time_fly
Hall of Fame
This is just an observation I've made watching and playing in our 3.5 and 4.0 leagues. It seems like the guys who try to hit big with modern forehands and two-handed backhands struggle to get over the 3.5 hump, whereas many of our strongest 3.5 and 4.0 singles players use relatively compact eastern forehands and slice backhands. I think the relative simplicity of those strokes reduces the amount of physical effort they take and make it easier to be precise and consistent. Of course if you truly master bigger, heavier shots then you can make it to much higher levels. But mastering that style takes a lot of work and conditioning, and there seems to be this "4.0 valley" where the guys who keep it simple are consistently near the top of the league.
It really struck me the other night watching two courts of singles side-by-side. One was a 3.5 court where the guys were ripping the ball and running around like crazy, but they were average 3.5 league players. The other court had two older guys who looked like they were moving less aggressively and hitting the ball lower and slower, but I happen to know both were 4.0 guys with almost no losses. But thinking it over, I think a lot of our players in our leagues would fit this pattern with their technique versus their levels.
It really struck me the other night watching two courts of singles side-by-side. One was a 3.5 court where the guys were ripping the ball and running around like crazy, but they were average 3.5 league players. The other court had two older guys who looked like they were moving less aggressively and hitting the ball lower and slower, but I happen to know both were 4.0 guys with almost no losses. But thinking it over, I think a lot of our players in our leagues would fit this pattern with their technique versus their levels.