Federer in Brisbane Final vs Hewitt

[tennis_chiro]

Just watched Fed win the third against Chardy. Saw most of the second set as well.

I saw some really good hopeful signs. Serving a little bigger with the larger frame. Getting over 130 with 1st and almost always over 120; carving the wide serve really well; consistent 2nd serve speed well above 100. Seems to be comfortable with the big head at the net. Looks like he is finding a little more he can create with the bigger head without giving up any penetration he had with the old racket. Still seems a little impatient, but the serve really kept him out of trouble. He seems to be able to go after the topspin backhand pretty well; doesn't yet seem to have the feel for his slice as well as he should; that shot comes off the bigger frame a little different and takes more time to get the feel of; accordingly, he will probably struggle a little with the backhand drop shot for a while.

I think he will find out he can do a little more and that is going to help him a lot. It is already helping him with the wide serve and maybe the serve in general. Didn't see him serve that well all last year. No sign of favoring the back.

What did you guys think?

don

[stotty]

No-brainer

I saw none of the match, but you've got to think a bigger racket is going to help, especially if he is planning to be more aggressive by coming to the net. Bigger rackets are so much easier to play with once you get used to the slight ballooning effect compared to a smaller racket. It's a no-brainer if he sticks with it...gives himself time to adapt.

[don_budge]

Three questions...Racquet, Coach and Fitness???

He seems to be able to go after the topspin backhand pretty well; doesn't yet seem to have the feel for his slice as well as he should; that shot comes off the bigger frame a little different and takes more time to get the feel of; accordingly, he will probably struggle a little with the backhand drop shot for a while.

Didn't see him serve that well all last year. No sign of favoring the back.

What did you guys think?

don

Instead of the three little dots...for a change we have three question marks. What about Roger Federer?

The Racquet...

There is no down side to the racquet change. Let's assume the racquet is approximately 10% larger than the old stick plus let's assume that the performance is better too than the older technology that he was stubbornly sticking to for the past five years instead of capitalizing on what was available to him. Let's subtract 10% of his age from his real age...the racquet has given him a three year advantage. Loosely figuring...I know. But just for the sake of argument.

The size that Roger has given away in the racquet department has cost him dearly and he will soon come to realize that he was foolish if not heroic in sticking to his old "Excalibur". The racquet fiasco in tennis is largely to blame for the current state of affairs in professional tennis. Standardization should be at the top of the agenda for the ITF but you can be rest assured it is not. Sleazy outfit that they are...allowing for the massive change in equipment back in the 1970's and their lack of regard for drug abuse to this very day. Roger has been racking up some unnecessary mileage these past years by being not using equipment of equal capabilities. Not very intelligent but one has to wonder...what was he basing his judgement on?

Assuming that Wilson has constructed a racquet that he finds suitable to his taste and feel this automatically changes the playing field for "The Man" and hopefully it is just in time for a stretch run to the finish of his competitive career. Sadly...it may be too late. While every facet of his game automatically becomes at least 10% better physically it is the mental and tactical effects that will largely remain to be variables until he becomes more accustomed to the change in dimensions. Another dimension it is at 98 square from 90 square. In the hands of a man as talented as Roger Federer...it could be as much as night and day. His only limitations will be another important variable...his age and his mileage.

Of course his service is going to be better. He should find himself with more spin and speed available. Plus placement. If he were to combine the physical attributes with more tactical acumen and psychologically more confidence he comes out a big winner every time. Holding service becomes a somewhat more easier and simplified task. This is of course a huge change at the level of play that he is playing at. Particularly against his biggest opponents. Score...1-0 Federer.

The rest of his game automatically gets a turbo charge as well. Starting with the forehand which is his biggest weapon but has been too prone to misfire recently. The mishits should diminish and he should find much needed variation in his ability to change the pace, spin and length on the ball as well. Not only that but I saw him hit some rather amazing sliced forehands this week in Brisbane so if his coaching has anything of merit to it they must realize that this can very well open up a door to the net...with a different approaching concept.

As for the backhand...both his drive and his underspin should gain equally as much as the forehand if not more. If he realizes how much better and how more effective his slice backhand is potentially with the change in equipment...this opens up some more doors for him tactically from both the backcourt and the approach game. Against Fafa Nadal he needs to understand that the game must be won by exploiting the backhand of Nadal...which doesn't always mean hitting to the backhand. But some combination of hitting effectively to the backhand while being able to open up that wing by going at the Nadal forehand aggressively ala Djokovic. There is a whole plethora of options to explore tactically against Nadal that I haven't seen so far from our Swiss Maesto. Hopefully the change in equipment will inspire him to another level tactically.

The net game is a no brainer. But the key is getting there. A bigger area from which to volley automatically makes him a better volleyer. If he is intelligent enough to examine and reevaluate his rusty and antiquated volley technique there is some additional potential benefits there as well for him. But it is the approach game that is so compelling with a "new and improved" Roger Federer. All of these years I have watched him approach the net with topspin and I am hoping beyond hope that he realizes there is another world to be examined in the variety of the underspin approach. The thing about the underspin approach game which I have not seen in many years is the variety of length, spin and disguise. All kinds of new shots that give the opponent that moment of indecision that makes the passing shot that was once invincible...volley-able.

The Coaching...

I am rather unimpressed with his choice of Stefan Edberg. I am not so certain that the recent hiring of "legend" coaches is one of merits or one of celebrity. It seems to me that the choices are to increase the marketability of the players and the game. More con game. If I was a Roger Federer I would be looking no further than John McEnroe as he is the most astute tennis mind in the booth at this juncture in time. Certainly Lendl, Edberg or Becker are no match for Johnny Boy. Interesting when you compare McEnroe with the other three as players as well...he may have been the least physically talented or physically imposing but cerebrally it is another question altogether. There has been no player in the past fifty years who was sharper tactically than John McEnroe. You have to go back to the old Australian clan coached by none other than Harry Hopman plus you could add the shamanic Richard Gonzales to that elite group of tactical magicians or tactical engineers.

His coaching pick is a non factor...as I see it. Tennis coaches tend to be a special breed. Edberg is hardly an inspirational icon. More like a sleepy bear. Get him an expresso...said McEnroe to Jiminy Glick. I like hockeyscout's euphemism for corner guys in boxing matches. Instead of a celebrity...I would choose the old, trusty and crusty corner man every time. If I would have made the big show I would have taken my dear old coach with me over anyone in the world. But that being said...the sponsors will love to see the television cameras focused on the legendary celebrities in the players boxes along with the bevy of beauties. More Big Time Wrestling marketing in a sport that once was void of such nonsense.

The Fitness...

Nobody ever questions the fitness of Roger Federer beyond pointing out the obvious fact that he too is a victim of age. He takes care of himself by leaving nothing to the imagination and he plays the game that way it should be played. There is very little friction in this tennis machine...he is well oiled. Every stroke and every shot that he possesses is fluid and perfect to the eye. His fitness is only a question of miles...and perhaps the back. But I believe that he has had ample amount of time and rest to rehabilitate that issue and he hopefully is as fit as a horse ready for the stretch run.

So in summary...the biggest factor is the racquet. I am not certain when I first stated that he needed to change his equipment. Perhaps it was around the time that I recommended that he change some of his tactics. Well...the two sort of go hand in hand, don't they? Afterall...the concept of the game is to pass the plane of the face of the racquet through the path of the ball. With a bigger surface to work with it should open up all kinds of doors...Aldous Huxley style. The Doors of Perception.

It all comes down to power. What is power...I ask all of my students? They all nod their heads in unison as they repeat the mantra...POWER IS CONTROL. Control the ball to control your opponent. The most effective power is a blend of the three elements of speed, spin and placement. Throw in a little disguise and deception in the approach game...voila! There you have it.

[bottle]

On coaching, one might shake loose fresh interest from other sports. Charley Lau Jr. observes that former baseball stars usually make lousy coaches. (Ted Williams would be an exception.) Intriguingly, Lau suggests that a little known person who has experienced a lot of failure himself might know more about success and how to help some promising player achieve it.

[klacr]

It's all mental.

The racquet, the fitness, the coaching.

Federer will adjust, enjoy and appreciate the new racquet. It's been long overdue.

Federer knows if he stays healthy, avoids the injury bug, he'll have a good year. Knowing you are 100% allows you go full throttle. When injured, you are always trying to compensate or hide a weakness and end up making things worse.

The coaching thing...Edberg was great as a player and pretty sure he still is. He's an even better person. But does he have the mentality and the mind to be a great coach. I have my doubts. But if Federer respects him and feels at peace with his decision to hire Edberg, than that is better than having the greatest coaching mind with the greatest coaching resume if Fed doesn't like him.

It's been mentioned in previous threads about technique and so I'll throw it out there again as it relates to new racquet and coach..."Emperor's new clothes" anyone?

If Fed thinks these changes will help, they will help.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

The racket, Edberg...and McEnroe

It seems we are all agreed about the racket...so no quarrel here.

The Edberg thing is a strange one. It's hard to know what he can bring to the table. If there are two former greats I could never imagine as coaches it would be Edberg and Borg. I am hoping Borg won't succumb. Those Swedes are a little dull and lacking in vitality. You cannot imagine they could provide motivational speeches.

If there is one thing I can think of that Edberg could bring to the table it would be how to approach the net better on grass. Federer could definitely hit better spots and place his volleys better. He could read things better at the net too; though it may be too late to address that as it requires vast experience of approaching the net. Federer's low forehand volley is poor. His entire low volley game is suspect when I think about it. He never REALLY gets down enough and relies on his hands to do too much work. Edberg by contrast was expert in this these areas. A low volley to him posed no real difficulty. He hit all the right spots instinctively. Whether he can convey these things to Federer will be interesting to see.

don_budge has a good point about McEnroe. I've said the same myself. Watch any of those old McEnroe videos and look for tactical mistakes or wrong shot selection...you'll find virtually none. He always played the right shot at the right time. That's how good Mac was. He remains unsurpassed in that department in my living memory. Federer could do with some of that.

[klacr]

don_budge has a good point about McEnroe. I've said the same myself. Watch any of those old McEnroe videos and look for tactical mistakes or wrong shot selection...you'll find virtually none. He always played the right shot at the right time. That's how good Mac was. He remains unsurpassed in that department in my living memory. Federer could do with some of that.

Bingo! There's the correct answer. Have any players even approached McEnroe on coaching possibilities. If Johnny Mac does gets picked up by a player and starts coaching, I'd recommend buying that player's stock ASAP.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[GeoffWilliams]

Must have been all those horse steroids.

[dimitrios]

Sorry guys, I simply am not sold on Johnny Mac. (I'm not so sure Rog is hungering for the verbal barrage from Mac that we get so much of on tv.) And frankly that matters at least as much as the tactical approach of the coach. Federer needs a coach whose tactical sensibilities and whose personality he respects. In Edberg, I think, he has that.

As for the larger racket and how it's impacting his game, his backhand today seemed vastly more solid and dangerous. Stronger, especially when it came to absorbing Chardy's pace. The same could also be said on the forehand wing. More generally, what I saw is that the larger racket allowed him to more effectively absorb pace and to hit cleanly, confidently and authoritatively from more defensive predicaments. How this will look, of course, against Novak or Rafa will tell us a lot about the year he's going to have.

[dimitrios]

If there is one thing I can think of that Edberg could bring to the table it would be how to approach the net better on grass. Federer could definitely hit better spots and place his volleys better. He could read things better at the net too; though it may be too late to address that as it requires vast experience of approaching the net. Federer's low forehand volley is poor. His entire low volley game is suspect when I think about it. He never REALLY gets down enough and relies on his hands to do too much work. Edberg by contrast was expert in this these areas. A low volley to him posed no real difficulty. He hit all the right spots instinctively. Whether he can convey these things to Federer will be interesting to see.

I don't see how Fed can't become more effective at the net. Djokovic in the second half of last year dramatically improved his net game. Djokovic! So, I trust that Fed -- who has vast experience playing the net, even if for much of his career he's moved tactically away from it -- can get much better there.

I agree about the low volleys of Fed. A problem indeed. But for all of his strengths as a net player he has for the last many years made too many painfully bad choices about how and when to come to the net. How many times I've winced as he hits his approaches to Novak or Rafa because I know the point is virtually over before they even hit their reply. Brutal.

In these ways I think Edberg has a lot to bring to Fed's game at present. (Trying to win matches by out-slugging Novak and Rafa, among others, hasn't been working.) It's certainly worth a shot.

[GeoffWilliams]

Blacked out 98 sq/ in frame, thicker beam, about a 65 ra, about 365g. What he should have switched to when Joker won with the same frame in aussie 2008. Not an h22, but similar.

[bottle]

Federer looked all screwed up.

[bottle]

The Mighty Moon

The mighty moon looked all screwed up.