FREE THE SECRETS OF SPANISH TENNIS PDF Chris Lewit,Lluis Bruguera | 240 pages | 01 Oct 2014 | New Chapter Press,U.S. | 9781937559496 | English | Pound Ridge, United States The Secrets of Spanish Tennis - - Spanish Tennis or The Secrets of Spanish Tennis Spanish method has become synonymous with world-class tennis success in the past 20 years. What makes Spanish tennis so The Secrets of Spanish Tennis What exactly are those Spanish coaches doing so differently to develop superstars that other systems are not doing? To answer that question over the last several years, I have visited many of the top Spanish academies and studied with and interviewed some of the leading The Secrets of Spanish Tennis in Spain. As it turns out the Spanish success is not really due to a technical teaching methodology. Rather is it is a confluence of philosophical assumptions and training techniques, combined with cultural and even geographical elements. He identifies eight factors that have contributed to Spanish success, elements which are unique to Spanish history, culture and geography:. The Spanish have a proud tennis culture and believe strongly in honor and tradition. The first great Spanish champion, Manuel Alonzo reached the Wimbledon final in There is also a strong tradition of sportsmanship that permeates training models. All students are expected to give their best and to win with honor The Secrets of Spanish Tennis integrity. Spain has one of the best, most comprehensive schedules of national junior, International The Secrets of Spanish Tennis Federation junior and professional circuits of events of any country in the world. Many top coaches have impressed upon me how important it is to have so many events, both pro and junior, all within driving distance from one another, or a short flight or train ride away. Sergi Bruguera first of the modern tradition of Spanish champions. This cluster of high level junior and professional tournaments is a tremendous developmental advantage and The Secrets of Spanish Tennis make the move up the junior ITF and professional rankings more manageable and convenient for the players. Also, coaches are able The Secrets of Spanish Tennis travel more frequently to watch their players because events are close to home. It is possible to play just professional circuits the whole year in Spain, all within a hour radius of Barcelona, for example, without ever getting on a plane. And now more than ever before, everybody is coming here to Spain … The best thing is to have the three things together. Strong Coach EducationSpain has. Spain has many strong local club programs and the clubs offer interleague competition teams which serve to help identify young, competitive kids who may have the talent to play the game at a high level. The weather is similar to Florida, sunny year-round with mild temperatures in winter. Minimal rainfall allows outdoor play on the red clay year-round, which is a major advantage for Spanish players. The hot months of July and August and the generally warm climate help toughen players physically and prepare them for the grind of a long match outdoors. Players in southern Spain train in even hotter climates than those in Barcelona. Former world No. You get strong here. Here you can build everything. In search of better weather and training conditions, Andy Murray came to Spain at a young age to train at the Sanchez Casal Academy. Many other young British hopefuls have since followed. Marat Safin came to Spain at an early age to hone his game The Secrets of Spanish Tennis the red clay. The ubiquitous red clay courts The Secrets of Spanish Tennis Spain are perhaps the true secret of Spanish tennis. As all Spanish coaches will testify — the clay helps the development of tennis players in myriad ways. Marat Safin, one of the first great champions who came to Spain from other countries. On clay the players learn to move and hit their shots on balance even when they are under pressure and this helps them a lot. The clay in Spain is very slow, and by slowing down the ball speed, it becomes very difficult to hit clean winners when the kids are young. Young players learn to win with consistency and patience, rather than by trying to go for outright winners. Because the points are longer, players learn tactics better they learn how to construct points rather than just hit winners. Players learn how to position their opponent, hurt them, move them around, and use the geometry of the court. They learn the chess game of tennis. The clay is less stressful on the joints of the lower body and the back, allowing players to train longer with less pain and fewer chronic injuries. The slow ball speed on clay can assist in the development of proper technique in young, developing players. The slow and heavy conditions on the red clay force the player to develop maximum kinetic chain and racquet speed in order to successfully compete. Players learn by necessity to develop strong acceleration. The inherent instability of the clay surface helps players develop better dynamic balance, stability on the run, and general lower body and foot coordination. During my travels in Spain, I was very surprised at the relative cooperation and friendliness between the elite coaches and academies. Even though they are competitors, they each understand their role in development and work together when The Secrets of Spanish Tennis to help Spain. The same inter-academy cooperation and support is also demonstrated by the individual players in Spain, who are in general, very humble and down to earth, and willing to help their compatriots succeed. Role models and mentoring are an important component to Spanish success. Spanish players believe in helping the next generation of players to improve Spanish tennis as a whole. The Spanish have somehow inculcated this generous nature towards countrymen in the majority of its successful players. As former world No. The mentoring approach was adopted not only by players, but by coaches, like Pato Alvarez and Lluis Bruguera, who were open and eager to share their knowledge with the younger generation of talented coaches. Even today, Pato and Luis are happy to share their knowledge with any coaches who come to The Secrets of Spanish Tennis them. Coming The Secrets of Spanish Tennis the hypercompetitive world of high performance tennis in the United States, this statement really left an impression on me. Then, the same situation triggered the next generation; younger coaches learning from older ones, they see the The Secrets of Spanish Tennis, they imitate, and they keep on progressing and so a successful system was formed. Having benefited from the system himself, Corretja believes older players have a duty to nurture young talen. And here in Spain, here in this Academy, we have Albert Montanes, Nicloas Almagro, Feliciano Lopez, a lot of professional tennis players and they practice with the young players. This unusual amount of inter-academy cooperation, coach and player mentoring and role-modeling, and friendly competition between compatriots has been an incredible asset to Spanish tennis development as a whole. Other countries would be wise to encourage a similar culture of generosity, humility, sharing and cooperation. Elite players like Feliciano Lopez practice with juniors at the Spanish academies. Intensity and hard work are qualities shared by the players and also the coaches. This mentality is evident throughout Spanish tennis. We are really fierce. This is our game. Chris Lewit is a leading expert on the Spanish system of training. Learn more at SecretsofSpanishTennis. Skip to content. Like this: Like Loading Toss and Check! Next Post Next Excellent tennis serve power position drill. The Secret of Spanish TennisSuffering | World Tennis Magazine Players and parents often ask me: What have the Spanish been doing so well in the last 20 or 30 years to produce so many world-class players? What are the secrets to their success? Over the last six years, I have been studying the Spanish system with many of the most well-known, legendary Spanish coaches, including Lluis Bruguera and William "Pato" Alvarez, giving me a unique inside perspective about the Spanish way of training. Here are six common core elements that are seen across the different training systems in Spain and that have contributed to Spanish The Secrets of Spanish Tennis. Training on clay can assist the The Secrets of Spanish Tennis as they strive to create world-class, graceful and efficient movers on the courts. For the Spanish, tennis is a running game that requires great agility and balance. Spanish coaches believe in teaching players to move well in The Secrets of Spanish Tennis directions, degrees, including a strong emphasis on moving backwards diagonally for defense. Spanish players are taught from an early age to adjust to the incoming ball and to position the body in an optimal, balanced way, so that they can hit the ball with power, accuracy and consistency. Racquet speed and weapon building Most Spanish coaches are also obsessed with building huge racquet speed—maximum acceleration, to create a heavy topspin and power ball. There The Secrets of Spanish Tennis many Spanish exercises that are taught to the players to help them develop acceleration. Playing on clay regularly also helps develop power and spin. Spanish coaches tend to overweigh The Secrets of Spanish Tennis forehand in development, preferring to build a big heavy, topspin forehand that can be used to dictate points. When you look at Spanish champions like The Secrets of Spanish Tennis Bruguera from the 80s and 90s and current superstar Rafael Nadal, you can see clear examples of the protypical Spanish forehand weapon.