Andy Roddick defeated Tomas Berdych to claim the 2010 Sony Ericsson title in Miami, not by learning to hit harder, but by using a more strategic and tactical approach.

Of the many mental punches Andy gave Berdych throughout their two set rumble over the weekend, there were two main strategic blows that were most responsible  for Tomas taking home the consolation prize instead of the one given to the last man standing.

Strategy: #1: Mixing It Up.
Strategy: #2: Go Low.

Strategy#1: You always hear how important it is to mix things up on your opponent in order to keep them on their heals and off balance, right?

Well, if you saw any part of the match between American darling Andy Roddick A.K.A A-Rod and Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic this past weekend in the Sony Erricson Open, you got a chance to see a great example of this fundamental strategy worked to absolute perfection.

This past Sunday in Miami, Andy showed that the “mix it up” saying isn’t just a bunch of coaching mumbo-jumbo that your instructor tells you in practice to sound like they know what they’re talking about .

Now, if you’re wondering if this is the same Andy that has been known to serve over 140mph… the Andy who is predominantly known as a fiery lightning rod with a thunderous serve and very powerful ground game – one that is almost guaranteed to make anyone take notice (fans and top-seeded opponents alike).  Aboslutely. It is the same Andy.

Except this Andy showed he’s more than just a one dimensional player.  Against Berdych, he changed his usual power game approach and toned his aggression down a notch. By doing that, he demonstrated how going after power shot after power shot after power shot isn’t always the best pathway in getting the win.

On Sunday, it was quite the contrary.  Andy Roddick’s *softest* shots actually made the biggest impact. He disrupted Berdych’s ability to gain a rhythm by hitting delicate backhands, high-looping forehands that seem to just hang in the air and altered his first serve with varying speed, spin, and angle (..instead of incessantly going after the flat-bomb that we so often see).

And it wasn’t just the fans and commentators who noticed this type of play frustrating Berdych. He openly confirmed the idea and named Andy’s serve as one of the main culprits when he said…

“He [Andy] was just too strong today,” “He’s not just serving the big bombs. His variations of the serve are a really big improvement. … I was really looking for maybe to get one chance, but he held pretty well. I didn’t get any chance during whole match.”

The reason why Berdych found it so difficult to play and gain any ground in that final match was that Roddick was desperately working on (…and had obviously achieved) a goal that every player should be looking to obtain  – unpredictability!  As a player, we love to be able to figure out what our opponent’s tendencies are.

We love patterns. Those patterns allow us to develop our own plan of attack (…what shots to use, how to cover the court better, our foundation, etc.) to make properly counter. Our muscles get used to the movements to whereby we can do them with less thought and/or concentration. And things feel much more natural.

But Berdych didn’t have that. He wasn’t given that luxury. Why? Because Roddick kept switching things up. He wasn’t allowed to just stand there, set up and execute in the same position, preparing for the same type of ball point after point as if he we’re drilling in practice.

His mind and body we’re consistently being uprooted and sent on the move – leaving him no time to regroup and gather himself. So before he knew what hit him, he was physically and mentally exhausted! As a result, Andy seemed to always be a step or a shot ahead – which consequently left Tomas a shot… a move.. or a step behind.

And hey, I don’t care who you are or what kind of game you have… If you can’t gain your footing and you’re playing catch-up throughout, the odds are are going to be heavily stacked against you pulling anything out. Yea, even if you you’re  a seasoned vet like Tomas Berdych.

It happens to all of us. We need balance. We need to find our groove if we want to be successful. And Tomas couldn’t attain it. By the ninth game, Berdych was so confused and disoriented, he even lost track of the score and even lined up to play a point on the wrong side.

I mean, Wow how often do you see that happen? So yea, Andy had him mentally rocked! He couldn’t settle in.

Strategy #2: The second key strategy Roddick used was when he cut him down with his slice.  Now, why would the slice shot be a good decision here? Well, Andy noticed a major weakness in Berdych – not in his game but in his F-R-A-M-E.

Berdych being almost as tall as Kobe Bryant, standing at 6-foot-5, does have it’s advantages in that he has a longer reach laterally… B-U-T he also had a glaring flaw. When you’re that tall, it’s very hard to hit balls that are low, because he has to reach much further downwards to make contact with balls that rise much or take high bounces.  It’s a lot more demanding on his body.

So given that fact, what did Andy do? He bombarded Berdych with slice backhands. And when I say that, he just didn’t give him one and forget about it. He saw it was a major weakness, so he executed slice backhand after slice backhand  after slice backhand – over and over and over AND OVER again!

He was relentless!  As a result, Tomas was forced to hit the ball at ankle level, stealing almost all the power from his massive forehand.  Oh, and not only did this hurt him physically (…body strain), it most likely affected him mentally as well.

Because when you’re forced into very unpleasant positions time and time again, and begin to string together a few lost points in a row, you may begin doubt the fact if you can ever emerge from that circle of terror, if you will.  Like there’s no hope…. Like at the end of the tunnel so to speak.  All hope is lost. Ahhh, you get the picture .

And shortly thereafter, sure enough, he cracked. Well, he was broken .  The match officially turned two games later, when Roddick reached the first break point of the match. He broke when Berdych hit a forehand out out bounds, then held at love to take the first set.

That was part of a streak where Roddick won five consecutive games. He broke again to start the 2nd set. After that, the match was pretty much just a matter of time. Then, a few games later, Roddick had done it.  Roddick beat Berdych 7-5, 6-4 to win the Sony Ericsson Open.

And with this win, Roddick, who made the final in Indian Wells last month, has more match wins than any other player in 2010 with 26.  The 2004 champion becomes only the fifth man to win the Miami title twice.

Roddick joins Andre Agassi (6), Pete Sampras (3), Roger Federer (2) and Ivan Lendl (2) as multiple winners in Florida.  When it was all said and done, Roddick offered reporters this quote,  “I’ve been able to have a game plan and execute it regardless of what kind of shots it takes.”

So… What’s the moral of this story? (A) Don’t give your partner the same look over and over again. And (B) If you’re playing a giant of the court, make him go low with a steady diet of the slice shot!

Have a great one guys!

Brian Hall, Head Coach
TennisMindCamp

Good ol’ Jake. Jack Kramer left this world on Saturday 12^th September 2009. Jack undoubtedly could be termed as the King of Tennis. He was the role model of billions of tennis enthusiasts.

Players always tried to imitate him and amateurs followed his tips. Jack Kramer did not die as a retired tennis player, he died as a risk taker, as an innovator, as a businessman, as a person who dared to move his own way.

Jack Kramer had a style of his own. Jack Kramer had so much of power and attitude in his personality that the most famous tennis rackets were sold under his name. Those who had witnessed the era after 1947 would know exactly what I mean.

These tennis rackets had the signatures of Jack Kramer printed on them and they sold like crazy. Statistics have proven that over 30 billion tennis rackets were sold. Not even 1 single racket that was left. Now this is something I call fan following!

Jack Kramer or Jake Kramer, as his friends used to call him, was born as the son of the railroad man. His family was nothing of the rich kind.

Jack was a boy who started his tennis practice from public courts and carved his path towards the international tennis courts. Jack Kramer gave American tennis a whole new dimension. He changed the trend of American tennis completely and forever.

This hero had even used a few precious years of his tennis career in World War II were he participated in the Pacific coast guard. But once the war was over, Kramer did come back. And this time he surely came up with a bang!

After the World War II, no great tennis player was to be seen in the history. The dirty game of bribe and taking money under the table was on as players preferred to fill their pockets instead of winning the matches with pride.

Jack Kramer turned out to be a rising star when he banished this trait and dominated players like Bobby Rigs and Pancho Gonzales in the process.

Kramer had conquered the battle of tennis completely till he reached this mid 30s and then decided to detour a bit. This detour did nothing else but only added to his fame.

He was selected as the first Executive Director of the Association of Tennis Professionals in 1972. But as we all know, love and popularity has its negative sides as well.

After almost a year, Jack Kramer was not so much loved within the Association. The reason being, that the association had a dispute with Wimbledon and Kramer favored the latter. As a result, the association boycotted him.

Another very famous row of Jack Kramer is with Billie Jean King at a tournament Kramer ran. This row led King into the creation of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). Fame and success does have some side effects.

Even if a couple of people do not speak well of Jack Kramer, the fact that he was a legend cannot be denied. We have lost a diamond in the ruff. He carved the path of international tennis and brought out the best of the sport in front of the whole world.

The life of Jack Kramer needs a complete book if one thinks of writing it down. With numerous stories and events and an experience of more than 50 years, Kramer; before dying, at the age of 88 years was a living educational institution. He was a fabulous man; A person to be loved and respected till centuries.

Thanks Jake,

Brian Hall, Your Tennis Mind Coach

So, with my very beginner editing skills, I attempted to put together a short video montage or mix of my us open highlights: some of the matches, I saw, people I talked to, even a sneak peak into the USTA Members  only area (…yea the good food haha) to give you a first-hand look of what it was like inside.

So, check it out below, and press play. And let me know what you thought about it afterward. I’d love to hear your response and get your feed back.

Have a great week,

Brian, Your Tennis Mind Coach

P.S. Congratulations to Marlee, the winner of our first US Open
Photo Challenge. All who voted for her will also receive an
official TMC T-shirt. Just reply to this email and tell me your
size.

He kept it in play, and let Del Potro make the error and hit it  out. I call that passive-aggression. While not playing scared or afraid, you are showing hidden aggression and concealed assertiveness.  You’re dictating the outcome of the match without having to do too much and take too many risks. You’re letting your partner do that. And that’s what happened, Del Potro began to spray.

While the scoreboard would read 6-3 in favor of Federer with only one serve break, a forgettable serve percentage of just 41% and a break point  conversion percentage of only 11 make him look a little out of sorts, but Roger played the some of the best strategic tennis he’s ever played.

He used the big serve whenever in trouble in tribute to good old Pete. He used sliced forehands and backhands to mix up the speed of play, making his 6′6″ opponent bend low for balls.

He used dropshots effortlessly to make the giant run forward, a far more daunting task than side-to-side. And perhaps most importantly, he knew the focal point of his attack,  to go out wide to the Del Potro forehand, pulling him off the court on several situations to force the error from the Argentine’s more volatile side.

In the 3rd set, Del Potro really started to catch on. He started using his head more. He really opened up the court when his thunderous ground strokes even more so and they started to find their way deep into the baseline corners, making best friends with the edge of the single sidelines. Yes, the big man was nailing everything. And if that didn’t put the Federer Express in enough trouble, it got worse.

At the very same time when the giant got hot, R-Fed had abonded the strategy that worked so brilliantly for him in the first set.  So, the mometum snow balled into the 5th and final set.

The sixth-seeded Argentine took the term “playing to his strengths” up to another level. By doing this, he continously pinned Federer back behind the baseline with deep, flat powerful forehands shots – keeping federer on the defense and elminating any chance he had to control many of the points.

Then the 20 year old even got smarter. He didn’t only use one weapon.  He began to mix things up, and that’s what started giving Federer fits.  Once Federer appeared to get used to the blistering pace, he started alternating firt serve speeds. For example, at times he would throw a series of serves in the low 90s at Roger going for more placement, then suprise his opponent out of nowhere  with a screamer knocking on the door at a scary 140 mph!

That’s right, this kept him unpredictable, and Federer couldn’t establish any type of rhythm from that point forward. He didn’t know how to prepare from one point to the next. And when you don’t have a good center or a good level of balance, you’re pretty much cooked.

And yes, you guessed it. Roger got a 5th set with all the fixings, and that was the end of it.

US Open Finals: Juan Martin del Potro def Roger Federer

Juan Martin del Potro (6)         3     7     4     7     6
Roger Federer (1)         6     6     6     6     2

Great Job using your noggin Juan Martin!

Brian Hall
TennisMindCamp

P.S. Congratulations Marlee for Winning The US Open Photo Challenge!

Here are some questions that I asked myself, and I’d love to get your take on them too.

1. Do you think the line judge made the right call (no, foot fault, no meltdown)?

In my book,  that is the wrong call at the end of any match, let alone in the semifinals of the U.S. Open. This isn’t because a foot fault is a ridiculous call at that this stage of a match (even though it is ). It’s because I don’t believe it was even a foot fault at all.

The TV replays showed that Serena’s foot was definitely behind the line when she served. Many would even say that it was close but not close enough to make the call. What do you think? What did you see?

2. Do you think it warranted a penalty?

I love Serena and her game, but I think she was way out of line here. She lost her composure. Though it be something she’s very good at 90% of the time, this was not one of those times. And I think the penalty was justified. Even our buddy John McEnroe wasn’t very pleased and thought she went off the deep end a little.

I mean, it all boils down to this.  You not only have to protect the players, but you also have to protect the official tournament staff. That includes ball boys, line’s men, the chair umpire, and ofcourse the fans.

I’m not saying that Serena really would have done any harm to the lines woman. I don’t think that would have been the case in the slightest bit, but you have to prepare for the worst. I think though it’s amazingly unfortunate but the right call.

3. Should their be a fine or further action taken? Should she lose sponsorships? Do you think it will cost her some of her fan base?

I really don’t know. I think when she reviews this and watches it in a film session, that and losing a big chance at a grand slam title will be all the punishment she needs. It’s really going to hit her hard, even harded than now.  I really don’t think it’s sunk in yet.

But yes, I think the sponsors will take a long hard look at it, because at the end of the day, it is a business unfortunately. And this is not specific to Serena. I think they’d do that for any athlete. And then make a desicion based on how much they think it has hurt their brand, if at all.

Me being a big tennis fan and avid player, I know everyone has these moments. The difference is they’re not televised on the big stage where everyone can see them. We’ve all taken something out on someone else, justified or not.

So I don’t condone what she said at all, but I do  understand it, and sympathize with her. With all the adrenaline pumping and with the stakes so high, it’s much easier for the nerves to be ripped to shreds than say if someone is late picking you up from school or gave you the wrong order at a restaurant.

So, I think her other fans will understand that as well. Do you agree?

Tell me your thoughts…

Brian Hall, Your Tennis Mind Coach

When you see something happen to you during a match that you don’t agree with like a bad line call, the possibility of your opponent quick-serving you etc, you have to do your best to remain calm.

Because if you allow yourself to explode mentally, then you may have just given away a game, set, match, or even the possibility of a Grand Slam Championship!

Now, I know don’t need to tell YOU how important it is to stay relaxed out there on the court after what we saw today. Defending champion and hometown favorite, Serena Williams, was charged with a point penalty in the worst possible situation, on match point.

The reason for the deduction was because Serena lost her cool and began screaming emphatically at a line judge for a calling a foot fault on her 1st serve. And the point that this happened on couldn’t have been any more significant. The ruling gave Kim Clijsters a 6-4, 7-5 victory!

Now to Serena’s credit, the initial foot fault that started all this comotion was a horrible call.  In my book,  that is the wrong call at the end of any match, let alone in the semifinals of the U.S. Open. This isn’t because a foot fault is a ridiculous call at that this stage of a match (even though it is ). It’s because it wasn’t even a foot fault.

The TV replays showed that Serena’s foot was definitely behind the line when she served. Many would even say that it was close but not close enough to make the call.

That being said, both you, I, and Serena knows it’s wrong to verbally antagonize and chastize an official. Even as blatantly “off the mark” as the official may have been, there’s a line that should never be crossed and Serena did it pretty early on by saying, “I’m going to shove this ball down your f—— throat”.

If you were watching the match, you could also say that Serena probably would have lost the match even without the foot fault call. Clijsters was playing some unbelievable tennis and Serena couldn’t win a point on her second serve to save her life.

Serena’s impact was gradually depleting and her game going out of commission.  But when she threw a terrible tennis tantrum, she slammed her hand down on the  self-destruct button .

This shows you that if you want to succeed in this game, you have to control your emotions.  It always starts from the inside… out in tennis. If the mind is unstable, then your results and winning percentage will plummet.

I know this isn’t easy, especially if it’s match point in one of the most important matches of your life. So, I’ve created a cheat sheet to help you cope and avoid a mental break down in one of your matches no matter the circumstances. (Check them out below)

4 Steps To Handling Bad Calls

Step 1. Understand that they do happen. Honest mistakes are made. Sometimes your opponent may miss one or two. If it was a close call, it’ll be tough, but just let it go. A lot of times, one point isn’t going to decide whether you walk home with the trophy or not. And those things usually find a way of balancing themselves out anyway.

Step 2. If it becomes a pattern and he seems to be consistently “hooking” you or it’s a very big point, don’t blow a gasket. That’d be helping your opponent more than anything. You’d be surprised at how quickly the tables can turn if you allow your emotions to run wild.

Step 3. Take a couple long deep breaths and allow yourself to get your mind and body centered once again. You want to do this asap, before your anxiety shoots through the roof, because once it blows, it’s very difficult to bring back down.

Step 4. Once you’ve calmed down, remind yourself to stay aggressive and that you’re the one in control. Many times, the reason for bad calls that are intentional is because your opponent knows you have him on the ropes, and is terrified. So, don’t ease back into the game. Lay your foot on the gas, and really take it to him (…or her), and you’ll be in great shape!

Enjoy the rest of the Open…

Brian, Your Tennis Coach

But it’s definitely not the be all and end all if you drop the first set. We saw a tremendous example of that in a historic performance by 17 year old “Little Miss Upset” – Melanie Oudin against 13th seed Nadia Petrova.

I mean, despite being literally dismantled from every angle and losing her first set by a score of 6-1, she didn’t let that take her out of her game or throw her off course.

She didn’t throw in the towel or wave her white flag. She maintained her composure, remained confident and even elevated her killer instinct as if she had been there 20 times before.

“I’m not going to give up, you know, no matter what the score is. I’m down 6 0, 5 0, you know, I’m not going to give up. I’m going to keep fighting,” she said. And fight she did!

It was because of her ability to sustain her mental toughness that enabled to steamroll her way through that 3rd set and take the match – hitting corners with those underrated ground strokes and taking advantage of over 21 unforced errors by her more-seasoned, higher-ranked opponent.

Oudin said, “Today, there were no tears because I believed I can do it. Now I know I do belong here. This is what I want to do. I can compete with these girls no matter who I’m playing. I have a chance against anyone.”

In other words, she believed it was possible. That’s where it all starts. You have to always believe deep down that you’ve always got a chance to win, and that it’s never over until you shake hands.

And hey, you don’t have to take my word for it, the girl making the most noise in the open thus far has got the concept etched into her shoes that are sure to be selling out like hotcakes by tomorrow . You can bet on that.

Now yea, I know it’s somewhat natural to feel a little bummed after losing a game or a set (…especially after you’ve just given your 113%) and feel like giving up or even a lot bummed.  But you can’t  dwell on that if you want to win.

Instead, take a few breaths, shrug it off, and get ready for round two.  Don’t get down on yourself if you lose a couple points here or there or if your opponent takes a set. Unless that was match point, believe me, things will balance out, and you’ll have a chance to get back in it and even get the victory.

On the other hand, if you do allow, the sports most deadly killers, doubt and and fear of failure to take control, you’ve just given up. And you’ve got no shot.  And I can assure you that if Miss Melanie did that same thing, she wouldn’t be on her way to the next round.

—

So, next time you find yourself down in a match, take the mindset of this year’s Cinderella and KEEP FIGHTING! The two biggest things you can do to help your cause in these situations is to think positively, and use that heart of yours… leaving it all out there on the court. You’ve got to push through some hard times to experience the great ones. That’s the only way you’re going to see true success.

If you don’t and quit early, you could be missing out on some really powerful things, like your first major title… the last critical game needed for your team to win it all, or good old fashion bragging rights that you can hold over your best friend’s head forever ::wink::. Don’t let that be you.

Can’t wait for tomorrow’s matches…

Brian, Your Tennis Mind Coach
TennisMindCamp

This is just me having some good old fashioned fun at the 2009 LA Women’s Tennis Championship in Carson, CA (…part of the Olympus US Open Championship Series). I interview some of the official staff, show off some of the tasty tournament treats, and a host of other things. It was a incredible tournament with a great vibe. So, I thought would be cool to share some of it with you.   Click the videos below to see how everything unfolded.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWy5w1SK_Hk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zji2FvCd2Aw

Feel free to comment below, and let me know what you think. I’d love to know what was your favorite part. Oh, and if you received this post in your email and cannot view the footage, simply click on the link s below each video, and it will take you to the official YouTube channel where they’re all easily accessible. 

All the best,

Brian Hall, Your Tennis Mind Coach

TennisMindCamp

MIAMI — The Miami Dolphins continue to add star power to their off-the-field roster.

Venus and Serena Williams will become the latest celebrities to own a stake in the Miami Dolphins, a person familiar with the deal said.The person spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the team plans to announce the involvement of the tennis-playing sisters next week.Another person close to the negotiations said an agreement was near but not yet final.

That person also didn’t want to be identified because the announcement has not be made.The Williamses live in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., about an hour’s drive from the Dolphins’ stadium.

Their new role will be significant in part because the NFL has no African-American majority team owner.Musicians Gloria and Emilio Estefan and Marc Anthony recently bought small shares of the team. New Dolphins owner Stephen Ross also forged a partnership with singer Jimmy Buffett.

The Dolphins have said the involvement of the celebrities reflects the diversity of South Florida and shows that the franchise is connected with the community.A Dolphins spokesman said the team had no comment regarding next week’s announcement.

The Williams sisters have combined to win 18 Grand Slam titles, and they staged their latest sibling showdown last month at Wimbledon, where Serena beat Venus in the final.Serena has won 11 major titles and Venus seven.Ross, a New York real estate billionaire, completed his purchase of the Dolphins from Wayne Huizenga in January and began a partnership in May with Buffett.

The agreement with the Estefans was announced in June, followed by the deal with Anthony last month.Buffett and the Estefans are longtime Dolphins fans.

The Williams sisters aren’t known to closely follow the Dolphins or the NFL.Ross has said the minority owners are strategic partners and aren’t being brought aboard because of a financial need. He has pledged to improve the fan experience at games, and the celebrities will help — although it’s unlikely the sisters will be staging tennis exhibitions at halftime.

Buffett has yet to accept Ross’ invitation to become a minority owner, but the Dolphins’ stadium has been renamed Land Shark Stadium for this season. Buffett has written a song for the Dolphins, and they’ve introduced a new version of their fight song by the rapper T-Pain.Anthony will perform the national anthem when the Dolphins host the New York Jets on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” on Oct. 12.

Nadal was forced to pull out of another tournament, the Dubai Tennis Championships, in order to be well-healed from his nagging right knee injury in time for these international games.

If the fans get what they want, they’ll be in store for a world of a match, due to the fact that Novak Djokovic is likely to meet the Spanish sensation as early as the 1st round!

And after finishing the Davis cup, Rafael still is not done. You’ll be able to catch him at Indian Wells!