AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | July 2013 49

MyCoach

50 Any given surface How to train and succeed on your least-preferred surface.

52 Compete and control Coach Gareth Keating’s mantra.

53 Selling your coaching business Why your coaching business shouldn’t be about you.

54 On court drills Introducing net play to red-court players.

Tennis Australia Coach Membership T: 03 9914 4191 F: 03 9650 1040 Email: coachmembership@tennis.com.au Website: www.tennis.com.au/membership

50 AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | July 2013

Long before she triumphed at the 2012 French Open, Maria Sharapova famously likened herself to a “cow on

ice” when competing on clay. It made her completion of the Grand Slam set all the more impressive. Only the tenth woman to achieve the milestone, it highlighted Sharapova’s tremendous will to persist through any challenge. At the same time, her achievement underlined the power of adaptability for competitors of all levels.

While it’s true that many players have a weakness for one surface, managing that deficiency can start with acknowledging the positive flip-side. “I think we should look at this in a different light,” notes Rob Leeds, Tennis Australia’s National Academy Manager in Victoria. “I think most players have a preferred surface. The discrepancy in pace of various surfaces is much less today than yesteryear.”

And even courts of one’s preferred surface can at times play differently. As Emily Rea, Player Development Coordinator at Tennis Victoria, explains, “Courts of the same surface can have different speeds, therefore young players should guard against a tendency to make sweeping generalisations about their like or dislike of different surfaces.”

Even so, limited exposure to a particular surface can naturally detract from a player’s confidence in competing on it.

With hard court the most prevalent surface in Australian clubs and centres, clay is often the surface that proves the least comfortable for many young players.

“While the recent addition of clay courts at the National Tennis Centre is hugely advantageous from a developmental perspective, as a general rule, our exposure to clay in Australia is very much limited, and as a result, Australian players generally develop a more aggressive game style suited to faster courts such as hard court and grass,” says Rea.

For the coach, it’s critical to take the most wide-ranging view when it comes to their players’ development. Belinda Colaneri, High Performance Course Coordinator at Tennis Australia, notes a common challenge. “If a player has only ever been exposed to one surface throughout their development, then adjusting to a surface they have never played on can initially be quite challenging.”

The ability to adapt is a skill that holds players in great stead in any match situation, regardless of the surface. Rea advises her students to embrace the challenge and find a way to win. “Learning to problem-solve [in] the conditions on any given day will greatly enhance competitiveness,” she says. “Exposing young players to different stimulus as often as possible will encourage them to be comfortable being uncomfortable. This

will increase their ability to adapt to different pressures and develop their problem-solving and other psychological skills.”

As tempting as it might be to target training and tournaments to a player’s preferred surface, there is often considerably more to be gained in scheduling around their non-preferred ones. “I don’t think a player should avoid a surface, they should tackle it head-on and try to survive and succeed,” Colaneri points out. “Placing cotton wool around them and avoiding tournaments because of the surface won’t help them in the long run, as adaptability is an important characteristic of a professional tennis player.”

While preparing to compete on a surface ideally incorporates practising on that same surface – and even, in some instances, arriving at a tournament several days early – certain strategies can be implemented when that’s not possible. “If they have the opportunity, try to practise on the foreign surface or something that is close to that,” Colaneri advises. “For instance, if you are heading to Europe and do not have clay but there is En-Tout-Cas, then train on that in the lead-up. Or do some movement practice on a synthetic grass court to practise your sliding. Also, you could practise on synthetic grass as a lead-in to grass as it offers a faster surface when the ball does slide.”

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It’s natural for a player to maximise their strengths but overcoming a weakness can prove even

more rewarding, especially when it comes to the challenges posed by a particular surface.

Some top Tennis Australia coaches explain how players can build confidence and skills on

their least-preferred surface. By VIVIenne ChrISTIe

Any given surface

The clay courts at the National Tennis Centre in Melbourne provide juniors with critical opportunities for development.

AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | July 2013 51

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Lack of access to a particular surface can also lead to some creative solutions, as Leeds explains. “If you’re aware of the critical demands that each of the surfaces places on the athlete then it does allow athletes and coaches to come up with innovative ways to adapt their training to bring about positive game enhancements that will benefit the player when they do get on the surface in question,” he says, pointing to an example that a South East Asian coach provided during a coaching conference.

“They were preparing their athletes for the clay-court season in Europe without clay courts to train on. What they did was incorporate modified balls into a portion of their session so that more balls were hit per point. This required them to be more tactically astute as well as placing a greater demand on their physical capabilities.”

It’s those physical skills that often come to the fore when players face the mental hurdle of competing on their non-preferred surface. “The better an athlete is physically speaking, the better they’ll be at battling through the various challenges that the non-preferred surface – and opponents who may be very comfortable on that surface – throw at them,” says Leeds. “The greater the physicality one has generally transfers to a higher level of belief in the heat of battle.”

Helping a player cope with the unfamiliar can actually be a case of maximising what’s most familiar to them. Leeds warns against players making dramatic changes when they’re preparing to compete on their least preferred surface. “The best piece of advice I could give a player is to make sure they understand what works for them,” he

says. “Don’t try and be a player that you’re not. Subtle adjustments are better than wholesale changes. Look to do what you do best as often as possible.”

It’s a wise approach given the fundamentals that are common to every court or competitive situation. “Regardless of the surface and the balls, the court dimensions are exactly the same no matter where you play on this planet,” says Leeds. “Every player needs to utilise their own strengths to attack their opponents’ weaknesses while at the same time limiting having their own weaknesses exposed. If you can hit more balls in the court than your opponent, you’re always going to have a good day.”

Even on a not-so-good day, there are strategies to help the player adapt. “Ensure your players are disciplined in their routines, as they may get frustrated so need to re-focus,” says Colaneri. “For instance, each time the player is placed in a frustrating situation in a match when they are feeling uncomfortable, they should walk to their towel and breathe and re-focus for the next point.”

Reverting to basics can be another useful tool for a player competing on their least preferred surface. “In their initial match on the surface, give them simple game plans, so they do not have to think about too much, rather surviving their initial rounds,” says Colaneri.

Win or lose, players should make the most of their time on an unfamiliar surface. “Have the players practise a lot while they are away. If they want to get better on the surface, they have to constantly train on that surface. Have them warm up a little longer, and if they lose, get them out practising on the surface straight away and as much as possible before their next tournament,” Colaneri recommends.

For coaches, the most significant point of all could be not to sell their players short. As Colaneri points out, “Having your players compete on unfamiliar surfaces may cause frustration, but never underestimate the mental toughness and competitiveness of the player you’ll see when the odds are stacked against them. This has to be great for their development.”

Persistence helped Maria Sharapova make history in completing her Grand Slam set on Roland Garros clay.

Covering all courtsSome basics for helping a player to succeed on unfamiliar surfaces:

■■ Practise, practise, practise on a range of surfaces.

■■ If you can’t train on a particular surface, utilise the one that’s closest to it.

■■ Encourage players to become comfortable with the uncomfortable.

■■ Remember what works best for the player; subtle adjustments are better than dramatic changes.

■■ Keep routines familiar, even if the surface is not.

■■ Make match plans simple, especially for early rounds.

■■ Maximise time on an unfamiliar surface. Adopt longer warm-ups and maintain a practice schedule, even when a player is out of an event.

■■ Remember that embracing the challenge of a non-preferred surface will build skills that are invaluable for any competitive situation.

All-court advantageIt’s no surprise that the ‘Big Four’ players on the ATP Tour are the ones most commonly mentioned when coaches are asked to nominate the professionals with the best all-court games.

“It’s hard to go past Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal,” says Tennis Australia’s National Academy Manager Rob Leeds. “These guys consistently perform well on all surfaces. Their physicality, technical adaptability and ability to finish points from both the front court and the back court set them apart from the rest. Even Nadal finishes a lot more points at the net than a lot of people realise.”

Understanding the differences between surfaces helps identify who will naturally play their best tennis at certain events – even if those differences are now more subtle than they once were.

“Grass was clearly the fastest surface in the early ’90s. Today the Deco Turf surface at the US Open is considered the fastest surface. Generally speaking, the conditions are slower which has created a scenario where players’ game styles are no longer as clearly defined as they were previously,” Leeds explains.

“The traditional serve-and-volley player has completely gone out of the game although there are athletes such as Milos Raonic, Feliciano Lopez and Michael Llodra who can definitely mix in some serve-and-volley successfully into their bag of winning plays. The slower conditions are better supporting the athletes who are aggressive baseliners, counter-punchers, counter-punchers with the ability to attack and the all-court player.”

All-court stylist Novak Djokovic performs consistently well on all surfaces.

52 AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | July 2013

I was lucky enough to have a tennis court at home and I used to beg my parents to throw me some tennis balls. It was before Hot Shots, so I used a sawn-off squash racquet. I was five or six when tennis became the centre of my universe.

Team tennis in the US ranks high on my list of achievements. I played against teams like Stanford and Harvard in Division 1 college tennis. I also played German team tennis for a summer and was involved in France’s Division 2 team tennis for five years. The failures and success shared with guys from all over the world was amazing.

Coaching wasn’t my first career choice. I really wanted to make it as a player, but tennis is still a big part of my life, which I’m really grateful for.

I started coaching while I was playing team tennis in Europe to meet people around the club and help out as much as possible. After I realised I couldn’t make it as a player, I began to coach more and more to afford my lifestyle in Nice, France. I began coaching at 22 years old, so that makes it 12 years now.

I try to instill two main points in my students. These were really hammered into me by my best coaches, and they helped me the most. The first point is knowing how to compete, what it means to really compete and make it tough for the opponent. The

second point is controlling the controllables. What I mean is players should stay tough on the things they know they can control and then accept the rest.

I love watching the momentum change in sports. A wise old coach once told me momentum is the most powerful thing in sport, so I love trying to see the turning points and swings in the momentum during matches.

I try to be a bit of a players’ coach. I am relatively young, so I try to get to a player’s level. I think listening as much as possible definitely helps. I guess with time I may start to become more of a ‘traditional coach’ and wear short shorts and feed balls out of a basket and have catch phrases. That will probably come with another 10 years, but for now I like to hit balls and lead by example. I think if I am working harder than my players, and sweating as much as they are, they might see what kind of effort it takes to be good at tennis.

The biggest singles name that I have coached is Benoit Paire. He is currently ranked 26 in singles and the fourth highest ranked Frenchman. I was on court with him a couple of times a week in squad sessions at the ISP Academy (in Nice, France) and used to travel with him to tournaments

when he was 15 to 18 years old. This summer I worked a little with Australian Paul Hanley.

I like the process of working hard. I think you need to or it becomes a chore. I like organising coaching programs that people can be a part of. I like still being involved in tennis, so I want other people to get involved too.

I won the Shaw Park AMT doubles title with Cieran Moore last year. It is great to still be competitive at my stage in life. I really enjoyed playing in the tournament. It was also nice to see the other staff from Tennis Gear down here to watch the final. I really appreciate their support.

Starting with a client base of zero at the Shaw Park Tennis Centre three years ago, I feel like we have made a good impact on tennis in the community. We now have coaching available at 14 schools in the area that feed into the club with around 600 students who receive Hot Shots coaching weekly and a huge amount of squad and private lessons. We also host over 100 fixture teams. But our best achievement is definitely the club and family environment that the coaches and staff have created.

Looking ahead I would like to build a successful team of coaches that can help each other and build great programs from Hot Shots to high performance.

Name: Gareth KeatingQualifications: Tennis Australia Club Professional coach, Bachelor of Business, Indiana State University (2000)Tennis business: Tennis and Gear – Director of CoachingClubs: Shaw Park Tennis Centre, Morningside Tennis Centre and Everton Tennis Centre (Queensland)

Compete and control

Coach Gareth Keating (far left) leads by example and puts in as much effort as his athletes.

MY TENNIS LIFE

A tennis court at Gareth Keating’s family home started his love affair with the sport while team tennis, competition and coaching have provided a lasting involvement.

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AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | July 2013 53

How do I realise the value of my coaching business? What is its value?

These are two of the hardest questions to answer. The simple fact is, the value of your business is what someone

is prepared to pay for it, not what your accountant or ‘gut feel’ says. It’s not what Harry in the next suburb sold his for, and not always what a professional business broker says.

Start with a reality check – have I run my business as a lifestyle choice and now my business revolves around me? If so, do you really have anything to sell? Hopefully your focus has been to build something of value and something tangible that someone else also sees as valuable.

What you are selling is the future potential of a business, not the past. Here are some points to consider in helping you realise or increase the value:

1. Right from when you start your business, consider the potential to create value when making strategic decisions. In the time you are operating the business, there will be decisions that can make or break the future sale value.

2. Don’t allow the business to revolve around you; build it to be independent of you.

3. If your business is currently ‘all about you’ start changing that now. Raise the profile of your key employees or introduce a business name that conveys a business, not a person.

4. Put agreements/contracts in place with your coaching clients – e.g. schools, gyms, sporting clubs. The longer the duration left to run on these the more valuable they are.

5. Secure the venue for providing these services – have a documented lease and certain number of courts available

for you to maximise your current business and show potential for growth. If near the end of a current lease, extend it early and make sure it can be assigned at your option so you have some certainty of venue for the purchaser.

6. If you own your venue, spruce it up.

7. Secure your key staff – if you are thinking of selling, tell them, don’t leave it to the rumour mill or they will be gone before you know it.

8. Consider grooming key staff to be a potential purchaser of your business. Involve them in your business expansion ideas – they are best placed to see (and believe) the potential.

9. Increase the pool of potential buyers by developing and documenting management systems and processes that allow even non-tennis professionals to run your business profitably by employing others. For

example, systems for running fixtures and tournaments or bookings for lessons and courts.

10. Have all income accurately recorded and reconciled – show good records of income and costs of running the business to prove the value.

11. Don’t be modest about what you see as the positives of your current business and its potential.

Talk to your accountant when you first start to consider selling and certainly before you do any deal. Small-business tax concessions are available but you have to meet the criteria. Timing of the sale may also be important and potentially expensive if you get it wrong.

Your solicitor is also an essential ally in protecting you from residual liability after you have sold the business and ensuring that the contract is fair and reasonable.

Selling Your Coaching BusinessCoaCh BuSineSS

Leonie Taylor, Partner at Bentleys Chartered Accountants and Treasurer of Tennis Queensland, explains how to realise the value of your coaching business.

Not about you: build a coaching business that doesn’t revolve around you.

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54 AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | July 2013

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On the court drills1 – Closing the netObjective: Players to learn about moving forward after volleying.

Description:• Player 1 starts with the ball halfway between the red

baseline and the net. Player 2 will begin on the baseline cross-court from Player 1.

• Player 1 will start with a self-fed volley by tossing the ball up to eye level (small arm movement) and playing an offensive volley to land short cross-court, and then move quickly forward to the net.

• Player 1 must move in quickly enough so that they reach a designated area near the net before Player 2 returns the ball and they play out the point.

Coaching Point: Players to understand the importance of having Eastern Forehand/Continental grip, and to have the path of the racquet moving forwards and downwards (in a blocking action) to direct an offensive volley short cross-court.

Coaches to highlight how important it is to close the net down quickly after the first volley, and how important it is to be precise with the timing of the split-step by picking up the striking cue from their opponent.

Coach to discuss how placing the volley short cross court opens up the court to volley the second ball into space. Players also learn the ability to wrong-foot once their opponent knows where they are going to hit.

2 – ‘Messy’Objective: Players learn when to move forward to volley.

Description:• One player begins at either end and feeds the ball in to play

out a singles point.

• Players aim to rally and move each other around until they can get their opponent out of position enough so they are stretching to hit the ball and starting to look ‘messy’.

• As soon as they perceive their opponent is off balance and stretching, they shout ‘Messy’ and then must play the next ball out of the air as a volley.

• Players earn one point if they shout ‘Messy’ and hit the next ball out of the air. However if they shout ‘Messy’ and they fail to move forward and hit a volley, it is one point to their opponent. First to five points.

Coaching Point: Coaches to discuss what the ‘Messy’ cues might look like down their opponent’s end e.g. stretching wide or deep, off balance, open racquet face etc. and why they will likely receive an easier ball to volley away.

Coaches aim to have the players shout ‘Messy’ before the ball has been struck so they are reacting to the visual cues and anticipating the defensive reply.

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‘messy’

Author: Brett McLennan

Focus: Discovering the net

Stage: Red 2/3

Equipment: Sponge/red balls, drop down lines, 3m/6m net

Time: 25 mins

Objective: The red court is a great place for children to discover the net and learn about the volley, as the court size means they have less space to cover to play the ball before the bounce.