Roddick now should consider Sampras as new coach

MichaelChang

Hall of Fame
not saying Conners is doing a bad job, Conners defnitely made him improve. But after all, Roddick just not capable of beating Fed. However I think if Sampras teach Roddick on serve disguise and how to volley better, and if, Roddick could really hit like Sampras on those 2 parts of his game, he could have a much better chance against Fed.
 
You cant just give someone your talents. Roddick is not a natural at the net, there is only so much you can do with coaching and hard work, especialy when you are already in your mid 20s. His serve has an extremely jerky motion, so you cant just coach him into disgusing it better either, he probably cant do that and hit it the way he does.
 

MichaelChang

Hall of Fame
People are dreaming of Sampras taking wild card for 08 wimby. Instead of that, I think a much more realistic thing is for him to coach Roddick. Much or less Roddick was trying volley agaist Fed, but he didn't even know where to position himself.
 

gerikoh

Semi-Pro
if roddick wants to volley a lot, he definately should have sampras as his coach, and should switch to a more control oriented racquet that is very maneuverable ;)
 

drakulie

Talk Tennis Guru
Why the hell would Sampras want to coach anyone.

PS: If he wants to learn how to volley, Edberg, & Rafter would be better choices.
 

Mick

Legend
Roddick not only can't beat Federer but he has problem beating the other top players as well. Not only does his net game need improvement but also his backcourt game.
 

MichaelChang

Hall of Fame
Why the hell would Sampras want to coach anyone.

PS: If he wants to learn how to volley, Edberg, & Rafter would be better choices.

I don't know why the hell he couldn't be coaching some time in his life, if now is not the best time. It is not uncommon for a retired pro to be a good coach. And as for reasons, there could be plenty of reasons. To save from S&V from extinction? or maybe to slow down Fed's 15th grand slam? :)
 

onkystomper

Hall of Fame
i really dont think volleying with a pure drive roddick is a great base. i know i know it is the player not the racket but no one here is going to convince me that it would is not easier to volley with say a Head prestige than it is a pure drive.
 

drakulie

Talk Tennis Guru
I don't know why the hell he couldn't be coaching some time in his life, if now is not the best time. It is not uncommon for a retired pro to be a good coach. And as for reasons, there could be plenty of reasons. To save from S&V from extinction? or maybe to slow down Fed's 15th grand slam? :)

Perhaps Michael Chang should coach him.
 

sureshs

Bionic Poster
The playing styles don't match. Pete is a natural serve and volleyer with a 1 handed BH, Andy is a power baseliner with a 2 hander.
 

quest01

Hall of Fame
if roddick wants to volley a lot, he definately should have sampras as his coach, and should switch to a more control oriented racquet that is very maneuverable ;)

I highly doubt Roddick would switch to a smaller headsize because his serve may lose some power.
 

Alexandros

Professional
Playing and teaching are two different things. The best coaches were not the best players when (if) they played on tour, and the best players aren't necessarily going to be good coaches.
 

The-Champ

Legend
Roddick's forehand doesn't have the pace it once had, like when he started on tour. I remember him blasting winners from just about anywhere on court with that forehand. A major decline after 2003, it's like a totally different forehand, it resembles that of Arantxa sanchez-vicario's, and the latter has probably more power to it because it's natural to her. You need to have at least two major weapons in order to win majors. He should just quit! That serve is nothing if he has nothing to back it up with.

I think Roddick should stop copying Arantxa's forehand. He should instead watch some old tapes of his and try bringing back to life that old forehand, the one that won him a major and beat federer in a masters final back in 2003!
 

TennezSport

Hall of Fame
Movement..........

For Roddick to be good at any of the things that were mentioned, he will have to fix his movement and balance first. Even when Roddick was younger and winning more, his movement was not that good. His game was to make you move and dictate points (ala Agassi).

His problem is that a lot of todays players have become great defensive players with equally good return games. Until Roddick really improves his movement and balance in defensive situations, I do not see things getting better for him.

TennezSport :cool:
 

WayneCM

Semi-Pro
For Roddick to be good at any of the things that were mentioned, he will have to fix his movement and balance first. Even when Roddick was younger and winning more, his movement was not that good. His game was to make you move and dictate points (ala Agassi).

His problem is that a lot of todays players have become great defensive players with equally good return games. Until Roddick really improves his movement and balance in defensive situations, I do not see things getting better for him.

TennezSport :cool:
I think you've hit the nail on the head with this comment... Ppl are sayin about his forehand/backhand/S&V, but the biggest problem is movement and balance... I think if these were to improve u would see improvements in his S&V and with is shots... Although i would really like him to flatten out the forehand, i think he's still hits big but all that spin takes the pace out...
 

A-Rod6600

Rookie
That's totally unrealistic, Sampras would never accept, he has a family and coaching roddick doesn't even run in his mind.
 

RoddickistheMan

Professional
Yeah Sampras talent is god given same with federer thats why they matched up so well. However roddick just doesnt have the talent at net like sampras or the court intellect. Those things you really cant teach. In regards to disguising his serve that is somewhat difficult because one of the reasons for Sampras' disguise is his closed stance. Roddick hits more open so that s why people can read his serve. Roddick needs Gilbert again in order to find the type of tennis that suited his body type more.
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FedForGOAT

Professional
For Roddick to be good at any of the things that were mentioned, he will have to fix his movement and balance first. Even when Roddick was younger and winning more, his movement was not that good. His game was to make you move and dictate points (ala Agassi).

His problem is that a lot of todays players have become great defensive players with equally good return games. Until Roddick really improves his movement and balance in defensive situations, I do not see things getting better for him.

TennezSport :cool:

great post. I agree completely, but I do however think that his movement in 03' was noticeably better than it is now (although still not that good).
 
You know what's funny? If you have ever watched Andy work out (on court hitting and conditioning), he's pretty impressive. Even with the movement and the balance. He is fairly agile for a bigger guy, and he scrambles really well and hits BH passes on the run.

It is on offense that I think his comfort level is low, which is obviously what you guys are pointing to.

Moving toward the net without looking so committed to a certain wing. Reading at net.
Angling volleys off.
Second and third volleys -- making those unreturnable the way the better volleyers are able to do more often.

By the way, if a more fluid mover like Djokovic improved in these same areas we'd have a new rivalry at the top.

I'm not really a Roddick fan, but it would be nice to see him improve rather than stagnate.

I think Wilander would be an excellent coach for him. As tactical as Connors, but more access to the inside of Roger's head.
 

35201

Rookie
If Sampras were to coach someone, I think it should be someone younger; an up-and-comer, if you will. Someone that's a bit more talented than Roddick.
 
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Deleted member 3771

Guest
Pete would pull Roddick off the tour for 12-18 months and get him to learn to play properly with a wooden racket, then when he can finally take a set off Pete with the wooden racket he'll put a wilson in his hands and put him back on the tour.
 

CAM178

Hall of Fame
The mere notion of this is preposterous. Sampras is a player only. I just can't see him coaching. And as someone said, he's got a very young family that he adores. Plus, I don't think I'd leave home for any duration if I had a wife that hot. :mrgreen:
 
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Vision84

Hall of Fame
Playing and teaching are two different things. The best coaches were not the best players when (if) they played on tour, and the best players aren't necessarily going to be good coaches.
Quoted for truth. A good player does not make someone a good coach.
 
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