THE SECRETS OF SPANISH TENNIS

Coaches, Tournament Structure & Players ; vital to success of Spanish tennis Competitive Club System / Strong Coach Education are also vital Role Models & Mentoring Intensity & Hardwork (both coaches & players) Why are clay courts good for players? 1) The inherent instability of the clay surface help players develop develop better dynamic balance, stability on the run and general lower body and foot coordination.On clay, the players learn to move and hit their shots on balance even when they are under pressure and this helps them a lot. 2) Clay promotes slow play, and by slowing down the ball speed, it becomes very difficult to hit clean winners when the kids are young. Young players learn to win with consistency and patience, rather than by trying to go for outright winners. 3) Because the points are longer, players learn tactics better – they learn how to construct points rather than just hit winners. Players learn how to position their opponent, hurt them, move them around, and use the geometry of the court – they learn the chess game of tennis. 4) Clay is less stressful on the joints of the lower body & back, allowing players to train longer with less pain and fewer chronic injuries. 5) The slow ball speed on clay can assist in the development of proper technique in young developing players. The extra time produces a lot of long rallies for good quality stroke production. 6) The slow and heavy conditions on the clay force the player to develop maximum kinetic chain and racquet speed development in order to successfully compete. Players learn by necessity to develop a strong acceleration. 1)) Footwork, Movement & Balance “Without balance, a player cannot be consistent and will lose confidence…..” Luis Bruguera Things to look out for when a player moves: Balance – Need to move fluidly with dynamic balance and good posture Control Center of Gravity (COG) Look out for imbalances when the player is on the move, during the shot, and on the recovery Contact point has to be at the right height. The distance from the body of the contact point should be such that the arm’s efficiently extend so that there is no crowding and the arm do not get too closed to the body There is a critical connection between the contact point, balance and the footwork. Positioning – It means getting to the ball and getting the feet in a good stance, the proper distance from the ball so as to allow for a balanced body during the swing. Position can also mean court position. Reading – Reading is using the eyes to see the tactical situation unfolding on the other side of the net and observing the flight of the incoming ball. Quickness and stamina of Movement Stamina of Movement – the ability to make movements over and over again with precision. Anticipation & Reaction They both contribute to overall quickness 2) Building the Heavy Ball: Racquet Speed development 3)Patience & Consistency “To be solid, to make no mistakes on the court, this quells anxiety and brings confidence.” Lluis Bruguera “The game of tennis, at its essence, is still a game of errors.” William Pato Alvarez The slow clay reinforces the virtue of patience, control, and consistency. High shot tolerance – never missing and ability to hit more balls over the other side of the court. The coach preach consistency but always with big acceleration. The coaches preaches the doctrine of no mistakes, but aggressive ball control, using heavy groundstrokes to pin the opponent to the baseline and move them around the court to make them run and tire out. 4) Control, Consistency and Concentration The long rhythmic drills develops the attributes needed to be steady, focused and patient, all qualities that elite baseline players should have – not just clay court players. Creating strong mentalities A player with solid, consistent groundstrokes and a high shot tolerance will have a chance to persevere and win, 5) Defense “Defense is fundamental to tennis, because most shots in tennis are playable.” Pato Alvarez Spanish players are masters of defensive tennis. From young, they are taught patience, consistency & concentration. Clay courts allows players to neutralize big shots, grind, defend and recover from disadvantageous position. In Spain, players are taught not to force the court position regardless of the type of balls hit. Rather, players must move fluidly and adjust court position always in response to their reading of the depth, pace and spin of the incoming shot. It is the constant reading and adjustment and movement from defense to neutral to offense or high vice versa that typifies the Spanish style of training. The red clay allows players to neutralize big shots, grind, defend, and recover from disadvantageous positions like no other playing surfaces, and thus growing up on clay, players can develop unparallel defensive capabilities. An aggressive defense is typified by heavy spin, depth & penetration, and this type of shots will allow the Spanish player not just to stay in the point, but many times the player will be able to escape from a disadvantageous position and obtain an advantageous court position from which to attack as the point progreesses. Learning to accelerate and hit out from defensive positions is stressed by coaches. Players must constantly look for opportunities to regain court position to go on the attack, even when they are in a defensive position and in trouble. The capacity to go from neutral to defense, to neutral and then to offense is a key characteristic of top spanish players. On Clay, the game of tennis becomes a chess match, with each player moving the other into advantageous of disadvantageous positions and ultimately look for the opportunity to win the point or force an error by attrition. Incorporate defensive training methods into every training curriculum. 6) Different Court Position Spanish players traditionally do not want to be caught”fighting the balls”. Fighting the ball means standing your ground and taking the ball early rather than moving back moving back to better position to receive the balls. 7) Physical Conditioning PreSeason Injury Prevention Racquet Speed & Power Development Stamina The conditioning and physical training work are the glue that holds the Spanish game together. Without great physical condition, the clay court game fails – error creeps into the game, player loses focus and patience, and they cannot finish a long tough match. 8) Suffering “In order for a player to play well, he or she needs to suffer.” Pato Alvarez Key psychological components of the Spanish methods: Discipline Suffering Perseverance Fighting Spirit Concentration Pain Tolerance Sportsmanship – respect for others, humility and teamwork