"...center of gravity, pay attention to the center of gravity, bend the knees, lower the center of gravity, stabilize, keep the body balanced, toes... snap! snap! snap! Move your toes..."
Sampras's voice echoed over the training ground, repeating familiar words over and over again, without any new ideas at all.
Under the scorching sun, sweating profusely, everyone looked like they had been fished out of the water, but no one was distracted, and no one complained about being tired. They still devoted themselves to training with all their concentration, and the boring basic training was still enjoyable. Build muscle memory bit by bit.
There are no shortcuts to training. Repeat, repeat, repeat, run and sweat, and continue. This is the only way.
Sampras knows Gao Wen's ability. In fact, Gao Wen's most outstanding talent is wisdom, interpretation of the game, understanding of the field, tactical layout, etc. He is always able to keenly capture the atmosphere of the game and look for it. Find the right combination and then take control of the game.
Sampras is not worried about Gao Wen's ability to adapt to grass. Especially after experiencing the clay court season, his confidence has become more firm.
Now, Sampras has many expectations for Gao Wen's grass court season, and the enthusiasm, excitement and excitement have returned to his body.
Even after retiring for many years, grass still has a special place in Sampras's heart. The memory of June has reawakened the sleeping champion's heart. If he had just coached Gao Wen, then forget it. They need to run in, but after more than half a year of cooperation, , Sampras became more and more confident, and his expectations naturally gradually increased. After experiencing the surprise of Roland Garros, his ambitions burned uncontrollably.
On the first night after arriving in Eastbourne, Agassi talked to Sampras alone:
"You need to calm down."
Gao Wen has been under countless pressures, from the frenzy of "Big Four VS Challengers" to the heated discussion of "The Battle for World No. 1", to the recovery and adjustment after the Grand Slam winning streak stopped, all kinds of pressures continue to accumulate, and now It is also necessary to add the heavy attention brought by the title of "Sampras Disciple"——
After all, before Federer, Sampras was the well-deserved king of grass, so as a disciple of Sampras, what about Gawain?
"Pete, you know and I know that we all hope to continue our enthusiasm and passion through this child and continue to climb the ultimate peak; but he does not need to be responsible for our daydreams, he is himself, he has his own life, he has his future, and he does not need to bear our unfinished dreams."
"I know you're eager to get back on court No. 1 and that's not possible right now, but I remind you that you shouldn't expect this kid to do it for you."
Faced with Agassi's accusations, Sampras denied it. Not only did he deny it, he also issued a strong protest and even had a dispute with Agassi.
Sampras believed that Agassi was unfounded and had imposed unfounded accusations on himself. He expressed dissatisfaction with this and argued without hesitation. The two argued with red faces and finally broke up, so that the two The training atmosphere today is a little tense.
However, looking at Gawain who was concentrating on training in front of him, Sampras was a little unsure——
His ambition was indeed growing bit by bit, and the news headline "Sampras disciples reach Wimbledon summit" popped up in his mind.
That idea is like a seed. Once it takes root and sprouts, it can no longer stop. It thrives in the blink of an eye and spreads wildly.
This is not a good thing.
For Gao Wen, the biggest shortcoming when switching from the clay court season to the grass court season is experience.
For this young man, the world of tennis is still new and full of unknowns and adventures. He needs to stay active and keep exploring.
However, a balance should be found between a strong thirst for knowledge and a strong desire to win, otherwise ambition may backfire and destroy the entire game.
Looking back carefully, patience and concentration are the keys to Gao Wen's breakthrough at Roland Garros——
They did not set goals, not because they lacked confidence, but because they gave Gao Wen enough space to explore and try.
Make mistakes, take risks, and grow.
Throughout the clay court season, whether Agassi or Sampras, they always held a humble attitude and slowly sought to get along with Gao Wen. From doubles to singles, from victory to defeat, each game was summarized in detail. Then make local adjustments to the details according to the actual situation.
After two months, when they arrived at Roland Garros, they had reached a certain state and then they ushered in an explosion and breakthrough.
Now in the grass court season, the basic training has not yet ended, and the confidence has already swelled. The image of winning the championship is lingering in his mind. Then Sampras realizes that Agassi is right. He has lost his sense of normalcy and his heart. Patience and focus.
Maybe, Gao Wen can indeed achieve a breakthrough at Wimbledon, maybe not, but what is certain is that he needs to give Gao Wen room to grow.
But……
The principle is not difficult, but the actual implementation is very, very difficult. After all, this is Wimbledon.
Closing his eyes, the glory and glory of the past surged in front of his eyes, frame by frame quickly passing by. Although blurry, it was still vivid. Those applause, cheers and carnivals were surging in the depths of his mind, and now, he would return to them again. Get back out there and compete again.
Thoughts were surging in Sampras's mind. He glanced at Agassi across the court, his eyes a little confused, then took a deep breath and tried to regain his concentration——
"...The batting action must be consistent, and the turning action needs to be adjusted according to the center of gravity..."
Sampras, no answer.
But at least, at this moment, he should focus on the present.
Watching Gao Wen conscientiously and meticulously complete the basic training, adjusting his footsteps, movements and hitting habits starting from the basic skills, he still enjoys the boring repetitive training. That concentration and investment, that enthusiasm and excitement are the best. of sedatives.
Generally speaking, the tactical system on grass does not need to make earth-shaking changes. It can be slightly adjusted on the basis of hard courts, but the foundation of the entire tactical system is footwork and center of gravity.
Players need to have a deep muscle memory for grass shots to ensure that they can react correctly when faced with low-bounce returns.
Otherwise, on grass, it is easy for the quality of the returned ball to decrease due to the deviation of the hitting point, further causing oneself to become passive in the round ball.
What's worse is that he misses the hitting point and directly makes a mistake, just like Federer. He habitually grabs the rhythm of hitting the ball on the grass, but in the fast-paced rounds on the grass, this requires very, very precision, so he often misses the ball. Shooting conditions.
It is precisely because of this that Gao Wen devoted himself to basic batting training, without any fancy, just the basic forehand and backhand. Through basic hitting again and again, he got used to the rebound of the grass, and then partially adjusted his hitting habits. And adjust your shot selection according to this situation.
again and again.
Once again. Again.
In a daze, it really seemed like I was back when I was just learning tennis.
