ATP #86 Marcos Giron Exposed My Biggest Weakness

Overview

Justin Roberts (an aggressive player who prefers slower courts and balls that “come down and sit” so he can drive) hits with Marcos “Chiron/Giron” on hard courts in California. Roberts explains that Giron exposes his biggest weakness: Giron’s flat, skiddy, pace-through shots don’t give Roberts the “drop” he likes. As a result, Roberts repeatedly struggles with balls that are on the rise—particularly those coming in very fast and low.

Technical Discussion: Rising vs. Dropping Balls

During the hitting, they discuss string and match style details, with Giron focusing on how to deal with shots that are rising versus letting the ball drop.

Key teaching points

• Roberts tends to over-swing/lift when balls are on the way up, trying to force them downward.
• Against Giron’s heavy, flat pace, the racket-head speed control that Roberts uses to manage the rising ball can become a strength that turns into a weakness.
• The better approach is to catch/receive the ball more full (not thin), use the incoming pace, and make contact more precisely—often by playing a more middle target rather than trying to aim deep into corners.
• When conditions or ball quality don’t allow comfortable timing (especially on hard courts), Roberts must adjust his mindset: “take your medicine” by controlling the ball earlier instead of trying to manipulate the rise too much.
• They also discuss how rally ball quality affects execution, and how some players (e.g., those who rely on letting the ball drop like Thiem) can choose that strategy—while others won’t give you the luxury of timing on faster, leaner conditions.

Notable Moment / Incidents

The dialogue repeatedly circles back to “that ball I hate”—Giron’s super-flat backhand/flat skiddy shots. They conclude by extending the discussion to how different hard-court speeds (day vs. night, such as Indian Wells) and players’ abilities (including handling awkward, very high, heavy balls while the opponent charges) change the required technique.

Presenters / Sources

• Justin Roberts
• Marcos Giron (referred to as “Marco Chiron” in subtitles)
• Coach “Koru Koru” (mentioned as coaching Roberts)