If I were playing me, I'd...

[Nuke]

A rundown of your faults. If there were two of you, and you were standing across the net from the other version of you, what would you do to beat him? Let's be honest.

If I were playing me, I'd...

Take several steps in to return my seceond serve and cream it. Yeah, I can consistently put that second serve pretty much wherever I want, but it's too slow.

Hit mostly to my forehand. I'm too consistent on the backhand side and the forehand is where the errors are made. (Why does it take so long for the rest of you to figure this out?)

If I see those silly moonballs, I'm taking a few steps in. Sometimes they're short and can be overheadded on the fly, and if I let them bounce, they'll back me up too far.

Do NOT get into BH to BH rallies with this guy. I'll be out there all day.

[kevhen]

Approach net with a chip to my forehand side. Hard slice serves to my forehand. Hit slow topspin or low slices to my backhand. Hit hard heavy angled topspin to my forehand. Move tight to the net since I don't lob that much and cover the line as I usually go down the line with passes. Get your serves in as I get most returns back. Don't go for too much on your returns as my slice serve is pretty nasty and you will make to many errors going for big shots against it or my flat bombs which come less frequent. Make sure you are in shape for a long physical match and don't give up hope and rally patiently most of the time until you can run me off the court. If you are USTA rated 4.5 you can probably beat me but if you are just 4.0 then probably not.

I am not sure who would win against me vs me, probably the me that won the toss. I would expect to hold serve against myself about 75% of the time but that number might change later in the match as I got used to my serve. I would definitely serve that slice into my forehand and get some easy holds early in the match.

I guess I should set up a match like this on my XBox Topspin since I already have a character that looks and plays like me so I just need to create another one and have them go head to head.

[raiden031]

Most people I play have a better backhand than forehand as far as consistently. The reason being that they usually only use the slice backhand which is an easy shot to hit. But when I play people who try to hit a backhand with top spin, their forehand is usually better. I used to play with a 2hbh that was more consistent than the forehand, but now I switched to a 1hbh which is not very consistent.

If I played myself, I would be a pusher and win every time.

[kevhen]

Now I find most guys with two hand backhands have better backhands than forehands on average while one-handers generally have better forehands.

[drakulie]

Keep the ball away from forehand. Keep me at the baseline. Slice serve to forehand.

Prey I don't have a good service day.

[purespin]

Hit heavy topspin to my backhand. That will give me the most trouble :-(

[Andres]

First serve of the match, if I'm serving:

It's going to be wide, it's always wide my first serve of the match, so move it quickly and pound the ball DTL.

Pin me at the baseline, avoid letting me take the net, with deeeeeeep, heavy topspin shots which I can't take properly with both Eastern grips.

Don't hit low shots, since I particulary love taking knee-height-and-below shots, especially to my backhand or at my body.

And don't get discouraged at the receiving end. Some days you'll get aced... a lot...

But let's keep it simple. Moonball... DEEP!!!

[Geezer Guy]

My backhands OK, but my forehand is much better. Playing me, I'd take almost every ball with my forehand (inside out as much as necessary) and pound my backhand.

When receiving I tend to cheat to the middle, so I'd serve out wide a lot. I'd also mix in some slow kick's (especially out wide) with the hard flat's down the middle.

If I'm serving well, I'd serve and volley. I hate playing against guys that serve and volley.

[varuscelli]

High bouncing topspin shots to my backhand side. But look out, I might be forced to take them on the rise and become aggressive about it -- so the "me" who's hitting those loopy-looking shots to the backhand side had better be cautious using that approach.

On serves to me, a high, relatively fast kick serve to my backhand is the hardest thing for me to return other than defensively. My tactic on that, if I were playing me, would be to shout, "LONG!" or "OUT" as often as I could get away with it. :p

[looseswing]

Just keep the ball in if I am having a bad day because I do not adjust well on those kinds of days.

Otherwise, just keep it to by backhand, and sometimes drop a short one to that side. My forehand is pretty consistent, so don't expect that many errors from that side. Pick on my second serve, and don't let me get confident on any of my shots by varrying my shots.

[tenn23]

Most people I play have a better backhand than forehand as far as consistently. The reason being that they usually only use the slice backhand which is an easy shot to hit. But when I play people who try to hit a backhand with top spin, their forehand is usually better. I used to play with a 2hbh that was more consistent than the forehand, but now I switched to a 1hbh which is not very consistent.

If I played myself, I would be a pusher and win every time.

You think the BH slice is easy? I always try to hit it without the ball going to the side after the bouce. It never keeps moving forward, and is very slow and high. It is hard IMO

[DrewRafter8]

I'd tell myself to learn more patience. And stay focused!

[habib]

You think the BH slice is easy? I always try to hit it without the ball going to the side after the bouce. It never keeps moving forward, and is very slow and high. It is hard IMO

You may be hitting it too far out in front of you. If it's jumping to the side after bouncing, it means you're applying some side spin, which from my experience happens when the ball is close to your body, horizontally speaking - ie: if it's not out to the side.

[tenn23]

So when I hit a slice, my shoulder should be facing the net (body sideways) and the ball should be hit in front of me?
Thanks

[Supernatural_Serve]

When dealing with my

Serves: block them back, give yourself a chance, step in take them early, recover

Returns: aggressive returns unless forced to block returns, don't give me a short ball back, I'm looking to pin you by taking control immediately and I am quick to attack the first short ball. I take more risks playing my return game versus service game

Forehands: respect the weapon

Backhands: you are more likely to get a short or weak ball from me, slower recovery too, pull me wide

Net: heavy dipping shots to my body is where your odds are better

move me around, the more movement side to side, the more likely you will win the point, make me hit on the run (defensive, neutral shots), avoid letting me get a bead on your ball in a strong position, these balls I unload on (offensive, winner shots).

[Zets147]

Always serve to the forehand, and rally to the backhand lol
Moonballs everytime would kill me also.

[VGP]

You guys sure put a lot of thought into playing with yourselves......

[varuscelli]

You guys sure put a lot of thought into playing with yourselves......

I should accuse you of slander, but I'm not sure I have adequate evidence to prove you wrong. Damn! :mad:

[slice bh compliment]

What a thread.
Honest self-examination and narcissism ... at the same time.

[varuscelli]

What a thread.
Honest self-examination and narcissism ... at the same time.

Oh, please! The self-assessment by Supernatural_Serve represents only borderline narcissism. What are you implying?!? :p

;)

[Duzza]

Hit to my backhand constantly and drop shot.

[CoconutGT]

For now..

1. Make me volley
2. When hitting to my backhand, make it wide

I <3 this thread btw :-D

[FitzRoy]

Float my serves back toward my backhand side; when I have the option of moving around the backhand but do not commit early to doing so, I tend to overhit and make errors. Actually I tend to overhit too much on my service games as a whole, so allow me several attempts to make a mistake.

In general rallies, hit shots that are high and deep to my backhand and avoid giving me pace to that side unless it forces me into a full run. When hitting with pace to the forehand, make sure it has excellent depth. Avoid hitting the ball low and flat to either side. Approach the net only on quality shots. If I can reach the ball and have a clear target, I tend to come up with the pass consistently.

When serving, placement is much more effective than power. Fast serves that don't have a lot of action and are reachable tend to be returned with interest. Kick serves are your friend.

[armand]

If I were playing me, I'd... forget tennis, go down to the Meranelli sisters for a double date! They're twins and only date other twins. And they are extremely lovely.
I'd love to see the look on Jacquline's face(and her sisters) when I tell her she now has to live up to her promise of dating me if I had a twin!
Great thread indeed!

[The Prodigy]

even if all of you are saying that you'd *for ex* drop shot, lob, attack forehand, wouldn't the OTHER you just prevent this, and hit it against YOUR weaknesses? Then the CURRENT you will try to prevent this from happening by coming up with strategics, and the OTHER you will already know the strategy and try to defend/attack against it.

[The Watchman]

... be prepared for a really close, even game.

[Slazenger]

even if all of you are saying that you'd *for ex* drop shot, lob, attack forehand, wouldn't the OTHER you just prevent this, and hit it against YOUR weaknesses? Then the CURRENT you will try to prevent this from happening by coming up with strategics, and the OTHER you will already know the strategy and try to defend/attack against it.

ROTFLMAO!!!

[Pen Express]

even if all of you are saying that you'd *for ex* drop shot, lob, attack forehand, wouldn't the OTHER you just prevent this, and hit it against YOUR weaknesses? Then the CURRENT you will try to prevent this from happening by coming up with strategics, and the OTHER you will already know the strategy and try to defend/attack against it.

Thanks for making my day.

[varuscelli]

even if all of you are saying that you'd *for ex* drop shot, lob, attack forehand, wouldn't the OTHER you just prevent this, and hit it against YOUR weaknesses? Then the CURRENT you will try to prevent this from happening by coming up with strategics, and the OTHER you will already know the strategy and try to defend/attack against it.

But, if it were possible, don't you think the most interesting match in the world would be against yourself? Two of you, on court going head to head? After all, you think you know your game, but you've never played against it. It would likely be tight, but it would be the one of most intriguing match-ups possible.

What I'd want is a third one of me (as spectator only). Or five, so we could play doubles and have one watch and video tape the game. :p

[habib]

So when I hit a slice, my shoulder should be facing the net (body sideways) and the ball should be hit in front of me?
Thanks

Yes, you should be in a closed stance when hitting a slice. That weight transfer is really the only way you'll get any actual pace on the shot. As for hitting it in front of you - while you want to hit the ball, as on any shot, in front of you, I think I may have explained my earlier idea badly. What I was basically trying to get across, is that how the ball behaves after the bounce and what kind of spin it has, is dependant upon at which point during the downward swing you make contact.

Does that make sense? I mean, picture your swing from a head-on perspective. From this angle, the usual slice swing traces a path which would correlate, more or less, with the path you would trace from the 2 o'clock to 5 or 6 o'clock positions on an analog clock face. Do you see what I mean?

So depending on where in that path you make contact with the ball, the racquet face will be travelling in a different direction, and the ball will spin accordingly. So, for example, if you slice a high incoming ball and take it at around the 3 o'clocl position, your arm and racquet are going to be almost straight out to the side, and the racquet is going to be travelling almost directly downward, with the result that it will spin the ball mostly backwards. This ball won't curve off to the side after it bounces.

If you slice a lower shot and contact it around where the 4 or 5 o'clock position would be, your racquet face is moving both down and to your right, meaning it would spin the ball both backward (though not as ferociously as if it was coming straight down) and to the left.

If you take the ball at around the 6 o'clock position, with the racquet pointing almost straight down, the face of the racquet will be slicing almost directly to the right, this would impart maximum side spin but very little backspin. This is what I meant by saying the ball is more directly in front of you, since if you're taking it at 6 o'clock, it has to be directly in front of you.

So if you want it to keep going straight, then as much as possible try to make contact with your arm and racquet almost straight out to the side (this is a point of timing, basically). For a low ball, get down low for it and you can achieve the same result.

Make sense?

[dave333]

heavy topspin forehands to my forehand. avoid heavy topspin to backhand though. move close on serve before it jumps too much and take it on the rise. if the serve got fasteer, block it because its all speed. lob me a lot. don't try ot go extreme cross court against me unless i'm at net. serve realy fast to me. only slider or flat, i punish topspin unless its really fast, like roddick. expect mostly crosscourt shots.

[Cindysphinx]

If I were playing me, I'd...

Show up! :D :D

I'm just a 3.0, so I'm easy to beat.

All you have to do is just consistently hit the ball deep with topspin, and come in on the short ball I will quickly cough up. I don't like playing far behind the baseline, so I'll do stupid things like try to take it on the rise and miss by a mile.

If you have a plane to catch, just run me corner to corner. I'll get wildly inconsistent on you when I get tired.

Or you could try just playing defensively and getting everything back. I lack patience, so I'll start going for too much and trying shots I don't have.

Here's an idea: Why don't I just forfeit and let's go have a drink instead?

[Zets147]

For now..

1. Make me volley
2. When hitting to my backhand, make it wide

I <3 this thread btw :-D
Done and Done.
You forgot to put "slices kill me also." :lol:

[nikolaih]

I'm not very good, somewhere in the middle of my 2.0-3.0 class. So alot of things work. But two things that will utterly ruin me are:

-- Low skidding shots to my backhand side. Slice is even better. I have a two-handed backhand and I send these into the net or spray them way too high.

-- Slice to the middle depth of the court, backhand side. I don't have a reliable shot for these, mostly just end up trying some sort of chip that's really an adventure for both players. Approaching after one of these is a good idea.

-- Moonballing me on either side. I don't have the timing or anticipation yet so I wait to long to hit the thing, until it becomes a more difficult high shot from behind hte baseline. I hit these wide to the right when they're backhands.

-- Serving at my body with pace.

Unfortunately, the first 3 seem like shots that are obtained quickly by the average casual player, lol.

[tenn23]

Yes, you should be in a closed stance when hitting a slice. That weight transfer is really the only way you'll get any actual pace on the shot. As for hitting it in front of you - while you want to hit the ball, as on any shot, in front of you, I think I may have explained my earlier idea badly. What I was basically trying to get across, is that how the ball behaves after the bounce and what kind of spin it has, is dependant upon at which point during the downward swing you make contact.

Does that make sense? I mean, picture your swing from a head-on perspective. From this angle, the usual slice swing traces a path which would correlate, more or less, with the path you would trace from the 2 o'clock to 5 or 6 o'clock positions on an analog clock face. Do you see what I mean?

So depending on where in that path you make contact with the ball, the racquet face will be travelling in a different direction, and the ball will spin accordingly. So, for example, if you slice a high incoming ball and take it at around the 3 o'clocl position, your arm and racquet are going to be almost straight out to the side, and the racquet is going to be travelling almost directly downward, with the result that it will spin the ball mostly backwards. This ball won't curve off to the side after it bounces.

If you slice a lower shot and contact it around where the 4 or 5 o'clock position would be, your racquet face is moving both down and to your right, meaning it would spin the ball both backward (though not as ferociously as if it was coming straight down) and to the left.

If you take the ball at around the 6 o'clock position, with the racquet pointing almost straight down, the face of the racquet will be slicing almost directly to the right, this would impart maximum side spin but very little backspin. This is what I meant by saying the ball is more directly in front of you, since if you're taking it at 6 o'clock, it has to be directly in front of you.

So if you want it to keep going straight, then as much as possible try to make contact with your arm and racquet almost straight out to the side (this is a point of timing, basically). For a low ball, get down low for it and you can achieve the same result.

Make sense?

Thanks. It makes sense. Now all I have to do is practice.

[Nextman916]

Hit deep high balls to my backhand, not necessarily even with lots of topspin. Dont go for a winner off my serve, maybe on second, i get back into position too fast. Dont feed me anykind of attackable shot to my forehand, keep it low if anything or with good topspin. Dropshots are a no-no i luv them, i love to slide, i love the feeling of sliding, i love anything and everything about sliding so dont give me the chance to. Also DO NOT move to net unless your are an above average volleyer(maybe even better). I go straight for the body, always have always will. Passing shots are only done against good volleyers but even then a topspin lob is my next move. I like Pace, but not alot of topspin so if you can do this you could probably drive me off court and keep me from playin near the baseline.