Federer should look to Arnold for inspiration

slicefox

slicefox

Banned
Hey, I honestly think that the problem with Federer these days could easily be fixed if he starts pumping up. Federer never had any physique, the only thing that saved him was his agility and coordination... which are good, but if he puts on a few pounds, it would compliment him nicely.

I'm not saying you have to be Mr. Olympia to play tennis, but strength definitely helps. It would help him move his torso faster, and his wrist/forearm and all that. Mix that in with the excellent federer coordiation and technique, and you'll get yourself a few more slams.

Anyone agree?
 
T

ThugNasty

Guest
slicefox said:
Hey, I honestly think that the problem with Federer these days could easily be fixed if he starts pumping up. Federer never had any physique, the only thing that saved him was his agility and coordination... which are good, but if he puts on a few pounds, it would compliment him nicely.

I'm not saying you have to be Mr. Olympia to play tennis, but strength definitely helps. It would help him move his torso faster, and his wrist/forearm and all that. Mix that in with the excellent federer coordiation and technique, and you'll get yourself a few more slams.

Anyone agree?
Click to expand...
nope. Federer is no by means a weak person. He has really broad shoulders, massive right forearm (that thing is huge!), and muscular legs. I think that's all you need really in tennis
 
D

DJG

Semi-Pro
Not sure I agree - he is fine as-is and it is not like he needs any additional muscle to generate more speed. It may even get in the way...
 
F

fps

Legend
he does all kinds of strength training including wrestling!! he may not be pumped, but every muscle he has is very well honed for his game.

anyone know how much fed weighs? he looks so light on court, bigger upper body would limit him. but people are more worried about whether he's still got the legs, i believe?
 
phoenicks

phoenicks

Professional
OP you really don't know what you are talking about, Federer don't have enough strength??? That's like saying Davydenko ( an excellent mover on court ) need to look Usain Bolt for inspiration.

Federer forehand is one of the most fluid and powerful in the tour, not the most powerful, but he can constantly hit with great pace and angle. What Federer does last year is that His forehand just had more error, and that had more to do with his footwork, speed and aging ( starting ald ). If his timing,footwork and speed is still at 05-07 level, he would of course have lesser error and more winner.
 
TennezSport

TennezSport

Hall of Fame
Well................

phoenicks said:
OP more to do with his footwork, speed and aging ( starting old ). If his timing,footwork and speed is still at 05-07 level, he would of course have lesser errors and more winners.
Click to expand...

While I agree with the fact that Fed is making too many errors these days (kinda like the Fed of pre '03) and his footwork could be better, I do not think it's because of age. Studys have shown that the ages of 25-30/32 are the strongest years for men, so Fed should be at his peak now.

I believe his problem is in his lack of patience and shot versatlity. Fed does not show the variety of shots that he used to and his net work has gotten sloppy compared to 2K5-2K7. I also think that he needs to get back the endurance that he once had (probably lost due to the mono), so that he won't lose patience in longer points.

I always believed that Gil Reyes would make Fed Superman once again as he did for Agassi at the end. If Fed can get those things back in his game and cut out the errors, we may see one last ride of magic tennis.

Cheers, TennezSport :cool:
 
l_gonzalez

l_gonzalez

Professional
TennezSport said:
While I agree with the fact that Fed is making too many errors these days (kinda like the Fed of pre '03) and his footwork could be better, I do not think it's because of age. Studys have shown that the ages of 25-30/32 are the strongest years for men, so Fed should be at his peak now.

I believe his problem is in his lack of patience and shot versatlity. Fed does not show the variety of shots that he used to and his net work has gotten sloppy compared to 2K5-2K7. I also think that he needs to get back the endurance that he once had (probably lost due to the mono), so that he won't lose patience in longer points.

I always believed that Gil Reyes would make Fed Superman once again as he did for Agassi at the end. If Fed can get those things back in his game and cut out the errors, we may see one last ride of magic tennis.

Cheers, TennezSport :cool:
Click to expand...

Loving your racquet and string set-up by the way, gotta try out that spiky shark.

I agree with the Gil Reyes thing, you can never work too hard off the court. I personally don't agree with those that say that Fed is in the best shape he can be to play tennis, he could be in better shape. Lose a few pounds around the stomach area and definitely get a stronger upper body. I don't believe that working out and getting some muscles (within reason of course) is gonna hamper the fluidity of his strokes. It didn't happen to Agassi and he was stacked in the latter part of his career, Guy could bench over 300lbs and as far as i can remember, his groundstrokes were still sweet.

Having said all that, i don't believe Federer's problem is that he isn't in good shape. I think that physically, he is in good enough shape to beat everyone on tour, his movement is is still great.

His problem is mental. I don't see that look in his eyes, that arrogant i'm-better-than-you-and-i'm-gonna-beat-you-without-even-breaking-sweat look. It's almost like he doesn't have that blind faith in his strokes, he no longer believes he is gonna make every one of those ridiculous shots that came so naturally to him for years. Self-doubt, call it what you will. It's mental. And until he is big enough to accept that and hire a damn coach on a full-time basis, i can't see how he is gonna get back to his best.

When i watched Fed play all those matches between 03-07, i always believed he was gonna win the rally, make the shot, and just generally do something out of this world.

Now when i watch him, it's like i'm waiting for that mis-hit, that shank, that easy forehand in the net, that passing shot that just doesn't quite clip the line, that easy volley that clips the tape and doesn't go over.

Gotta say that at the US Open 08 he got it back though. Maybe he just can't keep it up all year round and we'll see flashes of brilliance instead of utter domination, but then again what the hell do I know...
 
TennezSport

TennezSport

Hall of Fame
Agreed...............

l_gonzalez said:
Loving your racquet and string set-up by the way, gotta try out that spiky shark.

I agree with the Gil Reyes thing, you can never work too hard off the court. I personally don't agree with those that say that Fed is in the best shape he can be to play tennis, he could be in better shape.
His problem is mental. I don't see that look in his eyes, that arrogant i'm-better-than-you-and-i'm-gonna-beat-you-without-even-breaking-sweat look.
When i watched Fed play all those matches between 03-07, i always believed he was gonna win the rally, make the shot, and just generally do something out of this world. Now when i watch him, it's like i'm waiting for that mis-hit, that shank, that easy forehand in the net, that passing shot that just doesn't quite clip the line, that easy volley that clips the tape and doesn't go over.
Gotta say that at the US Open 08 he got it back though. Maybe he just can't keep it up all year round and we'll see flashes of brilliance instead of utter domination, but then again what the hell do I know...
Click to expand...

Completely agree and nice racquet by the way :wink:

When players stay with Fed he gets impatient and goes for a low percentage shot for a winner and then his belief suffers. This is a common problem when someone has been #1 for so long. The level of concentration is impossible to keep up; just ask any former #1. That is another reason that made Fed special, as he did this for more time than anyone in Tennis history. We may never see that again.

Cheers, TennezSport :cool:
 
Sentinel

Sentinel

Bionic Poster
haha, i thought this was about the mental aspect, iirc Arnold lost a title or 2 and then came back to win.

anyway, I am sure Mirka would be pleased if he put on some beef on those bones ;-)
 
slicefox

slicefox

Banned
man, I don't know what you guys are talking about. Federer is nowhere near a strong person, and his forearm is weak as well as his backhand. They are accurate and precise, but weak. That's how people are able to return his shots, he doesn't have enough power.

Federer has no arms, no abs, and maybe a bit of legs but he could use more training there too.

And as far as Davydenko, i don't think he's fast either, the poor guy looks like he has cancer. He's still one of my fav players though.

And in case you're wondering, I don't think Nadal is buff. Sorry, he's a poser, not ripped.:shock:
 
phoenicks

phoenicks

Professional
slicefox said:
man, I don't know what you guys are talking about. Federer is nowhere near a strong person, and his forearm is weak as well as his backhand. They are accurate and precise, but weak. That's how people are able to return his shots, he doesn't have enough power.

Federer has no arms, no abs, and maybe a bit of legs but he could use more training there too.

And as far as Davydenko, i don't think he's fast either, the poor guy looks like he has cancer. He's still one of my fav players though.

And in case you're wondering, I don't think Nadal is buff. Sorry, he's a poser, not ripped.:shock:
Click to expand...

fail.jpg
 
1st Seed

1st Seed

Professional
Im with you

slicefox said:
Hey, I honestly think that the problem with Federer these days could easily be fixed if he starts pumping up. Federer never had any physique, the only thing that saved him was his agility and coordination... which are good, but if he puts on a few pounds, it would compliment him nicely.

I'm not saying you have to be Mr. Olympia to play tennis, but strength definitely helps. It would help him move his torso faster, and his wrist/forearm and all that. Mix that in with the excellent federer coordiation and technique, and you'll get yourself a few more slams.

Anyone agree?
Click to expand...

Big time!
If he hit the gym and put on some more lean muscle mass ,he honestly be more dangerous.He is way to weak.He wouldn't need to play at 40lbs tension.Might be able to generate his own pace.Beef up those arms and chest more confidence.Did wonder's for Murray, Hewitt,
With those arms he 's lucky he can hold that stick.Not a big fan incase you have'nt noticed.
 
N

NamRanger

G.O.A.T.
TennezSport said:
While I agree with the fact that Fed is making too many errors these days (kinda like the Fed of pre '03) and his footwork could be better, I do not think it's because of age. Studys have shown that the ages of 25-30/32 are the strongest years for men, so Fed should be at his peak now.

I believe his problem is in his lack of patience and shot versatlity. Fed does not show the variety of shots that he used to and his net work has gotten sloppy compared to 2K5-2K7. I also think that he needs to get back the endurance that he once had (probably lost due to the mono), so that he won't lose patience in longer points.

I always believed that Gil Reyes would make Fed Superman once again as he did for Agassi at the end. If Fed can get those things back in his game and cut out the errors, we may see one last ride of magic tennis.

Cheers, TennezSport :cool:
Click to expand...



Peak for a normal person vs Peak for a tennis player is completely different.
 
veroniquem

veroniquem

Bionic Poster
slicefox said:
Care to explain why?

Or are you just one of those weak kids who think nadal is "beefed"?
Click to expand...
Hum this is tennis we're talking about, not bodybuilding. A tennis player should be strong but also fast and agile, there would be no advantage for him to be hulk-like.
 
veroniquem

veroniquem

Bionic Poster
TennezSport said:
While I agree with the fact that Fed is making too many errors these days (kinda like the Fed of pre '03) and his footwork could be better, I do not think it's because of age. Studys have shown that the ages of 25-30/32 are the strongest years for men, so Fed should be at his peak now.

I believe his problem is in his lack of patience and shot versatlity. Fed does not show the variety of shots that he used to and his net work has gotten sloppy compared to 2K5-2K7. I also think that he needs to get back the endurance that he once had (probably lost due to the mono), so that he won't lose patience in longer points.

I always believed that Gil Reyes would make Fed Superman once again as he did for Agassi at the end. If Fed can get those things back in his game and cut out the errors, we may see one last ride of magic tennis.

Cheers, TennezSport :cool:
Click to expand...
Maybe the years 27-32 (I say 27 because that's Fed's age) are the best years for men in general but in tennis, it's not the age when most players get their best results
 
phoenicks

phoenicks

Professional
slicefox said:
Care to explain why?

Or are you just one of those weak kids who think nadal is "beefed"?
Click to expand...

yea, federer should train himself to have abs of michael phelps, bicep, forearm and triceps of WWE fighter, and after that he would overpower nadal in FO to get a calendar slam to finally cement his status as GOAT, woohooo :roll:
 
paulorenzo

paulorenzo

Hall of Fame
slicefox said:
man, I don't know what you guys are talking about. Federer is nowhere near a strong person, and his forearm is weak as well as his backhand. They are accurate and precise, but weak. That's how people are able to return his shots, he doesn't have enough power.

Federer has no arms, no abs, and maybe a bit of legs but he could use more training there too.

And as far as Davydenko, i don't think he's fast either, the poor guy looks like he has cancer. He's still one of my fav players though.

And in case you're wondering, I don't think Nadal is buff. Sorry, he's a poser, not ripped.:shock:
Click to expand...


funny how federer weighs the same as nadal and outweighs murray, there must be some muscle on federer's weak, little body somewhere in order to amount to that . ahha.

i think you are disillusioned by what you see on television. federer is a 6'1', broad shouldered, strong-legged tennis machine with a cannon of a right forearm(comparatively speaking). he may not be as bulky as other players, but he is certainly not weak.
 
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T

tata

Hall of Fame
Fed is definitly not weak.He has pretty big and strong forearms which is why he is able to wave that heavy K6.1 for a 5 set match without having his arms about to fall off.
 
M

morten

Hall of Fame
Mick said:
andy murray isn't exactly mr muscle and he beat both nadal and federer.
Click to expand...

One can be very thin AND very strong!!! Stich...Korda was not big, but could play...He actually said he lost his timing, especially his backhand when he tried to pump iron for a while... Doping did too btw ;)
 
slicefox

slicefox

Banned
That too.


And apparently some people here have never lifted iron in their lives, and they think you curl a dumbbell 3 times and you'll become the hulk himself: you get so huge you can't bend your arms because the muscle gets in the way.

Yeah right, try going to a gym for once and you'll see that for each 100lbs of strength you get, you'll have added 0.25 inches in radius to your chest. It's never bad for you.
 
B

Beasty54

Rookie
slicefox said:
man, I don't know what you guys are talking about. Federer is nowhere near a strong person, and his forearm is weak as well as his backhand. They are accurate and precise, but weak. That's how people are able to return his shots, he doesn't have enough power.

Federer has no arms, no abs, and maybe a bit of legs but he could use more training there too.

And as far as Davydenko, i don't think he's fast either, the poor guy looks like he has cancer. He's still one of my fav players though.

And in case you're wondering, I don't think Nadal is buff. Sorry, he's a poser, not ripped.:shock:
Click to expand...


haha I dont know if you have seen Nadal in person but he is built like a linebacker. And for Federer not having enough power? are you joking? His forehand is one of the best in the game. He doesent hit exploding balls like a Gulbis or Berydch but his forehand has definatly got some pace. And when he needs to he can flatten out and utterly destroy the ball.
 
1st Seed

1st Seed

Professional
Beasty54 said:
haha I dont know if you have seen Nadal in person but he is built like a linebacker. And for Federer not having enough power? are you joking? His forehand is one of the best in the game. He doesent hit exploding balls like a Gulbis or Berydch but his forehand has definatly got some pace. And when he needs to he can flatten out and utterly destroy the ball.
Click to expand...

Nadal is a big boy,As far as Fed,needs more lean muscle mass.String your sticks at 45lbs you'll have pace to.Weight training is in Fed's best interest.
 
B

Beasty54

Rookie
1st Seed said:
Nadal is a big boy,As far as Fed,needs more lean muscle mass.String your sticks at 45lbs you'll have pace to.Weight training is in Fed's best interest.
Click to expand...

I didnt say hitting the wieghts would be bad for Federer, but that guy was saying that he didnt hit the ball hard. I actually think if Fed bulked up enough to gain a bit more power but didnt sacrifice his movement it could be a big advantage.
 
U

unprotennis

New User
slicefox said:
man, I don't know what you guys are talking about. Federer is nowhere near a strong person, and his forearm is weak as well as his backhand. They are accurate and precise, but weak. That's how people are able to return his shots, he doesn't have enough power.

Federer has no arms, no abs, and maybe a bit of legs but he could use more training there too.

And as far as Davydenko, i don't think he's fast either, the poor guy looks like he has cancer. He's still one of my fav players though.

And in case you're wondering, I don't think Nadal is buff. Sorry, he's a poser, not ripped.:shock:
Click to expand...

please take that back.:???:

i think you were drunk when you posted that.
 
V

VictorS.

Professional
It's impossible for me to know how much Federer truly dedicates himself to off-court training. He certainly doesn't look out of shape. However, from appearances alone he did appear a bit lighter & chiseled in like 2003-2005. I mentioned this in an earler thread but I think Kobe Bryant is a great example. It was a couple seasons ago. During the offseason he shed 20lbs to get down to 200lbs. There's no doubt that the next few seasons, his athleticism was on-par with any other time in his career. I just know that the older you get, the more important the training component becomes. There's no reason why a guy in his late 20s can't dominate a sport like tennis. Agassi is the blueprint for late career success. I agree....you gotta hit the gym.
 
0d1n

0d1n

Hall of Fame
This is great. Just another internet wannabe telling one of the GREATS what he should do in order to improve his game when he has the WORLDS BEST in any physical and tennis related specialty to choose from for help.

It's like me starting to tell Federer, "hmmm your toss is a little low on the serve, you don't have enough extension on your backhand ... and c'mon Roger ...WATCH THE BALL and HIT IT OUT IN FRONT".
Pfffffffffffff
 
Sentinel

Sentinel

Bionic Poster
0d1n said:
This is great. Just another internet wannabe telling one of the GREATS what he should do in order to improve his game when he has the WORLDS BEST in any physical and tennis related specialty to choose from for help.

It's like me starting to tell Federer, "hmmm your toss is a little low on the serve, you don't have enough extension on your backhand ... and c'mon Roger ...WATCH THE BALL and HIT IT OUT IN FRONT".
Pfffffffffffff
Click to expand...
I;ve written him telling him to use a granny stick if he wants to get anywhere this year. I have yet to hear from him.
 
S

swedechris

Banned
fed is in no need of bulk. he needs to work on speed , stamina and footwork if anything is missing there.. like running up hills + jumping rope. he doesnt need get any bigger. what he needs is a few lucky breaks when he has breakpoints and those he can make for himself . lay off the guy ..
 
slicefox

slicefox

Banned
lifting weight improves a person in all those areas. You have never lifted properly and routinely in your life, so you don't know what weight training does to you.

And for all of you who think that nadal is big and buff and federer is too, then I'll have to tell you that you have a small ****. I don't understand how kids think they can be pussies and still "own" at a sport. Get real. :shock:
 
N

Noveson

Hall of Fame
slicefox said:
lifting weight improves a person in all those areas. You have never lifted properly and routinely in your life, so you don't know what weight training does to you.

And for all of you who think that nadal is big and buff and federer is too, then I'll have to tell you that you have a small ****. I don't understand how kids think they can be pussies and still "own" at a sport. Get real. :shock:
Click to expand...

Slice Fox
"Hey I totally agree with the Original Post. I"m also sick of these pussies who stand at the baseline and do the topspin hits exclusively. It's like if tennis was an imbalanced game."

"Want to do something useful? Lift weights."

There's more: http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/search.php?searchid=4506769

Anybody else fast finding this tiring?



Anyway since I intend this post to actually be relevant. I feel like muscle mass is not going to help Federer. His agility and power are just going to go with age, it happens to everyone. Muscling the ball is not the answer for him.
 
*Val*

*Val*

Semi-Pro
He shouldn't bodybuild and look to Arnold for inspiration, but I think it'd benefit him to take up some weightlifting. If he did squats, deadlifts and maybe cleans there's no question he would impove his strength and become more explosive.

There's no need to start curling because arms don't equal strength. Nadal has big arms which help, but he's probably quite strong overall.
 
l_gonzalez

l_gonzalez

Professional
The real question should be:

Is Federer in the best possible physical shape HE can be in to play tennis?

My answer would be no. He could be in better shape. You can flame me all you want, but it's my personal opinion.

Nadal has squeezed every last ounce of physical strength and endurance from his body.

I know people are gonna say that they have different body types and what not, we've all heard it before.

The bottom line is that Federer could be in better physical shape.
 
C

caulcano

Hall of Fame
l_gonzalez said:
The real question should be:

Is Federer in the best possible physical shape HE can be in to play tennis?

My answer would be no. He could be in better shape. You can flame me all you want, but it's my personal opinion.

Nadal has squeezed every last ounce of physical strength and endurance from his body.

I know people are gonna say that they have different body types and what not, we've all heard it before.

The bottom line is that Federer could be in better physical shape.
Click to expand...

I agree......
 
West Coast Ace

West Coast Ace

G.O.A.T.
slicefox said:
And as far as Davydenko, i don't think he's fast either, the poor guy looks like he has cancer.
Click to expand...
Stop, man! You're killing me! Nothing like a good 'cancer' blast! :)

slicefox said:
Davydenko... He's still one of my fav players though.
Click to expand...
Nice of you. Cancer patients need all the compassion they can get...

slicefox said:
... I don't think Nadal is buff. Sorry, he's a poser, not ripped.:shock:
Click to expand...
Did you see the movie 'Hancock'? Go up to Rafa and call him a 'boyp*ssy' and 'poser' - I predict you will end up like the black guy in the prison scene. Or Rafa will rupture all his knee ligaments laughing at you...
 
slicefox

slicefox

Banned
Nobody fights like that in real life. It's a movie.

That's exactly what I'm talking about. A bunch of couch potato kids telling me weight lifting doesn't help. If you are ripped yourself and can tell me that you've not experienced an improvement in your game as a result of lifting, then I'll give some credit to your argument. Otherwise, uh...no!
 
O

oneleggedcardinal

Guest
West Coast Ace said:
Did you see the movie 'Hancock'? Go up to Rafa and call him a 'boyp*ssy' and 'poser' - I predict you will end up like the black guy in the prison scene. Or Rafa will rupture all his knee ligaments laughing at you...
Click to expand...

If I had a nickel for every time someone called me that...
 
paulorenzo

paulorenzo

Hall of Fame
slicefox said:
Nobody fights like that in real life. It's a movie.

That's exactly what I'm talking about. A bunch of couch potato kids telling me weight lifting doesn't help. If you are ripped yourself and can tell me that you've not experienced an improvement in your game as a result of lifting, then I'll give some credit to your argument. Otherwise, uh...no!
Click to expand...

bro, weight lifting does help. i can rep 200 with ease and i can outpower all of the fast dudes that i play with easily. but it doesnt mean i can out play them. get it?

fed's game might get better if he conditions his fast twitch muscles and and muscle endurance. lean, not bulk. maxing out and adding bulk is not going to help. at all.

but above all, your arguement pretty much FAILED when you called nadal a poser. i bet you rafa can generate more racquet head speed than you, even while hitting a flat shot, all the while at the same time beating you at windsprints. probably even after squating 400 lbs. no one in their right mind questions nadal's physical explosiveness as a tennis player.
slicefox said:
And in case you're wondering, I don't think Nadal is buff. Sorry, he's a poser, not ripped.:shock:
Click to expand...
 
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Pwned

Pwned

Hall of Fame
l_gonzalez said:
The real question should be:

Is Federer in the best possible physical shape HE can be in to play tennis?

My answer would be no. He could be in better shape. You can flame me all you want, but it's my personal opinion. Agreed.

Nadal has squeezed every last ounce of physical strength and endurance from his body. No.

I know people are gonna say that they have different body types and what not, we've all heard it before.

The bottom line is that Federer could be in better physical shape.
Click to expand...
. .
 
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