NTRP difference at your best/worst?

tennismonkey

tennismonkey

Semi-Pro
I see a lot of people describe their game in terms like:

"at my best i'm a 5.0 player. at my worst i'm a 3.0 player."
"i'm anywhere from a 3.5 to 4.5 player."
"when my strokes are on i'm a solid 4.0 player. but sometimes i just don't have it and i'm no better than a 2.5 player."

I find this really hard to believe. Especially because a good 3.5 for example is supposed to double bagel a bad 3.5 player. There's already a huge variance within an NTRP level.

Is there really a HUGE multi-level difference in your best game and worst game?
 
tennismonkey said:
I see a lot of people describe their game in terms like:

"at my best i'm a 5.0 player. at my worst i'm a 3.0 player."
"i'm anywhere from a 3.5 to 4.5 player."
"when my strokes are on i'm a solid 4.0 player. but sometimes i just don't have it and i'm no better than a 2.5 player."

I find this really hard to believe. Especially because a good 3.5 for example is supposed to double bagel a bad 3.5 player. There's already a huge variance within an NTRP level.

Is there really a HUGE multi-level difference in your best game and worst game?
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No one who understands or has experience with the NTRP levels says these things.
 
I've said it jest. It sure feels that way sometimes. But I agree with HunterST, no one who understands the system would say it seriously.
 
Match up's can vastly impact the way you play and this makes you "feel" like you are .5 lower or higher than you actually are (IMO).
 
tennismonkey said:
I see a lot of people describe their game in terms like:

"at my best i'm a 5.0 player. at my worst i'm a 3.0 player."
"i'm anywhere from a 3.5 to 4.5 player."
"when my strokes are on i'm a solid 4.0 player. but sometimes i just don't have it and i'm no better than a 2.5 player."

I find this really hard to believe. Especially because a good 3.5 for example is supposed to double bagel a bad 3.5 player. There's already a huge variance within an NTRP level.

Is there really a HUGE multi-level difference in your best game and worst game?
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Everyone who competes knows he can strike and move as well in spurts as someone two grades above his own. What separates one grade from another is consistency, i.e., how long can you maintain "moving and striking" as well as someone two grades above you? A few points at most? A game or two at best? What truly separates a 4.0 from a 3.0 who thinks they have flashes of 4.0 play is the consistency with which the 4.0 moves and strikes so much better. It would be meaningless for one 3.0 who could raise his level of play to that of a high 3.5 or low 4.0 for a game or two to say of himself, "At my best, I am a 4.0," because there are just as many 4.0s who could say, "At my best, I am a 5.0." You would have to be able to do it over the course of a whole match, preferably in sanctioned tournament play, for the ranking to mean much, in my opinion.
 
I think 5.0 to 3.5 is a possibility.
At 3.5, your game is off hinge, you're injured, sick, distracted, but still able to basically win against 95% of the 3.5's in the world.
At 5.0, you're having one of those days when every shot you try works, you're seeing the ball as if it's a basketball, and you seem to know where the ball is going every time.
We are not machines. We have good days and bad days, but more important, we have HORRIBLE days and Great days, which carries the definition of play past just one level.
 
LeeD said:
I think 5.0 to 3.5 is a possibility.
At 3.5, your game is off hinge, you're injured, sick, distracted, but still able to basically win against 95% of the 3.5's in the world.
At 5.0, you're having one of those days when every shot you try works, you're seeing the ball as if it's a basketball, and you seem to know where the ball is going every time.
We are not machines. We have good days and bad days, but more important, we have HORRIBLE days and Great days, which carries the definition of play past just one level.
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Aaah, no. Definitely not. At most a 5.0's play may drop to a high 4.5 level.
 
Wrong.... in my experience and opinion.
I oftentimes play doubles against levels from 3.5 thru 5.5 (current Div1 singles players). Totally depends who's having a good day, a bad day, a distracted day, or a great day.
Nobody can consistently maintain a level of 4.5 to 5.0. You HAVE to have better days when you can pummel and 5.0 and you HAVE TO have days when a 4.0 gives you problems, where only a few shots determine the outcome.
I've played with Div111 and top high school players for years. They have horrid days and great days, but mostly balance out around 4.5.
 
Maybe when you get to that level, you'll know better. Maybe not.
I often take SEVEN MONTHS off in the summer, and the first few days back can be 4.5 or 3.0, depending how my body is feeling and how my hands feel on the racket.
Notice I also mention INJURED! Playing with an injury, or a just healed injury, can drastically affect your game.
Playing distracted, if it's important enough to you, can easily drop your level one full, as you cannot concentrate for more than a couple of points. Like your g/f booting you out, or the surf is good, or your job just fell through.
You guys with stable living situations are blessed. Believe me, being on my own since 16 makes things a trifle harder when everything is going against you.
 
Hard for me to say since I am not that familiar with this NTRP-thing, and I think it is rather stupid to be honest.

In Europe every player get points, much easier imo.

On topic, on my best day i beat Mr X 6-1,6-1. On my worse day i beat him 7-5,7-5.

So Yes, thats a huge difference I guess.
 
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TheMagicianOfPrecision said:
Hard for me to say since I am not that familiar with this BTRP-thing, and I think it is rather stupid to be honest.

In Europe every player get points, much easier imo.

On topic, on my best day i beat Mr X 6-1,6-1. On my worse day i beat him 7-5,7-5.

So Yes, thats a huge difference I guess.
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What do you mean by "every player gets points?" How are the tournaments divided into skill levels (or are they)?


As far as the topic goes, 5.0 is just a complete different level from 3.5. A 3.5 would be lucky to win a few points per match against a 5.0, and would likely NEVER hit a winner. I don't care how bad of a day the 5.0 is having, a 3.5 is never going to have a shot at beating him.
 
You're just better than me.
If I played someone close to my level, maybe an average 4.0, I can win breadsticks one day, and lose close to that the next.
Just depends IF I had a place to stay that night, whether I ate any real food the days before, is the wind blowing one day and not the next, is the surf good, is my ankle hobbling me so I can't cover alley to alley, or is my ankle OK and I have my usual movement.
And of course I'll take MY serve over yours! I don't want to gain 70 lbs., play right handed, and grow 3 inches.
 
HunterST said:
What do you mean by "every player gets points?" How are the tournaments divided into skill levels (or are they)?


As far as the topic goes, 5.0 is just a complete different level from 3.5. A 3.5 would be lucky to win a few points per match against a 5.0, and would likely NEVER hit a winner. I don't care how bad of a day the 5.0 is having, a 3.5 is never going to have a shot at beating him.
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The tournaments are divided (for those over 18 y o) that one class is for guys with 50-125 points, another for 125-200 points and so on. You basically get 10% of your opponents points if you beat him. Very easy system and very rarely bagels or breadsticks.
 
LeeD said:
And of course I'll take MY serve over yours! I don't want to gain 70 lbs., play right handed, and grow 3 inches.
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Was this called for? Really? I wasnt even responding to your post.
 
If you are rated correctly, I think only 0.5 up and down. So a 4.5 sometimes plays like a 5.0, but others like a 4.0. No more than that.
 
Problem here is, some players play regardless of their preparation.
Other's only play when everything is going well for them.
I play with my ankle so bad I can't come close to jogging.
And oftentimes when I can't brush my teeth without holding up the elbow with my other arm.
Those bad days can be really bad when I'm distracted, and being basically a homeless person, distractions DO exist in my world.
Everyone can have lucky great days.
It's when you're trying to persevere through the tough times than bring you level at it's lowest.
 
tennismonkey said:
I see a lot of people describe their game in terms like:

"at my best i'm a 5.0 player. at my worst i'm a 3.0 player."
"i'm anywhere from a 3.5 to 4.5 player."
"when my strokes are on i'm a solid 4.0 player. but sometimes i just don't have it and i'm no better than a 2.5 player."

I find this really hard to believe. Especially because a good 3.5 for example is supposed to double bagel a bad 3.5 player. There's already a huge variance within an NTRP level.

Is there really a HUGE multi-level difference in your best game and worst game?
Click to expand...

I've never heard anyone say something like that. I have heard people say things like: I played like a 1.0 today.

Regarding range of skills for a rating level, I think you have some people who are very steady, and their bad days and good days aren't much above or below their level. Then you have other people who are less steady, who hit a variety of spectacular shots and horrible shots. These folks play well above and below their level.

There are all kinds of players out there.
 
LeeD said:
I think 5.0 to 3.5 is a possibility.
At 3.5, your game is off hinge, you're injured, sick, distracted, but still able to basically win against 95% of the 3.5's in the world.
At 5.0, you're having one of those days when every shot you try works, you're seeing the ball as if it's a basketball, and you seem to know where the ball is going every time.
We are not machines. We have good days and bad days, but more important, we have HORRIBLE days and Great days, which carries the definition of play past just one level.
Click to expand...

There is no way you can ever have that big of a difference. In college I have never seen anyone on my team go from typical college level to JV high school level. LeeD you just need to give up man...you are fighting a losing battle at this point. Even if your level of play drops you still just go from a good 4.5 to a crappy 4.5 there is no way a gap can be bigger than that
 
I think about 0.5 difference is possible - at least in the way the player feels on any particular day. So, 3.5 could feel and/or play like 4.0 if hitting the ball really well.

I am pretty solid 4.0 and if I am hitting on a slow hard court against a player who really gives me a good rhythm, I start to hit much better and feel like I am 4.5, but never ever beyond that.

I guess 5.0 could play and hit like 3.5 if he was missing everything (which I saw Ryan Harrison do at Winston Salem Open), but 5.0 would actually never lose to 4.0s even on his worst day.
 
TheMagicianOfPrecision said:
The tournaments are divided (for those over 18 y o) that one class is for guys with 50-125 points, another for 125-200 points and so on. You basically get 10% of your opponents points if you beat him. Very easy system and very rarely bagels or breadsticks.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a pretty neat system. It seems like it would be fun trying to build up your points. I wish the USTA would take a look at that.
 
HunterST said:
Sounds like a pretty neat system. It seems like it would be fun trying to build up your points. I wish the USTA would take a look at that.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I was thinking! I'd love it if I had to steal/protect points in matches! :)

-Fuji
 
junbumkim said:
I think about 0.5 difference is possible - at least in the way the player feels on any particular day. So, 3.5 could feel and/or play like 4.0 if hitting the ball really well.

I am pretty solid 4.0 and if I am hitting on a slow hard court against a player who really gives me a good rhythm, I start to hit much better and feel like I am 4.5, but never ever beyond that.

I guess 5.0 could play and hit like 3.5 if he was missing everything (which I saw Ryan Harrison do at Winston Salem Open), but 5.0 would actually never lose to 4.0s even on his worst day.
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No a 5.0 really can't hit like a 3.5 unless he/she was trying. It's not about hitting the ball really well, once you get to 4.5 you're already at a much much higher level of consistency and depth of shot than 4.0. Your points are longer generally and you need to start "winning" your points. And then by 5.0, a 5.0 would have to be stone cold drunk to hit like a 3.5. A 5.0 strokes are solid based on balls that are hit very deep and hard. So a 5.0 would all have a sudden have his/her game decline to a point where a lot of balls now are landing around the service line w/way less pace and the 5.0 is hitting at that pace and shanking some of those shots, even for a 5.0 to hit like a 4.0, it just won't happen.
 
I stand behind my statement it's POSSIBLE to play like a 5.0 one day, then later on play like a really good 3.5.
I hit the ball, I don't play push, counterpunch, retriever, or whatever.
As stated, when you hit the ball, you can hit clean winners against anyone short of 5.5, or you can MISS. One set last year, I missed easily 28 out of 30 forehands! Yes, I just lost that set to a 3.5-4.0 guy (7-5), but next set, missed maybe half my forehands, and won 6-2. I did NOT push, or try to take my forehand more easily, or conservatively. I was going for lines (within 2' of the lines).
I mentioned I lost bagel and breadsticks to a 4.0 who was going to the finals of the local 65's tourney. I'm 62. I was going to the courts to hit out on my forehands, and he kept redirecting short angled balls close to the service line. Wanting to HIT OUT, I didn't care about playing points, I just wanted to HIT.
I've also beaten solid 4.5-5.0 guys, but they had BAD days, were sniffling and moving slow, and not at all ready to play a competitive set.
I can't see how you can play within .5 of your ratings EVERY day. In 1996, I played singles sets 20 days out of a broken left collarbone...and I'm left handed! First day back, I couldn't have been more than a weak 3.5.
 
im a pretty good 4.0 and i regularly hit with 4.5 and 5.0 players. on my best days i can actually take sets off 4.5 players but end up losing the match usually.

I do consider myself a strong 4.0-weak 4.5. I feel like I am very close to being a true 4.5. I played a 4.0 tournament last week and lost in the finals to a sandbagger, and it is common for me to go deep in these 4.0 tourneys.

I also think it depends on your style of play. I have a big serve for a 4.0, and when my serve is really on I feel I can compete with 4.5's no problem. However, for a counter puncher, it might be different

I hope I make sense... But yes, I do believe that certain players can indeed be strong 5.0/weak 5.5 (for example). However, I think LeeD is taking it too far with a 5.0 playing like a 3.5 somedays. I guess I can see a 3.5 hitting 5.0 shots for like 10 minutes, but after 10 mins they will go back to their normal level and stop GOATing.:)
 
I suspect when I miss 28 out of 30 forehands in a set, that forehand tells me I'm no better than a 3.5.
Recently played a solid 5 or Open player. Must have missed almost that ratio of my forehands. Lost double bagels, he was shocked I could miss that many balls in two sets. Yes I can, and have.
You see, tennis is one of my favorite sports, but windsurfing and surfing will always take precedence if they're happening.
 
LeeD do you play now or have you ever played usta leagues? i ask because in my experience, people who don't play leagues tend to have interesting estimations of skill level - their own and others.

your experiences are different. and i hear you're quite the surfer and did some incredible feats of athleticism when you were in high school some 50 years ago. but i think we'll have to agree to disagree. because no healthy 5.0 player will ever lose to a 3.5 player. ever.
 
tennismonkey said:
LeeD do you play now or have you ever played usta leagues? i ask because in my experience, people who don't play leagues tend to have interesting estimations of skill level - their own and others.

your experiences are different. and i hear you're quite the surfer and did some incredible feats of athleticism when you were in high school some 50 years ago. but i think we'll have to agree to disagree. because no healthy 5.0 player will ever lose to a 3.5 player. ever.
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This. There's just no such thing as a player who is going to hit winners against 5.0s and then go out and hit so many errors (against a 3.5's strokes) that they beat themselves. If you're missing that much against the moderate paced (at best) ball that a 3.5 is giving, there's no way you're able to sustain a rally, let alone hit winners against a 5.0.
 
LeeD said:
I suspect when I miss 28 out of 30 forehands in a set, that forehand tells me I'm no better than a 3.5.
Recently played a solid 5 or Open player. Must have missed almost that ratio of my forehands. Lost double bagels, he was shocked I could miss that many balls in two sets. Yes I can, and have.
You see, tennis is one of my favorite sports, but windsurfing and surfing will always take precedence if they're happening.
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Ok lets assume I even believe you play at that level after witnessing your abomination of a serve...think about this. Even if you are missing forehands you are still at least making contact with the ball of a 5.0/open level player, hence this suggests you have the ability to predict the balls location against a good player. A 3.5 is never going to be able to have this when playing a top player. So in essence although you are playing like crap, you are just playing like crap at your level, it doesn't mean you drop to a 3.5.
 
OK.
Albert's Field in SanRafael is the team that just won the 4.0 league in all of MarinCounty. I hit there 2 weeks ago, running into at least 5 of the guys on the team. With my gimp, they all asked me to join the team. I've beaten and NEVER LOST to at least 7 of the 12 team members, including the #'s 3-6 singles guys. I've never beaten the #1 singles because he only plays at night, and I don't see worth beans at night. I don't know the #2 singles guy.
Anyone who can miss 28 out of 30 forehands, usually by less than 3', doesn't have a forehand better than 3.5 at that moment in time.
As for can I hit a winning forehand against 5.0's? I hit harder forehands now than I did in 1978 or the following year. Both those years, I went over 4 rounds in the Q for the TransAmerica Pro Men's tourney. I lost to guys who, the following year, were ranked better than 50 in the world.
The reason I can hit harder forehands now is the strong SW or weak W grip I've adopted. Back then, a conti grip with a slight favor towards efh, and PLACEMENT was more my thing over sheer MPH power.
 
I think I can safely say that the Lakers play at 5.0 one night and 3.5 the next (comparatively speaking.)
 
LeeD said:
OK.
Albert's Field in SanRafael is the team that just won the 4.0 league in all of MarinCounty. I hit there 2 weeks ago, running into at least 5 of the guys on the team. With my gimp, they all asked me to join the team. I've beaten and NEVER LOST to at least 7 of the 12 team members, including the #'s 3-6 singles guys. I've never beaten the #1 singles because he only plays at night, and I don't see worth beans at night. I don't know the #2 singles guy.
Anyone who can miss 28 out of 30 forehands, usually by less than 3', doesn't have a forehand better than 3.5 at that moment in time.
As for can I hit a winning forehand against 5.0's? I hit harder forehands now than I did in 1978 or the following year. Both those years, I went over 4 rounds in the Q for the TransAmerica Pro Men's tourney. I lost to guys who, the following year, were ranked better than 50 in the world.
The reason I can hit harder forehands now is the strong SW or weak W grip I've adopted. Back then, a conti grip with a slight favor towards efh, and PLACEMENT was more my thing over sheer MPH power.
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.....that has to be one of the most unbelievable statements I have ever seen on the internet....especially after seeing how bad your serving fundamentals are. I have seen what age can do to a player, I train with Bjorn Borgs old hitting partner sometimes and he can still do a proper leg bend and swing even after a hip replacement. You will probably counteract my statement with another thing i cannot fathom but goodonya
 
Yeah..I think I phrased it poorly.
I think 5.0s can "feel" in their mind as if they are playing like 4.5s or 4.0s because they are off their game and missing so much. They will never "look" like 4.0s or 4.5s.

For instance, I watched Ryan Harrison and Nishikori who had really poor start and was missing a lot of shots in their first set. They lost the first set 6-0 and 6-1 in a heartbeat. Obviously, this is a match condition, so it's different. On the practice court and just rallying, they would probably never feel like that.



achokshi99 said:
No a 5.0 really can't hit like a 3.5 unless he/she was trying. It's not about hitting the ball really well, once you get to 4.5 you're already at a much much higher level of consistency and depth of shot than 4.0. Your points are longer generally and you need to start "winning" your points. And then by 5.0, a 5.0 would have to be stone cold drunk to hit like a 3.5. A 5.0 strokes are solid based on balls that are hit very deep and hard. So a 5.0 would all have a sudden have his/her game decline to a point where a lot of balls now are landing around the service line w/way less pace and the 5.0 is hitting at that pace and shanking some of those shots, even for a 5.0 to hit like a 4.0, it just won't happen.
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MLB, I"m open to suggestions. Just how bad is my serving technique?
And I"m open to suggestions from PowerPlayer and WildVolley.
Let's say my serve sucks bigtime. What can YOU tell me that would improve my serve?
I'd like to hear this.
 
LeeD said:
MLB, I"m open to suggestions. Just how bad is my serving technique?
And I"m open to suggestions from PowerPlayer and WildVolley.
Let's say my serve sucks bigtime. What can YOU tell me that would improve my serve?
I'd like to hear this.
Click to expand...

Well its hard to pinpoint stuff from the other side of the court like the exact location of your toss. However what I can say is that you need to bend your knees, you are legit hitting the ball standing almost strait up. You also need to not throw the ball behind your head everytime. Those are 2 things to start with
 
Certainly I have always had a tremendous difference in the level of play. In high school, it would vary greatly day to day. I would get killed by a terrible player who couldn't even make the starting lineup, walk off the court with tears in my eyes, and then almost beat the state Catholic school champion two weeks later with both of us firing winners all over the place. I imagine that there are quite a few juniors out there who are pretty much all or nothing.
Later, after college, I was at times (when I was in practice) one of the better open players around. Playing with the 4.0 guys from work I often struggled and played worse than my opponent - however, I never once lost even if it had to go to a tiebreaker - I just couldn't stay focused or make myself move or even contact the ball well unless I was about to lose.
Now that I'm old (and I'm definitely agreeing with LeeD) my game can vary tremendously depending upon my injuries. Fighting an achilles problem, one day I'll feel fine and be able to beat top 4.5 players, the next (especially the next, playing two days in a row) I'll barely be able to walk and if I have to play a match I'm in big trouble. Lost to a guy who had just been bumped up from 3.5 and hadn't played singles in league all year in the USTA playoffs 6-1 6-1 the second day of playoffs. Couldn't even attempt to play the 3rd day of playoffs. It's why I don't even attempt to play tournaments.
 
As you get older your level of consistency drops in every sport. The bad to terrible outings become more frequent. Look at Jordan, McEnroe, Nickalaus, etc. So I believe your best to worst day range at your peak age (let's say 23) is much narrower than that at age 40.
 
MLB, thank you.
As said the previous year, when you hit a certain age, you don't lift up to hit the ball anymore.
And as said on several other threads, getting UP to hit the ball doesn't hit it harder, it only increases the strikepoint a few vital inches so the serves go in more often.
But as the service speed DECLINES, you don't need to be nearly as pinpoint, as the serve ARCS in due to gravity and slow speed!
Toss is behind my head somewhat to hit the ball out WIDE. Toss is more normal when slicing up the middle. You know a toss back creates more angle for wide serves.
Thank you.
 
LeeD said:
MLB, thank you.
As said the previous year, when you hit a certain age, you don't lift up to hit the ball anymore.
And as said on several other threads, getting UP to hit the ball doesn't hit it harder, it only increases the strikepoint a few vital inches so the serves go in more often.
But as the service speed DECLINES, you don't need to be nearly as pinpoint, as the serve ARCS in due to gravity and slow speed!
Toss is behind my head somewhat to hit the ball out WIDE. Toss is more normal when slicing up the middle. You know a toss back creates more angle for wide serves.
Thank you.
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I wasnt here the previous year, but i will say I know older guys who still put more leg bend in the ball than I do. Mcenroe is 52 and still gets lower than a girl at a night club.
And I'm not talking about power, I am talking about consistency because you made like 2 serves in that whole video (being that is all i have to go off of that what I am assuming your consistency is)
Yes i know a toss behind the head is meant for a wide kicker however you do it for the slice serves up the middle.
Listen you are getting very defensive if you dont want advice dont ask for it. I'm trying to actually tell you what to fix, but if you are going to tell me I'm wrong and get defensive don't ask
 
I'm a 3.5. On my best day I'm a very good 3.5, on my worst day a very bad 3.5

When/If the computer moves me, that is my rating. I don't understand the "I'm a 3.5/4.0". If the computer says you are a 3.5 and you play 4.0, still a 3.5.

Sure if we hit with better people its easier to hit since a good ball makes it easier, but in the end I'm just a 3.5 getting the benefit of better players...
 
I'm also a 3.5, and probably somewhere in the middle of the pack of 3.5 based on USTA results (maybe just slightly above average). There are days, or at least parts of days, where I can hang with some decent 4.0s I know, but I still don't win very often. I for sure never ever approach 4.5 level tennis. On the other end, I have definitely lost sets to 3.0 guys, especially in singles on a hot day, as I'm not in the best of shape and my footwork goes to hell, but occasionally even when conditioning wasn't an issue. I haven't played many 2.5s lately but I don't feel that I'd really be at risk to losing to one (dubious self-rates aside).

As for LeeD's 5.0 playing like a 3.5, well I'm still skeptical that this 5.0 is actually playing at a 3.5 level. Even if he can't make a forehand against another 5.0 or even a 4.5 and misses a ton, I don't think that 5.0 would make all those misses against a 3.5 like me. I can't trouble him. Most every ball of mine will be just sitting there for him compared to what he's used to. He won't even have to go for anything, his neutral rally ball will be enough to overwhelm me. This is all ignoring extreme conditioning issues obviously.
 
I never feel a drop in my level when it comes to technique but when my brain stops working I simply go for dumb shots or stop trying as hard. Im the same at my best as I am at my worst when it comes to ntrp.
 
I completely agree with those who say there is absolutely no way a 5.0 loses to a 3.5 unless he's drunk.

some of the discussion is about how one is playing, but if you look at a 5.0 and what kind of game they have? The have all the shots. They have a reliable backhand, they can drive it, slice it, or topspin it. They can hit their backhand for passing shots. They can do all of that on both sides of the ball. They have a reliable second serve, a good return of serve, they move well and they hit the ball consistently with pace and depth. Now sometimes they'll PLAY poorly, but they still have all the shots.

a 3.5? Typically they have no backhand, or a very weak/erratic one, they run it around it all day so they can try to hit their "smoking forehand". They have maybe a big first serve and a very weak second serve. They don't like to come to the net because their net play is very erratic and more often than not they lose points.

you don't go from a 5.0 to a 3.5 in a day. You still have the shots. Somedays you may not execute well, but there is no way a 5.0 loses to a 3.5. None.

I'm between a 4.0-4.5, and the only way I'm losing to a 3.5 is if I'm double faulting 2-3x per game and hitting a rash of unforced errors. Otherwise, it's just not happening. The difference between a 3.5 and a 4.5 is huge, and between a 3.5 - 5.0? Forget about it.
 
HunterST said:
What do you mean by "every player gets points?" How are the tournaments divided into skill levels (or are they)?


As far as the topic goes, 5.0 is just a complete different level from 3.5. A 3.5 would be lucky to win a few points per match against a 5.0, and would likely NEVER hit a winner. I don't care how bad of a day the 5.0 is having, a 3.5 is never going to have a shot at beating him.
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I'm a 2.5 and I take sets off of 4.5 players. Its the person, not the rating.:)
 
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64
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9K
dman72
D
D
Tencap vs. NTRP
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4
Views
2K
Dartagnan64
Dartagnan64
kimizz
How often u need to play/week to maintain a certain NTRP level?
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21
Views
2K
BounceHitBounceHit
BounceHitBounceHit
R
Hours played and NTRP
2
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64
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5K
Hokiez
H
B
NTRP and local clubs
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1
Views
2K
raiden031
R
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