Kinda unrelated, but a great tournament from Tiafoe. Given some of the technical flaws in his strokes you've mentioned here and there, do you think he's hit his ceiling (#10) in his career or that there are adjustments Witt could help him make to find more success? His couple seasons with Ferreira I think saw him hit a 70ish% win rate compared to his career median of just over 50%.
I don't see him as a regular top-10 player until he makes changes to his return game/strategy. Being the most aced player on tour is not a label you want to own.
Do you think this is due to the length and intricacy of his forehand? I see similar things with Shapo who is just terrible at returning. It feels like they just got on top of players at the junior levels. Then, they hit the pros and they could not return at all with big long strokes meant to create winners.
I don't think so. It's mainly tactical for him in terms of where the low hanging fruit is. He stands close in and just guesses a lot of times. He could block more, for instance, and adopt something like a Bublik strategy, but would require committing to playing more Defence. Same thing for Shapo; no block ability. Alcaraz is showing the value of having that in your toolkit. Even djoker would often block to improve his make % in certain matchups (e.g., v Murray).
Hi, I am a newcomer to your thread. Do you think how hard it is for a player to change his tactics (specifically here, Tiafor with his returning tactics)? Does it have to do with changes in the technique or just purely changing the habit and decison-making?
Ideally should every forehand be taken in a neutral stance in the way you describe here?
"Most players would play this second forehand in a more open stance, but so often Sinner takes that final extra step across with his front (left) leg into something more neutral just prior to unloading on this crosscourt forehand"
If it's below the shoulder I think the neutral stance has a few advantages. You can generate more power more easily, you can disguise the direction of your shot/hold it better I think, and you have better directional control. But when the ball is up high the open stance is the preferred hitting stance
His strokes are such a hot mess mechanically. He's already good enough to threaten the best on fast courts on a given day, but you wonder what could have been if some of the technique hitches had been ironed out as a child.
Alternately, do you think his weird form actually throws opponents off at times? (kind of like a baseball pitcher with idiosyncratic windups that camouflage intent)
Do you think this is similar to Coco Gauff in that it worked well in the juniors? But, once they hit the pros, it just did not work as well. Just curious.
Such an explosive and dynamic player. He usually excels in the forecourt but just didn't execute in this one. Tried to make his volleys too good. Partly due to jannik's court coverage.
It is something to me how Sinner can take the ball early so well. I would have thought the racquet strings facing in completely opposite in his forehand preparation would be a deficit to taking the forehand on early, but it certainly does not hinder Sinner. Tsitsipas, who can also take the forehand on early well, has his racquet strings much more orientated to be incoming ball in his preparation. Seems much simpler.
I am in favour of inverting the strings because it is a sign of wrist extension. obviously the grip you use influences this. Federer and Sinner would have almost exactly the same arm positions, but Fed's grip was closer to eastern, so his strings just faced down.
Great article as always! I still wonder whether the eastern grip and a bit more traditional stroke, allowed Fed to do so many more things than all the modern players. Is there anyone coming up that is even thinking about a more Fed like forehand? Given how good and how versatile it was.
No not really but I do think it is interesting that so many great forehands are Eastern/weak SW's. No one swings it like Delpo, for instance. The closest I can think of, with respect to younger players, is someone like Korda who is pretty simple.
There are examples of players with great technique still, but you do need the talent, athleticism, drive, and sometimes funding, to break through in a big way.
Tiafoe just texted to say he started reading and then went “I got TWO games in the second set WTH is this”
Anyhooo I keep wondering what this “hip thing” is with Sinner, and if we will ever know what he did and whether it does affect him.
Terrible unforced error from me! have corrected on the website.
With Sinner, id think it's a labral issue with the hip given his fram and movement
Kinda unrelated, but a great tournament from Tiafoe. Given some of the technical flaws in his strokes you've mentioned here and there, do you think he's hit his ceiling (#10) in his career or that there are adjustments Witt could help him make to find more success? His couple seasons with Ferreira I think saw him hit a 70ish% win rate compared to his career median of just over 50%.
I don't see him as a regular top-10 player until he makes changes to his return game/strategy. Being the most aced player on tour is not a label you want to own.
Do you think this is due to the length and intricacy of his forehand? I see similar things with Shapo who is just terrible at returning. It feels like they just got on top of players at the junior levels. Then, they hit the pros and they could not return at all with big long strokes meant to create winners.
I don't think so. It's mainly tactical for him in terms of where the low hanging fruit is. He stands close in and just guesses a lot of times. He could block more, for instance, and adopt something like a Bublik strategy, but would require committing to playing more Defence. Same thing for Shapo; no block ability. Alcaraz is showing the value of having that in your toolkit. Even djoker would often block to improve his make % in certain matchups (e.g., v Murray).
Hi, I am a newcomer to your thread. Do you think how hard it is for a player to change his tactics (specifically here, Tiafor with his returning tactics)? Does it have to do with changes in the technique or just purely changing the habit and decison-making?
Ideally should every forehand be taken in a neutral stance in the way you describe here?
"Most players would play this second forehand in a more open stance, but so often Sinner takes that final extra step across with his front (left) leg into something more neutral just prior to unloading on this crosscourt forehand"
If it's below the shoulder I think the neutral stance has a few advantages. You can generate more power more easily, you can disguise the direction of your shot/hold it better I think, and you have better directional control. But when the ball is up high the open stance is the preferred hitting stance
His strokes are such a hot mess mechanically. He's already good enough to threaten the best on fast courts on a given day, but you wonder what could have been if some of the technique hitches had been ironed out as a child.
Alternately, do you think his weird form actually throws opponents off at times? (kind of like a baseball pitcher with idiosyncratic windups that camouflage intent)
i don't think so; it's not super weird like a Florian Mayer or something. But yeah, it's not the most efficient swing in my book.
Do you think this is similar to Coco Gauff in that it worked well in the juniors? But, once they hit the pros, it just did not work as well. Just curious.
You can definitely get away with weaknesses in juniors more so than pros. The higher you climb the more tested your game gets in every way.
This newsletter is awesome
Appreciate the kind words Gabriele!
Great result for Tiafoe. It's kind of a testament to how athletic he is that he can post that kind of result with such unorthodox strokes
Such an explosive and dynamic player. He usually excels in the forecourt but just didn't execute in this one. Tried to make his volleys too good. Partly due to jannik's court coverage.
It is something to me how Sinner can take the ball early so well. I would have thought the racquet strings facing in completely opposite in his forehand preparation would be a deficit to taking the forehand on early, but it certainly does not hinder Sinner. Tsitsipas, who can also take the forehand on early well, has his racquet strings much more orientated to be incoming ball in his preparation. Seems much simpler.
I am in favour of inverting the strings because it is a sign of wrist extension. obviously the grip you use influences this. Federer and Sinner would have almost exactly the same arm positions, but Fed's grip was closer to eastern, so his strings just faced down.
Great article as always! I still wonder whether the eastern grip and a bit more traditional stroke, allowed Fed to do so many more things than all the modern players. Is there anyone coming up that is even thinking about a more Fed like forehand? Given how good and how versatile it was.
No not really but I do think it is interesting that so many great forehands are Eastern/weak SW's. No one swings it like Delpo, for instance. The closest I can think of, with respect to younger players, is someone like Korda who is pretty simple.
Interesting. There is probably a coach or parent out there creating the next Federer. At least I hope there is…
There are examples of players with great technique still, but you do need the talent, athleticism, drive, and sometimes funding, to break through in a big way.