looks can be deceiving

[mchippo]

I am currently taking a tennis class (tennis II for intermediate players) at my school (csulb). Since the coach doesn't know a thing about tennis, we usually just pick who we want to play against and play. I felt great and wanted to play a competitive match, but all the "good" players were taken. So I asked this tall, skinny, white, lazy looking fellow to play with me. He has an older racket (I forgot what) and doesn't look like your "average" tennis player. So we were warming up, and this guy returned everything with little effort. His strokes were very lazy, and looked as if he was bored. So I asked if he wanted to play a game. He agreed, and I began my service game. I faulted my first shot, and I did a baby second serve just to start the rally. Thinking the ball would come back slow, I was relaxed and waited for it to come. So this tall, skinny white guy runs up to the ball, and smacks a winner down the baseline. I thought it was a fluke, and continued on to play. It was at love-40 when i decided to play "for reals" and actually try. There was no luck there. I lost 6-1. It turns out this dinky white guy was actually one of the best players in the school! I told him myself that i thought he didn't look like he had all that in him, and he replied in a soft voice, "yea i get that a lot..I just use it to my advantage."

So don't judge a player by what equipment they have, or how they look!

[goober]

He probably looked lazy and bored because he didn't have any competition in your school

BTW the best players strokes often look effortless.

I agree never make assumptions about your opponents playing level based on their apperance. I have run into many players that look like they are in good shape and are decked out in the tennis gear with 3-4 racquets but they can't play. Other guys show up in old clothes and a single racquet and kick ***.

[courtrage]

Originally Posted by goober

I have run into many players that look like they are in good shape and are decked out in the tennis gear with 3-4 racquets but they can't play. Other guys show up in old clothes and a single racquet and kick ***.

amen!

[Byakuya]

Really even if you do judge a player by their equipment... if i saw a unknown person with an old looking racquet.. vs.. running into a person with the latest liquidmetal/metal alloy...ncode.. adamantium watever... i would be more scared of the person with the old racquet.

there are three possibilities.
1. He inherited the old racquet and played since he was little.
2. played for many years and weary of change to new technology
3. beginner who grabbed whatever his dad had lying around and is too poor to buy new racquet

[jimiforpres]

the same thing happened to me. I was playing doubles and one of my opponents was about 5 in the state at one point. At first he was very lazy, so I was thinking,"Wow, I thought he would be a lot better than this". Then he started to get mad because he partner was sucking, so on one point, my partner hits a good slice serve out wide at about 100 mph. This kid steps up, takes it on the rise, and rips it past me at about 85 mph. It was incredible, and it turned out that he could do that at will, he just didn't need to very often.

[tennis_hand]

I think better plays tend to be lazy when playing with players not up to their level, because they don't wanna hit all winners and make the game boring. So when you start to push them, they will show their real guns.

Or when they make a few mistakes because you hit winners at them, then they get angry and shift up the gear.

Fed is more dangerous when he is angry.

[Byakuya]

Originally Posted by jimiforpres

the same thing happened to me. I was playing doubles and one of my opponents was about 5 in the state at one point. At first he was very lazy, so I was thinking,"Wow, I thought he would be a lot better than this". Then he started to get mad because he partner was sucking, so on one point, my partner hits a good slice serve out wide at about 100 mph. This kid steps up, takes it on the rise, and rips it past me at about 85 mph. It was incredible, and it turned out that he could do that at will, he just didn't need to very often.

was he hiding his swing or what? normally you can get a good idea of a player's skill just be looking at the fluidity and motion of his strokes..

[mucat]

Originally Posted by Byakuya

was he hiding his swing or what? normally you can get a good idea of a player's skill just be looking at the fluidity and motion of his strokes..

Yeah I was thinking about that. How fluid and how consistent the player can hit in warmup can be telltale sign. If a player can hit back everything with little effort, watch out! Just think of how good he is when he move a little faster and hit a little harder.

[Fatmike]

A guy came into our group last wednesday, all dressed up like Federer (with the fish scale shirt), with a babolat pure drive, big new tennis bag, very cool stuff..... I end up playing in double against him (I'm rated in the upper part, somewhere around rank 8 on 28 )and the guy who makes setup thaught he was good, judging by his outfit...
so I started warming up with him and found out real soon that he was soooo bad.... So, we always hit at him, and he never can return a ball....

I played 3 time against him, last time we won 7-0 (it's 30 minutes matches, we don't play regular sets)

In french we often say "l'habit ne fait pas le moine", meaning something like not because you're dress like a monk that you're a monk....

my 2 cents

[mucat]

I mean if you dress bad and play bad, it is downright depressing. Now, at least he looks good...

[GRANITECHIEF]

Its similar to martial arts, you just don't know by apprearance if a guy is a blackbelt or not.

The #2 guy in USTA SoCal mens open, who i've proudly gotten smoked by in finals of a tourney, is one of those guys. You think, oh this guy is short, thin, not especially strong lor athletic looking, and then they absorb all your power, use it to make even more power and never miss, while moving like a freakin jack rabbit.

[nViATi]

Originally Posted by mchippo

I am currently taking a tennis class (tennis II for intermediate players) at my school (csulb). Since the coach doesn't know a thing about tennis, we usually just pick who we want to play against and play. I felt great and wanted to play a competitive match, but all the "good" players were taken. So I asked this tall, skinny, white, lazy looking fellow to play with me. He has an older racket (I forgot what) and doesn't look like your "average" tennis player. So we were warming up, and this guy returned everything with little effort. His strokes were very lazy, and looked as if he was bored. So I asked if he wanted to play a game. He agreed, and I began my service game. I faulted my first shot, and I did a baby second serve just to start the rally. Thinking the ball would come back slow, I was relaxed and waited for it to come. So this tall, skinny white guy runs up to the ball, and smacks a winner down the baseline. I thought it was a fluke, and continued on to play. It was at love-40 when i decided to play "for reals" and actually try. There was no luck there. I lost 6-1. It turns out this dinky white guy was actually one of the best players in the school! I told him myself that i thought he didn't look like he had all that in him, and he replied in a soft voice, "yea i get that a lot..I just use it to my advantage."

So don't judge a player by what equipment they have, or how they look!

Hey , if you ever want to hit, I goto csulb pretty often, just tell me when youu go

[migjam]

Yeah, I played this one guy who was about 10yrs younger than me, had the cut off Nadal shirt, Nadal racquets and he was actually a pretty good player. During warm up, he appears all cocky, hits one between his legs and I just say to myself, whatever. Also, one of my team mates is walking to his court right when the guy hit the shot between his legs and says, Dude.. you don't even know whats coming down on you.

I won 6-2, 6-2

[Mick]

yeah, but if I see an overweight guy on the tennis court, I would still pass judgement about his ability as a tennis player (without seeing him play)

[donnyz89]

Just because you are good at warm up doesnt mean anything. I have seen players with GREAT form, and great pace on their warmup strokes and hit floaters during the match and break down.

[kevhen]

The two instructors here both weigh about 270 pounds but one is still a 5.0 singles player (he was 6.0 in college) and the other is a 5.0 doubles player. Overweight guys can still have awesome strokes but seeing extra weight on an opponent usually means they don't take their tennis too seriously and/or won't be able to move that well.

[Bryant]

SWEET!!! I'm nerdy looking and I play w/ a four year old walmart racquet!
(Now if only I had the game part...)

[Reveille1984]

I go to CSULB, I didn't even know they had a tennis class lol

[Swissv2]

Just look at our #1 in the world right now.

not big, not muscular, pretty relaxed, doesn't put a lot of pace or get crazy during the warmups, saunters around the court.

[mchippo]

lol yea there are plenty of extracurricular classes available at csulb.

nviati are you a student? or just go there to play. The only time I play outside of class are on tuesdays from 1-3:00. Let me know if you want to hit =).