Bailey’s Blog

I just had the pleasure of coaching along side  Nick Bollettieri for 6 hrs a day the last 2 weeks. Not only was it a great honor and learning curve but also made me realise why he is the greatest tennis coach of all time. He consistently gets results quickly, makes his students feel special and loves his job. Yet, importantly he has a great eye, is an incredible motivator and emphasises simplicity and solid fundamentals.We all should surround ourselves with people who are better than us for learning and improving and asking questions are such wonderful things to do everyday.Thanks Nick! 

In tennis a spin,pivot, hop, shift or lunging move made by the lower body is usually associated with some type of counter-balance technique using the non-dominant arm, right/left leg or a combination of both. This stops the body from over rotating and thus keeping the bodys’ axis vertical hence preventing loss of balance. Loss of balance can be seen with the shot being dumped into the net, the ball flying long or landing short in the court.

Amadeus Mozart the famous Austrian composer once said “The best way to learn is through the powerful force of rhythm”. Rhythm is everything in tennis….in movement, swing technique and tactics. It is the player who breaks the other persons rhythm and keeps his own who will win the match.

I love this quote made by John McEnroe when commentating  on the mens Wimbledon 2006  final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. “It’s like two athletic chess players trying to out maneouver each other”. I like in particular the two words ‘athletic’ and ‘chess player’ because not only are these two men incredible tennis athletes they are incredible tennis players. They know how to move as well as they understand how to play the game.

Proper breathing is probably the one of the most ignored aspect of tennis. If used properly,breathing can push a player to new levels of both endurance and performance. When handled poorly, breathing can make you fatiqued, confused, and totally seperated from your body.The most important thing to remember when praticing any breathing exercise is never overdo it and breathe naturally.

The best way to encourage this move is to make your address thought “Heavier on the rear leg ,light on the front leg”. I beleive 65% of the weight should lie on the back leg,especially when in a semi-open stance. Unfortunately many players do the opposite and lean towards the target. This takes the ability to go “Back foot, Front foot”. Back foot setting enables the player to preset the leg thrust. The proper use of the legs will add up to 20% more power. Remember, tennis is be a lower body sport.

When you do footwork training you train at a mistake center.If you make mistakesyou discover their causes and cures. This is what learning a motor skill is all about. Each time you make a mistake, figure it out, and with a certain amount of real effort, cure it, you automatically reward yourself. You will know and feel the pleasure of progress and real achievement. You are going to feel very good about yourself. Making mistakes is beautiful, because that is how you learn. Feel FREE to make mistakes.