February 8, 2010
How to Slide on Clay 
As the world's leading supplier of clay court surfaces, the question we get asked more than any other, from teaching pros and players alike, is about how to slide on clay. Sliding not only makes you more efficient and more consistent on clay, it makes the game more fun, so we have put together a three-part video series on how to slide on clay. Check out part 1 on our website. We hope you like it and find it instructional. Give us your feedback. Play the Clay, Learn to Win and Play for Life!
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Contemporary Men Stretching the Court Joel Drucker Watching the men at the Australian Open this year, one word comes to mind: elastic. This is how I see the evolution of men's tennis. As a point of comparison, I recently watched a few points from the superb 2000 Australian Open semifinal between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. This was an enthralling, state-of-the-art match between two hard hitters, the ball crackling deep through the court, each player pushed to his physical limits. And yet, compared to how the game is played now, Sampras-Agassi had a vastly linear quality, each player's concussive drives a fine fit for the rectangle of a court. That shape has changed. One major reason for this was the late '90s introduction of Luxilon, the dead string that permits players to fully avail themselves of contemporary racquet technology, take massive cuts at the ball, and generate severe forms of spin, angle, whip, and torque. Once upon a time this was the racquet model for a pro: dead frame, lively strings, big grip. Now it's the opposite: lively frame, dead strings, small grip. Rafael Nadal, for example, uses a 4 ¼-inch grip, all the better to whip his forearm through one forehand after another – and in the process, stretch the court's dimensions.
Working for Tennis Channel in Melbourne, I had the chance to sit right behind the court and watch the incredible action on Roger Federer's balls. These shots aren't just moving and penetrating through the court. They are jumping, rotating, spinning, kicking and biting with supreme pace, angle, and depth. And so the geography of the court has taken on a new shape. Contemporary tennis is predicated not just on pace, but on spin, a combination which enables confident, free-flowing players to generate more sustained depth and angle than they ever have. Transitions back and forth between offense and defense occur repeatedly on just about every point. Federer, Nadal, Andy Murray, Nikolay Davydenko, and Marin Cilic are just a few exemplary practitioners of this brand of highly-physical, mostly baseline-based play. For recreational players, it’s a good news, bad news scenario. The good news is that the quality of play has never been higher. To witness up close the degree of fitness, movement and ball-striking aptitude it takes to play contemporary men’s tennis is inspiring, an ode to our sport’s remarkable mix of physical prowess, skill and focus. To have watched Murray, for example, evolve over these first five years of his career from a nimble counterpuncher to a 6’ 3” force shows how a player can improve his athleticism – and in the process, enhance his tools and even add new ones (such as Murray’s faster serve). Recreational players should take heart from this: You can make yourself a better athlete, if not obviously to the degree of a Murray, but certainly in a way that enhances movement, strength and stamina. What’s problematic is that we have never lived in an era when the gap between the playing styles of pros and those of civilians is so disparate. While on the one hand we might learn a bit about tactical maneuvers from someone like Murray and Federer – each of whom is a master at mixing spin, pace, height and depth – it’s tricky for recreational players to try to imitate too much else from the pro game. Dead strings – don’t even think about it. Massive cuts – please. And I’d daresay that for anyone over 40, the two-handed backhand employed by most pros can be quite labor-intensive.
Consider, also, the topic of shot selection. In the pro game, for example, a driving down-the-line backhand is a vital tool for keeping opponents from dictating play with inside-out forehands. But whenever I see recreational players zealously try this, what I really wonder is why they don’t put in more time improving their overheads. No question, it’s all quite different than the days when I could trot out my Dunlop Maxply, watch Rod Laver or John McEnroe and try to imitate not just their strokes, but also the way they built points. For those who teach the game, it’s a conundrum. Young players who want to be as good as they can be are naturally smitten of the very best. Older players aspire to improve too. For there is the question: No matter what the age, will a player have the fitness – supple bodies, strong legs, emotional commitment – to try and play like a pro? I doubt it. So yes, there’s a chasm between the pros and the rest of us. If on the one hand that makes teaching and learning the game tricky, on the other hand, so what? Shakespeare was no folk artist. And our lives are richer for the chance to witness his genius. As always, we would love to hear from you! Questions, comments, personal experiences all create helpful dialogue for everyone! Please click here to send us your email.
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