Wednesday, 18 May 2022 / Published in Novak Djokovic

The Brilliance Of Novak Djokovic In 10 GIFs

G’day From Paris,

You see something different when you watch something many times instead of just once or twice. You see the same thing happening again & again & again. You learn more. You appreciate the subtleties and nuances that you never really picked up on before.

The last week I have been putting some GIFs of Novak Djokovic from Rome on Twitter and the response has been pretty amazing. The responses have been in two main areas. The first is from people commenting on how efficient Novak swings the racket and moves around the court. Amazingly so. It really pops out when watching these short, repeatable videos. The second response comes from people watching the GIFs and saying that it is helping their own game by seeing how simple Novak does it.

Here are the GIFs – all in one place. Enjoy!

Footwork is like a heartbeat ❤️
For example, at the baseline the heart beats at ~ 60 bpm. It’s active but not overly so. When you come to the net to finish the point, everything happens quicker. Faster feet. Smaller steps. Faster heart rate. 📈#Djokovic example in Roma #ibi22 pic.twitter.com/nBl9f0dXc0

— Craig O’Shannessy 🇺🇦 (@BrainGameTennis) May 11, 2022

Defensive backhand. 🛡🇷🇸
Notice how #Djokovic drags his right foot to assist with getting the correct spacing to the ball. He is running to the ball & slowing down with the drag at the same time. The agility is off the charts. You think you have him. He is SpiderMan 🕷🕸. #ibi22 pic.twitter.com/21cZ4cZ7V1

— Craig O’Shannessy 🇺🇦 (@BrainGameTennis) May 16, 2022

This is where a lot of players on tour are vulnerable at the baseline. The wide forehand can get problematic. #Djokovic has improved this specific shot over the years. Primary target = back cross. Slide to the ball. Not past it. Heavy spin for control. Don’t cook it. #ibi22 pic.twitter.com/ECJU2B5JYa

— Craig O’Shannessy 🇺🇦 (@BrainGameTennis) May 16, 2022

What’s more impressive?
The acceleration to the drop shot?
The long, controlled slide?
How low #Djokovic got at contact?
The short, sharp backhand?
Keeping the strings forward?
The stillness of the head?
The left arm counter balance?
The quick recovery?
What do you see?#ibi22 pic.twitter.com/yatcBwG7Da

— Craig O’Shannessy 🇺🇦 (@BrainGameTennis) May 16, 2022

The #Djokovic 2nd serve. Look how far he lands in the court. This one is hit with heavy topspin to jump up high to the #Tsitsipas backhand return. I also like the high left hand that “anchors” the serve up in the sky. Everything is going up.
What do you like? #ibi22 pic.twitter.com/j0R4h2Y1li

— Craig O’Shannessy 🇺🇦 (@BrainGameTennis) May 17, 2022

N. #Djokovic FH defense #ibi22 final. He adjusts to the tough ball with a smaller backswing & adding more spin for control. He needs to quickly get up the back of the ball so he plants his right foot & hits only off the right leg. Left foot comes up high to counter-balance. 👍🏼👍🏼 pic.twitter.com/VyxEo83hg6

— Craig O’Shannessy 🇺🇦 (@BrainGameTennis) May 17, 2022

Why is #Djokovic so so good at returning serve? The movement is clean. He splits forward & then continues to move forward. Contact is out in front. The energy flows. The swing path is spectacularly efficient. The head stays still and the return lands at the server’s feet. #ibi22 pic.twitter.com/4jJSKTDk2x

— Craig O’Shannessy 🇺🇦 (@BrainGameTennis) May 17, 2022

This #ibi22 #Djokovic backhand is so intriguing. I see him hit it a lot. Small steps to get side on & then to the ball. But he actually “snaps” backwards around contact. Watch his feet. They stay. Watch his shoulders. They recoil backwards. Very clean energy & balance.
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/3geg5e1SQ9

— Craig O’Shannessy 🇺🇦 (@BrainGameTennis) May 17, 2022

The #Djokovic backhand (heavy) slice.
The backswing starts normal but the follow through is different. He quickly cuts down & across the ball, meant to make it go lower & straighter to #Tsitsipas. Lots of sidespin & backspin to keep it under the hitting zone. #ibi22
You like it? pic.twitter.com/lEclcrKlLo

— Craig O’Shannessy 🇺🇦 (@BrainGameTennis) May 18, 2022

The #Djokovic 2nd serve return. Sometimes in Rome he stood very deep to hit 2nd returns & just rolled a “moonball” return high & slow & deep back to the server. It’s a confusing ploy as he is always so insanely good at stepping in & taking time away.
Why the change?
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/ieTxECU4rX

— Craig O’Shannessy 🇺🇦 (@BrainGameTennis) May 18, 2022

The practice court is clearly broken. Here’s the proof.

Points are "front loaded". By far the majority of the action, and the winning, takes place in THE FIRST 4 SHOTS. The practice court is full of long rallies. Matches are dominated by short rallies. There is a massive disconnect occurring.

We spend too much time grinding, banging balls up and down the middle of the court – that have no real benefit to winning tennis matches.

There are 3 specific rally lengths in tennis. Here is their percentage breakdown of total points.

0-4 Shots = 70%
5-8 Shots = 20%
9+ Shots = 10%

The First 4 Shots is specifically the serve, return, Serve +1 groundstroke and Return +1 groundstroke. Those are normally the shots that get practiced the least, but matter the most to winning tennis matches.

The net is an extremely high percentage place to be!

If you love playing tennis for fun, spend as much time at the baseline as you like. But if you compete – if the score matters – then you must turn your attention to the net to maximize your potential.

The “herd mentality” in tennis thinks it’s too tough to approach the net in today’s game. The conversation starts with improved string technology, more powerful rackets, and finishes with stronger, faster athletes. The herd think approaching is a relic of the past. The herd is WRONG!

AVERAGE WIN %
Baseline = 46%
Net = 66%

Data from ALL Grand Slams provides the facts about approach and volley, and the data is crystal clear – it’s immensely better than staying back at the baseline, grinding for a living.

The baseline is a tough place to create separation. Here's how to do it.

At the 2012 US Open, only 7 men and 14 women had a winning percentage from the baseline. At Wimbledon 2016, Andy Murray won the title only winning 52% of his baseline points - and he is one of the very best at it in the world!

Num3ers deeply explores the data that rules points, especially from the back of the court. Take a "deep dive" into all three rally lengths (0-4, 5-8, 9+), and winner and errors totals from the elite level of our game. The numbers will shock you!

All 4 Grand Slams

Forcing Errors = 41% Men / 37% Women
Winners = 32% Men / 29% Women
Unforced Errors = 27% Men / 34% Women

Num3ers is very much like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. It's about bringing together different data sets together to create the big picture.

Every recorded match from the 2015 Australian Open - Rd2 to the final.

There is a lot happening on a doubles court. Situations and strategies are constantly being adjusted to create mis-matches with court position. It's hard to keep track of - until now. Dou8les Num3ers is the most comprehensive analysis of doubles data in our sport. The focus is on how a point ends, and it's broken down eight ways to Sunday. Specifically, you find critical information on:

Winners rise to the #1 way a point ends (over forced & unforced errors)

- The last shot of the rally is overwhelmingly struck at the net.
- Center Window: the most important part of a doubles court to control.
- Stephen Huss: an in-depth interview on Wimbledon's Centre Court with the 2005 Wimbledon Doubles Champion.

Dou8les Num3ers leaves no stone unturned. Percentage breakdowns of how often the server or receiver hits the last shot highlight the dramatic influence of the serve. The last shot of the rally is significant, and is broken down into the following categories: volleys, overheads, passing shots, lobs and groundstrokes.

When you play a match, you actually play two matches.

When you walk out onto a tennis court, there are two matches that you are about to play. The first is during the point - a part of the match that you have spent a lot of time preparing for on the practice court. But there is a second match, that takes place in the 20 seconds between the points. This is where the mental and emotional aspects of our sport kick in.

Let's face it, there will be adversity in almost every tennis match that you play. The storm clouds are coming. How bug they are, and how long they last for, are up to you.

Between the points is very tennis specific. It provides a roadmap for the 20 seconds between the points, teaching how to handle the adversity that will surely come, and how to build on the successes that will also be present. Your mind is your biggest asset in a match, and Between the Points takes your hand off the self destruct button and stops you beating yourself.

You don't have to be good at everything, but you have got to be good at something.

You can break tennis down into four key elements - serving, returning, rallying and approaching. Each part has specific patterns of play that consistently deliver higher winning percentages than the others. No more guessing. No more opinions. All facets of our sport are covered in this exceptional product, clearly outlining what patterns to gravitate to, and how to best construct the practice court. Data comes primarily from the 2015 Australian Open.

Building Blocks

MEN = 70% errors / 30% winners
WOMEN = 74% errors / 26% winners

Forcing errors is the best way to construct a point.
You can simply break tennis down into primary and secondary patterns of play - and they are all covered here. Primary patterns include serve and return direction, forehands v backhands, and the best way to approach the net. Secondary patterns include drop shots, serve & volley and 1st volley options. If you play tournaments, this product will greatly help you simplify the singles court.

The conversation starts & ends with the Center Window.

The doubles court is like an hourglass. There are two big ends, but a small neck in the middle where all the action happens. Once you learn the power of the Center Window, where you stand to start the point will take on a lot more significance.

Doubles is a lot more about situations, with four people on the court all "dancing" with one another. Learn all the best doubles patterns, broken down for the server, returner, server's partner and the returner's partner.

Doubles Situations

The "J" - the most ideal movement for the returner's partner to attack the net.

The "V" - a better way of understanding where the server's partner should move to.

Volley Targets - there are four main areas to attack. Know which ones are higher percentage. Beach Volleyball - the idea of a "setter" and "spiker" is ideal for the doubles court.

There are certain parts of the court that the ball travels to a lot, and other low percentage areas that you really don't want to cover at all - like the alley! In general, the serving team wants to keep the ball in the middle of the court as much as possible (to help the server's partner), while the returning team benefits from hitting wider and creating more chaos in the point.

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The Brilliance Of Novak Djokovic In 10 GIFs

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G’day From Paris,