Looking for ambitious tennis partner(s)

[tennis_balla]

goober, its simple right. Coming onto a forum and asking complete strangers to travel with you to a distant place, pay for training, living expenses etc and saying you started tennis seriously 2 years ago and are now a 5.0/5.5 at 41 years old is a bit far fetched. A video would at least prove this isn't a troll or some guy thinking he's better then he really is, that is all and considering he stated in his first post that he learned by video taping himself, I'm sure it would be no problem getting some footage together.

[Devilito]

ya! we wanna see a video! :P

[spacediver]

Originally Posted by peoplespeace

as for my self-rating im basing it on various things in randonm order: The description of the skills of the various levels in self-rating program, having watched some 6-8 futures over the past two yrs and played regularly with players who lose in the first round or qualis, having played no 506 in the world at the time in the 3rd round of an invitational (lost 6-0,6-0, but that was last year, ie looooong time ago), having progressed enough since early 08 to be able be beat my former self 6-1,6-1 (on avarage) twice over, if u know what I mean. The players in my club who beat me on average 6-2, 6-2two yrs ago, I know beat 6-2,6-2, having compared myself to the TW video posters that people agree are a strong 4.0 or a 5.5, having usually beaten a guy in Santa Monica last april who on the message board of the club rated himself a former 4.5 (not sure HE was correct though!

It sounds like you're using a lot of guesswork and relying on your performance based on ratings you've seen online. I really doubt you're even a 5.0 level player if you were a 2.5 player two years ago.

I dont agree that a 5.5 is a future level player as these are from 300-800 in the world (main draw), which would leave the remaing levels for the top 300 players in the world which would be absurd.

You may be correct here. However, if you were a 5.5 level player, you'd probably be able to compete with division 1 college players.

[onehandbh]

Originally Posted by peoplespeace

... having compared myself to the TW video posters that people agree are a strong 4.0 or a 5.5, having usually beaten a guy in Santa Monica last april who on the message board of the club rated himself a former 4.5 (not sure HE was correct though!

I dont agree that a 5.5 is a future level player as these are from 300-800 in the world (main draw), which would leave the remaing levels for the top 300 players in the world which would be absurd.

Are you in Santa Monica or the LA area? Contact me
via my TW profile. (to play tennis, not to travel the world)

[peoplespeace]

Hey man, unfortunately im not in Santa Monica but in Copenhagen, SM was last year.............Cheers!

[Ken Honecker]

The players in my club who beat me on average 6-2, 6-2two yrs ago, I know beat 6-2,6-2,

That means at best you have moved up a half a level. From everything I can gather about these new fangled USTA levels (I played my best before USTA) a high 3.5, 4.0, whatever should beat a player on the low end of that spectrum 6-0, 6-0.

[QiRoy]

Hi Peoplespeace,

I'm loving your idea and initiative. I'm intrigued/impressed by it. Wondering how you're going with getting a core group together? Anyone committed yet?

I could be interested. However, l have a number of other questions I'd like you to answer.

Email me if you're still going ahead with this adventure. Let me know where you're at with it currently and I'll email you back some questions I had.

Cheers.

[peoplespeace]

Hi QiRoy, thanks alot for ur message and interest. Well, nobody has joined yet, Ive only had the correspondance that u see in this thread. Im very close to subletting my apart and buying a ticket, probably to Argentina, so if u are interested etc, there is no reason why we cant go ahead and create a two person group, start "working" (in Argentina or somewhere else), and let others join in their own time. So who are u and what are ur questions?

[mix_ice]

wow this is actually a nice idea.. thinking if i can pull it off but if ever i find someone to do this with, it'll probably be in Asia first then we could make our way to other places..

[QiRoy]

Okay, some of my questions:

* Where were you based in Argentina when you were there and where do you plan on basing this 'camp'?
* How long were you there?
*What sort of surface are you looking to do the majority of training on?
*Can you speak Spanish?
* Do you have an idea of Accomodation/Courts/Gyms/Coaches/Professional Players we can hit with?
* Could you please send a video of you hitting the main shots Serve/forehand/backhand?
* Do you have a background in other sports?

I've realized how hard it is to accurately self assess how good we are as players now that I'm attempting to portray to you my level.

If I go by the ratings that I've seen, I'm probably quite low. Say 3.0 to 4.0.

I used to play when I was younger (9,10,11yrs old). Then I stopped, partly because I was wanted for other sports, partly because the older I got, the more I was interested in other things. (Music...girls....etc) I remember being one of the better players, but never putting everything into it because of other sport commitments. I can remember entering 2 tournaments. One, I won (against a girl The other, was against older guys. I stayed at my friends place who was also competing in the tournament. We spent the whole weekend practicing a "special" handshake for when we won doubles points.......We got smoked and didn't get to use our handshake much:P

Now, I'm turning 30 next month and I've got he fire in my belly to see how good I can get at tennis. I've been playing this year whenever/where ever I can.

I've been travelling for the last couple of months and managed to get some hits/coaching in Canada, Bulgaria and now in China.

I have power, and apparently potential, but lack consistency, footwork and general muscle memory.

I'd LOVE to see if I could eventually compete in a pro tournament like the Futures.

2 issues on my end with your current idea:

a)-I sprained my ankle 3 day's ago and still can't walk 'normally'. I can only get around by hobbling like Karate Kid in the final fight against that blonde guy.

b)-I have to be in Canada in November, so at best I could only get there by December. However this will give me time to get my ankle right.

One other thing......if I say I will do something, then I try my best to honor it. I unfortunately can't commit to 3 months straight off the bat. A month to see how things go and how the stars are aligned could be doable for me.

Anyway, enough from me. Let me know your thoughts. If you don't think I'm good enough, that's cool.

Btw, Do you think you'll go through with this if nobody else joins you?

QiRoy

[Jeffy005]

Dude i would like to join its just that i dont have that kinda money..... is it per month?

[peoplespeace]

Hi QiRoy,

Too bad with the sprained ancle! Well at least now u have the time to train ur karate kid crane stance /) Since u wouldnt be able to join until december i think we can go into detail when that time comes, but let me give u some short answers: If in Argentina (Buenos Aires), the best place to base ourselves would be the Vilas academy/country/tennis club. It is some 80 usd per month and u get to use some 14 clay courts, two gard courts, great gym, pool area, restaurant, two 5 a side soccor field, beach volley, ie amazing place, of course no lessons included in this price. A very good hitting guy (eg a guy with future experience) would cost us 1k usd/month for 20hrs/week (ie quite cheap) A nice 3 bedroom apart nearby the courts would run 1200-1500 usd/month, food, drinks, bars/discos, transport is very, very cheap compared to USA or Europe.....and the women are absolutely stunning, if one doesnt mind stunning caucasian women!
Yes I speak spanish (portuguese, french and english and will get by in german). I still play football (soccor) at quite a high level(with and against former danish national squad players in their 30s) and im very fit and fast.

Concerning ur level, well there would be some practical issues regarding the training if our level are very different, thats why a group of 3-5 is better. Good to hear that u have the fire in the belly though

How long were u in China for, think about going there myself (plus India)?

@ mix_ice asia is not out of the question, r u from Asia, what is ur level and r u serious about doin something like this?

@ jeffy_005 yes u should count on 1500 usd/month (excl air fare) if this is done in Buenos Aires, in Asia if could probably be done for 1k usd/month/person at a group of 3-5 players.

[spacediver]

peoplespace, a few people here, including qiroy, have asked whether you can post a video of you playing. I think that this is a reasonable request, considering the nature of this thread.

You haven't responded at all to these requests yet - do you have access to a video camera and court within the next week?

[peoplespeace]

spacediver ur funny with ur request/demand for a video hehe im dealing with that on a need to know basis! I could show u a video of me playin, but.......

[spacediver]

fair enough peoples

[willshot]

smells fishy to me....

[QiRoy]

peoplespeace,

I've only been in China for 2 weeks (Shanghai). Will be here for about 3 more.

Had hit with 3 'coaches' until I rolled my ankle. So far, my impression of Shanghai tennis hasn't been that great. Apparently the last coach was ranked number 13 in China at some stage.

He said that he's, "THE best in Shanghai". I'm not sure if he meant coach or player now I think about it. He was accurate, but I did expect more from a former no 13 in China. However he was better than the first 2 guys.

He cost 300RMB/hour. Court fees were extra. Indoor courts were 300RMB. 120RMB for outdoor courts at night. 100RMB for indoor courts. Club membership was 32000 RMB for the year and from what I could understand, just meant cheaper courts, not use-as-much-as-you-like courts.

This was at the Regal Hotel courts btw. I stayed there for the first week, until I did my ankle. Seemed like a rip off really. I've now moved into a hostel. I'm not even sure that you can use those courts without staying at the hotel, having a membership, or being with a member.

I know Shanghai is expensive compared to the rest of Asia, so if you/we were to set up camp in Asia, it doesn't seem like shanghai would be the place to do it.

[QiRoy]

Sorry, in my last post I said 100RMB for indoor courts when I meant outdoor courts during the day.

Also, prices varied depending on whether it was a weekday or weekend.

[mix_ice]

@peoplespeace: yup.. from Asia.. it'd be less expensive it something like that is done here.. i may be a 4.0-4.5

and as far as seriousness goes? oh h yeah.

[tennis_balla]

Originally Posted by peoplespeace

spacediver ur funny with ur request/demand for a video hehe im dealing with that on a need to know basis! I could show u a video of me playin, but.......

Go on, but what? You're afraid people will analyze every little thing on that tape? Possibly but hey who cares. I wouldn't, its stupid to. However, I am interested in your playing level. Not to put you down but hey considering you put up a thread like this and are asking people to join you I'd say thats almost a necessity. I coach for a living, have done the whole traveling coach with a player in the past. If you're serious about this, personally I think you're in way over your head if you expect results. If you want to do it for the thrill and experience of it, than good luck to ya and I hope you enjoy the journey.