Italian Tennis on the Rise

[jimlosaltos]

2,000 Italian coaches gathered today at a symposium in Torino (aka Turin) held by the Federazione Italiana Tennis.

With Matteo Berrettini, Jannik Sinner, Lorenzo Musetti, Sonetto, Fognini ... men's pro tennis is on the upswing in Italy.

What's their secret ingredient?

Photo by Craig O'Shannessy
https://twitter.com/BrainGameTennis/...38668741726209

filedata/fetch?id=96040&d=1638120788&type=thumb

[arturohernandez]

2,000 Italian coaches gathered today at a symposium in Torino (aka Turin) held by the Federazione Italiana Tennis.

With Matteo Berrettini, Jannik Sinner, Lorenzo Musetti, Sonetto, Fognini ... men's pro tennis is on the upswing in Italy.

What's their secret ingredient?

Photo by Craig O'Shannessy
https://twitter.com/BrainGameTennis/...38668741726209

filedata/fetch?id=96040&d=1638120788&type=thumb

Michelangelo Dell’edera the head of Italian tennis is willing to bring in whomever they need to from around the world to drive their training. Donato Campognoli is the head of technical development.

Dell’edera notes five revolutions in tennis according to O'Shaughnessy:

From his own blog

https://www.braingametennis.com/the-...s-renaissance/

Revolution 1 = Bjorn Borg.

He said that nobody had played our game with so much spin as Borg did. He also talked about how Borg showed no negative emotions on the court. Borg certainly took these two elements of his game to a whole new level.

Revolution 2 = Ivan Lendl

The focus here was hard work. Lendl was not the most gifted with natural talent but nobody worked harder on their game to improve it than Lendl did. He was the poster child for reaching the pinnacle of our game through hard work and determination.

Revolution 3 = Nick Bollettieri

Nick changed the practice court. He was the first person to create a true “academy” where players came to live and train with each other. Nick was also the ultimate motivator.

Revolution 4 = Equipment

Wooden rackets are gone. White balls are gone. The equipment has drastically changed over the last few decades. Space-age materials have found their into tennis rackets. The ball explodes off the racket with massive spin thanks to new string technology.

Revolution 5 = The Person Standing Next To Me

Revolution 5 is O'Shaugnessy and his use of metrics. Dell’edera instructed all coaches to listen to him and use his methods to train juniors.

[jimlosaltos]

Thanks for sharing, arturohernandez.

Part of what intrigues me is how different all those players are. If this was mainly about technique, you'd see more commonality.

There's no cookie-cutter formula like one used to see with Bollettieri/ IMG.

Berrettini's backhand is nothing like SInner's, which is nothing like Musetti's, which is nothing like Fogs'. Nor their tactics.

Background are also quite different. Sinners from the German-speaking North, grew up skiing, his parents were restaurant workers, and he went to the Piatti academy.

Berrettini from a tennis family in Rome. Musetti son of a marble worker and secretary in Tuscany, idolized Federer. Had the same individual coach since he was 7 yo.

[arturohernandez]

Thanks for sharing, arturohernandez.

Part of what intrigues me is how different all those players are. If this was mainly about technique, you'd see more commonality.

There's no cookie-cutter formula like one used to see with Bollettieri/ IMG.

Berrettini's backhand is nothing like SInner's, which is nothing like Musetti's, which is nothing like Fogs'. Nor their tactics.

Background are also quite different. Sinners from the German-speaking North, grew up skiing, his parents were restaurant workers, and he went to the Piatti academy.

Berrettini from a tennis family in Rome. Musetti son of a marble worker and secretary in Tuscany, idolized Federer. Had the same individual coach since he was 7 yo.

Yes, I noticed this more "organic" approach to tennis development in the Basque country where my daughter spent the summer. Most of the coaches grew up in the Spanish system. They use a lot of exercises to coax the player to develop certain principles in playing. But there is much less focus on specific rigid techniques.

It is very different than a more "mechanized, industrial" view. To me it is the division between continental Europe which allows for more leeway and less regimented approach and Anglo Europe which extends to the US. Bollettieri is more industrial in his approach. There is a reason continental Europe produces such good players. Of course, the law of numbers helps. But to me there is a philosophy about training that is really different. It is more based on feeling and letting the player figure out how to play in an individualized manner. In the US, everything boils down to some formula.

Everyone wants THE WAY to do things. It's the reason that no one except my kids hits a 1HBH. I have seen maybe one or two other boys that hit with one hand in the last 11 years of high school tennis. No girls that I have seen in a junior tournament here in the Houston area in the last ten years hits with one hand. 0.

You might have run across this or even use it yourself. But, just in case, here is a link to really nice interview. My guess is that the Italians have a similar philosophy.

https://www.tennisplayer.net/members/famouscoach/chris_lewit/interviews_with_luis_bruguera/find_a_way/

Here is Chris on Spanish vs. Israeli training by coaches with very different approaches.

https://www.tennisplayer.net/members/high_performance/chris_lewit/two_coaches_two_styles/

The Italians are on to something. Develop the player to the best of his ability. There is no standard that applies to everyone.

Maybe the other "real" coaches can chime in. I have only worked with my three kids.

It's not a large group so it is probably more complicated than a continental organic approach vs. a mechanized anglo approach.

[jimlosaltos]

arturohernandez, thanks for the TPN links -- as well as the background.

P.S. One-handers need to stick together! Here's hoping Musetti does well.

[stotty]

Michelangelo Dell’edera the head of Italian tennis is willing to bring in whomever they need to from around the world to drive their training. Donato Campognoli is the head of technical development.

Dell’edera notes five revolutions in tennis according to O'Shaughnessy:

From his own blog

https://www.braingametennis.com/the-...s-renaissance/

Revolution 1 = Bjorn Borg.

He said that nobody had played our game with so much spin as Borg did. He also talked about how Borg showed no negative emotions on the court. Borg certainly took these two elements of his game to a whole new level.

Revolution 2 = Ivan Lendl

The focus here was hard work. Lendl was not the most gifted with natural talent but nobody worked harder on their game to improve it than Lendl did. He was the poster child for reaching the pinnacle of our game through hard work and determination.

Revolution 3 = Nick Bollettieri

Nick changed the practice court. He was the first person to create a true “academy” where players came to live and train with each other. Nick was also the ultimate motivator.

Revolution 4 = Equipment

Wooden rackets are gone. White balls are gone. The equipment has drastically changed over the last few decades. Space-age materials have found their into tennis rackets. The ball explodes off the racket with massive spin thanks to new string technology.

Revolution 5 = The Person Standing Next To Me

Revolution 5 is O'Shaugnessy and his use of metrics. Dell’edera instructed all coaches to listen to him and use his methods to train juniors.

Revolution 5 is a great piece of self promotion!

I agree Borg and Lendl were the forerunners to the modern game.

[stotty]

Thanks for sharing, arturohernandez.

Part of what intrigues me is how different all those players are. If this was mainly about technique, you'd see more commonality.

There's no cookie-cutter formula like one used to see with Bollettieri/ IMG.

Berrettini's backhand is nothing like SInner's, which is nothing like Musetti's, which is nothing like Fogs'. Nor their tactics.

Background are also quite different. Sinners from the German-speaking North, grew up skiing, his parents were restaurant workers, and he went to the Piatti academy.

Berrettini from a tennis family in Rome. Musetti son of a marble worker and secretary in Tuscany, idolized Federer. Had the same individual coach since he was 7 yo.

A lot of coaches have stopped chasing the holy grail of perfect technique...whatever that is. Deciphering between 'style' and 'technique' (not always easy) and what is effective seems to be taking more precedence. Rafa's forehand is nowhere near as nice like to look at as Roger's forehand but it's every bit as good if not more so. Of course both forehands share the same essential technical characteristics, which BG once walked us all through in a video somewhere.

As for the recent crop of Italian tennis players, they are doing really well. I tend to measure all Italian players by Adriano Panatta, a stylish player if ever there was one.

[arturohernandez]

Revolution 5 is a great piece of self promotion!

I agree Borg and Lendl were the forerunners to the modern game.

I wonder what Lansdorp would say about revolution 5. According to O'Shaughnessy it was the head of Italian tennis who said it.

I bought a few of O'Shaughnessy's courses. They are interesting as a starting point. But the analytics they use can only take a player so far. At some point each player has to find his or her own path.

That is where the old school coaches would scoff at analytics. Sure, they can help you incrementally. But in the end it is about a player hitting a ball and finding a way.

Much like Bruguera suggests.

If there was a formula, Medvedev would never have made it as high as he did with his groundstrokes.

[arturohernandez]

A lot of coaches have stopped chasing the holy grail of perfect technique...whatever that is. Deciphering between 'style' and 'technique' (not always easy) and what is effective seems to be taking more precedence. Rafa's forehand is nowhere near as nice like to look at as Roger's forehand but it's every bit as good if not more so. Of course both forehands share the same essential technical characteristics, which BG once walked us all through in a video somewhere.

As for the recent crop of Italian tennis players, they are doing really well. I tend to measure all Italian players by Adriano Panatta, a stylish player if ever there was one.

Rafa vs. Fed's forehand is so interesting. Uncle Toni kept trying to change Rafa's forehand. It never worked. Rafa is Rafa. Fed is Fed.

I would gladly take either forehand if I could. But when I hit a Rafa like forehand there is something primordial about the spin and acceleration of the racket.

It is not easy on the arm but boy is it satisfying.

Fed's is a lot smoother and easier on the body. But for me I cannot generate the same spin or acceleration.

Maybe others can chime in if they have tried a heavy reverse vs. the traditional finish across the body.

[doctorhl]

Rafa vs. Fed's forehand is so interesting. Uncle Toni kept trying to change Rafa's forehand. It never worked. Rafa is Rafa. Fed is Fed.

I would gladly take either forehand if I could. But when I hit a Rafa like forehand there is something primordial about the spin and acceleration of the racket.

It is not easy on the arm but boy is it satisfying.

Fed's is a lot smoother and easier on the body. But for me I cannot generate the same spin or acceleration.

Maybe others can chime in if they have tried a heavy reverse vs. the traditional finish across the body.

My first thought is that the Federer fh is some what leg driven and the Rafa fh is arm driven. I wonder if an upper body child instinctively would gravitate toward a Rafa style and a lower driven child would instinctively gravitate toward a Fed style? Footwork versus eye-hand coordination. One obviously needs both, but youngsters seem to initially gravitate to different foundational strengths. If true, then instructional intervention must tread lightly. As Stotty indicated, a coach can get caught in the style versus technique matrix.