Tennis Frontier

Category: Johan Kriek

Johan Kriek is an internationally renowned tennis player and a blog contributor to the Tennis Frontier. He won the Australian Open in 1981 and 1982 and is currently the only professional player at his level who is dedicated to personally teaching students in the sport. Johan and his wife Daga (a former nationally-ranked player in Europe) run the Johan Kriek Tennis Academy in North Carolina.

How to Overcome the Almost Impossible in Tennis

Johan Kriek on Muguruza’s success over Serena Williams at Roland Garros

Serena Williams, World No. 1 and reigning French Open champion, was severely trounced today by a fairly unknown Spaniard Garbine Muguruza. Muguruza played almost the same type of tennis Ana Ivanovic played against Williams at the Australian Open, where Ana trounced Williams as well. These two matches should be on every WTA player’s iPad to see how it is done. And these two losses in Majors should be a lesson for Serena on how to combat such situations that she has rarely faced, but now will face more and more.

I watched both matches and the approach to beating Serena was identical. Here are some very important facts to know for players and coaches:

1. Study your opponent. This means knowing her/his strengths and if she/he has any weaknesses to design a strategy on how to take advantage of those. Every player has “weaknesses”.

2. Find a way to watch your opponent either in person, have the coach do it, or scout his/her videos online. It is very important in today’s world to use technology.

3. Work on play patterns on your own serve and also play returns in practice to emulate how hard and where to return serves, especially second serves, which are great opportunities to sting the opponent. Clobbering second serves and putting your opponent on the defense immediately is a great way to boost confidence but also it puts tremendous pressure on the server, no matter who the server is.

4. Do NOT give up on your game plan. Yes, you have to play “as it comes to you” but you have to stick to a strategy and game plan even if you make some mistakes. Do not give up on it and all of sudden begin to play “safe and not to lose”.

5. Keep points shorts and “compact”. Against tough opponents you are better off having them hit as few balls as possible.

6. Stay aggressive in court positioning, which requires courage, quick feet, and very quick reflexes in preparation for the groundstrokes. Move to the ball.

7. Focus on staying on task with execution. Do not let any mistakes bother you. Go through rituals and stay positive at all times to execute.

8. Focus on the process vs. the “result”. One is not on court to lose! That is a given. So focus on each point, think it through clearly, and then go for it!

9. Absolute concentration. No looking at the coach, mom, or the Grand Slam players’ box! It is up to you out there to make it all happen.

10. Enjoy the challenge and pour on the “turbos” when closing out the set or the match. Be absolutely convinced that it is your “day”.

So, here is what I saw happen today between Serena and Muguruza.

Serena started the French Open convincingly. There were no “hiccups” and she was clearly still at the top of her game. But being always at the top perhaps let her be a little too complacent. I have rarely seen Serena being pushed around and made to look slow and awkward in her movement on the court. However, it has already happened twice this year: Ivanovic beating Serena at the Australian Open, and now Muguruza at the French Open.

Obviously, Muguruza “took it to her”. She was totally concentrated, she kept her composure no matter what, she stood her ground right on the baseline, and swung freely on her groundstrokes and went for it. It also helped that she served well especially down the middle on the deuce court, and she jammed Serena quite often on her forehand. Serena rarely misses her backhand returns so Muguruza served a lot to her forehand and it paid off. When pressure is applied relentlessly we can see that even the toughest opponents out there get frustrated and will start missing. Muguruza knew that she needed to keep the pressure on no matter how many mistakes she made, and she did not allow Serena any time to regroup. That frustrated Serena to no end, and Muguruza was aware of that happening. The Spaniard also drilled groundstrokes down the middle of the court forcing Serena to change directions off very deep and fast groundstrokes, and Serena kept missing her shots. That was a very smart strategy by Muguruza and she kept at it.

Serena is not used to getting thumped and one could see the resignation on her face at 1-4 down in the second set. It happens to the best at times. Again, great strategizing by team Muguruza!

When I started playing the pro tour, Vitas Gerulaitis beat me twice in the quarters of the US Open. By the third match in Europe I had decided to completely change my game plan and instead of “managing as I go along” I decided to attack him from start to finish, beat him to the net, hit hard and often from the baseline, and keep him off balance (mostly mentally) because he was one of the fastest and smoothest movers out there. I said to myself over and over, “no fear” and stick to it no matter how much my “panic button” is buzzing. I did not care if he beat me 0 and 0; I was going to play “my way” or go home. I beat him easily and never lost to him again. I did the same thing against John McEnroe and although he won most of the big matches against me, I got to beat him many times. One of the best matches I have ever played was against McEnroe in San Francisco where I beat him 7-6, 6-1. I played flawless tennis. Everything was “on” and from then on I knew I could beat him as long as I focused on the right stuff and played to win.

It takes bravery to think this way. You have to first do it before the match and then apply it on the court. Not easy to do but it may be the only way to beat a much higher ranked player. As they say: “No guts, no glory!”

[divider]

Cover Photo: si.robi (Creative Commons License)

May 29, 2014
Johan Kriek on Progress and Regress in Tennis

Junior tennis mentoring is very challenging even in the best of times. The kids’ brains are not yet fully developed, and we, as coaches, are trying to instill beliefs and knowledge that require high-level thinking. But it has to be done from an early age. I am going to touch on a subject that I think is important for coaches, kids, and parents to understand. Every kid is different, and some mature early and some not. Everyone is different!

I just came back from a tournament and watched girls in my academy play in the 10′s, 12′s, 16′s, and 18′s. The older kids are definitely more polished in their thinking and execution of shots, but one fundamental fact remains across the board: the inability to read what is happening on the court, and the lack of know-how to take advantage of opportunities.

I force my 12-year-old players to practice serve and volley in doubles. At least on first serves to learn the attacking game. I also make them do it on second serves in practice to learn to overcome fear of the return, etc. They are getting really good at it. At first it was pretty pathetic, but as they have become used to running forward and volleying off the deck, half volleys, high floaters, etc., they are not only learning to move forward into the court better, but they also play with better instincts already. It is all a process and it takes a couple of years from age 12 to get the hang of it.

But here is what I saw happen this past weekend at a tournament. Three of my academy kids in the 12′s doubles served and volleyed ONLY once and when each of them lost that point they completely went back to the old ways – the entire tournament! All three missed the volley and shut down 100% the rest of the weekend. Went back to playing crosscourt singles in the hopes of the other player missing. One dimensional playing that got them some wins but IMHO not really furthering their tennis knowledge.

That is NOT what we practiced! The concept of “process driven” vs. “result driven” is understood very well under a roof with a notebook in front of them but come a third-set tiebreak, and all I see is crosscourt singles play in doubles which is fruitless. One of the hardest things to instill in kids ages 12-14 is to become brave. It takes a certain determined player to risk more which is hard since they are not used to it because in the 10′s and a lot of the 12′s these runner/looper/defenders with nothing but groundstrokes and a loopy serve have been getting the best of them.

But in the long run nearly all of the looper kids disappear from the semis and finals at ages 14 (second year) and the 16′s. I am not saying that a loop is a bad shot. It is by all means a great type of shot to reset a point if you were pulled way wide and back at the fence and to throw a kid off their power game but all I saw was hours of mind-numbing looping with parents cheering for mistakes after 25-30 ball rallies. As if that is just great play. It is really crap and we wonder what is happening to tennis.

In order to get good at this game, one must be able to accept that to learn new techniques, new grips, new tactics, and to employ those tactics under severe stress is very difficult, and the chances you will lose that third-set tiebreak because you were not yet totally solid with the techniques or nervous to execute, etc. is very likely. You will lose quite a lot but if you stick to it, then in a couple of years you will be way ahead of kids that just sat back on the baseline and trench walked for years.

To teach a kid not to fear failure but to accept it as part of learning the game the right way is very trying to say the least. We as a society value winning so much that parents, coaches, and players lose sight of the fact that tennis is not a short-term sport in terms of learning. It takes a long time, no matter how talented you are. I see kids coming off the court all jubilant that they have won. No clue that their tennis is actually barely O.K. in winning right now but their skill levels outside of “looping” are so poor in many that I can guarantee you, these kids will be out of tennis by age 16, frustrated and unable to compete with the all-court smart player.

I am not saying that every kid needs to be an all-court player. All I am saying is that one needs to have skills in all facets of the game, no matter what tactic you employ but to only play from the baseline with almost zero skills in moving forward, proficient at the volley and overhead, not to mention “reading skills” on what type of shot is expected to come back, etc. For example, Nadal plays mostly from the baseline. His strength is his forehand and his mind. His backhand is excellent, too, but he uses it more as a “complimentary” shot. Besides that his serve is good but not super great like an Isner but he knows that he is great at the net even if he gets to the net six times in a match. All I see is baseline bashing and looping in junior tennis right now. Very little else.

So in short, one may have to swallow many losses in order to get better. There is no progress without a certain amount of risk – period! I view top tennis juniors quite similar to the way the Navy SEALs approach their training. Many, many enlist and then the weeding out begins. Pretty soon out of thousands enlisted there are only 200 left, and at the end of training there are but a handful of truly super specimens left. Tennis is no different in its outcomes. There will be very few that make it at a high level. But it takes a lot more than just hitting a ball into that box than meets the eye. Accept that in order to learn, a player may very well be losing a lot, maybe for a few years even or more. But if you stick with a great coach, a great work ethic, and you believe you’re making progress, it will most likely come true.

I was watching CBS’s 60 Minutes last night and saw the guy who founded the organization Robin Hood. What an amazing guy, and an incredible organization. He had a marvelous quote when the interviewer asked him about his initial failures even though all his intentions were there to do good: “Out of terrible failure a flame is ignited that forges the necessary steel to make the best sword.”

He couldn’t be more right!

April 27, 2014
Johan Kriek on Confidence

What is it and how does one become confident and keep it when competing in tennis?

As a former Top 10 player now coaching kids in my academy in Charlotte, NC, from ages 6-24, I deal with this “factor” every day.

We are all born with character traits. These are inherited from our parents and forebears. Some people just have “it”, whatever “it” is. I can quickly spot a kid who has confidence and a kid who does not. Kids who are always scared to try things will almost never excel as much or go as far as a kid who is open to learn and try things, even if they fail! Many times these kids will fail, but they learn quickly not to do the same mistakes and will excel again. So yes, in my opinion, certain character traits lend themselves to a better athlete, in any sport.

The type of kids who sleep, eat, and drink his sport from a young age are the ones who excel the most and will risk more. They typically are very self-motivated, love the grind in practice, the long distance runs, the boring yet necessary practices at times to perfect a new grip, or learning a new stroke. It is a joy and a privilege to work with such kids.

I teach my kids from my gut instincts, which has served me extremely well over my 24-year pro-career. I read up on the latest techniques, I watch tennis on TV constantly, or go to the major events often to stay current and see what the best in the world do. I talk to fellow coaches, I listen to what the top pros say and do during their practices on back courts at Wimbledon, the US Open, and many other venues I go to. This way, I am confident as a coach that I know what I am talking about when I coach the kids.

To be a “complete tennis warrior” one has to check off a lot of boxes. These boxes are extremely important to check constantly. Here are some examples of boxes.

Each stroke in tennis is a box. Each stroke has even subcategory boxes. Let me explain it this way with the serve as an example. I think most people would agree that the serve is the most important stroke in tennis. Arguably, those with the best serves in the game make it pretty easy for them to do well.

I teach my boys and girls everything there is to know about the serve: toss positions, grips, racket-head speed, how and when to kick serve, slice serves out wide on the deuce court, flatter hard serves at the body, etc.; anticipation of the most likely return expected and how to act on it, etc.; how to “challenge” the returner with a type of serve; how to switch things up not just in speed, but in spin and positioning of the stance. So, just in this one box there are many things to technically get proficient at, but also, how to read what the returner does with whatever serve you throw at them. A second serve kick used as a first serve is a very good alternative to serving lots of second serves that can result in your opponent running around their backhand ripping forehand returns for winners or near winners all over the court!

The same box is true for the forehand. Most top pros have big forehands now because the wrist is just stronger and better positioned to rip forehands. Most top pros “protect” the backhand side by standing left of center on the baseline for right-handers and right of center on the baseline for left-handers. They leave the forehand area as their favorite area to hit from and hope players will go there. Watch the court positions of Nadal, Federer, Murray, and Djokovic next time they serve. Even on the forehand side there are many sub-boxes one must check off if you have mastered that side. For instance, hitting big top-spins on the rise, hitting slices when the ball is extremely low, and running for drop shots to name but a few. I can go on and on about each stroke for many pages but for the sake of discussing the confidence issue here, I will leave it at what I just said.

Only when a kid has mastered 100% of the strokes will he/she have a real possibility of achieving 100% confidence in his/her stroke production. If, for instance, a kid has not mastered how to move backwards after attacking the short ball, and gets lobbed over the backhand side and cannot hit a backhand angle overhead, or cannot control the ball off that side, then he or she may never have 100% confidence in approaching the net. So in my academy we practice shots you may sometimes never even use in a match, but what if you need the one-time backhand overhead to win on match point and you miss it because you never practiced it? That would stand out in your head as a big ol’ red flag constantly and will shy away from the net because now you are forgetting all the other good strokes you have between volleys and regular overheads, but instead you will focus on hoping they will not lob over the backhand side. That mindset is not instilling confidence.

So yes, character trait is a good indication of confidence in many instances, but strokes are taught and that takes a long time to master. Once mastered, the mental aspect of this sport becomes more and more important, the older the kid becomes and the higher the ranking becomes. It makes absolutely no sense if a kid is taught all the shots and then is never taught how to use them, in what combinations, and how to freak the opponent out by “sneak attacks”, mixing up shots that are risky but can mean the difference between winning or losing against an equally good opponent.

I find this aspect the most neglected area of junior tennis in America! Do not expect kids to acquire the mental edge they need by osmosis — by standing on a tennis court and hitting balls for eight hours a day. Mental IQ is taught. It is a must! One of the hardest things to teach great kids is for them to be able to “self-medicate” on the court. I see countless matches where a kid starts stomping, crying, cheating, and whatever else on the court, and it is all because they feel helpless. They look at mom and dad and the coach sitting there watching and pretty soon it all goes downhill.

I teach my kids not to look for help. They still make mistakes quite often but over time when their maturity at age 15-18 sets in, they start to look like pros on the courts. No more looking around for help. They throw a towel over their head at changeovers and they think about what is happening and what to do to get out of trouble. They know what I expect them to do with their body language when they are serving for the match at 6-5 in the third set. They know what to do when they see a kid starting to chirp at him or herself after being quiet for over two hours. They know what I expect them to do when they play a cheater. They know what I want them to do when things are going badly for them. They are taught to THINK! I have been there many, many times on the biggest stages of tennis against the biggest and best of that era. I wish now I had somebody of my knowledge and experience to tell me what to expect from age 12 onward. I can only imagine which big matches and events I could have added to my career resume.

Once an equilibrium is achieved with a kid in the technical, physical, tactical, and mental departments of their tennis development, the potential is limitless for this kid. Only then will I feel that true “confidence” is now achievable!

It takes knowledge, a very willing participant, time and patience to create that confident kid. A confident kid is a kid with lots of knowledge. Experience just adds to their knowledge base.

April 27, 2014
The Wave of New Coaches on the ATP Tour: A Breath of Fresh Air for 2014

It is with lots of interest in all media especially social media that we read of the new additions on the men’s side. What is striking is the fact that all of the coaches that are hired were superstars from the 80′s and 90′s. It started with Murray hiring Ivan Lendl and we can clearly see the improvement since Lendl joined the Murray camp. Now Roger Federer has hired Stefan Edberg, former number 1 serve and volley expert from Sweden, and Boris Becker is hired by Novak Djokovic, another specialist at the serve and volley game. Connors was hired some years back by Roddick and lately Connors briefly worked with Sharapova.

As a former Top 10 player, I have firsthand knowledge of all of these guys since I played them many, many times. In fact, I predicted that Boris Becker will win Wimbledon in 1985 after he beat me in the finals of Queens in London. He did. I beat Stefan Edberg at Wimbledon when he was making his debut from the juniors, although that win was in five sets and one of my best ever comebacks from two sets down. I lost to Lendl in the 1986 semis at the French Open so I have intimate knowledge of their games and being around them for decades, one gets to know their thinking…

You may ask yourself, why are these top guys hiring guys who played totally different styles than them? Here are my answers:

1. Besides a new fresh pair of eyes, it is exciting to have a new guy at your side, which brings the desire up to perform and that is hugely important. Desire is a must!

2. The men’s tour has become so brutally physical that players are thinking about how to shorten points. These coaches played 90% of their points “short”. Meaning serve and volley, chip and charge, etc. That was their state of mind. Roger and Novak are looking for some of that. (More on this aspect later in this blog.)

3. Publicity for the “team” brings a whole new flavor to their camp. It is all good! Their sponsors like it, the fans like it, and with the explosion of “immediate news” on social media, it is all good!

I will break down the different “celebrity” coaches here from Connors to the sudden hiring of Edberg and Becker.

Connors is an absolute icon in our sport. A tough guy, with a very hard edge, who won more ATP tournaments than any man on this planet! It was the perfect “American story” for Andy Roddick to have hired Jimmy when Andy was on the verge of being more dominant. The heartbreaking final against Roger at Wimbledon was perhaps the moment that extinguished that “flame”. None of us will know when it happens but I suspect that match really affected Andy. That type of relationship has very little to do with a new “technical improvement” rather the player is looking for that extra mental boost that may help them reach a little higher. No guarantees that would happen.

Ivan Lendl joining Andy Murray was the perfect fit in my opinion. Andy Murray was “bridesmaid” to Roger and Rafa for a number of years, and it was beginning to look like he would not be able to get “over the hump” mentally at Majors in particular.

Ivan was in that same position for years. He was in the finals of eight Majors before he won his first! Remember Brad Gilbert, who coached Andre Agassi with great success and was hired by Murray via the LTA in England to help Murray? It did not work! Why? Murray did not have the same respect for Gilbert as he has for Lendl. It was so obvious that it was embarrassing at times at tournaments and the relationship ended shortly after that. Lendl helped Murray understand what it will take mentally to get his first Major win and he did! Now Murray has a US Open, an Olympic gold medal, and a Wimbledon title under his belt. Murray also just came off back surgery so he has issues physically. He may have to start thinking about shortening points…

Federer hiring Stefan Edberg is another smart move after a long stint with another serve and volley expert, Paul Annacone. But since Roger slid in the rankings to No. 7, it was the right time for a change of scenery. It happens all the time. Edberg is the consummate gentleman of our sport. An eight time Grand Slam champion, he knows how to move forward to the net and is a very cool cucumber. A perfect mental fit to help Roger understand how to shorten points and what it takes to perhaps serve and volley a little more. It is all about finding that “little edge”. None of these coaches are hired for a new forehand or backhand, but certainly could be of great assistance in the volley area, movement, and reading skills at the net, and how to be a little smarter about attacking at the right time and the surprise effect of coming to the net. This is a great fit for Roger. I think Roger bends his elbow too much on his backhand volley and gives it too much “chop” at contact. It would be interesting to see if Edberg helps him shorten his backhand volley preparation to be more solid. There, I criticized Roger!… 🙂

Djokovic hiring Becker was another surprise! I was with Becker and Edberg at Richard Branson’s fundraiser on Necker Island a few weeks ago, and had a conversation with both of them. None of them let on what they were up to for 2014.

Novak is an incredibly gifted athlete that has all the stuff physically and mentally. His volleys are not his stronger shots but again, I think him hiring Becker points to a “fresh” start with new excitement in trying to be more aggressive with a new team member. It is all about finding that extra mental edge at this high level. Novak is looking to be No. 1 again after Rafa snatched it back at the end of the season.

David Ferrer just fired his longtime mentor/coach. Perhaps the best player out there today who may never win a Major unless he adds a little more risk in coming to the net. Ferrer has all the stuff mentally. His serve has improved but I think he can still improve on his serve a little and coming forward will be necessary. Like they say, no risk, no reward. I am a huge fan of Ferrer. I certainly hope he can add a Major to his mantle. But it will require him to risk a lot more and to throw the “kitchen sink” at those moments in big matches where he used to play “not to lose” and then did lose. Perhaps play closer in to the baseline and risk blistering shots down the line from closer in and follow it in… Again, no guarantees but that is the only way to get the rewards.

Rafa needs no “celebrity” coach. He is a simple thinker, is perhaps the best “self-motivator” out there. Uncle Toni is there and I do not see any changes in the family set-up. They “tinker” with his game all the time, and I suspect that if the Nadal camp see improvements from Roger and Novak in shortening points, they will follow suit.

I, for one, will be watching closely in 2014. Adding these coaches will be interesting to see if any changes “sank in” and will bear fruit! Go at it, guys!

January 9, 2014
Johan Kriek On His Coaching Philosophy

My coaching philosophy…

If one thinks there is just “one right way” to hit a shot, a serve or he/she is playing too flat, too much topspin or he/she is playing too defensively or too aggressively, etc. I say it is shortsighted. If a coach wants kids to play like he/she did, I say it is shortsighted and will shortchange the student’s tennis development.

I was very aggressive as a player, and it showed in my fines!… Lol! Although that is what I liked to do as a pro, as a tennis coach and mentor to my academy kids, I really study a kid’s “tennis persona” and coach accordingly. However, I also teach my students every shot imaginable. Some shots we work on a weekly basis I call “specialty shots” such as clay court sliding low and close to the net drop-shot gets, drop-shot get lobs, topspin volleys off both sides, backhand and forehand topspin lobs in every direction, backhand jump overheads while moving backwards down the line and crosscourt, etc. My reason is that I would like to send my kids into the tennis battlefield with as many “tennis tools in their tennis toolbox” as I can. Only then will I be comfortable, regardless if they win or lose, that I have done my job. Obviously, the mental side is a huge factor in executing everything in the match, starting with the shots, then the tactics, etc. But I will talk about mental issues in later articles. It is the most neglected part in US kids’ tennis development. I see a lot of “mental midgets” (just like I was at that age) running around playing tournaments.

Let’s return to my previous comment about a kid’s “persona.” I have girls in the under 12′s that hit quite flat and parents asked me if I should change their shots. Heck no! I will, however, make sure they understand that to be a little bit more effective and safer with their groundstrokes, is to dip the racket a little more in the “rally mode,” to use the forearm/wrist a little more in creating topspin, aim a little higher over the net, and keep the same good intensity in footwork, reading skills and look for that opportunity to attack, be it an outright winner with their favorite “flatter” shot or to come in and attack the short ball or put away the volley or overhead.

Just listen to the commentators talk about Nadal and his “flatter shots” suddenly magically appearing, as if it were the biggest thing since sliced bread! I know they gear their commentary mostly towards a “low information” tennis public, but it is so clear that all sorts of spins and flat shots have their place in a match. A very clear example of spin is Stosur’s kick serve that puts a lot of pressure on right handers especially returning Stosur’s second serves on the ad court. Another super topspin that is in the history of our sport — probably the biggest and most effective shot — is Rafa’s forehand. He pins Federer in the ad corner with huge high and heavy topspins, especially on clay, and then plays ping-pong from there. Winners start popping everywhere off his forehand.

However, I also saw James Blake beat Nadal some years ago twice in a row by hitting flat! Blake hit his forehand to Nadal’s forehand so hard that Nadal could not create the same power or topspin to neutralize Blake’s penetrating and skidding forehand. That was very smart! Blake was so confident doing that over and over that he ended playing incredible tennis in all other areas of his game. As we say it, he played “in the zone.” Pretty simple concept but to execute it well all together to win is another story.

In closing, I teach my kids all the shots they may need in a battle. But I also know some like to play more baseline-based tennis, be it a runner retriever, or an aggressive runner and a big hitter while others are more aggressive moving to the net quicker. But all need to know what to do in all situations. It all comes down to executing the right shots for the right application in a particular situation. The rest is “luck of the draw”…

October 16, 2013
Johan Kriek on Character in Tennis

As an owner/operator of an elite tennis academy in Charlotte, NC, I would like to talk about character. It matters the most in my book. We all make mistakes, but it is the person with character who realizes they have made a mistake and can fess up and truly feel sorry, say so, and apologize and try not to make the same mistake again. That is a person with good character.

Character also plays a huge role in becoming successful in tennis. It is so refreshing to see our kids listen and truly try new things which we coach all the time because tennis coaching is a step-by-step process with ever increasing demands in “execution” of shots as well as the building of maturity in the mental side of the game. Needless to say, there are so many “boxes” to check off to learn to play this game at the best of our ability, it takes a lot of time, huge effort, and dedication coupled with a limitless “thirst” to do better every day. It would be easy for me to try and focus on getting a “player” from the top ranks in the world. Would be a great “feather in my cap”, however, I truly enjoy seeing a kid start to bloom from a very early age and create their own “look” and build their tennis character. That, to me, is by far the most satisfying aspect of the academy business. I can’t wait to see where some of these 8-16 year olds will be in the next decade, etc.

So how does one break out of the “pack” of all these boys and girls playing ITF Futures and Challenger events, such as the older boys we are working with the past few weeks? There are thousands of very good players out there, all trying to make it on the ATP or the WTA tours. It takes one tough character to “stand out”. Having talent and weapons is great, but if you are not one tough character, talent will only take you so far. It is the person with a strong character who will leave no stone unturned to achieve their goals. Setbacks will be there, no doubt. Failures will pop up aplenty. Losing will make one feel like a failure. But it is the person with a strong-willed character, a never-say-die attitude, even if the odds seem overwhelming, that eventually makes it.

[divider]

Discuss with fellow tennis fans on our message boards.

October 9, 2013
Johan Kriek on Drugs in Sport

Last week, Johan was asked by two different radio hosts about his thoughts on drugs in tennis.

MY TAKE: and I hope this sparks a serious debate about drugs in tennis before it is TOO LATE!

Back in 1979 and 1980 there were discussions within the ATP and its leadership on how to keep tennis clean from pros using drugs (my feeling was that there were just too many “rumors” of drug use, specifically “recreational drugs”). Remember Studio 54, Miami Vice, etc….etc? All so glamorous and fun….

The ATP in the summer of 1980 (if my memory serves me correctly) had a big meeting at the Gloucester Hotel in London the weekend before Wimbledon, and it was unanimous that any player could be randomly picked for a drug test at that time. We were the first pro sports in the history of sports to implement such drug testing rules.

After my 5 set loss to Bjorn Borg in the 1980 US Open semifinals I was escorted by security to the Marriott Hotel at La Guardia airport to be drug tested which was strictly a urine test. I was told I was the first pro player to be tested randomly under the rules. I was perfectly happy to do so since I had absolutely nothing to hide. I never heard back from anybody which confirmed I was no drug user of any kind. But doesn’t it suck to know you are clean to be “proven innocent”…..but this was the beginning of the ATP’s drug testing path.

With Alex Rodriguez’s situation and the decades long baseball drug suspensions, and Pete Rose’s ridiculously over the top suspension for betting while others still play who use PED’s, the NFL steroid history, and many, many deaths most likely caused by the abuse of steroids (this is all very well documented), plus the pro-cycling tour’s doping scandals, and the fact that the names of pro tennis players are starting to pop up more and more in papers. I am very concerned as a former top ATP player that this kind of publicity is going to “kill the goose that lay the golden egg.” But that is just one concern….

I know, there are people — many, in fact — who don’t care that there are PED’s (Performance Enhancing Drugs) and openly think it is OK to let athletes use whatever they want, and let it go on like that. But here is my argument: If an athlete then decides the risks are too high, and wants to stay “clean” and compete as such, such athlete will not be competitive! Is that fair? Of course not! What about the results physically long term on a body? We know a lot of it is very bad and some may get away with being OK, but too many will suffer very negatively. I am no scientist but I hope some scientist will comment and tell us what each of these drugs can do to a body, short term and long term.

The second argument for me is, how do I tell my own flesh and blood kids that if they want to be competitive, you better start using HGH at age 8 so you can become taller. Or that they will have to use PED’s for as long as they want to be competitive on the pro tennis tours! What kinda world will we live in? Sure, those that like to see car and train wrecks will not give a damn and will probably not mind if somebody has a ”roid-rage” episode on court or on TV in front of millions and decapitate a linesman or skewer a fan with the sharp end of a “smithereened” racket since he did not like his “cheering”!

I don’t pretend to have the answers to this. It is a vexing and very difficult subject since it has so many issues coming with it. I see juniors in tennis and I wonder why is this girl or boy 6 foot 4 and only 14 years old, and the parents are 5’8″? Must be from the grandparents … Yeah, right …

To what length will some of these crazy parents go to get an “advantage” for their child? And more importantly, should there be drug testing in juniors and if so, at what age should they be randomly tested? It is just mind-boggling to me to even think in these terms but that is where it is heading! What about the issue of a kid who “unknowingly” is being “fed” stuff and maybe knows and doesn’t want to do it — what then? How sickening is that! And it has happened in junior sports!

Here is a thought for at least the ATP Tour (I cannot speak for the WTA Tour but perhaps they have issues, too):

Have random drug tests, lots of them, for the top 250 to 500 players. Make it an industry! You drop into any of those rankings for a minute you are “fair game”. Test each person at any time, at any tournament, while on vacation, in Richard Branson’s spaceship…I don’t care. If you cannot do it, immediate suspension for two years. You refuse, lifetime suspension. You fail the test first time, lifetime suspension. Period! Make drug issues a NON-ISSUE this way. I don’t care if you are number 1 in the world or number 500, everybody gets treated the same. In order to safeguard against “influences”, spread these drug testing centers all around the world. Only very few people will know where all of them are. Perhaps switch testing centers constantly so there will not be any chance of “meddling” with results. Maybe have a minimum of 5 drug testing facilities, maybe even more. One gets a result back and it is 3-2? Adios!

I liken this scourge of drugs in sports to a slow growing cancer. Eventually it will kill, so it is better to ”cut it out” early when noticed and treat it aggressively.

BTW….I know I will never be asked to head the ATP so being a wishy washy politician is never going to be my philosophy. I tell it the way I see it..

I am very worried. You may ask me why am I worried…..

“You are done playing so why inject yourself in this, you old fart!”

Because my whole life was/still is TENNIS! I was always told that hard work, fair play, and honor are qualities needed to succeed. Now you tell me it is irrelevant??!!

On top of it, I am coaching future college kids, maybe even future champions! I am changing lives and now I am to feel like if I keep doing this and pros are openly using drugs all I stand for is in FULL ASSAULT and I will be IRRELEVANT in the near future!! That is completely UNACCEPTABLE!!

Here is another issue — look what happened to a situation like Southern chef Paula Dean who had used a racial slur. She lost a HUGE amount of MONEY, companies dropped her like a hot potato, and her reputation is tarnished, perhaps for life! For a “word” she used and her life and business are destroyed!

I sincerely hope the 4 Majors and ALL ”powers that be” in our wonderful sport start dealing with this as the HIGHEST priority in sorting this out ASAP. SPONSORS all around the world should say to the ATP Tour leaders, if this continues to “crop up” we will WALK!

Maybe it is easier to hit them (players) hard in the “pocketbook” than it is “morally”. But that is what modern man feels the most. Sad but true: we value money more than “values” themselves…

I hope this sparks a HUGE debate……”

Reposted from the Johan Kriek Tennis Academy website

[divider]

Discuss Johan’s blog post and the subject of doping in sport/tennis on our discussion forums.

August 11, 2013
Johan Kriek on serve-and-volleying at Wimbledon

“During Wimbledon last year I did a lengthy interview with a fellow South-African commentator, Robbie Koenig. Afterwards we went for lunch at the press center. It is an amazingly diverse area…. very cool. Robbie and I discussed the lack of serve-and-volley being employed at Wimbledon in modern times and in tennis in general. We had a very interesting discussion that brought us both to the following conclusions:

1. The serve-and-volley game has been impacted by big men now hitting much harder.

2. The new graphite rackets have made it easier to hit much harder due to them being lighter, the sweet-spot is bigger but the most impact is actually from strings, especially the Luxilon brand that imparts more spin on the ball. (Kids! Stay away from these hard strings!)

3. Because balls dip quicker, players feel that hitting volleys consistently deep and effectively is diminished…

4. The new, younger, “modern technique” coaches are teaching big hitting with bigger swings etc. etc. with almost zero volleying…

I agree on the points above but look what happened today…shall I call it ” weird, wacky, wonderful, whodat Wednesday”??…;)

Federer lost to a guy with a great serve-and-volley game! Brown beat Leyton Hewitt with a very aggressive style of serve, volley and quick hands.

What cracked me up was that the commentators are acting like this “type” of play is so alien, they are surprised somebody would actually go back and find it in the dusty crevices of and old Wimbledon manuscript at the museum and use it!! Well done to SOMEBODY finally having the “balls” and try what is very obvious, that on grass, the slice, the slice approach and serve and volley CAN be used effectively…..hooray !!!”

Reposted from the Johan Kriek Tennis Academy website

June 26, 2013
Johan Kriek on the concept of bring “process driven” vs “result driven”

“Ok, here is the piece I promised on the terms I used in another post…”process driven” vs “result driven”. This is a philosophy similar to the tortoise and the hare story…

I was in SA [South Africa] playing most of the top junior tournaments back in the early 70′s while being in a boarding school at a very prestigious high school in Pretoria. I left in my final year before graduating to go live in Austria with my coach Ian Cunningham who had emigrated to Austria two years prior to my arrival. I completely disappeared from SA and International tennis. I heard rumors that I had quit tennis, was burnt out and was going to farm with my dad….blah blah blah, etc. etc. The real truth was that (at the time unbeknownst to others) I was in the “process driven mode” of my tennis development. I did not compete in the Orange bowl, junior Wimbledon, US Open juniors or any major junior event from age 17 to 19. I honed my sliding skills and all that was necessary to become a more sound ball striker on red clay and became a great competitor because if clay and took the train to Switzerland, Vienna, Germany and England to play in smaller “open” events. I cannot tell you how many Swiss Army knives I collected in those two years….

In 1978 I together with my coach decided it was time to go to America and play for two months in Florida and tackle the then WATCH circuit. The first two weeks I did not even qualify! I finally qualified in Bonita Springs, then won Hialeah ($1500!!!!) and decided to continue playing another circuit for 5 weeks in North and South Carolina. I came in second in points and my ATP ranking was dropping very quickly into the low 200′s after being ranked like 689 or so arriving in the US. I then qualified in North Conway and in Stowe Vermont before heading off to the US Open qualies, won 4 rounds, and went all the way to the quarters beating Brian Teacher, Yannick Noah in 5 sets only to get spanked by Vitas Gerulaitis in the quarters. I have ARRIVED! Suddenly agents are talking and my life changed almost overnite….

Herein lies the truth. If I had chased points before I had really worked on my basics, my confidence, my everything, I don’t think i would have made it! The system for juniors in many parts of the world is FLAWED and that is why so many top juniors don’t seem to make it in the pros. They just lose heart! They were so “result driven” to be “seen” for sponsors, mom and dad, peers, etc etc. That is IMHO a very narrow and shortsighted approach. People fly around the US and South-America to the weakest ITF events just to get points and kids with way more talent, maybe less money to travel end up with worse rankings and the whole system becomes skewed. I don’t pretend to have the answers to all the ills in the USTA Player Development sector, but this problem is NOT unique to the US either! Talk to any pros that “know” their countries like England, Australia, South Africa…..they all suffer from the same political bs and the kids suffer because of it! The enormous monies plowed into “finding the next great one” very very rarely does!!! Most are from the strangest places! Look at Serbia, Sweden, Spain, Argentina and so may others. For parents to drive all over to have an under ten ranking and burn their kids out LONG before the real test has to take place around 14-16 needs to have their heads examined. Work on technique, point construction, tactics. I see “mental midgets” all over the pace! They all can strike the ball, bang bang from the back but a very small percentage of them are taught how to think, how to behave, how to be humble, how to play fair! It is all about winning, winning, winning aka ” result driven”. And you wonder why the US have so few top prospects and have spent so much money…

I was ranked 689 when i arrived in the US in 1978. In less than two years (never a wildcard) I was top ten in the world. So what if I didn’t have a junior top ranking. I quietly for nearly three years worked on my “total game” and believed that that was what was going to work best for me, and it did. The cream will rise to the top eventually….”

Reposted from the Johan Kriek Tennis Academy website

June 9, 2013
Johan Kriek on How to Counter Dominance

“I’ve been thinking about the women’s final at Roland Garros today and how Serena Williams has been so dominating on the WTA tour. I do not know these women personally, in fact have never met either one of them. I do consider myself fairly knowledgeable and a student/ambassador/lover of this wonderful game called tennis!

The real story to me is how Serena has been dominating Maria Sharapova in majors, and I would like to shed some light on this issue. This is just how I think about “competition”. It is my “everything” vs. their ” everything”. This piece has zero to do with whether I like or dislike any of these players. They have been incredible athletes and regardless of what I think of either one of them, they are winning a lot. Just number one is dominating number two! That is what interests me and here is my thinking… Sharapova can take this free advice from me… won’t cost her…

Serena Williams is by far the strongest, most vicious competitor in the women’s game — maybe ever — with a serve that rivals some top men players in speed. Period. Her serve is her biggest weapon and when it clicks, it elevates everything else in her game.

What does one do when this dominance seems so complete? Does one shrug, accept that they are just better, bigger, faster. and move on to the next tournament in hopes of not running into the domineering player? Or do we stop, take stock of what has been happening, look at all the strengths and weaknesses of both of us, and “adjust”? By adjust I mean really change some stuff. If I were Sharapova’s coach I would be doing the following:

I would stop at NOTHING to figure out how to beat Serena. Get as many matches on video where Serena had beaten her, analyze all of it in depth, and make notes of how she beat her, scores, etc., on what surface, and if there were many variations in the tactics. What was her percentages of serves in each game? Where did she serve on break points against her? Where did she land her second serves under stress points? What was her average first serve speeds in each game, each set, each match? Second most important thing is returns of serves — of both first and second serves. How can she improve on that?Look at pattern play when the chips are not down, vs. when the chips are down, and it is a must win for Serena. We all play a certain way when we are under pressure, and many times we can see patterns emerge. This analysis will take time, but a lot can be learned if one knows what to look for. There is a company in Melbourne, Australia, that has this capability of analyzing top men’s and women’s matches, and everything and has been doing it for many years. Get it! Study every point, every game, every set, and begin to formulate a plan.

This plan will include some serious stuff. Gym work to increase strength. Sharapova is not a great mover. She reads the ball very well, but she needs to increase her sprint ability. Leave no stone unturned when it comes to physical prowess. Navratilova did it and when she dominated Chris Evert, Chris went to the gym and became much better. It absolutely can be done.

Here comes the controversial part:

Sharapova needs to learn to play fearless, aggressive tennis. Not just pounding groundstrokes from the baseline; she needs to get her nose to the net! NOBODY likes to be pushed into a corner and then see the attitude of “I dare you to pass me”. Serena doesn’t like to be pushed. She likes to be a front runner and it shows. I will have Sharapova serve and volley until she likes it! She can match Serena off the ground, but if Sharapova can learn the “transition game” and be as comfortable with that as she is with her groundstrokes — watch out!

Sharapova has a pretty good serve with good power! But when she “over-thinks” it, the toss goes sky high, the knees bend even more, and with the combination of a fast dropping ball and slightly out-of-sync legs, she double faults suddenly. It doesn’t take much for that to happen … Saw it again today! I will cure her double faults!

Here is why I like Nadal: he tinkers, he changes, he tries different things all in the name of making himself “better” and he does it all the time! But what is so astonishing about him, is that he goes into these “changes” with 100% conviction that that is going to work for him! Nobody in tennis does what Nadal does. Look what he has done the last 8 to 10 years! Not Roger, not Djokovic, not Murray — none does what Nadal does. Maria needs to take a page out of Nadal’s book and do the following:

Work on the stuff I mentioned. That is a must. But over the next few years, if she is doing these changes with a passion and 100% conviction, she will for sure have more success! If not, I cannot see her EVER winning majors against Serena at this point, unless something goes wrong physically or mentally with Serena.

On Tuesday I wrote a piece about being “process driven” vs. ”result driven”. Here is a classic example and what happened to me. In 1978 and 1979 I reached the quarterfinals at the US Open and in both years I lost to Vitas Gerulaitis. He spanked me in straights in ’78, and in four sets in 1979. He was incredibly quick, served and volleyed, and was a pretty good all -around player but his fitness, his quickness, and his ability to read the play was fantastic. I was beginning to think, maybe I will never be able to beat him; after all he was training with Borg and was number 4 in the world at the time. A year or so later I played Vitas Gerulaitis again in Milan, Italy, on a fast indoor carpet. I liked the surface — and so did he. I agonized the night before of how I was going to play against him. I went through every possible scenario I could think of, and decided on the following which became my “process”:

1. Serve and volley every single point on my own serve. Regardless of score. Absolutely be fearless, no matter how bad things may turn out for me, but I WILL get to the net before he does, and if he doesn’t come to the net on his serve, I will. Execute, execute, execute — FEARLESSLY!

2. Never show ANY emotion! I made myself that promise, and I went over these points over and over until the wee hours of the morning.

3. Every second serve I get would be looked at as an opportunity for me to “pounce”! I would slice and come in. I would rip a backhand and come in. Let him try and pass me. I would drop-shot him sometimes, no matter how fast he was, I would be at the net, too, and see if he could pass or lob me.

4. I made a pact with myself: No matter how hard it may be, I will not WAIVER in this approach at all.

I didn’t! And I beat him badly!

That match meant more to my inner confidence/my self-belief/my strength of thought in my career and I ran into many, many tough guys and tough matches and I won most of them. WHY? I became “PROCESS ” driven. The “result” would come ONLY after I had done the process right.

I never lost to Gerulaitis after that Milan match ever again…..

I love this stuff……”

Reposted from the Johan Kriek Tennis Academy website

June 8, 2013