Be Like Nadal and NOT Like Federer
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ต.ค. 2024
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In today's tennis lesson, I discuss whether it is possible to play loose and relaxed like Roger Federer. Furthermore, Fed is not as relaxed as you think he is. His match intensity is much higher than in his warm-up sessions. The better player to aspire to be like is Rafael Nadal.
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#intuitivetennis #federer #nadal
You Can Not be Relaxed and Have Intensity at the Same Time 👉🏻 th-cam.com/video/r_HjbsspSLI/w-d-xo.html
when you were imitating nadal were you really hitting lefthanded or was that a reverse negative on camera because if you were hitting lefthanded that was very impressive
@@goggleboy2464
I agree
Simone is the true master. I could watch his rallies for ever
@@goggleboy2464 True! And another one is Andreas Seppi. Play flat, always with margin, no winners, no fancy shots, but not easy to win against.
Federer is the Michael Jordan of tennis. He may not end up with all the records and the most GS victories but he's the one who changed the game just like MJ did in basketball. He brought tennis to another level. He's the incarnation of this sport. Tennis to me is class, elegance, creativity and also hard work and dedication. He has it all and won everything. He stepped up and changed the game for what was to come. He bridged the old school era with the modern era and brought it all together. We'll never see anyone like him ever again.
@@Timothy_Pitt Imagine judging one player's mental strength by a couple of matches that went wrong
@@Timothy_Pitt I don't think it's measurable. Overall statistic help, but just being considered one the top 3 tennis players of all time is enough for me. Tennis is a mental sport, if you've won everything you have a strong mental game. That's it for me.
@@Timothy_Pitt when I think of Federer I think about everything else
Federer’s just not black
Fed fans continually trying to reframe the GOAT race these days lol
Roger doesn’t play loose. He plays efficient. He doesn’t have big loopy swings and he doesn’t chirp his shoes on the court because his philosophy is to play efficiently and attack the ball without lots of unnecessary movements..
He played it like Nadal and claimed it's Federer's, lol
Efficiency = less resistance (relaxed)
Federer reduces his movements before the shot in order to avoid being read by his great oponents. Of course, he can do it because of his flexibility, so he hides his shot and its able to prepare his body in the last moment before the shot. He's impossible to read along with other great tennis capabilities.
I might be wrong, but I do think the type of clips you are referring to, are real training sessions. However, iirc, Federer has somewhat of a unique start to his training sessions, as he doesn't start with mini-tennis. He likes to start from the baseline, and he stands pretty much open stance in the middle of the court, using little leg work, as he wants to groove his upper body rotation and timing. And during this phase, he is deliberately being loose to focus on rotation and timing.
I always thought the big three were just different types of players: Djokovic plays with great fundamentals and has an almost robotic style where most of his hits are high percentage hits. Nadal plays with power, spin and almost all intensity. Federer plays with finesse and conservation of movement. But, all play with intensity. Federer just looks more relaxed because his emotions are pushed down so much more than many others. But, we've all seen Federer break rackets, get into arguments, get tight at critical moments, and yell out in a rage. It shocks us more when Federer does it because his intensity is hidden within more fluid movements. And, as was pointed out, Federer is extremely gifted. But, that doesn't take away from his quiet intensity. He obviously doesn't have to play anymore. But, he's getting surgeries and training to get back out there. I don't doubt his heart.
My daughter used to take ballet lessons. So, I've been to many ballet shows, plays, etc... The idea is to look as graceful as possible. It should look effortless. But, when you look at dancers you'll see they are ripped. Jumping around, gliding on your toes, lifting people up and carrying them, etc are all intense activities. It only looks easy.
I like to try to play with the fluid movements of Federer because I'm fairly muscular and have a tendency to muscle my strokes. I try to hit more like Djokovic's forehand because I think it's the most reliable forehand I could ever hope to achieve.
Love that intro comparison of the three - superb. And the note about ballet. As I think most people also know, ballerinas are ridiculously intense about their sport/art - often to a pathological level. Yet, as you say, once performing, the goal is to look as light as a feather and smile, smile, smile. So much hard work goes into making that happen.
@@ZacharyShahan Thanks.
I would kiss this comment, if I could. That comparison of styles, well put.
I agree 100%. Federer plays very serious on the court. He chases after ball pretty hard too. He just has economy on his strokes, especially his forehand, which makes you think he makes far less effort than everyone.
Just further to my previous comment (which was a bit off topic) I would say Federer is fluid rather than relaxed. You are totally right he is intense in matches, I watched Federer play Dominic Thiem at the O2 in London in 2019 (Thiem won) and they were both very intense. Perhaps as Federer doesn’t noticeably grunt during rallies, that might convey the perception that he is relaxed.
Nick your such a genius! Just like Roger. Laughing so hard already 5 seconds in to the video as you put the shoes on!
I just want everyone to know that despite Federer like looking very smooth, it's not low effort, he is hitting the ball incredibly big and putting alot of stress on his joints still. Work hard.
The closest you'll ever get to playing loose like Roger Federer is to dress like him!!! That sentence sums it up perfectly!
Also, they see those videos of Federer super relaxed and barely bending his legs are just his very gradual warmup - which has served him well over a long career - but I agree that he's intense once the practice moves forward.
Intensity. Some older names come to mind. Jimmy Connors, Thomas Muster, and Michael Chang. Anybody who thinks that Chang didn't fight till the end never really watched him. With only one GS in his trophy case, in the era of Sampras, Courier, Edberg, and Agassi, Chang was the guy to beat to get into the finals, if not to win against in the final.
And McEnroe said that the only player that tried harder and fought more on the court than Jimmy Connors was Nadal, and not by much.
And talking about being being cool and intense at the same time, Bjorn Borg wrote the book on "cool intensity".
I just saw a video where Federer was hitting against the wall while it was snowing. This guy is certainly not an epitome of "taking it easy" or "relaxing", even though he has a friendly and "easy-going" demeanor. "Cool intensity" would describe this pretty well, actually.
This impersonation is brilliant. One of my favourite intuitive tennis videos. I don't watch these for the instruction anymore but for the Nik personality
I love this video, the intro... Federer's game is iconic 😂😂😭😭
Great video! You tell them! At Bolletieri’s academy the one thing he taught me was to keep repeating in my mind and out loud: “watch the ball, move your feet”. That it. He said don’t think about stoke technique, etc. That saying he told us protégés in 1985 including Agassi, still holds true. It works big time and makes you more alert and INTENSE 🏆
I remember that second match in Miami. My brother and I taped it live and rewatched it a dozen times.
When you've put in the millions of reps and years of intensity, you too can "act" relaxed in a practice too. Until then the rest of us mortals need to HUSTLE!
good video! playing so relaxed you're not even moving your feet is the antithesis of federer - guy has some of the most intense footwork ever.
Totally agree with this. And great shout-out to the Top-Tennis-Training Federer Practice vlog. That's probably the greatest Federer real hitting video ever; it wasn't just real practice before a tournament, but it was also at peak Federer career. Alex was awesome too.
True nick. I am a pretty decent player but I notice that whenever I try to play with intensity on my legs, I tend to tense up my arms as well.. and that screws my g.strokes. I guess the secret is 2 fold. Maintain high work rate with your legs and show intensity in ball tracking with aim to be ahead of the ball always. 2. Keep the arm relaxed and always initiate the g.stroke with torso rotation with the intention to go into the ball..
Relaxation of the arm is super critical, to deliver both easy power and control, isn't it ?
I think a lot of different concepts can become intermingled here - intensity vs tension, efficiency vs effort, external appearance vs internal state, etc. You see many players at the local club who hardly move with legs but hit with a lot of tension in the arm and it would be great if they can reverse that. But quite often good technique seems to also promote good movement - those with efficient strokes usually look more relaxed even if they carry the same level of intensity inside them. So it's not just a matter of telling them/yourself to reverse this and it will magically happen. I think it's probably just not that helpful to look at these subtle differences amongst the top players in the world for copying purposes for the average club level player. Surely the club coach looks typically relaxed enough for most shots which are still much faster and heavier than the average club player anyway.
An old coach of mine back when I was playing competitive junior tennis used to say be a duck on water. When you see a duck on a pond they look very relaxed above the water. However, below the water the legs are working.
Fast feet, push off the ground correctly with a loose arm/wrist at the end of the kinetic chain. Not easy but every top player does this. People get into trouble when they try and force positions etc… and not let the racquet swing as a result of the proper sequencing.
That intro had me laughing. Your impersonations and sense of humor are greatly appreciated. 😎
Funny 😆 intro. In my opinion, Fed’s graceful fluidity is mistaken for low intensity. 😉
Federer a very calm guy ?! I have Seen him play live in Basel... This Guy is keeping his cool because he works on it .. he had some bursts. Like when he was younger
Federer is not internally calm
When I switched to a one-hander, I took all my inspiration from Federer(cause hes the reason I switched), but after realizing i fell for this trap, I started imitating Dimitrov instead. Same form, just full effort every practice
Dein Intro ist megageil. Einfach köstlich. Und Du hast wie immer revht mit dem was Du sagst. Weiter so. LG aus Deutschland
that Nadal impression was spot on 😂
oooo then the rafa fit!?! hahaha love it
bravo maestro, last two minutes are genius!!!!
I was hoping this video was going to be about staying loose as oppose to playing tight. I have an issue with getting too tense when doing ground strokes. I am an older player from the 80's and came back to the game 3 years ago. I transitioned my eastern forehand to a modern/semi western forehand and modern backhand. My tendency to become tense is very apparent with the forehand and I have been working hard to try and change this by holding the racket with my non dominant hand and taking deep breaths but it has been tough. I just keep reverting back to old habits in game situations.
Practice makes it better. I was almost like a robot months ago, but now I play quite smoothly.
I can be your twin. Same issue here. I worn an activity tracker and his terrific how many energy I spend in one hour of tennis compared with weightlifting, biking, spinning, anything else. And is all tension. Desperately trying to get rid of that.
Love this video! The opening the content and the ending!!
The intro is.... hilarious and awesome!
Very nice last sentence, unexpected. You are a funny guy Nikola. And I totally agree with you.
There is a video called "Roger Federer / Stanislas Wawrinka 2013 X / 7", if u see the first 2 parts it's like u said, he seems to be relaxed and loose and then in the part 3 they start to play with intensity no matter if the ball is going out. U cannot play loose the match because it is inconsintent, just look how many balls Roger miss at the beggining of the warmup sesion. You need the intensity in order to play a match and not look like a spagetti losing the match.
Love your content, creative video ideas 💕
I think it’s not so much about intensity. It’s more about his overall demeanor. Roger just has a very poised confidence and knows that’s there’s not a shot he can’t hit. It’s not that he’s so relaxed to the point of being lazy or loose. It’s more of mentally and emotionally relaxed. But Fed talked about what he calls Fire and Ice. Where he’s cool under pressure but intense in the heat of battle.
Hi Coach Nick - what happened to your video about finishing the strokes. I found that video extremely helpful and for some reason I couldn't find it anymore. Anyways, I just wanted to thank for posting that video because I always questioned why bother "finish" after i hit the ball, but now I understood the importance thanks to your video! Thanks again!
th-cam.com/video/O9mm58MVmPI/w-d-xo.html
I think it is mainly the footwork that plays a role in his elegance. It also helps that his swings are identical with every stroke. His serve always looks the exact same as well.
🤣🤣 Impersonations in the beggining are gold. 🤣🤣
And as always, Nick, thank you for a great analysis and delivery in the video!
I agree 100%, intensity and full concentration is a key for any competetive activity.
🙏🙏
My favourite player all time is Federer, sorry 😁 but not because of his relaxation but because his precision and elegance...mostly precision. But I also don't play like him, I play like...like me, what suits me.
Speaking of Edberg I feel an 80's renaissance coming on, how realistic is it to copy the game styles of a Djokovic or a Nadal for the average rec player?! But Edberg, especially towards the end of his career used the bunt shot or a groundstroke-bunt hybrid to great effect before coming into the net. The thing about the bunt is it synchronizes movement around the court with the ball strike which can lead to a positional advantage provided your not overpowered.
this is soooooooo accurate. fed on court in a match is a BEAST
Excellent analysis. Yes best to not consciously try to play relaxed but always strive to play efficiently if you can, as you improve. Nick, just wondered if you could do a video on natural talent in tennis please if you haven’t done one before? Jannik Sinner recently dismissed the concept of talent and says only hard work matters. Actually I disagree here as I have known players who demonstrated an intuitive gameplay early on when they started tennis, but on the other hand have known players that worked exceptionally hard to match or even exceed those players who seemed to possess uncanny talent. So both exist really but hard work has the edge in the long run.
Sinner probably feels like that is true because he has put in so much hard work, but it's ironic too since he is without a doubt extremely talented and that is one of the standout points about him. Many people put in the work he has put in up to his age and can't even go pro. He's in the top 10 at age 20! But he probably wants to emphasize that he has put in an enormous amount of work and he hasn't achieved so much just based on some natural talents.
I don't agree. I DO think one should consciously try to play relaxed. Absolute key for my tennis. Number 1 priority. More relaxed I am tbe better my tennis
Thanks for talking about this!
Love the intro. Had to go back to check that you flipped the video when playing like Rafa :)
Don't copy players. Instead, find some inspiration with some players which is not as rigid as copying, and at the end of the day, do your best and be yourself, if not you might waste your time and risk injury.
I agree with you on "intensity" level. Another good video. Thanks.
The imitation of Rafa is really impressive!
Well, Roger makes it look easier than it actually is, and Rafa makes it look harder than it need s to be :)
RF is not human :-)
I think he achieves Olympic athlete level results on fitness tests
You have an amazing left power! I’m a leftie and I would die to have the power you have with your left . Great video Nick! I really like Roger but Rafa is my fav player!
It’s mirrored. I can’t play lefty 😭
th-cam.com/video/0TRYiRXtGVY/w-d-xo.html
@@IntuitiveTennis you got me! 😂😅
Also, what strings are in you’re pure drive now?
Head hawk
Agree %100 thanks
Your intro is hilarious !
This is why I think you're one of the best tennis instructors online. Always honest and respectful of others. What is right for one may not be the best for another. We're all different and one must learn to leverage their strengths to get to the top of their game. RF has mastered the game of tennis and makes what is difficult look easy/effortless/cool/etc. Showing a lack of intensity during practice or warm ups does not mean it isn't there in a match.
At my club half the players (try to) play with a one-handed backhand because it's stylish (to play like Fed I suppose). There are only clay courts here, guess what happens to those Uniqlo-clad one-handers when they get shoulder-high spinny balls to return?
Where is your club?
France?
@@Timothy_Pitt Brazil.
Most low level club players have an incorrect grip on the one hander so I could see that being the main reason they struggle on the high balls
Great video! Very instructional, very true and very funny! Thank you!
I'm dying!! Hysterical! Thank you :) Keep it up!
That's why many people can't compete. Because with competition you'll also see coming things like stress intensity even undesirable behaviors that we criticize so much ... i remember when a friend of mine who passed away used to telling me : "Enjoy it" but at the same time it was clear he wasn't enyoing anything when thing went wrong on the court
Hi Nick, what mic have you been using for your videos? Really interested in knowing!
You cracked me up Bro!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 it may sound Cold, but it's the honest truth!!! 💯
Nick, if you can tell not play like Fed , then please tell how to copy Fed..
Very funny intro 😂 you look like Nadal 80% and 0 % Federer 😁 that’s why Federer always has his unique style
I love this and totally agree. It’s really affirming to hear this. I only have seen 1 club player play like Federer, and he was probably the most talented guy I’ve seen at the 4.5 club level. It’s all about technique. Obviously, he has incredible, incredible technique. All I tell to myself when I need to be intense and focused is technique, technique, technique. When I’m at my best, I sometimes feel very free. But I know it comes from intensity and technique.
Ratio
This intro is so funny. Well done
Great vid as always, Sir Nick. Surely we can't neglect a player's physique when we consider their style-eg: the explosive Rafa, built like a brick you-know-what, as opposed to smooth-flowing Roger, with his dancer's body, and of course Mister Bendy Novak, the lean-limbed Spiderman of the game. Each to their own I guess. Remember Guga?-Now that's what I call loose!
This video aged very well this last month. Haha. Regarding fighting to the last point…
Federer is technically a maestro / virtuoso he organises his Training the way he wants
I think that the upper body of roger is relaxed but his lower body is tensioned...his footwork is unique and from another planet ..
I’m an avid Fedfan but I agree it’s better emulate Rafa’s intensity rather than Federer’s perceived relaxation.
What do you think about Serena’s coach, Patrick Mouratogol saying you need to be super relaxed? He even posts a video where he tells a student to throw the racket.
I also heard Patrick giving the advise to play loose.may be it means to have loose wrist. You can play loose with intensity. Confused 😔
Which player with a one handed backhand do you recommend watching? I agree with your comments - sometimes I play worse after watching Roger. But I need a player who’s style exemplifies hard work to get inspiration from
Thomas muster
Anyone else watch this video while wearing a Roger Federer shirt?
In one book federer up close in a match was referred to as elegant savagery, I mean the difference between relaxing your grip and relaxing is huge. I've seen fed practice at queens. Very lucky as know the coaches so was a private thing, maybe 15 people watching, he was putting on a show and it did look casual, as you say though the hard work had been done, (was for the o2). It would be easy to think ahh, that's how he does it! Nope!
Thx 🙏. Next time when I go on the tennis court I will be tight as possible👍🏻
This misses the point.
Feds feet are moving all the time, intensely if you like. But like great athletes in every sport, the rest the body is relaxed until needed, timed perfectly. Relaxation saves energy and is the key to first step speed. This is very difficult to do, and we all say that’s “athletic” when we see it. The mark of the amateur is tense muscles everywhere, elevated shoulders, tense grip between shots, unneeded steps, poor attention to balance requiring yet more energy to get the body back over the feet.
Don’t confuse Rafa’s competitive mental spirit with playing intensity. We can see how to pick up balance and relaxed movements in his training sessions w Pierre. Not easy, not magic talent. Focused training.
BTW, Nadal hasn’t beaten Fed since 2014 save once on clay.
VAMOS RAFA!!!!!!!!!! 💪
THE BEST VIDEO
Well, hold on. The terms loose, relaxed, and intensity are getting confused and misplaced. We’ve all heard how commentators will say how a player “tightens up” during a big point and either hits it long or dumps it into the net. The upper body and especially the arm cannot be tense/stiff to play proper tennis. This is the cause of 99% of errors at the recreational level. Think - the short high ball that so many rec players send into the fence. Federer is a master of keeping his body loose during match play. Even when hitting a big ground stroke, his body is remarkably loose. Power comes from the right places - the legs and torso. This is made especially evident on slow motion footage. However, this is not the same as intensity. The player that you had the lesson with was confusing laziness for looseness.
Lol i think you nailed the impersonation.
Great video, so true
I only disagree with one thing, the word "intensity". If I try to play thinking of intensity I go to pieces, lose my rhythm and get tense. I prefer to think about playing with "focus". Thinking more about keeping my eye on the ball, breathing correctly. That is a much more helpful way for me personally to achieve playing with intensity
whats the brand of your shoes?
Nadals intensity is amazing. He s my all tome favourite as well. You say you cant copy federer. On the other hand especially some amateur players are to stiff, while making the shots. So I think they should try to apply at at least a little bit of Federers Loosness...
Watch Federer defend during a point, especially when forced into the backhand corner. You'll see a very hard worker using one of the best backhand slices to fight for his life, not to mention an incredibly fast sprinter scrambling from one side of the court to the other.
Sampras fan just like you, which made me think - wasn't Pete relatively low intensity in his practice?
Fed definitely plays loose and relaxed. It's why he never sweats during a match. LOL
His physique is deliberate, obviously.
This is also a reason for less sweating
I feel the same way about Novak too, pure intensity.
Nice intro
I play with a very relaxed arm and it works great for me.
Yes, but once you find your strokes - the most optimal body position/stroke movement - for high/low/spin/flat balls, then you will "muscle" the ball less than a suboptimal stroke. Then your strokes will look more 'relaxed'.
You still have to exert intense energy though, especially on heavy balls - legs and core. If you just get to the ball with your arm, then the ball will have nothing on it going back.
Federer has the ability to put himself into the most optimal position for most types of balls 99.9% more than the recreational player :p
I think there’s a balance you have to find so that intensity doesn’t shift over into getting tight. A relaxed muscle is faster and all that…
When you tossed that Pro Staff my heart skipped a beat.. never do that again with Roger's Hammer. Shame on you.
Did Nick buy a pro staff RF97 just for that bit lol
The footage is looking kinda dark, give it some brightness
😂😂😂 not even Djokovic can do those impersonations as funny ,in fact I saw him doing Nadal and Kournikova, but your Federer ,Nick 👍🏻❤️ ,Is Brilliant 😂😂😂, to the last detail 😂😂😂 Nadal was smashing too, vamos!!💪🏻 😂😂😂 that was a really Christmas present 🎁😂😂😂👍🏻❤️🎾 Thank you my
The way he copies roger at the early part of the video😂😂
wait wait wait wait, bring back roger
Where did you get those on fed shoes?!
the start of the video killed me hahaha. good stuff :D
When he changed to leftie, even the houses behind him changed places 😂😂😂
I love Nadal's forehand and I try to copy parts of it.