So my friend perfectly summed up tennis for first time players
- Thread starter sonicare
- Start date
I agree with #3. It's about natural coordination. I was serving high percentage kick serves that clearly bounce right 2 months after playing. I didn't had a coach (or FYB yet). It was through watching videos of pro players. When I started watching FYB, I realized the fundamentals they teach were already in place in my serve. For someone who's not a natural athlete (geared towards tennis), the fundamentals have to be practiced through many months, but if you naturally do things right and learn it fast, it's an entirely different time frame.
HunterST
Hall of Fame
Even if you're athletic, you're still pretty bad. I mean the game doesn't stop being all about errors until a very, very high level of play.
user92626
G.O.A.T.
I have to say that tennis is quite an advanced sport. It's a lot more technical than, say, soccer, water polo, bowling... It's not easy to learn as you play and expect to be decent. Even pro's have to drill over and over.
The problem is compounded by the fact that no recreational player ever approach the sport correctly. In a way it's like learning to drive. First, you gotta understand all the concepts, rules and laws and then spend time to practice actual hands-on.
I'd say that if you understood all the technicalities of all the strokes first, which shouldn't be hard with a proper coach, then spent months to drill the shots and played matches with evaluation, you'd easily become what I would consider 4.5 or beyond after a year.
The problem is compounded by the fact that no recreational player ever approach the sport correctly. In a way it's like learning to drive. First, you gotta understand all the concepts, rules and laws and then spend time to practice actual hands-on.
I'd say that if you understood all the technicalities of all the strokes first, which shouldn't be hard with a proper coach, then spent months to drill the shots and played matches with evaluation, you'd easily become what I would consider 4.5 or beyond after a year.
Certainly a smart player with great athletic skills can learn to HIT at the 4.5 level after a year of concentrated tennis, no doubt.
But most 4.0's would almost breadstick him in a real pressure match.
Huge difference between hitting like a 4.5 and playing matches like a 4.5.
But most 4.0's would almost breadstick him in a real pressure match.
Huge difference between hitting like a 4.5 and playing matches like a 4.5.
HunterST
Hall of Fame
Absolutely true. That's one of the big reasons people see a video of 4.5s hitting and say "Oh, I must be a 4.5 too!"
user92626
G.O.A.T.
Again, I think you're talking about recreational (however dedicated), non-coach hackers.
If you put an athletic 16 years old together with a good coach and train like a pro does for a year, I doubt he'll lose to a 4.5!!!!
Nope, I'm talking about the most athletic and dedicated person, big and strong, quick and fast, smart and ingenious would still lose to a tournament tough 4.0 if he only played one year.
The game is not anything close to just hitting. A tough 4.0 has seen 5.5 pace on all shots, knows gamesmanship, knows how to win and when to hit hard or hit soft.
A newbie can only hit the ball, and knows little about what goes on inside the mind of a competitive player.
The game is not anything close to just hitting. A tough 4.0 has seen 5.5 pace on all shots, knows gamesmanship, knows how to win and when to hit hard or hit soft.
A newbie can only hit the ball, and knows little about what goes on inside the mind of a competitive player.
True, proper shot selection is very key to the game. knowing when to turn defense to offense is one key aspect of great tennis players both pros and recreational ones
pyrokid
Hall of Fame
This would be HIGHLY unlikely. The kid would have to be something of a prodigy. Either you vastly underestimate 4.5s or you greatly underestimate the amount of time necessary to get things down.
Maybe if you have a 16 year old who was just meant for the sport, but not any average athlete.
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dozu
Banned
I am a 3.5
you get a 16 year old train with a good coach for 1 year... I will beat him with my left hand, with 1 eye blind folded.
maverick66
Hall of Fame
I know a kid that picked up the sport at 16 and went on to play at a d2 school. So that isnt exactly a true statement you made there.
one year in the kid was playing top 3 at a private school that is highly ranked in the state and winning rounds in USTA jrs. He was not your normal player but your statement is just incorrect.
Remember, huge difference in playing college or junior tourneys compared to playing 4.5 tourneys.
Experience and the willingness to slice, dink, drop, lob, to WIN is more important in 4.5 than great strokes with nice topspin and pace.
Variety can trump pure youthful power at that level.
Experience and the willingness to slice, dink, drop, lob, to WIN is more important in 4.5 than great strokes with nice topspin and pace.
Variety can trump pure youthful power at that level.
dozu
Banned
the key word is 'athletic'.... what type of previous athletic background that can be leveraged for tennis.
if the kid has been doing track and field, then the skill is mostly useless, other than the ability to run all day on the court.
but if the kid has been playing soccer, or basketball, or pingpong/badminton/racketball, then he's really not starting from scratch.
maverick66
Hall of Fame
I would put money at the time of him beating some 4.5 players at tournament. Not saying he would win the entire thing but he would have easily given them all a tough match.
You said show me a 16 yo that is playing for only a year and I will beat him with my left hand. You never said a word about backround. You can try and spin it as much as you want but your statement was incorrect.
Mav, do you have a player in mind? Or is this purely hypothetical.
You've read all the threads on here about how tough a slice is to return with pace and placement. Then you read about really high balls to the forehand and the backhand. Then approach shots don't come in one year, neither does placement whys and why nots. And can anyone learn all the groundies, serves, returns of serves, and still learn volleys IN ONE YEAR.
I THINK NOT.
You've read all the threads on here about how tough a slice is to return with pace and placement. Then you read about really high balls to the forehand and the backhand. Then approach shots don't come in one year, neither does placement whys and why nots. And can anyone learn all the groundies, serves, returns of serves, and still learn volleys IN ONE YEAR.
I THINK NOT.
maverick66
Hall of Fame
I do have a player in mind as he was a friend growing up. Sorry cant give his name as that just isnt cool to give peoples names over the internet.
He was big, strong, and consistent. He was lucky to be friends with alot of good players that were willing to hit with him as a favor and made leaps and bounds with his play. He went from being a pusher trying to stay in points to really hitting the ball fast. He was confident and played his heart out every training session. It is not hypothetical at all.
He was big, strong, and consistent. He was lucky to be friends with alot of good players that were willing to hit with him as a favor and made leaps and bounds with his play. He went from being a pusher trying to stay in points to really hitting the ball fast. He was confident and played his heart out every training session. It is not hypothetical at all.
maverick66
Hall of Fame
maybe soccer. but no racket sport.
And that doesnt matter. You said any 16 yo. Not ones with backrounds in sports.
And that doesnt matter. You said any 16 yo. Not ones with backrounds in sports.
maverick66
Hall of Fame
Ok he can play for a good d-2 tennis program but cant ever beat a 4.5. 
Seriously leed sometimes you suck.
Seriously leed sometimes you suck.
Doubt he plays FOR the Div11 school. He might be on the team. He might even play doubles.
Very weak school with a weak team and no depth.
I might suck, but I know there's no 1 year tennis player who can play at the 4.5 tournament level. He could play as a favor to him, so he might get better, but he doesn't deserve his spot until he can beat all the players below him.
Very weak school with a weak team and no depth.
I might suck, but I know there's no 1 year tennis player who can play at the 4.5 tournament level. He could play as a favor to him, so he might get better, but he doesn't deserve his spot until he can beat all the players below him.
maverick66
Hall of Fame
He played. And the team wasnt the best one but far from the worst.
maverick66
Hall of Fame
Has nothing to do with me. someone stated they could beat a 16 yo with left hand if he only played for 1 year. And that was an incorrect statement.
dozu
Banned
now, with words like 3.5 and left hand and 1 eye blind fold, and you can't tell it's a joke.... gee you gotta loosen up a bit.
soccer is a transferrable sport for tennis... the footwork is the same... the kinetic chain is the same to generate power on the kick.... the body/eye coordination is there to track the soccer ball from a pass.
dozu
Banned
Ok he can play for a good d-2 tennis program but cant ever beat a 4.5.
Seriously leed sometimes you suck.
all D-2s are not created equal... 4.0s can play D2.
Venetian
Professional
I agree with mav here. For some reason people on this board seem to think tennis is much harder than it actually is. For someone who's athletic and has good hand-eye coordination it shouldn't take that long to get to the 4.0+ level. Quite a few kids on my high school team went on to play at decent colleges with only 2 or 3 years playing time. Some people just pick things up easier than others.
Maybe people here think it's so much harder because they tend to relentlessly analyze every minuscule biomechanical detail of every stroke.
Maybe people here think it's so much harder because they tend to relentlessly analyze every minuscule biomechanical detail of every stroke.
Generally true..
Exceptions would include someone with extraordinary amount of money and time.. OR
Someone with a strong racquet sports backaround. For example I was lucky enough to take some squash lessons from a guy who was ranked #18 in the world and one point. So he was a legit squash pro.. (sadly nowdays our club has run of the mill ex college players who couldn't even give this guy a game)...
Anyway he could handle most 4.5 players despite not really playing tennis regularly simply because he was an extraordinary athlete with tremendous hand eye coordination..
I think baseball players would crossover pretty well too - and probably have huge serves and big forehands with very little coaching and practice time needed
Exceptions would include someone with extraordinary amount of money and time.. OR
Someone with a strong racquet sports backaround. For example I was lucky enough to take some squash lessons from a guy who was ranked #18 in the world and one point. So he was a legit squash pro.. (sadly nowdays our club has run of the mill ex college players who couldn't even give this guy a game)...
Anyway he could handle most 4.5 players despite not really playing tennis regularly simply because he was an extraordinary athlete with tremendous hand eye coordination..
I think baseball players would crossover pretty well too - and probably have huge serves and big forehands with very little coaching and practice time needed
splitbouncehit
New User
I've been playing for a year now, and I feel that I have finally arrived at being terrible. However, if I had had more opportunities to hit with better players over the past year, I know I would be much better. Regularly playing with people who are better than you is just such a great learning tool.
5263
G.O.A.T.
I was sitting here reading these and getting a chuckle at the exact point you are making here, lol.
Djokovicfan4life
Legend
LOL at the serious posts. Loosen up guys, drinks are on me. 4 maximum, Lee, you're crazy enough already.
Frank Silbermann
Professional
Those take even more than 20 years to acquire.
mucat
Hall of Fame
And it will take another 10 years to realize that.
Bender
G.O.A.T.
Truer words have never been spoken
