Coaching? What do you think?

PushyPushster · 09-26-2011, 09:14 PM

I was playing a singles league match last night against an Italian fellow. Very nice guy - brought his cousin to the court with him. He was way better in pretty much every aspect of the game than I was, but, to be blunt, he was playing dumb tennis. Instead of attacking my backhand, which is just atrocious, he's actually hitting a lot of shots to my FH, which is very consistent. Despite his talent, he loses the first set in a squeaker.

Suddenly there is a long conversation with his cousin, in Italian, who is sitting just outside the court. Judging by the back and forth I'm convinced they are discussing the match and am thinking about bringing up the 'No Coaching' rule. But ... what can I really say? For all I know he's asking for extra starch in his collar when the guy drops off his dry cleaning the next morning. The 2nd set starts and suddenly he's hitting Every. Single. Shot. at my backhand. Which, to be honest, is what he should have been doing all along ... but still. The more I think about it the more it bugs me. Does anyone know the Italian word for "backhand"? I'm pretty sure I got worked on this one.

onehandbh · 09-26-2011, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PushyPushster

The 2nd set starts and suddenly he's hitting Every. Single. Shot. at my backhand.

You could have anticipated the shots coming to your bh cheated toward your backhand and hit inside out
forehands.

Every. Single. Shot. at his backhand.

rjw · 09-26-2011, 10:24 PM

Better improve your backhand and/or your Italian

kylebarendrick · 09-26-2011, 10:36 PM

...and that's why players shouldn't be talking to anyone during a match.

Drop Snot · 09-27-2011, 09:14 AM

To say backhand in Italian you swing your arm in the motion of a backhand

PushyPushster · 09-27-2011, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjw

Better improve your backhand and/or your Italian

I have a strict No Improvement Policy in regards to my tennis game, but will give some thought to your idea about learning Italian.

... Ciao.

darrinbaker00 · 09-27-2011, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PushyPushster

I was playing a singles league match last night against an Italian fellow. Very nice guy - brought his cousin to the court with him. He was way better in pretty much every aspect of the game than I was, but, to be blunt, he was playing dumb tennis. Instead of attacking my backhand, which is just atrocious, he's actually hitting a lot of shots to my FH, which is very consistent. Despite his talent, he loses the first set in a squeaker.

Suddenly there is a long conversation with his cousin, in Italian, who is sitting just outside the court. Judging by the back and forth I'm convinced they are discussing the match and am thinking about bringing up the 'No Coaching' rule. But ... what can I really say? For all I know he's asking for extra starch in his collar when the guy drops off his dry cleaning the next morning. The 2nd set starts and suddenly he's hitting Every. Single. Shot. at my backhand. Which, to be honest, is what he should have been doing all along ... but still. The more I think about it the more it bugs me. Does anyone know the Italian word for "backhand"? I'm pretty sure I got worked on this one.

It doesn't matter what they were saying to each other or in which language they said it. Your opponent was is violation of the coaching rule.

rjw · 09-27-2011, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PushyPushster

I have a strict No Improvement Policy in regards to my tennis game, but will give some thought to your idea about learning Italian.

... Ciao.

You could just have been badly beaten from the getgo, if your Italian Stallion had half a brain.......in that a very weak backhand is usually the first thing that people test for. So perhaps a tennis vacation to Italy is in order?

Kill 14 birds with 26 stones?

Arrivederci......

Caesar · 10-01-2011, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darrinbaker00

It doesn't matter what they were saying to each other or in which language they said it. Your opponent was is violation of the coaching rule.

You don't let your opponents talk to anyone during the match? Playing against you must be a barrel of fun.

It's freaking rec tennis. Who cares about the no coaching rule.

autumn_leaf · 10-01-2011, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caesar

It's freaking rec tennis. Who cares about the no coaching rule.

Technically it's not recreational tennis. It's league tennis. It might actually count for something, year end trip to a competition or something, who knows.

I wouldn't be that strict about it, I would be there for a good challenging match. If an opponent always avoided my weakness then how would I know it's a weakness.

rjw · 10-01-2011, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by autumn_leaf

Technically it's not recreational tennis. It's league tennis. It might actually count for something, year end trip to a competition or something, who knows.

I wouldn't be that strict about it, I would be there for a good challenging match. If an opponent always avoided my weakness then how would I know it's a weakness.

If all your opponents avoided your weakness, then 1 of 3 things would be true.

1) Your percieved weakness is really your strength

or

2) You play with some of the dumbest players on the planet

or

3) All your oponents are blind

Caesar · 10-01-2011, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjw

3) All your oponents are blind

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZELzVCvaHI

tennis tom · 10-02-2011, 01:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darrinbaker00

It doesn't matter what they were saying to each other or in which language they said it. Your opponent was is violation of the coaching rule.

I go with this answer, BUT, life is not fair. Unless there was an umpire there, who are you going to complain to? You could tell your opponent that coaching is against the rules but it may make you appear a bit draconian. You could complain to the league administrator and perhaps get some violation on the guy and they warn him not to do it again. He may not have known of the rule but then why were they talking in Italian, if they weren't pulling a fast one? My mother always taught me it was impolite to speak in a foreign language in front of others who didn't understand it and she was right.

Illegal coaching happens all the times in the pros and players are warned by the chair about it. I once had a coach who went to a few tournaments with me and was going to secretly give me signs but I wasn't crazy about the idea and so we didn't.

The lines are being blurred on coaching now that they are doing it on the women's pro tour and at the high-school level. It's just a small part of the general disintegration of civilization and the moral and ethical cultural decline. The foot-fault debate is another prime example, that we are even having it, of the blurring of the rules. But integrity is it's own reward--but better work on that BH and carry a big stick, (maybe even an oversize one). We'll soon be back to hitting tennis balls off the walls of the cave.

rjw · 10-02-2011, 01:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caesar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZELzVCvaHI

Interesting...I guess they hit to one side and if it keeps coming back, then hit to the other....or perhaps by the sound off the racquet?

Pretty cool

eliza · 10-02-2011, 04:49 AM

Backhand= rovescio

This said, I see coaching all the time, even in USTA matches (coaches up on gallery making hand signals). It sounds like you played for fun, not ATP points.
Maybe you can ask a re-match?

PushyPushster · 10-02-2011, 05:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caesar

It's freaking rec tennis. Who cares about the no coaching rule.

I care - it's a league match. And the mental part of the game is just as legitimate as the physical part of the game ... and it's something I'm pretty good with. It helps make up for things I don't do so well. Like serving, and hitting a backhand, and making the ball go over 35mph.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tennis tom

You could tell your opponent that coaching is against the rules but it may make you appear a bit draconian.

I would have done it if they were speaking English. Yeah, it might be a bit of a dick move, but there you go. I'm a bit of a dick.

Quote:

Originally Posted by eliza

Maybe you can ask a re-match?

Actually, we got rained out before our last match ended and we play the remainder tonight. Maybe he will forget about that whole "my opponent has no backhand" thing. I can hope.

sphinx780 · 10-02-2011, 06:05 AM

I heard Rennae Stubbs come out against the coaching rule in the WTA while commentating on a match at one of the majors this year. She said something to the effect of: 'Some players have a great serve or a great forehand, I had my mind. They can't tell a player to stop hitting a forehand so hard so they shouldn't take away my strength as a player either.'

Until I heard it in that light, I always thought more to the effect of: It doesn't matter if they're coached, they still have to execute.

At the same time, it's a hard accusation to make when you don't speak the language and he may have just finally put 2 and 2 together on his own after a close first set. It could have been as simple as him thinking he could beat you on either wing because of his talent and after losing the first set, thought, nope, I better just play smart now.

I think you learn from it, give him the benefit of the doubt and start contemplating: When they hit every single shot at my backhand, how to I counter? If your mind is your weapon, use it.

rjw · 10-02-2011, 06:11 AM

Just get some serious help with yout backhand and move on

tennis tom · 10-02-2011, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PushyPushster

I would have done it if they were speaking English. Yeah, it might be a bit of a dick move, but there you go. I'm a bit of a dick.

I'm a bit of a dick myself, how big depends on who you talk to. I really don't feel following the rules and expecting the same of others makes one a dick. It's more a matter that the majority of society is rather dickless--but that's what occurs in an environment of moral relativism.

autumn_leaf · 10-02-2011, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caesar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZELzVCvaHI

that's pretty inspirational.

09-26-2011, 09:14 PM	#1
PushyPushster Rookie Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 290	Coaching? What do you think? I was playing a singles league match last night against an Italian fellow. Very nice guy - brought his cousin to the court with him. He was way better in pretty much every aspect of the game than I was, but, to be blunt, he was playing dumb tennis. Instead of attacking my backhand, which is just atrocious, he's actually hitting a lot of shots to my FH, which is very consistent. Despite his talent, he loses the first set in a squeaker. Suddenly there is a long conversation with his cousin, in Italian, who is sitting just outside the court. Judging by the back and forth I'm convinced they are discussing the match and am thinking about bringing up the 'No Coaching' rule. But ... what can I really say? For all I know he's asking for extra starch in his collar when the guy drops off his dry cleaning the next morning. The 2nd set starts and suddenly he's hitting Every. Single. Shot. at my backhand. Which, to be honest, is what he should have been doing all along ... but still. The more I think about it the more it bugs me. Does anyone know the Italian word for "backhand"? I'm pretty sure I got worked on this one.

09-26-2011, 10:24 PM	#3
rjw Professional Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Miami Posts: 987	Better improve your backhand and/or your Italian __________________ 2x APDGT, Ektelon H, SP Lite on steroids

10-02-2011, 06:05 AM	#17
sphinx780 Professional Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: St. Paul, MN Posts: 1,015	I heard Rennae Stubbs come out against the coaching rule in the WTA while commentating on a match at one of the majors this year. She said something to the effect of: 'Some players have a great serve or a great forehand, I had my mind. They can't tell a player to stop hitting a forehand so hard so they shouldn't take away my strength as a player either.' Until I heard it in that light, I always thought more to the effect of: It doesn't matter if they're coached, they still have to execute. At the same time, it's a hard accusation to make when you don't speak the language and he may have just finally put 2 and 2 together on his own after a close first set. It could have been as simple as him thinking he could beat you on either wing because of his talent and after losing the first set, thought, nope, I better just play smart now. I think you learn from it, give him the benefit of the doubt and start contemplating: When they hit every single shot at my backhand, how to I counter? If your mind is your weapon, use it. __________________ Boris Becker Melbourne "To resist despair in this world is what it is to be free" Last edited by sphinx780 : 10-02-2011 at 06:06 AM. Reason: Questions require question marks.

10-02-2011, 06:11 AM	#18
rjw Professional Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Miami Posts: 987	Just get some serious help with yout backhand and move on __________________ 2x APDGT, Ektelon H, SP Lite on steroids

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