The Boa Constrictor, the Bear, the Dog, More Brad Gilbert Tips

The Boa Constrictor

In his books, I've got your Back and Winning Ugly, Brad Gilbert, the respected coach and former player, tells the story of the boa constrictor. The boa kills its prey by suffocation. It wraps around its prey; as the prey exhales, the boa wraps that much tighter, and on its next breath the prey can inhale that much less oxygen. This cycle continues until the prey eventually suffocates.

There are moments in a tennis match, Gilbert explains, when one must pressure his opponent in the manner of the boa constrictor: "Don't force shots. Don't get impatient. Don't try to make something out of nothing. Just keep pressing....Constant steady pressure."

The Wounded Bear

A wounded bear is a dangerous animal, Gilbert warns in Winning Ugly. When a player loses the first set of a match, he is a wounded bear -- dangerous. After losing that first set, the player's focus is sharp, motivation high.

It is critical that the player who wins that first set carry the momentum into the beginning of the second set: slam the door on his opponent.

The Dog

The polar opposite of the wounded bear is the dog. After losing the first set, Gilbert explains, some players 'dog' it. After winning the first set, continue to crush the spirit of the opponent, destroy any idea he may have had about winning. Make your opponent it 'dog' it -- make him quit.

Scouting Your Opponent: Tips from Brad Gilbert

Brad Gilbert is known famously as the coach of Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick but he was a great player in his own right. By his own account, he had average skills as a player but made up for it in hustle, guile and smarts. During his playing days, he hung around and watched matches even of obscure players and took notes in what he called his little black book.

His tips on scouting opponents are helpful to pro players, college players, high school and juniors and even recreational players. From his book, Winning Ugly, when scouting a player, take note of the following:

number of unforced errors

winners

forcing shots on particular plays

mistakes and winners on backhand volleys, overheads, forehand and backhand groundstrokes

what does he like to do in specific situations?

numbers, patterns, tendencies

what shots does he try to avoid under pressure?

where does he make mistakes?

what shots does he like to hit?

does he pound the overhead but miss the volley?

does he hit a great angled cross-court forehand but misses it down the line?

is he fast getting to the net but slow in changing directions?

does he have a great first serve but no second serve