Myths in Modern Tennis
Marcin Bieniek examines some of the myths in modern tennis.
A myth is a story that may or may not be true, but there are no records or other proof that it happened. A myth may have started as a 'true' story, but over time, the story changes, perhaps by mistake or to make it more interesting.
How do myths come to tennis?
There are many reasons why we have tennis myths. A tip may have been accurate many years ago, but we now have new racquets, strings, methodologies, and support, so how we play and coach must adapt. If a myth is heard repeatedly, we may start to believe it to be true.
It may be due to misunderstanding a word in the advice or tip given. A myth can be created by focusing on exceptions - e.g., a player who can serve great with a 350-gram tennis racquet may say that this is the new way of developing the best serve, but is it true?
Myths are common in tennis for various reasons, but when you hear one, the question is, "Where is the research to support it? If a player accepts a myth, then it could harm their performance. Below, I will look at some of the typical tennis myths and present my point of view on them.
Play forehand from the centre
I have heard this tip many times, and I can tell you that I agree with this idea with one important exception: the player's ability. We have to develop a player's skills and natural style of playing. We have to find their strengths from the centre and exploit them so if they have good footwork and powerful forehand. Then they should play forehand on every ball from the centre. However, if we see that a player can play aggressive drives and perfect angles with the backhand, then this stroke should dominate balls from the centre. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, or Sam Stosur are perfect examples of players who dominate the centre of the court with forehand strokes. In contrast, players like Andy Murray, Viktoria Azarenka, or Serena Williams prefer to play winning backhands from the centre of the court. To clarify this tip, we should use our more reliable stroke when we have to play a ball from the centre.
Great passing shots prevent net-game
Modern tennis can be honestly called a ''baseline game''. Most rallies are played from the baseline, and the dominant shots are serve and forehand. In the ATP tour, we can see some differences in playing styles, not only baseline battles. We can observe all-court players (Federer, Raonic, Murray) or serve-and-volley players (Isner, Karlovic, Kubot). On the other side, the WTA tour is dominated by aggressive baseliners. Some players like Agnieszka Radwanska prefer all-court games but are an exception.
Coaches used to say that players do not come in these days because of superb passing shots. The technique and effectiveness of these shots are much better than in the past, but it is not the proper explanation of baseline tennis. Problems lie in the approach shots and court coverage. Nowadays, players do not spend so much time practicing approach shots, so it is easier for their rivals to pass them. Secondly, players do not have the same level of court coverage they demonstrate from the baseline. A solution for net-game insecurity can be spending more time in the midcourt area and making a habit of coming in.
The depth of the shot guarantees success
The depth of a shot is no longer the only factor that can guarantee more straightforward points. Nowadays, players train almost the whole session from the baseline, so they know how to react to deep balls. Reasons for making rallies easier depend on the opponent. Some do not like deep balls; some do not like slices, etc. Modern tennis lacks a variety of angle shots.
When we see crosscourt approach shots, we observe a deep return instead of midcourt angle shots. The most challenging ball for everyone is one that crosses the sideline. In tennis, the opponent has to cover many areas to play an angled shot. If players can convert more balls into angle shots, then rivals must find new ways to deal with them. The weapon of today's tennis is angle shots because players are too strong inside the sidelines.
Summary
Myths were, are, and will be shared in tennis. Coaches, parents, and athletes must be aware of the need to implement some tips into daily practice. Whenever you want to add something new to your methodology, check for any supporting research; do not rely on the exception. As we can see, some tips can be great one year, but they can become a myth next year. Study, check, debate and pick the best ideas for your on-court performance.
Page Reference
If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:
- BIENIEK, M. (2012) Myths in modern tennis [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article115.htm [Accessed
About the Author
Marcin Bieniek is a tennis coach from Poland and a former professional player (Polish National Juniors Team). He is a certificated tennis coach by the Polish Tennis Coaching Association and the Professional Tennis Registry. Marcin has worked with many of the top 20 Polish Juniors and the top players worldwide.