Bigger Better Tennis - Paul Dale

With the US Open starting this week, there is plenty to learn while watching the matches, which we can use to improve our game. One technique you will see often over the next two weeks is ' THE LONG LAST STEP .' The top players use this technique to help with coordination, timing, and balance as they move around the court to hit the ball. To understand The Long Last Step, we need to break the whole topic of movement into 3 parts. All 3 parts relate to each other, and The Long Last Step is an integral element of them. #1 MOMENTUM When you run to hit a ground stroke, momentum is created. As you reach the ball, that momentum has to be disciplined before you attempt to hit the ball; otherwise, you will lose balance during the stroke. Any balance problems during the execution of a stroke will mean a lack of consistency. To control your body's momentum, we create a last step that is longer than the other steps used to reach the ball. By stepping long in this way, we hav...

The top players have few weaknesses in their games, and, as I have said many times, to reach the top, you must work to eliminate any weaknesses you may have. Weaknesses in your game eat away at your confidence and are usually worse when you are under the most pressure, at the most unwelcome times. The big picture when developing players for the future should also include working on strengths.  Young players should be well-rounded and be equally skilled in dealing with defensive and offensive situations. Here are my 4 top choices when developing the offensive game of a young player: #1 OWN A GREAT SERVE Owning a great serve is a massive asset in tennis. If you can hold serve or even put your opponent on the defensive at the start of each point you will win a large percentage of your service games. HERE'S WHAT TO DO... https://thetenniswhisperer.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-two-must-have-service-techniques.html #2 HAVE  A STRONG CROSS-COURT GAME ...

Invincibility Lies in Defence: The Sun Tzu Method for Tennis Match Preparation By Paul Dale | The 3AM Method The Three Words That Define Elite Tennis Performance Preparation, preparation, and preparation. This isn't just repetition for emphasis—it's the foundation of breakthrough tennis performance. Yet the majority of players prepare incorrectly, focusing solely on offensive power while neglecting the defensive skills that create championship-level resilience. The ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu understood something that modern tennis coaches are only beginning to grasp: "Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack." Tennis is warfare without the dire consequences after a defeat Why Traditional Tennis Preparation Fails Under Pressure Most players enter matches having practiced their forehand power, serve speed, and aggressive patterns. They've meticulously built their offensive arsenal. But when pressure mounts and...

There’s no doubt that we are experiencing a GENERATION WAR IN TENNIS AT THE MOMENT . The old guard of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic are under threat from the new guard consisting of Thiem, Zverev, Tsitsipas, and Shapovalov.  Recent results in the lead up to the French Open have seen the new guard matching and even beating the old guard in each tournament Most surprising during this time has been the declining form of Rafael Nadal. The former 'King of Clay' has not been able to win any of the tournaments during this early part of the European clay-court season. His chances of winning the French Open this year look bleak. Federer can be excused for not winning any of the lead up tournaments but he has shown us his game is good enough to beat anyone on the day and at this stage of his career he’s probably quietly saving his best effort for the grand slam. Djokovic is the pick of the old guard to go all the way at the French. He’s a proven winner on clay and h...

Tennis players need the ability to shift their awareness around as they play. Each shot requires a slightly different focus, a different awareness to take place. No stroke you play is the same. Here are the areas you need to send your awareness during a point. Some of the areas I mention may surprise you. Tennis is not just about awareness of the ball and your opponent… there’s much more to tennis than that! 1.   COURT AWARENESS Because you are playing the ball from different areas within the court you need to be aware of where you are standing. This is even more important when you are in the less familiar areas such as very deep off the baseline or very wide on either side of the court. When you are made to play from these 'special' positions on the court, shift your awareness to where you are standing so that you can factor in things like the height of the net, and the distance to the baseline.  Awareness of your position on the court will also tell you whether yo...

AS A TENNIS PLAYER, your life is full of difficulties. Whether it's difficulties within your daily routines involving your practice, fitness or matches, things can occur daily that chip away at your confidence in your ability to reach your goals and expectations. To different degrees, those challenges can affect your ability to continue practicing and playing at your optimal level. They can be demotivating.  You need high levels of RESOLVE to be a successful tennis player. You need the ability to keep striving towards your goals despite those difficulties.  So how do you develop or strengthen resolve? How do you continue going forward despite the difficulties and challenges?  T he 3 most important factors for developing RESOLVE are … 1. REMOVE YOURSELF FROM NEGATIVITY Remove yourself from any negative environment you might be in at the time. Nothing you try to do to build strong resolve will work within a negative env...

WHAT MAKES THE GREAT PLAYERS DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF US?  HERE ARE 3 REASONS THE PROS ARE DIFFERENT! #1 STRUCTURE   They live highly structured lives both on and off the court. Many of the very best players I have traveled with have lived extremely structured lives that started from when they were quite young. Often, this structure was engrained in them by parents. Martina's mother, Melanie, had only one goal throughout Martina's  Career, to make her the best. The many stories of overbearing tennis parents abound, and for every successful parent-child tennis relationship there are many more horror stories that have ended very badly. However, over the years I have seen several highly successful players come out of unhealthy parent-child relationships. In some cases, the discipline ingrained in the child stayed with them throughout their life and lead to successful lives, both within the tennis world and beyond. Discipline and a strong work ethic can take y...