Here’s a story I heard about Pato:
Pato liked to ask his students, “What is the number 1 obstacle when you play tennis?”
His students would usually answer:
“The opponent”
Or
“Myself”
Or
“The conditions”
Or
“The crowd or umpire”
Etc…
After his players would answer along these lines, Pato used to like to say:
“The answer is the net. The number 1 obstacle in tennis is the net. A player must pass over the net to win the point.”
From that truth, Pato developed his teaching philosophy and methodology, emphasizing consistency through footwork and positioning, and receiving the ball well–at a good height and with good spacing from the body. This focus would give the player the best possible chance of passing over the net.
Even to this day in Spain, you will here the common refrains from coaches, “The net is the enemy!” Or, “The net is prohibited!”
The timeless wisdom of Pato lives on in the younger generation of coaches.
——
Chris Lewit is the author of The Secrets of Spanish Tennis, and he is a leading expert on the Spanish system of training.
Pato Alvarez still teaches today at the Sanchez-Casal Academy in Barcelona.
Learn about another Spanish legendary coach, Jofre Porta, here: