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I spent much time this Wimbledon walking around the outside courts trying to assess where the future of the game is going. I decided to do this by paying close attention to the younger players, those in their early twenties. I made a point of casting aside any preconceived ideas picked up from other coaches and friends. I even cast aside Tennisplayer. Better to be a disciple of no one as being a disciple comes with the risk of being as blind as a bat.
The first thing I noticed was RPMs...or rather the lack of them. Despite much hype and discussion about poly strings and the increased use of spin in the game, I actually found many players were hitting quite flat.
Many players weren't using much spin at all. Many players are hitting their two-handed backhands with just a modicum of spin or even flat. Many players weren't hitting heavy topspin forehands either...moderate topspin was mostly applied. Sure, Nadal and a section players were using hefty amounts of RPMs but they certainly didn't represent the majority on the day.
One thing that really stood out is that younger players are taking bigger cuts at the ball than ever. Some of the bigger juniors could hit as hard as the men.
Coach dependency was very high on the day. Glances back to coaches and entourages happens all the time. Sign language between players and coaches is very common. The Slavic coaches seem to be coaching from the sidelines.
Another very noticeable thing is younger players rarely use serve and volley in doubles, and there were countless matches where all four players served and stayed back throughout the entire match. I found that amazing.
The standard of doubles was very low this year. It was amazing to see so many players serving and hitting ground shots so well yet have so little idea where to stand, how command the net, or how to execute good doubles play, period. I found the doubles matches hard to watch.
Younger players generally looked fine when volleying in practice but in matches showed a distinct lack of ability and confidence to deal with volleys below the height of the net. All were lost in this department. I could see them visibly panic when dealing with volleys other than put aways. The panic arises out of simply not knowing what to do...that's very visible too. But it's the low volley that's the problem. Not one player could play or deal with low volleys well, not one.
A couple of the older players did come to net at times. The problem these volleyers had was not so much dealing with spin as getting from A to B fast enough to be in a balanced position. The ball was being struck so consistently hard the volleyer simply couldn't make the ground up at times to be where he had to be. He often couldn't get close enough to the net, which is crucial. But the situation was also a catch 22. We are in an era where volleys need to be seriously penetrating and placed if they are to do their job. Instead volley skills are in decline and this is very evident. This is a big problem and it's hard to know how to resuscitate the skill. The foundation from which good volleyers are made is collapsing all around us.
So where is the game going? In my view it's going massive. The younger players are slamming the ball so hard it's scary. Many can't be consistent enough to make it work but soon or later a handful of players will come along that can. As far as I can envisage the ball is going to be moving in dead straight lines...muscled...the straightest route possible. I see the game going flatter, not more spinny. Trips to the net will be to purely to mop up...and shake hands.
Of course my observations are from Wimbledon. World-class tennis on hard courts may tell a different story, you tell me.
The first thing I noticed was RPMs...or rather the lack of them. Despite much hype and discussion about poly strings and the increased use of spin in the game, I actually found many players were hitting quite flat.
Many players weren't using much spin at all. Many players are hitting their two-handed backhands with just a modicum of spin or even flat. Many players weren't hitting heavy topspin forehands either...moderate topspin was mostly applied. Sure, Nadal and a section players were using hefty amounts of RPMs but they certainly didn't represent the majority on the day.
One thing that really stood out is that younger players are taking bigger cuts at the ball than ever. Some of the bigger juniors could hit as hard as the men.
Coach dependency was very high on the day. Glances back to coaches and entourages happens all the time. Sign language between players and coaches is very common. The Slavic coaches seem to be coaching from the sidelines.
Another very noticeable thing is younger players rarely use serve and volley in doubles, and there were countless matches where all four players served and stayed back throughout the entire match. I found that amazing.
The standard of doubles was very low this year. It was amazing to see so many players serving and hitting ground shots so well yet have so little idea where to stand, how command the net, or how to execute good doubles play, period. I found the doubles matches hard to watch.
Younger players generally looked fine when volleying in practice but in matches showed a distinct lack of ability and confidence to deal with volleys below the height of the net. All were lost in this department. I could see them visibly panic when dealing with volleys other than put aways. The panic arises out of simply not knowing what to do...that's very visible too. But it's the low volley that's the problem. Not one player could play or deal with low volleys well, not one.
A couple of the older players did come to net at times. The problem these volleyers had was not so much dealing with spin as getting from A to B fast enough to be in a balanced position. The ball was being struck so consistently hard the volleyer simply couldn't make the ground up at times to be where he had to be. He often couldn't get close enough to the net, which is crucial. But the situation was also a catch 22. We are in an era where volleys need to be seriously penetrating and placed if they are to do their job. Instead volley skills are in decline and this is very evident. This is a big problem and it's hard to know how to resuscitate the skill. The foundation from which good volleyers are made is collapsing all around us.
So where is the game going? In my view it's going massive. The younger players are slamming the ball so hard it's scary. Many can't be consistent enough to make it work but soon or later a handful of players will come along that can. As far as I can envisage the ball is going to be moving in dead straight lines...muscled...the straightest route possible. I see the game going flatter, not more spinny. Trips to the net will be to purely to mop up...and shake hands.
Of course my observations are from Wimbledon. World-class tennis on hard courts may tell a different story, you tell me.
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