Marc Lucero Interview: Coaching Steve Johnson, Practice Strategy, & Making Doubles Cool Again
I recently got to spend some time chatting with top 100 ATP singles coach, Marc Lucero. He coaches American pro tennis player, Steve Johnson (who is also a great doubles player).
This was recorded from the food court area at the Dallas Open where Steve was playing.
You’ll gather some insights into what it takes to coach in the pros, as well as some practice strategies from an experienced player and coach.
We talk about Steve Johnson, Marc’s tennis story (he almost became a lawyer!), and, of course, how to make doubles more popular. In addition to this, we talk practice strategy:
- The importance of individual tailoring for practice.
- The difference between off-season and in-season training.
- Understanding how to utilize your weapons.
Marc also provides cool, new ideas on how to make doubles more popular on the pro tour.
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Show Notes from this Podcast
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- Follow Marc on Twitter and Instagram
- Marc’s podcast is called Check The Marc
- Marc had an interesting path to coaching
- After being inspired by Andre Agassi, he would take lessons and fall in love with the game.
- Following his collegiate career at Boston College, he chose to try pro tennis for a year, promising his parents to go to law school after.
- At law school, he decided that he wanted to stay around tennis and bounced around several different jobs before landing with the USTA and now working with Steve Johnson.
- Inside a practice with Steve Johnson
- Marc stresses the importance of understanding the individual’s needs for practice.
- In the off-season, doing physical drills, reinforcing footwork patterns, and sharpening weapons are important for Steve.
- In the season, the focus is more on patterns, sequencing, feeling ready, and tactics for certain opponents.
- Marc’s Favorites
- Tournament: Roland Garros & Charleston Open
- Tennis Book: The Fighter’s Mind by Sam Sheridan
- Non-Tennis Book: The Art of Learning by Joshua Waitzkin
- Other People Mentioned
