I would disagree with this. Most 5.5s in high school would go on to play college tennis. A player that is 17 or 18 yrs old and isn't 6.0+ is not gonna make it on the tour.
I would disagree with this. Most 5.5s in high school would go on to play college tennis. A player that is 17 or 18 yrs old and isn't 6.0+ is not gonna make it on the tour.
BreakPoint
Bionic Poster
A 17 year-old who's a "strong 5.5" or a 6.0+ is most likely not even playing high school tennis because it'll be a waste of time for him. He's most likely focusing only on playing in tournaments to improve his national ranking.
Yeah but I feel you can maintain a 3.5 level playing only 30 or so times a year.. The flipside is that despite the 10,000 rule thats been bandied about here you can play ALOT and still be a 3.5.
If you use the same crappy form that you always use your not going to really get much better by playing alot.. I play some people that have a dink second serve. Well I can hit that serve better then most of they can but I stop using it so I could get better.
Pete
Last edited:
Mick
Legend
Yeah but I feel you can maintain a 3.5 level playing only 30 or so times a year.. The flipside is that despite the 10,000 rule thats been bandied about here you can play ALOT and still be a 3.5.
If you use the same crappy form that you always use your not going to really get much better by playing alot.. I play some people that have a dink second serve. Well I can hit that serve better then most of they can but I stop using it so I could get better.
Pete
on the weekends, i sometimes would play with this guy who has a bad form but maybe because he's one of those folks who have spent 10,000 hrs on the tennis court, most of his shots would come in hard and deep. and because of his unorthodox form, it is really difficult to read where his ball is going to land.
Steady Eddy
Legend
I certainly see this happen. I see players who play alot but never improve. In fact, it's improvement that seems to amaze people, not stagnation. Maybe it's because people just dig deeper grooves in their bad habits, they get to 3.5 and stay there. That's why when public facilities offer drop-in tennis, almost everyone is at the same level.Yeah but I feel you can maintain a 3.5 level playing only 30 or so times a year.. The flipside is that despite the 10,000 rule thats been bandied about here you can play ALOT and still be a 3.5.
If you use the same crappy form that you always use your not going to really get much better by playing alot.. I play some people that have a dink second serve. Well I can hit that serve better then most of they can but I stop using it so I could get better.
Pete
If you spend several years at the same level, it's going to be very hard to change.
eagle
Hall of Fame
Most of us are guilty of change. We want to improve but can't stand to lose if the change we are trying to achieve negatively impacts the current results of our game. We become impatient and revert to our current ways. That's probably why players who start young and are coached properly tend to move up the skill ladder much faster and go beyond 3.5 because they aren't weighed down yet by ego.
r,
eagle
Mick
Legend
Most of us are guilty of change. We want to improve but can't stand to lose if the change we are trying to achieve negatively impacts the current results of our game. We become impatient and revert to our current ways. That's probably why players who start young and are coached properly tend to move up the skill ladder much faster and go beyond 3.5 because they aren't weighed down yet by ego.
r,
eagle
it depends on the coaches. i know two guys who are tennis coaches but are not very good players. they could serve as tennis coaches for beginners but the problem is they have flaws in their strokes and they are going to teach the beginners their flaws :shock:
Ucantplay2much
Rookie
What sports have played previously and how did you do in them? Does your school have PE? Do you decimate everyone in your class in the 40-yard dash or blow everyone off the court in basketball? Do you have a 30-inch vertical leap and can dunk a basketball? When you play touch football with your buddies, are you a receiver that no one can keep up with or a quarterback that can throw the ball the length of the field and nail your receiver every time?
If you don't have this kind of speed and hand-eye coordination, it's very doubtful you have the talent to become a 6.0 period, much less do it in one year.
If you don't have this kind of speed and hand-eye coordination, it's very doubtful you have the talent to become a 6.0 period, much less do it in one year.
Steady Eddy
Legend
Brutal reality pays a visit.
Ucantplay2much
Rookie
I work at a hedge fund and I can tell you - predicting what a stock will do with any confidence is extremely difficult. Almost as tough as becoming a 5.0.
That said, the risk-reward ratio in finance is probably still much better than in tennis. I make a good living without being one of the top 200 stock pickers in the world.vinouspleasure
Rookie
one of the guys I play tennis with is a strong 4.0, a 4.5 if he played more. His son started subbing in occasionally on our doubles court when he was 13...probably a weak 3.5 at the time. He played tennis and basketball through high school. After his junior year in high school, he was probably a strong 3.5. He stopped playing basketball that year and dedicated himself to tennis, taking lessons with our club pro every week, playing in tournaments and hitting often through the week. The winter of his senior year he was barely manageable on our court, clearly a strong 4.5. By the end of his senior year he beat our club pro who is a weak 5.0
that's about the most improvement I've seen in a year. I should add if it's not clear that he was an exceptional athlete and one of the quickest people I've seen on a tennis court.
that's about the most improvement I've seen in a year. I should add if it's not clear that he was an exceptional athlete and one of the quickest people I've seen on a tennis court.
SmAsH999
Rookie
dude, i've noticed that the later you start, the more quickly you progress, but the less you progress overall. i've been playing since i was 7, and i am now in the 16s. i'm a 5.0 on pretty good days, but i still can't achieve a top 10 sectional ranking. it's tough, you know? it's cool to dream, and i'll admit that anything's possible, but it's more about what's probable. i believe you could reach 5.5 in about 3 years with hard work, but a pro i know personally was pretty much a 3.5 when he was 8. dude, i'm not saying not to believe, and by all means push yourself, cause i know how badly you can want it sometimes. best of luck to you.
-Smash
-Smash
teppeiahn1
Rookie
Let me tell you man, your question is rude to tennis players that work real hard to get better. It is practicaly impossible to achieve alot in 1 year. I would be suprised even if you got to a 4.5
another thing is that your a youngster. only 13 bro? your body hasnt grown yet man. try playing some 4.54 man they would over power u most likely.
tennis is something you get good at over period of time.
btw, i feel that going to 5.5-6.0 is like geting to 3.0-5.0 10x
another thing is that your a youngster. only 13 bro? your body hasnt grown yet man. try playing some 4.54 man they would over power u most likely.
tennis is something you get good at over period of time.
btw, i feel that going to 5.5-6.0 is like geting to 3.0-5.0 10x
NO
Assuming you are a young teenager and 1) you are very dedicated, 2) have no basic flaws in your strokes and have good coaching, 3) grow at a decent rate, you might make 5.5 in 3 to 4 years. this would get you into position to become a pro. After that, you have to have inherent natural talent that few people in the world have (both physically and mentally) and be able to avoid injuries.
I would say work on your tennis every moment possible for 1 1/2 years. If you are a 4.5 level/competitive junior player then keep doing it for another year. If, by that point, you are one of the top couple juniors in the state, maybe go for the tennis academy or other way of dedicating yourself completely to tennis. Whether you top out at 5.5 or can go further will be a matter of how hard you work and your mental, emotional, and physical talents (no one said Hewitt was better physically than Safin, so don't underplay the non-physical parts).
Assuming you are a young teenager and 1) you are very dedicated, 2) have no basic flaws in your strokes and have good coaching, 3) grow at a decent rate, you might make 5.5 in 3 to 4 years. this would get you into position to become a pro. After that, you have to have inherent natural talent that few people in the world have (both physically and mentally) and be able to avoid injuries.
I would say work on your tennis every moment possible for 1 1/2 years. If you are a 4.5 level/competitive junior player then keep doing it for another year. If, by that point, you are one of the top couple juniors in the state, maybe go for the tennis academy or other way of dedicating yourself completely to tennis. Whether you top out at 5.5 or can go further will be a matter of how hard you work and your mental, emotional, and physical talents (no one said Hewitt was better physically than Safin, so don't underplay the non-physical parts).
Similar threads
- Deleted member 56360
- Tennis Tips/Instruction
