THE 3AM THEORY

The Evolution of Topspin in Tennis: 3 Revolutionary Drills That Changed the Game By Paul Dale | The 3AM Method How a Match in Japan Revealed the Future of Tennis Andreas Gomez was one of the early players to adop heavy topspin in his matches Many years ago, I was watching a match in Japan between Andres Gomez and Aaron Krickstein. Sitting close to the court, I realised I was witnessing something revolutionary—a table tennis rally on a tennis court! Both players controlled the ball through a tight "funnel" of arc with heavy topspin, creating rallies dominated by ball flight rather than by bounce points. Today, this might seem normal, but back then, it marked the beginning of a new era in tennis groundstrokes. The Topspin Revolution: From Borg to Modern Tennis Long before this, Bjorn Borg had changed our perception of topspin in tennis. Borg hit the ball with much more arc than any other player of his time. Years later, that match in Japan showed me the post-Borg era e...

  Knowing when to attack or defend is crucial Playing tennis is a little like a car. The engine will drive you forward but without a means to change gears or steer the car, there’s no real way to use the car in a purposeful manner.   Many players, particularly in the women’s game rely solely on how hard they can hit the ball.   The faster the better.   It’s all about the engine! When I watch a tournament, the players that catch my eye are those who can change from offense to defense and understand which shot is the most appropriate for the situation.   This ability to change gears and understand the shot required is a difficult lesson to teach as it has nothing to do with stroke mechanics but instead requires a player to learn instinctiveness under a variety of situations. The best theory I know to teach this instinctiveness and one I have used for many years is The DNO Theory. The DNO Theory helps a player understand the correct shot to hit under vary...