10 Years of Training Female Tennis Players - A Male Coach's Perspective
Female Tennis Players - Their Damn Good, Strong & Great Role Models
Not enough is written about female athletes. They’ve got charisma, class and most of all, they’re damn good at sport. In tennis, the women’s game is constantly improving. Not only are women hitting the cover off the ball, but more and more feel & touch are becoming a part of their arsenal. Many believe the women’s game is still one-dimensional - but in the past several years, different types of game styles have emerged. Look at Radwanska, Halep and even Kerber - they’ve got variety. Not to mention the level of women's tennis has strenghtened - you just never know who’s gonna make it deep into a slam anymore. Sure Serena’s had some streaks where she’s dominated the women’s game but recently, the draws are more open.
Over the years I’ve coached many female tennis players...and I’ve learned a lot. From the tennis court to the weight room and everything in between. I’ll share my experiences in this article…and hopefully shed some light on female players.
Females On the Tennis Court
They stick to their game plan
Many female players are very good at patterns...which helps them stick to a game plan throughout an entire match. Even if the shots aren’t falling from the outset, they continue hitting out until they do.
Here’s an example. I was at a Challenger event with a player a few years back. She was the type of player that had great hands, timing and anticipation. So her game plan was simple, take the ball early, use her opponent's pace, and hit into the corners. First match, no problem...quick 2 set win. Then came day 2 and mistakes were coming early and often. She found herself down a set and a break, but she stuck to her game plan, found her groove and pulled out the win. Not only that, she continued this pattern all tournament long and won the event!
They play fast
Many coaches will argue that female players play too fast and don’t add enough variety to their game. That may be partially true but perhaps it’s the guys that add too much variety into their game. Tennis is so fast right now that playing that way puts many female players ahead of the rest. I was always a grinding type player but over the years my game has slowly evolved (a little late perhaps but in 4 years I’ll be ready for the ITF Senior Tour!). I now take the ball earlier, try to flatten it out and play a bit faster. It doesn’t always work but if you knew my style 10 years ago, you’d see a big difference. I attribute this evolution to hours hitting with WTA and ITF female players.
A mix of power and finesse
Female tennis players can surely hit big groundies and now many can hit serves into the 120s (mph). But they also have better hands than they’re given credit for. I’ve played doubles with many female players and they were quite quick with their hands at net. I’ve also observed many young players employing more drop shots than 5-10 years ago. And it’s not just on the guy’s side, young girls are just as capable. So when working with female athletes, as coaches we shouldn't assume they can only play hard and fast...they’ve got more versatility in their game than we probably realize.
Radwanska showing off some stunning skill!
They don’t miss
Although they play fast, they’re amazing hitting partners, as they rarely miss. Early on in my coaching career I was able to hit with Carol Zhao (career high WTA 247), on a daily basis. She was about 16 years old at the time, was as steady as they come and could hit lights out. These sessions forced me to hit more consistently - and to retrieve balls that I wouldn't normally see playing with guys.
They Motivate
Unlike the guys, who tease each other nonstop, female athletes are perpetuate motivators. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a good banter from time to time but when it’s constant (like the guys often do) it can wear on a player’s psyche and lead to their own negative thoughts and emotions.
When it comes to team settings, they’re always there. When playing college tennis, it was often the female players cheering the rest of the team on.
Females In the Gym
Serious with their warm-up
You tell a female athlete once to make sure to get their warm-up in (especially when there are no coaches around)...and that’s exactly what they do. Whether it's doing their band exercises to prep the arm or performing mobility drills before training - they make it a habit and get the job done. This is more apparent on the juniors circuit as I believe both men and women on the pro tour are committed to a lengthy warm-up.
Girls are strong as heck and they don’t shy away from big lifts
Some of the junior players I’ve worked with had no fear. You give them a bit of confidence, provide positive encouragement and they go for it. I had junior girls that could lift more than most of the guys (look at the video below - this was a 15 year old I worked with who was strong as heck, and she's not the only one). After only a few months of lifting, there were many girls that could lift 1.5 times their bodyweight in a squat...and they would generally only lift 1-2 times per week. Some of these female athletes were even as young as 14! The lifts were monitored closely and progressed with caution but their natural strength levels were already quite high.
They’re opinionated
When they don’t like a certain drill or exercise, they let you know. At first I was a bit taken back but I then realized, not everything I say and do is best for a player. This sparked conversations & dialogues between coach and player, where adjustments could be made to reach common ground. Often times, especially in the weight room, this leads to better exercise selections for the player, as it avoids implementing exercises that aren't suited for their body type or size.
They work harder than most guys
Don’t get me wrong, most of the guys I coach work hard but I’ve had many female athletes that were just dialled in all the time. Many junior girls are much more mature than their male counterparts....which translates into less goofing around and more focused effort. Whether on court or in the gym, their full attention was geared towards the present session. And any athletes that works with me knows how hard sessions can be...not that I push them beyond their limits, but I’m demanding...and the girls work with hardly a complaint.
They’re great listeners
Because of their high level of maturity from an early age, they respect their coaches and give them their full attention when given feedback. There have even been circumstances where they'll even tell other players to keep quiet so they can better understand instructions or feedback. From a coach’s point of view, that’s the attitude we want from our players.
Females Out of the Gym & off the Tennis Court
When practice is over, they enjoy a good laugh
I know that sometimes I can be a bit too serious. Always trying to gain an extra edge in performance. When I was on the road and had some free time, I often had my head stuck in the books...but the tour is a grind, and you need some time to relax. Female players are great at that. When driving, on the plane or having lunch, they’re easy to talk to and enjoy a joke or two. Many guys I’ve trained just close off (I was like that too)...but females have this amazing ability to lighten the mood.
When they commit, they really commit
When working with a WTA player, she was so committed it made me look like an amateur. Her schedule for the entire year was laid out months before the season started. And if you’ve ever worked with a player on tour, you know how tough it is to plan a season...you just don’t know what events you’ll get into. But she took ALL that into consideration. She had a contingency plan for every scenario. If I win here, then I’ll play here...if I lose early in that event I’ll have to go here instead of there….and so on. It was truly remarkable. And don’t get me started on the daily schedule...every minute of the day was planned.
They like to talk things through
Unlike many male players who don’t confront their issues, female athletes talk things through. I can’t recall how many long conversations I've had with female players...on the phone, over text message, during rain delays. I realized, however, that it helps. Once the air is cleared, stress levels diminish and a sense of confidence emerges.
They like cake
But seriously, who doesn’t? Yes perhaps they have a small love affair with sweets, but as long as it’s not part of their regular nutrition plan, it’s not so bad. During my masters studies, a nutrition prof of mine shared a story to the class about a long-distance runner. The runner ran a marathon a day for something like a few months (can’t remember the exact timeframe). And every night he went out for a pint. Now that may not be the best form of recovery after you’re physically depleted but he claimed that anything good for the head is good for the body.
Maybe I’ve been lucky, but the female tennis players that I’ve had a chance to work with have overall been quite inspiring and have helped me along my journey. Sure, there are always ups and downs with any athlete, but looking back, there were so many positive moments that have shaped my coaching career.