The following is an article that was written by Owen Casey, Ireland's former No.1 player and one of the countries top coaches. It is a very well written article and definitely worth a read. I hope Owen doesn't mind me stealing it from the Tennis Coach Ireland website.
Momentum
by Owen Casey.
The definition in the dictionary is
‘force or speed of movement’. Momentum has been used a lot by commentators but
it is never really explained by them. We all have some understanding of what it
is, but in tennis terms –
•
What is it?
•
Who has it?
•
How do you keep it when you have it?
•
How to stop it when your opponent has it?
What is it?
In my opinion it is a ‘hidden’
force which a team or player has. When we hear the word being spoken by the sports
pundit it is usually referring to a team/individual having everything going for
them. This could range from their performance being effortless, efficient,
winning to even luck (bounce of a ball, line calls etc).
To really understand it you would
have to watch a sporting event from start to finish and watch key moments which
gives the team/individual an edge. There are numerous examples of momentum
shifts in all sports. With football one of the greatest momentum shifts ever
was the 2005 European Cup final between Liverpool and AC Milan. At half-time
nobody would have given Liverpool a chance and those who gambled on them coming
back are the ones laughing now. How did they do it?
In my opinion there are two
important factors here –
a) Liverpool can throw caution to the wind and go all out attack as
they have nothing to lose and all to gain. AC has everything to lose and
‘nothing’ to gain. One team is complacent which leads to sloppiness and the
other is risk-taking which leads to rewards.
b) After the 1st goal goes in, the momentum shifts, Liverpool’s
confidence goes up and AC have now to stop it which they were not able to do.
Why, you might ask?
Again their mind set was one way and has to change to another.
Panic set in and by that stage their concentration and focus was gone.
With tennis there are two examples
that spring to mind. One is the 2009 and 2014 Wimbledon final. In the 2014
final Novak let slip a break in the fourth set while serving and Roger upped
his game and went on to win that set. With the momentum on his side, Federer
missed a key overhead in the 5th set. Had that gone in (one of his most
reliable shots) he would have been 30/15 up on Novak’s serve. But Novak won the
next two points relatively easily, broke Federer in the next game to 15 and
served it out.
The other example would be the
Federer - Roddick’s final in 2009. With Roddick a set up and serving at 5/4 in
the 2nd set tie break, he missed a high easy backhand volley (one which
he would make 9/10 times) to give him 2 set points. Had he made that, he probably
would have gone on to win the match as he was playing the best tennis of his
life. We all know what happened after and to this day, it might be the point
that cost him his first ever Wimbledon title.
So who has it?
I am going to use domestic tennis
as my example and a player has just secured a break of serve. When the break is
established, it usually comes more from somebody’s sloppy play rather than
their opponents’ good play. So the holding of serve is crucial here to keeping
the mo (momentum) and increasing your advantage.
What to do when ahead.
When players are ahead they ‘don’t
need’ to hold/break serve as they are winning. They tend to relax. In order to
keep the mo I usually use the ‘crystal ball’ imagery. “Win your serve, you win
the set. Drop it and you lose it”. This heightens the players’ awareness and
concentration. We know that this statement is not necessarily true, but it’s to
get them thinking about where they are in the match and the importance of
keeping momentum. So with the break, the server needs to keep the returner
under pressure, maintaining a high percentage of 1st serves, no
quick points, and make them hit a lot of balls till they breakdown. Also when
players are losing they tend to rush as to play catch up, so go with them and
get them ‘off’ the court early.
When a player is behind.
The same ‘crystal ball’ theory is
used again here. I explain that ’it’s not a break, till they hold’. Players
relax when they are ahead so it’s time to pile on the pressure by coming to the
net. They can be careless as they are in front. So taking ones time or
slowing the game down when you are losing can make your opponent lose their
concentration and let you back in.
How to switch the momentum
if you do not have it.
This is where I think we lack the
necessary skill set to switch momentum. Great teams or players can adapt during
competition when they are losing. I feel there doesn’t seem to be a plan B or C
etc with most players here. In order to switch momentum, the player must
be able to get to the net by serving and volleying (plan B), hitting/chipping
and charging (plan C) or approach and volley/smash proficiently (plan D).
Having those options in your game style/plan can give you confidence when you
take the court. When I was growing I was fortunate to have access to senior
players who played matches with me every week. My week looked like this –
Monday - Serve and Volleyer (I
would practice my returning)
Tuesday - Doubles (practice serve,
volley and return)
Wednesday – Plugger (Practice approaching
the net and smashing)
Thursday – Same as Tuesday
Friday – A lefthander (need I say
any more)
Saturday - League
Sunday – Off
As you can see playing these
players gave me a vast amount of experience at a young age which helped me long
term.
Playing the right type of
points.
There is a way to play points based
on the score. Kids are very good at doing things when they are told what to do
(squad based). But when they are playing a match they have to think for
themselves. How often do they do this? Well, judging by the amount they train
in squads and not practice matches, not that often. In order to use this
‘theory’ they need to practice it in their matches. When things are not going
so good this will help them. It’s a guide as to what to do on every single
point. It’s like having a ‘coach’ inside their brain giving them the right
choices to make and a focus point. And it’s very easy to see when they don’t
follow the sequence or their concentration waivers. The type of point that they
should be playing doesn’t happen.
Point description
Momentum Point: Played
when level or behind. This means that you dictate tempo. As Server- serve and volley, hit wide or body serves and approach.
As Receiver: - hit/chip and charge
on 2nd serve. Give your opponent different targets and make them react
to you instead of you reacting to them. Rallying-
Approaching the net.
Breakdown Point: Played when
ahead. Breakdown points are long points usually to break your opponent
down by giving them no quick targets. Usually to the opponents’ backhand. There
must be some variation as you don’t want your opponent getting the upper
hand.
As you can see most of the point
play involves attacking play. I feel most of the players in Ireland can play
breakdown points very well, but to beat the player of similar ability or higher
there needs to be more to their game. Two great quotes I heard recently are
1) ‘Players usually learn to win to a level that they cannot stand
to lose down to. But the best players hate to lose and it bothers them
enormously.
2) Winning: Your chance for confidence. Losing: Your chance for growth.
Other facts to remember:
When you are winning, maintain the
tempo and speed in-between points.
When you are losing take some time
by using your towel or fix your strings.
Recognise when your opponent makes
a quick mistake. This gives you confidence knowing that their
concentration/confidence is
faltering.
Very few players can hit two
winners per game. Make sure that they hit these shots early on in the game.
Keep playing the right type of
points if you are winning and losing. Remember opportunities will always come
your way.
The favoured player loses many
opportunities but still keeps their game intact.The less favoured doesn't feel
comfortable winning and blows up after the first opportunity that they have.
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