Should I take lessons from a coach who teaches traditional strokes?

[MikeyBigShot]

My area has more tennis courts than players, and even fewer tennis pros. I just want to play good recreational tennis and join a league next year. Is there really any good reason why I shouldn't take lessons from a coach who teaches traditional strokes.

His lessons are really cheap $45 for an hour. I'm thinking about taking lessons 2-3 times a week.

[monomer]

If I was interested in learning a modern FH I would not go to an old-school coach. If you are fine hitting closed stance and somewhat flat then I wouldn't worry about it.

[MikeyBigShot]

Originally Posted by monomer

If I was interested in learning a modern FH I would not go to an old-school coach. If you are fine hitting closed stance and somewhat flat then I wouldn't worry about it.

From what I've seen, he appears to teach more of a neutral stance forehand.

[guitarplayer]

I wouldn't. I used traditional strokes for 20 some years. Now using MTM and killing it.

[Xizel]

I do think traditional coaches teach certain strokes better, like the slice and volleys, but the modern game plays better than traditional at this point in time.

[SystemicAnomaly]

Why not? It is not a bad idea to incorporate some classic/traditional stances and stroke mechanics into your game. I teach a mix of classic and modern to my students. I strongly believe that the older, classic style is easier on the body if done correctly. It appears that there are significantly more injuries with modern styles from what I've observed for the past 4 decades.

Players who use a fully open stance on nearly all of their strokes are asking for hip and, possibly, shoulder problems. Hewitt & Kuerten are good examples of this. Federer is a good example of a player who uses a blend of old & new. He will possibly outlast both Nadal & Djoko even tho' he is quite a bit older.

If you learn traditional strokes but also watch a lot of top contemporary players, you will undoubtedly also pick up a lot of the new stuff as well. If not, you could always seek out some modern instruction some time in the future.

[BevelDevil]

If your only choice is being self-taught, you should probably take a few lessons from him and see how it goes.

Also, if you want to be an all-court player, this could be a good thing if he teaches you how to hit flat, penetrating shots.

[Limpinhitter]

Originally Posted by MikeyBigShot

My area has more tennis courts than players, and even fewer tennis pros. I just want to play good recreational tennis and join a league next year. Is there really any good reason why I shouldn't take lessons from a coach who teaches traditional strokes.

His lessons are really cheap $45 for an hour. I'm thinking about taking lessons 2-3 times a week.

Yes, some very good reasons.

You are limiting your upside potential. It's easy to say "I just wanna play good recreational tennis," on a message board. But, when you're in the heat of battle, you just want to win. And, if you are the one who employs modern technique against those who don't, you'll be the one doing the winning. If you are already an accomplished player with old school strokes, that's something else. Speaking from personal experience, changing from old school to modern strokes takes a lot of time and effort. But, if you are a relative beginner, one is no more difficult to learn than the other. If you are not an accomplished player, why spend your time and money learning obsolete technique? That doesn't make sense.

Further, old school technique was developed to succeed with heavy, flexible, wood frames with small heads and a sweet spot barely the size of a tennis ball. Modern racquets are made for modern strokes, light weight, ultra-rigid, huge sweet spots and very powerful. Modern frames do not reward hard flat strokes with small margins for error. They reward heavy topspin strokes with big arcs that clear the net by 5+ feet. You can't play your best tennis with old school strokes and modern frames any more than you can play your best with modern strokes and old wood frames.

[sureshs]

Yesterday as I was waiting for my court, I found a coach teaching his sons on the same court. I noticed some 65 sq inch wood rackets lying around. He said he makes his kids warm up with them. Then he asked me to hit wood to wood with him. Surprisingly, I found it easy and did not miss my usual racket much. I was even hitting forehand and backhand topspin with it. The only thing I pointed out was that there were some harsh vibrations, but he explained the reason for that - there was no grip! He has just wrapped an OG over the handle. I told him he might ruin his kids' learning with these frames, but he said it helps a lot during warm-up by making them focus and avoid bad wrist movements and develop real tennis strokes. Of course their regular frames are modern ones.

I am thinking seriously of switching to 65 sq inch wood full-time. But my problem is not knowing the specs and the grip size. How can I ensure uniformity between the frames without sanding them down or whatever? How can I choose a HL over a HH frame? That is the biggest problem for me. I think I can play quite well with wood.

[Off The Wall]

If it's a matter of traditional or nothing, go with traditional. If it's a matter of money, go traditional. If the modern guy is also an SOB, go traditional. Just take lessons.

[slowfox]

Originally Posted by sureshs

I am thinking seriously of switching to 65 sq inch wood full-time. But my problem is not knowing the specs and the grip size. How can I ensure uniformity between the frames without sanding them down or whatever? How can I choose a HL over a HH frame? That is the biggest problem for me. I think I can play quite well with wood.

Just get pro stock woodies and customize 'em to your liking.

[Roy125]

"I just want to play good recreational tennis and join a league next year."

If this is your goal, there is absolutely no reason why you wouldn't go to that coach. It's not like someone with modern strokes will automatically beat someone who knows only the traditional.

[Larrysümmers]

do you have to wear tennis trousers to practices?

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by slowfox

Just get pro stock woodies and customize 'em to your liking.

That will surely involve making them heavier.

What is a 12 oz strung, 8-10 pts HL strung woodie?

[sundaypunch]

Originally Posted by sureshs

Yesterday as I was waiting for my court, I found a coach teaching his sons on the same court. I noticed some 65 sq inch wood rackets lying around. He said he makes his kids warm up with them. Then he asked me to hit wood to wood with him. Surprisingly, I found it easy and did not miss my usual racket much. I was even hitting forehand and backhand topspin with it. The only thing I pointed out was that there were some harsh vibrations, but he explained the reason for that - there was no grip! He has just wrapped an OG over the handle. I told him he might ruin his kids' learning with these frames, but he said it helps a lot during warm-up by making them focus and avoid bad wrist movements and develop real tennis strokes. Of course their regular frames are modern ones.

I am thinking seriously of switching to 65 sq inch wood full-time. But my problem is not knowing the specs and the grip size. How can I ensure uniformity between the frames without sanding them down or whatever? How can I choose a HL over a HH frame? That is the biggest problem for me. I think I can play quite well with wood.

I would like to see a video of you hitting groundstrokes with noticeable topspin on a wood racquet. That is, without editing out the five shanks in between each solid hit.

[tlm]

Originally Posted by sundaypunch

I would like to see a video of you hitting groundstrokes with noticeable topspin on a wood racquet. That is, without editing out the five shanks in between each solid hit.

He just talks a bunch of BS, he will not even show any video of his strokes with any racket. But is the biggest critic of anyone that does, but I have noticed there are quite a few here that do the same.

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by sundaypunch

I would like to see a video of you hitting groundstrokes with noticeable topspin on a wood racquet. That is, without editing out the five shanks in between each solid hit.

There were no shanks. And I would not say the topspin was great. It was definitely easier on the BH but still doable on the FH.

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by tlm

He just talks a bunch of BS, he will not even show any video of his strokes with any racket. But is the biggest critic of anyone that does, but I have noticed there are quite a few here that do the same.

Still upset that your hero's thread was deleted?

[MikeyBigShot]

Originally Posted by sureshs

That will surely involve making them heavier.

What is a 12 oz strung, 8-10 pts HL strung woodie?

I have a 13 oz, 8 pt HL, 100 sq. in. Prince Woodie sitting in my garage! You can have it for $25 and a video of you playing with it!

[Netspirit]

Learn footwork, slice, serve and volleys with him. Those elements have not changed all that much, and it is still a significant part of the game.