Moonballing = hate? - Page 6

shazbot · 11-03-2009, 09:03 AM

So 80-90% of your FH's are moonballs (as you stated) and colleges are interested and thinking you would make a good addition to their teams?

Are colleges lowering their standards nowadays?

One would have to think that the moonballing tactic only work on players <4.0. Anything above that and you are wasting peoples time playing with them.

Jmu008 · 11-03-2009, 12:53 PM

I think the strategy works because it's at the high school level, where players are too afraid to try smashing at baseline. But when you get to the next level, players aren't afraid to punish a moonball with an overhead. Competent serve/volleyers have the skill set necessary to punish moonballers as well.

Jmu008 · 11-03-2009, 01:01 PM

Sorry for double post but I was interested enough to read on...yea, really, moonballing is a nice strategy at the 4.0 level, but you're not going to go anywhere until you learn control/power.

...And as you no doubt have learned, people hate moonballers. And especially people that claim that moonballing is the greatest tactic in the history of the Earth. Just throwing that out there.

Cody · 11-03-2009, 01:03 PM

Please post some match play if possible (=.

I would love to see this strategy in action, i have come across a few moonballers but they don't sound as good as it as you do.

Thanks, Cody

enishi1357 · 11-03-2009, 01:07 PM

I dont think moon balling is bad. I just think whoever hates it probably cant deal with it. I for one am a all rounder. If a moon ball comes my way I just smack it at the baseline and then volley. Cant get any easier than that. easy points too cuz I know they can't attack which make it easier on me mentally

Falloutjr · 11-03-2009, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cody

Please post some match play if possible (=.

I would love to see this strategy in action, i have come across a few moonballers but they don't sound as good as it as you do.

Thanks, Cody

I'll make some footage if I can get a hold of a camera.

Mick · 11-03-2009, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enishi1357

I dont think moon balling is bad. I just think whoever hates it probably cant deal with it. I for one am a all rounder. If a moon ball comes my way I just smack it at the baseline and then volley. Cant get any easier than that. easy points too cuz I know they can't attack which make it easier on me mentally

that is true. if you keep on winning points by smashing the moonballs, your opponent will stop moonballing.

i like playing moonballers because they help me practicing my overhead.

NickH87 · 11-03-2009, 02:24 PM

You are a noob...end of story.

LeeD · 11-03-2009, 03:15 PM

As usual, I'm counter to most of you's....
I think we all should be able to hit heavy topspin moonballs, like topspin lobs, from the baseline so we CAN hit those shots against net players. Practice makes perfect, and variety IS the spice we need in our tennis games.
We also need to practice our drop shots CC and DTL, and both slice and topspin groundies.
Don't discount a seldom used shot. You never know WHO your next opponent is going to be.

gameboy · 11-03-2009, 03:48 PM

Nobody is going to disagree with the statement that tall looping topspin lob is something that everyone should have in their arsenal.

What most people will not agree with is that you should use that shot 90% of the time.

Falloutjr · 11-03-2009, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gameboy

Nobody is going to disagree with the statement that tall looping topspin lob is something that everyone should have in their arsenal.

What most people will not agree with is that you should use that shot 90% of the time.

Now that I look at that first post, I shouldve noted when I start moonballing, they're 80-90% of my shots. Over the course of an entire match its more around 10-20%

LeeD · 11-03-2009, 03:53 PM

Effectiveness always determines the shot selection.
If it works, keep hitting it.
If they figure out how to dice you off the court, maybe don't.
So if it's WINNING tennis, keep it up. If you lose a buncha points, change it, like always.

doom · 11-03-2009, 04:38 PM

One thing you will notice once you get to college or start playing very good players regularly, is that the last thing you want to give these players is time to take a full swing and time to put all of their body weight into a shot. Hitting moonballs is good for a change up but it gives your opponent too much time to work out what he's going to do with it. In the modern game the most valuable commodity on the court is time. You do not want to give your opponent too much of it.

apor · 11-03-2009, 06:00 PM

back when i was a lowly 3.0-3.50 (no offense, i'm not that far up from it now) i used to play this guy that had a very effective moonball. lots of topspin, big bounce, etc- just what you'd expect the moonball to be. very annoying- that is till you learn to handle it. this guy used to beat me all the time, but me being me, i'll continue to play somebody till i get the best of them. so i learned to swing-volley his moonballs with angle, attack the inevitable shorter moonballs with a smash after the bounce or even out of the air. i got pretty good at hitting them on the rise as well, enough to turn it into offense.
well guess what, he quit hitting them to me because i started getting the points. and i started beating him. and sadly his game has never progressed from that point, and he's stuck back there with his moonballs.
now i'm a pretty strong 3.5 (i can usually get a couple of games off 4.0 players per set), with a pretty nasty overhead and at this level, there is not a moonballer to be found. why? because everybody i hit with will more often than not destroy a consistent moonballer.

doom · 11-03-2009, 07:25 PM

So in conclusion: moonball=hate?

Judging by this thread it sure does.

5263 · 11-03-2009, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blake0

Moonballing will only take you to a certain level..almost impossible to go up any higher from there..same thing as pushing although pushing will get you stuck at a lower level.

I watched a player take Agassi in his prime, to the limit with actual moon balls in the US open. It doesn't get any higher level than that.

NickH87 · 11-03-2009, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5263

I watched a player take Agassi in his prime, to the limit with actual moon balls in the US open. It doesn't get any higher level than that.

Prove it or it didnt happen.

GuyClinch · 11-04-2009, 04:28 AM

Agassi actually is famous for hitting some moonballs in matches. Of course not everyone can hit a pro quality moonball. The 1998 match vs. Kucera

http://cornedbeefhash.wordpress.com/...open-memories/

SlapChop · 11-04-2009, 07:01 AM

Funny story, after reading this thread yesterday I went to hit with a doubles group. During warmup the sun was still going down and the lights where coming on, this combination made it hard for me to see the ball and make good judgment on where the ball was going. I started hitting moonballs for the hell of it because it was easier than timing a strong regular stroke when I could see that well. I have to say that it took my warmup partner awhile to adjust to the moonballs. I had them landing pretty close to the base line. After they adjusted they could hit them back fine but that was the first time I ever really hit moonballs. During our match play I hit a few as well and found alot of them where returned into the net. It is something to keep in the arsenal in case you ever need it.

I am going to have to get used to playing in the lights. Since time change took away my sunshine.

mike53 · 11-04-2009, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickH87

Can someone find me a video of a serious male player top spin lobbing everything as his main tactic of play??? Or is it only women????

Didn't some old guy back before the video age get a lot of mileage out of this kind of game? Can't for the life of me remember his name.

11-03-2009, 12:53 PM	#102
Jmu008 New User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 43	I think the strategy works because it's at the high school level, where players are too afraid to try smashing at baseline. But when you get to the next level, players aren't afraid to punish a moonball with an overhead. Competent serve/volleyers have the skill set necessary to punish moonballers as well. __________________ "Tennis begins with love."

11-03-2009, 01:01 PM	#103
Jmu008 New User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 43	Sorry for double post but I was interested enough to read on...yea, really, moonballing is a nice strategy at the 4.0 level, but you're not going to go anywhere until you learn control/power. ...And as you no doubt have learned, people hate moonballers. And especially people that claim that moonballing is the greatest tactic in the history of the Earth. Just throwing that out there. __________________ "Tennis begins with love."

11-03-2009, 01:03 PM	#104
Cody Semi-Pro Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 444	Please post some match play if possible (=. I would love to see this strategy in action, i have come across a few moonballers but they don't sound as good as it as you do. Thanks, Cody __________________ Federer didn't cry cause he lost the Australian Open. He cried because he remembered he was due for a haircut......

11-03-2009, 02:24 PM	#108
NickH87 Semi-Pro Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 443	You are a noob...end of story. __________________ Prince O3 Speedport Red Technifibre Red Code 16 @ 55lbs

11-03-2009, 04:38 PM	#113
doom New User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 93	One thing you will notice once you get to college or start playing very good players regularly, is that the last thing you want to give these players is time to take a full swing and time to put all of their body weight into a shot. Hitting moonballs is good for a change up but it gives your opponent too much time to work out what he's going to do with it. In the modern game the most valuable commodity on the court is time. You do not want to give your opponent too much of it. __________________ I'm too young to die.