D
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For a long time, sliding has confused me. For the past 6 months I have really gotten into watching tennis, and have seen Nadal, Djokovic, and every next gen in existence slide on HC and other surfaces. So, I have wondered the process of how to slide. I have narrowed it down to a few things:
1. Shoes
2. Your Foot
3. Court (material and speed/maintenance)
4. Footwork
5. Speed
Now, the first point is easily explained. Shoes that have a herringbone will have a harder time sliding because it is gripping no matter which way. However a shoe that has a thicker, less accentuated(flatter, less grooves) pattern will generally grip less, therefore slide easier.
Edit: one point I forgot is the rubber compound. For those new to the concept, rubber compound is just the chemical makeup of the rubber. This affects the entire performance of the rubber. For example, it affects traction, durability, thickness, weight, everything. A rubber compound can be made to have traction no matter the traction pattern, or it can be made to be extremely durable and have to have a pattern to be grippy. Basketball shoes have changed from the 80’s to now because the rubber was much more durable but needed a pattern to keep grip. Nowadays the rubber is less durable but the rubber itself grips, not necessarily the pattern.
Example 1. Cage 3 (thicker pattern, less space between groves, therefore glides across surfaces easier)
Example 2. Adidas barricade 2018 (perfect herringbone, thin grooves that grip surfaces easier) https://thevolleyllama.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Addidas-Outsole.jpg
Point 2 is more complicated. This is harder to explain because it is a natural movement of sliding; raising your back foot when you are sliding in a direction. For example, look at this picture of Nadal sliding at the USO: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c6/25/d6/c625d670352fb93e417b35e7c17d5b57.jpg
If you look at his left (our right) foot, you see it is getting close to a 90 degree angle. What my theory is is that raising your back foot in whatever direction raises the foot up, meaning that entire shoe’s outsole is not making contact with the court. I think this is a subconscious decision that improves sliding, especially on hard court.
Point 3 is also difficult to explain to a person new to the science of sliding. The basics is clay is easiest to slide on, hard court has grip for almost everything because it is concrete, and grass is grass and dirt, which is not the most grippiest surface. However, for hard courts specifically, the concrete is covered in a sand to make the surface grip. However many clubs and schools(that I know of) do not maintain this sand surface. Therefore, it becomes a smooth, softer surface. This makes the ball move faster because the ball just bounces off this smooth surface. With a brand new court the ball is “slower” meaning that it doesn’t maintain speed as much. When the surface is smooth, it is harder to keep a grip on these surfaces, meaning it is easier to slide. When it’s new, it is harder to slide.
Point 4 is easiest to explain. Sliding, from what I believe, is a sign of bad footwork in a certain direction. For example, Tsitsipas talks about his sliding problem being due to him preferring to slide rather than take small steps. So, people used to wanting to lunge towards a ball to the sideline or towards a drop shot will be more used to sliding. However, it has become so widely adopted, that it has become a technique. It’s no longer considered bad footwork if you slide, it is just a way to get to the ball quicker, which at the end of the day is what we do.
Picture of Tsitsipas sliding: https://d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.n...tefanos-Tsitsipas-sliding-from-PA-752x428.jpg
Point 5 is more towards tour players. Tour players move much faster than most of us, and are much more fit than us. Being able to run quickly and stop on a dime and sprint is something pros do all the time, while us normal people can’t do this. Due to them sprinting like crazy, they are able to put much pressure on their shoes. They run so fast, the shoes cannot grab enough of the court in time for the next step. For example, this Djokovic clip shows him slipping simply because his shoes cannot grip the surface fast enough:
Tl;dr. So, what can we learn from this? Besides the fact I care too much about learning how pros slide, sliding is a very intricate, detailed strategy in professional tennis used by almost everybody on tour.
1. Shoes
2. Your Foot
3. Court (material and speed/maintenance)
4. Footwork
5. Speed
Now, the first point is easily explained. Shoes that have a herringbone will have a harder time sliding because it is gripping no matter which way. However a shoe that has a thicker, less accentuated(flatter, less grooves) pattern will generally grip less, therefore slide easier.
Edit: one point I forgot is the rubber compound. For those new to the concept, rubber compound is just the chemical makeup of the rubber. This affects the entire performance of the rubber. For example, it affects traction, durability, thickness, weight, everything. A rubber compound can be made to have traction no matter the traction pattern, or it can be made to be extremely durable and have to have a pattern to be grippy. Basketball shoes have changed from the 80’s to now because the rubber was much more durable but needed a pattern to keep grip. Nowadays the rubber is less durable but the rubber itself grips, not necessarily the pattern.
Example 1. Cage 3 (thicker pattern, less space between groves, therefore glides across surfaces easier)
Example 2. Adidas barricade 2018 (perfect herringbone, thin grooves that grip surfaces easier) https://thevolleyllama.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Addidas-Outsole.jpg
Point 2 is more complicated. This is harder to explain because it is a natural movement of sliding; raising your back foot when you are sliding in a direction. For example, look at this picture of Nadal sliding at the USO: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c6/25/d6/c625d670352fb93e417b35e7c17d5b57.jpg
If you look at his left (our right) foot, you see it is getting close to a 90 degree angle. What my theory is is that raising your back foot in whatever direction raises the foot up, meaning that entire shoe’s outsole is not making contact with the court. I think this is a subconscious decision that improves sliding, especially on hard court.
Point 3 is also difficult to explain to a person new to the science of sliding. The basics is clay is easiest to slide on, hard court has grip for almost everything because it is concrete, and grass is grass and dirt, which is not the most grippiest surface. However, for hard courts specifically, the concrete is covered in a sand to make the surface grip. However many clubs and schools(that I know of) do not maintain this sand surface. Therefore, it becomes a smooth, softer surface. This makes the ball move faster because the ball just bounces off this smooth surface. With a brand new court the ball is “slower” meaning that it doesn’t maintain speed as much. When the surface is smooth, it is harder to keep a grip on these surfaces, meaning it is easier to slide. When it’s new, it is harder to slide.
Point 4 is easiest to explain. Sliding, from what I believe, is a sign of bad footwork in a certain direction. For example, Tsitsipas talks about his sliding problem being due to him preferring to slide rather than take small steps. So, people used to wanting to lunge towards a ball to the sideline or towards a drop shot will be more used to sliding. However, it has become so widely adopted, that it has become a technique. It’s no longer considered bad footwork if you slide, it is just a way to get to the ball quicker, which at the end of the day is what we do.
Picture of Tsitsipas sliding: https://d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.n...tefanos-Tsitsipas-sliding-from-PA-752x428.jpg
Point 5 is more towards tour players. Tour players move much faster than most of us, and are much more fit than us. Being able to run quickly and stop on a dime and sprint is something pros do all the time, while us normal people can’t do this. Due to them sprinting like crazy, they are able to put much pressure on their shoes. They run so fast, the shoes cannot grab enough of the court in time for the next step. For example, this Djokovic clip shows him slipping simply because his shoes cannot grip the surface fast enough:
Tl;dr. So, what can we learn from this? Besides the fact I care too much about learning how pros slide, sliding is a very intricate, detailed strategy in professional tennis used by almost everybody on tour.
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