Marcin Bieniek

There are four Grand Slam tournaments per year that lucky people can attend but others can watch them too comfortably from own home. Additionally there are many tournaments between Grand Slam competitions that top players take part in and we as spectators can have some fun while cheering for our favorite one. Is entertainment the only reason why we should watch tennis match on TV?

Tennis tournament is a great experience. Top players train really hard and make many sacrifices to get to the level where they can fight for the trophy, big money and fame. Even during the tournament they are not limited just to play tennis matches – they have to take care of many aspects like physical and mental preparation but also they have to find time for many different events related to tournament or sponsorship’s agreement. It simply means that there is going a lot of things at the same time and everyone should follow it because there is a lot to learn.

From my experience I can say that being at the tournament and watching everything from close distance is a magnificent time. It allows to learn from others and get better as a tennis player or tennis coach. Of course, going to the tournament is an expensive process but in modern world we don’t have to miss anything if we are commited to it. We have TVs and smartphones that allow us to watch tennis match from any place in the world. If you already watch a lot of tennis matches that’s great – it is a good first step. The second step is education. Do you learn anything from watching a match? Do you feel like you get better after watching a match? If not you should not waste this big opportunity every time you turn on TV.

Every tennis match is different. Two players using own individual playing styles compete for the win. They use own strengths to win the points while at the same time they try to hide own weaknesses. The more one player knows about the opponent the bigger chances he has to set effective strategy and leave the court as a winner. When you watch two professional players fight we can enjoy this battle and learn from their efforts. There are many areas that we should be aware of while watching tennis matches. Here they are:

Footwork

Spectators admire powerful forehand and beautiful stop-volleys but solid technique is not enough to execute strokes well. Proper footwork is a basis for all strokes in tennis. That is why it is important to take a closer look at how players move to the ball and what type of footwork they use to recover after the shot. Many times we can discover specific movement patterns that are more effective than the ones that we tend to use.

Tactical patterns

Competition is a test of player’s skills. Players have to react to opponent’s shots and come up with the most effective solutions. The best players in the world are aware of the fact that there is no time during the point to think what to do so they rely on automatic tactical patterns that they developed during years of practice sessions. By paying attention how they serve in crucial moments and when they switch direction from cross-court to down the line you are able to possess new tactical knowledge that you can use in own game.

Reaction to mistakes

Mistakes happen at all levels. Tennis players are human beings so they make mistakes. Less or more but errors are part of the game and we have to accept that. Unfortunately many less-advanced players don’t know how to properly react to mistakes – they have negative thoughts, use bad words, throw the racquet and most importantly… make more errors. To avoid this situation we can learn what top players do after they miss easy shot. How does Federer react? What does Rafa do? Watch, learn and implement new post-error routines.

Down-time routines

Playing time is only 20-25% of all the time players spend on the court. Top players use the time between points and gems to recover, analyze own situation and plan next points. They use specifically-designed individual routines to feel comfortable even during the most stressful moments. Pay attention what they do during changeovers and between the points to apply these actions into own game.

How would I play?

I know that our level of play mostly doesn’t allow us to be even close to what we see on TV but it doesn’t really matter. Watching tennis match is an opportunity to grow tactically and see results during our next competitive encounter. When you see what is going on on the screen try to think how you would play against particular opponent. Ask yourself: Where are strong sides of this player? Which weaknesses does he try to hide? What strategy could I use to take advantage on the court?

Watching tennis match should be fun and educational at the same time. Spending time in front of TV doesn’t have to be a waste of time if we decide to make this time a valuable experience. Next time you watch tennis match pay attention to the areas pointed above and get better even while sitting on sofa.

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