
David Macpherson Interview: Bryan Bros Stories, Club Strategy Tips, Advice for Coaches, & More
About this episode
David Macpherson coached the Bryan Brothers for over 15 years. He's a former #11-ranked ATP doubles player and also coached John Isner from 2018 to 2023. He's one of the smartest doubles coaches on the planet, so you'll learn a ton in this conversation.
We unpack how smart scouting, sharp words, and steady culture turned the Bryan Brothers into the GOATs and made John Isner a doubles force for a short stretch in 2022. We also discussed tactics for club players.
- Early mentors shaping his precise coaching voice
- Advice for coaches on saying less, backing the plan, and owning the misses
- A story from the Wimbledon final where David's scouting turned out wrong
- Managing Bob and Mike's practice rivalry without taking sides
- Why groundstroke reliability helped their doubles success
- Club tactics on lobs, net depth, and flexible positioning
- Serve strategy and weighing your strengths vs the opponent's weaknesses
- Why Bob Bryan had to abandon the lob return vs a certain opponent and why
- Team chemistry as a competitive advantage
- Coaching John Isner around strengths, returns, and net instincts
- Ideas to make men’s doubles more watchable for fans
Learn more about David & follow:
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