Pro Player Models

[PhrygianDominant]

I have recently discovered Juan Carlos Ferrero as a stroke model for me to follow. Sadly he has recently retired. Other posters have talked about his serve as a good model, but his backhand and forehand seem very good as well. My previous or other models are Safin, Agassi, Federer, and Sampras, albeit at different times when I was focusing on different strokes. I also changed my service stance and backhand, obviously.

Who are your models? What entails a good model? Do you factor in body type or playing style? Both?

[boramiNYC]

1hbh almagro
E fh Fed
footwork Fed
volleys sampras and edberg and Fed
serve almagro and Fed and sampras

[PhrygianDominant]

Yay, who else? Also why? Why that player and not another?

[sunof tennis]

Originally Posted by PhrygianDominant

I have recently discovered Juan Carlos Ferrero as a stroke model for me to follow. Sadly he has recently retired. Other posters have talked about his serve as a good model, but his backhand and forehand seem very good as well. My previous or other models are Safin, Agassi, Federer, and Sampras, albeit at different times when I was focusing on different strokes. I also changed my service stance and backhand, obviously.

Who are your models? What entails a good model? Do you factor in body type or playing style? Both?

For forehands and one-hand backhands, I like Tommy Haas. His strokes are simple, clean and repeatble. Look, we all would like to have Fed's forehand, but that is not likely to happen. For two-handed backhands, I would likely choose Djokovic

[julian]

Originally Posted by boramiNYC

1hbh almagro
E fh Fed
footwork Fed
volleys sampras and edberg and Fed
serve almagro and Fed and sampras

You will find a lot of European coaches saying that volleys by Federer
are very much inferior comparing to Sampras and Edberg
I believe there was an article last year at TennisOne making a similar claim

[Larrysümmers]

Daveeed Ferrerrr. We are the same body style and i think hes just a cool dude.

[PhrygianDominant]

Originally Posted by sunof tennis

For forehands and one-hand backhands, I like Tommy Haas. His strokes are simple, clean and repeatble. Look, we all would like to have Fed's forehand, but that is not likely to happen. For two-handed backhands, I would likely choose Djokovic

I think Tommy Haas is a perfect groundstroke model for players with a one handed backhand. I forgot to mention in my OP that his was the backhand I was modelling my onehander after before I switched.

Originally Posted by julian

You will find a lot of European coaches saying that volleys by Federer
are very much inferior comparing to Sampras and Edberg
I believe there are was an article last year at TennisOne making a similar claim

If you only had to have one player Federer might be a good choice, but I agree that his volleys are not as great as some posters on this board would have you believe. On his forehand volley his shoulders are parallel to the net and he slices his backhand volley too much. I like Rafter for volleys, because of that Jeff Salzenstien tip, "keep your head close to your head"...

Originally Posted by Larrysümmers

Daveeed Ferrerrr. We are the same body style and i think hes just a cool dude.

I hope you're not copying that wonky backhand!

[dominikk1985]

Originally Posted by sunof tennis

For forehands and one-hand backhands, I like Tommy Haas. His strokes are simple, clean and repeatble. Look, we all would like to have Fed's forehand, but that is not likely to happen. For two-handed backhands, I would likely choose Djokovic

yes. haas has beautiful strokes. Fed too but his FH is quite complicated and not many can pull that off. most are better of with a conventional double bend FH. Feds serve however is very simple and repeatable I would copy it.

I also second copying novak. very simple and repeatable strokes.

(well I think copying strokes is stupid and nobody who copied a pros stroke ever got past 5.5 but if you have to do it take the ones that were mentioned).

[boramiNYC]

Originally Posted by julian

You will find a lot of European coaches saying that volleys by Federer
are very much inferior comparing to Sampras and Edberg
I believe there are was an article last year at TennisOne making a similar claim

there are too many different variables to compare between Fed and the old era, I would take those coaches opinion with a small grain of salt. one is they used large grips, Fed uses a very small grip. they believed firm wrist on everything, Fed has very fluid wrist on everything. I see lots of other differences but wouldn't go as far as saying Fed s volley is inferior. he uses volleys very effectively when he chooses to, better than most current pros who play baseline game mostly. his footwork is second to none historically which is a big part of volley technique.

[boramiNYC]

Originally Posted by dominikk1985

yes. haas has beautiful strokes. Fed too but his FH is quite complicated and not many can pull that off. most are better of with a conventional double bend FH. Feds serve however is very simple and repeatable I would copy it.

I also second copying novak. very simple and repeatable strokes.

(well I think copying strokes is stupid and nobody who copied a pros stroke ever got past 5.5 but if you have to do it take the ones that were mentioned).

critical difference bw haas and Fed, SW and E. if ones using SW and tries to copy Fed>won't work as the copying gets better and better. one using E copy haas same thing. it's best to know well about your game and style and also learn a lot about the player to copy.

Feds fh is not that complicated for someone using E and trying to max the spin. for someone using SW it's impossibly complicated.

also when copying, mixing up is unadvisable, like Djok upperbody and grip with Feds footwork and stance.

sorry a lot of these are not directed at you,dominik.

[dominikk1985]

Originally Posted by boramiNYC

critical difference bw haas and Fed, SW and E. if ones using SW and tries to copy Fed>won't work as the copying gets better and better. one using E copy haas same thing. it's best to know well about your game and style and also learn a lot about the player to copy.

Feds fh is not that complicated for someone using E and trying to max the spin. for someone using SW it's impossibly complicated.

also when copying, mixing up is unadvisable, like Djok upperbody and grip with Feds footwork and stance.

sorry a lot of these are not directed at you,dominik.

I agree. that's why I'm against copying strokes but learning the fundamental biomechanical priciples.

many guys try to copy players and get lost in unimportant things like where the wrist points, how wide your stance is in the serve... and miss the important points. I'm sure no current pro learned by copying other guys. they just learned to play tennis and developed their own style.

[julian]

Originally Posted by boramiNYC

there are too many different variables to compare between Fed and the old era, I would take those coaches opinion with a small grain of salt. one is they used large grips, Fed uses a very small grip. they believed firm wrist on everything, Fed has very fluid wrist on everything. I see lots of other differences but wouldn't go as far as saying Fed s volley is inferior. he uses volleys very effectively when he chooses to, better than most current pros who play baseline game mostly. his footwork is second to none historically which is a big part of volley technique.

I have said that "...volleys by Federer
are very much inferior comparing to Sampras and Edberg"
I did NOT say "Fed s volley is inferior."
It is a bit of a difference in spoken English

[boramiNYC]

whoa, what do you mean?

[rodrigoamaral]

davydenko 2008.. amazing game for his size and physique

[julian]

Originally Posted by boramiNYC

whoa, what do you mean?

A linguistic difference on a top of the merit
Basically immaterial because the quoted opinion was not mine

[julian]

Originally Posted by dominikk1985

I agree. that's why I'm against copying strokes but learning the fundamental biomechanical priciples.

many guys try to copy players and get lost in unimportant things like where the wrist points, how wide your stance is in the serve... and miss the important points. I'm sure no current pro learned by copying other guys. they just learned to play tennis and developed their own style.

Dimitrov because of Lundgren
---->
Playing style

Dimitrov is an all court player with a heavy emphasis on baseline play. He plays right-handed and employs a single-handed backhand. He considers the backhand down the line as his favorite shot and his favorite surfaces are hard court and grass.[1] Despite this he has had notable success on clay courts as well. His game has been often compared to Roger Federer's (earning him the nickname "Baby Fed") due to the similarity in their ground strokes, particularly off the backhand side. He manages to duplicate the fluid motions of Federer's forehand, backhand, serve and volley with relative ease, and has shown himself capable of performing shots that continue the comparisons between him and Federer. Dimitrov has stated however that he would like people to appreciate his game to himself and not Federer. Despite his recent improvement several areas, some people[who?] believe his movement and balance needs to be improved if he wants to reach the top of the game. His return of serve has also been cited as a weakness. His own serve has improved in the recent months, and is consistent and powerful, lacking a little bit in precision. His speed and hustle is quite remarkable from someone his age, but is noted that with his poor balance he is often falling over himself, running past balls and with an eagerness to reach every ball; tires himself out quickly.
--->from Wikipedia

[efete]

Hi have never tried to have strokes like a pro.. I love how federer plays, but I cant do what he does.. big surprise there.. haha

but what I find usefull for me, its to look for pro players that have the strokes more similar to my own strokes.. and try to make small adjustments from them.. even if they are not my favorite players..

for example..
for my forehand. I use nalbandian as a model..
for my backhand I use for example to albert costa
for my serve.. its a mix between boris becker (body) and fernando gonzalez (arm)

I recorded my own strokes and then started to look for the pros slow motion videos on youtube.. and I selected the players that I can think my strokes can naturally improve if I take them as models for some details...

[boramiNYC]

Originally Posted by dominikk1985

I agree. that's why I'm against copying strokes but learning the fundamental biomechanical priciples.

many guys try to copy players and get lost in unimportant things like where the wrist points, how wide your stance is in the serve... and miss the important points. I'm sure no current pro learned by copying other guys. they just learned to play tennis and developed their own style.

agree copying is over done. but observing pros technique is such an essential part of improving ones own technique I believe. as you say it's best to study anatomy and biomechanics but it sounds daunting and to most tennis is supposed to be fun. it all depends how serious one is about improving. in any case I'd encourage watching pros.

[PhrygianDominant]

I have always said that one should look at what all the pros do, not just one. Although that is easier said than done. However, copying the pros is super fun, and I think it ultimately helps, even if it reaches the point of diminishing returns.

[5263]

Originally Posted by rodrigoamaral

davydenko 2008.. amazing game for his size and physique

I like him for Fh as well, but Novak's Bh, Sampras serve, and I like Nadal's volleys and slices

I like Fed for all around and movement/balance, but no individual stroke and think Fed's volley is
way overrated in general.