"Actually, watching Djokovic's match against Nadal, you can see a very striking point."
"Every time before preparing to receive the serve, Djokovic would open his eyes wide, just to keep an eye on the ball and see Nadal's strong spin."
"Firstly, it's preparation for hitting the ball; secondly, it's also preparation for footwork."
"Therefore, these two steps need to be completed in clay court hitting. One of them is indispensable. Otherwise, in the continuous round of confrontation, the advantage will be eroded by the opponent bit by bit."
"Many hard-court players are confused about why their clay-court games are slowly getting into trouble even though their hitting quality has not declined."
Come on.
Explain the profound things in a simple way.
Then, the clouds clear and the sun appears.
Graf's words were soft and gentle, without too many ups and downs or too many setbacks. They were unhurried and unhurried, but they felt the strength of perseverance in the gentle breeze and drizzle.
"That's what most typical hard court players are like."
"Either they blame the clay court for swallowing up their hitting power and speed, so they are not suitable for clay courts; or they believe that their feet cannot be adjusted, so the conclusion is that they are not suitable for clay courts."
"They wish red clay would disappear from the tour, as if red clay is the source of all evil, but they have never experienced the unique charm of red clay."
As he spoke, Graf raised the corners of his mouth gently, paused for a moment, and glanced at the edge of the court vaguely.
Sampras felt a murderous aura inexplicably, and all the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, but when he turned his head, he saw nothing:
what happened?
Gawain noticed Graf's eyes and pursed his lips slightly, a smile appeared in his eyes, but he quickly restrained it and kept his expression serious.
"I was the same way just now."
The answer is found——
Why in the third round of the warm-up game, even though there were more rounds, Gawain felt stiffer and more clumsy, as if he was stuck in a quagmire?
In the final analysis, there is still no way to do it.
Graf's return often hides all kinds of changes, especially if it is limited to one side of the service area. Such a small space gives Graf room to play, just spin, side spin, backspin, inside spin, backspin, and topspin. Wait and you will be able to see countless tricks, and the landing points are very rich.
Combined with the characteristics of the clay court, the changes in Graf's return are further amplified.
At the same time, Gawain did not leave himself time to observe carefully. No matter the shape of the incoming ball or his own movement space, there was no time for it. It was too late to change his course when the matter came to pass. Even if the ball was successfully completed, the effect would be It's not satisfactory either, and then it consumes its own advantages bit by bit.
Essentially, he is still playing the same game on hard courts and has not made any adjustments.
then.
It was like stepping into quicksand, sinking in slowly and unknowingly. Even though this round lasted longer, it still inevitably fell.
"Steffi, so what you are saying is that when we practice basic skills on clay, we should learn to change the rhythm and way of playing."
"Leave a little time to observe the return of the ball, judge the position, and choose the foot movement?"
Even in a formal game, there may only be an invisible time of one millisecond or two milliseconds, but the real core is a way of playing.
Looking at Gawain in front of him, Graf showed a look of relief in his eyes.
"Speaking of which, these are two things."
"First, it is an understanding of the way a tennis ball bounces after landing on a clay court. Spin is part of it, and the rebound height and angle are also different."
"Naturally, our hitting position, return parabola, and understanding of the entire court space all need to change."
"The second is the understanding of foot movement. The same kicking force produces different effects, and there are also differences in the parts where the entire movement generates force."
"Front longitudinal sliding steps, sideways sliding steps, etc. require high control of the thigh muscles and gluteal muscles, and corresponding body training is required for sliding steps in different directions. If the muscle strength is not enough or the skills are not mastered, It’s easy to get hurt if you’re good.”
"So, we often see typical hard-court players who dare not slide after coming to clay, and can only rely on their hard-court footwork skills to support themselves, because they do not have the corresponding skills and are worried about falls, sprains, and strains. Injuries, etc., this is indeed a skill that requires professional training.”
"And it takes a long time of actual combat to truly integrate into your own tactical system."
"Of course, not all players are like this. Your situation is a little bit special because you are agile and flexible enough to dare to slide on hard surfaces."
"In this regard, Novak is indeed gifted. Even hard skating can achieve the effect of clay, so you should learn it very quickly. However, Novak relies entirely on his own physical talent. , if we simply discuss the understanding of clay and the use of sliding steps, he is still slightly inferior to Rafa."
A layman looks at the excitement, an expert looks at the door.
Graf's simple words made people suddenly enlightened.
"But in fact, we all know that a tennis match is one thing. All the individual trainings that are scattered are finally brought together into one thing."
At this point, the definitions and concepts at the theoretical level have actually been given an outline, and the rest needs to be learned slowly through practical training.
In fact, to be honest, Graf has no interest in being a coach at all. She does not think she is suitable to be a professional coach.
Regarding Gawain, Graf was willing to nod and agree to serve as a clay consultant. Agassi's request was not the main reason, but his appreciation for Gawain.
Graf saw the intelligence and wisdom in Gawain, as well as the rare spirituality and humility, which prompted her to nod and agree to the job; but even so, Graf was still not interested in coaching work, so she just Coaching Gawain for a week in Mallorca.
Now, Graf can't help but be curious about how high Gao Wen's growth will reach on the clay court.
"Gawain, I know you are a smart boy and don't need me to worry, but I still want to remind you."
"On a clay court, the worst thing to do is to be hasty."
"Even Roger and Novak, their growth and transformation on clay courts cannot be completed quickly in one or two seasons. It takes a long time, just like the clay itself, it requires patience and perseverance. , also requires will, only tough people can be the ones standing at the end."
"So now we have to start from scratch, from the basics, and you have to be prepared to face failures and setbacks, and things won't go that smoothly."
"Understand?"
Although Graf still spoke softly, Gawain could feel the perseverance and determination in Graf's eyes, and there was an undoubted toughness.
Now, Gawain finally understands:
Why Graf was able to win 22 Grand Slam championships, and why Graf was able to turn Agassi into a soft finger. That kind of tenacity that exudes from the inside out is the true style of a champion.
Gawain stopped joking, suppressed his smile, nodded seriously, and affirmed seriously, "I understand."
Then, he said eagerly, "So, warm-up game, fourth round, continue?"
(End of chapter)
