4.5jumping to open in pursuit of 1glorious atp point

[Photoshop]

Originally Posted by snark

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.

You make it sound like one ATP point is an easy feat. I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer but he's not even winning 4.5 tournaments yet. nothing wrong with setting a high goal and working toward it, but let's be realistic here. win 4.5 tournaments first, then open, then national tournaments, then Futures qualies...

It says on the bottom of Talk Tennis main page there are 14,392 active members here. I don't think it's too far off to say there probably are 1500 people better than OP on this site alone.

[LeeD]

I'd say closer to 100.
As a B player, about 4.5 nowadaze, with a big lefty serve, unusual quickness, and strong 2hbh, I went multiple rounds in 2 different Q's for the pro tourney in SanFrancisco in back to back years.
You just gotta get lucky with the draw, get lucky with one sick player, play one good match, and you're in the finals to make the main. TWICE this happenned to me.
But that 4.5 player had better have a real serve, or at least a couple of real weapons that match up well with 6.0's.

[yonexpurestorm]

i wont be quitting my job anytime soon. im not really trying to go pro, just trying to get one point. id say its around 10000 to 1 odds i can get one this summer, so i dont have my hopes up. maybe next summer when the costa mesa, claremont, and irvine futures roll around again ill have a standing chance of at least getting a few rounds in qualifying if i work hard all year( which i plan on doing). im still going to try this summer just for the experience and fun of playing top notch people.

i was actually reading some of that other 40 yr old guys thread. he sounds pretty delusional. i mean im not going to drop everything and train for 6months in some other country banking that i can make it as a pro. to me, this is just something that can get my competitiveness going and motivate me to play 5days a week.

so here are a few short term goals that i want to achieve first. i already had them i just didnt put them all in my original post. first i need to finally select a string setup. i chose polystar energy 17, but need to decide on a multi or if ima go with a full bed. second win a round or two in an open tourn. next drop the 15 pounds needed to improve stamina and court quickness. next work on backand so as to not alway be defensive with it. next win an open tourn and after that win a few in order to help pay for tennis equip. also during this period i should be able to win the 6.0 ult tennis league. next win a round in a futures qualifier. and after this with a little luck ill should have standing chance at a point.

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.

my forehand is my best shot. i ussually like to say i have a 6.0 forhand and a 3.5 backhand and i average out to around 4.5. ( my backhand is better than 3.5, but its just a funny remark i tell ppl) my main goal in all my training is to bring my backhand up to a higher level so it doesnt get attacked all day. once i do this i think i might have a standing chance at some of my goals.

[jdubbs]

One thing I think you need to do is get some high level coaching/lessons to work on various parts of your game.

I took 5 lessons from a great pro and after my lesson yesterday, he remarked that I had made a huge improvement from the first one 6 weeks ago. I changed my serve, my backhand improved, my volleying was much more solid and my fitness improved considerably. I've never been more confident in my game and had some recent wins over 4.5's that I never would have beat even a couple of months ago.

A "3.5" backhand isn't going to improve by just playing, you need to revamp it completely. If you're really serious, you need to be an open book and soak up some knowledge from pros. The key is to find a good pro that will help.

[alb1]

I think you should play the open tournaments, enjoy the experience ( I got to play against some UGA players, and guys that were training at Bolleteri's back in the day) but also keep playing some 4.5 tourneys and start winning them. That way the " I have nothing to lose attitude" you have in the opens gets some balance with playing under pressure against people you should beat or can beat if you play at your best. When you dominate the 4.5's then play only open events. What you really need is some guys to consistently drill and practice with who are better than you to help you improve.

From the results of a guy (5.0 to 5.5 range) I know that is currently playing some Futures qualifying tourneys, I would concentrate on getting yourself to the point where you are competitve with the better players in the opens before pursuing the ATP point.

[goran_ace]

Originally Posted by yonexpurestorm

my forehand is my best shot. i ussually like to say i have a 6.0 forhand and a 3.5 backhand and i average out to around 4.5. ( my backhand is better than 3.5, but its just a funny remark i tell ppl) my main goal in all my training is to bring my backhand up to a higher level so it doesnt get attacked all day. once i do this i think i might have a standing chance at some of my goals.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but you're going to need a lot more than that. What you think is a strong '6.0' forehand at 4.5 is nothing special at 5.0/5.5. They can hit just as hard as you and play against bigger hitters than you on a regular basis, so no one will be afraid of your forehand. also, even if you improve your backhand, if it is still that much weaker than your forehand you might never get to see a ball hit to your forehand you can hit out on unless you are going for broke. Again, I can't stress it enough that tennis at high levels is not just about ballstriking. Even at 4.5 you can get away with poor point construction and compensate with speed/athelticism, or you can simply outhit or outlast your opponent. The quality of the strokes at 5.0+ is that much greater, not just hitting harder, but the fact that their strokes will also be more consistent and more accurate. Point construction is going to be that much more important.

I know guys who can hit the ball a ton off both sides, which makes them look awesome beating the tar out of 4.0's, but they don't know how to construct points against better players who can stand in there and trade shots with them and know how to execute a strategy. This is how people plateau at a level.

[snark]

Originally Posted by Photoshop

You make it sound like one ATP point is an easy feat. I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer but he's not even winning 4.5 tournaments yet. nothing wrong with setting a high goal and working toward it, but let's be realistic here. win 4.5 tournaments first, then open, then national tournaments, then Futures qualies...

I don't think it is easy at all. In fact, I believe, it is very hard.
But it is quite different from setting a truly impossible goal like, say, winning Wimbledon.

If you don't aim high and put a good effort, you will achieve little. The OP seems to be willing to put time and effort into this particular project, so why not!

[kimbahpnam]

impossible, but good luck

[Fedace]

If you win the US open qualifying this summer, i am pretty sure you will get a point...

[goran_ace]

Originally Posted by Fedace

If you win the US open qualifying this summer, i am pretty sure you will get a point...

I was about to bring that up but was unsure about the current point system. The national playoffs only get a you WC into the qualies of the US Open. Under the old ATP system losing in the first round of qualies got you 1 point, not quite sure how it works now, but I think you have to make it all the way through qualifying and then you get a 25 point bonus over your main draw results. Anyone know for sure?

[goober]

Originally Posted by goran_ace

I was about to bring that up but was unsure about the current point system. The national playoffs only get a you WC into the qualies of the US Open. Under the old ATP system losing in the first round of qualies got you 1 point, not quite sure how it works now, but I think you have to make it all the way through qualifying and then you get a 25 point bonus over your main draw results. Anyone know for sure?

copied off ATP website

W F SF QF R16 R32 R64 R128 Q
Grand Slams 2000 1200 720 360 180 90 45 10 25
Barclays ATP World Tour Finals *1500
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 1000 600 360 180 90 45 10(25) (10) (1)25
ATP 500 500 300 180 90 45 (20) (2)20
ATP 250 250 150 90 45 20 (5) (3)12
Challenger 125,000 +H 125 75 45 25 10 5
Challenger 125,000 110 65 40 20 9 5
Challenger 100,000 100 60 35 18 8 5
Challenger 75,000 90 55 33 17 8 5
Challenger 50,000 80 48 29 15 7 3
Challenger 35,000 +H 80 48 29 15 6 3
Futures** 15,000 +H 35 20 10 4 1
Futures** 15,000 27 15 8 3 1
Futures** 10,000 18 10 6 2 1
*Barclays ATP World Tour finals 1500 for undefeated Champion (200 for each round robin match win, plus 400 for a semi-final win, plus 500 for the final win).
** ATP Doubles Rankings points will be awarded in Futures tournaments beginning with the semi-final round.
(1) 12 points only if the main draw is larger than 56
(2) 10 points only if the main draw is larger than 32
(3) 5 points only if the main draw is larger than 32

you have to get R16 in a future tournament in singles. For doubles point must get to SF in futures

[goran_ace]

Originally Posted by goober

copied off ATP website

you have to get R16 in a future tournament in singles. For doubles point must get to SF in futures

yes I know. I was referring to Fedace's mention of playing through open qualifying for the US Open. win sectional and then the national playoff to get a WC into the qualies of the Open. under the old system you'd get 1 point if you lost in the first round of qualies. now it appears you have to win 3 rounds of qualies to get 25 points and a loss in the qualies doesn't get you anything.

[rajah84]

Originally Posted by 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.

The wisdom of those who never accomplished anything in life.

I say...let the boy dream!

[benny444]

Yonex: What events are you playing in, in the Jackie Tatum Classic? Open or 4.5 singles. I was wondering if you knew how strong the Open singles is in this tournament and which event i should play in?

[Tennisguy777]

You can do it nothing is impossible, it but you will need to pay a heavy price!Waking up at 5 am to play tennis and playing tennis for 3-4 hrs a day you can do it.

practice 5-7 days a week about 21 hrs a week.
you'll need to practice / improve every aspect of your game.
volley, serve, forehand, backhand, slice, also need to improve your power and reaction time. Speed you usually can't teach it or acquire it, it's natural.

I tried a similar experiment in late 2008 I went from a very strong 3.0 / 3.5 to a good 4.5 player in less than 2 months but unfortunately the toll it took on my body was too much and I stopped, also moving away didn't help either. I still play at the 4.0 - 4.5 level but now use a 2 hander and if I had the same opportunity as before I think I could reach my goal of being a decent 5.5 with my 2 hander.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQX77c6-4pQ

All of my tennis videos on the tube were taken within a matter of days to 6 weeks and you can definitely see an improvement so you can improve just will take time.

Also coaching is a must as my biggest problem was taming my one handed backhand which plagued me for many years and stagnated my progress.

I now play off and on in clay and recently forced a 3rd set against a former 6.0 who now coaches, who was ranked top 10 in his state about 20 years back. It's tough but with hard work and a little luck 1 point should be no problem.

[goober]

Originally Posted by Tennisguy777

You can do it nothing is impossible, it but you will need to pay a heavy price!Waking up at 5 am to play tennis and playing tennis for 3-4 hrs a day you can do it.

practice 5-7 days a week about 21 hrs a week.
you'll need to practice / improve every aspect of your game.
volley, serve, forehand, backhand, slice, also need to improve your power and reaction time. Speed you usually can't teach it or acquire it, it's natural.

I tried a similar experiment in late 2008 I went from a very strong 3.0 / 3.5 to a good 4.5 player in less than 2 months but unfortunately the toll it took on my body was too much and I stopped, also moving away didn't help either. I still play at the 4.0 - 4.5 level but now use a 2 hander and if I had the same opportunity as before I think I could reach my goal of being a decent 5.5 with my 2 hander.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQX77c6-4pQ

All of my tennis videos on the tube were taken within a matter of days to 6 weeks and you can definitely see an improvement so you can improve just will take time.

Also coaching is a must as my biggest problem was taming my one handed backhand which plagued me for many years and stagnated my progress.

I now play off and on in clay and recently forced a 3rd set against a former 6.0 who now coaches, who was ranked top 10 in his state about 20 years back. It's tough but with hard work and a little luck 1 point should be no problem.

No offense but your example is what ends up happening to most people who try this experiment. After 3 years you are at a 4.0-4.5 level. You are even further away from an ATP point than the OP. What in your experience makes you think that getting an ATP is no problem? If he became a strong 5.0 that would be pretty damn good. But a strong 5.0 is nowhere close to getting ATP point.

[burosky]

Is the OP asking for any kind of help or is the OP merely attempting to make his goal known with hopes that it would help the OP achieve it by "having it on paper"? I think it is the latter. Then again if you read stuff into it, the post could easily be misconstrued as a solicitation for encouragement or advise which would be tough to get from forums specially with such a lofty goal.

To the OP, go for it if you want to. Don't let anyone derail your plans. There are a lot of people with regrets about what might have been. Most of the time the regrets come from not trying or allowing other people to dissuade them from their dream. You will never know if you could have gotten an ATP if you don't try. If you end up not getting a point at least you can say you tried. Then you will have no regrets nor will you wonder if you could have done it.

[GRANITECHIEF]

Best bet is to play a futures in Irag, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, etc. Be sure to say that you are Canadian.

[Devilito]

Originally Posted by Tennisguy777

You can do it nothing is impossible

I now play off and on in clay and recently forced a 3rd set against a former 6.0 who now coaches, who was ranked top 10 in his state about 20 years back. It's tough but with hard work and a little luck 1 point should be no problem.

[Photoshop]

Originally Posted by Tennisguy777

... I went from a very strong 3.0 / 3.5 to a good 4.5 player in less than 2 months ...

No you didn't. Superman couldn't go from 3.0 to 4.5 in 2 months. It's impossible.

... It's tough but with hard work and a little luck 1 point should be no problem

It'll take more than "a little luck." I agree with Granitechief above me - best bet is to play tournaments in parts of the world where there isn't much tennis interest. 1 point in USA/Europe/South America? forget about it.