So I’m driving down the 405 from L.A. towards San Diego for the Acura Classic in my red Ford Explorer. 8 bags fill the trunk stuffed with gear and clothes and rackets. Bethanie Mattek is in the passenger seat watching the landscape.
At this point we’re 8 months into our working relationship. We’ve worked on everything from watching the ball to forehands backhands serve volleys footwork overheads and strategy. She’s already achieved her career high up to that point (breaking into the top 100 for the first time) and has won her first match in a grand slam at Wimbledon beating Vasalisa Bardina 6-1 6-0.
But she’s not maximizing her potential yet, losing matches I believe she should be winning and its driving me nuts.
So as we’re cruising down the highway, I’m going through every checklist i can think of, trying to figure out what I’ve yet to teach her.
Then i blurt out to her, ‘what part of the ball do you hit?’
‘the outside’
Uh oh!
The outside of the ball would have been the right answer had I asked her what part of the ball she hit for cross court shots. But not for my question.
So starting that afternoon, all we worked on was on hitting different parts of the ball for different shots. outside for cross court. Behind the ball for down the line and inside the ball for inside out and every other variation you can think of.
Bethanie lost 6-3 in the third in the first round of qualifying but progress was being made.
Cut to the U.S. Open a few weeks later. Bethanie wins her second grand slam singles match, wearing the infamous gold dress, beating Madison Brengle 6-4 6-1 before losing to an in-form Shahar Peer.
But it was doubles where she started to flourish. She won her first 2 rounds pretty handily with partner Sania Mirza. Then they found herself up against the number 2 team in the world, Lisa Raymond and Sam Stosur, on the old Grandstand court packed to the top with American fans.
For 2 long hours, Beth found herself in a crazy intense battle. She hit amazing angles from all over the court, earning raucus U-S-A U-S-A chants. At 5-5 in the third, bethanie stepped up, breaking the seeded team and then holding to clinch victory for team. 2-6 7-5 7-5
The feelings of seeing all the hard work pay off were intense. Especially on my favorite court at my favorite tournament.
Putting the sweetspot on the proper part of the ball is not only a required element to hitting accurately, but gives you something concrete to implement under pressure in the grandest of moments.