Bailey’s Blog

I will pay meticulous attention to detail

I am prepared to pay the price

I will do things my competitors don’t

I am consistently taking the tough options

I will be unrelenting in my quest for perfection

I am persistant

I will never compromise workouts

I am a person who deals only in quality

I will DO IT TODAY - not put it off till tomorrow

I am possessed with an uncanny ability to remain totally focused when all around me are being sidetracked

Remember- If you can’t answer YES to these ten statements, then there is someone out there who is - AND THEY WILL BE YOUR TOUGHEST OPPONENTS

BY David Bailey

What a pleasure it was to watch the Mens US Open final today between Andy Roddick and Roger Federer. But one thing I love to do…. and I hope understanding and recognising the 15 contact moves does this for you too! …Is watch their feet and how wonderfully they move, but at the same time, try to name the contact moves as they happen live! By watching only one player at a time, and having fun calling them out in your head, makes you enjoy watching the game even more…YET also makes you more knowledgeable and aware and appreciative of what incredible athletes that theses guys are . So much so… that I hope you are inspired enough….. and keen enough, to get out on the tennis court and teach or ‘Have A Go!’ at these contact moves yourself. Remember, all I am trying to do with the Bailey Method is to present you with research that you can take and use as you see fit….research that makes you have a whole new perspective and understanding of the amazing game of tennis and the incredible art of great footwork!  

It’s all about putting your body, mind and passion on the line…everyday…every hour…this is very hard to do. But, only this commitment and energy will enable you to explore, experiment and discover better ways to do things. Sometimes I’m exhausated..really exhausted…but I am still learning and learning that it takes a tremendous effort to be good,true and disciplined and no effort to be lazy and ask no questions of yourself and others.

With tennis it is important to have non-negotiable routines that occur on and off the court. It is these routines that establish your level of professionalism and dedication. An example of a off court routine is a streching routine….as staying felixible to reach shots is important, as is preventing stiffness through the joints and muscles and thus avoiding injury. When stretching create a routine by targetting the body from the ankles systematically up the body to the wrist.This will avoid missing vital areas of flexibility. Following is a 18 stage stretching routine. 1st.) ankles 2nd.) calfs 3rd.) hamstrings 4th.) it band 5th.) quads 6th.) groin 7th.) hips 8th.) glutes 9th.) lower back 10th.) abs 11th.) lats 12th.) chest 13th.) side of shoulders 14th.) back of shoulders 15th.) neck 16th.) triceps 17th.) biceps 18th.) wrists. Remember with everything in life …consistency is the key.     

Gil Reyes is Andre Agassi personal trainer for 17 years. This is an exert from an article written about Gil in Tennis Week 2006 - “Coaching is giving” says Reyes. “A good coach is one who is observant, who’s constantly learning and listening. I take a lot of time to listen, and I’ve come to see that in many ways tennis is the pefect sport. It requires skill, reflexes, decision making, problem solving and geometry. Throw two guys in an arena and it’s pretty compelling stuff “