If Nadal were a righty ...

avoker

New User
what do you think his past achievements would have been with all his other merits: extreme top spin, mental toughness, movement...
 

tennishead93

Semi-Pro
sorry, i mean its kinda getting annoying the way ppl are making threads about if federer were a left, nadal was righty, etc.
 

saram

Legend
sorry, i mean its kinda getting annoying the way ppl are making threads about if federer were a left, nadal was righty, etc.

and don't forget the one handed backhand that federer should convert to a 2HBD. And that Rafa should have a one-hander. etc., etc., etc. glad you mentioned it, cuz I'm tired of them as well....
 

roysid

Hall of Fame
The fact that Nadal being a lefty gives him so much advantage. They are
- He always plays right handed players. But for the rest, they have to adjust their game after playing right handed guys in the rest of their matches.
- He wouldn't have troubled Federer with him topspin forehand to Fed's backhand. Fed could easily handle his forehand with his forehand. And Fed would slice his backhands which Nadal would find difficult to handle with his double handed backhand.
- He won't be able to slice serve to opponents backhands. His serve would be easier to break.
 

fednad

Hall of Fame
The fact that Nadal being a lefty gives him so much advantage. They are
- He always plays right handed players. But for the rest, they have to adjust their game after playing right handed guys in the rest of their matches.
- He wouldn't have troubled Federer with him topspin forehand to Fed's backhand. Fed could easily handle his forehand with his forehand. And Fed would slice his backhands which Nadal would find difficult to handle with his double handed backhand.
- He won't be able to slice serve to opponents backhands. His serve would be easier to break.

You are absolutely right there - he does have a very big advantage because he is lefty.
Having agreed with you, I also agree with other posters who call such discussions pointless because these "if's" are just hypothetical. Fact is he plays lefty and other players have to face it that way.
It's like saying what "if" Pistol Pete did not have the serve he had. Point is he had that serve and serve is a part of game. So be it.
 

Shinpachi222

New User
It doesn't matter if people talk about Federer being a lefty, because he is a natural righty and plays as such. Now, if NADAL were to go righty and obey his natural side, I don't think he would play as well (at this point). Maybe he's got some kind of weird sport gene that runs in some players that lets them become not just ambidexterous, but an opposing hand player.
 

scaramanga

New User
More likely it will make a big difference, some people are not bothered by
lefties, some are. And I believe Fed belongs to the latter case.

I played leftites, the feels are a lot different, you simply lost the "touch"
of the ball. In addition if a huge spinning ball flying high to your back hand,
it is very difficult to return. I do not believe Fed figured this out yet, and is Nadal's wining factor.
 

Bassus

Rookie
Then he'd probably have a bigger serve. His righty forehand would probably be as good or better, but his backhand would suffer, which would in turn hurt his spectacular defensive ability when running down balls on the backhand side.

As it relates to Federer, his biggest tactical advantage would be gone, since he would be unable to put as much pressure on Federer's backhand. It would change things dramatically, and I think they'd be almost even on clay, with Federer winning one or two of their French Open encounters.
 

fgzhu88

Semi-Pro
i hate to admit but his uncle is pretty dam smart to raise him as a right turned lefty
1. there's a lot fewer lefties on tour
2. his natural rightiness will give him a really good and reliable 2hbh

obviously so long as there are a lot more righties than lefties then lefties who hit great crosscourt topspin do have a slight advantage
 

Benhur

Hall of Fame
The fact that Nadal being a lefty gives him so much advantage. They are
- He always plays right handed players. But for the rest, they have to adjust their game after playing right handed guys in the rest of their matches.

The theory that left-handed players have a significant advantage as described above would necessarily imply that the percentage of left-handed tennius players be significantly higher than their representation in the general population. That is not the case as far as I know.

- He wouldn't have troubled Federer with him topspin forehand to Fed's backhand. Fed could easily handle his forehand with his forehand. And Fed would slice his backhands which Nadal would find difficult to handle with his double handed backhand.

Everything a lefty can do to a right-handed, the right handed can do to the lefty. Federer's forehand is even more wicked than Nadal's. Federer can blast forehands crosscourt to Nadal's backhand. Nadal tends to avoid going to Federer's forehand. Federer could try to do the same. Additionaly, Nadal's best shot is arguably his inside-out forehand. If he were a righty, he could use that to hit to his opponents backhand. On and on.

- He won't be able to slice serve to opponents backhands. His serve would be easier to break.

What the lefty can do on the ad court, the righty can do on the deuce court.
If they were both right handed, then you comment would apply equally to Federer's serve. He would not be able to slice Nadal wide on the deuce court. Advantage cancelled.
 

Benhur

Hall of Fame
What the lefty can do on the ad court, the righty can do on the deuce court.

One more thing regarding the ability to slice the serve wide to your opponents backhand in a game between different-handed players. The right-handed player enjoys an actual advantage in that particular aspect in the sense that games *start* from the deuce court. Therefore more points in a match are from the deuce court than from the ad court. This is so because every time a game ends after 40-15, one more point has been played from the deuce court than from the ad court.
 

Andres

G.O.A.T.
Benhur, you're wrong in your approach.
It's true, everything Nadal can do as a lefty, Federer can do it as a righty, but the brain takes a little while to process the info of the ball spinning in the other direction around.

Your brain is used to a ball kicking to your forehand, so it sends a signal: MOVE TO YOUR RIGHT!

When a ball kicks the other way, to your backhand, the brain initially says: WAIT... WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!? And it takes a bit of time to re-adjust again.

And of course, the % problem. You only face 10% of the players who slice serves outwide to the backhand. You have to take some time to adjust.

Lefties DOES have an advantage, you want it or not.
 

Andres

G.O.A.T.
One more thing regarding the ability to slice the serve wide to your opponents backhand in a game between different-handed players. The right-handed player enjoys an actual advantage in that particular aspect in the sense that games *start* from the deuce court. Therefore more points in a match are from the deuce court than from the ad court. This is so because every time a game ends after 40-15, one more point has been played from the deuce court than from the ad court.
Dude, what about BP (30-40) and Adv? Usually, the most important points are played on the ad court, whee the lefty has the advantage.
 

Benhur

Hall of Fame
Benhur, you're wrong in your approach.
It's true, everything Nadal can do as a lefty, Federer can do it as a righty, but the brain takes a little while to process the info of the ball spinning in the other direction around.

Your brain is used to a ball kicking to your forehand, so it sends a signal: MOVE TO YOUR RIGHT!

When a ball kicks the other way, to your backhand, the brain initially says: WAIT... WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!? And it takes a bit of time to re-adjust again.

And of course, the % problem. You only face 10% of the players who slice serves outwide to the backhand. You have to take some time to adjust.

Lefties DOES have an advantage, you want it or not.

Okay, Adres, I've heard this many times. I wonder if the statistics bear it out. If what lefties have a significant advantage, there would have to be a significant difference in the percentage of left-handed tennis pros than the percentage of left-handed people in general. I have never seen any statistic bearing this out, so I assume the advantage, if any, must be insignificant.
 

Benhur

Hall of Fame
Dude, what about BP (30-40) and Adv? Usually, the most important points are played on the ad court, whee the lefty has the advantage.

Add court points are important. But the point that got you there is just as important. Without it you would not have gotten there.

In any case, it is an undeniable fact that tennis is set up so that more points are started from the deuce court than from the ad court. This is a very important fact. EVERY game that ends after 40-15, ends with three points served from the deuce court, and two points served from the ad court. Games that end in any other way, end with an equal number of points served from each side. If you agree that in a lefty vs righty match, the lefty has the advantage on the ad court and the righty on the deuce court (because they can pull them wide and out of position), then you have to concede the guy who enjoys this advantage on the deuce court is in a better position. Therefore the right-handed player has a real advantage in this sense. That's how I see it anyway.
 

Breaker

Legend
Add court points are important. But the point that got you there is just as important. Without it you would not have gotten there.

In any case, it is an undeniable fact that tennis is set up so that more points are started from the deuce court than from the ad court. This is a very important fact. EVERY game that ends after 40-15, ends with three points served from the deuce court, and two points served from the ad court. Games that end in any other way, end with an equal number of points served from each side. If you agree that in a lefty vs righty match, the lefty has the advantage on the ad court and the righty on the deuce court (because they can pull them wide and out of position), then you have to concede the guy who enjoys this advantage on the deuce court is in a better position. Therefore the right-handed player has a real advantage in this sense. That's how I see it anyway.

The difference is that righties are not used to the lefty spin in the ad court, while lefties are familiar with the righty spins in the deuce court because 90% of their opponents are right handed. That gives left handers an easier time returning in the duece court then right handers in the ad court.
 
Last edited:

Benhur

Hall of Fame
EVERY game that ends after 40-15, ends with three points served from the deuce court, and two points served from the ad court. Games that end in any other way, end with an equal number of points served from each side.

I meant to say 40-15 OR 15-40, of course.

I don't have any statistics, but a reasonable guess is that maybe 20% of games end that way.
 

Benhur

Hall of Fame
The difference is that righties are not used to the lefty spin in the ad court, while lefties are familiar with the righty spins in the duece court because 90% of their opponents are right handed. That gives left handers an easier time returning in the duece court then right handers in the ad court.

Yes, but by the same token all players need a few games to get used to the range and spins of their opponents serve. They are all different. When a player knows his or her next opponent is a lefty, they can get a lefty hitting partner to serve to them before the match, and they often do. In any case, being pulled wide from a different-handed opponent is not something you can do a lot about. If he hits it right, you WILL be out of position after the return, no matter what.

From this perspective, the fact that maybe 20% more points are played from the deuce court than from the ad court gives a very real advantage to the righty, I think.
 
Top