Sorry, but not even close.
Me hitting a few balls (5.5)
- Thread starter tennis_pr0
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Sorry, but not even close.
Cheetah
Hall of Fame
Ok.... I guess I have more to say....
Pause his latest vid at 11 secs. Now look at that.
The butt of his racket is pointing to the ball there but look how high the racket is. it's almost over his head. If you look at pro's at this point where the ball is in relation to the body the racket is down low with butt pointing up at the ball or pointing in line with the ball, not pointing down to it. After this point the OP has to quickly bring the racket down to get it into position. He's able to do it but it's all arm at this point cuz he has very little time to aim, get under and uncoil. The way he brings his racket down from this point looks bad to me. I'm going to have to say that part in the swing (at 11 secs and after) is a technical flaw.
Now everyone don't go hating on me because I've just said it's a flaw. I'm entitled to my opinion and he posted in a tips / instruction forum and it's clear he's not posting to 'offer' any tips or instruction so he must be looking for input.
Pause his latest vid at 11 secs. Now look at that.
The butt of his racket is pointing to the ball there but look how high the racket is. it's almost over his head. If you look at pro's at this point where the ball is in relation to the body the racket is down low with butt pointing up at the ball or pointing in line with the ball, not pointing down to it. After this point the OP has to quickly bring the racket down to get it into position. He's able to do it but it's all arm at this point cuz he has very little time to aim, get under and uncoil. The way he brings his racket down from this point looks bad to me. I'm going to have to say that part in the swing (at 11 secs and after) is a technical flaw.
Now everyone don't go hating on me because I've just said it's a flaw. I'm entitled to my opinion and he posted in a tips / instruction forum and it's clear he's not posting to 'offer' any tips or instruction so he must be looking for input.
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TennisCoachFLA
Banned
True, the definition is as follows:
"5.5 This player is able to execute all strokes offensively and defensively; can hit first serves for winners and second serves to set up an offensive situation; plays well enough to be a top performer at the state high school championship level; is skilled enough to play college tennis on top Division II & III teams."
But most of us still try to guess ratings based on non match play videos, its part of the fun. My only point was that the slow aimless shuffle was kind of funny on a thread that had 5.5 in the title. But as you said, we need to see him in a match.
Why do you put 5.5 in the title then?Very unorthodox BH but it looks effective against the 30 mph ball machine. Would be interesting to see how it holds up against pace/depth.
Not sure why someone would go thru the time/effort to make a video that wasn't showing their best effort.
Good player. I buy 5.0 here, not buying 5.5.
Fugazi
Professional
All I want is to go from possible to believable... I'm not asking his exact results (I have no intention to verify), just to have an idea of his competitive history.
Fugazi
Professional
Again, I don't want to get his name or specific competitive history, just a vague idea at least.
Fugazi
Professional
You're right, it's flawed. The probability of him being able to withstand pressure on his BH does not look good.
bad_call
Legend
where did u get "top Div II & III teams" ? have seen lesser players on the team.
shazbot
Semi-Pro
I can see your backhand being very deceptive. The first backhand you hit, in the first video you posted, I was sure you were going to hit a slice backhand. I was quite surprised when you came over the ball. Looks so odd.
You must be able to nicely disguise your backhand drop shots lol.
You must be able to nicely disguise your backhand drop shots lol.
You are way better than me. I am currently old and 4.25 (4.0-4.5) but played a little 5.0 USTA 25 years ago.
You may want to work on closing the face a bit on your backhand prep as others have said. It is the only thing in your stroke that could be a bit "hitchy" and could possibly cause an issue under extreme pressure. There simply would be less moving bits if you prepared more in line with contact position instead of prepping open and working to closed at contact.
Fed's backhand prep is nowhere near as open as yours.
Also, the point someone made above about working semi-open stance on forehand side is valid advice. You may use semi-open in matches but I saw lots of neutral/slightly closed in video. Semi-open helps with power and recovery as you follow-thru back into the court as you push off right side and momentum carries you back into the court.
I think those 2 pieces of advice could make an improvement in your game if you take them to heart and work on them.
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arche3
Banned
Ntrp is lame for us older guys. I'm 45 now. I have a hard time finding people to play. I play on a 4.0 team sometimes. The team captain did some cookery with my sign up.... I win all the matches I did play. But the opponents were all good and gave me a good workout and a tough match.
I played the lower spots on a D1 California college team 26? years ago. According to usta I'm a 5.5 or higher ? I'm not. Lol. I do think I can make it to the semi of any east coast open Tourneys though before getting pounded by a 20 year old college kid. I'm planning on playing age group 45 ! Maybe win some Tourneys.
I'm still in good shape. No physical issues. In 45's I might be the young guy!
There are so many variables in ntrp it just confuses me. You can't compare a 20 year old to a 45 year old in the same rankings. In college I didn't even know what usta or ntrp was. College tennis was what I did between parties and classes. There were so many guys so much better than me I didn't even care my rankings then. It's hilarious to me all the old dudes now so serious about their ntrp 4.0 ranking. That basically means you can hit the ball over the net I think without tripping.
Even now I can spot an ex junior or college player at the club just by the movement. Hacks move wrong.
We are so far down on the tennis skills food chain here so let's take a moment and gather our selves with that fact. My 10 year old can probably beat 90% of tt posters.
Top D2 and D3 colleges have nobody less than a 5.0 on their team. At ITAs I saw a 4 star freshman from texas playing #3 on a Division III team. And that team isn't even top 10 in the country. For a real team that is capable of ranking in the top 30 or competing in a conference with more than one ranked team, I would say the average is 5.0 with several 5.5s and above. DII is even more extreme with an increase in skill
CDestroyer
Professional
Whats up with the frog squat on the serve?
Ntrp is lame for us older guys. I'm 45 now. I have a hard time finding people to play. I play on a 4.0 team sometimes. The team captain did some cookery with my sign up.... I win all the matches I did play. But the opponents were all good and gave me a good workout and a tough match.
I played the lower spots on a D1 California college team 26? years ago. According to usta I'm a 5.5 or higher ? I'm not. Lol. I do think I can make it to the semi of any east coast open Tourneys though before getting pounded by a 20 year old college kid. I'm planning on playing age group 45 ! Maybe win some Tourneys.
I'm still in good shape. No physical issues. In 45's I might be the young guy!
There are so many variables in ntrp it just confuses me. You can't compare a 20 year old to a 45 year old in the same rankings. In college I didn't even know what usta or ntrp was. College tennis was what I did between parties and classes. There were so many guys so much better than me I didn't even care my rankings then. It's hilarious to me all the old dudes now so serious about their ntrp 4.0 ranking. That basically means you can hit the ball over the net I think without tripping.
Even now I can spot an ex junior or college player at the club just by the movement. Hacks move wrong.
We are so far down on the tennis skills food chain here so let's take a moment and gather our selves with that fact. My 10 year old can probably beat 90% of tt posters.
This is a wise post. It should be stickied for all the keyboard pros on the board.
TennisCoachFLA
Banned
Ntrp is lame for us older guys. I'm 45 now. I have a hard time finding people to play. I play on a 4.0 team sometimes. The team captain did some cookery with my sign up.... I win all the matches I did play. But the opponents were all good and gave me a good workout and a tough match.
I played the lower spots on a D1 California college team 26? years ago. According to usta I'm a 5.5 or higher ? I'm not. Lol. I do think I can make it to the semi of any east coast open Tourneys though before getting pounded by a 20 year old college kid. I'm planning on playing age group 45 ! Maybe win some Tourneys.
I'm still in good shape. No physical issues. In 45's I might be the young guy!
There are so many variables in ntrp it just confuses me. You can't compare a 20 year old to a 45 year old in the same rankings. In college I didn't even know what usta or ntrp was. College tennis was what I did between parties and classes. There were so many guys so much better than me I didn't even care my rankings then. It's hilarious to me all the old dudes now so serious about their ntrp 4.0 ranking. That basically means you can hit the ball over the net I think without tripping.
Even now I can spot an ex junior or college player at the club just by the movement. Hacks move wrong.
We are so far down on the tennis skills food chain here so let's take a moment and gather our selves with that fact. My 10 year old can probably beat 90% of tt posters.
Great post. We just came home from practice, played next to 2 guys who no doubt would consider themselves 4.5s. Then you look on the next court and see the elite class 7 year olds cracking forehands and realize the extreme levels in the tennis world.
In college I had a chance to run against a D-1 NCAA guard named Kenny Wilson, I thought he was a basketball god. Then a few years later I saw this guy about the same size play named Allen Iverson. Levels in sports are mind blowing.
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bad_call
Legend
and is that a direct quote out of NTRP guidelines? think u missed the point...
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ahhh yes I did my bad, I thought you were questioning the level of college players. Sorry for the mix up
tennis_pr0
Semi-Pro
So I realized why my strings were staying u[p like they were, it is because I was holding the strings with my non dominant hand and pushing them up instead of the traditional way of just holding the throat of the racquet. Anyway, I made an adjustment and now am holding the throat of my racquet instead of the strings. I never noticed that I did this before until watching the video many times, and then I realized that was my problem. Here is a short video of the slight adjustment I made. It does feel more reliable this way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIWuAdQbQe0&feature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIWuAdQbQe0&feature=youtu.be
Can we see some match play, or hitting with a living partner. We cant tell much from all your ball machine antics. Are you self rating 5.5 or? Im really curious now after I see. From what I see in your videos though it looks good. Wondering how you will hold up when your reacting and at a faster tempo. Could we see your serves?
tennis_pr0
Semi-Pro
I will post a video the next time I play a match. I am a rated 5.0 player, but I play at the upper 5.0 level.
tennis_pr0
Semi-Pro
no posts from my past critique's.....lol
wings56
Hall of Fame
funny how everyone jumps on the guy who posted the video... have any of you ever actually seen a d1 college match? do you see perfect technique? NO. you see an ability to win. you see guys with weak strokes and strong mental games. you see guys who can glide throughout the court and tear the ball but collapse when trying to close. you see overweight players taking out guys who look fit. you see 'pushers' taking out ranked players. being a 5.5 does not mean you are perfect. it simply means you can compete at a higher level. these reactions just go to show how out of touch the people in this forum are to what that other level of tennis is like.
tennis_pr0
Semi-Pro
Wings, it is because a lot of the posters don't understand this.
tennis_pr0
Semi-Pro
I hit with a guy over the summer, the guy is 56 years old, has a 4.0 serve at best, uses continental on both the forehand and backhand, and his strokes are far, far from perfect. He beat a nationally ranked college player in an open tournament. The college player had better strokes, more power, better movement, but lost convincingly.
wings56
Hall of Fame
i mean it just goes to show how out of touch people are. one of my years in college, our number 1 couldnt move at all. had a horrendous forehand and bad serve technique(he beat a nationally ranked player) , our number 2 would literally shank second serves over the fence (he got second team all conference), number 4 was overweight, number 6 was a pusher. these people would watch their strokes and say "ahhh 4.0 at best" LOL
tennis_pr0
Semi-Pro
I agree. My backhand was flawed slightly, I did realize that after watching the video. I made a slight adjustment so that my strings were not as open so I am not disagreeing that the stroke was slightly flawed. But the idea that your strokes have to be perfect to compete at the higher levels is misunderstood on here. There are many touring pros I could name that have a flaw in one of their shots that still have the game to be top 100 in the world.
The reason people are questioning you is because they see you standing flat footed, straight up and not stepping into your backhand. What they don't see is that the stroke works. By definition, Roddick's serve is hideous, Guga's backhand is hideous and Rafa's forehand is hideous. The ball coming off the strings, however, speaks for itself.
SoBad
G.O.A.T.
wings56
Hall of Fame
You are right, but that is not going to stop us from giving advice or rating him!
touche. good point. haha
Timbo's hopeless slice
Hall of Fame
Well, how could anyone comment? Anytime someone says something he doesn't like, he switches vids!
looks like a solid enough game to me, anyway..
looks like a solid enough game to me, anyway..
tennis_pr0
Semi-Pro
I will put a match play video up in the next week
Brad Gilbert's college coach said in Gilbert's book, "Winning Ugly," that the first time he saw Gilbert play his notes were something like, no forehand, no backhand, weak serve, wins matches.
tennis_pr0
Semi-Pro
i will post point play later tonight!
tennistomcat
Semi-Pro
Op's strokes look pretty solid - especially that forehand swing.
I'm with pvaudio - backhand stroke looks unconventional but i'm sure it's a solid shot. I doubt all of us have textbook, beautiful form on all our shots. I'm sure I've got some weird form on a few of my shots but it gets me by just fine.
Some ppl are just able to win matches no matter how odd their strokes are - I've lost to a few slicer/dicer self-taught looking strokers. Some of these guys are excellent tactitions on the court
I'm with pvaudio - backhand stroke looks unconventional but i'm sure it's a solid shot. I doubt all of us have textbook, beautiful form on all our shots. I'm sure I've got some weird form on a few of my shots but it gets me by just fine.
Some ppl are just able to win matches no matter how odd their strokes are - I've lost to a few slicer/dicer self-taught looking strokers. Some of these guys are excellent tactitions on the court
zapvor
G.O.A.T.
this is the $1million question. it happens to me all the time:twisted:
Lsmkenpo
Hall of Fame
The strokes aren't that bad, but looking at the other links the form on your serve is not very good.
Seems like you are under the impression that just bending your knees equals good form and more power, it does not, your serve looks pretty weak to me, certainly not 5.5 level or the form of a teaching pro.
Bend your knees to coil not to jump up like a frog from a squatting position, which adds nothing to your serve but inconsistency. You would be better off serving with straight legs if you aren't bending to coil.
Do you teach this ridiculous squatting to other players?
Seems like you are under the impression that just bending your knees equals good form and more power, it does not, your serve looks pretty weak to me, certainly not 5.5 level or the form of a teaching pro.
Bend your knees to coil not to jump up like a frog from a squatting position, which adds nothing to your serve but inconsistency. You would be better off serving with straight legs if you aren't bending to coil.
Do you teach this ridiculous squatting to other players?
tennis_pr0
Semi-Pro
This post right here is why I do not post frequently on these forums....The lack of intelligence and ridiculousness of this post is outstanding
I think that he made his post to harshly but is there any possibility he has a bit of a point? It does appear that you squat more than coiling your kinetic chain and might be losing some power? Just my opinion and I could definitely be wrong! I love the racquet speed on your forehand by the way.
I'm not sure after seeing just a few backhands in practice, but I gotta think taking a slice back swing on a topspin shot is gonna rob you of some power and top spin. good news is, your forehand looks real nice. you get good racquet head speed and have a smooth back swing. nice serve too! you get a really deep knee bend.
my advice is that since you have been hitting your back hand that way for a long time, trying to fix it its gonna be brutal. might be easier to go with a 2 hander and then you will have it a complete ground game.
