What was the best thing you learned on this board?

[KANZA]

What was the best thing you learned on this board?

Sometimes someone posts something you just find invaluable, or it confirms something you always wondered about.

For me it was a tennis tip from a discussion a few years ago: "How important is not playing". I found that a week or two off every once in a while was a good thing and my performance was actually better when I returned to court.

Any others?

[malakas]

After browsing for years the Rants and Raves forums,I learned how to have a calm,civilised and rational discussion with my fellow posters.

[malakas]

Oh I also learned that proper spelling is more important than having arguments.

[AznRamenDude]

lol, well said Malakas.

To me, there are a lot of useful tips for improving my game and racquets.

[Fee]

I learned that anyone not ranked number one at this very moment in the ATP should retire.

[drakulie]

I learned that If I am playing someone a lot better than me>> I will lose if I am using a mid.

I also learned I should have my string tension checked by a teaching pro.

[35ft6]

This isn't necessarily meant to be an insult, but from these boards, I can see how there are so many problems in our country. There are some really wack ideas being argued on these boards and they come from people who are otherwise perfectly cool. You think of racists or creationists or hyper capitalist, and you imagine almost movie-like stereotypes, complete villains, these issues just completely defining and driving them, but this board shows in real life that social ills don't really derive from villains who completely devote their lives to perpetuating these ills but by nice people just trying to get by who are simply misinformed or willfully ambivalent. As individuals, their opinions don't matter for a thing, but combined, their aggregate worldview is pretty powerful, if not for change, it's pretty effective as inertia. And this is a tennis message board so you'd think it would generally be better educated and less backwards than general population. I seriously wonder what kind of crazy talk goes down at a Nascar website.

Also, it's galvanized belief that you have to become really good at tennis to realize how bad you suck at it. The delusional thinking here is very strong.

[dave333]

Probably that most people's claims on their NTRP's are a completely inflated lie.

And there really are truly idiots, and one needs only look at the Rants and Raves column to see it.

[Phil]

Originally Posted by 35ft6

Also, it's galvanized belief that you have to become really good at tennis to realize how bad you suck at it. The delusional thinking here is very strong.

Actually, not even "very good". Becoming "average" was enough to convince me that I sucked and should just sit back and enjoy the game, rather than beat myself up after every match because my backhand or second serve wasn't "on" that day.

[ChuDat]

the best thing I learned was the existence of this thread

[Steady Eddy]

That when people lose to pushers they think that's the pusher's fault.

[0range]

Originally Posted by KANZA

For me it was a tennis tip from a discussion a few years ago: "How important is not playing". I found that a week or two off every once in a while was a good thing and my performance was actually better when I returned to court.

I agree with that! I used to be too weak to hit 1hbh volley, but after a month off (I was on vacation oversea), my forearm got stronger and I am starting to many hit 1hbh volley winners!

It is so true that muscles only grow during rest.

[Vincescourt]

Originally Posted by drakulie

I learned that If I am playing someone a lot better than me>> I will lose if I am using a mid.

I also learned I should have my string tension checked by a teaching pro.

You forgot to add that every time you lose it is only because you are tired from playing too much tennis, not because you got outplayed.

[AM28143]

Originally Posted by 35ft6

This isn't necessarily meant to be an insult, but from these boards, I can see how there are so many problems in our country. There are some really wack ideas being argued on these boards and they come from people who are otherwise perfectly cool. You think of racists or creationists or hyper capitalist, and you imagine almost movie-like stereotypes, complete villains, these issues just completely defining and driving them, but this board shows in real life that social ills don't really derive from villains who completely devote their lives to perpetuating these ills but by nice people just trying to get by who are simply misinformed or willfully ambivalent. As individuals, their opinions don't matter for a thing, but combined, their aggregate worldview is pretty powerful, if not for change, it's pretty effective as inertia. And this is a tennis message board so you'd think it would generally be better educated and less backwards than general population. I seriously wonder what kind of crazy talk goes down at a Nascar website.

Also, it's galvanized belief that you have to become really good at tennis to realize how bad you suck at it. The delusional thinking here is very strong.

Nice post. Who did you have in mind?

-Adam

You don't have to answer.

[Tempest344]

that the search function is helpful

that Federer needs to switch to a 2 handed forehand
and that the 1 handed backhand is dying out

[CanadianChic]

From this board? To not take anything seriously, literally or personally.

[HappyAndFriendlyAlways]

Originally Posted by KANZA

What was the best thing you learned on this board?

Sometimes someone posts something you just find invaluable, or it confirms something you always wondered about.

For me it was a tennis tip from a discussion a few years ago: "How important is not playing". I found that a week or two off every once in a while was a good thing and my performance was actually better when I returned to court.

Any others?

the more time you spend here, the more you waste of your life

[certifiedjatt]

when i signed on, i was naive. i expected people here to be knowledgeable and well read on the subject of tennis. so i expected some science behind age old claims. but all i've read so far, with literally 4 or 5 exceptions, are just a continuation of these tennis myths. two really important and expensive myths include impact of string tension on power/control (very minimal), and impact of string material on spin (almost negligible).

i learned that experts on here are just like the people i overhear on the next court, talking about how "...i moved from 56lb to 54lb, and man, it makes such a huge difference on my volleys." or "... i wanna add some more topspin to my game-what racket should I get?" what's sad is that there are really young kids on here who are just getting into tennis. they'll waste soo much money on dampeners, strings, string jobs, rackets to get it just right. i wish they would just pick up a good book on tennis, written by educated people and not players.

i also learned that if i want to get over my racket buying addiction--of buying the same racket---, this is the wrong place to come for council.

[Loco4Tennis]

i learned a lot of the finer points of stringing, and the reasons behind them
i also got that there are lots of people with the same questions i have when it comes to this sport; anything from health, equipment and proper tennis etiquette

[therogerfan]

If I were to make a list of all these things, it would probably be longer than the distance between Earth and the Sun (that's 150 000 000 km BTW)