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NICK'S CORNER
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| Federer may be down, but
he's certainly not
out...
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Much
has been made of Roger Federer's recent slide
from the perennial winner's circle. While
I don't disagree that he isn't playing his best
tennis as of late, I have no doubt
in his ability to get back on top very
quickly. Federer has the heart
and soul of a true champion, and his
recent win at Estoril on clay is proof that
he's on the
mend.
Federer says that
winning Wimbledon and the Olympics are his
top priorities for this year, but one has to
believe that the French Open and the US Open
have to be right
up there as well. If Federer wins both the French Open
and the Olympics, he will join Andre Agassi as the
only other man to have done
so.
I think Roger's recent
move to hire coach Jose Higueras was a good
one. While Higueras won't serve as
Federer's full-time coach (he still has a
responsibility to Robby Ginepri), having
someone like him is a positive step.
Higueras is a great coach and he really knows
the clay. Jim Courier and
Todd Martin both worked with Higueras in their
day, and it paid dividends for them
both.
I agree with
Federer's view of his own current
level of play when he stated, "I'm totally not
playing bad. I think I'm on the verge of
playing great again." In fact, I believe
Roger is just one great backhand away from
completely regaining his magical touch, which is
exactly what his competitors dread.
Having said all that,
Federer must still focus on the task at
hand. If he wants to remain the #1 player
in the world, he is going to have to start
winning regularly again. He really is a
victim of his own success. Like Tiger
Woods in golf, Federer has set such high
standards in the sport of tennis, that when
he doesn't meet those expectations it looks like
he has failed. While it hasn't been the
best start to 2008 for Federer, I have a feeling
that by the end of the year we will all be
singing his praises again.
Note: Players in bold are
either currently training with Nick, or have
trained with him in the past.
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MEMBER OF THE MONTH
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| Player Bio
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| Name:
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John Wedlake
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| Age:
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39
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| Country:
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United
States
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| Favorite Surface:
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Clay
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| Favors:
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Right-handed
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| Game Style:
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Reckless
&
Aggressive
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| Age Started Playing:
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12 years old
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| If I could work with
Nick I would like to... focus on getting
motivated and inspired! I think what I would
learn from Nick about conveying self-belief
would out-weigh any help
he could do for my forehand!
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Nick's Thoughts:
"John, it thrills me to hear you
say that! As I have said many times in the
past, if I had to choose between training a
player who has all the talent in the world
but lacks motivation, and a player who has
some talent but is passionate and highly
motivated...I'll take the super motivated player
any
day!
I
have seen many talented players lack the
self-confidence and mental toughness it
takes to win on a consistent basis. In
fact, many top players come to me to try to
get "re"-motivated and
inspired.
Not
to get too philosophical, but to me motivation
and inspiration are not traits that can be
taught - rather they are more like seeds
that exisit within every
individual. In youngsters, the
seeds just need the right tending to sprout
and flourish. In adults, it is often a
matter of cutting back the weeds
(self-doubt) to allow the "plant" to get
healthy and strong
again.
My job as coach is to play gardener and to
decide what the player needs in their
environment to improve their confidence and
ultimately, increase their level of
motivation.
John, if you were to come to me I
would observe and assess you on the
court in several different scenarios.
From my assessment I would create
a individualized program that would both
challenge you and reward your successes -
no matter how small.
My advice to players seeking inspiration and
increased motivation (and who can't get to
the Academy) is to create their own
nuturing environment. Seek out coaches,
programs, fellow players who constantly
push you to improve your game and skills.
and who also provide a lot of positive
feedback. This holds true off the court as
well as
on.
When
you walk on
the court you must believe that you have everything it
takes to win that match. When you
make an error, you've got to refocus and play
each and every ball as if it
is the first one of the match. The biggest
difference between those who consistently win
and those who don't is confidence. If you
exude it out on the court, I guarantee your
chances of succeeding will increase
dramatically.
Increased confidence equates to
increased motivation and heightened levels of
inspiration! I wish you the best John. Keep me
up-to-date on your
progress!
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TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
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Berlin
(WTA)
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5/5-5/11
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Rome
(ATP)
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5/5-5/11
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Rome (WTA)
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5/12-5/18
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Hamburg (ATP)*
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5/12-5/18
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Istanbul
(WTA)
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5/19-5/24
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Roland Garros
(Both)**
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5/26-6/8
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*Masters Series
**Grand
Slam
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NICK'S TRIVIA
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Who Am I?
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I had a big "booming" serve.
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I was only
17 when I
won Wimbledon in 1985, and I wasn't even seeded!
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The only Grand Slam
that
I didn't win was the French
Open.
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I reached a
career high of #1 in the world in 1991.
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I won
over 700 singles match and 49 singles titles.
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I was also ranked #6 in the world
in doubles!
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Look
for the answer in the next "Courtside with Nicky B"
***************************
Last Month's Answer:
Martina Hingis
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MONTHLY RANKINGS
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ATP:
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1.
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Roger Federer (SUI)
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2.
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Rafael Nadal (ESP)
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3.
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Novak Djokovic (SRB)
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4.
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Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
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5.
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David Ferrer (ESP)
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WTA:
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1.
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Justine Henin (BEL)
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2.
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Ana Ivanovic (SRB)
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3.
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Maria
Sharapova (RUS)
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4.
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Svetlana
Kuznetsova (RUS)
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5.
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Jelena
Jankovic (SRB)
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ITF Jr. Boys:
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1.
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Ricardas Berankis
(LTU)
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2.
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Uladzimir
Ignatik (BLR)
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3.
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Bernard Tomic (AUS)
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ITF Jr. Girls:
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1.
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Urszula Radwanksa (POL)
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2.
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Melanie Oudin (USA)
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3.
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Arantxa Rus (NED)
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As
of May 1st, 2008
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"ASK NICK" QUESTION OF THE MONTH
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| Featured
Question:
I am having a difficult time with my
topspin serve. I can't
get enough spin and depth on it. I have a
chopper grip, please help! - James
(London)
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Nick's
Answer:
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James,
no matter what grip you have, the first thing I
would tell you is to make sure the toss is in
the correct place. To hit a topspin serve,
the toss must be a little to the left.
Think about it like this, if you let the
toss fall it would hit your left ear
(assuming you are right-handed). For
lefties it would
be the reverse.
Now,
let's get back to that Chopper grip. (For those
of you who don't know what a Chopper grip
is - it is grip somewhere between an
Eastern and Continental
grip.) Players often adopt this grip
so they don't have to switch between the
forehand and the backhand.
To get more
spin on your serve, I
suggest you try an Eastern
Backhand grip. This will allow you to get
a little more spin without sacrificing too much
power.
As far as the depth goes,
the equation is very simple, height=
depth.
Thehigher the ball is when crossing
over the net, the deeper it will land in
the box. Don't be afraid to hit up on the
ball, because if it has enough spin it will come
down in the box.
Overall, you need to
ensure that you are using your legs as much as
possible. A big part of the topspin serve
is the upward force generated from the
legs. If you don't get much from your
legs, your topspin serve will suffer.
Good Luck James!
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