The Compass Draw
I first heard of the compass draw being used in the USA club scene about ten years ago and had put it to the back of my mind until recently when it was my turn to organise the club tournament. It is a fantastic format with each player guaranteed four matches (16 draw) with a “finals” match that was mathematically the most even. It turned out to be exactly that with several finals going the full distance. The tournaments don’t taper off toward the last days so it’s pretty demanding management and court wise, but people play in fewer events because they know exactly how many matches they will be playing in.
I don’t think for Pro/Semi Pro tournaments it would work because after you’ve lost in the main draw, you get the feeling your "killing a dead dog" and I think it would be hard to get motivated to play on. However, in juniors where it’s all just experience and there is huge value in just getting matches under your belt this type of tournament is ideal and the same applies to club/league tennis.
Diagram of the Compass Draw
Explanation of the Compass Draw
- Seeding. Seeding may be used to place the strongest players using
the seeding principles Seeds shall be drawn according to the procedures used
for making a standard draw. Great care must be used in the initial seeding.
- Making the draw. Each player is placed on a line on the centre
draw sheet. The procedure for making a standard draw shall be followed for
determining the exact line on which each player is placed.
- Byes. Complications will develop if there are byes in the draw.
Therefore, it is best to limit the entries to 16, 32, or 64. A substitute
list is helpful to eliminate problems caused by last minute withdrawals. If
byes must be placed in the draw, distribute them evenly in the quarters and
halves of the draw.
- Progression in the draw. At the end of each round, the winners
continue in their tournament in the same direction, while the losers move to
other points on the compass to form a new satellite tournament.
- Specific procedures for draw of 32.
At the end of round 1:
- the winners go east;
- the losers go west.
At the end of round 2:
- the east losers go south;
- the west losers go north.
At the end of round 3:
- the east losers go southeast;
- the north losers go northwest;
- the west losers go southwest;
- the south losers go southeast.
At the end of round 4:
- the losers are out of the tournament (unless it is announced in writing before the start of the first match of the tournament that there will be semi-final play-offs);
- the winners play the finals on each draw sheet.
- Specific procedures for draw of 16. Use only the top half of the
draw at each COMPASS POINT. Follow the same procedure as in draw of 32
except that round 4 is the final instead of the semi-finals.
- Prizes. The major prizes go to the east winner (who is undefeated) and to the east runner-up (who has lost only to the east winner). Next in order are the winners and runners-up from: northeast, north, northwest, west, southwest, south, and southeast. The Tournament Committee shall determine how many prizes are to be awarded
CONSISTENCY is generally defined as "deeper shots with out error". Though true I’d like to add "early shot selection" to the equation as part of the bed rock of a consistent game. Of course nobody likes to miss but if you have pursued the correct shot and executed that shot correctly and missed it never the less I wouldn’t consider that a bad error or being "inconsistent". The biggest improvement you can make in the way of consistency is to have a clear idea of what you want to do with the shot.
It's this early decision making that in turn affects preparation that will lift your game. The older you are the more likely you are to be locked into your particular rhythm (timing) and that tends to stay week in week out in spite of hours of practice. To attempt to change this rhythm often leads to frustration that will kill your game rather than breathe new life into it. There is nothing wrong with pursuing early preparation but don’t get stuck on it.
THINK WHERE NOT HOW and you’ll find this process will trigger your preparation anyway. I used to get tight in matches (like everybody else) but the one thing I used to do under pressure was to make the decision on where to play early. On return for example, even before the ball was served I had my plan and stuck with that plan no matter what. Sometimes my opponent picked it but at least I could concentrate on production of the shot and so I missed less and the pressure shifted to my opponent. It also helps to have your plan built on solid foundations (generally your best against their worse) but at social level any plan is better than no plan.
COMMIT TO A STROKE when returning serve. Swoosh a couple of practice swings in the similar way a golfer would practice a swing. Practice a couple of different shots not to let the cat out of the bag though. Concentrate on length of back swing and don’t forget the follow through. It’s not committing to the follow through the pro’s worry about.
CONCENTRATE hard, and practice it. The ability to concentrate well is both hereditary and a learnable trait, so make the best of your gifts and train them hard. Start with short 10-minute plays with 1 minute rests and slowly work up. Soon to concentrate for an hour will be a breeze for you. Consistency in tennis is a common goal were gains are made slowly. So stick to these strategies and be patient and let me know how you got on!
CONSISTENCY DRILLS
a) Two against one. Single man alternates hits (every time!!) to the other two players. b) Play points where you can only win points by your opponent making errors .(no winners)