Monday, December 25, 2006

Can Pete Sampras Still Take Federer?

tennis lessons online

This week in the online Sports Illustrated tennis section, Justin Gimelstob talks about his practice sessions in Los Angeles with Pete Sampras.

According to Gimelstob, Pete is playing great tennis . He claims Pete is playing as well as anybody not named Federer.

Gimelstob mentions that Sampras is playing with a newer, larger head size frame, and is using some of the newer strings as well ( probably a polyester or a gut/polyester hybrid). Justin implies that these equipment changes have added to Sampras' game. Can you imagine the Sampras serve with even more spin?

Gimelstob casually mentions that he believes Sampras is one of the few players in the world today who can rob Federer of time. He doesn't go into detail about this but it goes along with what I've written in the past.

I believe that the type of player who could beat Federer consistently, and on fast courts, would have to be able to do some things very well:

1. Serve well and finish off the point with a volley. Roddick serves well but allows Federer to float back returns because he doesn't look to hit first volleys. Sampras would eat up floating returns and force Fed to go for more and consequently miss more.

2. Attack the Federer second serve. Put pressure on Fed by chipping and charging the second serve. Again, Sampras is one of the few modern players who has the skills to do this.

3. Flatten out the forehand to take away Fed's time to set up. Again, Sampras hits a very flat forehand as his basic forehand.

I know that some people will write and mention that Federer beat Sampras in their only meeting which happened to be on Sampras's favourite surface at Wimbledon. But, really one match doesn't enough to draw the conclusion that Federer would have Sampras's number.

Here is the link to the Gimelstob article. Comments anyone?



http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/justin_gimelstob/12/21/sampras.federer/index.html

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies An Ebook of Mental Tennis Tips 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.


Technorati Tags

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Free Tennis Gifts

This holiday season I am participating in a free holiday tennis gift promotion.
It'a great idea and a lot of well known tennis people are involved.

So, split step on over to


Free Tennis Gifts


All the best for the holiday season,

Glenn Sheiner M.D.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Federer's Historical Three Year Run

tennis lessons onlineIn the last entry, I write about Federer's 2006 season and how, although it has been sensational, it has not been the greatest single season of all time.

Remember, he's had a superb year with a match record of 92-5, which means he won 94.8% of his matches.

Now, let's look at Federer's performance over a three year period and compare it to the other great three year periods in tennis history.

Let's look at it first from the point of view of total matches won in a consecutive three year period.

From 2004-2006 Federer has won 247 matches. This puts him in the number one position. Pete Sampras won 234 matches from 1993-1995 and Ivan lendl won 232 matches from 1983-1985.

If you look at the winning percentages over the same three year periods, Federer was 247-15 for a winning percentage of 94.3% while Sampras was 234-44 for a winning percentage of 84.2%.

Lendl was 232-20 for a winning percentage of 92.1%.

Now, let's look at the most titles won over a three year period. Again, Federer dominates. From 2004-2006, Rog has won 34 titles, of which 8 have been Grand Slams. Both Borg and Connors won 30 titles over consecutive three year periods ( Borg from 1977-79 and Connors from 1974-76) but, during their respective streaks, Borg won 5 slams and Connors just 2.

So, let's sit back and see what Rog has in store for us in 2007.

To learn more about the consecutive three year records go to:



Best Three Year Consecutive Most Titles Won;

Best Three Year Consecutive Most Match Victories



Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies An Ebook of Mental Tennis Tips 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.


Technorati Tags

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Federer's Great Tennis Season

tennis lessons online So, Roger Federer won another tournament and again everybody is talking about whether or not he is the greatest of all time.

He's had a superb year with a match record of 92-5, which means he won 94.8% of his matches.

As incredible as this year has been for Federer, his season winning percentage is only the fourth best in ATP history!

The best single season winning percentage all time on the ATP tour is 96.5%.

And, guess who holds that record?

None other than John McEnroe who in 1984 went 82-3. Not to mention that Mac lead Ivan Lendl 2 sets to love in the French Open that year before Lendl came back to win the match.

There's no question of Federer's brilliance but there have been periods of brilliance by others as well.

To see the top ten single season winning percentages on the ATP Tour click on:
Top Ten Winning Percentages On The ATP Tour.

To see the top ten single seasons as judged by the number of titles won click on:
Top Ten Seasons -Most Titles Won.

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies An Ebook of Mental Tennis Tips 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.


Technorati Tags

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Is The Tour Catching Up To Nadal?

tennis lessons online Every player has patterns. The great ones win consistently because they usually can execute so well that it doesn't make much difference if their opponents know what's coming or not.

Some of the all time greats have had very simple game plans. Borg would rip heavy topspin until you made a mistake or fatigued. His game was only vulnerable to a superb net player and only John McEnroe was good enough.

Pete Sampras would hold serve by using his incredible serve and then try to break with his fairly flat, attacking game. On his backhand he would just try to neutralize and bide his time.

Rafael Nadal likes to wear his opponents down with his heavy lefty topspin. He doesn't like to come to the net and likes to grind away.

I think the other players on the tour maybe getting wise to Nadal's patterns. They may be overplaying his lefty topspin shots so that they are better prepared for them.

In addition, a number of pros who have beaten Nadal consistently like James Blake and Thomas Berdych like to step into Nadal's groundstrokes and rip flat balls back to him -- often winning the point outright.

Nadal also has certain patterns on his serve. I wrote about this after the Wimbledon final this year against Roger Federer and I thinks it makes for interesting reading.

You can read my analysis of the Wimbledon 2006 final between Nadal and Federer by following this link: Federer versus Nadal In The Wimbledon 2006 Final

To read more about tennis tips and playing better tennis here are a few web pages to visit:

Tennis Tips
How To Play Tennis

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Tennis Tactics And Tips Ebook 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.



Technorati Tags

Monday, November 13, 2006

Play Better Tennis While Trying To Win Matches

tennis lessons online
It's the ultimate challenge.

All serious tennis players want to play better tennis, work on their tennis games, and improve. At the same time, almost all serious tennis players are very competitive and hate to lose tennis matches.

Guess what? The two motivations totally conflict.

From what I've seen there are very few players who will continue to try and work on new aspects of their tennis games while they are losing IF THEY KNOW THEY COULD BE WINNING BY DOING THE SAME OLD THING THEY'RE TRYING TO CHANGE!


It takes guts to have a longer term perspective and accept defeat today on the tennis court in order to gain victory in the future.

Having said all that, here are a few strategies that you can use while you're trying to improve your tennis skills while at the same time continuing to win matches.

Tennis Strategy 1.

Play down a level. Start playing the players you know you can beat fairly easily.
There is usually less pressure on you and if you are losing you can just switch back to your old patterns to win the match.

Tennis Strategy 2.

Play the set score. Let's say you're ahead 4-love in a set. You can try some new things even if it's going to cost you a game or two. You're still likely to win the set.

Tennis Strategy 3.

Play the game score. Let's say you're ahead 40-love in a game. You can use the next point to try the new option you're working on. Even if you lose the point, you're likely to win the game.

These are 3 ways for you to improve your tennis game, play better tennis, and still win matches.

To read more about tennis tips and playing better tennis here are a few web pages to visit:

Tennis Tips
How To Play Tennis

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Tennis Tactics And Tips Ebook 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.



Technorati Tags

Sunday, November 05, 2006

A Tennis Lesson From Johnny Mac

tennis lessons online
Who wouldn't love to get a tennis lesson from John McEnroe?

A friend of mine recently was on the court with McEnroe and Jana Novotna in Ottawa.
I asked him, of course, what the experience was like.

The format was mixed doubles and my friend had two main comments.

The first thing he said was that both Johnny Mac and Novotna were incredibly competitive, even in the supposedly relaxed setting of a tennis lesson.

The second thing that my friend said was that it was stunning to him how early McEnroe hit the ball. It was as if the ball was returned back at his feet the moment he hit it.

Hitting early is one of those things that you can't appreciate on TV. On TV, we can see power and often the early hitter is using the other's player's pace. So, it doesn't look that impressive.

There's nothing like tennis lessons from the world's best.

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies An Ebook of Mental Tennis Tips 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.


Technorati Tags

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Tennis Rackets Of The Pros -- What Sticks Are They Really Using?

The Racket Controversy And What Is A Paint Job?


There are a lot of reasons for the controversy about the exact rackets that the pros use. The main reason for the controversy, as usual, is money.

It’s common knowledge on the inside of the tennis world that many pros are using rackets painted to look like the retail version of a new racket that the manufacturer is marketing.

Here’s a typical scenario. A pro has been using a racket for a long time and, the manufacturer with whom he or she has a deal, wants to introduce a new racket line into the marketplace. The pro may not really want to change rackets but may agree to have the old rackets painted to look just like the new racket. In tennis vernacular this is called a paint job.

Of course, this is usually good business for the racket manufacturer as sales of the new and probably expensive rackets will increase. And, the player pockets the fee from the manufacturer and still gets to play with the rackets with which he or she is most comfortable. Whether or not this is good for the recreational tennis player is debatable.


Most recreational players could never play well with the exact rackets that top pros use anyway.


Often top pros use rackets that are not that powerful and are very heavy (even if the retail racket frames that you and I can buy are not heavy, many pros either add lead tape to make their rackets much heavier, or have them customized to be heavier).

The pros can play with these types of rackets because they can generate tremendous racket head speed and power, and wouldn’t be able to control the ball if the rackets were too powerful.


The average recreational player will feel that they can barely get the ball over the net with many actual pro rackets.


So, even if a recreational player thinks he or she is playing with the same racket as their favorite pro, it’s actually a racket that is usually substantially different than the actual racket the pro is using. It may look the same and have the same name, but it usually isn’t the exact same racket.

Of course, some recreational players customize their rackets with lead tape. And, they’ll try and find out how much tape certain pros use and where on the racket the players place the lead tape.

You see, where the lead tape is placed on the racket dramatically changes the weight and balance of the racket and how it plays.

In the final analysis, the smart recreational player goes to his tennis pro shop and demos a whole bunch of rackets before buying. And, the smart player will buy the racket that he or she plays with best as opposed to the racket he or she thinks Federer or Sharapova is playing with.



The Controversy Over Roger Federer’s Actual Racket



Among tennis fans today there is debate about the actual racket that Roger Federer plays with. There are as many conspiracy theories about Federer’s racket as there are about the Kennedy assassination.

What is known is that when Federer was in the juniors he played with the classic Pro Staff 6.0 85. This is the same frame that Pete Sampras used.

Next, Federer apparently played with a newer Wilson model called the Pro Staff Tour 90.

And now, he’s apparently playing with a newer model again - the N 6-1 Tour 90.

But, not everyone is convinced that Federer is actually using the new N 6-1 Tour 90!


Here are two of the top conspiracy theories:

• He’s still using the Pro Staff Tour 90 painted to look like the N 6-1 Tour 90.

• He’s using a custom frame based on the original mold of the original Pro Staff 6-0 85.


Obviously, there are small differences between the proposed rackets that Federer is using. Tennis fanatics actually take pictures of Federer’s racket in match play and magnify the images trying to look for little clues.

They analyze everything from the grommets, the string pattern, and the number of cross strings in the PWS.

According to one report from an unidentified source at Wilson, all of Roger Federer’s racquets are made from a modified ProStaff 6.0 85 mold. Apparently, Roger wanted to increase the head size from 85 sq. in., while trying to maintain the original features of the Pro Staff 6-0 85.

In order to meet Federer’s requirements, plus successfully market the Pro Staff Tour 90, Wilson modified a Pro Staff 6.0 85 mold to include the tapered flanges on the throat, increased the head size to 90 sq.in., and made slight modifications to the PWS shape in order to make it look like a Tour 90 to the untrained eye.

Now, conspiracy theorists think that Fed is playing with this customized racket that has been painted to look like the N 6-1 Tour 90.


If you'd like to read a FREE report on exactly what rackets , what strings, and at what tensions the top pros play with then split step over here now FREE Report on the actual raquets, tennis string tension,and types of tennis strings of the top pros.

Technorati Tags
Technorati Tags

Monday, October 30, 2006

What Does A Tennis Diamond Bracelet Have To Do With Tennis?

Have you ever heard of a diamond tennis bracelet?

If you do a little research on the most common terms that people type into google to search for tennis terms, you'll find that the terms tennis bracelet or tennis diamond bracelet come up very frequently.

I was curious so I decided to do a little research.

And, it's an interesting story with a tennis twist involving one of tennis' greatest female players.

To learn more about the origin of the term tennis bracelet go to:

What is a diamond tennis bracelet?

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Tennis Tactics And Tips Ebook 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.


Technorati Tags

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

I Played A Match Against One Of The Top Players In The World!

tennis lessons online
What a thrill!

A friend of mine is friends with one of the top tennis players in the world and he set up a fun doubles match.

I don't want to name the pro but before I talk about his game, let me just say, he's a terrific guy. Played just hard enough to keep it interesting and kept up a running stream of humorous and good natured trash talking.

Now, neither myself or the other two guys can even remotely challenge the pro. So, to be honest, he was just fooling around except for a couple of points in the second set when his side was behind and he decided to step it up a notch.

What did I observe?

Amazing returns of serve - Man, this guy could return. Super clean, quick, low liners that just were back at your feet before you could move.

Tremendous volleys - Our pro is a doubles specialist and has one of the best volleys in the world. Again, short preparation, little racket movement, and then boom -- a rocket perfectly placed. And, with the same motion, a drop volley that just dies.

Incredible anticipation - Many times I had a short ball and was trying to disguise my intentions by not looking at the part of the court where I was going to hit the ball. But, it didn't make any difference. Our pro could read where I was going anyway and was just standing in the right place.

I didn't have a chance to hit groundies with him, and he was serving at half speed, so I didn't get to experience what returning one of the world's top serves is like but I can just imagine.

All in all, it was a great thrill for me.

Have any of you had the opportunity to play with top pros?

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Top Selling Tennis Tactics Ebook 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.

Technorati Tags

Monday, October 02, 2006

Why Can You Play So Well One Set And Then Play Horribly The Next?

tennis lessons online
First, a little confession.

When it comes to peak sports performance, I'm not a huge believer in the theory that says that all one has to do is to just relax.

If that's all it took then, hey, just relax in your favorite way, then go out and shoot scratch in golf, or play high level tennis for 3 sets.

It's not that easy!

I believe that the key to playing consistent high level tennis is to master muscle memory of high level stroke production. Then, when you have total confidence that you've got the swings grooved, you can just relax and let it go.

You see the relaxation comes after creating muscle memory of the right patterns.

I believe that proper stroke production in tennis is a beautiful dance of all the various parts of the body moving in a natural and efficient rhythm. Now, there may be many different ways to acquire the muscle memory, but that's a different issue to be discussed at a later time.

So, in my opinion, if at times you play really well and hit the ball beautifully and other times your strokes fall apart, it's not neccessarily mental.

It's quite possible that your muscle memory is failing and you've gotten out of synch. This is when I think you have to have cues on each stroke that guide you back to that place where your rhythm returns.

The cues could be anything but they have to get you back to the right muscle memory. You may tell yourself to turn your shoulders as far as you can on your groundstrokes when you're struggling. Or, maybe holding your weight back a little longer on the serve before exploding into it.

I'll be discussing this issue more in later blogs as it fascinates me.

And, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of The Top Selling Tennis Tactics Ebook guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level. Also, check out a little about tennis history here Tennis history

Technorati Tags

Monday, September 18, 2006

It's All Exhibition to Me Until The Australian Open

Tennis Tips And Lessons
Well, the US Open is done and fall is approaching here in Canada and probably in a good deal of the US and Europe.

Personally, I won't pay much attention to what happens on the tour until Australia. To me, it's all about money for the pros now.

Now, don't get me wrong. I think these guys should make as much money as possible. I'm just saying that there's a difference when they play for money and when they play for history.

A lot of guys will kill themselves and play through injuries in the slams. But, they usually don't show the same attitude in the regular tournaments.

Do you think Andre Agassi would have played through that horrendous back pain if it wasn't the US Open?

Now's the time when I focus on my own game. I'll meet up with Fed and the boys down under in January.

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of The Top Selling Tennis Tactics Ebook guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level.

Technorati Tags

Monday, September 11, 2006

Federer Is Truly Amazing

Tennis Tips And Lessons

Yesterday's exhibition of superb tennis was a sublime experience.

When Roger Federer is on his game, it is an absolutely breathtaking experience if you're a tennis fan. His game is so solid, so cleverly constructed, his strokes so smooth that he literally makes the game look so easy.

I think that what a lot of people don't give a lot of thought to is Federer's tremendous defensive ability. Clearly, Federer is an otherworldy shotmaker.
Watch what happens when he's pushed and the matches get tight (doesn't happen too often obviously). But,when he's in a litle trouble, he relies on extraordinary footspeed and quickness to play superb defensive tennis. And, he's the best I've ever seen at turning defense into offense in a flash of a heartbeat.

There have been other great offensive tennis players in recent years. Players who were dangerous everytime the ball hit their rackets. Pete Sampras and John McCenroe come to mind right away. Anytime these guys touched the ball they could put the ball someplace difficult fot their opponent and be at the the net in a heartbeat.

But, neither Pete nor Mac were the greatest defensive players. Sampras actually was a better defensive player than Mac in my opinion because he had a lethal flat forehand -- a a weapon the that the continentally gripped Mac never possesssed.

And, when I think of great defensive players Rafael Nadal and Bjorn Borg come to mind.

But, Federer is literally the best offensive player and nearly the best defensive player in the game today. This is what makes him so unbeatable. When his offence is off, he can rely on his defense to keep him in the points. And, sooner or later, his offense starts to perk up again.

The other player who comes to mind as both the best offensive and the best defensive player of his time was Michael Jordan in basketball. And, he didn't do too badly did he?

By the way, I've just added a new section on my website about tennis strings. It's starting slow but will eventually have some really good info for you.

Cheers,




Technorati Tags

Sunday, September 03, 2006

It's Sad To See Agassi Retire but.......

The great career of Andre Agassi is now over. Well maybe it's over. There's always the examples of Michael Jordan and Evander Hollyfield. But, both of those guys retired when they were getting older but still healthy.

Andre is not coming back and it's precisely because of his back that he's not coming back. It was sad in a way to see how he was moving in these last two matches. He moved in a very stiff way and looked like the older guys at the local tennis club.

It's absolutely remarkable that Andre could play such high level tennis with such a stiff back. It's totally a tribute to his anticipation, tactics, and great ball striking ability.

Now the tournament really gets going. For the past week no one has been talking about Nadal or Federer. It's been all Andre --all the time.

How great was Andre? Where does he rank among the all time greats? These are questions that will be hotly debated in the next little while.

Technorati Tags

Saturday, August 26, 2006

How Far Will Andre Agassi Go At The US Open?

This is the last go-round for Andre Agassi.

And fans don't know whether they should check out his early round matches to form final life-long memeories or just start watching the second week.

With Andre these days everything depends on his health and fitness.

If he's not hurting he can still play with anybody. But, if he's hurt, he can be beaten by anybody.

And, Andre's draw is tough.

His first round opponent is the veteran Andre Pavel of Romania. Pavel has been around a long time and won't be intimidated by the circumstances. He won't beat himself -- Agassi will have to beat him.

If Agassi manages to get through the first round he'll probably play the 8th seed Marcos Bagdhaitis. Obviously, Bags is one of the most talented players on tour so, even a full-strength Agassi, would have his hands full.

In the fourth round looms Andy Roddick.

So, let the games begin and let's see how Andre fares.

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of The Top Selling Tennis Tactics Ebook guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level.

Technorati Tags

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Five Sets favor Federer And Nadal At The US Open

Right after Wimbledon every tennis fan would have layed all their money down on a Federer versus Nadal final at the 2006 US Open coming up.

So, what happens?

Nadal loses in the early rounds for 2 consecutive weeks. Federer wins at the Rogers Cup in Toronto but then loses to Andy Murray in straight sets at the Masters event in Cincinatti.

Nadal's woes are less difficult to explain. He doesn't have a great serve although it is improving.
And , he struggles with his returns against big servers. So, he can't get into the baseline rallies as easily as he can on clay where he dominates.

Federer obviously has to lose once in a while so it's really no big deal.

The US Open matches are best of five sets , unlike these recent tournaments which are best of three. And, I feel that the best of five format favors both Nadal and Federer but for different reasons.

Nadal is like a body puncher in boxing. He makes you run and reach and work very hard physically to return his balls which have heavy top and sidespin. By the time you've played two or three sets against him you're usually starting to wear down physically. That's why a lot of Nadal's matches are close in the beginning and then he pulls away easily.

It'll take a lot of physical endurance and mental toughness to beat Nadal in five sets. Now, maybe he'll be off and someone will beat him in 3 or 4 sets but I like his chances the longer the matches go.

With Federer it's a different story. To beat Federer you need him to be off and you have to be playing at your highest level. If he's on and you're off, you''ll get rolled --just ask Lleyton Hewitt.

And, I don't see anybody except Nadal giving Federer trouble over 5 sets.

So, on to the Open and let's see what happens.

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of The Top Selling Tennis Tactics Ebook guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level.

Technorati Tags

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Watching Tennis Pros Practice

One of the great secrets in learning how to improve your tennis game is to go watch the pros practice. And where can you see the pros practice?

This week I went up to see the qualifying rounds at the Rogers Cup in Toronto. I bought a general admission ticket for $11. And I didn't even bother to go into the stadium and watch any matches.

Instead, I went to the practice courts where in the space of 2 hours I saw both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal practice while standing about 10 feet away.

Name me one other profession where you can see the world's best practicing in public. Do the world's top musicians practice every day in public? Do you get to see a brain surgeon work on his operative technique?

And when you see these amazing athletes up close you learn so much if you watch closely.
Especially as they loosen up -- because here they're doing everything almost in slow motion and you can really focus on their body movements and racket technique.

So next time you really want to glean some amazing tennis knowledge go to a pro tournament and head to the practice courts.

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of INSIDER TENNIS STRATEGIES The Ebook guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level.

Technorati Tags

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Learning How To Play Your Best Tennis Against Lesser Competition

Recently, I've had the experience of playing in the early rounds of a club tournament and also playing doubles against ex-Davis Cuppers in a provincial championship.

Even though I won at the club but lost to the ex-Davis Cuppers, I felt I played far better in the loss.

As I think about my mental state as I played both matches, I would summarize the difference as following:

In the club match I played safe tennis. I didn't really swing through anything aggressively. It was good enough to win and I knew I was going to win.

In the tournament I went for everything. I rotated and really followed through because I knew just getting the ball back wasn't enough.

And, I ended up playing some great tennis and was complimented a number of times by my opponents.

The lesson I draw from all of this is that I must maintain that state of really going for it every time I step on the court, regardless of the competition.

I really believe it's that attitude which is one of the differences between good players who can compete at the top levels and the top echelon players who can always play and win at the top levels.

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of INSIDER TENNIS STRATEGIES The Ebook guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level.

Technorati Tags

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Tennis Coaches -- Do They Improve Your Tennis Game?

The big news in the tennis world today is that Andy Roddick has hired Jimmy Connors as his new tennis coach.

Now, most club players don't have tennis coaches. Instead, they have tennis pros who give them lessons but, for the most part, these tennis pros do not scout matches and give tactical advice.

For my money, Andy is in dire need of an experienced tennis coach --especially one with an attacking mentality like Jimbo. Somehow, Roddick got it into his head that should be playing Spanish style defensive tennis. But, Andy doesn't have the quickness and sold backhand neccessary to play that style.

If I were Andy's tennis coach I would I would build his game around the following:

1. He has to hold serve everytime. This means that he must become a master of changing speeds and locations as well as just using his power. And, he must improve his volleying.

2. He must attack the returns. No point for Andy to just get the ball back. This is where I think Jimbo will help Andy the most as his tennis coach.

3. Andy must look to end groundstroke rallies early, especially the backhand exchanges. I would like to see Andy rip his backhand up the line frequently to break the crossocurt pattern.


Anyway, with Jimbo as his new tennis coach it'll be fun to see what happens.

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of INSIDER TENNIS STRATGIES. This Ebook has sold in more than 50 countries and is full of Tennis Tips And Tennis Tactics . It's guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level.

Technorati Tags

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Club Tennis -It's Good And Bad For Your Game

The next few postings are going to be about my experiences in the last little while. I've just finished a tournament where I faced some of the top players in the country in my age group ( ex-Davis Cuppers) and where I've played a relatively easy match against a B player at the local club.

There's no question in my mind that if you play high level competition where you're slightly outclassed ,you're going to start really going for your shots because you know you can't win any other way. In a way it's liberating. And, when you see that those shots can actually win you points against the top players it certainly makes you think.

The trick is to continue to play this way when you're playing lesser competition.

I'll write more in my next post about what typically happens when you play lesser competition.

Dr. Glenn Sheiner ( aka TennisDoc) is the author of INSIDER TENNIS STRATEGIES the Ebook all about tennis tactics, tips, and strategies that is guaranteed to improve your game. Check it out now!

Monday, July 17, 2006

Federer's Strategy At Wimbledon

Well, it was a decent final. And a fair result. Federer was the better player and deserved to win. But Nadal exceeded everybody's expectations and actually almost took it to five sets.

The key to the match was that Federer came out with a strategy to neutralize Nadal's lefty slice serves. He did this by returning with a slice backhand as opposed to topspin as he tried in the French Open final. He also may have adjusted his return position slighty to stand further to the backhand side to protect against the Nadal slice.

By protecting against the slice serve Federer was betting that Nadal could not completely change his serving pattern and serve effectively to the Federer forehand.

Federer's bet payed off but it's interesting to analyze exactly what happened. In the ad court Nadal started serving very effectivley down the middle to Federer's forehand. He won 80% of the points when he served to the forehand and ended up hitting about 50% of his serves in the ad court to the forehand.

In the deuce court it was a different story, and this is what won Federer the match in my opinion. Nadal only served 10% of the time to Federer's forehand in the deuce court. When he did go there he had good success but his relucatance to serve to the forehand in the deuce court is a deficiency which Federer capitalized on.

Look for Nadal to work on his serve wide in the deuce court and , if he gets it going, I'd be worried if I was Federer.

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of INSIDER TENNIS STRATEGIES The Ebook guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level.

Find Blogs in the Blog Directory


Technorati Tags

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Nadal versus Federer -The Final Everyone Wants

Ok. It's a miracle. Nadal made the Wimbledon final. Now he has to play Fed tomorrow.
What should we look for?

In my opinion, the most critical matchup will be the Nadal lefty slice serve against the Federer backhand return. This is partly what killed Federer at Roland Garros -- he tried to come over his returns with topspin instead of just slicing them back.

On grass, the slice is a far more effective shot and I'm sure this will be Federer's plan. He should get a lot of returns back in play.

As for Nadal, the key will be what he does with these low slice returns. He needs to take control of the point right away with his forehand.

Anyways, should be a very interesting tactical match.

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of INSIDER TENNIS STRATEGIES The Ebook guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level.

Technorati Tags

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Roddick's tactical play at Wimbledon

What is Andy Roddick thinking? Here is a guy who doesn't have top ten ability in speed or groundstrokes who's decided to play defensive tennis!!

He will not go far with this tactical approach.

If I were Andy's coach I would tell him to keep the points as short as possible. This means standing a little further inside the court and going for penetrating shots right away. He has the forehand to play this way but it's his backhand that is a liability and that his opponents take advantage of.

So, on the backhand side I would tell him to rip a lot of flat backhands up the line.
Yes, it's a higher risk strategy but Andy wins very few of the backhand crosscourt exchanges anyway.

Even at the top level in tennis tactics determine winners and losers.

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of INSIDER TENNIS STRATEGIES The Ebook guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level.

Technorati Tags

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

So Far Federer Hasn't Been Pushed

What a great tournament so far for Roger Federer. He's played well and hasn't been pushed on the clay. Well, that's about to change. He faces David Nalbandian in the semifinals, and if he gets by him, he'll probably face Rafael Nadal in the final.

If you're a student of tactical tennis you can see how easy it's been for Federer. By and large, he's played guys who couldn't hurt him very much and aren't as steady off the ground. So Fed won by playing very high percentage tennis --mainly crosscourt rallies until he got an opening.

But against Nalbandian he'll be playing someone who is almost as quick and who possesses a better backhand. Nalbandian will win a great deal of the crosscourt backhand rallies and will hurt Fed with his beautiful down the line backhand.


So Fed will be forced to go for more off his backhand or run around it exposing his forehand corner. He'll probably win but it won't be easy and he'll have to play a higher risk game.

Let's see what happens.


Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of INSIDER TENNIS STRATEGIES The Ebook guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level.

Technorati Tags

Sunday, June 04, 2006

Don't Teach Anybody To Play Like Nadal Plays

Ok, Rafael Nadal is an amazing tennis player. But, in terms of a model to learn from --as Tony Soprano would say --forget about it.

First of all his whole tactical strategy is based on the fact that he is an amazing athlete. He stands way behind the baseline and actually dares to people to attack him. And , because of his incredible speed and strength, he can hit winners off shots other players wouln't even reach.

After a while his opponents realize that to win a point they have to hit even harder and aim for the lines. This is a low percentage tennis and Nadal then usually starts winning easily.

So, the first ability that Nadal posesses that most human beings can only dream about is world class speed.

But, the other amazing thing about Nadal's game is that he is hitting winners with bad technique!

Watch the form on a lot of his incredible forehand passing shots. He is completely stretched to the side and is barely even able to get his racket behind the ball. But he is able with just his outstretched arm and wrist to generate great racket head speed and even hit with insanely good angle.

So admire Nadal, enjoy his artistry, but don't try and copy his game.

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of INSIDER TENNIS STRATEGIES The Ebook guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level.

Technorati Tags

Thursday, June 01, 2006

commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

The 2006 French Open and the drop shot

If you're getting into the French Open on TV, you're probably seeing way more drop shots than you traditionally see on hard courts or grass.

There's a couple of reasons for this. The main one is that power isn't the great weapon on clay that it is on hard courts because the red clay slows the ball down. So, all those crosscourt blasts which are winners on the hard courts are merely rally balls on clay. Plus, many players stand much further back on clay than they do on hard courts knowing that it's rare that the opponent will rush the net on clay.

So, what's an aggressive player to do?

Well, enter the drop shot.

Because the opponent is well behind the baseline a well-placed and well-disguised drop shot will often be a winner. Even if the opponent makes a great sprint and reaches the ball there is little he or she can do with it.

So, start watching masters of the clay like Nadal and Nalbandian use the drop shot.

Next time we'll talk about the technique and how to disguise it.



Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of INSIDER TENNIS STRATEGIES The Ebook guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level.

Technorati Tags

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Watching the 2006 French Open makes me think about red clay

For most North Americans red clay is something we hear about a lot and see mainly on our TV screens as we watch the French Open every year.

It's an ongoing debate as to which surface ( hard or clay) is better for developing young players.

Having played on both, I think that if I had a choice as a national director of tennis training, that I would prefer to see the kids train on clay.

Obviously, clay ( especially the red variety seen mainly in Europe and South America) slows the ball down and makes it harder to play attacking tennis. But, it encourages full flowing strokes with lots of topspin, drop shots, angles, and wily tactics.

Of course, because clay doesn't tend to favor attackers, often clay courters don't serve that well and don't have particularly good volleys. You can see that now in the game of Rafael Nadal --one of the most dominant clay courters of all time.

Anybody have any thoughts?

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of INSIDER TENNIS STRATEGIES The Ebook guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level.

Technorati Tags

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Well, it's French Open tennis time again. The whole tennis world is wondering who will be holding up the crown as the 2006 French Open winner in 2 weeks time.

One thing is for sure. Everyone in the tennis world is hoping for another Federer versus Nadal match in the final to be played at Roland Garros on June 10.

The draw for Federer looks good and, earlier today, he won his first round match against an Argentinian qualifier. The hope for Federer, if he is to achieve his goal of being the 2006 French Open winner, is to avoid extremely physically tiring matches especially late in the tournament so that he can be fresh for his anticipated match with Nadal.

Let the 2006 French Open begin.

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of INSIDER TENNIS STRATEGIES The Ebook guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level.

Technorati Tags