Nadal in Practice vs in Match

[analysis_king]

why does nadal play so differently during practice, compared to actual matchplay? he barely ever uses his lasso reverse forehand during practice, but thats all he does in an actual match....

its weird.

[rommil]

He still calls for the trainer if his opponent gets ahead in a practice set?

[analysis_king]

Originally Posted by rommil

He still calls for the trainer if his opponent gets ahead in a practice set?

if you ever suffer a cardiac arrest or stroke while walking down the street, and people around you say "stop crying wolf", i hope you will remember this post as your life goes flashing by.

[rommil]

Originally Posted by analysis_king

if you ever suffer a cardiac arrest or stroke while walking down the street, and people around you say "stop crying wolf", i hope you will remember this post as your life goes flashing by.

Dramatic much? You mean Rafa's life flashes by him each time he takes an MTO? That's a lot of replays

[Cup8489]

Originally Posted by analysis_king

if you ever suffer a cardiac arrest or stroke while walking down the street, and people around you say "stop crying wolf", i hope you will remember this post as your life goes flashing by.

LOL.

Someone is butthurt....

[larlarbd]

Originally Posted by analysis_king

why does nadal play so differently during practice, compared to actual matchplay? he barely ever uses his lasso reverse forehand during practice, but thats all he does in an actual match....

its weird.

Yes , Back To Topic , to OP - IT IS WEIRD ..... He hits so flat & so fiercely , it's like he is trying to crush the ball , what a good power hitter - but he NEVER does hit like this in his matches , also - his intensity is unbelievable during practice , compared to that Fed is so relaxed .... You could hear Nadal practicing from 4-courts away - his hit sounds so loud ....

[BeHappy]

Originally Posted by larlarbd

Yes , Back To Topic , to OP - IT IS WEIRD ..... He hits so flat & so fiercely , it's like he is trying to crush the ball , what a good power hitter - but he NEVER does hit like this in his matches , also - his intensity is unbelievable during practice , compared to that Fed is so relaxed .... You could hear Nadal practicing from 4-courts away - his hit sounds so loud ....

He does play like that... when he's break point down or game/set/match point up.

[boramiNYC]

I noticed that too. Nadal hits quite flat for practice. I guess he likes to practice timing that way, but he plays with a lot more margin and control for real. Even then his slower topspins are hard to handle anyways. Amount of control of the match he has is hard to fathom.

[analysis_king]

Originally Posted by boramiNYC

I noticed that too. Nadal hits quite flat for practice. I guess he likes to practice timing that way, but he plays with a lot more margin and control for real. Even then his slower topspins are hard to handle anyways. Amount of control of the match he has is hard to fathom.

yeah agree. i do wish he exhibits some more balls in matches though. for example, for heaven's sake, PLEASE HIT YOUR BACKHAND DOWN THE LINE just a bit more. he is so freaking risk averse, he almost never hits his backhand down the line. and part of the reason djokovic has been able to own him, is that he knows that backhands from nadal are definitely coming back crosscourt to his forehand. so he has that split second advantage always to set himself up for an inside out forehand. see the recent Aussie open final for eg. on those very very rare occasions when nadal hit his backhand down the line, he almost invariably won those points.

and its doubly frustrating, cos his backhand down the line -- at least as what we can see in his practice sessions -- is an exceptionally flat and powerful shot.

[citybert]

Originally Posted by larlarbd

Yes , Back To Topic , to OP - IT IS WEIRD ..... He hits so flat & so fiercely , it's like he is trying to crush the ball , what a good power hitter - but he NEVER does hit like this in his matches , also - his intensity is unbelievable during practice , compared to that Fed is so relaxed .... You could hear Nadal practicing from 4-courts away - his hit sounds so loud ....

Are we sure he hits flat? isn't it just a different finish. I thought they said no matter what finishes he uses on the FH they said it's the same revolutions per minute on the topspin, but i could be wrong.

[analysis_king]

Originally Posted by citybert

Are we sure he hits flat? isn't it just a different finish. I thought they said no matter what finishes he uses on the FH they said it's the same revolutions per minute on the topspin, but i could be wrong.

but that still begs the question why different finishes in practice vs in match?

its really weird.

[Boricua]

Originally Posted by analysis_king

yeah agree. i do wish he exhibits some more balls in matches though. for example, for heaven's sake, PLEASE HIT YOUR BACKHAND DOWN THE LINE just a bit more. he is so freaking risk averse, he almost never hits his backhand down the line. and part of the reason djokovic has been able to own him, is that he knows that backhands from nadal are definitely coming back crosscourt to his forehand. so he has that split second advantage always to set himself up for an inside out forehand. see the recent Aussie open final for eg. on those very very rare occasions when nadal hit his backhand down the line, he almost invariably won those points.

and its doubly frustrating, cos his backhand down the line -- at least as what we can see in his practice sessions -- is an exceptionally flat and powerful shot.

You should assist Uncle Tony as strategic coach, good point!

[EndLy]

probably because when the moment intensifies, he goes back to what he's most comfortable. no matter how much you work on something, old habits are hard to break

[FlashFlare11]

How many here play tennis (competitive match play)? I do and I can tell you that I and many other players I know hit much harder when they're simply hitting around or practicing than in actual matches. For one, in practice, hitting the ball slightly long or wide doesn't make a difference, and you also know that if the difference is that miniscule, you'll make that shot most of the time. Also, when you're in high-pressure situations, you're more likely to stick with what works best. I think hitting harder and going for more in practice than in actual matches is more helpful, as it helps build confidence in particular shots, shots that you then begin to use more effectively in matches.

[analysis_king]

thanks! i did not really come up with this... the Aussie open commentators on Aussie TV were commenting on this too.

of course, i / we aren't saying that this is the ONLY factor contributing to his string of losses. all the other things like double handed backhand countering his FH spin etc, all hold. but clearly, he has to go for broke a bit more, take a bit more risk etc. djokovic is reading him way too easily at the moment.

[Clay lover]

Dunno. Nadal's game is built around the percentages so I doubt it would change. It works against most guys.

That said, his practice shots are the heaviest I have seen from all players.

[larlarbd]

Originally Posted by citybert

Are we sure he hits flat? isn't it just a different finish. I thought they said no matter what finishes he uses on the FH they said it's the same revolutions per minute on the topspin, but i could be wrong.

Yeah ,dude ... I'm sure - maybe he changes his routine to keep fresh or something the three times I saw Rafa practice ( Wimbledon 2010 , USO 2010 & Toronto 2008 ) He was hiting pretty flat in practice - going after every ball ( he didn't do that banana-over-the-head follow through , kept the same grip but flatter-shots through the air & also noticeable how fit he was back then - he tired out both guys on the other-side in like 25/30-mins , the other occasion he took a long break changing his overgrips over & over again like 6/7-times .... in regular matches Rafa uses so so much more top spin ....

[ThoughtCrime]

Maybe in practice he trains hitting harder with less margin for error because he is so comfortable hitting his safe forehands and backhands in matches. So really in practice he just gets confidence in hitting those aggressive, flatter forehands.

[monfed]

He prefers practicing his weaker wing.

OR

He wants to save his energy for the matches.

OR

He doesn't want to reveal his lasso FH in practice.

[okdude1992]

Originally Posted by FlashFlare11

How many here play tennis (competitive match play)? I do and I can tell you that I and many other players I know hit much harder when they're simply hitting around or practicing than in actual matches. For one, in practice, hitting the ball slightly long or wide doesn't make a difference, and you also know that if the difference is that miniscule, you'll make that shot most of the time. Also, when you're in high-pressure situations, you're more likely to stick with what works best. I think hitting harder and going for more in practice than in actual matches is more helpful, as it helps build confidence in particular shots, shots that you then begin to use more effectively in matches.

yeah exactly. its easy to do the right things in practice, but in matches, at pressure moments, its hard not to fall back on your old instincts/patterns of play.