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Novak Djokovic

Jim McLennan

Novak Djokovic has moved well within the elite top ten world rankings. On the strength of his electrifying performances at the ATP Masters Series in Indian Wells and the ATP Masters Series in Miami he is now ranked fifth and is third in the ATP points race. He is a versatile performer with proven results on both hard and clay courts, so we will see what occurs within the current European clay court circuit. But already this year he holds wins over Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray (twice including a 6-1, 6-0 drubbing in Miami), Guillermo Canas, and Tommy Robredo.

Novak is the prototypical “modern” professional. Tremendous fitness, excellent court coverage, semi western forehand, two fisted backhand (he says his best shot is the backhand up the line – as was Andre Agassi’s) and adequate serve. But more than anything else he plays a well rounded game with confidence both from the baseline and the net.

Sometimes players with one big shot (read Roddick or Blake) ride their fortunes or misfortunes on that shot. Further, in that instance, opponents have an idea if not a strategy about how to counter that particular weapon. But to my eye, Djokovic does not yield easy answers about how to counter his strengths. But in the extremely competitive world of ATP tennis, there are certainly coaches and players who are searching for that proverbial “chink in the armor.”

As to athleticism and balance, the sequence above is typical of professional tennis, where Novak is well off the ground to drive this ball from deep in the forehand corner. Sometimes we (meaning recreational mortals) assume that all shots should be hit while jumping in the air, but truly this should and does occur only in certain instances. But what is truly striking in this sequence is his balance as he meets the ball. Much like a gyroscope or spinning top that spins about an axis, when the axis is vertical the top will not wobble, when the axle is slightly off vertical this tilt causes a wobble.

Once the swing begins, Djokovic's vertical alignment remains unchanged throughout the stroke.

Imagine a tennis player as a spinning top, if wobbling the swing becomes distorted and worse the head and eyes (resting at the top of the spinning contraption) are moving during the hit. In this example Novak is totally vertical, no wobbling at all, and his head and eyes are completely still.

In contrast to the flamboyant forehand, this sequence on the backhand is a study in grounded balance and well worth copying. He turns quickly to the side, excellent posture, hands and arms quiet, and the weight precisely on the back foot.

This first move, sometimes known as the “unit turn” will influence all that follows. When one’s turn is late, the stroke becomes rushed. When one’s turn is off balance, the resulting stroke may be off balance. When one’s hands are too high the stroke must now swoop under the ball. When one’s arms are rigid at this moment, the resulting stroke will be tight.

Novak begins the actual stroke in time with his step toward the ball, a classic “step – and – swing.” And though many describe the extreme athleticism of the professionals, this example is textbook tennis, one that every beginner is shown, but unfortunately one that most of us forget to continually re-emphasize long after out “beginning” years. Further, note his legs, he drops down as the racquet swings under the ball, and lifts up as his racquet swings up and into the hit.

Finally he finishes totally on balance, all his weight has come against the ball, posture still perfect, clearly he does not ever miss this shot. In the old days Tom Stow called this pose, “holding the finish,” and we were advised to pause just the slightest amount to see if we could in fact hold our weight still and forward against the ball. Not at all practical within a furious professional rally, but darn worthwhile when practicing.

The serve is another animal, and on this score and there I think Novak can make significant improvements. Within the Ricoh ATP match facts, Novak ranks 12th in aces, 9th in second serve points won (55%), 15th in first serve percentage (65%), 8th in service games won (86%), 28th in first serve points won (73%) and 10th in break points saved (66%).

And certainly one would expect the fifth ranked player in the world to figure within all these categories. But with the exception of aces, I think Novak’s overall game and his ability within the subsequent rally influence these numbers more so than his actual service hit. And the telling stat is the percentage of first serves won, where he ranks 28th, where interestingly he ranks lowest within all the serving statistics.

Taking a closer look at the serve, my impression is of a good motion but little action. His racquet flows from beginning to end, the arm appears loose and he hits both on balance and with good extension overhead. Those elements concern the motion, the “macro” of the serve. But at impact, note how much he continues to move forward and then down, holding much of the energy of the swing within his body. The whip like crack at the top of the swing occurs when all body parts decelerate in sequence, so that finally the racquet snaps through at impact. This is the “micro” of the swing, or the action.

In comparison, the deliveries of Pete Sampras or Ivan Ljubicic evidence both motion and action. Pete and Ivan swing continuously, both are balanced and fully extended at contact.

In contrast to Novak, these guys get much more action at the top of the swing. And this action both disguises the hit, and adds considerable pace without noticeable effort.

In comparison, it appears that Novak puts every ounce of strength into each and every serve. And truly whether cracking a whip, snapping a wet towel, or serving, there is a snap (not in the wrist dear reader but in the forearm) where the forearm and hand decelerate as the racquet accelerates at the hit. Novak retains much of his energy well through the hit and even on his finish.

The stroke appears effortful rather than effortless. And though his fitness and desire remain unquestioned, there is an easier way to hit the ball, and I think over time we will see this particular motion become more effective.

During the ATP Masters Series in Miami, the announcers commented that Novak is working on ALL aspects of his game. The impression made is of a young man who is a “student of the game” where the intricacies of balance, technique and tactics are learned in an orchestrated manner. Not where the drums overwhelm the horns, or the big forehand dominates one’s playing style, but rather where all elements combine into a versatile game. You and I might just follow this model.

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