In our ‘Training tips’ series, John Peers explains why focusing on one percenters is the key to long-term improvement.
Melbourne, Australia , 31 March 2023 | Leigh Rogers
John Peers is a two-time Grand Slam doubles champion, an Olympic bronze medallist and has been ranked as high as world No.2 in men’s doubles.
The 34-year-old Australian, who grew up in Melbourne and is now based in Perth, has reached such glittering heights through hard work and dedication.
Peers, also a proud Australian Davis Cup representative, reflects on his biggest practice-court lessons in our Training Tips series …
What time of day do you prefer to practice?
I’m normally a bit of an early bird, so I like to get up and practice in the morning. During training weeks, I’m usually out starting by 7.30am.
Do you practice every day?
I practice six out of seven days. I give myself one day off a week and grind the rest of it. Having a day off helps to freshen up both the body and mind. It’s nice to be able to relax and recharge to go again.
How do you get the most from a practice session?
By making sure things are competitive. You can get a little stale at times but making the practice competitive helps you to have more fun. It doesn’t really matter what you’re working on at the time, finding ways to invent games or make it as close to match play helps you enjoy it more.
Is there a part of your game you least enjoy practicing?
Not really, you just have to get to work and get on with all of it.
In doubles, is it always important to practice with your partner?
There are periods of time where you’ve got to do a lot together, but once you get the hang of what each other wants to do at certain moments, then you’ve got to go back and get the work done that you need to do. Improving your own game also helps the team. At the end of the day, you’ve got to know what the team goals and objectives are so that you don’t leave any holes out there. Sometimes you can go long periods of not playing or training together and then come back and gel straight away, as long as you know what each other wants to do.
Do you remember the first professional player you had the opportunity to practice with?
Not really, it’s a few years ago now. I was lucky enough to be a hitting partner at the Australian Open when I was finishing juniors, so I got the chance to hit with many different players back in the day. I also did that when I was playing US…
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