The Framework Split / Ready

[johnyandell]

Let's get your thoughts on Tim Mayotte's article "The Framework Split / Ready"

[klacr]

Posture. Movement. Split Step Dynamics. Critical for any tennis players foundation. Prior Planning Prevents Piss poor Performance.
Excellent stuff. How many more of these articles from Tim Mayotte? Keep them coming!

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[arturohernandez]

I agree. In some ways, this kind of answers my question about my daughters one handed backhand. If children always hit under ideal circumstances they will never develop into better players.

But these things take a long time to develop and don't always involve tennis.

Are kids too sedentary these days?

Arturo

[bottle]

I sounded like I might feel criticism in my heart, so I'll just say, "Great stuff!" I'm still trying to figure out forward body bend in the forehands of Pancho Gonzalez and Ellsworth Vines though.

[don_budge]

Posture. Movement. Split Step Dynamics. Critical for any tennis players foundation. Prior Planning Prevents Piss poor Performance.
Excellent stuff. How many more of these articles from Tim Mayotte? Keep them coming!

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

I agree. In some ways, this kind of answers my question about my daughters one handed backhand. If children always hit under ideal circumstances they will never develop into better players.

But these things take a long time to develop and don't always involve tennis.

Are kids too sedentary these days?

Arturo

Fantastic tsmayotte! Not only of and in of itself...the article that is. But within the whole context of tennisplayer.net...the forum...etc. I would like to and I will extrapolate on my thoughts with some of your comments. Because it is a great conversation piece.

I have always liked something about you...maybe it has something to do with your rejection of the dogma that has been preached in US tennis in recent years. Apparently you were not afraid to speak up about it either. But the great thing about this article beyond the article itself which provides a feast of food for thought is that we have you live...and in person to discuss this work with.

I'm not one for the Phd approach to tennis either although I can certainly do the math. But tennis is so much more than vectors and equations...although there is plenty of that to understand as well...if only intuitively. But how does one begin to understand all of this information? arturohernandez flirts with the answer. But it's curiosity. Something about the game creates a "tennis nut" in certain people. Bill Tilden says much the same thing. How to do it better...how can we make it more understandable.

It's a dance tsmayotte...in fact it's a Tango. Argentine Tango. It's improvised more than it is choreographed. It's not perfect...it's not nice, as my old Argentine dance teacher Amy told me. Al Pacino explained in "The Scent of a Woman"...once you get tangled up you just Tango on.

Great stuff...I have no qualms about saying so. I nominate you to replace the brain trust of Jose and Patrick. There could be a position in it for me...trust me. Are they still around? But we must discuss the game Tim. The sabotage and the subterfuge. The hijacking of the coaching. You are from the era that straddled the Classic era and the Post Classic Era (Fake Tennis). Looking forwards to not only future articles as klacr exclaims..."keep them coming!" But also looking forwards to posing a few philosophical questions to you about the great game and sport of tennis.

The great video accompaniment don't hurt either. Nice collaboration boys!

[mgriffin]

Superb!

[stotty]

Movement is a fascinating quality. I was on court one watching Djokovic's second round match versus Pavlavek. Djokovic's movement and balance are impeccable. I swear he's the most balanced player ever.

I think movement is also an innate quality for those who do it the best. I am not sure you can teach it...at least not easily. My favourite mover was Nastase. He was so natural and flowing and moved so well in all departments of the game. He glided like no one else I have ever seen since. I used to love his backhand smash. He could jump so high and hit it so hard the ball would plug in the back fence.

The split step height is an interesting one. It's become all the more critical as the game has got quicker. Players simply cannot afford to be losing fraction of a second, that's clear.

It's funny, I teach a talentless kid who is very limited. He's 12. He can only do one thing really well: move! He runs like a hare and sticks everything up high and down the middle. His temperament is great. Everyone takes him lightly because he looks nothing. Opponents quickly get a shock. If I had to choose one quality above all others, it would be good movement.

Borg was terrific mover. He had the racket slung fairly low when he moved around the court, but then he had one of those forehands where the racket dips downward as the shot initiates.

I have never worked out how Laver managed to move and play so well with the racket dangling down like he did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiSakiF4jzk

I never realised Monfils was so bent over like that! Amazing what you sometimes don't notice until someone tells you.

A movement coach over here used to say the head is the slave of the body. If you want to move quickly to a drop shot, lower the head and go....basically don't move like Michael Johnson.

Forehands have changed compared to the past and I think this s the core reason for the more raised ready position. But backhands have also changed. The racket tip is often more raised on the take back than in the past (Sergi Bruguera excepted).

Great article...I have more to say on it.

[tsmayotte]

Kyle, Thanks so much for the support. More coming!

[tsmayotte]

Arturo, thanks so much for the note. Martin Blackman is now in at the USTA with Patrick and Jose gone. He is smart and has reached out to Brian Boland to run things on the ground/court. I think Boland will bring in some good people to help him improve the bio mechanical awareness of the coaches.

[jerstand]

"Great players maintain great posture and if they lose it when forced by a strong shot, get it back it as soon as possible. When Wozniacki, for example, leans forward going to her forehand, this poor posture like McHale materially compromises rotational power and balance.

I feel this is a large part of the reason she has not won a Major. (For you fans of mental training keep in mind that poor technique/movement makes playing in the biggest moments even more nerve wracking.)"

Thanks for the article, great in depth analysis.

It got me thinking...At the tour level, men or women, you mention Monfils, Wozniacki as falling short on perfect posture. When you have an athlete/competitor like that, far along into their career etc, is their a solution as to how to get them to and maintain better posture (with a junior you might be able to make more of a difference)? And do you think it could potentially have an adverse effect on their athleticism or scrambling capability. For example, with Monfils in the crouching forward position, would he still be as explosive off the first step from a more upright position. Curious to hear your thoughts.

Thanks,

Jeremy Standiford USPTA
Miami, FL