Are You an Innie or an Outie?

Before we get into way too many personal details, let me be clear that I am referencing tennis in the title and not anybody's belly button. I got to thinking this week while on the court. It has been one of those weeks in Idaho where we are deep into October and it still hits 70 degrees outside. I went to hit on an outdoor court and found myself stunned at the lack of players on the outdoor courts. All of the indoor courts were in use but there was not a single person outside besides us. It was as if everyone was conditioned that since it was October, they must play inside. This thought inspired me to compare what I enjoy about playing inside and outside and try to come up with a favorite.

INSIDE:

1. Power bump. Everybody's shots are a bit bigger inside. I always feel like I can tee off a bit more on serves and ground strokes when I am inside.
2. No pesky wind. There have been many times in which I (less than silently) curse the windy days here. It always seems that the days are calm except for match nights and then the wind decides to pay a visit.
3. No sun. There's no strategy about who is going to serve on what side of the court when you are indoors. I don't have to worry about balancing the order of serving with the side I am on. Plus I always have personally enjoyed getting to keep my retinas.........
4. Climate. Admittedly this one is a bit of a pro and con for me. There are times where it can get insanely humid on indoor courts here. I like the challenge of seeing who is the fitter person on court as the conditions can start to take it out of you. However, I don't really like feeling like I just stepped out of the shower 10 minutes into warmup and then constantly needing to towel off.

OUTSIDE:

1. More action on the ball. Playing outside seems to allow for better action on topspin ground strokes and kick serves. It might not feel like I can hit as hard but that gets countered with a bit more movement on shots. I think Rafa Nadal would agree with me as his record is atrocious indoors and his ball never seems to have the same jump to it. Granted I am light years away from his spin but I do notice a difference in my game.
2. Conditions can be challenging. I know it sound negative (and it may be in the heat of the moment), but when I look at it objectively, I appreciate the challenge of being outside. The conditions are not always going to be favorable and you have to be able to adapt. It forces you to perhaps step outside your comfort zone and think about the adjustments you have to make. Plus this is true for every level of play. The 2012 US Open match between Murray and Berdych was completely decided on Murray's adjustment to the massive wind and Berdych's complete failure to manage it. 
3. It is just plain tough to beat a warm, calm day in Idaho. When the sun is shining, it's 70 outside and there's not a cloud in the sky, I wouldn't want to play anywhere else (ok I'd probably play outside in Fiji instead if that was an option).

As far as picking a favorite, that's pretty tough. It probably depends on the situation for me. Just out hitting or playing a friendly, I'd probably pick outside just to soak up some sun and enjoy the social aspect. In a competition setting, I'm probably partial to indoor. I like the fact that it limits the variables for everyone. What do you think? Would you rather play inside or be on an outdoor court?  

Robo Player

I just have to share a bit of personal excitement this week. The Racquet above is the new Babolat Pure Drive Play. Or as I prefer to think of it, Robo Cop's racquet of choice. This thing is the first racquet to have sensors, a gyroscope and an accelerometer built in to record data. It can pinpoint RPMs, frequency of stroke types, where on the string bed you make contact, etc. It sends this data to your smart phone or computer wirelessly or via USB. The reason I am excited about this is the fact that I got selected to play test this thing in the near future! I am very intrigued at the training potential a tool like this offers. Coaches would have access to a wealth of data at the touch of a button and could access it in real time. You could get immediate feedback on the impacts of alterations to stroke mechanics, movement patterns, etc. I'm not sure about the actual competition use (Babolat did receive an ITF waiver making it legal for all levels of play in 2014), but I do think it has tremendous training potential.

An interesting aspect that clearly hints at their intention to get this into the hands of developing juniors is Babolat's implementation of global leader boards. Just like most new video games, you will be able to see how your stats rank against everyone else in the world that is using the Pure Drive Play. Think you have amazing topspin? Let's see how you stack up globally. Just when I felt good about my game, this will get here just in time to put me in my place!  

Only time will tell if this will be a novelty or if it will truly revolutionize the way players and coaches train and analyze development. Until then, I'm just excited to combine Super Mario and tennis in a single package now.

Race to the Top

With the US Open firmly in the rear view now, both tours have moved on to the Asian swing of their schedule. This is a crucial leg for both men's and women's tours as it is the last run of opportunities for players to crack the top of rankings and punch their tickets to the season ending tour championships (my favorite of which is the men's, which boasts the shorthand title WTF). For me, the true drama to watch unfold is the battle for the number one ranking on the men's side. Novak and Rafa both have shots at it and it could very well be determined by this swing of events. Let's take a look at why each of them should have the year end #1 firmly on their to do list:

Djokovic: Could anybody other than Novak have the kind of year he has had and still have it be viewed by many as sub-par? To me, he has become the victim of high performance and expectations to some degree. He had such a massive 2011 and had a very solid 2012 as well. Now everyone expects him to continue to dominate, which just isn't realistic. Even Nadal, when asked how to beat him at the end of 2011, has said that he simply had to wait for Djokovic's playing level to drop back down to Earth a bit. That being said, Novak does have some work to do. He did not get it done in hard court Master's 1000 events this year, lost his bid for a career grand slam in a 5 set epic at the French, got rolled up in the Wimbledon final and took a 4th set beating in the U.S. Open final. Djokovic did manage to win the Aussie and snap Nadal's streak at Monte Carlo but he seemed to falter in a fair amount of the big moments this year. He just hit the 100 week mark at number 1 and keeping it would allow him to build back some confidence going into 2014. For me, I saw a little too much of the Djoker of the past this season. He had more moments of going away mentally, yelling and gesturing to his box and just pulling a "Mopey Murray" routine more so than in 2011-2012. He could use a hard court win over Nadal in one of the Asian events or at the WTF to remind himself that he completely owned Rafa in 2011 and part of 2012 and could do so again. Tennis at the pro level is a game of adjustments. Nadal seems to have made the necessary adjustments to how he plays Djokovic, so now it is Novak's move in their chess game. If he can make the right moves, he could lock up #1 again and set up for a big 2014.

Nadal: Not real sure what else Rafa getting back to #1 could be other than the exclamation point on an absolutely ridiculous season. In my mind, Nadal is an absolute lock for two awards at the end of the year. He will win Comeback Player of the Year & Player of the Year by a mile when this season is over. The guy spent 7 months out of the game and tempered expectations when he came back by just talking about being happy to back on the court. He might be happy, but everyone else not named Steve Darcis (who I will probably never have reason to mention again, ever) that has had to play him is probably pissed. All he has done is amass a 63-3 record, winning 10 titles in 12 finals appearances. He won his 8th French Open, setting the record for most titles at any single Grand Slam, blitzed the summer hard courts by winning in Montreal and Cincinnati and then capped it by taking home the title in New York. He also exorcised the demon named Djokovic by dispatching him in France, Montreal and New York. He made adjustments to how he plays Novak and changed his hard court game overall. He is playing much more offensively, using his serve as a weapon and maintaining court position better than in the last couple years on the surface. Nadal's passion for the game is always firmly evident. He flat out loves the grind and pain it takes to be great and has openly admitted it. For him, getting back to #1 this year would reinforce the work and time he has put in since his injury last year. It would send notice to the rest of the tour there is no safe space on any surface when he is in the draw. Rafa plays a style of game that is tailor made for statement making. If he gets to #1 by year end, that will be a serious statement for Novak and the rest of the gang to think about for 2014.

What do you think? Will Djokovic keep his hold on the top spot or will Nadal reclaim it?

Ps. Congrats to Novak and Jelena on their engagement! Looks like the current top player has found his own #1!