Yes, no and why?
the 7th game is definately the "holy grail". As well as "finding the win"
As I general rule, I try to hit my rally strokes so they hit the service line but have enough spin to keep my opponent deep enough so he can't hurt me. So when I hit "long" (well past the service line), I don't lose the point. I'm not going for the back line every time on rally shots. That would just be stupid.
Yes, no and why?
No, great depth increases depth risk in a game where making shots is first and foremost.
I'd argue that in the 4.0 and below range, depth can actually hurt you more than it can help. You rarely find really good movers at that level, so if you hit deep, you're helping your opponent not have to move as much since the ball is always coming to them.
That's also the reason why so many people struggle against softballers/pushers/whatever because their balls are landing short and it forces you to move up and people rarely know how to do that and execute a good shot at the same time.
Against a counterpuncher or pure pusher, you probably don't want to hit deep, because they'll just work the point with little effort, you're better off hitting short and making them create their own pace and/or move in.
Increasing depth is also the most fundamental step in getting out of the 3.5-4.0 range.
this is a tennis fallacy.
ultimately better technique is the holy grail.... with faulty strokes, player cannot aim deep, as poor depth control will result in many long balls, so he has to aim at the service line.
Really if this is true then how has Rafa won 10 majors then? He hits the majority
of his shots just past the serve line.
Is deph the holy grail?
Not really. Just look at the recent final between Rafa and Joker. The primary reason Rafa got owned is because so many of his balls landed so short and Joker took advantage. End of story. It's just that a lot of other players can't handle the spin, but Joker can and did. But had those same shots by Rafa been deep it would have been another story, so yeah, depth was the difference.
dozu makes a good point about distinguishing pro and amateur games. IMO, most of things pros do are virtually inapplicable to our level!!!!!!!!
I notice that simply keeping the ball in play and you'll win about 90% of time. Majority of losses are due to UEs. hehe
Just go to you tube and watch some clips of different pro men players. Then pay attention to the average depth in their rallys, you will be surprised they hit a higher % closer to the serve line than they do the baseline.
I believe the reason is that there is much more safety in playing this way, plus they have so much power and spin on the ball that it still carries easily past the baseline. They are more apt to hit deeper once they get control of a point, but on average the are not hitting that close to the baseline.
Many people don't relies they are hitting closer to the serve line because the ball still carries through the court so well without a lot of depth. But if you don't believe it just watch some clips and pay attention to where the ball lands on average.
As far as the women's game goes i would agree that they do hit deeper because they don't have near the spin on the ball and they hit much flatter.
Not really. Just look at the recent final between Rafa and Joker. The primary reason Rafa got owned is because so many of his balls landed so short and Joker took advantage. End of story. It's just that a lot of other players can't handle the spin, but Joker can and did. But had those same shots by Rafa been deep it would have been another story, so yeah, depth was the difference.
This is true, that is why it is not a good idea for amateurs to try for to much depth because it will cause many more errors.
Which is why depth is important for recreational players because their skills are nowhere near the pro women, let alone the men.
People who try to keep their ball from going too deep end up short, choppy strokes that lead to low net clearance, little power.
I am not trying to compare their skill levels, i am talking about their average depth of shot. Since they are much more skilled than the amateur player but still use a lot of safety in controlling their depth of shot, it would only make sense that the amateur player would even have to be more careful because they have nowhere near the precision in their shots.
This can be true with players that do not use much top spin, they end up using weak strokes to keep from hitting long. Which is not the right way to become a very good player. I am referring more to players that have more developed strokes, they can still hit hard but control their depth with more spin.
Not to drag this out, but if the players you're talking about hit with a lot of topspin, then they need depth, and hitting long shouldn't be much of a concern.
Not to drag this out, but if the players you're talking about hit with a lot of topspin, then they need depth, and hitting long shouldn't be much of a concern.
By that logic, the women should be hitting with less depth than the men, so your argument doesn't hold. You can't have it both ways - claim that women don't have as much topspin to do damage with short balls as the men and so need depth, and then claim that rec players are worse than women pros so should hit with even lesser depth. You are extrapolating one way in one direction, and another way in the other.
One thing is very clear to me after observing many club juniors and adults play - the advanced players have greater depth in their shots. In those cases where they hit short, the ball has so much topspin that it bounces and jumps up viciously and changes direction.
So, for adult club players, depth should be the goal. If they could produce the topspin of the advanced juniors, chances are they wouldn't be seen around the club hitting with 4.0 players.
If you want to believe that club players should reduce the depth of their shots and focus on hitting closer to the net, go ahead. It will produce the worst kind of player. Sure they will beat fat Bob because he hasn't moved forward in 30 years, but that is about it.
Okay the topspin does give more safety for depth control no doubt, but it is still risky to push to close to the baseline. By using a lot of top spin it enables you to swing much harder and still keep the ball in. But even with the safety of the heavy spin you will make a lot of errors aiming at the baseline.
The other benefit of heavy spin that many here are missing is that even if the shot is just a few feet past the serve line it will still carry with acceleration past the baseline. The key here is heavy spin that makes the ball explode forward after it hits, without that i would agree that these shots would be to weak.
Yes, no and why?
guy keeps talking about the ATP pros.
if you wonna talk pros, go watch WTA matches, as the male amateur foot speed is remotely comparable to the women pros.... and watch how deep those girls hit.
the pro guys play a different game, stop going there already, you are comparing apples and oranges.