What's Wrong With Federer

What's wrong with Roger Federer? This is the question bouncing around the tennis world these days with just as many theories being put forward to answer that $64,000 question.

I think everyone would agree that Federer's confidence is shot. But, how exactly does that effect his play?

I had the opportunity to watch Federer on the practice courts the day after his loss last week to Gilles Simon in the Rogers Cup in Toronto. He was hitting with a hitting partner who was just there to keep the ball in play.

What struck me was how erratic Federer was, especially off the forehand.

It made me think about the construction of Federer's tactical game.

Roger has never been a player who is content to hit 15-20 balls every point and outwork his opponent. At his essence, he's a shotmaker, unlike his main adversary Rafael Nadal, who is essentially a defensive player content to outwork his opponents and tire them physically.

And, when your confidence goes it is hard to attack well.

So Federer really has 2 choices as far as I can see. He can reaffirm that he's an attack player and improve his approach shots and his volleys. Or, he can say that he needs more tactical margin and gets into the mindset of grinding out some points at certain important times in matches.

Personally, I think Federer is better off attacking because there are too many young, quick guys with 2 handed backhands who can rally and run all day long.

Plus, Federer is not getting any younger and the grinding style is very hard on the body.

So, I say let Fed attack and let the chips fall where they may.

Until next time,

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies Top Tennis Tactics AND Coaching Lessons guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level. Also, check out the world's top tennis humor screensaver
Tennis Cartoon Screensaver. You can download a trial version for FREE.

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Comparing Nadal Versus Djokovic On Hard Courts

The professional tennis tour , at least the men's side of things, has landed in Toronto, Canada for the upcoming Rogers Cup scheduled to begin tomorrow.

As is my tradition, I like to go up the weekend before the tournament starts to catch some of the practice court action.

Yesterday, I saw a little of Andy Murray, Feliciano Lopez, and Radek Stepanek but the highlights of the day included the hour long session between Rafael Nadal and Tommy Robredo and the session pitting Novak Djokovic versus Thomas Berdych.

Obviously, the crowd was bonkers for both Nadal and Djokovic as they are huge crowd favourites.

I was out there looking for general impressions of their form.

My overall impression is that Djokvic looks more solid than Nadal on the hard court.

Djokovic takes almost every ball on the rise or at the peak of the bounce. This gives his game a metronomic feel and minimizes his need to cover court.

Rafa, on the other hand, relies on his brute power and great speed. He seems to take balls at different heights at times and is much more of a shot maker than the Djokester.

I think the regularity of the bounce on hard court will really play into the strength
of Djokovic and would not be surprised to see him have another great hard court season like last year.

The one obvious improvement that I saw in Nadal's game compared to 2 years ago is his serve. It is much bigger and better placed. This is the one unknown for Nadal going into the hard court season.

We all saw how effective his serve was at Wimbledon. If he can hold easily on hard court as well, then he becomes a lethal opponent on this surface as well.

Now, I didn't get a chance to see Federer so I can't comment on his form.

Let the games begin.

Until next time,

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies Top Tennis Tactics AND Coaching Lessons guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level. Also, check out the world's top tennis humor screensaver
Tennis Cartoon Screensaver. You can download a trial version for FREE.

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Clay Then Grass Now Back To Clay

The French Open is a distant memory while the Wimbledon Final still creates a warm glow.

For tennis fans, the big questions are how will Nadal's knees hold up on the hard courts this summer and who will win the US Open later this summer.

So, what does the tour do post Wimbledon?

Well, they've scheduled a couple of clay court events including one in Stuttgart and the Swedish Open.

For players this has to be a bit of yo-yo feeling. First clay for a few months, then grass for 3 weeks, then back to clay for a week, then onto hard courts in North America.

Can't wait to see Nadal on hard courts.

Until next time,

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies Top Tennis Tactics AND Coaching Lessons guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level. Also, check out the world's top tennis humor screensaver
Tennis Cartoon Screensaver. You can download a trial version for FREE.

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What Can We Take Away From Wimbledon 2008

What a glorious Sunday this was for tennis fans.

The final of Wimbledon 2008 is already being talked about in reverential tones. Phrases like " the greatest tennis match of all-time" are being tossed around with the frequency of rain delays at Wimbledon.

It's obvious to anyone who has watched tennis closely the past 3 years, that Rafael Nadal has improved his game to an extent that is almost never seen on the pro tour. Players may work on some parts of their game and show improvement but Nadal has turbo-charged his game.

His backhand which was a liability everywhere but on clay 3 years ago is now a lethal weapon.
He can hit heavy topspin to neutralize his opponents, he can drive flat balls with rocket speed, and he can hit both a vicious slice or a floating slice to change the pace of the point.

Not to mention that he has added speed and variety to his serve and gained considerable expertise in volleying.

Who could have imagined that Nadal would serve and volley down love 15 in the biggest game of his life?

All credit has to go to Nadal and his coaches.

Now, notice that Nadal is not a product of a high-level tennis academy with a pedigreed coach who has directed other players to the pinnacle of the game.

So, Uncle Toni as he's known must know a hell of a lot about tennis. It's also been said that Carlos Moya, the fellow Majorcan, has been a major influence on the younger Rafa.

Nadal started with a warrior's heart, a sprinter's speed, and a boxer's knockout topspin forehand. But, now he is becoming a complete player.

I can't wait to see him play at the next 2 hard court slams.

Don't be surprised if you see him holding up a trophy either in New York or Melbourne or both.

Until next time,

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies Great Tennis Tips AND coaching Lessons guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level. Also, check out the world's top tennis humor screensaver
Tennis Cartoon Screensaver. You can download a trial version for FREE.

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