| p>Not too long ago I had written this tennis instruction | | | | (metronome tennis) no bite or meanness on his shots, |
| lesson about the topspin tennis forehand, and Novack | | | | no punch on the volleys, the winner or a flashy shot |
| Djokovic was at the center of this article. | | | | are not part of either game, just a nice game! |
| For over 3 years I have been aware why Novak just | | | | Now you will say, but what is so bad about it? Novak |
| cannot take the Nr1 spot and if he does it will be short | | | | is Nr 3 in the world! |
| lived. | | | | Sure Novak is pretty darn good, but if he was taught a |
| The fact that I have been holding this back from you | | | | man's game by a man, he would be a firm Nr. 1 by |
| for over three years has me pretty upset, but on the | | | | now! |
| other hand if I open my mouth, in other words if I put | | | | In essence, I have nothing against women coaches or |
| this into writing, I will be considered the biggest male | | | | tennis, the only objection I have is that 98 percent of |
| chauvinist pig after what Justin Gimelstob said; 'I'm only | | | | women no matter how successful they are, see tennis |
| seven matches away from my first Grand Slam' after | | | | from an emotional point of view that has little to do |
| reaching the U.S. Open first round via a wild card in | | | | with aggression, taking risks, hitting winners or putting |
| 1995. | | | | volleys away with determination and guts! |
| Anyway what I have to say is not as scandalous or | | | | Of course I am not talking about Martina Navratilova, |
| offensive to women. So what is it!? You may ask. | | | | she could put volleys away, but did you ever see the |
| O.k. here it is. When Novak Djokovic's first arrived on | | | | emotional ups and downs she displayed? |
| the tennis scene I got excited because it looked as | | | | This type of coaching feminine mind set, blunts most of |
| though the ATP had a new young star, perhaps in the | | | | what is fundamental to win big in men tennis and |
| style of a John McEnroe. After many years of | | | | another example of that is Andy Murray, a boy |
| 'Perfect Pete' hanging his tongue before serving, and | | | | wonder developed in his young years by his mother |
| then 'Perfect Federer' worried about his shirt collar and | | | | (Judy Murray). And as we all see the poor fellow is |
| his coifs, things were hitting a high note on boredom! | | | | struggling with his game identity (do I play men's tennis |
| So Novak Djokovic was exciting news! | | | | or women's) without a winning forehand to speak of! |
| Sure Novak had and has many merits and qualities but, | | | | It's tough. |
| something was missing and it became obvious very | | | | In the middle of their careers most of these super |
| soon to me. Novak Djokovic played women tennis in a | | | | talented athletes will try to find men coaches in an |
| men tennis world! Now you are seeing how damaging | | | | attempt to sharpen their games, but often the damage |
| this assessment is going to cost me in terms of | | | | is already done and the groves of feminine tennis are |
| women enemies! | | | | so deeply entrenched within their patterns and |
| At the moment, Novak Djokovic is one of the few | | | | technique, that they end up looking for a men coach |
| players in the modern era who comes close to being | | | | (often with a feminine game) that will keep them in the |
| deceitfull on his strokes and that is one of his 'secret | | | | comfort zone of the players feminine games and |
| weapons' , but the rest of his game is feminine, | | | | nothing much will ever happen to those so much |
| metronomical, mostly predictable and destitute of | | | | touted 'changes' in their games! |
| meanness or aggression. | | | | The steadiness part of having a woman coach is an |
| In a nutshell, Novak's game is a hybrid. A young male | | | | important part of the game, but any men's coach can |
| player, shackled by the past of his early years tennis | | | | work young players into it. |
| development with a woman who molded a young | | | | Now the service motion (do I have to tell about the |
| talented boy's game into a feminine style of play. | | | | double faults of Djokovic's in important moments?) , |
| And the woman was Jelena Gencic, who once said | | | | the overhead smash (do I need to tell you how many |
| about Novak Djokovic, "He practiced with us for about | | | | Novak misses?), aggressive volleys (even serve and |
| four hours a day," she says. "I used to divide the | | | | volley), winning forehands or backhands with |
| players into three groups according to their ability and | | | | mesmerizing change of velocity (so called |
| Novak was so good I put him in the top group straight | | | | acceleration), taking risks and much more I am sorry |
| away, even though he'd only started playing a month | | | | but it is a job for a man coach in men's tennis. |
| earlier. | | | | A healthy mix of the use of a women's coach and a |
| "I organised a tournament for the children every | | | | men's coach could be found, but as both are as |
| weekend and I made the semi-finals and final like a | | | | different as water and wine, so are the women tennis |
| proper competition, with ballboys and ballgirls, line | | | | at WTA and men tennis at ATP level. |
| judges, everything. Novak got into the semi-finals and | | | | In my opinion, if you have a super talented young boy |
| then the final. Word had already gone round about | | | | player, put him into the hands of a qualified |
| how good he was and quite a few people came to | | | | experienced male tennis coach and let it go from |
| watch. He was just six years old and he was playing | | | | there. |
| a 14-year-old girl in the final. He won 6-0, 6-1." | | | | For young girls a good women's coach will certainly do |
| The first time I saw Novack it immediately reminded | | | | the job, but I am positive that a men's coach can be of |
| me of another player with a long time woman teacher | | | | great advantage, even if he positions you against a |
| (Tatiana Naumko) player relationship, Andre | | | | tennis court fence and feeds a load of balls at you to |
| Chesnokov. The game similarities were scary, poor | | | | volley! Hey, it worked for the William sisters! |
| serve (for men's standards) great steadiness | | | | |