Playing Lefties

People joke with my parents all the time because my brother is a lefty. “I bet you put the fork in his left hand instead of his right!”

We laugh, we’re used to it. And they have good reason to laugh about true leftiness; it is a weapon in tennis, something that, because it is fairly rare, is something that defines you. Oftentimes, if you ask someone how to play someone like my brother, or anyone who is a lefty for that matter, the first thing that they’ll tell you is “he’s a lefty.”

So why the obsession with lefties? Like the ever elusive serve and volleyer and chip and charger, lefties aren’t a player that you see very often on the court. They take some time to get used to; after all, how many times have we trained hitting to the “open court” or “weaker side” which would only set up a lefty with a forehand shot? How often do you practice returning a serve that spins the opposite way compared to a right-handed serve?

These are the small tips that some players don’t think of right away when they are told they are playing a lefty. Typically this tip results with a nod of a head and admiration for the opponent’s elusive talent, but on the court the extent of some people’s knowledge of left-handed players is that their backhand is where the forehand “should be” and vice versa.

An additional tip is to watch out for a lefty serve. Like righties have a good wide serve advantage on the deuce side, lefties have a good wide serve on the ad side. This gives lefties two significant advantages; the serve slices wide to the backhand rather than the forehand, and ad side points are usually more “pressure points” like advantages. The good news is that even though righties rarely practice this serve, unless you happen to have a lefty partner, which in that case, lucky you, players can adjust to this serve by stepping into the return and cutting off the ball as you would do with any return of serve that doesn’t come straight at you. By cutting the ball off and aiming crosscourt, you don’t hazard a mishit going down the line nor do you get pulled off the court too much because, well, you cut the ball off by stepping in.

At the end of the day though, a lefty is also a tennis player, just like any right-handed player is. It takes some time to adjust, but lefty players are not much different—you still use the same tactics, and you are still playing an opponent like any other opponent you’ll face in tennis, and it won’t be an advantage to be a lefty if you don’t let it be.     

Interview with Alex Rybakov

So I have a brother, and he's pretty awesome. He's also a tennis player who is currently 16 and playing USTA and ITF tournaments (learn more about these tournaments by asking a coach). Sometimes it's good to hear it from a top player rather than from a coach, so here are some interview questions answered by Alex. Just an FYI on Russian last names; males finish with an "ov" and females with an "ova." So I'm still Rybakova and he's Rybakov. It freaks people out, I know.

Anyways, Alex just came off a big tournament win; he's first of many ITF tournament wins, a grade four. He's ranked 256 in the world and 69 nationally. He's in the blue chip recruiting class.

1.) What's your pre-match routine?

I'm sure to be ready to go. You know, drinks, extra clothes, racquets, grips are done. (I) make sure to keep myself warm and ready, I go for a light jog and stretch. I listen to inspirational pump-up music. Eminem is pretty good, Lose Yourself and Till I Collapse.

2.) What is your regular pre-match meal?

Lots of carbs, like pasta. Sushi's good too.

3.) Somethings not working. What do you do?

I go back to basics, try to make a lot of balls in the court, and adjust to the conditions or the opponent. Staying positive is important, and, staying focused too.

4.) What is your perspective on school? (Alex does virtual school)

School is important even though it's hard work. I know it's important for my future.

5.) What is your advice to young tennis players?

Be passionate in what you do and always believe in yourself.

Lessons from on the road

It's been a while since I've traveled myself for junior tennis tournaments. Superseries, locals, designated tournaments; I've done them all, but after a while, they all start to blur together. Sometimes when I get asked for advice, I skip to the generic voice recording tape of interview question responses; stay positive, work hard, try hard, and at the end of the day, it's about who is better that day; you or your opponent.

I don't necessarily think these are wrong statements, but sometimes what is needed is more specific to circumstances. That's always one thing you have to start off with when you ask a coach; instead of "what should we do" or "how should we prepare," ask more specific, individual questions, say, like, "I get nervous before a match and take a few games to just get my head into it; how should I combat that?" I also realize after traveling with a Seminole High Performance group this past weekend to a Superseries in Amelia Island that there are a lot of things that happen that neither players nor coaches can control. Things that you have to be flexible for, and things that after many, many years on the tennis circuit, is easy to get used to and easily taken for granted.

Like, say, rain delays. It rains. It might be a 30% chance of rain all day and it monsoons the whole day. There might be an 80% chance of rain and you don't see a drop of it. You can always get prepared for the weather, but you can never control it. You might have already played a few games, or a set, or you're waiting to start your match. Whatever it is, rain delays mean one thing; you need to stay flexible as a player. As a coach, I do what I've always done myself; I keep my legs raised up to rest them, I go for a light jog if I know the rain delay will likely take all morning and I haven't hit yet that day, I relax and enjoy my company, and, when all else fails, I do some homework and read. Keeping yourself busy is important, because a mistake that happens often is that you start thinking too much about your match. Who are you playing? What is he or she doing? Who are they with? What does their parent or coach think? How should you play them? Are they as nervous as you are? It happens to the best of us, but by the time you actually do get onto the court, you end up feeling so burnt out from over thinking that when it comes time to play, you can't focus. So try and get out off of the courts; go to eat, focus on something else, whether it's doing homework or trying to fling a quarter into an empty trash can from a flight of stairs (true story). This is the advantage of staying closer to the courts rather than further away; rain delays are a little easier to deal with.

Another random thought; the tournament director. Without fail, every tournament my parents (who were my coaches) always told me to go up to the tournament director and thank them. Whether I had won the tournament or lost first round, I always came up, shook the hand of the man or woman who ran the tournament, and left only when I did so. This is more about manners than about tennis; this person took their entire weekend to host a tournament, probably answered the phone and similar questions a billion times, woke up the earliest of everyone and went to bed the latest, and did everything in their power to run a smooth, drama-free tournament. They are human, and they did their best. Thanking them not only shows them your appreciation, but also makes you look like the classy tennis player the stereotype makes us out to be (sometimes). I'll never forget how when I had already started playing college, I bumped into a referee that had seen my younger brother Alex play in a tournament down in south Florida. He smiled and said; you must be Alex's sister--the tournament director still remembers you from when you were young, and your brother thanks him like you did when you were young too. A nice way to be remembered.  

Player Spotlight: Roger Federer

We all know Federer is a class act. Frankly, I chose Roger to spotlight first because he's still number one in the world in my book. The man has won seven Wimbledon's, for crying out loud! Not only that, but he carries himself with the pose and the passion that every junior player wants to replicate, and every person, tennis player or not, admires. So let's make this all about Fed; what he's accomplished, what he thinks, and generally how awesome he is.

Accomplishments

 



You can imagine how long this column can potentially be. Let's go over the highlights, shall we? He's been at number one in the world for a record 302 weeks. He's record is 891 matches to 202 matches. He's played 290 tournaments, and has won 76 titles. He's won Wimbledon seven times, Australian four times, US Open five times, and French Open once (I know, he has a sore spot there on red clay, poor Fed, just one title). Overall, this is all darn impressive. But also remember, he wasn't always the one Roger Federer. He was once a junior player like all of us. He did play really well in juniors, and was top ten in the world in ITFs when he was young, though. Strive high, fellas!

Biography

If I was writing a book on Fed, which I hope one day I can because it would mean I can drool over how awesome he is in person, I would include the fact that he is, in fact, born in Switzerland, is 6'1, and 187 pounds. He was born August 8th, 1981, and alas, is married and has two beautiful daughters (Myla and Charlene, if you are curious).

His hobbies include golf, soccer, skiiing, friends, playstation (rejoice fellow gamer nerds!), music, and playing cards. His idols are Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg. His sponsers include the classiest of types, from Lindt chocolates (who can forget those commercials!), Moet Champagne, Mercedes, Rolex, and of course, a lifetime guaranteed sponsorship from Nike and Wilson.

He's the #5 highest paid athlete on Forbes, and rocks! Check out this youtube video and you'll understand the power this man has.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNoQ9qz4Q-w

Advice

Like many professional tennis players, Fed is asked for advice all the time. His advice to juniors is smart and amazing, just like him! Listen up, because you are learning from the best!

"At the end of the day it's about the effort that you put in"

"I think kids need to be kids. I don't want to see a 12 year old acting like a 25 year old."

While simple, this is advice is good to the core. If you don't try, or don't come off the court exhausted, someone else has, and they put in, that day, more effort than you. Make it a habit, and you will be perpetually worse than your opponents, but in essence, you are beating yourself. As for the kids quote, I agree with that as well. At twelve, a kid has to enjoy tennis; it's a game and a sport after all. It should be about fun then, not about performance. Sometimes we get so cycled up in rankings and tournaments and wins and bad losses that we forget that at the end of the day a.) a junior tennis player is also a kid and b.) tennis teaches you a lot about life, either in a good way or a bad way. You have plenty of time to act mature; it's okay to act immature once in a while if you're young.

Thanks http://www.rogerfederer.com/en.html and http://www.tennishead.net/news/academy/2013/02/21/tips-to-surviving-junior-tennis for the information and quotes!

Footwork

Footwork in tennis is extremely important. Not only do you have to get to the ball, but you have to get to the ball in a way that allows you to effectively hit the ball as well. The complexity of a tennis player’s footwork is very high. From a young age, we teach players how to do side shuffling, karaoke steps, and various other movements that include high knees, butt kicks, and skips. These motions develop the player’s movement coordination and muscles that are used for various tennis movements. These movements include:

The lateral ball

The lateral ball is the simplest of movements; the ball is hit towards the baseline, and the player needs to move laterally across the court to retrieve the ball. This movement requires a sprint out to the side, and a cross step and shuffle back to the middle of the court to the ready position, with a split step in the middle of the court. This movement is developed first and is usually the quickest of the tennis movements. A good drill to work on lateral movement is for a coach or peer to toss the ball side to side to the player, where the ball throw back to the coach/peer is a mimic of a tennis swing.

The inside out ball

Sometimes, on the move, the player gets caught when the opponent hits the ball right to them, necessitates movement away from the ball rather than to the ball. This skill typically develops with age and with experience, as younger players may have a harder time coordinating this movement in conjunction to watching the ball intently. Because of this, players get “caught” by the ball, hitting the ball too close to their bodies. Movement away from the ball can be with short steps or fast side step movement. A lot of players forget that even though they moved away from the ball, they still need to step into the shot to hit well. 

The short ball

The short ball a lot of different tennis players struggle with, because this movement is not forced by the IT-band muscle that moves players laterally, but instead is using quadriceps and hamstrings for movement, both of which should be developed off court to help with on court movement. The short ball requires a burst of energy and explosive start to get to the ball on time and still be able to focus on hitting the shot itself. Always have players line themselves up diagonally behind the ball instead of forcing themselves onto the ball. Approach shots, or any other form of short balls, should be hit more in FRONT of the player rather than behind the player, as the momentum of movement propels the ball aggressively over the net, and catching the ball late ends up with a mishit. This movement should be trained often, and can be trained in many ways, from simple wind sprints, to resistance running, to exercising the quads and hamstrings through plyometrics and weight training.

Backwards movement

Sometimes when a player is at the net it is required of them to move backwards, either for an overhead or for a deeper shot that the player then has to go retrieve. Running back to an overhead will require the player to sidestep backwards, while a running shot can be sprinted back towards as long as the player is watching where the ball is going. :) This movement should be practiced both with the ball and without.     

The Game of Life

Tennis is a sport of the mind. It’s also the game of life. It teaches you how, with the loss of a point, or a choke when you’re up match point, that you need to dust yourself off and keep going. Over the years, I’ve realized that the lessons that I’ve learned in tennis mimic that of reality. I’ve dealt with pressure and with pain, and realized that work ethic really is what makes you stand out from the rest, not arrogance or the way you hit the ball.

It’s sometimes good to look at the big picture. It is important to see that while right now we’re worried about not winning that match, or not hitting our forehand just right, it all about what you learn from the process at the end. Very few of us will actually go pro. It’s time to take that into consideration and realize that in essence, what our job is on the court is to practice our mindset to approach both the game of tennis and the game of life.

Tennis helps us get there. It represents how we fall in real life, and our ability to pick ourselves back up. I’ve had times where I’ve hit my lowest low, not playing well, not winning matches, practicing so hard but yet not reaping the benefits. There were times when I wanted to quit. I wanted to, but I leaned on the support system I had and learned then and there that this happens, and this is normal, and that this will heal with time. I’ve had moments where I was winning match after match, and loving playing, and thoughts like “How long is this going to last?” would creep into my mind, not allowing me to enjoy the high points in my career. In retrospect, I am proud of what I did, but in the moment, it was scary and risky. It’s the same thing in life.

I suggest every player, whether you are just starting or a competitive player or anything in between, take time every once in a while to reflect on what they have done with their tennis, and what they have learned, and what they will continue to focus on and learn in the future. Know that tennis is very similar to reality and it’s a good training for the moments that you will inevitably cross in the future.  

Physiology 101

Physiology, generally, is the science of living systems, like human beings. Physiology encompasses many things, from how your body works on the tennis court and after the tennis court, to what can go wrong because you are on the tennis court (or anything that you do prior to the tennis court). For junior tennis players, this information usually goes in one ear and out the other, similar to any kind of "ology" information.

But, unfortunately for you, I happen to be fascinated by this stuff, and feel like it is actually well-worth your time to go through the basics of tennis physiology, so don't doze off just yet!

To appease my list-making craving, I will arrange these facts, not in any importance order, but in an arrangement of certain organization nonetheless.

1. Welcome ATP. For science nerds, this is the molecule that is made out of three chains of phosphorus, or Adenosine Triphosphate. ATP, very simply speaking, is an energy blob that is made out of the food we eat. Food becomes glucose in our body (carbohydrates, specifically, which means pasta, ect.), which then, using mitochondria, the energy making blobs in our system, as well as oxygen, makes ATP molecules, which help us do cool stuff like breathe and walk around, or even more cool stuff like run a mile or hit a ball crosscourt.

For my fellow science nerds, here is the ATP molecule in molecular form. Notice to the left the three phosphates that make up the molecule. When one of those is taken away, ATP becomes ADP. Telepathically connect with your old biology textbook!

For those not interested in the slightest with the stick and letters above, ATP is the yellow blob above. He's very energized and excited to help you contract your muscles and play tennis.

2. ATP breaks down to ADP during an energy making process, where the extra phosphate in ATP acts as the physical energy we use to constrict and contract our muscles during exercise. The closest analogy for ATP and ADP would be fueling a car. The fuel, or ATP, is added to the car to help it drive, and the burning of the fuel by the engine of the car, aka our body's energy making system, allows us to move the metallic vehicle. I know, fascinating stuff, right!

3. There are different types of energy making processes in our body, some using different types of foods, from carbohydrates to proteins, some using oxygen, some not using oxygen, and some that are kick-started by a sudden need for energy, like running away from someone about to slap you with a towel, and some slowly revved up by a slow, but long, jog. Glycolysis is one of these processes, and forms ATP molecules (or blobs, if you so wish) in the aerobic metabolism of carbohydrates (aerobic, really, is using oxygen to break down carbohydrates, and is why, partially, you breathe heavier when your exercising, because you need more oxygen to create more ATP!). Here is the real kicker thought; in this process, lactate is produced as a by-product. Lactic acid thus builds up in the muscle working, and ta-da! You're sore! The less your body is used to exercise, the less efficient the ATP production is, thus why people tired out quicker when they are less endurant and why they feel more sore when they are not fit. The ATP production is to blame!

4. When your body no longer has enough oxygen to create ATP but still needs to, the process become anaerobic. This is what happens when you do workouts like ladder drills, circuit training, and wind sprints. 

I know, pretty cool stuff, right? When you're running on the court next time, you'll realize that the yellow blob, or ATP molecule, is working hard for you as you contract your muscles to hit each and every ball, and will realize that your body is a well-oiled machine that you have just only begun to explore. Stay tuned!