Wow.
That's all I can say about Rafael Nadal's performance last night in the US Open final.
Especially, the third and fourth set. No errors, unbelievable defense, crisp volleying when needed, and accurate,powerful serving.
We are watching one of the great players of all time.
But, are there are any lessons that Bob or Mary, who play at the club, and right now are preparing for their summer club championships, can use?
Because, as great as Rafa is, he plays tennis with the logical abilities of one of those IBM supercomputers. Let's have a look at some of the tactics Rafa used last night to dismantle a very game Novak Djokovic.
RETURN OF SERVE
Forget about taking a swing, even if shortened on the first serve. Rafa was slicing back all first serves on both the forehand and backhand side. And, he was slicing high and with great depth so that when the ball landed almost all advantage for Djokovic was gone.
This is very similar to the way Roger Federer plays Andy Roddick --neutralize the big serve by just blocking it, and then seeing if your opponent has the goods to win the point after the bounce.
Of course, the flaw in the strategy would be a susceptibility to guys who follow in their serves and volley but, since serve and volleyers are a dying breed, Rafa doesn't usually have to worry .
Djokovic did serve and volley a few times, and actually did well, but it's not his game.
HIT SLICE BACKHANDS HIGH AND UP THE LINE
Another Nadal pattern, when in trouble on his backhand, is to hit a slice up the line. Often, he hits it with lots of height so that it gives him plenty of time to recover to good court position.
This one is a little tricky to volley since it's usually over the backhand shoulder.If Nadal makes a mistake and floats the ball over the forehand shoulder --- it's good night.
Learn To Hit Sharply Sliced First Serves
Nadal makes a living hitting his slice serve in the ad court. It goes to the backhand of the righthanders and is a devastating shot. But, notice how much trouble Nadal has when righties slice wide to his backhand in the deuce court.
In general, a good slice serve is pretty rare at the club. It takes a lot of practice to be able to get enough action and movement so that the serve doesn't sit up in the strike zone.
A good slice serve will force your opponent to stand further to the side to cover it, and open up a lot of court for the serve in the other direction.
So, you'll have guys guessing or cheating -- a big advantage.
A lot of the stuff that Rafa does is unteachable so don't even humor yourself and try those insanely whippy forehands, but these three things above can win you a whole bunch of matches.
Until next time,
Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies Win The US Open Like Rafa 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
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