Rattler
Hall of Fame
Aesthetically, your opponent’s backhand is a visual of nails on a chalkboard...however, he got a lot of bit out of it. That slice stayed low and moved through the court.
Seniors lounge (over 50) come on in.
- Thread starter Vanhalen
- Start date
Aesthetically, your opponent’s backhand is a visual of nails on a chalkboard...however, he got a lot of bit out of it. That slice stayed low and moved through the court.
ZanderGoga
Semi-Pro
Every stroke you have is better than every stroke he has.
The difference is he runs you all over the court, and you hit back to him like it's your job. Over the course of the match, you must take ten steps for every step he's taking. Employ some elementary positional strategy like Wardlaw's directionals and you'll never lose to that guy again.
happyandbob
Legend
51 here and I'm frigging falling apart. I've been active and played multiple sports my whole life and while I'm a latecomer to tennis, it is the love of my life.
Alas, I have not been able to play in weeks. I'm sitting here with a chrondral fracture and bone bruise in my left knee and golfer's elbow in both my right and left arms.
WTF! I hit a one handed backhand where did golfer's elbow in my left arm come from? Is this my new normal?
Alas, I have not been able to play in weeks. I'm sitting here with a chrondral fracture and bone bruise in my left knee and golfer's elbow in both my right and left arms.
WTF! I hit a one handed backhand where did golfer's elbow in my left arm come from? Is this my new normal?
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
Sad when the youngsters fall apart. I can trade you a good left knee and left elbow for two hamstrings ... but I get to be 51 and you get to be 63.
3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
Sorry to hear of your injuries that must be frustrating, especially when you are still in the honeymoon period. I feel exactly the same, am a complete tennis nut and can’t get enough of it.
Just come out of lockdown in the UK and managed to play 6 times last week so muscles and joints are battered. Moved like a sloth which was expected and the walrus definitely cost me my forehand.
Looking forward to competing again - that’s what I’ve missed most, especially Team Tennis. We play O45’s and O50’s county and national club knockouts - they start again soon and I captain the O45’s.
Hopefully you recover from your injuries quickly and get back into it and crack on with tennis.
3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
Sure I saw them on a popular auction site.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
I think if we both coach strategy with @ChaelAZ ... he has at least a 10%
chance to win. I will go first. Opponent covers laterally better than moving forward (like all of us typing in this thread). First on the menu ... flattish and shortish DTLs ... quit feeding him baseline topspin that jumps up in lateral range comfort zone. Draw him to net ... hit passing shots ... see how it goes. Where are the drop shots ... jeeze ... turn in your senior tennis man card. Try low bh slice cc. Opponent is 1hbh slice efficient off Chael's pretty bouncing groundies. Let's test that choppa around knee.Low, short and wide are not a recipient senior's best friend.
Oh yeah ... Chael can still get to net ... why don't we know after two match videos if opponent tries to pass with the bh choppa or hits a drive or lobs 100%? We should know.
There ... just moved him down to 5% chance ... what ttw tennis friends are for.
3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
Anyone have any good tactics they play against slicers and chip and chargers? I find this style of play the hardest to play against and appreciate it is a very skilful art - it just ties me up in knots! That is not a particularly hard task as coordination has taken a nosedive since lockdown.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
Over - and very nearly always...and out!What is "O" ... Open? Obnoxious? Old?
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
Drill the charger in the chest.
3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
Would need to channel my inner Lendl - I guess I have always been a little to nice to do that but it is a legimate tactic. Completely respect this tactic though as a baseline hugger it puts a lot of pressure on you to make the pass or hit the lob. Going through them is a very good option.
S&V-not_dead_yet
Talk Tennis Guru
Slicer: counter-slice; it's the easiest response. If you want to hit TS, try get lower to the ground, use a steeper low-to-high-swing path, and initiate your swing a bit earlier [due to the skid factor].
C&C: as a S&V fanatic, my best-case scenario is usually when my opponent goes for broke and tries to hit a low % passer. My toughest opponents keep the ball low and wide and make me get low and hit up. Winner angle and drop volleys are low % so now the tables have been turned.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
Just for the record ... I never did this. The closest I ever got was bouncing an overhead close to some feet.
I am too nice also. My groundstroke peg probably wouldn't have hurt ... but my overhead would have.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
slice into trouble ... slice out of trouble. Oh ... that's a different game ... never mind.
ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
Thanks for the comment. Couple reasons why I chose to hit to the middle often. First is right now when I am trying to spread the court I am making errors (obviously - that little wide, little long, clip the tape) so I was trying to just hit aggressively in the center third for the most part to at least try to improve the left and right margins of error. Second, I noticed in the last match that I could pressure him well going at him there with pace (I think someone here or on YT had mentioned this too as a possible strategy), so was trying it and you can see it did force some errors, but with the lack of consistency right now, not enough. It did help get me from a 1 and 3 loss last week to a 3 and 4 loss this time, but I think if I had my confidence and better percentages being able to hit and position different, you are spot on and that would get me on the right side of the score. Cheers.
S&V-not_dead_yet
Talk Tennis Guru
"Slice on...slice off." - Mr. Miyage teaching tennis.
ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
I like the counter slice option - I predominantly hit TS so will need to practise it. One guy at my club has an incredibly tough short bh slice that suckers me a lot, completely opens up the court by dragging me out of position. Difficult to know where to put that ball back as he covers net very well - he follows it up very skillfully.
S&V-not_dead_yet
Talk Tennis Guru
Just for the record ... I never did this. The closest I ever got was bouncing an overhead close to some feet.
The key, of course, is to release your racquet so if you don't hit him with the ball, you still might get him with the racquet.
S&V-not_dead_yet
Talk Tennis Guru
Depends on how quickly he closes to the net: if he's on the slower side, a counter-slice as I described will give him very little to work with.
Sometimes, I slice and attack the net even when he's already at the net. Doubles play but it even works in singles. The key is hitting my shot low, wide [to make him lunge a bit and to throw off his balance], and to make him hit up so I can ideally close and put away the volley into the open court.
It has surprise value too as people at the net don't expect me to subsequently come to the net also ["Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"].
The trusty lob has to be considered also although it's tougher to hit when the incoming is a low slice.
norcal
Legend
Reminds me of a shot by my friend, middle of a rally in a groundstroke game my dog decided it would be a good time to poach/pooch, and when he crossed my side of the court my friend's fh hit my dog square on the back, popped up perfectly to me and the rally continued. Dog was none the worse for wear and I try and work my buddy's lack of fh power into every conversation I can!
edit: dog didn't even seem to notice let alone yelp in pain!
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
Reminds me of a shot by my friend, middle of a rally in a groundstroke game my dog decided it would be a good time to poach/pooch, and when he crossed my side of the court my friend's fh hit my dog square on the back, popped up perfectly to me and the rally continued. Dog was none the worse for wear and I try and work my buddy's lack of fh power into every conversation I can!
edit: dog didn't even seem to notice let alone yelp in pain!
If it's your frisbee dog ... that pooch has game and a peg ain't no thing.
graycrait
Legend
Over 65 here on OS rackets.
4 or 5 yrs ago a former SEC player now college coach called me a sandbagging 4.5, I don't know about that. I just play a lot of tennis with high school kids, occasionally a college player, guys my age who have been playing 50+ yrs and everything in between. I get a kick out of hitting tennis balls. My eyesight has never been stellar. And I have some bad habits I picked up on the tennis courts that were 40' from the front door of my house I grew up with in the public park next to the house I spent from age 4-18 in. I have a ball machine, electronic stringing machine, etc. Doubles partner is the local D1 coach.
The last few years I have had a renaissance of sorts with 1980's -2000s rackets I didn't get to play with during those decades. Lately my thing has been all the various Rad OSs and really lately accumulated a few, many, more than 6, Pure Storm GTs - weighted to Tour specs. Then recently I started watching videos of Mark Vines on Youtube. That former top 200 pro who beat Lendl in '81 I believe on the way to his only tour title is killing it in USTA 65s using a fan shaped super OS racket.
I had tried some of the big OS rackets. I demoed a Big Bubba 137, have had many Ti6s with lots of lead and Blu Tack. A few monster Princes from yesteryear and many 106/107s. I got on racket finder because I don't like the 115+ rackets that are super light, super stiff and head heavy. Also most of the "super" OS rackets over 110" have 16x19 patterns and in my mind makes those things more akin to a fishing net than a tennis racket. (I have had a 93" PK Micro Mid 22x30 and even strung it twice before passing it on). Also I am no stranger to long body rackets currently having more Changs in 107 and 95" than most people have seen in a lifetime and a cornucopia of others - shhh.. anyone want a pair of Pure Control 95+'s - what was I thinking
Anyway - 18x20, 115+, RA less than 68, 11oz strung with syn grip and 1 og, 4 or 5 pts headlight, 28" or longer, comes up with 3 rackets: Wilson 5.7EB, Prince Thunderbolt and a Spalding. Picked up a trio of the Wilsons because the spec interested me and a Thunderbolt OS cause it was pretty. Strung them with multis and syngut and started launching line drives to the fence. Almost gave up because I will not use poly in these monsters. Strung up Ashaway Kevlar 16g x Ashaway Zyex 17g in the crosses at 65/58. Holy Canolli! One of my routine hitting partners told me that he might be looking for an OS now. I don't find any trouble using a 1HBH with these "banjo" rackets. My serves nearly make me pee myself with glee. Volleys require a little "trombone slide" work with the grip but not disheartening. 115" 28 or 28.5" headlight 18x20 is pretty cool to me even if the "kids" think it is "old timey" and not hip. I feel a very large racket donation coming to Goodwill - again - to clear some space on the walls for longbody OS headlight rackets.
4 or 5 yrs ago a former SEC player now college coach called me a sandbagging 4.5, I don't know about that. I just play a lot of tennis with high school kids, occasionally a college player, guys my age who have been playing 50+ yrs and everything in between. I get a kick out of hitting tennis balls. My eyesight has never been stellar. And I have some bad habits I picked up on the tennis courts that were 40' from the front door of my house I grew up with in the public park next to the house I spent from age 4-18 in. I have a ball machine, electronic stringing machine, etc. Doubles partner is the local D1 coach.
The last few years I have had a renaissance of sorts with 1980's -2000s rackets I didn't get to play with during those decades. Lately my thing has been all the various Rad OSs and really lately accumulated a few, many, more than 6, Pure Storm GTs - weighted to Tour specs. Then recently I started watching videos of Mark Vines on Youtube. That former top 200 pro who beat Lendl in '81 I believe on the way to his only tour title is killing it in USTA 65s using a fan shaped super OS racket.
I had tried some of the big OS rackets. I demoed a Big Bubba 137, have had many Ti6s with lots of lead and Blu Tack. A few monster Princes from yesteryear and many 106/107s. I got on racket finder because I don't like the 115+ rackets that are super light, super stiff and head heavy. Also most of the "super" OS rackets over 110" have 16x19 patterns and in my mind makes those things more akin to a fishing net than a tennis racket. (I have had a 93" PK Micro Mid 22x30 and even strung it twice before passing it on). Also I am no stranger to long body rackets currently having more Changs in 107 and 95" than most people have seen in a lifetime and a cornucopia of others - shhh.. anyone want a pair of Pure Control 95+'s - what was I thinking
Anyway - 18x20, 115+, RA less than 68, 11oz strung with syn grip and 1 og, 4 or 5 pts headlight, 28" or longer, comes up with 3 rackets: Wilson 5.7EB, Prince Thunderbolt and a Spalding. Picked up a trio of the Wilsons because the spec interested me and a Thunderbolt OS cause it was pretty. Strung them with multis and syngut and started launching line drives to the fence. Almost gave up because I will not use poly in these monsters. Strung up Ashaway Kevlar 16g x Ashaway Zyex 17g in the crosses at 65/58. Holy Canolli! One of my routine hitting partners told me that he might be looking for an OS now. I don't find any trouble using a 1HBH with these "banjo" rackets. My serves nearly make me pee myself with glee. Volleys require a little "trombone slide" work with the grip but not disheartening. 115" 28 or 28.5" headlight 18x20 is pretty cool to me even if the "kids" think it is "old timey" and not hip. I feel a very large racket donation coming to Goodwill - again - to clear some space on the walls for longbody OS headlight rackets.
BounceHitBounceHit
Legend
Over 65 here on OS rackets.
4 or 5 yrs ago a former SEC player now college coach called me a sandbagging 4.5, I don't know about that. I just play a lot of tennis with high school kids, occasionally a college player, guys my age who have been playing 50+ yrs and everything in between. I get a kick out of hitting tennis balls. My eyesight has never been stellar. And I have some bad habits I picked up on the tennis courts that were 40' from the front door of my house I grew up with in the public park next to the house I spent from age 4-18 in. I have a ball machine, electronic stringing machine, etc. Doubles partner is the local D1 coach.
The last few years I have had a renaissance of sorts with 1980's -2000s rackets I didn't get to play with during those decades. Lately my thing has been all the various Rad OSs and really lately accumulated a few, many, more than 6, Pure Storm GTs - weighted to Tour specs. Then recently I started watching videos of Mark Vines on Youtube. That former top 200 pro who beat Lendl in '81 I believe on the way to his only tour title is killing it in USTA 65s using a fan shaped super OS racket.
I had tried some of the big OS rackets. I demoed a Big Bubba 137, have had many Ti6s with lots of lead and Blu Tack. A few monster Princes from yesteryear and many 106/107s. I got on racket finder because I don't like the 115+ rackets that are super light, super stiff and head heavy. Also most of the "super" OS rackets over 110" have 16x19 patterns and in my mind makes those things more akin to a fishing net than a tennis racket. (I have had a 93" PK Micro Mid 22x30 and even strung it twice before passing it on). Also I am no stranger to long body rackets currently having more Changs in 107 and 95" than most people have seen in a lifetime and a cornucopia of others - shhh.. anyone want a pair of Pure Control 95+'s - what was I thinking
Anyway - 18x20, 115+, RA less than 68, 11oz strung with syn grip and 1 og, 4 or 5 pts headlight, 28" or longer, comes up with 3 rackets: Wilson 5.7EB, Prince Thunderbolt and a Spalding. Picked up a trio of the Wilsons because the spec interested me and a Thunderbolt OS cause it was pretty. Strung them with multis and syngut and started launching line drives to the fence. Almost gave up because I will not use poly in these monsters. Strung up Ashaway Kevlar 16g x Ashaway Zyex 17g in the crosses at 65/58. Holy Canolli! One of my routine hitting partners told me that he might be looking for an OS now. I don't find any trouble using a 1HBH with these "banjo" rackets. My serves nearly make me pee myself with glee. Volleys require a little "trombone slide" work with the grip but not disheartening. 115" 28 or 28.5" headlight 18x20 is pretty cool to me even if the "kids" think it is "old timey" and not hip. I feel a very large racket donation coming to Goodwill - again - to clear some space on the walls for longbody OS headlight rackets.
is it the Wilson by which you have been smitten?
graycrait
Legend
@BounceHitBounceHit , I adore the Wilson 5.7EB 115 at 28" but have just as much affection for the 28.5" 115" Prince Thunderbolt. The Prince has a bit better "feel" even at its 28.5" length over the Wilson's 28". But I could go either way because the Wilson is just a tad "crisper" without being harsh, keeping in mind that both are strung the same with Ash Kev x Zx 65/58. The Prince is a hair more fun going up the T with its 28.5" length vs the 28" Wilson. However, I think the Wilson is just a bit easier when your footwork is wrong or you get jammed, volleys too. I think the Wilson at 28" is just a hair easier, but the Prince is just hair "funner." I'm going to pass on the Spalding that specs like these two just because they are rarer. I might pick up another Prince but I have a feeling that the 3 Wilsons I have are likely enough to carry me through to the next "miracle" racket. Hard to imagine what I am going to do with the two Prince Diablo Midpluses I just acquired. They are narrow square beamed 100" 16x18 nearly 12oz RA 61, which should be heavenly to hit out with some 17g Prince Diablo at 55lbs
3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
This would risk paint chips and string breakage...
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
Maybe an extra old racquet you pull out for your “brushback” statement overheads. It would not take long where just pulling old racquet out of the bag would be enough. If you want plausible deniability start muttering how slick the grip is.
happyandbob, I feel your pain. I am 55, had wrist problems for the past 6 month that finally got better, and a left knee that is getting worse and worse. Prior to Covid, I was hitting the gym 3-4 times a week, and I think that was keeping me playing tennis nearly injury free for my age. Since covid, the gyms have closed, and I am not cross-training like I used to--and thus am feeling more aches and pains. I am getting my 2nd vaccine shot next Tuesday, and plan on rejoining a gym, to hopefully strengthen the muscles (especially around my knees) and get more flexibility and strengthen my bones (which I read is a benefit of weight training).
Fintft
G.O.A.T.
Hi Blajesq,
Yes definetly moderate movement help with arthritis and such, but how about Collagen?
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
Are you sitting down ... I want to give you a compliment. Don't get used to it.
The other thread on coaching made me think of it.If I was a coach at your facility selling lessons (yes ... very scary thought) ... I would simply point at you and ask many "wouldn't you rather your strokes look like that"?
3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
Played this afternoon with a lefty friend of mine and it started snowing? I know London has poor weather at the best of times but snow in April is ridiculous. It was only a few flakes that didn't settle but it was pretty cold.
Despite the snow we only got to play for an hour or so as my mate got a nasty blister on his palm - it was his first hit back and he holds the butt pretty much in middle of his palm. Tried plasters and tape but didn't last long and it eventually became to sore.
Anyone have any blister remedies that allow for you to play on? The band aids we used were poor.
Despite the snow we only got to play for an hour or so as my mate got a nasty blister on his palm - it was his first hit back and he holds the butt pretty much in middle of his palm. Tried plasters and tape but didn't last long and it eventually became to sore.
Anyone have any blister remedies that allow for you to play on? The band aids we used were poor.
Strapping plaster was the only thing that even came close to working. When I was a junoir I kept pieces with a thumb slot cut out in my bag. Just make sure there's a little bit of dressing over the blister or you'll tear it to bits when the tape comes off.
Blisters and calluses have to be managed. A pumice stone in the shower that you use daily prevents them from building up into something that easily tears.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
I would recommend tournagrip and not having buttcap in palm.
OK ... not helpful. Palm blister seems to me to pretty much be show stopper. That said ... I did find out a couple of winters ago playing with a lightweight glove actually is ok. Problem with that is who keeps a glove in the bag ... palm players? Probably only other option would be wrapping entire hand at the palm ... maybe something like coban wrap.
I can tell you what not to do ... pour some of that liquid bandaid crap on an open blister .... mf **** holy **** that hurts.
ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
Are you sitting down ... I want to give you a compliment. Don't get used to it.
If I was a coach at your facility selling lessons (yes ... very scary thought) ... I would simply point at you and ask many "wouldn't you rather your strokes look like that"?
Well thank you. But which thread was that? I did some forum hoping and chimed in a few places where I normally wouldn't so I am trying to forget rendering comments in some.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
snow? has to be end of the world ... cool.
3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
I suggested holding the racket up a little further up the grip but he just gave me a look! Fair enough, whatever is comfortble for him I suppose - he is a policeman so didn't argue. I also didn't realise how common it is, one of my boys was hitting with me and he had the same experience and we stopped shortly afterwards.
Like the idea of a glove, a French retailer over here sells a thin tennis glove so I'll suggest that to him. Good shout with the Tourna grip as he prefers to use those.
Will not be repreating the liquid band aid remedy - ouch!
3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
So cold you could break your tooth on the Easter Choc.
ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
I'd swap you just for one day at least. Must be tough in that heat.
ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
Same, in any given day of playing when it is 100+ degrees I would gladly play for hours in the snow! lol.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
It as tennis balla's "most lessons are a waste" thread ... not related to any post. It just occurred to me that coaches (particularly at clubs) might find interest in improving strokes short of a complete revamp. For example ... by the time I ended up in club tennis and leagues, not many of us would have been interested in too big of a step backward. But ... many of us did a once a week drill. If our head pro ... ex #1 D1 player had said to us ... "hey guys, instead of just drills who would also be interested in improving fundamentals including better unit turns and "lengthening" strokes"? I think there would have been interest. We had a couple ex-college players that didn't need it ... but typical in my group was abbreviated unit turn with "decent" follow throughs. I think in the winter with only summer USTA ... it would have been fun to do as a group. We play so many hours ... the more we enjoy the strokes we have the better. In the land of our club home grown strokes the need was there ... whether or not we would have been smart enough to say yes is the question.
Fintft
G.O.A.T.
Definetly no buttcap in palm and I also bought a pair of biking gloves $5 from Amazon.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
Very good. Wife had both Moderna, and I had both Pfizer. By end of week ... we both will be post 2 weeks from 2nd shot. Neither had any reaction other than wife had slight headache after 2nd.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
Hey ... after your buddy gets back from nationals ... have him check what grip he has on 1hbh slice. I’m watching video on small iPhone SE ... but that looks like maybe sw fh. I think if he switches to continental might be able to ditch elbow strap.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
How old are you Mr Sud?
Sudacafan
Bionic Poster
It’s in my profile. Disclosed to everyone since the very beginning.
