My Coach - June 2013 issue

AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | June 2013 43

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MyCoach

50 Secrets of the ‘rats of clay’ Spanish coach Jofre Porta employs rat cunning in developing the successors to his charges Carlos Moya and Rafael Nadal.

52 Be better, work harder Coach Pavlina Ticha came to Melbourne with junior honours and a Czech work ethic.

53 What do you see? Lots to learn from Juan Martin del Potro’s effective serving action.

54 Coach business Navigating tax time is made easier with our checklist.

55 On the court drills Teaching red-court players the building blocks of volleying.

56 The modified approach to success The numbers are in: modified forms of the game encourage greater participation by young players.

50 AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | June 2013

Perhaps a little unusual for a tennis coach, Jofre Porta lives for the process of developing elite tennis players over

the spectacular results they may one day enjoy as professionals.

It was certainly the case when he guided Carlos Moya to the French Open title in 1998, and the world No.1 ranking a year later.

“I have a philosophy in my life; I don’t enjoy a lot the success, I enjoy more the work to arrive at the success,” the Spaniard explained.

“When he (Moya) won Roland Garros, I was in the box and it was amazing … but this (moment) was short, and the work is

so long, so if you enjoy the work, you have more time for it (to be enjoyed).”

Porta was in Melbourne recently to share this philosophy, and more, as part of an Australian tour during which he spoke to hundreds of coaches about the

environment required to faster develop tennis talent.

He draws on his experience as director of the Global Tennis Team academy in Mallorca, a facility that develops players using unique coaching methodology and philosophies. Porta’s tennis background includes stints with the Spanish Tennis Federation, at Nike as an advisor, as a sports professor at the University of Valencia, and as a television commentator.

He began working with Moya when the now-retired Spaniard was around six years old, at the behest of Moya’s father. Porta remembers a very shy yet polite child with

long hair, who played “spectacular” tennis; it didn’t take long before he agreed to take on the prodigy.

“In this time I was young and I didn’t have any (major coaching) experience and we work together, we learn in the same

time. We have a lot passion and we fight all the time, but really we don’t have a lot of knowledge. We start to invent things at this time,” he recalls.

Porta describes Moya as a Mallorcan sporting trailblazer, whose international success and fame spawned a generation of sporting stars from the Balearic island. Among them is Rafael Nadal, another whose game was influenced by Porta in his formative years.

The coach came across a young Nadal while conducting a coaching clinic in Mallorca. Nadal’s uncle Toni urged Porta to see a young Rafa, who at that time was a right-hander with double-fisted ground strokes on both wings. Porta began working

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Venerable Spanish coach Jofre Porta, who helped Carlos Moya and Rafael Nadal both win

Grand Slam titles and reach No.1, discusses his unorthodox approach to guiding players

into the professional ranks. By MATT TROLLOPE

secrets of the ‘rats of Clay’

Carlos Moya: 1998 French Open champion and the first Spaniard to rank No.1.

“Adaptation is one of the most important things in tennis … the mentality of a rat is fantastic for playing tennis.”


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with the “amazing” nine-year-old talent at his Mallorcan academy, with Nadal first attending three times a week – while still working with Toni as well – before living at the academy for one year.

Porta’s last tournament with the seven-time French Open winner was the 2004 Miami Masters, where Nadal scored his first of many victories over Roger Federer.

“(With Rafa) I more worry about the technical things and the tactics but the real power of Nadal is the mentality, and that comes from working at home with Toni,” Porta said.

Nadal embodies many of the coaching principles adopted at the Global Tennis Team academy. One of these is “concentration”, which Porta believes is central to professional tennis success. “When we speak about the discipline in Global – you are really focused all the time, really scared about everything. Nadal was like this. Nadal know everything that happened in every court, because his mind is going like animal,” he explained.

“When you are concentrated like this, your subconscious starts to look for a solution for everything … you don’t know why, but you know where the ball will go. Be concentrated, and with that, you can get 90 percent of the things in tennis.”

Tennis is considered a “braking” sport at the academy, with Porta and his team less concerned with how quickly a player can get from point A to B than with how effectively they can stop and recover when forced onto the run. “You take the best players in the world; they are not the most fast players in the world, but they are the better brakers in the world,” he said.

“Take Nadal and Moya, my favourite players. If I ask you who’s faster, you will tell me Nadal. Everyone says the same. But it’s not true. Running, Moya is faster. But in the court, Nadal is faster. Why? Because he brakes better.”

Martina Hingis is a player he points to as another example of a great braker.

To build the requisite leg strength and fleetness of foot for this, players initially ditch their tennis racquets in favour of movement-based drills. When they do begin learning their strokes, they’re often double-handed on both sides, which Porta says limits their reach and thus requires them to better develop their court movement to track down balls.

“The legs in Spain is an obsession,” Porta revealed. “At Global, it’s double obsession.”

Porta has also been fascinated by the analogy of tennis players as rats, a comparison which initially was less than complimentary. It originated when the French described the Spaniards as “rats of clay” because, according to Porta, they believed the Spanish to be the ugly players who kept triumphing at their own tournament at Roland Garros. “Everybody in Spain (was) so, so pissed off,” Porta laughingly recounted.

But, thanks to an observation of his academy’s physical coach, Porta found that the tennis-rat analogy was perfect for developing tennis players. Describing tennis as “full of poisons” such as the sun, opponent, umpire and the ball, he says that rats never find it a problem when they are confronted with poisons in the real world.

“Adaptation is one of the most important things in tennis … the mentality of a rat is fantastic for playing tennis,” he said.

It’s these philosophies that are helping to shape the players currently coming through the Global Tennis Team academy. The veteran coach says that there are a handful at the academy with extremely bright futures, yet is cautious when it comes to discussing their prospects.

“We never say we have fantastic players, because I think the humility is the only way to be a (good) person and player, and for that I prefer not to tell names,” he said.

If those players turn out to be even half as successful as Moya and Nadal, then we will know their names soon enough.

Clay king Nadal: great brakes.

Moya was a mentor to fellow-Mallorcan Nadal.


When I was six years old my parents bought me a tennis racquet because I was always following my friend to the court. At the start I didn’t have coaching lessons, but I would hit against the wall and try to keep hitting a circle drawn on it.

I grew up playing at one of the best centres in Prostejov, Czech Republic. The TK Plus Centre has hosted the World Junior Team Championship Finals since 1999. I was also part of the Czech national team for many years and both these aspects gave me a great start to my tennis career. I now try to pass on my knowledge, experience and passion to Australian players.

My highlight was being part of the Czech team that won the World Junior Team Championship in Nagoya, Japan in 1998. I followed this up by winning the 14/u Tennis Europe Junior Masters in Prato, Italy. I was an outsider; my ranking was ninth (on the ETA) and only the top eight girls were competing. But an injury to one of them allowed me to replace her. Kim Clijsters won the same event a year before me, and Rafael Nadal won in 2000.

When I came to the decision that my tennis career wouldn’t be as a player I had two options. I received an offer to go to the US to play college tennis and also to coach an 11-year-old girl in Belgium. I chose to become a coach to pass on my knowledge.

However, after a year I turned my attention to studying marketing, management and psychology and held some private lessons back in the Czech Republic.

After I finished university I came to Melbourne to be closer to my newborn nephew. Because tennis was always a big part of my life I looked for a job as a tennis coach. I started to work for Peter Owen and Rick Foley at the Elsternwick Park Tennis Centre just two weeks after my arrival.

I’ve been at Elsternwick Park Tennis Centre since I came to Australia nearly four years ago and the changes this centre has gone through are amazing. I believe this is why it was awarded with the Most Outstanding Tennis Community Award at the Australian Tennis Awards in December 2012. I am so happy to be part of a team of passionate people.

Nothing comes for free in this world, and without hard work and passion you can’t have a bright future. There are so many players out there, which you might not see in a small club, but once you step out and start playing tournaments, you will see that the competition is huge and it only gets bigger as you travel the world. I always tell my players: “If you want to be better than others, you need to work

harder than others”. Also, players at the higher level need to take responsibility for their own development, starting with preparation for training, followed by executing a fitness program, nutrition, recovery and everything that’s needed to succeed at international level.

Growing up in the Czech Republic I knew I had to give 110 percent at every lesson because my parents couldn’t afford to pay for ‘muck around’. I consider myself a tough coach, but I try to find a balance between effectiveness of training and enjoyment of the session.

I point to Sam Stosur when I’m coaching, but also my friends from the Czech Republic who I grew up with. These include Tomas Berdych, current world No.6, and Andrea Hlavackova, current world No.4 in doubles. These two players weren’t really excelling in junior competition, but look at where they are today. I explain to my players that everyone has their own path to get to the top. The secret is persistence, focusing on goals and dreams, and not giving up.

I love seeing the results. I also coach adults, whose goal isn’t to become number one in the world, and I love that they continue to play the game and still try to improve. A simple “That was great” from a player after a lesson brightens my day.

Name: Pavlina TichaQualifications: Tennis Australia Club Professional coach, Masters Degree in Marketing and Management

Club: Elsternwick Park Tennis Centre, Victoria

Be better, work harder

Pavlina at work: balancing effectiveness and enjoyment.

MY TENNIS LIFE

Elsternwick coach Pavlina Ticha graces a junior honour roll alongside former world No.1s Kim Clijsters and Rafael Nadal. Her playing experience is now inspiring a new generation of Australian talent.

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By the Stroke Master

What do you see?A powerful game begins with an effective serve for Argentine Juan Martin del Potro.

Follow the tips below to emulate his serving motion.

The non-racquet arm stays up high towards the ball, so the body does not collapse.

Shoulder tilt allows shoulder-over-shoulder

rotation for a more powerful serve.

Optimal knee flexion in preparation to drive the body upward.

Foot-up technique but remains side on.

Head is balanced and eyes are focused on

the ball.

Elbow is spaced well away from the trunk to allow an effective throwing motion.

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Time to start thinking about this year’s tax return. Review the list below to see what you can claim and make

sure you track down the receipts and/or pay them in June (even if they are for next year) to get the benefit now and not in a year’s time.

The following list is not exhaustive and has been tailored to the tennis coaching industry. There may be other things you can claim. Ask yourself the question: Did I need to spend this to do my job or do my job better? Can I show it isn’t a purely personal/private expense? If the answer is yes, it is likely to be tax deductible.

Checklist for employees and subcontractors1. Annual certificate fees and subscriptions

to professional organisations and associations.

2. Subscriptions for tennis and business related magazines.

3. Car expenses – home to work travel is not deductible but travel between different places of work is. See the Substantiation section below.

4. Clothing (laundry – expenses up to $150 allowed).a. Compulsory or corporate uniformsb. Protective e.g. sun protection

including sunglasses and sunscreen5. Internet, computers and software under

$300 – full claim; otherwise claim over two-and-a-half years. Hardware to be depreciated. Remember to adjust for private use percentage.

6. CDs, DVDs, videos and books used for coaching.

7. Conferences, seminars and training courses.

8. Depreciation – items over $300. Under $300 claim outright. See ATO website for rates.

9. Donations and gifts including prizes and small incentives to students.

10. First-aid course.11. Home office expenses – heat, light,

power and depreciation on assets e.g.

desk, chair, computer. Rent, insurance, rates and land tax only to the extent that home or study is used for income-producing purposes.

12. Income continuance or sickness and accident insurance.

13. Interest – on money borrowed to pay tax or finance income-producing assets.

14. Expenses related to any update of an existing employment contract.

15. Parking fees and tolls when on work-related trips.

16. Phones, pagers etc. – phone/data plans and any further cost of business-related calls. Remember to adjust for private use.

17. Stationery – diaries, log books etc.18. Superannuation for those who are self-

employed – employees should have been covered by their employer.

19. Tools of the trade – racquets and equipment. Remember: if over $300, depreciable; not a direct claim.

20. Travel expenses including public transport, hire car, taxis, accommodation, meals and incidentals.

21. Prepaid expenses – pay some of next year’s costs to claim now.

Substantiation – how to be sure you get your tax deductionIt is important to understand that just because you claimed a deduction for an expense in your tax return and received a refund three weeks later, it does not mean that all is finalised. Under the ATO’s system of self-assessment, the ATO will process your claim and then have the right to question your return and have you provide full details to support or substantiate what you claimed. This could be 12 months after you lodge your return. If they disagree, they will adjust your return and interest and penalties may apply. To avoid this, ensure you keep written evidence of all expenses claimed. If your TOTAL claim for expenses is less than $300, a reasonable basis of claim is all that is required and written evidence rules don’t apply.

Car expensesOne of the most contentious areas is car expenses. You must identify your ‘business’ kilometres; that is, those travelled in the course of producing your assessable income (e.g. taking players to tournaments) or between workplaces.

Four methods are available and the table (below) summarises the options.

The ATO website – www.ato.gov.au – includes all rules, rates of claim and other helpful guidance. If you take your information to a tax agent, and have them prepare your return, their fee is also tax deductible!

Navigating tax time CoaCh BusiNess

If you want to reduce your tax bill, or increase your refund, understanding what expenses and tax deductions can be claimed is imperative. LeonIe TayLor, Partner at Bentleys Chartered accountants and Treasurer of Tennis Queensland, explores tax deductible expenses that can makes thousands of dollars’ difference.

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Cents per km 12% of original cost One-third of actual expenses Log book

eligibility rules None but limited to a claim of 5000 kms

Business and employment use must exceed 5000 kms

Business and employment use must exceed 5000 kms

Car must have been owned or leased

expense base Business kms Original value Cost of car expenses, e.g. fuel, tyres, maintenance

Calculate deduction Multiply by cents per km Multiply by 12% Multiply by one-third Multiply by % business use

have to substantiate expenses? NO NO YES YES


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On the court drills1 – Running catchObjective: Develop reception skills that underpin moving forward to play a volley.

Description:• Players line up in two lines at the back of the red

court. One at a time they run towards the net.

• The coach will feed the ball underarm as the players run in so that it is directed to land just outside the nearest sideline. The player must time the split-step just before the ball is released from the coach’s hand.

• The player reacts from the split-step to change direction and catch the ball before it lands, then moves to back of opposite line.

• Progress to having one line and varying the throw to the left or right. Players can begin to anticipate the direction of the throw by observing the arm as it releases the ball.

Coaching Point: Discuss with players the importance of being precise with the timing of the split-step and the need to have a wide base to change direction smoothly with balance. Players to catch the ball out in front of their body.

2 – Wall intercept Objective: To improve volley technique and to direct volleys short cross-court.

Description:• Player 1 lines up with their back against a wall or a

court fence and with a racquet in each hand.

• Mark out two squares approximately two-three metres in front of Player 1 on the court as a target.

• The remaining players line up approximately four metres away, and one at a time, underarm a sponge ball or a red ball to hit the wall behind Player 1 in a designated space around shoulder height.

• Player 1 must prevent the ball from hitting the wall behind them using the racquets and scores a point if they can volley the ball short cross-court into the square in front of them.

• Players rotate when the ball hits the wall three times or Player 1 hits five successful volleys cross-court into the squares.

Coaching Point: The volleyer should be alert and ready to turn side-on to the incoming ball. Coach to make players aware that to angle the ball down cross-court into the target in front of them requires a certain grip (Continental to Eastern Forehand) and they must make contact with the ball out in front. Players will learn about short racquet movements and control of the ball.

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P1 P3

P4P2

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P1 P3 P4P2

Author: Brett McLennan

Focus: Discovering the net

Stage: Red 2/3

Equipment: Sponge/red balls, drop down lines, 3m/6m net

Time: 10 mins

Objective: The red court is a great place for children to discover the net and learn about the volley, as the court size means they have less space to cover to play the ball before the bounce.


There have been growing concerns over the past decade that tennis has lost its appeal to the youth of Australia.

The Bureau of Statistics suggests that tennis participation among children has dropped 10 percent since 2003. In response, Tennis Australia has invested enormously in the ‘grassroots’ of junior tennis.

Tennis Australia’s junior MLC Tennis Hot Shots program has received positive feedback from coaches, schools, parents and children in recent years. The program is part of a worldwide campaign, which emphasises the use of modified equipment to learn the fundamental skills of tennis. The aim of the campaign is two-fold: to increase participation and to expedite skill acquisition.

Early indications show that participation rates are on the rise; however there has been no data related to skill acquisition. As such, and as part of Tim Buszard’s PhD research, he conducted a series of experiments that examined this issue.

The good news for tennis enthusiasts is that the results have been positive. It was

clear that children performed skills better when playing with modified equipment (as one would expect). In the first experiment, children aged six to eight years were required to play a forehand shot using three different sized racquets (19 inch, 23 inch, and 27 inch) and three balls of varying compressions (red, green and yellow).

The red ball stood out as the most advantageous to performance, with regard to both precision and technique. Children swung the racquet from low-to-high more often when using the red ball, struck the ball in front and to the side of their body on more occasions, and were more inclined to step forward when hitting the ball. The best results were observed when the red ball was combined with the 19-inch or 23-inch racquet, while the worst results (both precision and technique) were seen with the yellow ball, particularly when combined with the 27-inch racquet.

While these results demonstrated the effect that modified equipment could have on hitting performance, it was

important to establish how equipment also influences the learning process. In a second experiment, children aged nine to 10 were asked to perform the same forehand task with one major difference – they were also required to simultaneously perform another task while hitting the ball. This ‘secondary task’ was counting backwards from 150.

This method is commonly used by sport scientists to measure whether a participant can execute a skill when their attention is diverted from the task at hand. For example, if a player can count backwards and still perform the skill just as effectively, it demonstrates that the individual does not need to think about the skill (and nothing else) to execute it successfully. This is a common trait of highly skilled sportspersons. Alternatively, if the player’s skill level deteriorates when also required to perform a secondary task, it shows that he/she needs a unilateral focus to execute the skill successfully.

The results showed that less-skilled children had difficulty coping with

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The modified approach to developing successThere’s a science behind the success of under-10 programs such as MLC Tennis Hot Shots,

which is bringing out the best in a growing number of younger players.

By Tim Buszard, Machar Reid and Craig Morris

MLC Tennis Hot Shots is captivating young participants.


the secondary task when using adult equipment, but not scaled equipment. This therefore suggests that scaled equipment promotes ‘less thinking’ when performing. Skilled children showed no decline in performance when required to perform the secondary task, regardless of the equipment used. As mentioned, this result is indicative of skilled performers.

Importantly, both skilled and less-skilled children performed the hitting task more accurately and with a better technique when using modified equipment, demonstrating the benefits of modified equipment for all children.

With regards to skill acquisition, learning skills with ‘less thinking’ is associated with implicit motor learning. This style of learning has many performance benefits over the traditional ‘explicit’ learning style, including resilience to psychological and physiological stresses – both of which are critical in high-performance tennis.

Research shows that it’s most advantageous to initially learn skills via ‘implicit methods’, emphasising the importance of modified equipment. Time will tell whether this modified approach produces our next crop of champions. But, at the very least, if this approach attracts more youngsters to the game, and creates more enjoyment through greater success, then half the battle is already won!

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Maria Sharapova introduces a young player to the benefits of modified tennis.

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Hot Shots a hit for allThe MLC Tennis Hot Shots program is split into three stages – red, orange and green – with an optional Launch Pad stage for players aged three to five years. The young players advance through the following stages as they are ready:

Red stage (ages 5–8)

For beginners. The red ball that’s used is larger than the yellow ball and due to its lower compression (125 percent compression), doesn’t bounce as high, making it easier for the youngest players to hit comfortably. The courts, nets and racquets are also smaller, making it easier for the kids to cover the court.

Orange stage (ages 8–10)

A natural progression for players who have mastered the red stage. Balls bounce a little higher (with 150 percent compression) and courts are slightly larger.

Green stage (age 9 and over)

Children play on a full size court, with balls that have a higher compression at 75 percent of a yellow tennis ball.

For more information, visit http://hotshots.tennis.com.au

My Coach - June 2013 issue

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