Full Time Tennis!!

dunlop kid

dunlop kid

Semi-Pro
Hey guys i just turned 18 and ive just gotta finish school b4 i start doing full time tennis.

My aim is to get an ATP ranking, which i know is quite hard but with the right training regiem anyone can do it.

So i was just wondering if anyone had a full time program that they could tell me like how many hours hitting, fitness etc per day?

thanks guys
 
I agree with going to college.

College coaches are very helpful with strokes and strategy (well at least mine is). Plus, you can get an education in some science or something worth doing after you retire.

I chose Biochemistry. It helps a lot with tennis because I have some medicinal advantages the other players don't in the pre-match phase. The worst player I got was a guy who was a strict rule man, but he was studying law so I saw it coming, hehe.
 
Get a coach, preferably one that has played in the ATP, and ask him. I have a coach here in texas who's a top player in the 50's division and was was top 100 in the world.

He'll do one of 3 things.
1. Start a schedule for your tennis/working out.
2. He'll change your mind set to more of a realistic goal (college).
3. He'll laugh at you.

You won't go far without a coach, a good coach (as in someone who's had experience or trains good players, not your local tennis coach at the recreational level). Almost guaranteed, unless you have godly skills past which anyone has ever seen.

Be prepared to spend $$$.
 
Hey guys,

sorry to open an oldish thread, but i was just wondering if their were any other players on here training like 4 hours a day?If so what is your training schedule?

thanks guys
 
With respect,

If the goals stated in your initial post remain the same, the environment you need to be in is not available to you, i.e. high level coaching and almost more importantly, national/international high level competition day in/day out.

To your last: 1 hr. of on court "practice" is sufficient with proper organization moving from skill to skill performed at your highest intensity.

Off-court physical training (myriad examples can be found with searches here and in the Health section)

Practice match play mostly against that high level competition I refered to above.

Periodic but regular tournament play.

5
 
If you really have pro level potential, then I think going out for a good college team is a really good idea. Go for a nice scholarship.

There are a lot of guys who are really good that don't make it on the pro tour. I've seen quite a few play in the local challenger. Many of them have spectacular talent, but it takes a lot of other skills to make it on the tour. The roster of a few NFL teams has more players that make a decent living than the entire ATP tour does.
 
Get enough of a good sponsor and they'll help you get there.
 
Parker512 said:
Get enough of a good sponsor and they'll help you get there.
Click to expand...

Sorry to burst your bubble, but no.

First of all, sponsors give you gear, not coaching. The sponsorships that are available are just preferred player packages, which is a fancy way of saying "discount". They will not provide coaches or resources for you, only equipment, because they know most junior players won't make it big. However, they can use these juniors to market while they can and make some money.

Second, sponsors are not everything. Tennis is about playing the sport and not getting sponsorships. If you have a discount/preferred player package and go around saying that it's a sponsorship but you have no game, nobody's going to care.

Third and most importantly, if you even want a sponsor, you have to be good. If you want to be good, you have to have prior experience and coaching. Not the other way around. Skill comes first, sponsors come later.

You cannot just go to Mantis or Solfire or Dunlop and say, "I want a package and coaching because even though I don't have a lot of experience I'm going to make it big". They want proof that you have game. So stop worrying about sponsors and worry about the important thing-your tennis.
 
Well, I think it takes a lot more than most think - both on and off court. There are places where one can go to develop, if that's a good word/term to use here. But be ready to work hard and hit thousands of balls, probably in the 4-5 hours/day category and around 2000 balls plus. Good luck.

Now, everyone says go to college and get good coaching and and education at the same time. I agree to a point but many players do not have the qualifications to do this and just are not eligible for NCAA competition. They either have not completed adequate high school training, not finished high school, don't have acceptable grades or testing, and so forth.
 
TheOneHander said:
Sorry to burst your bubble, but no.

First of all, sponsors give you gear, not coaching. The sponsorships that are available are just preferred player packages, which is a fancy way of saying "discount". They will not provide coaches or resources for you, only equipment, because they know most junior players won't make it big. However, they can use these juniors to market while they can and make some money.

Second, sponsors are not everything. Tennis is about playing the sport and not getting sponsorships. If you have a discount/preferred player package and go around saying that it's a sponsorship but you have no game, nobody's going to care.

Third and most importantly, if you even want a sponsor, you have to be good. If you want to be good, you have to have prior experience and coaching. Not the other way around. Skill comes first, sponsors come later.

You cannot just go to Mantis or Solfire or Dunlop and say, "I want a package and coaching because even though I don't have a lot of experience I'm going to make it big". They want proof that you have game. So stop worrying about sponsors and worry about the important thing-your tennis.
Click to expand...

sorry, did'nt make it clear a private sponsor not a tennis company. Just someone who was rich.
 
if you aren't already at a level to compete with D1 college players, it's way too late for you to think that you can start now.
 
^^^

Exactly. Even if he had a rich relative who understood college/pro tennis very well, they just wouldn't give money to the OP. He's 18, a legal adult in the US, and if he hasn't shown promise by now, nobody will want to "sponsor" him.

Parker, tennis is not all about people giving stuff to you. You will not get free equipment, coaching, and other neccessities from sponsorships if you cannot play. Nobody is going to give you things, and sponsorships are not the point of tennis. Winning matches is the point of tennis in a competitive setting, so for now, forget about the sponsorships. Make your name in tennis not through sponsorships but through your game and hard work, because nobody's going to give you things. You have to work for it.

OP, how long have you been playing? A good training regimen alone cannot guarantee you ATP points. There are many intangibles-mental fortitude, understanding of the game, knowledge of the opponent, tenacity, and most importantly, experience. Not everybody has what it takes to make it on the tour. Even Devin Britton, who plays D1 college tennis and won the NCAA title in 2009, is floating around 800 right now. What are your goals for tennis? How long have you been playing? It's not going to be an easy ride, but I sincerely wish you the best of luck with your goals! :)
 
dunlop kid said:
Hey guys i just turned 18 and ive just gotta finish school b4 i start doing full time tennis.

My aim is to get an ATP ranking, which i know is quite hard but with the right training regiem anyone can do it.

So i was just wondering if anyone had a full time program that they could tell me like how many hours hitting, fitness etc per day?

thanks guys
Click to expand...

If only it were that easy, good luck though

If all you want is an ATP point then find a job, save up about $5000 and go to places like eastern Europe. Bribe the tournament director ($5000) and get a main draw wild card into a Challenger event. Lose 6-0, 6-0. There's your ATP point
 
Last edited:
tennis_balla said:
If only it were that easy, good luck though

If all you want is an ATP point then find a job, save up about $5000 and go to places like eastern Europe. Bribe the tournament director ($5000) and get a main draw wild card into a Challenger event. Lose 6-0, 6-0. There's your ATP point
Click to expand...

You should do that.
 
TheOneHander said:
^^^

Exactly. Even if he had a rich relative who understood college/pro tennis very well, they just wouldn't give money to the OP. He's 18, a legal adult in the US, and if he hasn't shown promise by now, nobody will want to "sponsor" him.

Parker, tennis is not all about people giving stuff to you. You will not get free equipment, coaching, and other neccessities from sponsorships if you cannot play. Nobody is going to give you things, and sponsorships are not the point of tennis. Winning matches is the point of tennis in a competitive setting, so for now, forget about the sponsorships. Make your name in tennis not through sponsorships but through your game and hard work, because nobody's going to give you things. You have to work for it.

OP, how long have you been playing? A good training regimen alone cannot guarantee you ATP points. There are many intangibles-mental fortitude, understanding of the game, knowledge of the opponent, tenacity, and most importantly, experience. Not everybody has what it takes to make it on the tour. Even Devin Britton, who plays D1 college tennis and won the NCAA title in 2009, is floating around 800 right now. What are your goals for tennis? How long have you been playing? It's not going to be an easy ride, but I sincerely wish you the best of luck with your goals! :)
Click to expand...

Your right. But i know some wierd creepy people who would just throw money away like that i dont know them personally.
 
Mate by 17/18 in Australia, if you're going to get invites to futures or satellites or whatever you atleast need to be top 60 or so in the country.

A guy that's from my area has recently played his first ATP tournament, got smashed in the first round too but it earned him 1000 national points.

He's being coached by Sandon Stolle and has been for a couple of years.

Good luck.
 
Hey Armsty,

whats the guys name cos im from Australia?

Also to other guys, i am not just starting off, and ive got good coaches, and just started hitting with guys that are ranked top 100 in Australia, so im not a noob, like some of you are suggesting.

BTW thamks for replies
 
tennis_balla said:
If only it were that easy, good luck though

If all you want is an ATP point then find a job, save up about $5000 and go to places like eastern Europe. Bribe the tournament director ($5000) and get a main draw wild card into a Challenger event. Lose 6-0, 6-0. There's your ATP point
Click to expand...

BTW you dont get an ATP point from loseing first round, and im not that bad that i would have to brtibe the tournament director.
 
dunlop kid said:
Hey guys i just turned 18 and ive just gotta finish school b4 i start doing full time tennis.

My aim is to get an ATP ranking, which i know is quite hard but with the right training regiem anyone can do it.

So i was just wondering if anyone had a full time program that they could tell me like how many hours hitting, fitness etc per day?

thanks guys
Click to expand...

No chance. I will put any money that FAR more people have tried than achieved to earn a SINGLE ATP point...
 
dunlop kid said:
Hey Armsty,

whats the guys name cos im from Australia?

Also to other guys, i am not just starting off, and ive got good coaches, and just started hitting with guys that are ranked top 100 in Australia, so im not a noob, like some of you are suggesting.

BTW thamks for replies
Click to expand...
Matt Barton. I don't know him personally but a guy in my old team is mates with him apparently.
 
hell anything is possible. get a job and pay for a coach, work hard on fitness and diet. and play tournaments quite a bit. start at opens and if you are not doing well in opens then re-evaluate the college situation
 
dunlop kid said:
BTW you dont get an ATP point from loseing first round, and im not that bad that i would have to brtibe the tournament director.
Click to expand...

It used to be, they changed it most likely for that reason alone but I know of and heard many times this happened in the past. I never said to do it, I was being sarcastic but you'd be surprised at how many guys who played and had rich parents would do that. They would than have that point for a whole year and it would help them get into Futures events and so on without being cut all the time. Its not really a bribe, well technically it is but hey stuff like this happens all the time its nothing new. There was a woman's Challenger event in my area recently, and one of the local girls got a wildcard into the qualies, her dad was one of the main sponsors of the event. She ended up getting crushed.
 
tennis_balla said:
It used to be, they changed it most likely for that reason alone but I know of and heard many times this happened in the past. I never said to do it, I was being sarcastic but you'd be surprised at how many guys who played and had rich parents would do that. They would than have that point for a whole year and it would help them get into Futures events and so on without being cut all the time. Its not really a bribe, well technically it is but hey stuff like this happens all the time its nothing new. There was a woman's Challenger event in my area recently, and one of the local girls got a wildcard into the qualies, her dad was one of the main sponsors of the event. She ended up getting crushed.
Click to expand...

Oh ok no worries, and thanks for the info, i didnt know that!
 
You could go to a high level tennis academy for a year (if you have the money) and focus completely on tennis - maybe you could work there for your tuition if you don't. I think Younes El-Analoye (sp?) worked/taught at one of them and developed his game playing against the juniors in his spare time. You might be ranked high enough to get a spot.
 
aceX said:
What's your daily schedule mate?
Click to expand...

well at the moment im finishing off year 12, so hitting about 1-2 hours daily and gyming it about 4-5 times a week. When i finish school i plan to do about 4-5 hours on the court maybe 6 times a week, plus gym and fitness 3 times a week
 
dunlop kid said:
well at the moment im finishing off year 12, so hitting about 1-2 hours daily and gyming it about 4-5 times a week. When i finish school i plan to do about 4-5 hours on the court maybe 6 times a week, plus gym and fitness 3 times a week
Click to expand...


4-5 hours on court, if you have mastery of the strokes, sounds like a sure fire route to burnout.

Remember more is not by definition better. Better is better.

IMO you'll get more out of shorter, but highly directed and intense on-court work, alternating technique and practice/play sessions.

5
 
FiveO said:
4-5 hours on court, if you have mastery of the strokes, sounds like a sure fire route to burnout.

Remember more is not by definition better. Better is better.

IMO you'll get more out of shorter, but highly directed and intense on-court work, alternating technique and practice/play sessions.

5
Click to expand...

Ok thanks for that, how long would you or anyone recommend then pls?
 
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