Episode 45: Franco Herrero
Accelerating and decelerating on different angles
A Quote
“ In tennis it’s not only about the linear speed, but it’s also about changing directions. Working on the correct mechanics of deceleration. Being able to decelerate and accelerate on different angles. On a 90-degree angle, on a 180-degree angle so the athlete is exposed to different angles to apply the force.”
- Franco Herrero
A Drill
Franco spoke about simple drills throughout the podcast. One change of direction drill that’s been around forever is the spider drill. You start in the center of the baseline and run to the 5 points shown in the picture below. Each time, recovering to the center of the baseline. There are ten changes of direction and you get to work on your short distance acceleration and deceleration.
A Fact
Novak Djokovic covered 18,136 feet during the 2023 US Open men’s final, averaging 84 feet per point. That’s approximately 3.43 miles of sprinting, accelerating, and decelerating on all kinds of different angles.
Franco and I also discussed how to recover effectively after matches, the most important area of the body to strengthen, and why consistency leads to the greatest physical gains.