Offensive backhand slice???

[VictorS.]

From most of the books I've read, it seems like the slice backhand is a good defensive shot which you use to stay in point. In addition, it's a good shot to use when approaching to the net. Obviously this is stuff most of you guys are very much aware of.

Now in the men's professional game, it seems a backhand drive with topspin is a virtual necessity. There are a few guys like Henman and Feliciano Lopez who slice a lot. But both of those guys are net-rushing players. Two questions:

1) Is it possible to hit an offensive slice backhand shot? Or is the slice inherently defensive in nature?

2) Secondly, could a male player experience similar success to a Steffi Graf, if they had a comparable game stylistically? For instance, Graf was a player known for exclusively slicing her backhand. Could a male player get away with this....and achieve similar success? If so, what attributes would they need to achieve such success?

 

[JohnThomas1]

Yes and no depending on the level you speak. An offensive slice is certainly possible at non professional levels. There are a couple of guys i play against who have penetrating old style slices that are hit with pace, precision and penetration. Having said this it is not an easy shot and i find it has a lot to do with inate talent. A friend of mine hits it oh so naturally but i am finding it nigh impossible to replicate. I'm a level above him too. I would be shocked if a male PRO could emulate even close to Graf's success with only a slice. The guys nowadays would just pound it unmercilessly. It would still be interesting if say Federer played an entire tourney coming under the backhand, he hits quite a few now and no one seems to be able to penetrate it. If anyone could do it he is the man.

 

[lanky]

The old style offensive slice is not used at pro level now and I doubt it would be effective if used exclusively.However I believe it is one shot that is overlooked in the modern game for most of us.On the correct court(grass fast indoor etc) it is devastating.Watch BB clip of rosewall, butt of racquet points at ball (maybe after a loop) racquet head drives through ball front shoulder stays down as long as possible weight leaning into shot. The feeling is almost of hitting the ball flat. The shot is powerful with only a little backspin for control and shoots low off the court.Problems-low margin for error, has to be low over the net. Not effective on hard courts-sits up.

 

[SteveI]

Tennis Mag.. on Slices

Hello All,

If you have the current "Tennis Mag", there is an excellent instruction feature on the slice backhand from the "chip and charge" master. Pistol Pete's former coach and Tim Henman's current coach - Paul Anacone. Excellent. They say Paul chiped and charged on anything.. 1st serves.. 2nd serves... Have a good one and Happy Holidays!

Steve

 

[paulfreda]

I was about to chime in here saying you cannot win at the upper levels of the men's pro game with an exclusive BH slice.
Maybe Fed is that talented to hit winners only off the FH side.

But then I remembered images of Conners. Watch old clips of his. He hits this devastating 2H shot which comes under the ball, but is essentially a flat shot. He hit winners with that one regularly.

Learn that shot and the answer to your Q is .... YES.
But it won't be easy to learn well or quickly.

 

[Trey]

Just learn the topspin BH. Spend a little time and then you will be able to use both topspin and slice. I use to just slice when I was at 3.5 level, but once I started moving up levels I realized I really could benefit from a topspin BH. So i practiced it a lot and now I use it matches about 25-30% of groundstroke rallys and 100% on my passing shots.

 

[Rickson]

The slice backhand can certainly be used as an offensive weapon, but it's a very bad passing shot.

 

[kevhen]

The backhand slice can be a good passing shot if hit very low to the net. I have also seen opponents hit winners with their backhand slice by hitting the shot at sharp angles and very low so it doesn't bounce high or far. At the men's pro level it may be a big negative since Younes El Anoui had to run all over the court to cover his backhand slice and wait for the opportunity to use his forehand but he was still a great player with a slicer.

 

[VictorS.]

I think Henman and Federer are really two of the few players that actually use the slice in an offensive manner. Most guys on tour use it to get back into the point on a ball they have difficulty reaching or as a change up in a long rally. I agree with Mr. Thomas, it would be interesting to see federer play a steffi graf-type match. You never know....he just might if he continues to steamroll over the competition like he's been doing (just to make things interesting).

 

[JohnThomas1]

This has turned into a very interesting thread. @SteveI, i watched Annacone out here (Australia, TV) in about 1986 i think it was. He played a few minor tourneys here and won two from memory. He came in off every second serve and near very first too. For the second serve he would be all but half volleying, LOL! He had a very decent serve himself. On the 4 or 5 times a match he got caught back he would come in as soon as possible. The other big things i remember is that he had great touch at the net, he was inclined toward the style of drop and angle volleys. The last is that when he popped up an approach or come in on a weak shot (OFTEN!) he wasn't afraid to try guess the passing shot near verytime and used to hop to one side or another as the opponent hit. He was right more often than no too.

 

[dozu]

at the 4.5-5.0 level, the slice can be an offensive weapon in the sense that:

1) it gives the opp a different look vs the topspin from the fh side. also the slice itself can be deep floater or short skidder.

2) it is the best approach shot, even better than the topspin fh, because it naturally leads you to the net for a quick set up for the volley, it stays low so your opp has to hit up, and it's much tougher to hit a lob pass off a sliced approach than off a topspin approach.

3) in terms of using slice as a pass, usually it's effective against an opp with a so-so net game... I usually just dink it straight to him, without a whole lot of pace, and make sure it just go over the net... I use this as a "transition" passing shot because most 4.5 level players don't know how to effectively volley that thing, they either dump it into the net, or try to chop at it to make sure it goes over the net, which produces a weak popped up volley, then I can take my time to pass on the next ball.

 

[robstar]

grosjean is another guy that uses the slice backhand alot. i still don't know how he gets away with is, probably that super-human speed of his.

 

[VictorS.]

I think the common denominator between players such as Graf, Henman, and Feliciano Lopez are their excellent all-around games. Obviously, they rely heavily on the slice backhand...but they are all excellent movers around the court. In addition they all have solid net games. And they all have great serves which often set them up for a lot of easy points.

 

[raftermania]

Hey, it can be offensive if you're opponent has back problems and/or isn't comfortable dealing with low balls.

This applies to the pros too (at least in the 80s)...

Arthur Ashe implemented the slice heavily on Connors during their wimbledon final to fruition.

It can definitely be a weapon when utilized in the proper situation!

 

[fastdunn]

IMHO, slice BH can be an offensive weapon at any level.
But it's just harder to be consistent and offensive at the same time, compared to top spin.
The very basic idea of Top Spin is to become offensive and consistent
at the same time !

 

[FLAG3264]

Offensive Slice Backhand

The slice backhand is very good as an approach shot, especially if you are RH and your opponent is RH and you approach up the line to his FH. What can make it even more penetrating and difficult to handle is if you can hit this shot with sidespin which will bring it out in to the doubles alley or further wide. The most common response is an up the line FH which is easy to cover as you should be covering that side. Occasionally an opponent will make the difficult cross court forehand but this is a high risk shot, since your ball stays so low. I also agree with other writer's regarding Ken Rosewall's backhand, his precise placement was what made his shot so lethal. He could make a good serve and volleyer look foolish at the net. Jimmy Connors also used a lot of slice with sidespin off of both wings. I have used this recently on FH approaches up the line to a RH backhand, pulling them wide and low and the usual response is a sitting duck lob. The key to getting the duck is not to close all the way on the net, just split step a few feet inside the service line and slightly to the alley. Vilas during a US Open match on clay against Jimmy Connors completely dismantled JC by keeping the ball low with slice to Jimmy's FH, Jimmy dumped so many in to the net as this was his one true weakness, that he was so frustrated he was mentally defeated and the match was soon over. I can hit both topsin and slice off the BH wing but when an opponent is at the net and I have a short sitter for a passing shot I will go for the slice and place it with only medium pace up the line close to the sideline out of the opponents reach. I used to hit the big hard topsin pass but as most of you know it is very easy to overhit the sitter or take your eye off the ball, or crush it in to the net as you are trying to get it over the net and drop quickly. I agree with other writer's that the slice backhand is a great weapon to add to your arsenal and it is a great fallback stroke if your topsin BH is off that day.

 

[GrahamIsSuper]

I played and won at the Open level for almost a month using exclusively the slice backhand and a heavy topspin forhand. The changeup between the two wings seemed to give people significant problems.

I would have used the topspin, but at the time I was switching from 2 to 1 hand, so the topspin was a bit sketchy.

Whether you drive it down so it barely bounces (absolutely a great strategy vs a western grip, most old phogies don't like to bend down in fear of killing themselves) or float it deep, the slice is an excellent changeup and can have killer variety.

My vote is Yea!

 

[troytennisbum]

YES the backhand slice can most certainly be used as an offensive weapon.

But, I advise you to NOT use it exclusively like a Steffi Graf on your backhand wing. That would be very difficult.
Sure, if the rest of your game is a super strong 7.0 like Steffi Graf's game was then you could probably get away with it.

 

[Blake0]

my coach said that he used to slice almost everything he got on the backhand side..and was in the top 100 in the world. Right now he is still a pro in the mens 45's division and likes to slice more balls than hit it with topspin..and he was no.1 last year.

he says that he slices the ball on the rise to take away time from your opponent while hitting a skidder and placing it well on the court to set up his forehand, or to make his opponent move around.

 

[J011yroger]

Way to revive a 5 year old thread lol.

J

 

[Djokovicfan4life]

Well, it may be old, but it's sad to see that some people think the offensive slice is extinct on the pro tour. Ever seen Andy Murray play? And he's not even a "natural one hander", haha.

 

[SirBlend12]

^^^ Hahaha. It's hilarious that people believe you can't slice offensively. I mean, they're always talking about this whole "modern game" with "HHHHUUUUUGGGGGEEEE topspin", but they can't hit a huge slice downward with the ball that high up?


Offensive slice is HIGHLY offensive on anything but clay. People just refuse to put thought into their games anymore. They jump into a mold because someone told them to and as a result never pass the 3.5 level. Everyone plays the same. So then the players that never learned a "conventional" game come out and exploit the hell out of their cut-and-paste strategies.

For the record, I rather love my OFFENSIVE backhand slice. Not as much as the even more offensive forehand version (think the opposite of how Santoro would do it... maybe more like if Gulbis did lol).

Then again, I play on primarily fast surfaces so things could be different in such a case.

 

[Djokovicfan4life]

We may need video confirmation of this SB12 "Gulbis slice", haha.

 

[LeeD]

Any thoughts on technique?
Me, huge grip change to fully eastern backhand, then set up just like a topspin onehander, fully closed stance and racket back and high, move forwards when there's time to hit thru the shot. Lotsa players have trouble effectively (pinpoint placement) volleying that low hard slice too, when at net.

 

[Rickson]

I've hit the "accidental" driving backhand slice a few times and it makes for a great offensive shot. I played one clown who hit almost every single fh inside out and he was surprised to see a driving, slice backhand come back at his feet when he went to the well once too many times. He yelled, "whoa" as the ball came back at him in a hurry and it just happened to be match point. Good for him for picking on my backhand like that.

 

[J011yroger]

Offensive slice is HIGHLY offensive on anything but clay.

Excuse me. . . What?

Offensive slice is DEVASTATING on clay.

J

 

[SirBlend12]

Excuse me. . . What?

Offensive slice is DEVASTATING on clay.

J

Thinking back, this is true. I would guess moreso in that it just sort of stops and dies, right? Like a backspin dropshot?

I'm used to crazy-fast HC so I was thinking more along the lines of the "Slip-n-Slide" effect you get there.

 

[J011yroger]

Thinking back, this is true. I would guess moreso in that it just sort of stops and dies, right? Like a backspin dropshot?

I'm used to crazy-fast HC so I was thinking more along the lines of the "Slip-n-Slide" effect you get there.

Yea man, the spin takes to the clay moreso than a hard court, so if you hit a heavy slice it just digs into the clay and doesn't come up. Just like the heavy topspin kicks up more off the clay, the heavy slice digs in more instead of skipping.

I will try to get some video of heavy slice approaches next time I am filming on the clay. Most of the stuff I have now is on hard.

Anyone who says that slice isn't as effective on clay doesn't hit a heavy attacking slice, they hit more of a rally slice, or block slice and need the help of a fast court to make it not attackable.

J

 

[VictorS.]

Wow, taking me back to memory lane! 2004....man time flys!

 

[35ft6]

1) Is it possible to hit an offensive slice backhand shot? Or is the slice inherently defensive in nature?

Not offensive if you mean hitting clean winners out of nowhere, but a slice can definitely be offensive in terms of drawing unforced errors. Especially these days, almost nobody hits one, so even if you hit it right to them, if you hit a really low, deep slice, most people, even at 5.0 or 5.5, are going to have problems. I can hit passing shots with my slice but it depends on the person and how aggressively I hit it and by aggressively I mean early. If I take it right off the bounce, I can manage to hit clean passing shot winners. But mostly I use it to spook people. If I can get them to camp out crosscourt and I'm hitting it cleanly down the line that day, it's really good. Depends on the person. I usually hit with the same people a lot and I've noticed recently it's not giving them as much problems. But I played a few new people recently and they all had problems with it, even the guy who beat me in a set.

2) Secondly, could a male player experience similar success to a Steffi Graf, if they had a comparable game stylistically? For instance, Graf was a player known for exclusively slicing her backhand. Could a male player get away with this....and achieve similar success? If so, what attributes would they need to achieve such success?

I think Fed a few years ago took the slice as far as it can go on the ATP tour if you're a baseliner or even all court player. (Rafter as a serve and volleyer hit the slice more than Fed, but used it mostly only to keep himself in the point and for approach shots) He did same thing as Graf, used the slice to throw the other person off balance and also like Graf, he had the best forehand in the game, great movement, and a potent serve. Without all of those things, hitting a slice backhand almost exclusively is a huge detriment on the ATP and maybe even the WTA as well.

Gonzo benefitted greatly from a slice at the Aussie a few years back, and that slice wasn't even that good. It was super floaty but at least it usually landed deep. But whereas before when he was in trouble off the backhand he would go for an all or nothing blazing winner, the slice allowed him to get back into the point. With Gonzo, the slice more than a new great shot in his arsenal, was the manifestation of a more patient approach. And really, getting back to the original question, if you have a solid top spin backhand, that's the best use for a slice, to keep you in points.

 

[35ft6]

Any thoughts on technique?
Me, huge grip change to fully eastern backhand, then set up just like a topspin onehander, fully closed stance and racket back and high, move forwards when there's time to hit thru the shot. Lotsa players have trouble effectively (pinpoint placement) volleying that low hard slice too, when at net.

I use a continental grip.

 

[Bud]

Way to revive a 5 year old thread lol.

J

It's pretty cool ain't it? Just continue the conversation as if no time has elapsed!

 

[BreakPoint]

I hit offense slices on both my backhand AND forehand sides. It's a great way to mix up my shots.

 

[sh@de]

Yea man, the spin takes to the clay moreso than a hard court, so if you hit a heavy slice it just digs into the clay and doesn't come up. Just like the heavy topspin kicks up more off the clay, the heavy slice digs in more instead of skipping.

I will try to get some video of heavy slice approaches next time I am filming on the clay. Most of the stuff I have now is on hard.

Anyone who says that slice isn't as effective on clay doesn't hit a heavy attacking slice, they hit more of a rally slice, or block slice and need the help of a fast court to make it not attackable.

J

I've never played on a clay court, so I don't know. But according to what you have, does it mean that Fed's normally nasty backhand slice becomes even more difficult to deal with on clay?

 

[onehandbh]

If I take it right off the bounce, I can manage to hit clean passing shot winners. But mostly I use it to spook people. If I can get them to camp out crosscourt and I'm hitting it cleanly down the line that day, it's really good.
[/QUOTE]

LOL, the first time I hit w/35ft6, it sucked. I had been a long time since
I had hit w/anyone that had such a good slice. The last time was this
guy that played on the Danish national team and this former pro. It
seems like sort of lost art/shot these days. I've played a handful of
current college & juniors in the last couple years and they all hit 2 handed
and had 1 hand slices, but the slices were no where near as good as
35ft6's.

 

[35ft6]

^ Thanks, man. You and D, it's kind of sad cuz you guys handle my slice so much better now that I can't rely on that for cheap points any more.

I remember in college, smart players would invariably, once they got spooked by the slice, approach to my backhand side to see if I would slice it. If you slice a lot, this is when you have to blast it. The first time they do this, I told myself it wasn't a matter of hitting a clean passing shot, just hit it as hard and clean as I could and well within the sidelines just to send a message.

 

[Julieta]

If I can get them to camp out crosscourt and I'm hitting it cleanly down the line that day, it's really good.

All juniors should be required to learn this pattern.

The whole post is awesome by the way. Anyone who has played someone who can do this or can do it themselves, knows the value!

 

[35ft6]

All juniors should be required to learn this pattern.

This is all I did in college. Against 90% of the players, this was all I had to do. Then wait for their backhands to break down, or for them to do something crazy to avoid getting into another backhand exchange. But a few times I would run into really good players who weren't bothered by it. One guy almost double bageled me. haha.

 

[goober]

35ft6 do you have any vids of yourself? It would be interesting to see that BH. Or if not maybe some youtube vids of someone who hits similar to yourself.

 

[35ft6]

^ No I don't. Maybe I'll post something one day.

 

[chess9]

I had an awful match on Friday against an older player who is a clay court master. He hit a very very spinny low slice short to my backhand and was winning a lot of points. At first, I wasn't aiming high enough, but when I'd get it over the net and down the line, he'd be there and would hit this very wristy shot past me with pin point accuracy. Every point was 6-10 shots as well. And he had NO SERVE. I was serving up bombs, and he was spinning in these 40 mph love taps. I'd hit a screamer cross-court and he'd deftly poke it down the line. His form was not very good but his results were stunning. At the 4.5 level form is not everything! Oh, and he didn't hit one lob, probably because in warmups I hit about 10 overheads back at him at about the speed of sound. But, he didn't need to lob! The guy was a laser.

Anyway, I think in his case I should have been hitting more shots to the deep middle of the court to take away his angles.

-Robert

 

[gpt]

At th 79 French Open Victor Pecci beat Solomon, Barazzuti, Connors, Vilas and lost a close 4 set final to Borg all with a slice backhand

 

[Julieta]

This is all I did in college. Against 90% of the players, this was all I had to do. Then wait for their backhands to break down, or for them to do something crazy to avoid getting into another backhand exchange. But a few times I would run into really good players who weren't bothered by it. One guy almost double bageled me. haha.

I am not surprised you were successful with it in college and beyond. It can drive people nuts, even those that are good ball strikers.

 

[oldhacker]

Offensive slice backhand is definitely possible. I slice my backhand a lot more than I should given that I can hit a half decent topspin backhand. I certainly get winners using a sliced backhand return of serve from the ad court - a low fast slice which lands where the sideline meets the service line either side works for me.

Trouble is offensive slice is a low percentage shot compared to topspin. You have to be spot on with your timing and accuracy and the net clearance and line margins are so low that it is a risky option. So an offensive topspin backhand is a higher percentage option and so will win out more often than not. Hence in today's pro game where nearly all players possess a decent topspin backhand offensive slice is used more as a change up or special situation shot.

1) Is it possible to hit an offensive slice backhand shot? Or is the slice inherently defensive in nature?

2) Secondly, could a male player experience similar success to a Steffi Graf, if they had a comparable game stylistically? For instance, Graf was a player known for exclusively slicing her backhand. Could a male player get away with this....and achieve similar success? If so, what attributes would they need to achieve such success?

 

[Julieta]

Offensive slice backhand is definitely possible. I slice my backhand a lot more than I should given that I can hit a half decent topspin backhand. I certainly get winners using a sliced backhand return of serve from the ad court - a low fast slice which lands where the sideline meets the service line either side works for me.

Trouble is offensive slice is a low percentage shot compared to topspin. You have to be spot on with your timing and accuracy and the net clearance and line margins are so low that it is a risky option. So an offensive topspin backhand is a higher percentage option and so will win out more often than not. Hence in today's pro game where nearly all players possess a decent topspin backhand offensive slice is used more as a change up or special situation shot.

I have heard other people who use slice backhands say this same thing - that they feel like they do it too much when they feel like they should be coming over it instead. I think it is wonderful to have both options because a lot of players dont use the slice at all. The play that I think is so awesome is the 35ft6 play - you slice them cross court keeping the ball low and short - setting a pattern that you can do this all day - and then whip one down the line. A lot of people go crazy when someone does this to them.

How is your tennis going? Did you see that Moz has left the sport?

 

[oldhacker]

Hi Julietta - yes that low short cross-court slice is one of the shots I was referring to which often get me winners on the return of serve from the ad court.

My tennis is going OK thanks although I am getting the yips with my serve in matches far too often. Starting to know how Coria felt ! I am thinking about taking a PTR coaching course later this year as I would love to coach in some form. I have recently been informally teaching a small group of 5 year olds (my son and his friends) who are just starting tennis. It is such fun and a joy to see the progress they make and the enjoyment they get out of it. I could not believe it when on the second session my son (who is very small for his age and a slow physical developer) started hitting a natural 2HBH to die for. I have told him whatever he does he must stick with it and not try to copy my 1HBH. I am sure most on here would say someone my level (probably about 4.0 US equivalent) should not be coaching but I disagree as I think a genuine love and enthusiasm for the game together with a wealth of and thirst for knowledge can easily outweigh a few technical deficiencies ! I am trying to pluck up the courage to ask my coach what he thinks next time I have a lesson.

I was sad to read about the end of Moz's tennis journey as I was really enjoying following it. The whole running thing leaves me cold though as it is a form of torture for me. I hope it works out for him but I somehow feel, as happened with the tennis, that when you throw everything full time into a single activity when you are not so young the resulting wear and tear on the body will end in injury which stops you in your tracks.

I have heard other people who use slice backhands say this same thing - that they feel like they do it too much when they feel like they should be coming over it instead. I think it is wonderful to have both options because a lot of players dont use the slice at all. The play that I think is so awesome is the 35ft6 play - you slice them cross court keeping the ball low and short - setting a pattern that you can do this all day - and then whip one down the line. A lot of people go crazy when someone does this to them.

How is your tennis going? Did you see that Moz has left the sport?

 

[Julieta]

Hi Julietta - yes that low short cross-court slice is one of the shots I was referring to which often get me winners on the return of serve from the ad court.

My tennis is going OK thanks although I am getting the yips with my serve in matches far too often. Starting to know how Coria felt ! I am thinking about taking a PTR coaching course later this year as I would love to coach in some form. I have recently been informally teaching a small group of 5 year olds (my son and his friends) who are just starting tennis. It is such fun and a joy to see the progress they make and the enjoyment they get out of it. I could not believe it when on the second session my son (who is very small for his age and a slow physical developer) started hitting a natural 2HBH to die for. I have told him whatever he does he must stick with it and not try to copy my 1HBH. I am sure most on here would say someone my level (probably about 4.0 US equivalent) should not be coaching but I disagree as I think a genuine love and enthusiasm for the game together with a wealth of and thirst for knowledge can easily outweigh a few technical deficiencies ! I am trying to pluck up the courage to ask my coach what he thinks next time I have a lesson.

I was sad to read about the end of Moz's tennis journey as I was really enjoying following it. The whole running thing leaves me cold though as it is a form of torture for me. I hope it works out for him but I somehow feel, as happened with the tennis, that when you throw everything full time into a single activity when you are not so young the resulting wear and tear on the body will end in injury which stops you in your tracks.

I think you definitely should consider coaching. There are all kinds of players at all kinds of levels who need different types of coaches. As you say, the ability to spot something in someone else and also be encouraging and enthusiastic; these are all the most important characteristics. There are many players who have been playing since the cradle who do not necessarily make the best coaches because they can't communicate. Or they just repeat what their coaches told them when they were learning without looking at each player's situation. Of course the most obvious example of someone who supposedly was not a 5.5+ player but is a world class coach is Nick Bollietieri.

I've read a lot of your posts and in my opinion, I think you have a lot of tennis knowledge and you're a good communicator. I think you would do well. I'm not that familiar with how it works in the UK but it would not suprise me if you come up against some resistance from established coaches. But dont let that stop you if this is what you really want to do! You could always plan a vacation to the States with your family and attend one of the USPTR or USPTA conferences as well.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Moz. I'm with you though; running for me is not that pleasant. But tennis can be such a fight. It is the only sport I know of where you have to do everything yourself. I personally thought he was playing too many events but I can see why he did it since he was taking a break from work.

 

[chess9]

I enjoy running, so my point of view is somewhat different. What I notice is with age, movement suffers. If you aren't doing some sort of compensatory training, such as a bit of distance training, a bit of speedwork, and some footwork drills, then your tennis will decline more rapidly with age because mobility falls off quickly. (This is a generalization, and like all generalizations has suspicious weaknesses. )

But, query: If you don't like running, why play singles tennis? It's a lot of running with some occasional hitting!

-Robert

 

[oldhacker]

Thanks for the encouragement Julietta. Coaching would not be a career for me but rather something I would do for the love of it and a bit of pocket money. I think I have a fairly good eye for spotting areas for improvement in players and those who have asked me for help have certainly improved from it so I think I have something to give and the group of kids I am teaching are advancing amazingly and loving it. At the end of the day most kids and club adult players do not need an elite player for a coach and would probably benefit more from soemone who is genuinely motivated to teach them rather than consider it beneath them but necessary for the money.

I spend a lot of time playing at the nearest tennis academy and they have a whole range of coaches there. Some a youngish ex-pro's who ahve had world rankings but others are guys in their 70's with a broader sports background (eg played pro soccer and took up tennis and coaching later) who you never see with a racquet in hand but they sure as hell can motivate a group of talented juniors on court. And they are helping world ranked juniors who compete and win rounds in the junior slams.

I think you definitely should consider coaching. There are all kinds of players at all kinds of levels who need different types of coaches. As you say, the ability to spot something in someone else and also be encouraging and enthusiastic; these are all the most important characteristics. There are many players who have been playing since the cradle who do not necessarily make the best coaches because they can't communicate. Or they just repeat what their coaches told them when they were learning without looking at each player's situation. Of course the most obvious example of someone who supposedly was not a 5.5+ player but is a world class coach is Nick Bollietieri.

I've read a lot of your posts and in my opinion, I think you have a lot of tennis knowledge and you're a good communicator. I think you would do well. I'm not that familiar with how it works in the UK but it would not suprise me if you come up against some resistance from established coaches. But dont let that stop you if this is what you really want to do! You could always plan a vacation to the States with your family and attend one of the USPTR or USPTA conferences as well.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Moz. I'm with you though; running for me is not that pleasant. But tennis can be such a fight. It is the only sport I know of where you have to do everything yourself. I personally thought he was playing too many events but I can see why he did it since he was taking a break from work.

 

[oldhacker]

Hi Robert - I have just come back from 3 hours of enjoyable singles with 3 different partners (one 60 yo, one 25 yo and one 18 yo) and I didn't even think about the running. Don't know what it is but if you ask me to run for the sake of it I die of boredom before I reach the street corner but if there is a ball to chase down and hit I can do it all day long with a smile on my face.

But, query: If you don't like running, why play singles tennis? It's a lot of running with some occasional hitting!

-Robert