Have you been served Humble Pie?

PimpMyGame · Sep 23, 2011

In addition I have been served humble pie in doubles many times by retired gentlemen. Too many to count, but fortunately it doesn't happen too much now.

The world seems to be full of these guys who just know how to play you at doubles.

purge · Sep 24, 2011

well what could be more humbling for a young man or woman than getting their asses handed to them at sports by someone who could be one of their grandparents?

saguar0 · Sep 25, 2011

TBH, I think this is awesome.
When this happens to me, I just keep thinking that I hopefully play like them when I am the same age

jdubbs · Sep 26, 2011

This is a good post. First, having the guts to post a losing match. Second, for showing, in practice, a classic pusher who can't move well.

I used to have problems with these types of players doing the same thing you did, hitting the ball right up the middle to their sweet spot, and letting them dictate play. They'd kill me with drop shots, lobs, off-speed slices.

I took some lessons and really started learning how to hit with power and dictate play by not letting the ball drop too low when returning a drop shot, improving my fitness to grind when necessary, and really learn how to put hard topspin that they couldn't handle. And improving my overhead immensely.

corbind · Oct 2, 2011

I've watched this video maybe four times now. Every time I turn on my computer it plays. I'm very impressed with the old man. To me he seems to have a strange baseline strokes. Is it because he's swinging slow and the motions are in slow motion?

Nevertheless, that old man ruled the court using what he knows and the shots he's comfortable with. Imagine if that guy had the body of a 30-year-old. I think he'd cause some people quit tennis after being served humble pie....

rjw · Oct 2, 2011

classic video....thee's hope for me...lol

Timbo's hopeless slice · Oct 2, 2011

It's a brilliant video! There is an older guy who looks and plays EXACTLY like that at our club, Leon is his name. He even has the beard! I love how these guys just effortlessly pick up the deep shots to the BH on the half volley, no problem at all and it lands neatly a foot inside the baseline...

rjw · Oct 2, 2011

I'm no spring chicken, but I play with a guy who's 3 or 4 years my senior (63) and it's tough to get anything past him.

I've changed my strokes, more compact swing , hit late, etc. So, if I execute correctly, I can catch him flat footed and take away a few precious fractions of a second that he needs to anticipate and execute.

It's a BIG if...at times.....

jdubbs · Oct 3, 2011

I was served some humble pie this weekend in a league doubles match. The 2 guys we played were decent 4.0's, but I'm "almost" a 4.5 in singles and figured with me any my weaker 4.0, we could take them.

We won the first set 6-3. I wasn't serving particularly well, and lost games on my serve, but was very good at net and my partner was solid.

We then lost the next 2 sets without winning a single game. I was so embarrassed by the end. And didn't win a single game on my serve.
So frustrating. I took it out in a singles match the next day where I played great and served well, so at least I had that going for me.

But I really gotta improve my volleying!

I'm definitely a 4.0 doubles player and not improving much. "maybe" 4.5 in singles but we'll find out for sure in a few weeks at my first 4.5 tourney.

Backhand DTL · Oct 3, 2011

We've all been there! The guy knows where to hit the ball and just won't give you anything for free.

snark · Oct 4, 2011

Amazing! I play a guy who plays and looks just like that. I have not lost to him recently, he relies on his drop shot too much (actually, it is outstanding, but becomes predictable), and can be overpowered, but if you relax just a little bit, he would kill you.

Beats many young players here. It's fun, when they come in confident, thinking it would be an easy game against the old guy

86golf · Oct 7, 2011

You keep watching, thinking that I'm going to win some more points, but it keeps playing out the same way!

More folks should post videos of their humble pie. A long drawn out text story of how you played your A game but some 94 year old guy with a wooden racquet kept sending your deep ww topspin groundies back and won 56-54 in the third set tiebreaker; just doesn't have the same impact of seeing it live.

dizzlmcwizzl · Oct 8, 2011

Unfortunately, few folks video tape and even fewer would take the time to set up a camera when you think you are going to demolish the opposition. By the time you realize you should be recording this for further humiliation you have already eaten your pie.

Spin Doctor · Oct 9, 2011

Great video! Kudos to you for posting it and even editing it to show your losing points.

Funny that some here consider the old man a pusher. To me, he is not a pusher at all. Dude is crafty and was hitting the right angles at the right time and going for shots when he saw an opportunity. T

tennismonkey · Oct 9, 2011

the video posted by 86golf is a really nice example of the crafty older player. not a pusher though. he has some junky slices for sure but can hit winners and passing shots when needed. just really good command of the ball. also funny to see him not moving between shots AT ALL.

Bhagi Katbamna · Oct 9, 2011

Amazing vid. That guy just knows where and how to hit the ball to cause the greatest chance of error from the opponent.

Off The Wall · Oct 11, 2011

That old guy did one thing really well that 86golf didn't: split step. Old guy had a true split step at the correct time and always hustled to split step at the correct place.

On the other hand, 86golf might do a little hop, but frequently brought one foot down and then the other (which commits you to only one direction),...and that only after old guy had made contact. At least once, 86golf didn't split step at all. (That was the 2nd to last point. Old guy lobbed while 86golf was closing on the net to put away an easy volley we was sure was going to happen.)

Another instance of thinking he had ended the point prematurely was at 1:55. 86golf hit a short forehand CC. 86golf stood and watched old guy run after it. Only when he realized old guy was going to hit it back did 86golf move to cover old guy's DTL. Too late.

So, take a tip from old guy. Study his hustling recovery back to the middle and his effective split step.

LeeD · Oct 11, 2011

Problem here is that I see "old guy" as a solid 4.0 while his younger opponent is a weaker 4.0 without strategy or a good game plan to make the old guy look old.
Old guys usually have some tennis experience, but maybe not the legs or eyesight to compensate for short angles or weird spins.
Younger guy here basically just hit the ball medium pace and expects old guy to miss, while old guy moves youngster around probing for weak points.

GRANITECHIEF · Oct 11, 2011

Great example of how to make a good tennis video. Excellent perspective to see how the point develops and also the vertical aspects.

Hopefully I can be cool and school some young whippersnappers like that old guy in a few years!

LeeD · Oct 11, 2011

Not that I"m at your level, but last year, I was schooled by a 67 year old who was going to the finals of the local 65's. Too bad he's quicker than me, faster, and in better shape. He said he was a pretty solid 4.0, me a falling 4.0.
No matter where you go, if you look hard enough, there's someone bigger, faster, and more skilled.

chollyred · Oct 12, 2011

How about EVERYWHERE I go?!

GRANITECHIEF · Oct 12, 2011

I got served humble pie big time last nite by my own kid, who only allowed me 2 games. I guess all that effort, all those late nite practices, all that driving to tournaments, all that $$, etc.. makes a pretty good and bittersweet pie. I guess i shouldn't be too bummed, he is a bluechip.

LeeD · Oct 12, 2011

You shoulda took the lessons WITH him, rather than ferrying him to the courts so he can learn and prosper.
Buncha old timers I play with have/had kids playing Div1 on both coasts, probably more than 4 guys. The old timers still play the old way, eastern flat strokes, turn sideways, and very inflexible strategy.
Their kids play like they belong in the top 300, which 3 of them did at one time.
Always fun when the kids show up at the RoseGarden, where they are king beyond dispute, and it's always great fun to try to take a point from them in doubles. No chance in singles, of course.

GRANITECHIEF · Oct 19, 2011

My boy just served all his opponents in a Mens Open Draw a large serving of Humble Pie, capturing his first Open division title, at the tender age of 15.

I don't feel as bad about my pie now, HAHAHA!

tennismonkey · Oct 19, 2011

that's not humble pie granite. that's a healthy heaping of pride pie. grats to you and your boy!

anantak2k · Oct 21, 2011

My god... does that old guy miss a single shot the entire match? 0 errors it seems. :shock:

Have you been served Humble Pie?

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