Djokovic was one-handed as a child...

[stotty]

Here is the great man himself walking us through his range of shots. A tennis lesson for all of us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJEim3pHmPs

Interestingly Djokovic started off with a one-handed backhand and not a two-hander. I'll let him tell you why.

What are posters thoughts on how Djokovic sees his serve and where the sources of power comes from? What are your thoughts on how he describes the use of his wrist?

[klacr]

Funny also how Djokovic's childhood idol was Sampras. A man who started with a two-hander and switched to a single hander. Cool stuff.

As for his tips on other strokes, it's been mentioned on here by many others about how pros don't really think too much about their own technique and when they are pressed to give advice, it's contradictory to what they actually do or what is found on high speed video. Just search for the infamous Justine Henin Clip from the "Tennis Channel" Academy show when she talks about what she 'does' on her backhand.

After hitting with Jarkko Nieminen, I asked him about his two handed backhand and how he was able to et so much power off of such a minimal swing. He said he squeezes his grip and just hits the ball as strong as he can. Not the most scientific or detailed answer . After an awkward pause, I changed subject to his serve and he told me he tosses the ball up as high as he can reach and hits down into the service box. Perhaps something was lost in translation but we both spoke English and he speaks it quite well. His English is way better than my Finnish.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[GeoffWilliams]

Many players of world class know nothing about form/style/equipment. They go on instinct and feel only and are proud of their ignorance.

[hockeyscout]

Many players of world class know nothing about form/style/equipment. They go on instinct and feel only and are proud of their ignorance.

I'd likely think they are unconscious learners. They see the sport differently. They've invented a few things in the process with work better than what coaches are teaching with their traditional methodology.

Here is a neat story. Gretzky. He wasn't playing hockey in the traditional sense, and he didn't see the ice like anyone. When he first turned pro they did peripheral vision tests. He was the worse on his team. They asked him, how did he see the ice so well? He didn't know. In his early career he could never score against the New York Islanders. One day he remarked, "God, their pants are the same color as ours. It confuses me. They are blue."

Turns out one of his secrets was he'd catch a glimpse of an opponents blue pants, and know where everyone was on the ice. As a kid his dad would place numbered pylons low on the ice, and he'd have to pass the puck to them whenever dad would call out the number.

Sports always comes down to setups done at a VERY young age. This is a prime example, Gretzky's learned in a non-traditional manner many things on his own, and no one had an answer for it as it was so unique.

The fact he also had a rink in his backyard, and could spend hour after hour innovating with no interference from adults. No one yapping about grips, form, stances, technical aspects or teaching him how to play the game.

In 1972 the Russian's came to Canada. They were better than us. Everyone was amazed at how athletic they were. The Russian's had studied Canadian hockey, and they were amazed at how ignorant we were about not using methodology from other sports. We thought hockey was a unique sport. It was a big mistake. The Russian's used gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, track and field and soccer techniques to develop the best technical hockey players in the world.

The skill sets, warmups and practiced did not look like hockey, it looked like a playground circus. They just did not know any better, they improvised, made it all up as they went, took over what they liked from other sports and broke every law known to man, and we're successful at it.

BTW, when Gretzky first saw the Russian when they came over to Canada he wasn't blown away like everyone else. He was 11, and through the Russian training was normal, and said he'd been doing the same stuff since he was three years old. And, Gretzky was the first player in Canada to have his own backyard rink. He'd spend hours out their with his father inventing new skill-set after new skill-set, and most of it was the same as the Russians.

[hockeyscout]

So, yes, Geoff, they are perceived to be ignorant.

However, they are not really that, they've just found a way to reach the athletic next that no one can possibly understands or comprehend.

And, yes, I imagine they'd take great joy in the fact they are unique, different and not cut from a traditional cookie cutter mold.

Tennis is their own little secret and sanctuary.

[GeoffWilliams]

When I spoke to Wilander, he said, "I don't know which string this is.", pointing to the frame he was using. "I have five racquets, all different, all strung with god knows what!" I found that hard to believe he would be so consistent. He did a shot on tennis channel, where he spoke about customizing his pallet grip, and the racquet with silicone and lead, so maybe he was just clowning with me as he knew I was an equipment expert.

[hockeyscout]

When I spoke to Wilander, he said, "I don't know which string this is.", pointing to the frame he was using. "I have five racquets, all different, all strung with god knows what!" I found that hard to believe he would be so consistent. He did a shot on tennis channel, where he spoke about customizing his pallet grip, and the racquet with silicone and lead, so maybe he was just clowning with me as he knew I was an equipment expert.

The interesting thing about the Sampras book I read is he had one guy for footwork, one for serve, one for groundstrokes, one for volley ... well you get the picture. His team did a good job of identifying the right people. I take it Pete Fisher arranged all of this until they split just before Sampras turned professional.

I imagine all of these players have found the right people, paid them very well and succeeded as a result (their information, intel and group talent was superior).