The Juan Nunez Philosophy
It is my belief that there is a blueprint to the game of tennis, a
foundation that has evolved with time in many different ways but
contains the unchangeable fundamentals of the game.
There is a technically effective way to move and strike the different
shots in the game, in which the body parts work naturally and in
harmony.
My job as a coach is to utilize the blueprint to develop a solid
foundation in a new player, what ever his/her age is, and to bring
an active player as close as possible to the blueprint in order to
make that competitor a better player.
I don’t believe in the myth that there is pro tennis, adult tennis,
ladies tennis, junior tennis etc. In my opinion, tennis is tennis.
Applying the blueprint concept has helped me to improve the game
of many players of very different ages, level and ability, including
professional players.
Tennis is one of the hardest sports to learn technically correct. It
takes a tremendous amount of time, effort, sacrifice, passion and
dedication to master the game at a level that will give you a better
opportunity to compete in National, College and/or pro
tournaments. Exposing the fact that the game is a very difficult
challenge that must be taken personal, will prepare the new player
with a mentality that will allow him/her to stay with the challenge long
enough to begin enjoying the game, with a foundation that will get
even stronger as time goes by.
The more short cuts a player takes to achieve quick success at
early stages of development, the more weaknesses the player will
have when his game reaches maturity.
I am a firm believer in the importance of technique. Technique is
player’s best friend; you can totally rely on it to keep the control,
precision, power and all the elements necessary to maintain your
confidence at the highest level. There are many situations that can
break down a stroke: the pressure of competition, certain type of
games, injuries, weather conditions, different surfaces, emotional
problems etc, etc. These reasons are why a player must constantly
keep fine tuning his/her game.
A player feels confident when he/she feels total control of the ball at
impact; a clean and natural technique will have less chance to
break down under pressure.
The “feeling” for the racquet head is an incredibly important
element that must be developed at very early stage of a players’
introduction to the game. The stroke is a chain reaction; it begins at
the moment of the split step culminating at the moment of impact.
The final action is when the player delivers the racquet head with a
purpose to impact (punch) the ball. The reaction is the direction,
spin, pace, power, depth, finesse and whatever the player chooses
to do to the ball. So the feeling for the racquet head is crucial.
The game of tennis is played forward; the more forward momentum
that is applied at the moment of impact, from wherever your position
is on the court, the more pace the ball will carry. Pace will allow you
to penetrate your opponents court and this element will most
definitely dictate the outcome of a match.
The game of tennis (singles) is obviously an individual sport, in
which two individuals go to battle without the possibility of a tie. At
the end of the match there will be one winner and one defeated and
additionally, it is against the rules to coach your player during the
match. Based on all these reasons, it is fundamental for the young
player to develop the instinct of resolving problems presented to
them on the court. The strategies given by the coaches or parents
must be very simple and basic in order to give kids room for them to
instinctively extend them further during the match.
By giving the kid a much elaborated, and many times complicated
strategies, the player may get confused or will develop a sense of
dependency on the coach or parent. This will kill the instinct and
the possibility for that player to develop to the top of his potential.
I am the father of twelve year old twin boys that are presently
competing in National tournaments. As a parent, I would love to see
my kids some day playing and winning a Grand Slam tournament or
playing for a college like Stanford. As a coach I will do everything in
my power to give them all my experience and knowledge to develop
the most solid foundation so they have a better chance to achieve
that dream. But first of all, it must be “their” dream.
It is that dream that will make it possible for a young player to make
the unconditional and incredible sacrifice to accomplish that goal.
I always say that when a player wins a Grand Slam, it is their name
on the trophy, not the coach, nor the parents.
Love, and a crazy enjoyment for the painful process, are key
elements to succeed.
History tells us that out of the millions of young players that actually
have the dream and passion for the game in a generation, very few
make it to professional level and even less become legends of the
game.
In conclusion my philosophy is to create an environment in which
the player has the best chance to develop to the top of their
potential with an all around game. Also with the understanding that
time and patience is needed to have a better opportunity to achieve
the goal.
foundation that has evolved with time in many different ways but
contains the unchangeable fundamentals of the game.
There is a technically effective way to move and strike the different
shots in the game, in which the body parts work naturally and in
harmony.
My job as a coach is to utilize the blueprint to develop a solid
foundation in a new player, what ever his/her age is, and to bring
an active player as close as possible to the blueprint in order to
make that competitor a better player.
I don’t believe in the myth that there is pro tennis, adult tennis,
ladies tennis, junior tennis etc. In my opinion, tennis is tennis.
Applying the blueprint concept has helped me to improve the game
of many players of very different ages, level and ability, including
professional players.
Tennis is one of the hardest sports to learn technically correct. It
takes a tremendous amount of time, effort, sacrifice, passion and
dedication to master the game at a level that will give you a better
opportunity to compete in National, College and/or pro
tournaments. Exposing the fact that the game is a very difficult
challenge that must be taken personal, will prepare the new player
with a mentality that will allow him/her to stay with the challenge long
enough to begin enjoying the game, with a foundation that will get
even stronger as time goes by.
The more short cuts a player takes to achieve quick success at
early stages of development, the more weaknesses the player will
have when his game reaches maturity.
I am a firm believer in the importance of technique. Technique is
player’s best friend; you can totally rely on it to keep the control,
precision, power and all the elements necessary to maintain your
confidence at the highest level. There are many situations that can
break down a stroke: the pressure of competition, certain type of
games, injuries, weather conditions, different surfaces, emotional
problems etc, etc. These reasons are why a player must constantly
keep fine tuning his/her game.
A player feels confident when he/she feels total control of the ball at
impact; a clean and natural technique will have less chance to
break down under pressure.
The “feeling” for the racquet head is an incredibly important
element that must be developed at very early stage of a players’
introduction to the game. The stroke is a chain reaction; it begins at
the moment of the split step culminating at the moment of impact.
The final action is when the player delivers the racquet head with a
purpose to impact (punch) the ball. The reaction is the direction,
spin, pace, power, depth, finesse and whatever the player chooses
to do to the ball. So the feeling for the racquet head is crucial.
The game of tennis is played forward; the more forward momentum
that is applied at the moment of impact, from wherever your position
is on the court, the more pace the ball will carry. Pace will allow you
to penetrate your opponents court and this element will most
definitely dictate the outcome of a match.
The game of tennis (singles) is obviously an individual sport, in
which two individuals go to battle without the possibility of a tie. At
the end of the match there will be one winner and one defeated and
additionally, it is against the rules to coach your player during the
match. Based on all these reasons, it is fundamental for the young
player to develop the instinct of resolving problems presented to
them on the court. The strategies given by the coaches or parents
must be very simple and basic in order to give kids room for them to
instinctively extend them further during the match.
By giving the kid a much elaborated, and many times complicated
strategies, the player may get confused or will develop a sense of
dependency on the coach or parent. This will kill the instinct and
the possibility for that player to develop to the top of his potential.
I am the father of twelve year old twin boys that are presently
competing in National tournaments. As a parent, I would love to see
my kids some day playing and winning a Grand Slam tournament or
playing for a college like Stanford. As a coach I will do everything in
my power to give them all my experience and knowledge to develop
the most solid foundation so they have a better chance to achieve
that dream. But first of all, it must be “their” dream.
It is that dream that will make it possible for a young player to make
the unconditional and incredible sacrifice to accomplish that goal.
I always say that when a player wins a Grand Slam, it is their name
on the trophy, not the coach, nor the parents.
Love, and a crazy enjoyment for the painful process, are key
elements to succeed.
History tells us that out of the millions of young players that actually
have the dream and passion for the game in a generation, very few
make it to professional level and even less become legends of the
game.
In conclusion my philosophy is to create an environment in which
the player has the best chance to develop to the top of their
potential with an all around game. Also with the understanding that
time and patience is needed to have a better opportunity to achieve
the goal.
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