Roddick not improving

[Coria]

Gilbert was right on about Roddick. What is this guy doing better now than he did one year, two years ago? His backhand is no better. His slice has not improved. His ability to create more angles, show more touch and finesse--it hasn't improved.

It doesn't bode well for his future. Besides better coaching, I personally think Roddick needs a different racket. I know some of you self-righteous (and not very courteous) "experts" will have a few choice words to say, but the Babolat Pure Drive is a racket mainly to bludgeon people. It is not enough of a finesse racket to maximize a player's ability to hit "softer" balls. Roddick is becoming more and more predictable. His inability to win any of the last five majors (and he's only won oneoverall) when he's in the peak of his career is not a good sign. He has no business losing to Hewitt and yet he always seems to. Look at his loss to Nadal at the Davis Cup. Where was the variety in his game? the creativity of shotmaking? Players are catching on to Roddick. It's only his ability to serve people off the court that allows him to go to the semis. His overall game needs to be stepped up.

He has no chance to win the French unless he adds to his game. When it was all said and done, Roddick's stubborness was the problem with Gilbert.
He wasn't willing to work hard enough on the mental side of thinking through points and better analyzing his opponents, while developing some new shots. Tennis at that level is like chess. That's why Andre is still so successful. He understands how to outthink his opponent. Gilbert was amazing at this and completely overachieved in his career. Roddick is not. The results are starting to show.

Regarding his serve, there are other rackets that offer a bit more feel that would still allow him to bludgeon people when serving. The Pure Drive is a nice racket, but there are better ones for a more versatile game.

 

[Coria]

With Federer around for a long time, I honestly don't think Roddick will win more than 3 total majors in his career--if that

 

[andfor]

With Federer around for a long time, I honestly don't think Roddick will win more than 3 total majors in his career--if that

If that's the worst he does then it will be a pretty good career.

 

[halfvolley777]

New racquet for Andy?

Coria..believe it was you who was a Slaz X1 proponent..and thank you...got mine and noticed the comfort immediately compared to the 200G...my arm thanks you as well. Solid...seems perfect for a lad looking to serve and volley more....like Roddick?

 

[J D]

Coria, it would be unwise to take Gilbert's statements without a grain of salt. He's just been fired in the most public and embarrassing of ways. Roddick's game has improved in some ways. His backhand is much stronger and he can now go up the line with it. His slice backhand, while still not as consistent as it should be, is also much better. I don't think you can read too much into the Davis cup losses since they were on clay. There are also many more versatile players using PD's, so the racquet's not the problem.

So what is? Some point to the amateurish volley and very weak return of serve. These are problems, but not the main one. I agree with your last statements, Roddick's biggest liability is between his ears. He simply doesn't get the most out of his game. He will make strategic blunders right and left, over and over again. Some are obvious tennis no-no's and some are less obvious plays that just show a lack of awareness. There are few (if any) adjustments for the person he's playing, what is and isn't working, and match situation. Perhaps it is his stubbornness that is inhibiting his growth or maybe Gilbert's approach just wasn't right for Andy for the long haul. It's hard to argue against a strategy that works against 99% of the professional tennis world. Unfortunately, Andy's never going to beat that other 1% (Fed and Hewitt) consistently until he becomes a more complete player.

 

[no.1retrieverUK]

Funny, Moya uses a Pure Drive (standard, not quite the same) yet he seems to have touch as good as anyone right now.

 

[radical tourist]

His racquet is a tinny little... oh, never mind... His volley is right out of 3.5 league. His refusal to come in behind a great forcing shot is pure WTA. Still, top 2 or 3 player in the world is a nice way to make a living, he shows good sportsmanship for a combative line of work, and I love his credit card commercial.

 

[annihilatorpro]

Roddick's got the weirdest, most awkward looking volley I've ever seen from a top 10 player. I think Agassi can volley better than he can. There are probably high schoolers that can volley better than him. lol

 

[andfor]

To say that any top ATP or WTA for that matter top ten pro/former worlds #1 volley can be compared to a 3.5 or High Schooler is down right stupid and nieve.

I bet if any of the haters on this board played Roddick or any pro baseliner and the pro had to serve underhanded, had to chip their FH and BH exlusivley and had to come to the net after 4 shots minimum they would still hand you your @** every time.

Get off the haterade, get real, get a clue.

 

[davey25]

To hope for Roddick to ever win the French is really stretching your hopes anyway. Throw that one out the window. I agree he needs to improve if he wants to win 4 or 5 slams in his career, rather than just 1 however.

 

[J D]

Andfor, and what part of Roddick's volley isn't amateurish? Maybe it's his footwork, the way he always split steps, gets turned sideways, plants his back foot, and steps into the ... Wait, he doesn't do that often. Maybe it's the way he prepares with the racquet face open and above the ball.... Wait, he doesn't usually do that, either. Maybe it's his nice, compact swing punching downwards and through from the elbow with the wrist stiff and.... Wait, he usually just blocks the ball. Must be the way he bends so nicely at the knees (and, if necessary, waist) to keep the frame head above the hand... No, he doesn't do that very often, either.

Now, what is there about his volleying that is better than a high schooler? I've seen some high schoolers volley much better. And since when did you have to be able to beat someone on the court in order to comment on their game? Get real.

 

[andfor]

Andfor, and what part of Roddick's volley isn't amateurish? Maybe it's his footwork, the way he always split steps, gets turned sideways, plants his back foot, and steps into the ... Wait, he doesn't do that often. Maybe it's the way he prepares with the racquet face open and above the ball.... Wait, he doesn't usually do that, either. Maybe it's his nice, compact swing chopping downwards from the elbow with the wrist stiff and.... Wait, he usually just blocks the ball. Must be the way he bends so nicely at the knees (and, if necessary, waist) to keep the frame head above the hand... No, he doesn't do that very often, either.

Now, what is there about his volleying that is better than a high schooler? I've seen some high schoolers volley much better. And since when did you have to be able to beat someone on the court in order to comment on their game? Get real.

OK Vic Braden, or maybe you're Nick Bolittiari. You win. You and your arm chair analysis win. Considering Roddick has been #1(in the world) and won a USO title I am figuring he just might volley better than a 3.5 or H.S.'er. Yea, John McEnroe probably volleyed better than AROD in H.S. So what.

I bet if you coached a ATP pro and he played AROD, (and you could because who said you had to be a touring pro to coach one) your stratagy would be to have your guy bring Roddick to the net and pass him. Hmmmmmmmmmm, Roddick's still #2 or 3 in the world. Suprise, suprise Gomer, I don't see it happening all that often. Do you?

 

[Chadwixx]

To say that any top ATP or WTA for that matter top ten pro/former worlds #1 volley can be compared to a 3.5 or High Schooler is down right stupid and nieve.

I bet if any of the haters on this board played Roddick or any pro baseliner and the pro had to serve underhanded, had to chip their FH and BH exlusivley and had to come to the net after 4 shots minimum they would still hand you your @** every time.

Get off the haterade, get real, get a clue.

his technique is bad. he chops instead on punches. he doesnt have the feel to let the racket do the work. his volleys are good against slower pace but the way he does it he has no margin of error. he doesnt need to be slicing the volley, he isnt stefan edberg. just punch it to the open court and keep it lvl, instead he chops the wood.

 

[andfor]

I never said he was a good volleyer. Just that comparing his volley or any pro's volley to a 3.5 or H.S'er (John McEnroe in H.S. not included) is stupid.

True he is not Stefan Edberg, conversly he is not Forrest Gump as some would like the world to believe. He's #2 in the world. That does not mean he's supposed to have the 2nd best volley in the world.

I am sure AROD would agree his volley could use some work, that along with a few other things. He and other pros like him in that position are always looking for an edge.

Just because it's obvious his volley drops off from the rest of his game and you and I notice, does not mean he can overhaul the thing tommorrow. Sheeesh!

Wake up people!

 

[J D]

Andfor, you seem to suffer from the same misconception that many here on this board have, thinking that every part of a top pro's game is world class. JMac's ground strokes were extremely weak, maybe 4.5 on a good day. Several of the top women pros through the years have volleyed two handed on the backhand side. Dementieva can hardly hit a second serve. Some of the clay court specialists on the men's side still don't serve above 100 mph. Maybe Roddick can't overhaul his volley tomorrow, but what was he doing the whole last month before the AO (or last 3 years, for that matter)?

And, yes, I could beat Arod in a volleying contest. Also, if Forrest Gump played tennis like he did ping pong, he would slaughter Roddick at the net.

 

[andfor]

JMac's ground strokes were extremely weak, maybe 4.5 on a good day.........And, yes, I could beat Arod in a volleying contest.

You just exposed your stupidity with the JMAC coment.

If your that good show us your credentials and we'll see how many folks would vouch for your volleying skills.

Your just another fraud.......

 

[J D]

Andfor, you have once again demonstrated your delusion about the pros' strokes. How old are you? Did you see McEnroe play in his teens and early 20's? Now, his groundies did greatly improve as he got older, slowed down, and had to stay back more. When he was young, though, they were pretty ugly, almost a block with a little wrist flick from the baseline.

And you also still have a misconception about having to show credentials to know what you're talking about. I can't believe I'm wasting my time replying to this (aren't you glad I'm not asking for your credentials to criticize me). For your edification, I did play in college a long time ago for a pretty decent university and was a serve and volleyer then, so that's why I know how to volley. And Roddick still doesn't.

Look, I would cut Arod more slack about not being able to volley if he wasn't trying to serve and volley or come to net on critical points in the match. To intentionally play to his own weaknesses at crunch time against passing shots like Hewitt's was simply stupid.

 

[ragnaROK]

Coria, who said Roddick ever wanted finesse? That's his style of play, he even told the reporters that in interview where he didnt volley too well. Honestly a change of rackets isnt going to affect his play that much. Joachim Johansson has a similar game and uses a RDX 500. Serena looks like she's uses a friggin tweener.

 

[andfor]

OK so help me understand. You say when Mac was on the top of the world of tennis, he was #1 a number of years, these are your words not mine, "JMac's ground strokes were extremely weak, maybe 4.5 on a good day.." Now you say that due to his old age, he is 44, they are somehow magically soooooo much better. By that are you suggesting Mac go back on the tour full-time? Maybe if he does he'll let you carry his JOCK.

You said and these are your words not mine, "I could beat Arod in a volleying contest.." I did not make any claims about being able to beat the world's #2 player volleying, you did.

I said, "I am sure AROD would agree his volley could use some work, that along with a few other things."

Now tell me about my misconceptions again Mr. I am going to hide behind my keeboard and tell everyone to believe me by claiming that I did play in college a long time ago for a pretty decent university and was a serve and volleyer then, so that's why I know how to volley..guy.

 

[annihilatorpro]

Roddick's got an absolutely massive serve, and a very competent baseline game. He can smash overheards pretty well, too. But, what he doesn't have is a nice volley game. I am almost positive there are high school players that can volley better than him. I've played with state ranked junior players who can absolutely crush me, which isn't saying much, but they show all the attributes of good volleyers. Now, Roddick will probably destroy them regardless because of his serve and groundstrokes, but that's why he doesn't volley, because he sucks at volleying and therefore isn't going to volley when he doesn't have to.

 

[J D]

OK, Andfor, I'll try to help you understand. Mac's ground strokes improved out of necessity. When he was young, he was the fastest I've ever seen around the court (including Federer). He never stayed back on serves and chipped and charged on returns more often than not. He had the best hands the game has ever seen and he knew his place was at the net. He simply didn't stay in the backcourt for more than a couple of shots before charging. His racquet was strung below 40 lb's, he would have hit the ball into the 40th row if he had swung out on his groundies. After his sabbatical, he lost a couple of steps and also suffered back problems that affected his twist serve. The result was that he had to play from the back court more and more, during which time he developed some semblance of pro strokes. When I've seen him on the senior tour, his groundies do look even better than they did when he retired from the tour. Credit goes to him for continuing to develop his game even though older. And, in case you didn't notice, he's beaten some top pros like Agassi in exhibitions in the last few years. The problem with coming back is, he can't do it for longer than a few minutes and certainly not week after week. Conners says he can still play as well as he always did, but only for about 1 set.

As to my claims, there are dozens on this board (and thousands in the US) who could beat Roddick in a volleying contest. Why? Because they understand and have practiced all the fundamentals involved. I've played 4.5's that volleyed much better than Roddick, it's just not that hard to do. This is the reason why it's so frustrating to watch the world's #2 player fail to execute proper footwork and form. It's not rocket science. As far as I'm concerned, he either doesn't care or he has some of the worst feet and hands the pro tour has seen in some time. I'm hoping it's the first and that his volleying will improve once he gets around to seriously working on it.

 

[andfor]

JD, You said what you said. I am not going to remind you. If I did it would be for the 3rd time.

I must say your explaination of MAC's improvement is a nice one and I already know that stuff about how he can hang with the big boys for a set and all. His groundies are crisp now that he's in his mid-40's. However to assess the former world's #1 groundies at the time when he was #1 as 4.5ish is just not comprehendable. Not because I am incapable of comprehending as you would like to insult me as being so, but because it's a stupid thing to say. Maybe you can comprehend it as such but your a special case and have a one of a kind selective and highly creative memory.

We will never see Roddick vs. you JD or some 4.5 in a vollying contest, so the whole notion is nothing less than silly.

Keep dreaming........

 

[J D]

Andfor, you never answered my questions. How old are you? Were you a serious tennis player during the late 70's and early 80's who studied Mac's game? This is from an article on McEnroe's career by Larry Pratt, "McEnroe, who was renowned for rarely practicing or watching what he ate, dominated stronger, bigger, more committed players with a wholly instinctive game that was characterized by a feathery touch, a series of jabs and wrist flicks that produced unfathomable, sharply angled shots."

I'm not making this stuff up. If you don't believe me, do a search here and on the old boards. We've had this discussion before. You'll see that there are a lot of people here that were serious players during the 70's who share the same views as me.

 

[andfor]

Andfor, you never answered my questions. How old are you? Were you a serious tennis player during the late 70's and early 80's who studied Mac's game? This is from an article on McEnroe's career by Larry Pratt, "McEnroe, who was renowned for rarely practicing or watching what he ate, dominated stronger, bigger, more committed players with a wholly instinctive game that was characterized by a feathery touch, a series of jabs and wrist flicks that produced unfathomable, sharply angled shots."

I'm not making this stuff up. If you don't believe me, do a search here and on the old boards. We've had this discussion before. You'll see that there are a lot of people here that were serious players during the 70's who share the same views as me.

I am 39, MAC is my favorite and I played college tennis in the middle 80's. That article does not mean s***! Just because some guy writes something and it gets published does not make you right you DA. It did not say anything about MAC having 4.5 groundies. Unless you played MAC shut-up and stop making a fool of yourself. You and your buddies who share your same view need to take off your rose colored glasses and get a clue. Again, put this in you're pipe and smoke it, MAC would have blanked you back when you said he was a 4.5 baseliner with him playing you from the backcourt. Period end of story.

What you said it so stupid I do not have to do a search. You do it Mr. Smartguy and stick it in my face. You can't cause you're a fraud! But if you do, you better hope the author backs up your claim MAC was a 4.5 groundstoker and has credtials better than your 3.5 Gomer.

Guys get on here like you, say the most stupid thing ever and when someone like me call them out on it they insted of apologizing go on the attack. That's you and that's OK. Because the more you defend your stupidity the dumber you look. I am really sick of people like you who think that because they say something the rest of the world should bow down and be thankful they did. And if someone does question the great JD how dare they. Who would ever question Mr. JD? Mr. JD who can say stupid stuff like Roddick is a 3.5 and MAC a 4.5.

I've got news for you JD. I am not your little wife who thinks everything you say is always funny and always true. I am here to protect the innocent from idiots with a keyboard like you who think that when they start typing they should win a Pulitzer or Nobel.

Face it, you said some really stupid stuff and have an ego to big to take it back. Now you're protecting your ego by arguing your point.

 

[irishbanger]

Hey---I'm a 3.5 and resent all this condescending talk about my fellow 3.5 players! We make up the bulk of the serious tennis playing, equipment buying public. A little respect?

 

[andfor]

Hey---I'm a 3.5 and resent all this condescending talk about my fellow 3.5 players! We make up the bulk of the serious tennis playing, equipment buying public. A little respect?

Bang, no offense. It was started earlier by another poster who used the 3.5 terminology while loosely associating it with AROD's volley. I have tried to seperate the two with little success due to some extreme hard-headedness.