Tip of the week: Topspin in moderation

There are times when circumstances call for ripping the ball with heavy topspin and times when hitting a flatter groundstoke is the better option. However, when you watch above average players these days, especially juniors, you would think that the objective in tennis is purely to see who can impart more spin on the ball!

The dipping characteristic of a topspin drive has many useful applications, such as making the ball dip at the net player's feet, helping a lob drop inside the baseline, and hitting a short angle shot aggressively. It can also help very firmly hit drives land inside the baseline without having to aim extremely low over the net. However, too often players apply maximum topspin to regular rally balls, resulting in shots that land short.

I advise my students to only use as much topspin as is necessary to achieve the desired effect, which on a rally ball should be to land the ball deep into the opponent’s court while maintaining a safe margin over the net and inside the baseline. Therefore, the degree of spin applied should be adjusted based on the intended speed and height of the shot as well as the distance from the net when striking the ball. Applying excessive topspin is simply a waste of energy that will help your opponent make better returns. See you on the court!

Hewitt's last hurrah

Yesterday, veteran Aussie player Lleyton Hewitt played his last professional tennis match when he was mauled by David Ferrer in straight sets in the second round of the Australian Open. He was fortunate to be able to leave on his own terms in front of his home crowd and it was perhaps fitting that Ferrer, a more aggressive version of Hewitt, was his last opponent.

(Hewitt) became the youngest male ever to claim the No 1 ranking, at the age of 20

For the past 10 years, the length of most professionals’ entire careers, it wouldn’t be unfair to characterise Hewitt's career as one of a journeyman. He dropped out of the top 10 for good in July 2006 and since September 2010 he hasn’t been able to rise above No 38 in the rankings. But it was what he achieved in the first 10 years of his remarkable 20 years on tour that he will be remembered for.

I still vividly remember the astonishing emergence of a young Hewitt when at the age of just 15 he claimed his first ATP tournament in Adelaide, defeating Andre Agassi in the semi-finals. In 2000, at the age of 19, he became the youngest man in the open era to win a Grand Slam title when he and Max Mirnyi claimed the US Open doubles championship. Later that year Hewitt became the youngest player in history to qualify for the year-end Tennis Masters Cup (now called the ATP World Tour Finals). In 2001 he became an international sensation when he claimed the US Open singles title by defeating the great Pete Sampras, a four-time champion at the time, in straight sets in the final. He went on to win the Tennis Masters Cup shortly after and in doing so became the youngest male ever to claim the No 1 ranking, at the age of 20. He held on to the top spot for a year and a half during which time he claimed the most coveted prize in tennis, the singles title at Wimbledon, a remarkable result given the event’s traditional domination by serve-and-volleyers.

Tributes have been flowing in for the Aussie battler whose passion for the game and never say die attitude have earned him respect from players and fans around the world. Roger Federer, who took over Hewitt’s domination of the top spot, spoke of being inspired by Hewitt’s rise in the rankings as a smaller player and credited him with “changing the game forever.” Rafael Nadal, the ultimate baseliner, also paid tribute to his fellow “grinder’s" influence saying, “his attitude on court, his mentality have been great and an inspiration for me.” High praise from a player whose name is synonymous with the phrase "mental toughness."

Hewitt’s playing career may be over but he will continue to be an asset for Australian tennis, having recently taken over the captaincy of Australia’s Davis Cup team. As Australia’s most decorated Davis Cup player, having been part of two winning teams, no one is more qualified for the job. And with a couple of hot-headed talents like Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic under his charge, Hewitt, known for his feisty attitude as a youngster, may be just what the doctor ordered. Here’s to another 20 years in the game, Lleyton!

Tip of the week: Strengthen your legs

Tennis may look like a sport where you swing at a ball predominantly using your arm, but looks can be deceiving. You will not find a quality tennis player that doesn’t use their entire body when hitting ground strokes, and it all starts with the legs.

There are several reasons for getting good knee bend in tennis. First of all, it is essential for achieving an effective ready position, which involves getting your muscles loaded and ready to propel you towards the ball in an instant. Secondly, it provides stability when hitting your strokes. A lower centre of gravity (and wide stance) will make it easier to balance and therefore control your shots. Thirdly, it is crucial for generating power when using an open or semi-open stance, as this stance requires that the necessary shoulder turn is achieved by bending and twisting your trunk.

For these reasons, as well as other general benefits such as improving speed, agility and endurance, players serious about improving their game should dedicate part of their training to strengthening their legs. Apart from resistance work in the gym, jumping rope, shuttle runs and working with a medicine ball are just some of the ways you can improve the capacity of your legs. Beef up your engine and you’ll cruise through your matches! See you on the court!

Can Djokovic be stopped?

Novak Djokovic had a phenomenal 2015 season, winning a career best 11 titles. But the quality of his wins was even more impressive than the quantity. His haul included three of the four Grand Slam tournaments, six of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments and the end of season Barclay’s ATP World Tour Finals. He enters the 2016 season having been ranked No. 1 for 78 consecutive weeks. He seems untouchable at the moment, and if he continues last season’s form he will likely remain so. But even if his level dips a little, do any of the other members of the “Big 4” stand a chance of overtaking him?

If anyone can bring down the new dog it might just be the old dog!

Let’s rule out Nadal immediately. Although the end of his 2015 season was much stronger than his start, overall his level was well below par for him and not in the same time zone as Djokovic. And although their head-to-head is deadlocked at 23-23, Novak has defeated Rafa in eight of their last nine encounters, dating back to 2013. This is a trend that isn’t going to be reversed by Rafa raising his level this season, even if Novak doesn’t continue at his peak level.

What about Murray? The World No. 2 didn’t have his best season but it wasn’t bad either, picking up four titles including two Masters 1000 crowns. However, his recent head-to-head with Djokovic is even more demoralising than Nadal’s, having won just one match in their last eleven encounters since 2014. Although Murray’s win came quite recently, they played each other seven times in 2015 with Djokovic prevailing on every other occasion and typically with ease. According to the rankings, Andy is closer to upsetting Novak’s stunning run than any other player, but he’s also about as far away from taking the No. 1 ranking as a World No. 2 can be!

That leaves the elder statesmen, Federer. At 34, surely he should be thinking about hanging up his racket, right? Not so fast. Statistically Roger has been playing some of the best tennis of his career, with his best ever serving stats and healthy numbers on return too. Roger and Novak met eight times in 2015, all in finals apart from their round-robin match in the World Tour Finals. Although Djokovic won five of these encounters, Federer's three victories were all in straight sets, while the same can be said of only two of Djokovic’s wins. Not to take anything away from Novak as a win is a win, but for me Roger is clearly the last man standing in the way of Novak completely dominating the tour. If anyone can bring down the new dog it might just be the old dog!

Federer has teamed up with recently retired player, Ivan Ljubicic for 2016, a move that has been interpreted as Federer trying to get the upper hand against Djokovic. The move hasn’t gone unnoticed by Novak, who is good friends with Ljubicic, commenting, “He knows my game.” It looks like retirement will have to wait for Federer as he single-handedly attempts to put a stop to his legacy of records being overthrown.

Tip of the week: Serve for placement

Once you can serve with enough accuracy to place your serve to one half of the service box you've put yourself ahead of the hoards of players that can't. And they're not all beginners either. Many seasoned players have developed bad habits that allow them to only serve consistently to one area of the service box. They may have become very proficient with this particular serve, consistently spinning it or hitting it with power. But if there is no variation that’s a big problem. It may look impressive at first sight, but after facing the same serve repeatedly the returner will soon build confidence and their shots may get increasingly aggressive.

The key is to be unpredictable with your serve and for that you need to have some control over the placement. A slightly weaker serve that is well placed can be far more effective in making your opponent uncomfortable than a strong serve that they are totally prepared for. And if your stock serve happens to be directed to your opponent’s strength, like their big forehand, then watch out!

So when you practice your serve hit towards different target areas. Then when it’s game time keep your opponent guessing when they're returning and you'll be well on your way to consistently holding serve like the pros. See you on the court!