What Federer Should Do During Off-Season

Written by: Staff on 12th November 2013

What Federer Should Do During Off-Season

epa03942845 Roger Federer from Switzerland reacts against Juan Martin del Potro from Argentina during their group B singles match in the round robin stage at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in the O2 Arena in London, Britain, 09 November 2013. EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA |

November 11, 2013

Biggest question people want answered is what Roger Federer will do training-wise to prepare himself for the 2014 season. This article will focus solely on the various ways Federer can increase his chances of mounting an exciting 2014 comeback and solidify the areas of his game that can help him regain his top form.

Federer is a positive guy, and that’s by far one of his biggest strengths. Even when he was down in 2013, he kept swinging. He kept going for it. You see athletes like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods with this ability too. When Federer gets on the practice court with Luthi or whatever coach + player combinations he chooses, he needs to let fly again and again until that wrist of his falls into its natural rhythm of sick snap, intense spin, and fluid finishes. Keep hitting until you can’t hit anymore, then do a few more, just for good measure and muscle memory.

But by no means should he try and play flat and through the court. He should learn his lessons from 2013 that his “gambling” playing style of going for outright flat forehand winners is not the way anymore. The courts are too slow and his opponents are recognizing this too early, goading him into more and more errors. There are too many factors that have to go “right” in order to consistently make those types of shots. We saw it against Rafa in the semifinals at the Barclays that even with pristine court conditions and no wind, the Federer timing just couldn’t maintain consistency against the variety of heights and spins. He needs to remember that every time he played his heavy balls into the corners, it would only take a matter of two or three more shots before his opponents would break down or commit an error.

Fed usually practices with two or three practice partners and rotates them when they fatigue from his heavy shots. Even with his admissions about practicing less or not “over-practicing” to conserve his energy, he needs to fatigue himself during practice so that his body recognizes the stress and handles it better. When Fed was going through his tumultuous games, giving up leads and making errors for instance, his mind was saying, “don’t let it happen” and his body responded with subconscious panic. Deep in a set, with the pressure mounting, you don’t want your body to rebel against your mind’s wishes do you? You’d see it time and again as Fed would line up the shot, his mind entirely engaged on an aggressive shot, but at the very last moment his body would wilt and not commit to it. With a little bit more knowledge of his physical limits, Federer will re-learn to relax in those crucial moments, let his wondrous natural heavy ball work itself back into his repertoire, and play cat and mouse with his opponent Federer-funhouse-style.

Another aspect that let Federer down in 2013 was his inability or stubbornness get the better of him when it came to protecting his backhand. He claims his backhand has gotten better over the years, and it has, but it’s not the shot that wins him matches. Unfortunately for Fed, too many backhands means too many neutral or defensive points. The classic Fed liked to hit one slice then immediately slide over to protect the backhand and start unleashing forehands. Only when Fed is hitting that forehand does Fed do serious mind-boggling damage against the top players. His backhand is beautiful and all and it sure must feel great to be able to whip it so cleanly, but it’s not his most reliable winning shot. Fed needs to get back to winning plays by protecting his backhand with aggressive footwork and finding ways to hit more forehands.

Finally, he needs a coach to sit down with him and really get to the bottom of his mental conversations. He has been shaking his head and pinning his chin into his chest far too long for a guy who’s the GOAT. Every time he misses these days, he shakes his head or makes a gesture as if he should have made the shot. A coach needs to snap him out of this bad habit, nip it in the butt. Just tell him, “Let it be done with, let it be over, and certainly don’t judge the quality of the miss.”

A miss is a miss, just like a point is a point, not a single one is more significant than another. The coach should then ascertain the expectation of Federer on what type of quality ball he wants to hit. Then drill that certain shot or feeling until it’s embedded in the heart. When that feeling, that expectation, and the desire for that kind of quality is in the heart, you can draw upon it like a well during matches. It burns inside you if you’re not playing well, it forces you to go on when everything around you has crumbled, and it propels you from the depths.

This and only this should be what Federer internalizes. Everything else, all the negative emotion, needs to be forgotten: 2013, bad losses, disappointment, hopes/anxieties. Once you get that fire and that feeling in your heart, it’s all you need to walk into a tournament, stay fresh the entire week, and come away with the trophy having felt like you’re not quite there yet. This is because the desire becomes insatiable; Surely Fed will recognize this feeling because he’s had it before during his years when he was untouchable.

Finally, Federer should spend as much time as he can with his family. His daughters and his wife need him and there’s nothing more precious than time with your family, no matter who you are. Find a reason, find any little inspiration, to go out there and make more of yourself. For the kids or the wife. Maybe it’s the way they laugh, or something funny or cute somebody does, but Fed might benefit from keeping a certain positive image in his mind during times when he’s overwhelmed by sponsors, press, or the schedule.