Craig O'Shannessy, Author at Brain Game Tennis

2022 Australian Open: Alexei Popyrin Preparation

Sunday, 16 January 2022 by Craig O'Shannessy

G’day, A lot goes on behind the scenes in the lead-up to a Grand Slam event. The Australian Open had a film crew shadowing Alexei Popyrin and I during the Melbourne 1 ATP 250 event to kick off 2022. Below are the five videos that give you a unique backstage view of what we worked

Published in Alexei Popyrin, Australian Open, Coaching On Tour, Forehands, Improvement, Mental / Emotional, Tournament Results

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The Art Of The Return Approach

Thursday, 06 January 2022 by Craig O'Shannessy

Let’s add the return approach to your repertoire. Approaching the net is a winning strategy. It typically delivers a winning percentage right around 65% at Grand Slams across all surfaces. Think about that for a second. If you go to the net three times, you win two. That’s legit. The best way to approach the

Published in Alexei Popyrin, ATP Tour, Return Of Serve

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Rafael Nadal’s 1st Serve Return Footwork

Sunday, 02 January 2022 by Craig O'Shannessy

I learned something new about Rafael Nadal yesterday. I have watched Rafa play A LOT of matches throughout his long career. I have poured over his match statistics. I have studied his mannerisms and even coached against him – with mixed success. I took a few short videos of his practice yesterday at the 2022

Published in Australian Open, Rafael Nadal, Return Of Serve

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Rafael Nadal 10 Step 2nd Serve Return Sequence

Saturday, 01 January 2022 by Craig O'Shannessy

I watched Rafael Nadal practice for two hours yesterday on Rod Laver Arena. It was Rafa’s second day of practice here at the 2022 Australian Open, and he was hitting with fellow Spaniard, Juame Munar. Rafa’s level was very solid. I would say he was about an 8/10. After a long flight from Spain, the

Published in Australian Open, Practice Court, Rafael Nadal

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Roger Federer: The 2018 Australian Open Final = His 2022 Blueprint.

Thursday, 23 December 2021 by Craig O'Shannessy

The First 4 Shots Video – Learn More HERE The last major Roger Federer won was the 2018 Australian Open. When Roger finally returns to the tour in 2022 he needs to look no further than how he won the 2018 Aussie Open final against Marin Cilic for the blueprint to once again be successful

Published in 0-4 Shots, ATP Tour, Australian Open, Roger Federer

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The Roger Federer Library: 120+ Analysis Stories

Sunday, 07 November 2021 by Craig O'Shannessy

Welcome To The Roger Federer Library Here you will find a growing library of more than 120 analysis stories I have written about Roger Federer in recent years. Some focus on specific matches while others help explain what makes him one of the greatest players of all time. Enjoy all things, Roger! ATP BRAIN GAME

Published in Roger Federer

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Sand + fuzzy balls = backhands

Saturday, 16 October 2021 by Craig O'Shannessy

The courts are slow. The balls are slow. Welcome to Indian Wells in October. Daniil Medvedev said, “this court is more like clay, it is so slow, and I hate clay” after squandering a set and two-break lead against Grigor Dimitrov. Well, there you have it… Players have been complaining all tournament that it is

Published in Uncategorized

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2021 US Open: It’s What Djokovic Is NOT Doing That You Need To Pay Attention To

Sunday, 12 September 2021 by Craig O'Shannessy

G’day, The last time Novak Djokovic won the US Open in 2018, I was on his coaching team along with Marian Vajda. My specific role was match strategy. Keep a finger on the pulse of Novak’s game and research the daylights out of opponents. My goal was to always know the opponent’s tendencies better than

Published in US Open

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2021 US Open: Djokovic’s Stunning Net Statistics

Friday, 10 September 2021 by Craig O'Shannessy

Novak Djokovic Is A Short Ball Hunter What are your chances of out-rallying, out-hustling, and out-thinking Novak Djokovic in a baseline rally? It’s somewhere between slim and none. You may be able to win some arbitrary points here and there, but nothing to form a game plan around. Nothing that allows you to create a

Published in US Open

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10 Keys To Novak’s 2021 Wimbledon Success

Monday, 12 July 2021 by Craig O'Shannessy

Imagine winning Wimbledon… one, two, three, four, five… six times!!! Novak just powered through the 2021 Wimbledon draw for the loss of just two sets. Dominant. Controlling. Commanding. Superior. Supreme. Here are 10 keys to his tournament victory. 1: Serve & Volley = 88% Won (36/44) Novak served and volleyed nine times in the

Published in Novak Djokovic, Wimbledon

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The Italian Tennis Renaissance

Tuesday, 08 June 2021 by Craig O'Shannessy

G’day, Steve Tignor just wrote an excellent piece at Tennis.com about Italian tennis. Specifically, it was about the sudden influx of great male players doing so well at the Roland Garros. I have been consulting with the Italian Tennis Federation since 2016 and have had a first-hand look as to why this is happening. Firstly,

Published in Italian Tennis Federation

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June 3, 2015: Djokovic rocks Nadal at Roland Garros

Wednesday, 02 June 2021 by Craig O'Shannessy

Right out of the gate, it was drop shot mania on Court Philipp Chatrier. Novak Djokovic stunned Rafael Nadal 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 in the quarter-finals of Roland Garros with raw power through the court and subtlety and panache dragging Nadal to the front of the court. It was quintessential French theatre to begin the match, with

Published in Roland Garros

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Roland Garros Match Analysis: 2014-2020

Tuesday, 01 June 2021 by Craig O'Shannessy

G’day, It’s been such a pleasure to cover Roland Garros for the ATP World Tour website in recent years, breaking down key patterns of play and match metrics that matter most to winning this prestigious event. Below are links to seven match analysis stories from 2015-2020, as well as a full report of the 2014

Published in Roland Garros

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Rome Final: Rafa v Nole. 10 Things To Look For.

Sunday, 16 May 2021 by Craig O'Shannessy

G’day from Roma! It’s been an amazing week in Rome working with the coaching teams of Jan-Lennard Struff, Matteo Berrettini, and Lorenzo Sonego as well as the Italian Tennis Federation. Having limited crowds back at matches is amazing. The electricity in the stadiums has been sorely missed by players. They really do feed off the

Published in ATP Tour

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2021 Monte Carlo Final: Rublev’s Forehand Went Missing

Sunday, 18 April 2021 by Craig O'Shannessy

G’day, Andrey Rublev’s forehand caught fire in Monte Carlo this week. He was hitting it from all compass points of the baseline, especially as a run-around forehand from the Ad court. These run-around forehands were shots that opponents were trying to get to Rublev’s backhand, but he was too quick. He was a step ahead,

Published in Andrey Rublev, ATP Tour, Monte Carlo, Stefanos Tsitsipas

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It Was An Avalanche To The Nadal Backhand.

Saturday, 17 April 2021 by Craig O'Shannessy

G’day, Let’s focus on the word “control”. Meaning = the power to influence or direct people’s behavior or the course of events. This is exactly what happens when Rafael Nadal is in full flight on a clay court. He controls both sides of the court. His wicked forehand and rock-solid backhand heavily influence the flow

Published in Andrey Rublev, ATP Tour, Monte Carlo, Rafael Nadal

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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.