Has today's racquet technology make the game of Tennis too power and spin dependent?

[Zachol82]

Back in the days with wooden racquets that are heavy and has tiny head sizes, it wasn't that easy to rip a 100mph+ forehand or backhand. However, with racquet technologies nowadays, it seems like the game has become way too dependent on power and pace that strategy has less of an impact on the game. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you can just blindly blast the ball and become the best tennis player in your area, I'm saying that it has become much easier to overwhelm your opponents with just pace alone than it was many years ago.

Keep in mind here that I'm mainly talking about recreational Tennis, as in going to your local park, or wherever you usually hit. I'm not talking about the pro tour or anything like that.

Let's start from the top, the serves:
If I can serve with 120mph+ pace, chances are the return is weak enough that I can get there with plenty of time to rip a forehand at 100% power and probably end the point, if not set up another weak reply for me to finish in another shot.

The strategy:
If you are a player with a lot of power, the only strategy you really need to implement is to hit to the open court. That's it. If you have enough pace, it doesn't matter if your opponent gets the ball back, it will highly be a weak reply.

Years ago, strategies seem more important since it's harder to hit a winner by pace alone, so people tend to construct their points, very much like a chess game.

Now, with fitness equipments, racquet technologies and supplements, it's much easier for an average person to acquire enough strength to be pace-dominant on the court.

Is it REALLY a good idea to coach beginners the same way? As in focusing on constructing points instead of focusing on physical fitness?

To be honest, even on the pro tour, it's mainly about footwork and footwork is directly related to physical fitness.

I'm bringing up this topic because a lot of the younger, more athletic players at my local tennis park, between the ages of 16 and 25, are destroying pretty much all other players who do not make power and pace part of their game. It doesn't really matter how good their strategies are, if they can't handle a ball with a lot of pace and spin, they will give a weak reply...then where is their strategies now? Lobbing sometimes work, although it's not that easy to lob a deep ball against crazy pace either. Even if you could, what are you going to do, lob the entire match? Are you going to slice? A defensive slice is very easily dealt with compared to an offensive slice, and chances are if you can't handle someone's pace, you're slicing defensively.

Even if you can keep getting the shots back, it'll eventually become a battle of stamina and athleticism will decide the winner here.

It seems like the only way to deal with power is to have power as well.

All in all, power, pace, stamina and general athleticism are the main factors now. I really don't even think strategies matter much anymore...at least not until the 5th set or until stamina runs out.

 

[rkelley]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I'll say that I don't agree.

Your basic premise seems to be that young 16-25 year old guys are blowing the old farts off the court with pace and spin. Well, yah. You shouldn't take a knife to a gun fight. Regardless of age, if you're playing someone who's hitting hard with spin and not missing much, they're a good player. If you're not as good, you're going to get beat.

You deal with it by hitting pace and spin back at them. You have to be able to dish out enough pace and spin that going for the open court all of the time starts becoming a low percentage shot. If you can do that, then you can get them to hit to more conservative targets and now you can start working the point and trying to make them cough up a weak ball (or they'll start missing a lot). When you get that weak ball, then you go for the open court or the approach.

How you get that weak ball is a big part of the strategy. It is different than it was back in the day with wood racquets. You can't just come in on a prayer and let your volley do the work. You'll get your head taken off. You have to work the point to get the weak ball first, and then you have to hurt them some how, or win the point outright.

I also don't think that at the rec level strength, size, or even age are that big of a deal. The biggest thing is if you have solid technique and can implement it. If you can consistently hit a clean ball with good pace and spin, you can be 70 and over weight and still win a lot.

 

[tennis_hack]

I always wonder why if everyone says the game is so spin-dependent, that 85% of the ATP are using 2hbh's, which is inherently a much flatter stroke than the 1hbh.

Obviously, spin is only important on the forehand side.

 

[HappyMilk]

Today's racket tech suggests everyone to move back to the baseline.

It's such a different game compared to wooden racket days.

 

[10isfreak]

I partly disagree. If you play someone whose game quality matches yours somewhat evenly, you can't always aim for the open court and power alone won't be enough to win.

Besides, too mamy people complain about pushers for anyone here to pretend that power is a safe path to victory.

 

[LeeD]

I don't know.
JohanKriek, a pro of course, was somewhere around 5'8" and 160 lbs., using a late '70's racket, hit harder than most other pros.
Perhaps it's the desire to hit hard, not worrying about hitting out, that has changed.
ColinDibley served 149, VictorAmaya 144 in 1978.
Today, more pros are in better shape, and more are physically stronger and bigger.

 

[GuyClinch]

The problem OP is that I am not seeing this 16-25 year old players blowing everyone off the court. Do you live next to the Bolleteri academy or something? Haha.

Most 16-25 year old players don't have the skills to blow anyone off of any court. The ones I see would be lucky to beat the 50 something female doubles players..