What Federer Needs

Ok, its been a long time since I posted last... I keep promising myself that I'll write more frequently, but this time it has taken a couple of things for me to write this post.

1. Federer's loss in the Australian open
2. Scott Daniel asking me when Im going to post next (I actually have a blog reader, that too a tennis coach!!!)

Let's start first with Federer's loss at the Australian Open. I believe that he genuinely lost this time and that losing and being beaten are two different things. By the end of the second set it looked like the balance was shifting in Federer's favor - he was keeping up with Nadal and was getting many chances to break Nadal's serve. Nadal seemed to be struggling physically (by his own lofty standards) and the effects of his marathon semi-final match seemed to be showing.

The 3rd set went to a tie-break against the flow of play where Nadal really stepped up and took the 3rd set. While Federer did win the 4th set, the 5th set was a complete surprise. I stayed up till 4:30 am on the eve of the superbowl and decided to save what I expected to be the best for last. I decided to go to sleep and watch the final set off my DVR in the morning. Boy was I disappointed when I watched it after waking up (I didnt sleep too well from anticipation)

After holding initially (first 2 service games), Federer's game just fell apart. In Federer's game the first signs of weakness usually manifest themselves in the form of shanked backhands and overhit forehands. Slight let ups in his usually impeccable and exceptional speed and timing cause these misses. The naked eye of the TV viewer cant see changes in speed and timing, they can certainly notice the unforced errors... and they did rack up in a short span and at a very crucial phase of the game. If you remember the Wimbledon final with Nadal two years ago, Federer stayed level with Nadal until Nadal's knees caught up with him. This time around, Federer handed Nadal a get-out-of-jail card.

What caused this mental let down? Was it the sheer weight of going level with Sampras and winning his 14th major? Was it sheer disbelief that Nadal had an extra 5th gear in the physical strength department? Or was it the fact that Federer's serve never really fired affecting his whole rhythm of play?

I dont really know and I also dont know what effect this loss will have on Federer. I know that he can bounce back and strongly believe that he will. There are some very important tests coming up in the next few months before the clay season. Starting March 6th, Federer leads a strong Swiss contingent against the US in Alabama (I love Wawrinka, what a sweet backhand!). Thats followed by Indian Wells and Miami... lets see how Fed does there

Anyways, I know Federer has the game to beat anybody in the world (even Nadal)... he just has to make some key adjustments

- Incorporate Crossfit in his workouts: I'm not trying to sell crossfit here or saying that Federer isnt fit. He is far from either, in fact Lendl just called him the fittest tennis player with Nadal and Roddick. But I believe that Federer can work on his explosive power and his ability to win more of the longer points. How many of those 20-30 ball rallies does Nadal end up winning by just running down every ball? I dont know... it seems like he wins most of them. Explosive strength will give Federer the ability to trump Nadal physically in short bursts. I think Nadal is still has more stamina to win 5 hour marathon matches - but Federer will be well served by having that 5th gear in reserve to surprise Nadal at the end of those 30 ball rallies. Crossfit will give him that 5th gear.

- Use a bigger racquet: Federer currently uses what appears to be the 90 sq inch version of the K-Fed. There is a 95 sq inch version of the same racquet that will work better for Federer. He will get a bigger sweet spot (at the expense of control) and the expanded hitting area will give him a a smaller margin of error. This margin of error will be crucial for staying up with Nadal and developing some sort of rhythm for a comeback, instead of losing a few quick points and going down a crucial break

- Hire a coach and a manager: What do you look for in a coach to take you to new heights? Thats an open question... When you are already one of the best ever to have played the game "new heights" is a very subjective term. Peter Bodo does a good job of exploring this issue in a recent post on his blog. I agree with Peter that at the end of the day its the player who has to go out and win the game. A coach can work on technique, mental strength and strategic game plans, but at the end of the day its the player who has to do battle on the court by himself. In Federer's case he should go back to the basics and hire a coach who is not afraid to call it as it is. A coach who is in awe of Federer will not serve any purpose... instead it should be someone who understands the game and nurses Federer's confidence back. Maybe Sampras can do the trick? He has wanted to get more involved in the game but I do admit that it would be ironic for Sampras to help another man beat his record.

Anyways, now to the point about the manager. I know this is a more personal recommendation that my other ones, but Mirka should simply be Federer's companion and friend rather than a manager as well. Leave the management and organization part to someone else so that it frees up the two to spend more quality time together.

These are quite a few recommendations and I do understand that too much change is a bad thing. However Federer must descend from his pedestal and admit that some change is required... If Nadal is willing to change his forehand swing and serve motions for the Australian Open, then that should serve as a signal to Federer. Even the best are not afraid to embrace change and that change is only a means to an end, not the objective. In the end Federer must play to enjoy the game and make the changes that he feels work for him