Alright, so I was thinking about that Tiafoe vs Cachin match recently. It got me wanting to try some stuff out on the court myself.
You know how Tiafoe plays – all that energy, big forehand, kinda flashy sometimes. Then you got Cachin, who often seems more about grinding, being solid from the back. Two pretty different styles. I figured, why not see if I can mess around with those ideas in my own practice?
Hitting the Court
So, I went out there. First thing, I decided to channel a bit of Tiafoe. Not saying I can play like him, obviously, but I tried to capture that spirit. For about 20 minutes, I just focused on hitting my forehand with way more aggression. Really tried to flatten it out, go for lines, even tried a couple of those little drop shots he does. Just trying to be less predictable, you know?
Man, it was wild. Some shots felt amazing, blasting winners I don’t usually hit. But wow, the errors piled up fast. Sprayed balls wide, long, into the net. It was fun, but definitely high-risk, high-reward. Felt like I was burning a lot of energy too, trying to force things.
After that, I switched gears. Okay, let’s try the Cachin approach, I thought. Calm down. Focus on consistency. I started just trying to get everything back deep. Hit with more topspin, aim for bigger targets, work the point more. No crazy stuff, just solid tennis.
- Focus on depth over power.
- Cut down unforced errors.
- Make the opponent play one extra ball.
This felt way more controlled. Points lasted longer. I wasn’t hitting spectacular winners, but I wasn’t giving away cheap points either. It felt more sustainable, like I could keep that up for longer without totally gassing out or getting frustrated by missing everything.
What I Found Out
Switching between those two mindsets during one session was kinda tricky. Going from trying to blast winners to just being solid required a real mental shift. It showed me how much of the game is played in your head, choosing when to pull the trigger and when to just stay in the point.
Honestly, trying to be 100% Tiafoe just isn’t my game – too many mistakes for me. But playing totally safe like I imagined Cachin might felt a bit too passive sometimes. I guess the real takeaway for my own game is finding that balance. Build points patiently most of the time, but recognize those moments where you can step in and be aggressive, add a little surprise. It was a good experiment, definitely gave me something to think about for my next practice.
