4.5jumping to open in pursuit of 1glorious atp point

[goober]

Originally Posted by snark

I disagree. It depends on how much time you are willing to put into training/conditioning. The guy is a strong 4.5 (maybe close to 5.0) at 26 years old. If he can spend 3-4 hours per day training (difficult given the usual life constraints, but certainly possible) he could be a strong 5.5 within 1-2 years. At that level an ATP point is not out of the question.

Again, I agree that it is unlikely, but not impossible.

Looking at his record he does not look like a strong 4.5 close to 5.0. He looks like middle of the road 4.5. The main thing I think he has working against him is he does not have a strong tennis background. He was not a strong junior and did not play college tennis and pretty much started tennis again after a long layoff. At this point he would not just need time but also a lot of money from coaching because he likely has some technical flaws. As you get higher up the NTRP ladder it gets harder not easier to move up levels. If he were a former D1 player that took off 5 years and started playing again at age 26, I would give him a chance, but basically 4.5 rec level player trying to do it is a whole different animal.

[precision2b]

Go for it! Am interested to see expenses vs what you win. Keep us posted and GOOD LUCK!!!

[LeeD]

Yeah, go for it.
How you do depends on your opponent's skills, and you being a rising 4.5 or a falling 4.5.
Do you have weapons? Are you consistent only?
You'll get pummelled as said, most likely, but you can draw some duffers too.
I wonder if you get any points for going a few rounds in Q's? In 1977 and '78, I went 4 rounds in a Q as a B or 4.5 player, lefty, 2hbh, big serve, quick at net.

[onehandbh]

If making enough money to cover your tennis expenditures is one of your
goals here are a few easier ways:

- buy a stringer and string your own racquets and other people's racquets.

- play money matches by playing matches for money against people in local
parks. This might involve a little sandbagging at times.

- come up with some sort of tennis invention or tennis related idea and
make money from it.


nevertheless, nothing wrong with setting high goals to drive you.
btw, if you're ever up in LA, we can have a hit.

[jdubbs]

You'd be better off spending that time getting really proficient in your real career, you'll end up making a lot more money that way. Go "pro" in your chosen career path (or pick one soon) and it will pay off in spades. Spend all that time trying to become a pro tennis player (which you'll never become), and there's an opportunity cost.

It's your life, of course, and you can have outsized goals, but if you come on here and look for advice, expect to face a little reality.

[LeeD]

I sorta feel sorry for all you people who forego your dreams to pursue the path of gathering the mighty dollar.
Sure, you get some cash in your old age, if you live that long. But on your deathbed, you will still be saying..."what might have been, if...."...
I say, pursue your dreams. There's plenty of time and ways to make the mighty dollar later in life....or not. It don't really matter.

[spacediver]

Originally Posted by LeeD

I sorta feel sorry for all you people who forego your dreams to pursue the path of gathering the mighty dollar.
Sure, you get some cash in your old age, if you live that long. But on your deathbed, you will still be saying..."what might have been, if...."...
I say, pursue your dreams. There's plenty of time and ways to make the mighty dollar later in life....or not. It don't really matter.

+1 ................

[Baxter]

I say go for it. Weirder things have happened. You da man!

[okdude1992]

Just realize that the gap between good 4.5 and collecting an ATP point is pretty massive. But good luck, OP It can't hurt to try. Mad props if you do pull it off.

[yonexpurestorm]

I disagree. It depends on how much time you are willing to put into training/conditioning. The guy is a strong 4.5 (maybe close to 5.0) at 26 years old. If he can spend 3-4 hours per day training (difficult given the usual life constraints, but certainly possible) he could be a strong 5.5 within 1-2 years. At that level an ATP point is not out of the question.

ive been playing about 5 times a week getting 2-3 sets in each time. sometimes just hitting working on my backhand. last sat i actually played a match at 11, finished at 1. jumped into the car drove 30 mins to start another match at 1:30 and finished around 3:30. really tired after that. i do work 9-5, but i get some good playing time around 6-9 everynight. i mainly need to work on my conditioning. i have good stamina, but need to eat healthier. i could drop about 15lbs.

Looking at his record he does not look like a strong 4.5 close to 5.0. He looks like middle of the road 4.5. The main thing I think he has working against him is he does not have a strong tennis background. He was not a strong junior and did not play college tennis and pretty much started tennis again after a long layoff. At this point he would not just need time but also a lot of money from coaching because he likely has some technical flaws. As you get higher up the NTRP ladder it gets harder not easier to move up levels. If he were a former D1 player that took off 5 years and started playing again at age 26, I would give him a chance, but basically 4.5 rec level player trying to do it is a whole different animal.

i really do wish i had played in college, but i just didnt have the drive then. i was more focused on school. my technical skills are actually the reason why i was always able to jump on the court and rip a forehand. my parents paid for lessons starting when i was 4. i dont know when i stopped, but tennis has always come naturally to me because the correct mechanics were drilled into my head when i was very young. my one huge glaring flaw is my backhand. i just cant seem to hit passing bh shots on the run. i know the mechanics, but it just needs practice to get the muscle memory down. my fh however is my main weapon. i feel i can hit a winner from anywhere on the court with it.

Go for it! Am interested to see expenses vs what you win. Keep us posted and GOOD LUCK!!!

i decided i will keep a record of my expenses vs income on this thread just to make this thread a little more interesting. so starting in june i have spent $88 on a reel of polystar energy 17, $36 and 33$ on the entry fees into the usc tourny and seal beach tourny. i did win 50$ in the usc tourny though. so i need to win $107 more to be at par.

Yeah, go for it.
How you do depends on your opponent's skills, and you being a rising 4.5 or a falling 4.5.
Do you have weapons? Are you consistent only?
You'll get pummelled as said, most likely, but you can draw some duffers too.
I wonder if you get any points for going a few rounds in Q's? In 1977 and '78, I went 4 rounds in a Q as a B or 4.5 player, lefty, 2hbh, big serve, quick at net.

id say im rising as a 4.5. my game is getting better everyday. the main reason i did so bad last summer was i was still using my racquet from junior high, it was some prince OS 110 old man racquet. my brother lost my rd-ti 70 88sqinch from highschool. i just recently finally found a racquet that doesnt give me tennis elbow, but has good pop and spin. my weapon is my forehand. i use sw grip and get a lot of topspin. weakness is my 2hbh, i mainly play defense and am always looking to get a forehand to control the point. my serve is pretty big, second could use more pace. overheads are good, net game good. i could use better footwork on my bh to improve consistency though.

@onehandbh - i guess thats a different way to look at it. lol.

You'd be better off spending that time getting really proficient in your real career, you'll end up making a lot more money that way. Go "pro" in your chosen career path (or pick one soon) and it will pay off in spades. Spend all that time trying to become a pro tennis player (which you'll never become), and there's an opportunity cost.

i have a finance degree and work in corporate accounting. i dont plan on quitting my day job (literally). but i need to get my competitive juices going and i enjoy playing tennis. it is tough working full time and trying to fit in a lot of practice, but it is possible with the right dedication.

[goober]

Originally Posted by yonexpurestorm

ive been playing about 5 times a week getting 2-3 sets in each time. sometimes just hitting working on my backhand. last sat i actually played a match at 11, finished at 1. jumped into the car drove 30 mins to start another match at 1:30 and finished around 3:30. really tired after that. i do work 9-5, but i get some good playing time around 6-9 everynight. i mainly need to work on my conditioning. i have good stamina, but need to eat healthier. i could drop about 15lbs.


i have a finance degree and work in corporate accounting. i dont plan on quitting my day job (literally). but i need to get my competitive juices going and i enjoy playing tennis. it is tough working full time and trying to fit in a lot of practice, but it is possible with the right dedication.

I think you are putting the cart before the horse. You are talking about ATP Points when you should be having small goals and revise them as you go along.

"I want to be 5.0" Then when you actually get there, "I want to win an open tournament", then "I want to dominate Open tournaments in Socal. " If you actually reach this point (and that's a big IF), it would be realistic to start thinking about trying to get ATP points. Talking about ATP points when you have not done anything noteworthy in Tennis at any level just seems very premature.

BTW playing 5 days/week after work and on weekends is great. I wish I could do that, but it doesn't necessarily mean you going to improve to the level you want especially if you are just playing sets. I know plenty of working adult 4.5s that play 4-6 days a week. Guess what after many years they are still 4.5s.

[jdubbs]

I think that if you're truly serious about this, you need to quit your job and pay for a full time academy/coach. The guys you'll be competing with in the qualies for main draw futures tournaments all practice full time. Out of a typical 8-10 hours of training per day, only 1-2 hours is spent playing tennis, the rest is on conditioning and drills.
Even if you go into debt initially, your winnings at Open and Futures tournaments should more than pay for the cost.

If you're not willing to take this step, sadly, you're just another in a long line of delusional rec players wanting praise for trying to "go pro." It's disrespectful to the profession to try to assume you can get there part time. At least the 41 year old in the other thread was trying to do this full time.

[OrangePower]

^^^^

C'mon, give the OP a break...

From his posts it sounds like he realizes that the chances of him getting an ATP point are slim at best. But if having that as a long-term goal is motiviation to get in better shape, practice harder, and play better, then why not? As long as he is not sacrificing other parts of his life (which it does not sound like), and as long as he can deal with the disappointment if it doesn't happen.

Reading the OPs first post, he's not looking for advice, suggestions, etc... he just wants to share the experience.

To the OP: Go for it man!!

[Carlito]

His only legitimate change of getting a point is to get a doubles partner and get it playing doubles. Singles is going to be virtually impossible unless he gets really good really fast and gets a lucky draw.

[goober]

Originally Posted by Carlito

His only legitimate change of getting a point is to get a doubles partner and get it playing doubles. Singles is going to be virtually impossible unless he gets really good really fast and get a lucky draw.

True- one guy got Kevin Kim to be his partner and he secured himself a wildcard and then won a round in a retirement. He is a 40 something rec player with ATP points

[snark]

Originally Posted by yonexpurestorm

ive been playing about 5 times a week getting 2-3 sets in each time. sometimes just hitting working on my backhand. last sat i actually played a match at 11, finished at 1. jumped into the car drove 30 mins to start another match at 1:30 and finished around 3:30. really tired after that. i do work 9-5, but i get some good playing time around 6-9 everynight. i mainly need to work on my conditioning. i have good stamina, but need to eat healthier. i could drop about 15lbs.

I think conditioning is key to playing at high level. I figure what separates me (a solid 4.0) from a solid 4.5 is about 25 pounds

[jdubbs]

Look, I know the feeling. When I won the first match at the big Open tournament a few weeks ago to a walkover and then won the 2nd against a local highschooler, I made it to the weekend rounds with the legit players.

It was pretty cool sitting in the lounge chatting with the other guys who were playing futures and challengers this summer, and in walk a couple of people from my local club who were just there to watch the matches, and they were like "YOU made it to the weekend? YOU play today?" because I definitely didn't belong, but it was fun to play the role.

But that's a far cry from actually getting ATP points! There's no way a 4.5 or 5.0 would get there unless he's 14 and on the path. It just doesn't work that way in tennis.

[LeeD]

It might work if you game includes at least one outstanding shot, you're on your way up past 4.5, luck is on your side in the draw, and luck that you're playing well.
But few 4.5's have one 6.5 stroke, much less two. And luck can be a fickle partner, as it often turns AGAINST you when you need or want it the most.

[precision2b]

Originally Posted by OrangePower

^^^^

C'mon, give the OP a break...

From his posts it sounds like he realizes that the chances of him getting an ATP point are slim at best. But if having that as a long-term goal is motiviation to get in better shape, practice harder, and play better, then why not? As long as he is not sacrificing other parts of his life (which it does not sound like), and as long as he can deal with the disappointment if it doesn't happen.

Reading the OPs first post, he's not looking for advice, suggestions, etc... he just wants to share the experience.

To the OP: Go for it man!!

well said...

[snark]

Originally Posted by jdubbs

But that's a far cry from actually getting ATP points! There's no way a 4.5 or 5.0 would get there unless he's 14 and on the path. It just doesn't work that way in tennis.

My grand uncle took up tennis in his mid 40's and became a very competitive player in a few years (that was a long time ago). He was pretty athletic, but nothing more than that. I do not see why a player who is already very solid, could not become much better with proper conditioning and practice. He is not talking about becoming a pro, just getting one ATP point. Commitment, persistence and some luck is all he needs. One potential snag is that proper coaching may be necessary for him to improve beyond a certain point.