. Kids are very lazy and tennis require lots of hard work not to mention about physical part.

I tend to no push kids too much because it cause some kind of physical problem and it is not worth it. I don't want them to get heat attack.

I focus more on technique and if they want to play more matches then I let other students to play each other.

oh I have a question for you Stotty. how do you start teach your student?
with close stance and finish racket high? with spin or flat??
you have any system you go with??

thanks

[johnyandell]

kakashi,

it's obvious who you are. under a new name you can have a second chance. but watch your step or you will be out in 5 seconds.

john yandell

[kakashi]

Thank you

Hello thank you for second chance.

Last few month my way of teaching has changed very much.. This high coach really changed my mind set. Thank God.

Well, make story short... following high performance's method does work. And it is easy for people to learn and hit the tennis ball.

Anyhow, since I get the second chance and if you can i answer some of the questions I do appreciated

What steps did Sam Querry or John Isner take?
Did they attend Academy ? i know both went to University for short while and they turned to pros. my point is can players be successful in pro tour without going through very expensive academy thanks..