Jack Sock's past & future?

[HookEmJeff]

Originally Posted by TennisCoachFLA

Ha, this post shows the problem with American tennis. Not you poster, but what you describe as the things the other kids and parents said at the time.

1. Pusher is used as a cover when a kid loses to a better player. So is cheater many times.

2. A coach and player can have a long term goal and use younger age group tournaments to work on touch and point construction.

3. Sock has a killer serve and forehand, not a pusher now. I GUARANTEE you he had that at 10,12,14,16. But he most likely used them in practice and used tournies to develop other aspects of his game.

4. I think the 'running joke' is now on everyone else. All the clowns that played up to remove pressure. Sock defended his age group and took on all comers.

This +1. What's the shame in being the best kid in your generation and having a garage full of trophies? Why wash out thinking you're something special when you can't even beat all the kids in your age group? The only thing Jack played in his age group were national tournaments anyway.

Maybe that's the reason he's the confident, all-court player he is and just won a Grand Slam title in mixed. Where are all the other kids in his age group that were playing up?

Jack learned how to win instead of playing without pressure by playing up. And when he had opportunities to roll, he got experimental and fully rounded out his game. It also helps that he's a singular, ridiculous talent.

Jeff

[Fedace]

Based on today's win, i have decided that he will win at least 6 slams. mostly Wimbledons and US opens.

[tennis5]

Originally Posted by Ledigs

No offense tennis5, but Latin? You listed an ivy league prospect schedule there. You can finish high school without all those extras c. He's good enough to go pro then that's his career. HS can be finished in numerous ways and it's their choice, ESP after age 16.

Hi Ledigs,

I don't want to take anything away from his exciting win today....
but I also wanted to acknowledge your comment.

This thread started as the poster wanted to learn more about Jack Sock and how he did it.
One of the facts listed was that he went to high school, and was not home schooled.

I wrote my response, not to knock him as a student,
but due to the fact that there is so much pressure placed on juniors,
I didn't want parents to think, "Well, Jack went to high school and accomplished an incredible tennis schedule,
why can't my s/d do the same?"

I listed his partial school schedule side by side with a junior schedule for select schools
(as the tennis players are a smart bunch)
to show that the amount of school work needed to be done can not be accomplished when you miss 35 days of school in a semester. His tennis schedule was so intense that "He missed more school than he attended when the high school season arrived in March".

And yes, a high schooler does not have to take foreign languages, AP or honor classes to graduate high school.
Nor do they need to have a great GPA, Sats, Sat subject tests, ECs, essay and a hook, but it helps for college.

In this young man's case, he is on his way to greatness, and he did not need to spend an additional 4 years in school.
But, I wrote this to educate parents that you really can't complete a regular high school schedule and also compete at an extraordinary level of tennis.

[PennAlum]

Originally Posted by andfor

You obviously know little about sarcasm and even less about tennis. Mixed doubles is actually men's singles with a couple chicks trying to mess up their match.

You're such a moron that my right back at you sarcasm went over your head!

[PennAlum]

Originally Posted by TennisCoachFLA

Ha, I must learn how to use that bold letter feature like he does some day. It really makes your point so much better!

Well, it would help if you read more and get out of the hot sun feeding tennis balls for endless hours. Do your daughter a favor and find her a good tennis coach.

[PennAlum]

Originally Posted by Fedace

Based on today's win, i have decided that he will win at least 6 slams. mostly Wimbledons and US opens.

Gee it's too bad he did attend Stanford.

[andfor]

Originally Posted by PennAlum

You're such a moron that my right back at you sarcasm went over your head!

Great defense in the face of being taken apart, word by word.

[Tennis_Stringman]

Nevermind.

[PhilAnderson]

Originally Posted by PennAlum

Well, it would help if you read more and get out of the hot sun feeding tennis balls for endless hours. Do your daughter a favor and find her a good tennis coach.

Wow what the hell is your problem? Just because people voice their opinion on how Sock is going to do and bring down your argument you resort to this?

Just admit how bitter you are that Sock beat down your son and his friends. They called him a pusher and you just believe them yet you never seen him play at that age?
You say he was a joke back then but guess what? He proved you and your bitter family/friends wrong with hard work and dedication to the game.

You have absolutely no room to even say one bad thing about this kid just because he beat your kids and his friends in a silly tournament and that he made it to the pros and they didn't.

[Tennis_Stringman]

Nevermind PhilAnderson, he has a reading comprehension problem.

[Tennis_Stringman]

Wow, PhilAnderson, I just looked at your short history of 22 post and they show a very bitter, hostile, belligerent and bellicose person. Your posts are littered with caustic, demeaning responses calling people stupid and morons. Chill, dude, be gentle. The problem is within.

[TennisCoachFLA]

Originally Posted by Tennis_Stringman

Wow, PhilAnderson, I just looked at your short history of 22 post and they show a very bitter, hostile, belligerent and bellicose person. Your posts are littered with caustic, demeaning responses calling people stupid and morons. Chill, dude, be gentle. The problem is within.

Perhaps he is harsh, but if your read through PennAlum's posts, Tennis-Stringman's last post in response was pretty much dead on! I think PennAlum has called half the posters on this forum names.

[Ledigs]

Fine but that is not a "normal" high school schedule.

[ClarkC]

Originally Posted by PennAlum

Again, please read my quoted words:



IN GENERAL means "being usually the case; true or applicable in most instances but not all." Bjorn Borg turned pro at an even younger age of 14 and he passed this test with flying colors. Ryan Harrison also passed this test turning pro at 15. Nadal turned pro at 15. Almost everyone in the top 20 reached 75 within 5 years. Hope this helps.

Right, and you made a point of saying that Donald Young failed that test. That would be a strange thing to highlight if you recognized why this 5-year test should not apply to Donald Young, wouldn't it?

[ClarkC]

Originally Posted by ClarkC

So, because Donald Young turned pro at age 15 with a small boy's body, and was at least 5 years away from having the kind of body to compete as a pro, the 5-year clock starts ticking at age 15 for him while it starts ticking at age 18 for someone else. So, if Donald Young does not make top 75 by age 20, he cannot make the top 20. There are no exceptions to this rule. Suddenly realizing how hard you have to work, as Donald Young did less than a year ago, cannot lead us to make an exception to this rule. DY might have wasted a few years, and is no longer wasting years, but that does not matter. There are no exceptions to the magical 5-year cut-off. Got it.



I cannot find the post where TCF said that Sock will definitely be top 10. Can you link to it or quote it? Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by Dream_On

Explain davydenko then.

Explain what?

1) Davydenko is not small-boned. Not all players who are under 6'0" are small-boned. Some are quite sturdy.

2) Davydenko, at age 20 (in 2001) finished the year ranked 79. In 2002 he finished the year ranked 85. In 2003 (age 22) he finished the year ranked 44. In 2004 (age 23) he jumped up to #28. None of this is substantially different from Donald Young, who will have a good shot at finishing #44 or so at the end of this year, age 22. Donald Young just did not do as well at 20 or 21 as Davydenko, who does not have his thin bone structure.

[Dream_On]

Originally Posted by ClarkC

Explain what?

1) Davydenko is not small-boned. Not all players who are under 6'0" are small-boned. Some are quite sturdy.

2) Davydenko, at age 20 (in 2001) finished the year ranked 79. In 2002 he finished the year ranked 85. In 2003 (age 22) he finished the year ranked 44. In 2004 (age 23) he jumped up to #28. None of this is substantially different from Donald Young, who will have a good shot at finishing #44 or so at the end of this year, age 22. Donald Young just did not do as well at 20 or 21 as Davydenko, who does not have his thin bone structure.

thats exactly what i meant.

[Tennis_Stringman]

Originally Posted by TennisCoachFLA

Perhaps he is harsh, but if your read through PennAlum's posts, Tennis-Stringman's last post in response was pretty much dead on! I think PennAlum has called half the posters on this forum names.

I beg to differ. Half? C'mon, be real. All he did was relate what a friend said on Sock and you and a couple others jumped down his throat conjuring up fabricated stories of jealousies and what not. He merely dished back the offensive remarks. This is a tennis board where members have opinions and should be able to express them in a friendly debate. Please show some respect towards your fellow posters without resorting to personal attacks which debases our community. Thank you.

[PennAlum]

From zootennis.com:

Brent said...

What is wrong with Sock? Good results at the Open but he really has had almost zero success this summer (and then including this week) on the Challenger circuit. Losing twice in a row to Venus and then this week? Some of the losses are not even that close. Hope he can turn it around.

Just saying...

[andfor]

Originally Posted by PennAlum

From zootennis.com:

Brent said...

What is wrong with Sock? Good results at the Open but he really has had almost zero success this summer (and then including this week) on the Challenger circuit. Losing twice in a row to Venus and then this week? Some of the losses are not even that close. Hope he can turn it around.

Just saying...

He's 11-8 on the year which includes a mix of Futures and Challengers, one tour event and the US Open. Since June he's played only Challengers and the US Open.

Much to do about nothing?

[TennisCoachFLA]

Originally Posted by PennAlum

From zootennis.com:

Brent said...

What is wrong with Sock? Good results at the Open but he really has had almost zero success this summer (and then including this week) on the Challenger circuit. Losing twice in a row to Venus and then this week? Some of the losses are not even that close. Hope he can turn it around.

Just saying...

That would be a comment by some anonymous poster, maybe even you. That 'poster' somehow discounts being the mixed doubles champion and playing well in the Open singles.

The guy graduated high school, probably has been going to lots of parties like we all did and getting ripped, said good bye to his buddies, trained and played in his last emotional Zoo, then started playing grown men in Futures and Challengers, probably home sick, thinking about the Open, his girlfriend, etc.

So an 18 year old kid graduates high school, wins Kalamazoo, wins US Open mixed doubles, goes several rounds in the US Open.....yet thats a bad summer. Give me a break.

He has boatloads of talent....just saying.