If you could take one shot from a player what would it be?

[Cesc Fabregas]

Federer- Inside out forehand
Sampras- 2nd Serve
Agassi- Backhand return
Nadal- Down the line forehand
Lendl- running forehand cross court
Edberg- Forehand volley
McEnroe- Backhand volley
Connors- Backhand return
Becker- First serve
Courier- Inside out forehand
Ivanisevic- First serve
Hewitt- Backhand passing shot
Borg- Forehand passing shot?
Roddick- First serve
Safin- Down the line backhand
Kafelinkov- Cross court backhand

 

[mtr1]

Ivanisevic- First serve
Sampras- Second serve, running Forehand
Federer- Forehand
Edberg- Backhand( Fast surfaces), Volleys
Gasquet- Backhand (clay)
Bahrami-Trickshot Repertoire

 

[Manus Domini]

Sampras 2nd Serve
Roddick 1st Serve
Edberg Volleys
JMac Volleys
Laver Backhand
Federer entire forehand
Rosewall slice

 

[joe sch]

Federer or Borg Feet/Footwork !

Strokes can be developed and honed but that kind of footwork is really in the genes and rare.
Sorry, I know this thread is really about shots but just trying to make a point that world class tennis is differentiated by footwork and mental strenght.

 

[Speed Kat]

roddicks serve!

 

[BTURNER]

THE OTHER GENDER

Graf- Inside out forehand
Mandlikova- 2nd Serve
Seles- Backhand return
Davenport- Down the line forehand
Navratilova - Half volley
Graf- running forehand cross court
Mandlikova- Forehand volley
King- Backhand volley
Evert - dropshot
Court or Navratilova - First serve
Evert - lob
Navratilova - overhead
Backhand DTL - Hingis
Evert- Backhand passing shot
Evert- Forehand passing shot
Drop Volley - Navratilova

 

[pc1]

Laver-Backhand
Rosewall-Backhand (maybe mobility)
Federer-Forehand
Newcombe-Forehand volley (maybe forehand)
Roche-Backhand volley
Ashe-Backhand
Nadal-Forehand
Sampras-Second Serve
Goran-First Serve
Kramer-Slice serve
Pancho Gonzalez-First serve
Pancho Segura-Forehand
Noah-Overhead
Mecir-Mobility (Maybe backhand)
Connors-Backhand
Orantes-Drop shot
McEnroe-Hand speed

 

[Pioneer]

Karlovic/Ivanisevic/Safin serve because you can win matches solely with your serve

 

[hoodjem]

Karlovic/Ivanisevic/Safin serve because you can win matches solely with your serve

What do you do when the other guy serves?

Serve 'em back?

 

[Game-Set-MATCH!!!]

IMAO all of the above!! JK just one? Federer's Inside out forehand

 

[Game-Set-MATCH!!!]

Mcenroe had AMAZING TOUCH at the net

 

[BTURNER]

Connors-Backhand
Lendl-Forehand
Borg forehand passing shot
Connors Backhand passing shot
Chang Lob
Cash-Forehand volley
Edberg-Backhand volley
Sampras First serve
Edberg second serve
Becker-Overhead
Federer-Drop shot
McEnroe-half - volley

 

[Zimbo]

Ivanisevic-first serve
Sampras/Edberg-second serve
Connors-1st serve return of serve
Agassi-2nd serve return of serve
Fed-forehand
Connors/Safin-backhand
Edberg-backhand slice
Edberg-backhand volley
Mac-forehand volley
Mac-half volley
Mac/Edberg-anticipation at net
Noah- overhead
Borg-stamina
Borg-foot speed
Borg/Nadal-mental
Wilander-tactics
Wilander/Fed/Mecir-anticipation at baseline
Chang-offensive lob
Connors/Wilander- defensive lob
Fed/Mac-forehand drop shot
Mac-backhand drop shot

 

[Fedace]

Roddick's 1st serve. Just because he gets about 70-75 % of it IN. that is like 3 freebie points per game.

 

[SoftTen]

Ivanisevic-first serve
Sampras/Edberg-second serve
Connors-1st serve return of serve
Agassi-2nd serve return of serve
Fed-forehand
Connors/Safin-backhand
Edberg-backhand slice
Edberg-backhand volley
Mac-forehand volley
Mac-half volley
Mac/Edberg-anticipation at net
Noah- overhead
Borg-stamina
Borg-foot speed
Borg/Nadal-mental
Wilander-tactics
Wilander/Fed/Mecir-anticipation at baseline
Chang-offensive lob
Connors/Wilander- defensive lob
Fed/Mac-forehand drop shot
Mac-backhand drop shot

Chang-offensive lob??? I heard he was a great returner. Please confirm. Thanks. -S

 

[Manus Domini]

Federer or Borg Feet/Footwork !

Strokes can be developed and honed but that kind of footwork is really in the genes and rare.
Sorry, I know this thread is really about shots but just trying to make a point that world class tennis is differentiated by footwork and mental strenght.

would've picked that but thought it wasn't allowed as footwork isn't a shot

 

[joe sch]

would've picked that but thought it wasn't allowed as footwork isn't a shot

Exactly and thats why I included the PS:

Strokes can be developed and honed but that kind of footwork is really in the genes and rare.
Sorry, I know this thread is really about shots but just trying to make a point that world class tennis is differentiated by footwork and mental strenght.

PS2: Everyone admires strokes, very few appreciate movement and mental

 

[BTURNER]

Chang-offensive lob??? I heard he was a great returner. Please confirm. Thanks. -S

I also included the Chang lob in my list. It was superb both defensively and offensively. He could hit it off either wing and from any part of the court. Some of his lobs from way behind the baseline were amazingly accurate and had so much top that despite the extra 'read' time, there was absolutely no hope for the volleyer.

 

[Fandango]

Serve-Federer
Forehand-Federer
Backhand-Carlos Moya (prettiest two handed backhand)
Footwork-Federer
Slice-Federer
Dropshot-Federer
Overhead-Federer

 

[pc1]

Exactly and thats why I included the PS:

Strokes can be developed and honed but that kind of footwork is really in the genes and rare.
Sorry, I know this thread is really about shots but just trying to make a point that world class tennis is differentiated by footwork and mental strenght.

PS2: Everyone admires strokes, very few appreciate movement and mental

Excellent posts joe.

The players I enjoy the most generally have great movement and fluidity I believe. One of my all time favorites is Mecir because he often seemed to appear out of nowhere to hit an easy winner. Of course it was easy for him because he moved so well but hard for many others. His movement was unreal.

Rosewall is the same in that manner.

 

[Manus Domini]

Exactly and thats why I included the PS:

Strokes can be developed and honed but that kind of footwork is really in the genes and rare.
Sorry, I know this thread is really about shots but just trying to make a point that world class tennis is differentiated by footwork and mental strenght.

PS2: Everyone admires strokes, very few appreciate movement and mental

yup footwork>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>strokes in necessity

it's not easy to have perfect, fluid footwork like Fed or Rosewall

 

[Manus Domini]

I also included the Chang lob in my list. It was superb both defensively and offensively. He could hit it off either wing and from any part of the court. Some of his lobs from way behind the baseline were amazingly accurate and had so much top that despite the extra 'read' time, there was absolutely no hope for the volleyer.

I heard that someone said Hewitt had the best lob in the game off both wings

 

[hoodjem]

Serve-Federer
Forehand-Federer
Backhand-Carlos Moya (prettiest two handed backhand)
Footwork-Federer
Slice-Federer
Dropshot-Federer
Overhead-Federer

WHAT?
Surely you do not believe that Fed has a less than GOAT-level backhand?

Impossible! You are CLUELESS and a blatant Fed-hater, and know nothing about the greatest player in the history of the game!












:wink:Merry Christmas

 

[Zimbo]

I also included the Chang lob in my list. It was superb both defensively and offensively. He could hit it off either wing and from any part of the court. Some of his lobs from way behind the baseline were amazingly accurate and had so much top that despite the extra 'read' time, there was absolutely no hope for the volleyer.

I was gonna pick someone else but I saw your list and it hit me. I totally forgotten about Chang. Great off both wing and from anywhere on the court.

 

[Pioneer]

You just risk every shot so that you don't get into rallies. Sooner or later you'll break his game/score a minibreak in a tiebreak.

What do you do when the other guy serves?

Serve 'em back?

 

[Fandango]

WHAT?
Surely you do not believe that Fed has a less than GOAT-level backhand?

Impossible! You are CLUELESS and a blatant Fed-hater, and know nothing about the greatest player in the history of the game!




haha, his backhand is decent.

besides, im a two hander

 

[pc1]

haha, his backhand is decent.

besides, im a two hander

Hoodjem has a great sense of humor.

 

[hoodjem]

Hoodjem has a great sense of humor.

I try to makes fun of myself as well.

Sometimes it takes a needle of sarcasm to puncture the inflated egos on here--mine included.

 

[Larrysümmers]

can i take Mac's serve?

 

[pc1]

can i take Mac's serve?

Mac will fight you for it. It won't be easy. It may require a duel. After all if you take his serve he may have to underhand his serve like Michael Chang or Hingis at times. He can't serve and volley without his serve.

I however will grant you permission to borrow his serve. Bear in mind that penalties will occur if you are late in giving back his serve to him. You will be reported to the ATP.

 

[Larrysümmers]

Mac will fight you for it. It won't be easy. It may require a duel. After all if you take his serve he may have to underhand his serve like Michael Chang or Hingis at times. He can't serve and volley without his serve.

I however will grant you permission to borrow his serve. Bear in mind that penalties will occur if you are late in giving back his serve to him. You will be reported to the ATP.

he's from New York...i'd rather not fight him...lol

 

[pjonesy]

The Sampras 2nd serve. It is simply the most valuable single shot in the history of tennis, IMO. There may be more spectacular shots than Sampras' 2nd serve. But over the course of a career it won more matches and more importantly, SAVED more matches than any single shot in history. Of course it takes elite talent and ability to hit a serve like his, but it also takes guts and faith to pull the trigger in pressure filled situations.

 

[1970CRBase]

Federer or Borg Feet/Footwork !

Strokes can be developed and honed but that kind of footwork is really in the genes and rare.
Sorry, I know this thread is really about shots but just trying to make a point that world class tennis is differentiated by footwork and mental strenght.

People just can't get this can they?! The stroke follows the footwork! You can have all the dream strokes; Pete's serve, Edberg's volleys, Fed's fh Nad's buttpicking... whatever, but if you can't move move to hit the ball in the first place, it's all worthless.

Whereas if you got the speed and footwork, you can have any stroke you want.

 

[jaggy]

Lecontes serve, Murrays drop shot, Sanroros slice forehand, lets get diverse here guys.

 

[pc1]

Strokes I would take from players who were never number one in the Open Era

Lecontes serve, Murrays drop shot, Sanroros slice forehand, lets get diverse here guys.

Serve-Karlovic, Yannick Noah, Henri Leconte
Backhand-Mecir, honorable mention to Guillermo Vilas
Forehand-Tom Okker, honorable mention Gimeno
Volley-Tony Roche, honorable mention Henri Leconte
Service Return-Mecir, honorable mention Chang
Overhead-Yannick Noah
Speed-Miloslav Mecir with honorable mention to Michael Chang, Gerulaitis and Kriek
Lob-Manuel Orantes
Drop shot-Manuel Orantes
Funniest-Henri Leconte
Will to win-Michael Chang, Cliff Richey
Scariest eyes-Cliff Richey

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...dXFDQ&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=29&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0

 

[Manus Domini]

Serve-Karlovic, Yannick Noah, Henri Leconte
Backhand-Mecir, honorable mention to Guillermo Vilas
Forehand-Tom Okker, honorable mention Gimeno
Volley-Tony Roche, honorable mention Henri Leconte
Service Return-Mecir, honorable mention Chang
Overhead-Yannick Noah
Speed-Miloslav Mecir with honorable mention to Michael Chang, Gerulaitis and Kriek
Lob-Manuel Orantes
Drop shot-Manuel Orantes
Funniest-Henri Leconte
Will to win-Michael Chang, Cliff Richey
Scariest eyes-Cliff Richey

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...dXFDQ&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=29&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0

I'll then pick some that were #1 in open era

Forehand: JMac
Backhand: Federer (but still go back to JMac's forehand whenever it is on my lef wing)
volley: Ivanesivic
slice: Nadal
drop shot: aggassi
lob: Roddick
passing shot: Sampras
Serve: Agassi

 

[BTURNER]

choices second tier
Serve-Virginia Wade
Backhand-Evonne Goolagong
Forehand-nancy Richey
Volley-Lori McNeil
Service Return-Hana Mandlikova
Overhead-Chris Evert It actually was very good!
Speed-Zina Garrison
Lob-Sabatini
Drop shot- Natasia Zvereva
Funniest-Pam Shriver
Will to win-Carling Bassett
Scariest 4 eyes-BJK

 

[SoftTen]

choices second tier
Serve-Virginia Wade
Backhand-Evonne Goolagong
Forehand-nancy Richey
Volley-Lori McNeil
Service Return-Hana Mandlikova
Overhead-Chris Evert It actually was very good!
Speed-Zina Garrison
Lob-Sabatini
Drop shot- Natasia Zvereva
Funniest-Pam Shriver
Will to win-Carling Bassett
Scariest 4 eyes-BJK

Hey Bturner,

How long have you been playing tennis? It seems to me that your fact is pretty valid compared to other posts. I am just curious about it. Thanks.

-S

 

[BTURNER]

Hey Bturner,

How long have you been playing tennis? It seems to me that your fact is pretty valid compared to other posts. I am just curious about it. Thanks.

-S

LOL Little of my validity comes from winning many competitive matches, I assure you. I have played since about 1985 off and on . I am not nearly as proficient at the playing as most of you. I am just not athletically inclined but I have a lot of fun out on the courts and enjoy experimenting. I am more an armchair tennis geek/ amateur pundit than an real athlete. I watched a lot before I picked up a racket, only to discover things are either a lot smaller or a lot larger in the real world. I kept at it and at it stubbornly and found the challenge of getting that ball to do what you want well worth the effort. You athletes make pick things up intuitively while the rest of us klutzes just have to drudge on buoyed by long awaited but fleeting victories over that fuzzy round mass. And we won't even talk about the guy on the other side and the nasties he has planned to keep me from getting close to it.

In my next life I will be top ten material.

 

[Datacipher]

Serve: Arthurs or Groth
Volley: Paes
Forehand: El aynaoui
Backhand: Stoltenberg, Mancini, or Pavel
Speed: Clement
Return: Woodbridge
Touch: Krishnan
Mental toughness: Corretja

My Franken B player will DESTROY any top player! lol

 

[pc1]

Serve: Arthurs or Groth
Volley: Paes
Forehand: El aynaoui
Backhand: Stoltenberg, Mancini, or Pavel
Speed: Clement
Return: Woodbridge
Touch: Krishnan
Mental toughness: Corretja

My Franken B player will DESTROY any top player! lol

You're a mad scientist. Creating this combination of tennis skills is not natural. Don't you know the best way is in a test tube. :twisted:

 

[abmk]

Skills from players who were not #1 in open era

1st serve: Karlovic
2nd serve: Isner
forehand: Del potro/soderling
backhand: Nalbandian
return: Murray
movement: Mecir
volley: Cash
overhead: Noah
mental strength: Chang

 

[Datacipher]

You're a mad scientist. Creating this combination of tennis skills is not natural. Don't you know the best way is in a test tube. :twisted:

They said it shouldn't be done with such undistinguished names, but I didn't listen!! muhhahahahahhahhahahaha

 

[SusanDK]

A couple of additional categories not yet mentioned:

Serving at breakpoint down - Becker, Sampras
Guts - Connors, Nadal
Composure - Borg

 

[Will Wilson]

Sampras' serve

First serve, second serve, underhand serve, it doesn't matter. Maybe the most dominating stroke in the history of tennis. I don't want to hear about Ivanisevic or Becker or Roddick; Sampras served huge and consistently with the best second serve ever.

Here's the most important point: when the chips were down, you could bet the house on an ace or unreturnable serve which is the most important attribute of a great server and something that none of the others mentioned (especially Goran) could match.

Of the current players, Fed has that trait although not to the extent of Sampras and he certainly doesn't have the raw power and spin that Pete could deliver.

 

[LeeD]

RoscoeTanner's serves.
McEnroe's volleys.
Connor's eagle eyes and determination.

 

[Bobby Jr]

when the chips were down, you could bet the house on an ace or unreturnable serve which is the most important attribute of a great server and something that none of the others mentioned (especially Goran) could match.

Of the current players, Fed has that trait although not to the extent of Sampras and he certainly doesn't have the raw power and spin that Pete could deliver.

I agree. Guys like Ivanisevic, Roddick. Isner etc got/get broken all the time despite their serves.

On Federer's lower power and spin compared to Pete. I know the solution... he needs to change to a smaller head size. :lol::lol: (imagine Sampras using a 95 with modern strings in his prime - Darn!)

 

[pjonesy]

People just can't get this can they?! The stroke follows the footwork! You can have all the dream strokes; Pete's serve, Edberg's volleys, Fed's fh Nad's buttpicking... whatever, but if you can't move move to hit the ball in the first place, it's all worthless.

Whereas if you got the speed and footwork, you can have any stroke you want.

Let me preface this by saying that I believe that movement is the most important factor in developing a world class game. It always has been and always will be the one characteristic that you HAVE to possess to be a great tennis player. But, this is a hypothetical thread and people have different perceptions regarding their choices. If everyone said, "Borg and Federer's footwork", it wouldn't be a very interesting discussion. That being said, I completely understand where you are coming from and you are exactly right. But, my choice is still the Sampras 2nd serve.

 

[pjonesy]

First serve, second serve, underhand serve, it doesn't matter. Maybe the most dominating stroke in the history of tennis. I don't want to hear about Ivanisevic or Becker or Roddick; Sampras served huge and consistently with the best second serve ever.

Here's the most important point: when the chips were down, you could bet the house on an ace or unreturnable serve which is the most important attribute of a great server and something that none of the others mentioned (especially Goran) could match.

Of the current players, Fed has that trait although not to the extent of Sampras and he certainly doesn't have the raw power and spin that Pete could deliver.

You are 100% correct. But, wouldn't you say that the Sampras 2nd serve was the most valuable shot to Sampras himself? I mean, within the context of his career. He had the guts and ability to erase all kinds of break points with just one swing, under tremendous pressure. Sampras loved to have the ball in his hand and be in control.