"Rafael Nadal: The Secrets of A Giant"

[tented]

For those in the US with the Tennis Channel, they've been showing a documentary named "Rafael Nadal: The Secrets of A Giant". It's worth watching, but unless you're multilingual be prepared to do a lot of reading. Most of the interviews are in Spanish and French.

Has anyone else already seen it?

 

[Carol]

For those in the US with the Tennis Channel, they've been showing a documentary named "Rafael Nadal: The Secrets of A Giant". It's worth watching, but unless you're multilingual be prepared to do a lot of reading. Most of the interviews are in Spanish and French.

Has anyone else already seen it?

I don't have Tennis Channel anymore because I can watch most of the tournaments through ESPN2 and ESPN3 uzzled

 

[GameSetAndMath]

For those in the US with the Tennis Channel, they've been showing a documentary named "Rafael Nadal: The Secrets of A Giant". It's worth watching, but unless you're multilingual be prepared to do a lot of reading. Most of the interviews are in Spanish and French.

Has anyone else already seen it?

There is also a new book on Rafa that is being released right now. It is titled "From Rafa to Nadal: The making of a giant". I think it was released in some ceremony before the start of Madrid Tourney few days ago.

Bad timing for the book though.

 

[Kirijax]

I always thought the perfect title for a Nadal book would be "Humble Gamesmanship".

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

I am still waiting for Tennis Channel to come to Canada...*&^%$# ! No service provider has it so far.

 

[Moxie]

I just watched it. An interesting point from Simon: "He can generate stress even when he is on the defensive." This is an under-appreciated aspect of Nadal's game by those who don't like his game. "He forces you to make mistakes." A shout out to all of those who complain that player-x didn't play well enough against Rafa. Forced errors are a thing.

 

[Luxilon Borg]

For those in the US with the Tennis Channel, they've been showing a documentary named "Rafael Nadal: The Secrets of A Giant". It's worth watching, but unless you're multilingual be prepared to do a lot of reading. Most of the interviews are in Spanish and French.

Has anyone else already seen it?

Loved it. Gotta watch multiple times.

 

[Luxilon Borg]

I just watched it. An interesting point from Simon: "He can generate stress even when he is on the defensive." This is an under-appreciated aspect of Nadal's game by those who don't like his game. "He forces you to make mistakes." A shout out to all of those who complain that player-x didn't play well enough against Rafa. Forced errors are a thing.

What sent my mind into orbit was that talk about eye dominance...through me for a loop..still digesting it!!

 

[Moxie]

I just watched it. An interesting point from Simon: "He can generate stress even when he is on the defensive." This is an under-appreciated aspect of Nadal's game by those who don't like his game. "He forces you to make mistakes." A shout out to all of those who complain that player-x didn't play well enough against Rafa. Forced errors are a thing.

What sent my mind into orbit was that talk about eye dominance...through me for a loop..still digesting it!!

Actually, I was rather shy to mention first, but me, too! Something about Rafa being left-handed but right eye dominant, and right eye dominant people being more disciplined and strategic. Plus, being right-eye dominant when your head is turned away to hit the forehand on the lefty side. Either it is very loopy, or something no one else has explored. (Obviously, eye-dominance is a real thing, but I don't know how it applies to tennis.)

 

[Luxilon Borg]

I just watched it. An interesting point from Simon: "He can generate stress even when he is on the defensive." This is an under-appreciated aspect of Nadal's game by those who don't like his game. "He forces you to make mistakes." A shout out to all of those who complain that player-x didn't play well enough against Rafa. Forced errors are a thing.

What sent my mind into orbit was that talk about eye dominance...through me for a loop..still digesting it!!

Actually, I was rather shy to mention first, but me, too! Something about Rafa being left-handed but right eye dominant, and right eye dominant people being more disciplined and strategic. Plus, being right-eye dominant when your head is turned away to hit the forehand on the lefty side. Either it is very loopy, or something no one else has explored. (Obviously, eye-dominance is a real thing, but I don't know how it applies to tennis.)

Well summarized! I asked a couple fellow coaches and I got differing opinions. I think there something to it on his forehand, he creates angles I have never seen.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I have never heard of "right eye dominance' and "left eye dominance" before. I thought for most people both eyes play equal role (unlike, say hands).

 

[Luxilon Borg]

I have never heard of "right eye dominance' and "left eye dominance" before. I thought for most people both eyes play equal role (unlike, say hands).

Nope. Google it. There is eye dominance, just like side of brain and hand dominance.

 

[Moxie]

I work in the film business. Cinematographers and photographers always look through the camera with their dominant eye. If the director is different eye-dominant to the DP, we flip the lens cup when s/he wants to look through. It is similar to right or left handedness, but doesn't necessarily correlate.

 

[El Dude]

I just watched it. An interesting point from Simon: "He can generate stress even when he is on the defensive." This is an under-appreciated aspect of Nadal's game by those who don't like his game. "He forces you to make mistakes." A shout out to all of those who complain that player-x didn't play well enough against Rafa. Forced errors are a thing.

I don't think this is under-appreciated at all, but a major and well-known aspect of his game. In fact, if I was to think of what Rafa especially excels at, it is wearing players down with incredible defense until they make a mistake.

 

[Moxie]

I just watched it. An interesting point from Simon: "He can generate stress even when he is on the defensive." This is an under-appreciated aspect of Nadal's game by those who don't like his game. "He forces you to make mistakes." A shout out to all of those who complain that player-x didn't play well enough against Rafa. Forced errors are a thing.

I don't think this is under-appreciated at all, but a major and well-known aspect of his game. In fact, if I was to think of what Rafa especially excels at, it is wearing players down with incredible defense until they make a mistake.

You would think normal folks would get that. But not everyone here does. In our limitless arguments about Nadal v. Fed and Djokovic, in particular, some would have it that they just suddenly play crap on a given day, nothing to do with what their opponent has to say. It was a dig at the fanatical.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Nadal forcing people to go for more is pretty well known and has always been well known...until he does it to your favorite player and you start wondering why your favorite player missed shots he doesn't normally miss and how it "inexplicably" only happens against Nadal.

 

[Front242]

Nadal forcing people to go for more is pretty well known and has always been well known...until he does it to your favorite player and you start wondering why your favorite player missed shots he doesn't normally miss and how it "inexplicably" only happens against Nadal.

That might have some merit when you're talking 30+ shots rallies but not a routine 3-5 shot one. Those are indeed inexplicable and you know it.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Nadal forcing people to go for more is pretty well known and has always been well known...until he does it to your favorite player and you start wondering why your favorite player missed shots he doesn't normally miss and how it "inexplicably" only happens against Nadal.

That might have some merit when you're talking 30+ shots rallies but not a routine 3-5 shot one. Those are indeed inexplicable and you know it.

Actually, please don't tell me that "I know it" when what you're saying is an absolute fallacy. No, I don't know it.

Players, especially earlier in Nadal's career when he would cover every inch of the court, knew how quick he was and how well he defended, so they overhit, whether it was a 3-5 shot rally or longer. I mean, it's such an obvious point I'm surprised you don't get it.

Say I hit a serve out wide, Nadal gets it to it, I know how quick he is, so even when I'm going to play V tennis (ie hit to the open side of the court) I feel like I have to hit it closer to the line because I know he can get to it and pass me given how quick he is. The hell does that have anything to do with 30 point rallies? He made them go for more because he would get so many balls back in play, so they started going for more in general, not just during longer rallies.

No wonder you're at a loss to explain all those Fedal matches.

 

[Front242]

Nadal forcing people to go for more is pretty well known and has always been well known...until he does it to your favorite player and you start wondering why your favorite player missed shots he doesn't normally miss and how it "inexplicably" only happens against Nadal.

That might have some merit when you're talking 30+ shots rallies but not a routine 3-5 shot one. Those are indeed inexplicable and you know it.

Actually, please don't tell me that "I know it" when what you're saying is an absolute fallacy. No, I don't know it.

Players, especially earlier in Nadal's career when he would cover every inch of the court, knew how quick he was and how well he defended, so they overhit, whether it was a 3-5 shot rally or longer. I mean, it's such an obvious point I'm surprised you don't get it.

Say I hit a serve out wide, Nadal gets it to it, I know how quick he is, so even when I'm going to play V tennis (ie hit to the open side of the court) I feel like I have to hit it closer to the line because I know he can get to it and pass me given how quick he is. The hell does that have anything to do with 30 point rallies? He made them go for more because he would get so many balls back in play, so they started going for more in general, not just during longer rallies.

Now wonder you're at a loss to explain all those Fedal matches.

I can come up with plenty of explanations to the Fedal matches but I won't bother. Nadal hasn't been lightning fast for quite a while now so that's no longer the reason Fed is walloping easy forehands into the net. He actually does it against everyone these days.

 

[tented]

Say I hit a serve out wide, Nadal gets it to it, I know how quick he is, so even when I'm going to play V tennis (ie hit to the open side of the court) I feel like I have to hit it closer to the line because I know he can get to it and pass me given how quick he is. The hell does that have anything to do with 30 point rallies? He made them go for more because he would get so many balls back in play, so they started going for more in general, not just during longer rallies.

This is the effect Novak has on players these days, IMO, including Nadal:

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaPP75lXUlQ[/video]

I realize that's an atypical rally, but some of the shots Djokovic gets back are stunning, and some of the lines Rafa hits to try to stop this are also incredible.