How could Tim Henman improve to win a slam??

HeNmAiNiA

New User
Tim Henman in my opinion has all the skills to win a slam. Especially Wimbledon. But in this case has loads of pressure put on him. What could Tim do to go all the way?
 

Phil

Hall of Fame
Get some guts, stop making excuses, acquire the will to win even when the chips are down, get a year free of injuries, somehow find a spine, get 8 or 10 years knocked off his age...etc. In short, it ain't gonna happen.
 

Klippy

Semi-Pro
Hello Henmainia
For a start, I reckon Henman is very unlucky. He has been so close to winning a slam so many times. Personally, I think he is also a very tough opponent for Federer. He is a great talent with a beautiful serve volley game and definitely deserves a slam. I think Henman should improve his mental toughness/ will to win.

:D :D Klippy,

Phil said:
In short, it ain't gonna happen.
Are you a fortune teller? :confused:
 

HeNmAiNiA

New User
Phil said:
Get some guts, stop making excuses, acquire the will to win even when the chips are down, get a year free of injuries, somehow find a spine, get 8 or 10 years knocked off his age...etc. In short, it ain't gonna happen.
its meant to be constructive
not rude
 

HeNmAiNiA

New User
Klippy said:
Hello Henmainia
For a start, I reckon Henman is very unlucky. He has been so close to winning a slam so many times. Personally, I think he is also a very tough opponent for Federer. He is a great talent with a beautiful serve volley game and definitely deserves a slam. I think Henman should improve his mental toughness/ will to win.

:D :D Klippy,


Are you a fortune teller? :confused:
well done fedss
 

SydW

Rookie
Maybe with the Henmanhill turning into Murraymount now, he might just win the Wimbledon for all you know.
 

Phil

Hall of Fame
HeNmAiNiA said:
its meant to be constructive
not rude

That WAS constructive. It's the hard truth, and if you can't accept it, Henmaheroworship, then tough luck, mate. His best opportunities to win Wimbledon are gone. He's had a nice career, but without a major, there'll always be questions about his guts.
 

HeNmAiNiA

New User
Phil said:
That WAS constructive. It's the hard truth, and if you can't accept it, Henmaheroworship, then tough luck, mate. His best opportunities to win Wimbledon are gone. He's had a nice career, but without a major, there'll always be questions about his guts.
he has guts
 

eyedropper

New User
Actually Henman has not been so close has he?

Klippy said:
Hello Henmainia
For a start, I reckon Henman is very unlucky. He has been so close to winning a slam so many times. Personally, I think he is also a very tough opponent for Federer. He is a great talent with a beautiful serve volley game and definitely deserves a slam. I think Henman should improve his mental toughness/ will to win.

:D :D Klippy,


Are you a fortune teller? :confused:

As far as I can remember Tim has never made it to a Slam Final...
"So close many times" would apply to a lot of players who eventually won slams or never won one, but I would not put Henman in that category.
 

mgm

New User
More pace on his first serve and he needs to mix it up his second more.Flat out his forehand. and stay off the baseline with a net game like his i would camp out at the net.He has a great net game please use it more. He moves around the court better then the average tour player.Well that's my two cent.
 

Klippy

Semi-Pro
eyedropper said:
As far as I can remember Tim has never made it to a Slam Final...
"So close many times" would apply to a lot of players who eventually won slams or never won one, but I would not put Henman in that category.

Yes, but look. He has been VERY close to making a slam final. At the French, he made it to the s/f and had a very tough draw against Coria which he, by the way, lost in a five setter. Then there was the five setter against Fedz in the US 2004. He's had tough draws, but hell, he's a champ. His on-court demanour should be an example to everyone. He is a very polite and sweet guy and is a great tennis player. He has been a top ten player for very long and deserves a lot of credit.:)
 

HeNmAiNiA

New User
Klippy said:
Yes, but look. He has been VERY close to making a slam final. At the French, he made it to the s/f and had a very tough draw against Coria which he, by the way, lost in a five setter. Then there was the five setter against Fedz in the US 2004. He's had tough draws, but hell, he's a champ. His on-court demanour should be an example to everyone. He is a very polite and sweet guy and is a great tennis player. He has been a top ten player for very long and deserves a lot of credit.:)
i agree totally.............
well done fedsss
 

omigod

Rookie
Klippy said:
Yes, but look. He has been VERY close to making a slam final. At the French, he made it to the s/f and had a very tough draw against Coria which he, by the way, lost in a five setter. Then there was the five setter against Fedz in the US 2004. He's had tough draws, but hell, he's a champ. His on-court demanour should be an example to everyone. He is a very polite and sweet guy and is a great tennis player. He has been a top ten player for very long and deserves a lot of credit.:)

For tough draws and "close to making it", you should ask Hewitt mate.

Hewitt has lost to the eventual winner of:
US open (2005,2004), Wimbledon (2005,2004), 2004 Australian Open - to Fed
2005 Australian Open - to Safin

And that is just flicking back 2 years.

Except for Wimbledon 2004, all semis and finals loss. Ouch!

:mad:
 

goober

Legend
I agree with Phil. His best chances are behind him. His play has been declining with tons of first and second round losses in the second half of the year including going out in the second round of Wimbledon to Tursunov who isn't exactly known for being a grass court player. At 31 years of age and ranking slipping to #37 I don't see it happening. His best chances were at wimbledon, but in his current form I can't see him ever getting past Federer, Hewitt or even Roddick on grass.
 

Phil

Hall of Fame
Klippy said:
Yes, but look. He has been VERY close to making a slam final. At the French, he made it to the s/f and had a very tough draw against Coria which he, by the way, lost in a five setter. Then there was the five setter against Fedz in the US 2004. He's had tough draws, but hell, he's a champ. His on-court demanour should be an example to everyone. He is a very polite and sweet guy and is a great tennis player. He has been a top ten player for very long and deserves a lot of credit.:)

Wow, "close to making a slam final"-that ought to be worth something...maybe the AELTC should award him, like, HALF a Wimbledon title-but then, who they gonna take a half title AWAY from-all those players who have actually WON IT.

And this one cracks me up: "His on-court demanour (sic) should be an example to everyone." Does "Get off your arse and get me a coke!" ring a bell for you? How about being disqualified from Wimbledon for smacking a ball kid? His abuse of the poor little ball boys and girls is reprehensible. He's a phoney nice guy-and that LAME "fist pump" has got to go. And the nickname "Tiger"-at least SOME Brits have a sense of irony regarding their Tiger...

But I must say, I've stolen his "Get off your arse and get me a (fill in the blank)" line and used it any number of times. You wimpy Brits will go to any lengths to put this guy on a pedestool, 'cause he's all you've got, but you're REALLY grasping for straws here...Tim's done. I've always liked his game, but his lack of intestinal fortitude right when he needs it most has become an annual event.
 

spirit

Rookie
Henman plays a high risk game, coming in like he does behind a serve that is not overwhelming. A couple of times, as he has got close in the slams (making the semis at the French as a serve and volleyer was quite a feat), he took those risks and lost (that's what taking risks is all about, the break can go your way, or against you). Had he had a little luck at various points along the way, he may have got one ( I saw him win the title at the Legg Mason in Washington, D.C., beating Gonzalez in the finals and Andy Roddick in the semifinals in 2003.

But I think his best chances are behind him.
 

gugafanatic

Hall of Fame
It is way too late for Henman to win a slam. Henman's backhand drive has always been a major weakness, and he seems to be exposed by the lack of punch on his groundies. It is all well in saying that Henman should attack the net but against guys like Hewitt who love a target, Henman is doomed if his serve is not firing on all cylinders. With the courts becoming slower and larger balls being employed, Henman needs to produce a flawless serve-volley display over two weeks to have a chance of winning a slam.
 
S

splink779

Guest
If you've made it to several grand slam semis, but never even a final, that seems to me more like a mental problem than anything. I mean, even guys who never won a slam make it to a final, and Henman has more skill than many of them. Even Ivanisevic, the miracle winner in 2001 had made 2(?) wimby finals before that. His serve is no longer enough to make him a threat. I think I read on his website that he like to serve slightly eastern. For such a great motion he gets very little pace. I like Henman but he'll never win a slam.
 

DashaandSafin

Hall of Fame
Henman was always a better than your average mediocre player. Its a shame that he never won a slam...I've personally always wanted him to win Wimbledon just once, but unfortuantly its way to late for the old man. He is not like Goran, no huge weapon to propell him anywhere. His serve is weak, his groundies are weak, i would even venture to say that his volleys aren't what they used to be. He isn't fast, he doe'snt pull off amazing shots, in short, another SF in Wimbeldon might be in reach if the stars are aligned, but winning the whole thing would be a major feat comparable to Sampras's last slam.
 

127mph

Semi-Pro
i feel sorry for him, hes too thin, helps with movement, but power and endurance are soemthing he lacks, just happens.
 

HeNmAiNiA

New User
Phil said:
Wow, "close to making a slam final"-that ought to be worth something...maybe the AELTC should award him, like, HALF a Wimbledon title-but then, who they gonna take a half title AWAY from-all those players who have actually WON IT.

And this one cracks me up: "His on-court demanour (sic) should be an example to everyone." Does "Get off your arse and get me a coke!" ring a bell for you? How about being disqualified from Wimbledon for smacking a ball kid? His abuse of the poor little ball boys and girls is reprehensible. He's a phoney nice guy-and that LAME "fist pump" has got to go. And the nickname "Tiger"-at least SOME Brits have a sense of irony regarding their Tiger...

But I must say, I've stolen his "Get off your arse and get me a (fill in the blank)" line and used it any number of times. You wimpy Brits will go to any lengths to put this guy on a pedestool, 'cause he's all you've got, but you're REALLY grasping for straws here...Tim's done. I've always liked his game, but his lack of intestinal fortitude right when he needs it most has become an annual event.
um....excuse me. dude get the right stats mate. He accidently hit the ball kid in the head.
and besides ur a lesbian and nonone likes u on this forum. im proud to be a brit unlike u your not proud of anything....loseerrrrrrr
 

007

Professional
He should actually play with an X1. Having two kids pro'lly doesn't help his current form either. BTW: I'm not trying to be sarcastic re: his kids. At his age/stage his best tennis is behind him and family is likely more important to him than his tennis is.h
 

Phil

Hall of Fame
HeNmAiNiA said:
um....excuse me. dude get the right stats mate. He accidently hit the ball kid in the head.
and besides ur a lesbian and nonone likes u on this forum. im proud to be a brit unlike u your not proud of anything....loseerrrrrrr

No, he INTENTIONALLY smacked the ball, which had the unintended consequences of hitting a ball kid in the head. Whether he meant to hit the kid or not, and I don't think he did, he was disqualified for such abominable on-court behavior. He's a jerk-off, and, like you, a wimpy Brit. And with the amount of money he earns, you would think he'd have some dental work done...
 

basil J

Hall of Fame
I have seen Henman play live at a couple of US opens and the thing that really stands out is how slender of a guy this man is. He should hit the weights a bit( Not really bulk up, but get more in shape like Haas or Safin and put some meat on the bones). He has a great service motion but lacks the pace that a lot of todays players generate. Maybe try some more powerful racquets Ala aggassi at the french this year, and really amp up his conditioning. You look at other dominant serve and volley palyers from the recent era(Samparas and rafter particluarly) and they were in excellent shape and had tremendous endurance. You have to be very fit to attack the net in a 5 setter and I don't think he has the juice. 31 is older for a tennis player, but certainly not for typical athletic performance or capability.A lot of athletes in other sports hit their full stride in their early 30's. In tennis it is more about burn out and lack of desire than physical capacity IMO. It would take a tremendous effort, one I don't think he cares to generate at this point of his career. Shame, he has a beautiful game when he is on..
 

killer

Semi-Pro
I'll agree with basilj on this one...as players get older they need to work on the conditioning even more. Agassi is probably the best example of this: the guy is in incredible shape, good enough to play 3 5-setters in a row and still play Fed close at USO. Henman's a great player, and a lot of fun to watch- s&v is totally high-risk these days! But he does need to bulk up a bit, particularly in the upper body; if he develops a bigger serve it will make his job that little bit easier. similarly, having some real arm strength will enable him to manage hard groundies blasted at his volleys. Endurance work will help him stay quick and sharp at the net.
 
Henman has no problem with guts. His serve is a little thin. His backhand is not powerful enough or consistent enough. Injuries have come in to affect him. If anything, he has shown considerable tenacity in advancing to semis of Majors being as relatively fragile as he is - a condition that is probably not basically altered by weight training or, let's say, chest-thumping like that practised by Message Board freaks ('phreaks'?) like the one calling himself Phil. What an annoying underpriveledged soul, that....
 

cadfael_tex

Professional
For consideration from Mark Papas on www.revolutionarytennis.com:

I include nice guy Tim Henman's serve for a look-see. His single photo Bow shows him with his knees very very bent, the back shin is almost parallel to the ground. He is being a good student, toss the ball and bend those knees. We all know Tim has a good serve but not an exceptional one. If he had he would have won Wimbledon, what with his great heart, footwork, toughness. He is not really bowing out like an archer's bow. If you compare him to McEnroe here you can see Mac is bowing more whereas Henman is bending the knees more. Mac's serve was more effective.

A Henman series illustrates what may have been his serve's weakness. He tosses the ball first and then catches up to it with the Bow. Rosset does it the same way, yet he has a bigger serve because he bows more instead of bends more. Tennis magazines write how it is proper to have the body weight on the back foot as you're tossing, but the upcoming section on this will show how myopic that idea is. Tim's priority is the ball toss with the arm. Then he shifts his weight, bows, arches, bends. It is not holistic, or synchronistic, it is clunky. It is linear, done in sections, individually.

http://revolutionarytennis.com/step12-2holistic.html
 

jhhachamp

Hall of Fame
Phil said:
Wow, "close to making a slam final"-that ought to be worth something...maybe the AELTC should award him, like, HALF a Wimbledon title-but then, who they gonna take a half title AWAY from-all those players who have actually WON IT.

And this one cracks me up: "His on-court demanour (sic) should be an example to everyone." Does "Get off your arse and get me a coke!" ring a bell for you? How about being disqualified from Wimbledon for smacking a ball kid? His abuse of the poor little ball boys and girls is reprehensible. He's a phoney nice guy-and that LAME "fist pump" has got to go. And the nickname "Tiger"-at least SOME Brits have a sense of irony regarding their Tiger...

But I must say, I've stolen his "Get off your arse and get me a (fill in the blank)" line and used it any number of times. You wimpy Brits will go to any lengths to put this guy on a pedestool, 'cause he's all you've got, but you're REALLY grasping for straws here...Tim's done. I've always liked his game, but his lack of intestinal fortitude right when he needs it most has become an annual event.


Nice post Phil, I agree completely.
 

Roforot

Professional
Agree w/ Phil's assessment of Mr. Henman.
I've read other accounts here of his poor treatment of ball boys/girls.
Thankfully, sometimes the bad guys do lose!
 

Type40

Semi-Pro
He doesn't have the will power. great player, but doesn't have the x factor that makes a champion, and he never will have it.
 

HeNmAiNiA

New User
vantagepoint said:
Henman has no problem with guts. His serve is a little thin. His backhand is not powerful enough or consistent enough. Injuries have come in to affect him. If anything, he has shown considerable tenacity in advancing to semis of Majors being as relatively fragile as he is - a condition that is probably not basically altered by weight training or, let's say, chest-thumping like that practised by Message Board freaks ('phreaks'?) like the one calling himself Phil. What an annoying underpriveledged soul, that....
i agree not with the first but where you said that phil dude is an underprivleged soul. You dont go saying stuff about people that is rude when u dont even know the guy. and you bagging off brits thats just sad.
get a life
 

equinox

Hall of Fame
Timmy needs more british support.
Especially from female streakers.
Only then will timmy boy get up enough to win wimbledon.
 

omniexist

Semi-Pro
Ain't gonna happen.

A champion requires heart, mental fortitude, and a killer instinct.

Tim m'man, ain't that man.
 

DashaandSafin

Hall of Fame
HeNmAiNiA said:
i agree not with the first but where you said that phil dude is an underprivleged soul. You dont go saying stuff about people that is rude when u dont even know the guy. and you bagging off brits thats just sad.
get a life
Phil, please rip this guy apart like you used to do to me until i learned:p
He calls other people "rude when u dont even know the guy" when he called Phil a lesbian...whats up with that Henmanmania?

P.S. Harvard > Oxford
Sorry its true.
 

Andy Hewitt

Professional
I dont see how anyone can find a way this guy can improve. I mean I like Tim Henman alot, I wish he could win Wimbey, but the dude is just declining.... :(
 

Virtuous

Rookie
I agree with the general sentiment. i like timmy, but that ship has sailed... still there's nothing wrong with hoping for a miracle
 
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