The hard-serving American may claim to be a dumb jock, but he’s a high-percentage player.
1. Be steady
Everyone wants to talk about Andy Roddick’s serve, and for good reason: It’s among the biggest weapons in tennis. Without it he wouldn’t be nearly as successful. But Roddick’s general steadiness is underrated. He doesn’t give points or games away, he makes opponents take them. You hear this said about quicker players with weaker serves, such as Lleyton Hewitt or Rafael Nadal, but the same goes for Roddick. And it can apply to you, too. At the club level, where weapons are less com-mon and errors plentiful, perhaps nothing is more important than making sure not to give away cheap points. Invite your opponents to beat you with good shots. You’ll be surprised how many players won’t take you up on your offer.
2. Serve for percentage
Speed. Spin. High bounces. Those are the things that come to mind when we think about Roddick’s serve. What isn’t noticed enough is his ? rst-serve percentage, which is almost always well over 60 percent (in Dubai in March, he served at or better than 65 percent in his last three matches, which included wins over Nadal and Novak Djokovic). You’re not going to serve like Roddick, but improving your ? rst-serve percentage will help, even if it means going for less or using a little more spin. Giving opponents fewer looks at second serves will frustrate them and save you from worrying about double faulting.
3. Compete, compete, compete . . .
As an American who followed in the footsteps of two legends, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, Roddick has carried a big burden. Many cast him as an underachiever. Others think he was lucky to win a U.S. Open back in 2003. I disagree with those views. To me, Roddick has accomplished what he should have accomplished. He’s not one of those guys who has left a lot of majors on the table, and he’s deserving of his one big win. He might still capture another major under the right circumstances. One thing’s for sure, if those circumstances arise, he’ll be waiting. Roddick is one of the best competitors in the game. Though a few of Roddick’s tough losses—like last year’s Wimbledon quarter? nals loss to Richard Gasquet, when Roddick won the ? rst two sets—stand out, there haven’t been many doozies over the course of his career. When a player wins the matches he’s expected to win and scores a few upsets, he can maintain a top ranking for years. Besides a two-month blip in 2006, Roddick has remained in the Top 10 since November 2002. Club players can learn from this approach. When you step on the court, don’t think about winning or losing or your opponent’s superiority. Just say, “I’m out here to compete hard.”
4. . . . but don’t overdo it
Sometimes people get so competitive that they become mentally paralyzed. When you push yourself too much, expectations can get the better of you. Roddick rarely competes so hard that he forces the issue or hurts his chances.