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TheSlicer
Guest
How I havent tought of this before? I spent years learning a kick serve and all I had to do was serving two first serves!
Does it make sense for recreational players to have a slower serve?
- Thread starter Steady Eddy
- Start date
Steady Eddy
Legend
If you've played for years, and in that time also learned to do kick serves. you're not what I think of as a recreational player.
I tried to learn it for a long time. It was erratic and hurt my arm.
T
TheSlicer
Guest
Of course im a recreational player, i never played even junior tournaments, started playing at 23, now im 32, my Kick serve wouldnt hurt a competitive player, but It works in the tourneys i play, you cant reinvent tennis in that aspect really, the second serve works best if you put spin on it, safer and harder to attack, it takes some time to develop, but that doesnt mean its out of reach from adult learners, also it shouldnt hurt your arm more than a first serve as the spin comes from the wrist and racquet path, its like saying that a top spin forehand isnt worth It because its harder to develop, tennis Is not like soccer where you just play and can develop some skills, Its a Game where you have to learn the strokes
T
TheSlicer
Guest
By the way, honestly i get where youre coming from, i was just being a bit sarcastic, but really, if you dont have the time or dont want to spend money on lessons, obviously you have to use what works best in a match for you, if It is this aproach youre saying, so be It, but developing a decent second serve is always key to keep getting better, doesnt matter that you have good forehand or/and backhand, when you start to play decent oponents theyre always gonna be all over a slow second serve with no spin, so i get that if you dont have a second serve, its not that its better to play it this way, but more like you dont really have a choice, the only way that worked for me was paying for a coach that corrects you LIVE while you do baskets, trying to develop it by yourself can be really bad for some players, some are able to, but i think most adult learners will just get into repeating bad technique to a point where they are training the mistake, and there it can really be hard to start all over.
socallefty
G.O.A.T.
What is your definition of a recreational player? I use it to describe all players who play tennis for fun in their leisure time so that it is not their job or profession. The level can be from beginner to 5.5. They can range from complete beginners to ex-pros and ex-Div 1 college players with UTR all the way up to 11 maybe. Of course I understand that 90% of rec players are below UTR 5, but what about the remaining 10%?
Steady Eddy
Legend
Sorry I didn't define it more concisely. I certainly wasn't thinking of a retired ATP player!
Maybe I should just say 'hacker'? What I see 99% of the time at club or public courts.
socallefty
G.O.A.T.
You should join private tennis clubs and you’ll see a higher level of rec play also. Generally ex-pros, ex-college players, up and coming juniors etc. are all likely to play in private clubs rather than public courts. I’ve played an ex-ATP pro, many ex-pros who played on Satellite/Challenger circuit, an active WTA pro Jurak (ranked in top 10 in doubles) and a whole bunch of ex-college players. Pros like Alex Michelson trained as a junior at my club and other active players come to practice there before pro tournaments in California.
Saw Nakashima beat Cressy in the final of an ATP Futures event held at my club five years ago. There are many UTR Open tournaments held here where active college players including from UCLA, USC etc, play. So, the level you see walking around the courts can be from the occasional 7.0/6.0 visiting, 5.0 players, top California juniors to the rank and file of rec players.
Beginner or intermediate level rec tennis perhaps. imo, the specificity in your OP provides enough context to make a reasonable argument. some folks tend to mix things up invariably.
Polansky was blasting his returns long, because of the respect he had for macD's movement/groundies/passing shots... and maybe his lack of confidence in his ability to cover the net effectively.
