The match with the 12yo is great. The kid just plays tennis.
Battle in the ATL - MEP vs Travler - Part II
- Thread starter travlerajm
- Start date
The match with the 12yo is great. The kid just plays tennis.
Humbi_HTX
Semi-Pro
To survive in 100°F + 70% humidity + sunny conditions, you got to come ready.
I have a chair w/ canopy, a portable rechargeable fan (like for strollers or babies) to cool off during change overs and a gallon of water + nutrients/electrolytes/sugar or equivalent of sorts.
I also use long sleeve cotton shirts and cut off the sleves right after the sweatbands, or 3/4 sleeves like for baseball. A cap + sunglasses. Towels and at least 4 shirts and similar sets of sweatbands.
I have a chair w/ canopy, a portable rechargeable fan (like for strollers or babies) to cool off during change overs and a gallon of water + nutrients/electrolytes/sugar or equivalent of sorts.
I also use long sleeve cotton shirts and cut off the sleves right after the sweatbands, or 3/4 sleeves like for baseball. A cap + sunglasses. Towels and at least 4 shirts and similar sets of sweatbands.
optic yellow
Legend
MEP is just a person who thrives in that time of day then. I understand the type well. He tolerates the hard exposure of the mid afternoon sun much better than the average person and is able to use this to energize himself into evening at a time where other people are starting to fade and lose their sharpness mentally. It is a full leveraging of his unique conditioning advantages. I think the debate around his rating must stem almost entirely from how much unique conditioning advantages such as this should really play into an overall evaluation of someones ability to play the game of tennis that exists independent of environmental conditions. I think that is ideally what an NTRP rating is trying to capture so it would make sense some people are especially bothered by the suggestion that what they see is 4.5 tennis. To his credit it sounds like he is not resting on these laurels but rather continuing to work on his game to develop the weapons those people normally associate with that level so I don't think there is reason for hating on either side.
optic yellow
Legend
Did I say this?You think the jam lost to GSG because of the heat!?
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
For most people, well, we'll see how my thread on conditions go, but conditions don't impact play, come on people. Like I said this year I've played 35-105degres F this year so far, 20-80% humidity, indoors, outdoors, 2 clays, hard, grass, indoor clay and carpet, soft cushiony and hard. I've played at 7 am, noon, 10pm, etc. No big difference in playing ability.
There's endless players from Texas who like myself who played 5-8 hours a day everyday in summer as kids in 100 plus degree weather, no big deal. Humidity, no big deal. This summer I lost about 5-10 pounds each tournament weekend in 105-110 heat index conditions, 30-45,000 steps per weekend. It's just what some of us are used to. It doesn't impact NTRP or playing ability.
I'm sure Atlanta players are all used to it.
90% of the players I know just adapt to whatever, but I am curious about the thread and how bad it is for those who aren't training to play in the heat. I mean it gets hot in Seattle, it gets hot in Denver Co, it gets hot in Chicago in the summer, you can be used to it there too if you are grinding singles events.
There's endless players from Texas who like myself who played 5-8 hours a day everyday in summer as kids in 100 plus degree weather, no big deal. Humidity, no big deal. This summer I lost about 5-10 pounds each tournament weekend in 105-110 heat index conditions, 30-45,000 steps per weekend. It's just what some of us are used to. It doesn't impact NTRP or playing ability.
I'm sure Atlanta players are all used to it.
90% of the players I know just adapt to whatever, but I am curious about the thread and how bad it is for those who aren't training to play in the heat. I mean it gets hot in Seattle, it gets hot in Denver Co, it gets hot in Chicago in the summer, you can be used to it there too if you are grinding singles events.
optic yellow
Legend
Everyone seemed in agreement he was abnormally tolerant of those conditions even for where he lives. While what you say makes sense I am not sure your experience is necessarily fully representative?
travlerajm
Talk Tennis Guru
Some may recall that I addressed the arrogance theory in my other thread.
stringertom
Bionic Poster
Must he abstain from the slime green shade of the color to avoid confusion with the real top player on the Internet?:
Not everyone may understand / apprentice what trav is attempting to do. In the long term, have a 'self propelled" racket that's capable of providing enough energy to send the ball back farthest from the opponent via calculations achieved by technology similar to what's used in self driving cars. The human element will be restricted to carrying the racket around the court, machinery will do the rest. What could go wrong? Weather conditions or the racket technology, correct?
optic yellow
Legend
Do we need to given the score line and one of the players saying he was done before the match even started?
travlerajm
Talk Tennis Guru
Just got off court with @PURETENNISsense .
He is a solid 5.0 ex D2 college player with ITF tournament experience and too much game for me, but at least today I felt more like myself in milder conditions at 8am.
He is a solid 5.0 ex D2 college player with ITF tournament experience and too much game for me, but at least today I felt more like myself in milder conditions at 8am.
This is a senior. Heat and running will affect us oldies much more differently than it will affect you.
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
Nope, I'm probably within 10 years of anyone's age around here, born and raised in the 100 degree heat, heck at one point in my pre-teens it was 100 degrees or more for 45 days in Dallas with no rain, played all day everyday. The heat is like a warm blanket to me. I'm not special, if you grew up in it, it just is what you are used to even if you get older.
SV10is
Rookie
Try Montreal in July. It's an island, so it's really damp and it's similar in the small towns and cities on its south shore. But I think it feels worse than it seem because the temperature swing in a year is insane: some days in the depth of winter, it goes down to -20F, and it can kick up around 95F during the summer 3-4 days at a time. You go from feeling like a sunny 45F in spring is comfortable for shorts and t-shirts to wearing a coat at 55F in the fall.
But, yeah, the humidity is really heavy in Montreal. It's you sweat but never dry heavy fairly often.
At least it's not like Europe last month. Jesus those guys who baking on their patios for weeks.
Guy with the big kick serve here playing troll? You should have told him he has a WTA forehand and does not count.
travlerajm
Talk Tennis Guru
Yes. I think you are right that it is less about age and more about being physiologically acclimated.
You cannot simply train harder in cardio to get better acclimated for heat. There are other physiologic changes that need to occur for your body to be able to withstand heat.
I also believe that growing up as a youngster in the conditions confers an advantage. I say this because of my experience in paraguay. No matter how much I played in the hot conditions, my body reacted to heat differently than a local Paraguayan. On the other hand, when the temperature dropped down below room temp and comfortable tennis weather for me, the Paraguayan teaching pros show up playing tennis in ski parkas and complaining “hace frío”, and I had better chances to pull off upsets.
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
Agreed, it can actually be dangerous to jump in head first depending on where you spent most of your life, to jump into the heat + humidity. But, also, if I recall correctly, you play too much indoors, even Seattle? gets hot outside.
PURETENNISsense
Professional
Love my WTA fh, thanks for noticing haha. The backswing is much smaller now. I've been working on it since this video. Looks less "wta"
I am in Texas too. Been here for about 30 years. Fit and the heat didnt bother me. However last year I was practicing by myself, felt tired and went back to the car and almost blacked out.
Plus these days I can feel the heat much more than years past. 10 years is a big deal. I am 52 and I can feel the difference from even 2 years ago. Even 5 years ago seems like a different lifetime now let alone 10 years ago. Age is not just a number and all of our bodies also react differently as we age.
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
I understand, that's your experience, I'm immune, 4th generation Dallasite, it's just what I am used to, been in the heat my entire life, except for Germany for a little while.
I don’t know your age but what I am saying is that I had the same bravado even as recently as a couple of years ago even as I hit 50. Extremely fit and blessed with a lot of stamina and speed.
Unfortunately Father Time has a way of humbling us all. It might not happen at the same age for everyone, but it does happen.
In his interview with ET, MEP said he grew up in Buffalo, NY - not exactly like Furnace Creek or Death Valley, CA . I guess he has quickly developed the ability to play in hot and humid conditions.
Is that his technique that gives him advantage in conditions that others find hard?
Is that his technique that gives him advantage in conditions that others find hard?
Vicious49
Legend
All of this is so true.
I am in Houston and am playing 3-4 times a week minimum in this heat. I usually try to play in the evenings as I sweat a lot and I don't handle the sun as well. When I was younger, it didn't matter. I would play whatever sport for 5 hours at anytime and be ready to go the next day. When I was a teenager I would even do that while fasting - so no water. As I've gotten older, it's harder for my body in the heat and it's starting to sweat more and more.
I've done a few tourneys this summer which are unfortunately during the day. The first one I did was in May. I actually outlasted 2 high schoolers to make the finals. In that 3rd match against a 12 year old I could barely move and my legs started cramping so I had to call it quits. The most recent one I did was just 1 month ago in mid July. I almost got heat stroke during both of my matches. I finished them but didn't do so well.
I play in the evenings multiple times a week but adding the sun to that mix just made my body temp go up like crazy. Having one of those cooling towels in my bag is the only thing that saved me. One of the HS kids that I lost to told me - 'it gets easier if you train in the sun/heat'. She probably has a point but I have a job and a family. I can't be out there training during the day.
This is not to make excuses for Trav or his game (which I haven;t seen) or say he had a chance against MEP, but I know how he feels about playing in the sun. It is a big factor. It may not hit you every time either, but when it does it's not a fun time.
Vicious49
Legend
I think some folks bodies naturally handle certain things better. In this case his body may not be as adversely affected by the sun and heat as others. Just like some folks handle the cold better. I'd see people in shorts and a hoodie when it was near freezing when I lived in Northern VA. I could never do that but a lot of folks had no issues with it.
ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
Love my WTA fh, thanks for noticing haha. The backswing is much smaller now. I've been working on it since this video. Looks less "wta"
You are actually one of the amazing examples of why the designation of WTA and ATP is absolutely assanign and should not be applied in rec tennis especially. Same as Dill Plays and several other high level players. The idea is a liability for 3.5, 4.0, or even 4.5 players dumbfounds me.
PURETENNISsense
Professional
Well stated my friend! Nice to hear someone stating that openly on here.
This has been the only fh I've known since 9 and served me quite well over my playing years. I've never been told it's a "wta" fh until joining this forum in 2020.
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
I'm not there yet, but sure, everyone is different. I promise you it won't hit me. There's nothing special about me, just genetics, thin, and I'm still playing 6-15 hours a weekend in singles tournaments when I can find them in 18+ category outdoors in 100 degree 80% humidity at a high level. I sincerely don't think I will hit a wall just because my age number changes, my knees or something else will give way first.
Anyway, back to the forum topic at hand, enough about my boring sweaty tennis life....
Bro. Even greats like Federer and past GOATS have not been exempt from thee travails of age and they are better conditioned than you are and have much more acces to medicine and latest technologies as well. So you are not going to be an exception. Believe me when I say 5 years ago even at 47 I would have easily accepted any heat midday match and been pretty sure I could outlast most of the gen pop even high level rec players. So you are not anything special.
Age by itself is not the issue. It is the fact that your body changes as you age. So you can’t separate it by saying my knees might go out first. That is age related and related to wear and tear that you are accumulating today that will catch up at some point.
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
I'm pleased with your concern, I'll check back in mid 50s and let you know how it is going.
I am not concerned about you. Don’t flatter yourself. No need to check back. There is no vindication for me for something that is natural which is Father Time wins every time.
You are a high level player but that doesn’t mean you are exempt from something that affects all humans, which includes players much better than you.
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
Ok, thank you for your input, this message is meant to stop the replies, have a nice day.
Isn't it strange that some folks complain about other folks complaining about their WTA forehand, instead carrying their WTA fh as a badge of honor if it's so good.
The fact of the matter is that some folks claims WTA fh is as good as ATP fh, but they wake up in the middle of the night and start shadow swings to make it look like the compact, high ts ATP fh. It's weird.
You too.
Take age, humidity, heat index into account before setting up the match. Once the match is scheduled and played, just say well done to the opponent and move on. Don't start with a laundry list of excuses why you lost because nobody cares (unless you are the coach or parent of the looser) . Everyone wants to know how the winner won.
Agreed. Which has nothing to do with the post you quoted btw.
LuckyR
Legend
Pros? Ranked 12 year old girls play tennis better than the majority of players (including on this Board).
You might want to read your post that I quoted and edit it if you wanted to convey something else.
Are you talking about he/her 12 year old or she/her?
You might want to read it again. Did I make any excuse for any loss of mine or even trav’s? Can’t help you if your reading comprehension is off.
LuckyR
Legend
Either. 12 year old Nationally ranked girl vs 4.0 man articles show up periodically in the tennis magazines, it's old news.
travlerajm
Talk Tennis Guru
I think whoever invented the name WTA forehand did the tennis world a disservice.
Anyway, I can confirm that I didn’t want much to do with @PURETENNISsense ‘s WTA forehand, and I avoided it whenever possible. He seemed to be able to hit it heavy inside out and short angle crosscourt close to the sidelines with very high reliability.
It was a tongue in cheek comment (in case it wasn't obvious) - PURETennis is an awesome player(and coach) and I bet he was hitting 60MPH fhs to all corners.
Vicious49
Legend
He said 100 degree heat with 80% humidity. Dallas isn't getting anywhere near that so take his posts with a grain of salt knowing there is hyperbole in there. They are usually 10% behind Houston on average in terms of humidity.
Check Humidity in Dallas (TX) by Month | Accurate Insights
Get updates on average humidity in Dallas (TX) by month. From the most humid month, May, to the least humid month, August, know everything
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FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
Vicious49 is a fellow frequent poster, once called me an idiot or something similar and claimed to put me on ignore, so I appreciate his attention to detail and that he still thinks of me fondly, but I've been playing tournaments all over the south lately and not in Dallas. There is no hyperbole, but I will decline to provide weather data for the tournaments I've played this summer in the south. Hope he doesn't get mad at me again, yikes!He said 100 degree heat with 80% humidity. Dallas isn't getting anywhere near that so take his posts with a grain of salt knowing there is hyperbole in there. They are usually 10% behind Houston on average in terms of humidity.
Check Humidity in Dallas (TX) by Month | Accurate Insights
Get updates on average humidity in Dallas (TX) by month. From the most humid month, May, to the least humid month, August, know everything
PURETENNISsense
Professional
Too kind sir! Much appreciated for the nice words!