On Court Coaching: Andy Murray's Forehand

First of all, let me apologise for the long period without posting...Truth is, I forgot my email to the blog and I didn't remember it until now! Things happen right?

Now to the topic...

Okay, so there's been all of this skepticism about Andy Murray's forehand. People are saying that his forehand is weak and that he's not aggressive enough, doesn't take enough chances etc. However, there is much to say about his backhand in the sense that it is easily one of the best returns; furthermore, he can create angles, drive through the ball, loop or slice the ball, not forgetting that he can change the direction from cross court to down the line and crank a winner out of nowhere. So the question is, why all of this disparity? Let's analyze the two strokes:

Backhand:

Notice that even before the winner he always makes sure that his shoulders are turned and that his stances he uses are primarily closed stances. This is the opposite of the popular open stances that are taught in today's contemporary game. Another thing is that he takes the racquet back independently of his head, meaning that he keeps his head still while he turns his body instead of turning his head first and then turning his body. This allows for a solid follow through. Finally, the extension through the ball in addition to good core rotation allows him to hit the cross court winner as seen in the video (at about 10 seconds in).

Now for the forehand:

Alright...In this video Andy Murray is still dominating by hitting the forehand winner, so all is fair in this analysis. However, there are minute disparities that make a huge difference between the backhand and forehand shots. A major thing is his stance. An open stance is fine for being stretched off of the court or when moving to a shot, but five seconds into the video where he gets the ball that is directly to him that stances needs to be closed. This allows for a better and easier drive through the ball since your body is not prone to opening as it is with a open stance. Another thing is that he slightly opens his body before hitting the shot. This is evident at 25 seconds in the video. In this particular case he is clearly at the advantageous part of the point. However, this lack of footwork and the slight flaw in the forehand can produce errors under pressure. Also, the footwork issue can be a problem towards the center of the court where you usually try to end the point. This causes the slight self doubt that comes with Andy Murray's forehand.

Here's on of my favourite videos...Andy Murray practicing the forehand and backhand while recovering from a wrist injury:

Fyi, I do not own these videos...Just using them for example and for your entertainment

On Court Coaching: Tennis Footwork Drills

This is a video I found that really helps tennis players develop footwork and also understand court positioning...Complements of Fuzzy Yellow Balls!

On Court: Mardy Fish and Novak Djokovic

The Montreal tournament final featured Djokovic and Fish, surprisingly going to three sets. Not to say Fish isn't a formidable opponent but Djokovic has only lost one match all freaking year. The guy is on a hot streak and it seemed Fish wasn't about to be that guy to end the tirade.

To be honest the quality of the tennis played in the first set was pretty sub-par given what you would expect from Djokovic, two time major champion of the year. However, with all of the matches he's accrued throughout the year it's no wonder that he would be a little bit tired. After being on serve for the first four games, Djoker was able to take the upper hand and close out the set. Once again, he was definitely not at his best but did manage to win. What a champion.

The second set was able to be garnered by Mardy Fish, who more than doubled his first serve percentage compared to the first. That, and employing serve and volley tactics evoked a change in pace for the match when serving. Being aggressive on the serve return and coming in also proved to pay dividends, gaining a break and winning the second set 6-3.This time, Fish was able to exploit Djoker's slow start.

By the third set, it seemed that Djokovic was able to find his form and took advantage of the opportunities given to him, winning the match in three sets. Honestly, it was pretty interesting to watch because it's not a match that one encounters everyday. It was pretty much not a matter of playing tennis but a matter of winning and losing in the sense that there were many times where both players seemed to be struggling, whether it be on serve, tactically or moving. There was even a man in the crowd who started to choke on food, stalling play for five minutes. Awkward as hell to say the least. Even so, Djokovic is the first player since Pete Sampras to win the first tournament he's played after gaining the number one position.

Everyone on the men's and women's side is moving to Cincinnati for the prestigious 1000 event. Peep the early round coverage on Tennis Channel from 11am to 7 pm eastern. It's gonna be sickkk.

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On Court: Montreal and Toronto

This is the time where Canada gets the tennis spotlight with the top players on the men's side meeting in Montreal and the women meeting in Toronto. Yesterday and Monday saw some sick match ups and some unexpected but well earned defeats.

On the women's side Serena is experiencing a dominating comeback beating Bondarenko 0 and 3 in the first round and just now winning her second match 1 and 6. I feel like she's definitely a favourite for this tournament as well as the US Open which begins Aug 29.

However, on the men's side, there doesn't seem to be any particular favourite for the title. Number four seed Andy Murray was completely blown away by Kevin Anderson. The South African was too overpowering and expressed intent to come forward, preventing Murray from getting into any sort of rhythm. Although a good win for Anderson, it'll be interesting to see if he can maintain this excellent form. He has been known to have off days, but if he can execute the attacking style with margin he should be able to get deep.

Gilles Simon was also ousted early by Phillipp Petzschner, a doubles specialist. Watching the match was a delight as Petzschner was able to maneuver Simon around and open the court with his backhand slice, using the forehand to attack and close the net off. This also prevented Simon from getting into a rhythm. Although I did not see the match, Youzhny was also beaten early.

Tsonga was able to beat Fabio Fognini in straight sets by using his attacking style to end points quickly. Other wins included Del Potro, Gasquet and Verdasco.

Rafa is supposed to be playing Ivan Dogic tonight, followed by Mardy Fish and Feliciano Lopez...But, with the rain delays who knows.

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A2A Commercial: Does Reason Solve Everything?

Does Reason Solve Everything?:

Changeover: Vitas Gerulaitis

One of the most exciting and prominent players in the Connors and McEnroe era, Vitas Gerulaitis is one of the many players in the eighties who brought tennis into the limelight for America. Although he was a one slam wonder, winning the Australian Open in 1977, many regard Gerulaitis as one of the all time greats of tennis.

What is interesting to me is that he grew up along with John McEnroe at the same academy, Port Washington Tennis Academy. Many say that he was not only a skilled player growing up, but also had the ability to draw and captivate crowds with his charisma. With the long blond locks and charismatic playing style, it is argued that Vitas was a precursor to the legend Andre Agassi, who also sported similar flamboyant attire. However, it was his net play, not baseline game, that Vitas was known for; this is similar to John McEnroe who was a paragon for serve and volley tennis at that time.

Despite being popular both amongst fans and players, Gerulaitis developed many bad habits which inhibited him from play. A major one of these habits was the drug crack/cocaine, a popular drug that gained notoriety during the eighties. This caused major slumps in his career, similar to Andre Agassi's meth use. However, after cleaning up his act, Vitas returned to the tour and became a commentator for the US Open after retiring. It seemed like things could have only gotten better until he was found dead in his hotel room due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

A clip of Vitas playing:




This week's US Open Series continues on the men's side at the Legg Mason Classic in Washington, D.C. Coverage and analysis of the quarterfinal matches will be done on Friday

A2A Commercial: Slow Motion and Contagious Emotions

First commericals are finally up...Hope you guys enjoy!

Contagious Emotions:

Everything Better In Slow Motion: