Enough of the WE! DAD

Don't coaches get sick of parents that talk in the "We" Dad who when he steps out on the court is really just and average B player often parts his great tennis experience on their child.Coaches cringe at the tactical advice Dad is giving!They then rock up to the next coaching lesson with the pro for their child and the introduction goes a little like this Father"We had this awesome game plan,we executed it in the second set ,we hit our backhand well but our serve let us down,we really felt disappointed that we waited to 0-6 0-5 to execute the plan,we must try to do it earlier in the match next time,I think we should work on the backhand today.WE WE WE.Usually the child does not do much thinking for himself,the child is prone to emotional breakdown on the court with tears, the child does not play the match his Father does.The worst kind of parent are those living their sporting dream through their child!The best parents are the ones that rock up watch and support their child win or lose and if they do have a good coach that watches matches then they let the coach deal with all things tennis.These parents are nearly extinct in New Zealand.


On Thursday's I have an enjoyable trip out to Geraldine to coach 8 enthusiastic young tennis players.Thanks to the Mulligan's whose home court we use the juniors can keep their tennis going over winter.Pictured below are the young juniors from this weeks practice.

I am sorry I have not updated the French Open but will try to give a pre final post, today Nadal takes on Murray and whilst reports Rafa is low on confidence he will beat Murray .Federer takes on the unstoppable Djoker!I would love to think Roger can beat him but Novak will exploit Feds great shot selection and will break him down in the unforced error department. I hope I am wrong!

All Tennis Coaches are equal -----NOT!

Lets just talk about an absurd statement I heard the other day when describing Tennis Coaches "all tennis coaches are equal" Yeh like fun "mate" First of all a lot of so call part timers call themselves tennis coaches, I even know of a few that have passed a Community Coaches Course call themselves qualified.I have already wrote about the various coaches you can find , here is the Link To the STORY.All coaches are not equal thats for sure, some can specialize in beginner tennis some can be very good with the tournament level kids and some you should not even waste your time with.


My "spin" is a lot of parents go from coach to coach looking for that magic formula ....Wake up it does not exist ! Find a coach that will tell you everything you want to hear, your on a very short pathway with your child, probably in the end they(child) will just go "camping" or ride a surfboard. 


Some of the toughest coaches are the best coaches because they actually care!They generally know that your child is under-performing, needs a little jolt to get the best out of them, my experience its the parents that can't take the discipline , Well Mums and Dads.....Tennis is a disciplined game! 


All coaches are not equal, I have the secret to success , you want to be a pro tennis player email me and I will tell you exactly the secret.What happens in New Zealand most of the juniors that appear in the rankings are children with good financial support from parents.They get the best, clothes, racquet's and when they lose and throw a tantrum they even get a kiss from Mommy.See where I am going?No one is tough enough this side of the world especially in this country. Many of the "juniors" with heart are forced to give up or change sports!They cant afford to keep going , what have we left the "prima donna's" where money has got them wins at a certain level!When they have to "raise the bar" and find that Mummy is no longer on the side lines telling them to
"eat a banana" at the change of ends  ,they have to actually think for themselves! ,this is where the player is found out "when the going gets tough the tough get going" Are all coaches equal No because the majority are telling their pupils they are the next Wimbledon Champion and buying your Mom a coffee.

Down!! but is Rafa Out?

Again Djokovic beat Nadal on clay and in straight sets . From what i saw watching ,Nadal was outplayed again in all aspects.Djokovic was savage on Nadal's second serve and hit over twice as many winners than Rafa.Nadal tried a change of tactics with more higher balls to Djoker...that did not work as often Novak returned the favor with more pace and control.The difference is the backhand , Djokovic is hitting his with speed and precision , Nadal on the other hand with the pressure Djoker is putting on him is often short, he tried his signature move to run around that side when given the chance but often the ball was too deep and when he did get around it he left an open court for Djokovic to hammer.


This battle is making the French Open more attractive and it certainly would make an interesting final if both should make it. Don't write Nadal off yet at this stage he's Down but Not Out.

New Rivalry

The only person that can beat Nadal at Roland Garros is Novak Djokovic as seen at the weekend when he beat Rafa in the final of Madrid.Watching the match I have to say that Nadal was beaten by a better player on the day.Forget the Federer/Nadal rivalry its a no contest , Fed is on his last legs and it will be hard for him to reach another grandslam final.Nadal maybe had a wake up call he has to come up with a better game plan against Djoker , whilst in the interviews he says his forehand side was not as good as it could be, Djokovic really pressed Nadal's backhand side , whilst Novak's backhand was excellent! Djokovic also moved better and outlasted Nadal on the long rally's which must be a real worry to Uncle Tony!Below are some excerpts from both players press conference after the final.


Djokovic 

Q: Beating Rafa on clay in Spain must be very special?
A: It is a very special day for me because it’s the first time I managed to Rafa on clay I’ve played a great match from the first to the last point. I got to the court believing I can win and that was the only way that I could get a win in the end.


Q: What you have been doing since the start of the year has almost been real: do you get the feeling that it is almost a dream?
A: No, I’m trying to stay dedicated and focussed on what I do. There are no secrets. Things came together for me. I am a more mature player and more matured person so I just know what to do on and off the court. Luckily for me I have a great team of people with me on and off the court that shares the ups and downs with me so for me then it’s easier to perform well on the court and relieve the pressure and everything that comes with professional tennis. I am trying to think about winning and not about losing. I know that this run that I have is really incredible but I try to think about how long it’ll go and when I will be beaten. It’s how many more wins I’m going to have. Every time I go on the court I’m motivated to win and not thinking that this is the day I’ll lose.


Q: As well as your play, you have to manage your physical conditions and well because you’re playing so many matches; how are you feeling at the moment?
A: I feel great. The only day I felt a bit heavy on the court was yesterday. Today I felt fresh on the court. It was an exhausting match both mentally and physically and that’s normal against the world no.1 and every point took maybe 10/15 rallies at least so I needed to work hard for my points but I managed to do it really well. I’ve been in the situation before where I win a tournament and have to play the following week. I know what to do. I have a great team of people with me who know what to do so I’m sure I can recover.


Q: Nadal said that with this trend he will not be able to keep the no.1?
A: If I keep winning I’ll get closer but I’m trying not to think about that. I just started the clay court season. It was a perfect start with the two tournaments that I won and I need to stay dedicated and focussed on the upcoming events because if I want to reach no.1 I have to play consistent because that’s what Rafa will do and the rest of the players. It has changed, I have a different mindset right now, I’m more stable and I know how to think right.


Q: You’ve won Australia, Indian Wells, Miami but beating Rafa here in Spain, is that the biggest accomplishment of the lot?
A: Probably it’s up there at the top. I agree that under the circumstances I was playing an unbelievable match. But I was expecting all that – playing him here at home in front of his people. I know how it is; two years ago we played another great match. All three matches that we played this year were really long and were decided by a few points so am just happy to be able to play the best tennis when I needed to. This was something that was lacking in the past. I didn’t believe enough that I could win against Rafa or Roger at these big tournaments but now it’s different.


Q: You’re now even favourite to win Roland Garros. Do you feel like that?
A: I think that Rafa is still the favourite. I’ve never won Roland Garros. I’ve played a couple of times in the semis. Probably because of my winning streak I am one of the favourites but Rafa has lost only one match in his career there. It is my goal for this season to try to go all the way in Roland Garros and I’m setting up my form for that.


Q: You were 4-0 up in the first set and then he came back; did you think that you were in danger?
A: I had a great start to the set and it was my fault that I dropped two breaks and let him back into the match. I know that Rafa will never give up. He’s a great competitor and he never gives you any free points so I know I had to play well especially at this level because things can turn around easily. 


Nadal

Q. I suppose that you are sad for losing a final especially on clay considering that it was the 37th one without losing – matches that are not finals?
A. In front of me I had a really good player. He’s playing at a really high level. We’ve got to accept that. When someone is better than you there is nothing you can do other than congratulate him and that’s it and look forward to your next tournament and try to keep up, see what you’re missing, what you’re doing right and face forward with the correct attitude nd with mental strength. You have to be cold, mentally speaking, and you have to look for solutions. Try to be better, try to practice and next time I’ll try to do better.


Q. Rafa you were saying the last day that to play very good is the exception; Today was one of those matches where things were not working the way you wanted?
A. No, things were not working out. I tried to go out there and do my best. It wasn’t my best day on clay – that’s a fact. I don’t think I played bad, I think I play average and playing average against Djokovic is not enough. That’s what happened today. You’ve got to play more aggressively but to do that you have to feel the forehand a bit more. His backhand did me some harm and I had to go a bit in the centre – there was nothing I could do about that. I will have to take that into account the next time. The match started bad and then I had to fight but he was better and I have to accept that. I’m sorry for the crowd, the people who have been supporting me here a lot and I’m really emotional playing on this court. Always playing in front of the Spanish crowd, especially the Madrid crowd is something unforgettable and I can only do it once a year.


Q. Do you have any opinion of Djokovic’s celebration out there? Do you think anything is going to change for Rome or Roland Garros especially due to the altitude?
A. I don’t know if anything is going to change. You’ve got to make things change, they don’t change by themselves. I’ve been having a really good season and if I hadn’t had someone like Djokovic on front of me, who has won all these matches, I would’ve been having a better season. But there is one who is having a better season than me and I have to accept that and give him my congratulations. an you change it? I’ve won two tournaments, I’ve made it to five finals, winning three, losing two and my season is quite positive. What am I going to change? It depends on me and on him, it’s not just the two of is – there are many factors. You don’t just play the final against Djokovic; you are fighting for it from the first round. About his celebration, well, each one can celebrate in the way and he can take his moment the way he wants. Good for him.


Q. Is it a psychological problem to lose three times against the same player and after seeing how Djokovic is playing are you frightened of losing no.1?
A. I don’t think I can lose no.1. If I lose no.1 it’s not the end of the world. If I lose it I will be no.2 and I’ll be very happy. I’m just happy to go out on court and have the feeling that I’m competitive and I still have this feeling but at the moment I haven´t been able to beat him but I’ll try to work and I try to beat him. The good things will come and you´ve got to be patient. I’ve won a lot of things in my career. I’m 25 years old and I’ve played more than I ever dreamed when I started. I thank the people who have been with me whether it was my family when I started or other people and I just have to be thankful for everything that I’ve got. I’ll be back. In your life there are highs and moments, I am not on a low, I’m on a high but my opponent is at the highest point in his life. I’m not going to make a drama when the other one is better than me.


Q.Rafa is this loss in Madrid tougher than the one in Indian Wells or Miami?
A. No, Miami’s loss was much tougher without doubts. I was much closer then to the victory and well then I finished destroyed physically, today it was different. No one likes to loss but I think that comparing loses- you know some are tougher than others, this one has a plus which is that we have played in clay, which is always something special. But to lose is normal you know, it’s not normal to get on the court win Roland Garros, Monte Carlo, and Barcelona… Those things are fake, they are movies and you only get to see these movies on TV. If no one has manage that in the history of tennis well it was pretty complicated that I managed it during two consecutive years. I am very happy I said that from the first moment. I am glad of everything that has happened to me till today. When I was playing my first match in Monte Carlo if anyone had come to me and told me to sign this 3 or 4 weeks ago, I would definitely do so. I am in a privileged position of the year, it’s true that the Race distances a little bit. But it´s also true that I have shorten 1500 points thanks to Barcelona and Monte Carlo, I get 400 more and also the distance from 3,4 and 5 are bigger now. My first objective of the year is to classify myself to London’s Master. Which is little by little closer, I don’t like to say that it’s done until it is not done mathematically talking. It’s pretty close; something really horrible must happen if I don’t manage to make it. I have to keep on working to continue meeting my goals and my goal right now is to end up us high as possible in the ranking, I’ve got to try and play my best in Rome, Roland Garros, Queens, Wimbledon…


Q. Rafa I would like to ask you about his mornings training. Did you finish with good feelings this morning?
A. Are you worried about my training? Well they were quite good actually; I started the match quite well. I started the point 40-0, I did a really good game, he did the break because I was unlucky, and he played really good though. Afterwards he has been playing really well; maybe I committed a couple of errors. He has played fantastically till the 4-0, he has been aggressive, didn’t commit any errors. And even when I was not playing that bad I didn’t have any options.


Q. Rafa what do you think were the important factors that decided today’s match?
A. I don’t think I played my best tennis. He played well had fantastic moments. It was very difficult to stop him when he played his backhand. It was very very aggressive and he opened the court very well. I think I played a little bit short at times. I have to play more aggressive with the forehand, when I touch the ball with the forehand it has to be better. That’s what I have to do in the next tournaments and not just against Djokovic. I think I practiced very well here before the tournament. I didn’t play my best in the semis and the final – the conditions here are always a bit more difficult but that’s not an excuse.


Q. Were you surprised by how he played, particularly those backhands?
A. He is plating fantastic. He is playing aggressive, without mistakes. His movements are incredible. I just have to congratulate him for all he’s doing wining all the matches this year. It’s something very difficult to repeat.


Q. You had a great match here with Novak two years ago….
A. I don’t think I had a great match two years ago here. I think I had a terrible match – very emotional for sure but I think I played probably worse than today.


Q: How much has he improved in those two years and what has he improved?
A. He’s playing very well; he’s playing with a lot of confidence. He’s focussed all the time. When you are winning every match you must be going something very good. He was always very good and when he plays with that confidence it’s very difficult to beat him. I don’t think he improves something unbelievable, he was always very good. He has a lot of talent to enter the court and control the position and he’s able to do it very do it easily which is an advantage.


You can read a lot into either interviews , but one thing that is clear they are the players that will reach the French Open Final unless a huge upset happens.The way Djokovic is playing he is the favorite in my mind.

A Delayed Post

Sorry readers I have been In Australia visiting my father who again has been a little unwell, I am enjoying the time here visiting my 103 year old grandmother also.Thanks for those that were concerned .I have been watching events from a far and will give my views on recent Nationals and Junior Davis and Fed Cups, again another year for non qualification to the World playoffs with the Boys 16s finishing 15th and the girls finished 8th not living up to their seeding of 4th for the event.

Just a word of support for Blenheim coach Michael Mooney , Michael has dared to stand up to a scene that happens far too often in New Zealand with  vindictive parents and boards that like to shaft coaches doing a good job.Keep it going Michael!!!I have lots of news and reports for everyone including an update on THE STALKER.! Back to New Zealand soon!

Cochrane Goes Down but not without a fight

Pupil Anna Cochrane just missed a place in the National 12s girls singles quarter finals going down in a tight three setter against 5th Seed Lauren Alter 6-3 6-7 6-1. Great experience and Anna will take a lot out of this match.Anna and partner Alice Seemann from Christchurch had a great win knocking of the top seeds in the doubles today to reach the quarter finals.All the volley exercises must be paying off!Above is Anna in action.Thanks to Ace Ventura for the pictures.

Sam Stosur’s refusal to represent her country in this weekend’s Fed Cup is a stone-cold snub to those who have nurtured her career and given her the opportunity to play tennis professionally.

Instead of opting to don the green and gold, Stosur remained in Europe to continue her preparation for the claycourt season and battle to retain her top-10 WTA ranking.

While Stosur has been a loyal servant to Australia in the past (32 matches in 19 ties since 2003), her absence in Melbourne has effectively cost her country its place in the World Group.

Jarmila Groth (ranked 30) and Anastasia Rodionova (72) battled valiantly at Glen Iris in Melbourne’s inner-east, but went down 2-3 overall at the hands of Lesia Tsurenko (131) and Olga Savchuk (144), despite holding two match points in Sunday’s deciding doubles.

There is little doubt that had the world No. 6 made the trip, the outcome would be vastly different.

Not Logical or ethical to have the coach of Stosur David Taylor also in charge of the Fed Cup Team.

Read more on it and the full article HERE

Nadal makes it 7 in a row at Monte Carlo defeating David Ferrer in the final.Nadal sends a statement to rivals leading into the French Open .Djokovic withdrew from Monte Carlo stating injury ,maybe a little mind games going on .

STALKER UPDATE : WAS A LITTLE QUIET TODAY NO VISITS TO MY SITE TO DATE, JUST A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THIS SAD PERSON. THEY  HAVE A LOT OF TIME ON THEIR HANDS, THEY LOVE MAKING TROUBLE, A FAMOUS NURSERY RHYME CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.THEY NEED HELP.

12s Nationals Update

Mixed fortunes for pupils Anna Cochrane and Tom Russell.Anna moved into the R16 with a 6-3 6-3 win over Amber Barry. Tom went down 6-2 6-3 to Scott Walden in the R16 match.This event is being played in Auckland whilst the 16s are being played in Wellington. 


Nadal fought off a determined Andy Murray to earn a place in the final against David Ferrer in Monte Carlo overnight.


Australia is in trouble locked at 2 rubbers all against the Ukraine in Fed Cup Action. Not a great result as its a home match and The Aussie's have the higher ranked players.


Lot's of interest in the "eyes stalker"and yes they are still stalking , yesterday they arrived at my blog at around 11.40 and was still checking it out at 10.20pm last night and had a lunch time visit today about 12.23pm.I am thinking of starting a contest to see if readers can guess who it is. I went along to Scream 4 today just to get some tips on deranged characters. I am thinking maybe a solicitors letter is needed,its not the fact of the stalker visiting the site, its the threatening comment that was left.


Since word of the stalker my blog has doubled in daily hits. No doubt they will be back later tonight.Oh another stat I notice that sometimes you enter the site from the sports ground site usually from the South Canterbury link site.Although yesterday they were all clean hits.


stalker twitter : stalker logged on again at 8.29pm . Very tricky stalker using firefox 3.6  You really do find this blog interesting .

STALKER Tennis

Monica Seles, Steffi Graff ,Maria Sharapova have all had stalkers , now the "eye"has a stalker. The only thing stalkers eventually get caught.The wonderful stats a blog can give you is who is reading your web page , what country , and even what city! My stalker is a frequent visitor to the site. Occasionally they leave comments .Their last visit to my blog was 8-14 am this morning.I even know what browser they use to log on , they use internet explorer,they even use Windows xp!.Yesterday they made numerous visits to my blog , including leaving a comment. The beauty about New Zealand  its so small, its easy to pinpoint local visitors, most come here for entertainment and news , My Stalker comes for evil purposes :) .I know who the stalker is.


All will be made public soon :). I am up with some great names who have had stalkers , one wonders is it an honor? NO its annoyance to think that people do not have better things to do with their lives.They obviously need help.

Blog Mystery

Always amazes me how smart people think they are, Someone left me a nice comment unfortunately they think they know more than me , well anonymous I know who you are here is your Ip address Telecom Xtra (122.61.142.153) [Label IP Address] its not hard to trace things like that ,I would be very worried .This person I know is not very smart !

Yes readers all will be revealed soon!

THE BLOG

Statistics always interest me and its great to see who and where is actually reading my Blog! This is another set of stats readily available and shows how many hits and from what country's for the past month.The above are just the top country's visiting . Well the clay court season has begun and who will step up ?

The above is the first big event of the year . The best inform player Djokovic has withdrawn leaving Nadal to be tested by the rest.Federer will be trying to find some clay court form , I think his best chance of a major event this year is Wimbledon.It will be interesting to see how the young "guns"such as Milos Raonic adapt to the slower surfaces.

What you need to win on clay.


1.The ability to keep height and depth over the net


2. Being able to slide into shots only learnt on clay, the guys that have grown up on this surface will have an advantage.


3. To be able to use angles and drop shots as court craft is a big advantage in winning on clay


4. To gain control of the rally, you dont have to serve big but you have to serve with accuracy and a high percentage of first serves.


5. Be Fit!!!! Prepared to grind out longer rallys.


6.Play the percentages Patience is a virtue on clay.


7.All good clay courters must be prepared to slice and dice

Presentation Video

Each year I do a video for awards night for Tennis South Canterbury. The theme of the video this year is.... What is success?. Success is hard to measure and each individual success will be different ,is it accumulating tennis titles or is it just turning up for local inter-club and participating. I know many that gauge success on titles, yes that part of it but the humblest and most popular players are those that realize success comes in many shapes and forms.

Below are Pictures of a young junior I coach Anna Cochrane who is just back from the Nelson Junior Open where she lost in the Final of the 12s  in 3 hard fought sets the third being a super tie break decider against Christchurch player Alice Seeman. Anna Combined to win the doubles partnering Alice. A very successful trip , well done Anna. Anna is working hard on improving her variety in her game and as a coach I am implementing volley's and angles with Anna , As we know in Junior Girls tennis it can be just a battle from the baseline and a player that can mix it up by coming to the net to finish, create angles can cause some damage once they can implement successfully. Thanks Ace for the pics!!!

Farewell Bernie

Sadly yesterday we said goodbye to Bernard Matze from Argentina who finished his coaching duty's and set sail for a little sightseeing in Queenstown and Auckland before winging his way back to Mendoza Argentina. We housed Bernie and let me say he did keep himself busy whilst he was here , never missing a chance to go and do some thing like canoeing in Dunedin and wake boarding just the other side of Ashburton, the occasional night out in Timas!.On the court he was fantastic, had good technical knowledge and a sound lesson structure.He was very popular with his pupils. For me he gave me some new idea's and ways to look at things and he was quick to work out the achievers , the pretenders and the temperamental , back home in Argentina where he coaches in clubs he had not come across so much emotional outbursts as he experienced here in South Canterbury.


Well Bernie I am sure you will read this soon, we miss you around the house its just not the same,  Good luck and God Bless I hope you have enjoyed your time here and it will help you in whatever or where ever the paths of life take you.You did yourself and Family proud Bernie!

Deeley takes treble with Mixed Title

The mixed doubles final for South Canterbury closed champs ended in an anti-climax with Tom Deeley and Geraldine Prisk defeating Sam Lane and Annabel Ellis 7/6 1/1 after Lane had to withdraw from the rescheduled final with an injury.This gave Tom his third title after winning the Mens Singles and Doubles Title .....a rare treble.Geraldine started her tennis with me at a very early age and some of her achievements have been reaching the 12s National Hard courts final and being selected on Tennis New Zealand's team for training in Spain.I am pictured above with Geraldine and Tom. Another success from the coaching program which some people fail to notice , I have often thought why is this and I guess its common trait in New Zealand tennis culture.... with all the National champions I have produced not one call from Tennis New Zealand saying well done,how are you getting this success in such a small region? In fact all of this has hardly been noticed at a local area. Thank goodness for juniors like Tom and Geraldine , too many "prima donna" tennis players exist in this country and maybe thats why New Zealand in its current environment will never reach great heights.

Above are visitors to my blog over the last week.Thanks for dropping by!!

Mission Accomplished- The "eye" gets South Canterbury Doubles Titles

Yesterday I partnered 15 year old Tom Deeley to win the South Canterbury closed Men's Doubles Title 6-0 6-2 against Top Seeds Les Jones and Kevin Lind.I coach Tom and playing with me is no easy task , I hate to lose and I hate to lose points so my intensity in Match play is always high.I can remember myself playing as a junior with the better Men players and it was here I learned the craft of doubles and also the intensity required to win at Top level, I learned a lot even though some of the older players at times were quite hard.I enjoyed playing with Tom and the event gives me an incentive to pass on some knowledge that I have learned throughout the years of playing many matches.Tom really handled the match like a veteran ,except for the drop volley :) ,I had made a similar error with a break point ,I tried a silly drop shot .....lapses of intensity made me remember one of my old partners saying you get a sitter ...bury it! Tom also won the men's singles title yesterday with a 6-0 6-0 against the Top Seed Kevin Lind.Tom was ruthless in his demolish-ion ,determined not to drop a game.The event was seeded on Top Dog and certainly made a mockery of the system, Top Dog works if you are put on your correct level of entry , Tom was way to low and needs an adjustment. 
So another success with a pupil taking out the Men's Championship and Tom deserves this with his enthusiasm and ability to put in at lesson's , no dramatics , no racket throwing and banging on the ground, no swearing and tantrums, no putting down the opposition and no excuses.......shame this was not a trait in all juniors , I have to say in all honest opinion its a credit to the parents because its their influences that help create the persona ,Well done Dad and Mum you deserve the victory also.