Is Roddick's strength, also his weakness?

[AgassisGoneEndOfAnEra :(]

disclaimer: Andy Roddick is one of my favorites


Everybody knows his forehand (and serve) are his supposed strengths, and he has probably internalized this as well..


But what I think, is that he has become too focused on smashing forehand shots as hard as he can, and this is hindering his ability to hit with control on the run, or after running to catch up with a ball it hinders his footwork when he tries to hit it too hard.


I see him many times, sort of shuffling his feet a little bit before a forehand, doing a little dance to make sure he's in proper position to really smack his forehand as hard as he can.


But this means that he has a slightly longer set up time, and so I think this effects his ability to hit on the run, and I also think he's just plain overhitting with too much topspin.


I really think he should FLATTEN OUT HIS FOREHAND A BIT and TAKE A LITTLE POWER OFF his forehand swing motion and focus more on placement.

I also think he should completely abandon his slice backhand as an approach shot, and hit less slice backhands alltogether when possible.


I wouldn't mind seeing him flatten out the backhand a tad and take it on the rise more either.


His serve is great.




thoughts, comments?

 

[HellBunni]

I also think he should completely abandon his slice backhand as an approach shot, and hit less slice backhands alltogether when possible.


I wouldn't mind seeing him flatten out the backhand a tad and take it on the rise more either.


His serve is great.
thoughts, comments?

Agreed on the sliced backhand. It seems like he doesn't trust his 2hbh and opts to go with a very defensive sliced bh. Really looks like a weak 1hbh player trying to get the ball back into play.

 

[smpalmer]

is roddick's strength also his weakness

If roddick's forehand is so big how come everone he plays has far more winners from that side than him?

 

[8PAQ]

If roddick's forehand is so big how come everone he plays has far more winners from that side than him?

Two reasons:

1. Roddick's movement is worse than his opponent's so he doesn't get to shots they would have.

2. Their placement is better than his.

 

[AgassisGoneEndOfAnEra :(]

If roddick's forehand is so big how come everone he plays has far more winners from that side than him?

He does have a big forehand, to me though it seems like he's just put more and more almost loopy-type topspin on it over the years while at the same time hitting increasingly harder, and less flat, and what the effect to me seems to be is that it makes the ball hang up up in the air a little compared with straighter flatter shot, right now agile players are able to easily catch up with even some of his most hard hit shots, and I believe if he would take a litte off his swing and flatten it out a little, then he could place it better, AND make it get their just as fast with topspin but not quite so much.

 

[AgassisGoneEndOfAnEra :(]

Yeah, his movement is not the greatest, and I think that his set up time is also a little bit slow and this could be due to him trying to hit too hard, cos when you really try to lay into a forehand, unless you're Agassi, you're gonna have a slightly longer prepartion time with your footwork and body rotation.

 

[BaseLineBash]

I think one of his main weaknesses is the way he plays his forehand. I'm not a fan of full western grips, awkward for low balls and too much top for a powerhouse like Roddick, his backhand also suffers from the grip. It takes him too much time to setup for shots. It would be my opinion that someone with as much power as him would benefit from semi-western flat to moderate-topped skidding hits. He just can't steal time from his oppenents and he stands away from the baseline until he decides to step into a backhand.

 

[Lleytian3]

But what I think, is that he has become too focused on smashing forehand shots as hard as he can, and this is hindering his ability to hit with control on the run, or after running to catch up with a ball it hinders his footwork when he tries to hit it too hard.


But this means that he has a slightly longer set up time, and so I think this effects his ability to hit on the run, and I also think he's just plain overhitting with too much topspin.

I really think he should FLATTEN OUT HIS FOREHAND A BIT and TAKE A LITTLE POWER OFF his forehand swing motion and focus more on placement.

I also think he should completely abandon his slice backhand as an approach shot, and hit less slice backhands alltogether when possible.


I wouldn't mind seeing him flatten out the backhand a tad and take it on the rise more either.


His serve is great.

its kind of weird that you like andy but yet criticize his very style that got him to top 5 in the world.

he has a great running forehand, i think if you give him a running forehand you are asking to lose the point, his running forehand isnt that bad at all. FLATTEN IT and TAKE POWER off. why? to control it? or to place it? andy has great placement and power on his forehand, dont take away his stength. let him swing away thats wat he does best. if he flattens it out, he has a greater chance to hit it out, even if he does take power off it

i agree with you that he should take some of the backhands more off the rise, but his backhand is getting better. however, i dont see how you can criticize his slice, when he is using that slice as an approcach shot, that is one nasty slice he can hit. you are right if he is just rallying from the baseline though. but andy does have a nasty slice.

only thing andy needs to improve, is his seve & volleying. his backhand, and he needs to learn how to grind better. if he works on these, and perfects this, i guarnteee he would not have another problem winning a slam.

 

[AgassisGoneEndOfAnEra :(]

I think one of his main weaknesses is the way he plays his forehand. I'm not a fan of full western grips, awkward for low balls and too much top for a powerhouse like Roddick, his backhand also suffers from the grip. It takes him too much time to setup for shots. It would be my opinion that someone with as much power as him would benefit from semi-western flat to moderate-topped skidding hits. He just can't steal time from his oppenents and he stands away from the baseline until he decides to step into a backhand.

I think we're on the same wavelength, and you made a good additional point about his grip, that could possibly be part of the reason his setup time is a bit too long but I also thinks it's because he's trying to hit too hard...

I think he would be amazed if he flattened his shot a bit, and used the "semi-western flat to moderate-topped skidding hits" type of forehand, because he has so much natural power it would really skid and be harder to catch up with, and he doesn't need to over-hit as hits hard naturally.

 

[iamke55]

I must be the only one seeing Federer's forehand having way more power on it than Roddick's.

 

[AgassisGoneEndOfAnEra :(]

its kind of weird that you like andy but yet criticize his very style that got him to top 5 in the world.

Yeah, it got him there, but I think it needs to evolve somewhat if he is to remain there and eventually win a slam over federer or nadal.


But I also feel like his forehand crossed the net a little lower, earlier in his career, maybe I'm wrong on that.

 

[Nextman916]

His inside out forehand is amazing, one of the best in the game for sure, he throws his entire body into the shot. The only reason its not that effective is because his preparation takes so long so the opponent can read it easily, and the fact that he loves to run around his backhands and hit an inside out all the time. Its almost like you know its coming if you give him time on the forehand side, he mixes is up a little now and goes down the line when you think hes just gonna smack another inside out. Biggest reason people underestimate his forehand is because of the long preparation, if he just positioned himself quickly like Fed and unloaded, there is no doubt in my mind his forehand would be one of the best, if not the best on tour.

 

[AgassisGoneEndOfAnEra :(]

I also don't approve of the babolat he's using, I think it's too wide, he hits with too much power for that racquet...I just thought of somethign ELSE!

Maybe the racquet he's using is influencing him TO USE MORE TOPSPIN TO KEEP THE BALL IN THE COURT?????


What do people think of this new development in my brain?

 

[AgassisGoneEndOfAnEra :(]

I must be the only one seeing Federer's forehand having way more power on it than Roddick's.

it just looks more powerful because it goes over the net lower, and he drives through the ball more, if Roddick flattened his forehand out it would look more powerful then feds...but I don't know if his racquet will let him flatten it out that much.

 

[WayneCM]

I think one of his main weaknesses is the way he plays his forehand. I'm not a fan of full western grips, awkward for low balls and too much top for a powerhouse like Roddick, his backhand also suffers from the grip. It takes him too much time to setup for shots. It would be my opinion that someone with as much power as him would benefit from semi-western flat to moderate-topped skidding hits. He just can't steal time from his oppenents and he stands away from the baseline until he decides to step into a backhand.

Nail on the head wit this one... For me far 2 much spin on the forehand and th grip has a negative effect on both FH and BH.... But i believe that Connors may work on this... He needs flatter strokes and i believe this will be a major difference....

 

[nViATi]

I disagree. Roddick isn't hitting his forehand hard enough at all. He used to destroy the ball but now he has really slowed down.

 

[Defcon]

The myth of the Roddick forehand is still alive and well, I see. A lot of guys have big monster forehands. What exactly does Andy have that is so special?

Are people afraid to hit to his fh?
Can he end points at will with that shot?
Does he hit more winners?
Can he hit the ball on the rise?

That would be a no. Roddick's fh is effective when he has lots of time to setup, and has managed to place himself well. Two things that don't happen very often. I must have missed the great Roddick running forehands.

He was a different player in 2003 summer. That and perhaps the 1st set of Wimbledon 2004 final are the only 2 times when he's been in the zpne and able to crush the ball. But thats not what it means to have a great shot - you should be able to hit it consistenly and it should be a weapon - like his serve.

I would rate any no. of players such as Blake, Berdych, Gonzalez, Federer as having better, bigger fh's.

 

[Nextman916]

The pure drive roddick is a very very powerful racquet, i cant even stress the power level of this racquet for something advertised as a players frame. The pop off the stringbed is incredible, something about the whole weight scheme that makes it the most powerful racquet ive ever hit with. Excluding the fact ive never used an oversize monstronsity from the W line per say, but i had to adopt my entire game to the power of the racquet. It was almost impossible to hit a flat shot and not have it sail long, my racquet head speed on my forehand is very fast though so i had to slow it down a bit after playing with such low powered racquets for a long time. So really you must use some spin, actually more than just some spin, if you really wanted to rip a shot spin was almost a must factor.

 

[Bottle Rocket]

Find some footage of him hitting a lower ball inside the service line... It looks like it is amazingly hard for him to keep the ball in the court. He ends up hitting a very wristy shot with no pace that lands well inside his opponents baseline.

I think he has a VERY good forehand but only on slow high bouncing balls. He simply can't handle pace very well. Especially on the run.

It also seems like he doesn't place his forehand nearly as well as he used to. I remember over a year ago when he had a KILLER inside-out forehand, it seemed just as effective as Federer's. I haven't seen it in months.

He continues to change his style and his ways... He either needs to take the big serve and forehand and perfect it or hope for a miracle that he get's all the variety he wants.

I am a HUGE fan by the way, just my observations. He is a major reason I watch tennis.

 

[AgassisGoneEndOfAnEra :(]

maybe he just needs to modify his racquet in a better way, I wonder if connors knows about that like traverlajm, probably not as in depth...

 

[fastdunn]

His serve is great but somewhat lack of variety and somewhat predictable.

 

[rod99]

roddick's forehand is just like hewitt's and clijster's b/c 99% of the time he runs around his backhand, he hits the forehand inside out. people anticipate that. he can run around his backhand and pull it up the line but he has far less power on that shot than when he hits it inside out.

 

[Swissv2]

his serve is a weapon in its speed, but not necessarily in his placement.

His forehand used to be a weapon in its speed, but again, he might have to try a bit of different shots.