Better Passing Shot: Nadal or Hewitt

Better Passes:

  • Total voters
    58
TeamOB

TeamOB

Professional
Nadal definitely hit much more spectacular passing shots. But Hewitt was rock solid. He hit many more passing shots then Rafa and played against guys who were much more difficult to pass. Hewitt seems like the only guy comfortable with passing guys like Rafter, Henman, and Sampras over and over and over again all match long. Here are some examples of Hewitt dismantling top-notch net players:
Sampras USO 2001
Sampras 2000 Queen's
Henman 2002 IW
The first passing shot in the Henman video is absolutely obscene. Hewit is the master of the two shot pass. First ball makes them hit a tough volley. Second shot passes.
Now for Nadal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzLvw-bBmus
Destroying Roddick at USO 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3_VWyqyCBc

Second video has a bit of an asterisk. Roddick is known for clown-level net approaches. But the passing shots are still impressive. So, who is better?
 
namelessone

namelessone

Legend
Big edge to Rafa on fh and maybe slight edge to Lleyton on BH side.

I get what the OP says about Rusty passing big servers on fast courts and the fact that this would make him one up Nadal(Rafa being advantaged by slower conditions) but wouldn't Hewitt the passer love it in this slowcourt era, where he has time to go for his shots against guys who would try and go to the net.

Also, there are way better Nadal passing shot vids. Just saying.

Maybe he was better with his reaction time on faster courts than Rafa but overall I have to give it to the spaniard. The kind of consistency with which he finds stunning passers on both sides is absurd.

Djokovic should also be in this discussion. Some of his running BH passes especially are outstanding.
 
Wynter

Wynter

Legend
namelessone said:
Big edge to Rafa on fh and maybe slight edge to Lleyton on BH side.

I get what the OP says about Rusty passing big servers on fast courts and the fact that this would make him one up Nadal(Rafa being advantaged by slower conditions) but wouldn't Hewitt the passer love it in this slowcourt era, where he has time to go for his shots against guys who would try and go to the net.

Also, there are way better Nadal passing shot vids. Just saying.

Maybe he was better with his reaction time on faster courts than Rafa but overall I have to give it to the spaniard. The kind of consistency with which he finds stunning passers on both sides is absurd.

Djokovic should also be in this discussion. Some of his running BH passes especially are outstanding.
Click to expand...

Not really, Hewitt's best asset was redirecting the pace off the serve, thus the ball coming to him faster would then return faster, leaving the volleyers less reaction time. In comparison to Rafa most people don't S&V but work their way to the net, the slower courts help Rafa pick a passing shot as he has more time to set up, and see where the volleyers are.

2 different ways of passing.
 
namelessone

namelessone

Legend
Wynter said:
Not really, Hewitt's best asset was redirecting the pace off the serve, thus the ball coming to him faster would then return faster, leaving the volleyers less reaction time. In comparison to Rafa most people don't S&V but work their way to the net, the slower courts help Rafa pick a passing shot as he has more time to set up, and see where the volleyers are.

2 different ways of passing.
Click to expand...

I know but that's what I am saying, since Hewitt was so great at redirecting pace when the reaction time is short, why wouldn't he be oustanding at passing shots in an era where the courts are slower? Don't tell me that he can't generate pace on his own cause he clearly can.
 
djokovicgonzalez2010

djokovicgonzalez2010

G.O.A.T.
Hard to compare. Nadal's seem better but he has much easier conditions. If prime Hewitt had played in this era, they'd be pretty even IMO. Nadal on the forehand and Hewitt on the backhand.
 
Wynter

Wynter

Legend
namelessone said:
I know but that's what I am saying, since Hewitt was so great at redirecting pace when the reaction time is short, why wouldn't he be oustanding at passing shots in an era where the courts are slower? Don't tell me that he can't generate pace on his own cause he clearly can.
Click to expand...

But reaction time works both ways, if it's coming off his racquet off a faster court it's going back to the volleyer much harder, and Hewitt always had exceptional placement, the pace would already be generated. Much more than he'd have now anyway, besides hewitt still has great passes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=far-2lOHEPk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5SIvy943_s 3:15,5:07, 5:25, 10:08, 10:30, plus lobs in the first 3 minutes

There are plenty more, people just don't watch hewitt as much outside of Aus Open season
 
D

Deleted member 77403

Guest
Good question. But I'll go with Rafa, just for sheer amount clutch passing shots he has pulled out throughout the most important moments.
 
PhrygianDominant

PhrygianDominant

Hall of Fame
I would say Hewitt, because he made a name for himself as a counter puncher in a Big Game era, which is more exceptional.

Nadal's physique and physicality are to be marvelled, but Hewitt's strokes were phenomal without being as physically gifted as Nadal.
 
MichaelNadal

MichaelNadal

Bionic Poster
PhrygianDominant said:
I would say Hewitt, because he made a name for himself as a counter puncher in a Big Game era, which is more exceptional.

Nadal's physique and physicality are to be marvelled, but Hewitt's strokes were phenomal without being as physically gifted as Nadal.
Click to expand...

Still, the question is just who flat out has better passing shots. Rafa pulls them off in literally every match, no matter how important or unimportant the point is. (and it's usually an important one).
 
tennis_pro

tennis_pro

Bionic Poster
namelessone said:
Big edge to Rafa on fh and maybe slight edge to Lleyton on BH side.

I get what the OP says about Rusty passing big servers on fast courts and the fact that this would make him one up Nadal(Rafa being advantaged by slower conditions) but wouldn't Hewitt the passer love it in this slowcourt era, where he has time to go for his shots against guys who would try and go to the net
Click to expand...

Point is, no-one attacks the net anymore and Hewitt is way was his prime to consistently trade groundstrokes against the best players in the world.
 
Wynter

Wynter

Legend
MichaelNadal said:
Still, the question is just who flat out has better passing shots. Rafa pulls them off in literally every match, no matter how important or unimportant the point is. (and it's usually an important one).
Click to expand...

And whenever the opponent attacks Rusty it's pretty much the same...

I'd say they'll both hit clean winners 80% of the time or more.
 
M

monfed

Guest
In terms of pulling off passing shots in the most clutch moments you have to give it to Nadal, there just isn't a safe place to approach with him besides maybe the corner point of the baseline on his BH side and I've seen him hit a BH CC from there too. Just ridiculous. Guy could do it on a dime nearing a heart attack.
 
abmk

abmk

Bionic Poster
MichaelNadal said:
Still, the question is just who flat out has better passing shots. Rafa pulls them off in literally every match, no matter how important or unimportant the point is. (and it's usually an important one).
Click to expand...

and hewitt doesn't ?
 
The_Order

The_Order

G.O.A.T.
abmk said:
I'd say about even.
Click to expand...

Of course you would, no surprises here the troll needs to come out to play.

Hewitt nowhere near Rafa on the FH side, absolutely nowhere near it and on the BH side it's closer but still Nadal has more power, I'd favor his BH pass especially when on the defence.

Just because Hewitt had success passing Sampras LOL, Pete was getting sick of the sport, the tour was taking its toll on him, he was nowhere near the level when he was at the top of the game.

It's ok, more pumping up of Hewitt to give credibility to Fed's earlier slam wins. You're not fooling anyone. Hewitt is nowhere near the player Nadal is and to say they're about even in one of Nadal's stronger categories is a joke coming from a troll.
 
S

Sid_Vicious

G.O.A.T.
PhrygianDominant said:
I would say Hewitt, because he made a name for himself as a counter puncher in a Big Game era, which is more exceptional.

Nadal's physique and physicality are to be marvelled, but Hewitt's strokes were phenomal without being as physically gifted as Nadal.
Click to expand...

It's about time people stop blaming Hewitts height and weight for his underpowered baseline game. At 5 ft 11, Hewitt doesn't have much of an excuse. Why should we marvel at Hewitt's strokes? Nalbandian and Agassi were both 5 ft 11 and not as athletic as Nadal but both of them had incredible firepower off both wings. Nishikori hasn't achieved much, but he can crack shots harder than Hewitt as well.

Nadal is one whose strokes should be marveled at. Nadal didn't always have his physique. I still remember when he was a scrawny teenager who was making seasoned professionals run around with his forehand. Even when you watch him practice at the age of 15-16, what stands out is how huge his forehand was even at that age. Ryan Harrison probably still can't hit forehand as well as Nadal could at 15 years of age :lol:
 
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abmk

abmk

Bionic Poster
The_Order said:
Of course you would, no surprises here the troll needs to come out to play.

Hewitt nowhere near Rafa on the FH side, absolutely nowhere near it and on the BH side it's closer but still Nadal has more power, I'd favor his BH pass especially when on the defence.

Just because Hewitt had success passing Sampras LOL, Pete was getting sick of the sport, the tour was taking its toll on him, he was nowhere near the level when he was at the top of the game.

It's ok, more pumping up of Hewitt to give credibility to Fed's earlier slam wins. You're not fooling anyone. Hewitt is nowhere near the player Nadal is and to say they're about even in one of Nadal's stronger categories is a joke coming from a troll.
Click to expand...

LOL, ha ha you can't deal with reality. hewitt on the BH side and rafa on the fh side.

It wasn't just sampras, he passed rafter,henman at will as well , there were other net-rushers as well ... net rushing was far more common in 01-05 than it has been from then on ....I always consider the entire field and am not fixated on one or two players , unlike you.

you are just putting down hewitt and pumping up rafa up in comparison because oh wait .... :oops:
 
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abmk

abmk

Bionic Poster
namelessone said:
Djokovic should also be in this discussion. Some of his running BH passes especially are outstanding.
Click to expand...

Djokovic isn't *anywhere near* these 2 as a passer . Federer at his peak was a much better passer than him as well ....
 
T

TMF

Talk Tennis Guru
The_Order said:
Of course you would, no surprises here the troll needs to come out to play.

Hewitt nowhere near Rafa on the FH side, absolutely nowhere near it and on the BH side it's closer but still Nadal has more power, I'd favor his BH pass especially when on the defence.

Just because Hewitt had success passing Sampras LOL, Pete was getting sick of the sport, the tour was taking its toll on him, he was nowhere near the level when he was at the top of the game.

It's ok, more pumping up of Hewitt to give credibility to Fed's earlier slam wins. You're not fooling anyone. Hewitt is nowhere near the player Nadal is and to say they're about even in one of Nadal's stronger categories is a joke coming from a troll.
Click to expand...

Wow. Nadal can never be the 2nd best at anything, anyone say otherwise are trolls(lol). I suppose you consider anyone a troll too if he say Sampras has a better running fh.

You need to watch Hewitt/Sampras 2001 USO, where Hewitt snapped Sampras streak in holding 87 consecutive service game. At one game Hewitt pass him 5 times to break his serve.

Sampras said "He returned and passed about as well as anyone I've ever played," Sampras said. "He's got the best return and the best wheels in the game."
 
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The-Champ

The-Champ

Legend
namelessone said:
LAWL, Djokovic is absolutely outstanding with the BH pass, especially on the run.
Click to expand...

The thing is Nadal, Hewitt and even Federer have been outstanding passers since the beginning of their careers and even today. Djokovic is good but not in the same league as the other three.
 
Stanimal

Stanimal

Rookie
Hewitt played some genius passers against Ebden, but still not Nadal. In the lobs one I voted for Lleyton though! I like the guy.
 
every7

every7

Hall of Fame
I think Nadal has a better passing shot on both sides. But Hewitt was a master, too, and his R.O.S. passing shots during his grand slam years were incredible.
 
anantak2k

anantak2k

Semi-Pro
Hewitt passing the likes of Sampras, Rafter, Henman, Federer >>> Nadal passing the likes of Federer, Djokovic, Murray, Roddick
 
anantak2k

anantak2k

Semi-Pro
namelessone said:
LAWL, Djokovic is absolutely outstanding with the BH pass, especially on the run.
Click to expand...

If you think that Djokovic is a better passer than Federer or Nadal, I am not sure what tennis you are watching. Even Federer who supposedly has a "weak" BH has one of the best BH passing shots (his BH just isn't as good as a rally shot but in terms of passing his BH flicks are absolutely insane).

There is a reason why Federer win's a majority of net points when he plays Djokovic or Murray but gets killed at the net vs Nadal.
Nadal is simply a much much much better passer than Djokovic or Murray. As good as the Djokovic passing shots are he is NOT in the top tier. He is right behind the top tier in the 2nd tier though if that helps you feel better. ;)
 
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