sliding on hard courts?

[Manus Domini]

how exactly would you slide on hard courts? My school's coach is teaching varsity kids how, and I would like to keep up in the learning process.

Thanks

 

[Blake0]

They're getting taught how to slide on hard courts? :?

 

[ccmasterk]

Yeah thats kinda weird to be getting taught how to slide; whenever I slide, it's usually just a natural movement that I can't really explain, much less teach.

 

[Djokovicfan4life]

If it's any comfort to you, Federer doesn't slide on hard courts--- or at least not much. You don't need to wear slippery shoes and ice your ankles after every match to "keep up" with high schoolers.

 

[pvaudio]

There are very few situations where you need to slide on hard courts. That's the purpose of having clay court shoes, grass shoes and all-court shoes.

 

[BorisBeckerFan]

I don't believe the slim benefits of sliding on a hard court are worth the risk of injury.

 

[Baselineg]

I don't believe the slim benefits of sliding on a hard court are worth the risk of injury.

Yeah sounds like a bad idea...sliding on hard courts is unnescecary people like to do it because they see monfils do it on tv and think its cool.

But what has it done for his career?

 

[G-12]

I wouldn't say that you could learn how to slide on hard courts because it is more of a " it just happens " type of a thing. Sliding on hardcourt without any purpose is quite difficult.

 

[pvaudio]

Yeah sounds like a bad idea...sliding on hard courts is unnescecary people like to do it because they see monfils do it on tv and think its cool.

But what has it done for his career?

Monfils is my number one candidate to have the best short career. No matter how flexible you think your joints are, all that ankle rotation takes its toll. It's just a matter of time. Patrick Rafter is a perfect example of how someone with the best kick serve in history had his career ended because he thought his rotator cuff was invincible.

 

[WildVolley]

LOL. There are many past threads on this exact subject. Most of us advise against it. If you aren't moving fast enough to naturally slide, I don't think you should work on it. That's the general consensus.

Of course, if you actually want to learn how to slide into a shot in a proper manner, I think it is best to learn on a clay court where slides are often the best way to control your movement.

On hard courts, Monfils seems to be the master of the slide. However, he is very fast, light for his height, and seems both flexible and fearless. In a slide you want to keep your center of gravity low and usually distribute your weight fairly evenly between both feet. What's dangerous, is Monfils often will actually turn one shoe onto its side so that it has less traction as he slides. It's best to have bullet-proof ankles if you want to try this technique.

 

[Baselineg]

Monfils is my number one candidate to have the best short career. No matter how flexible you think your joints are, all that ankle rotation takes its toll. It's just a matter of time. Patrick Rafter is a perfect example of how someone with the best kick serve in history had his career ended because he thought his rotator cuff was invincible.

Question is why didnt anyone on there team advise them against doing these things?

Marin cillic is another player that needs to be carefull, that back bend on his serve makes me cringe.

 

[prattle128]

I just started doing it one day lol. There isn't a whole lot of technique involved as far as I'm concerned. Only real requirements are to run fast with good shoes, then slide to a stop like you would on a slick floor. At least that's how I do it. It definitely seems like something that would be natural to someone or not as far as hard court is concerned. To try learning on clay would probably be easier and more natural then just trying to do it hard court if you can't naturally.

 

[Ripper014]

The only time I have ever slid on hardcourts is when I have played in the rain. I that was years ago when I was young and desperate to play, those days have long past. I just play inside now.

 

[Bud]

how exactly would you slide on hard courts? My school's coach is teaching varsity kids how, and I would like to keep up in the learning process.

Thanks

You school's coach should be talked to about his teaching practices.

Hard courts are not meant for sliding and you're eventually going to roll your ankle.

 

[Manus Domini]

so the general consensus is it's a bad idea then? ok if it comes natrually I'll do it but not if it doesn't then.

Thanks for the advise

 

[russell]

 

[xFullCourtTenniSx]

Monfils is my number one candidate to have the best short career. No matter how flexible you think your joints are, all that ankle rotation takes its toll. It's just a matter of time. Patrick Rafter is a perfect example of how someone with the best kick serve in history had his career ended because he thought his rotator cuff was invincible.

****! Seriously?! That might've been what happened to my rotator cuff. >< I've been using too many twist serves... I've switched to using a regular topspin kick serve with moderate twist to avoid pain to my recovering shoulder during practice.

You school's coach should be talked to about his teaching practices.

Hard courts are not meant for sliding and you're eventually going to roll your ankle.

Yeah. Federer said once of the Australian Open 2010 hard courts (could've been a different tournament, but I think it was the Australian Open) that the new way they took care of the courts made it easier to slide and made players more comfortable sliding without fear of rolling their ankles, but they're still careful about sliding on the hard courts. Some hard courts are more friendly to sliding, but they still have a risk of injury everytime you slide on them.

so the general consensus is it's a bad idea then? ok if it comes natrually I'll do it but not if it doesn't then.

Thanks for the advise

I'd avoid it as much as possible... But I don't conciously avoid it... I just go with the flow of the point but I don't slide much and I absolutely don't force it unless there's so much junk on the court that you could and probably SHOULD slide. (I've been on some REALLY bad courts before that are so dirty that you actually risk injury if you don't slide on the junk that's there.)

Think of it this way, your coach is shortening the tennis life of the varsity kids, and as a result will open up many more spots in the varsity lineup as a result of injury as opposed to players quitting tennis or graduating.

+1 *clap clap*

Genius!

 

[[d]ragon]

You should talk to your coach because sliding on hardcourt is very bad for your knees and ankles.

 

[Mister Goulash]

Tell your coach that he is a moron

 

[pvaudio]

****! Seriously?! That might've been what happened to my rotator cuff. >< I've been using too many twist serves... I've switched to using a regular topspin kick serve with moderate twist to avoid pain to my recovering shoulder during practice.

I've blown out my shoulder twice due to improper service technique. I no longer do kick serves unless it's in the ad court and we're playing doubles because my ordinary topspin second serve bounces high enough anyway and is heavier than my kick ever was or will be.

 

[LeeD]

Next time it's raining oil, go out to the hardcourt and slide around.

 

[DudewithBabolat]

That's really dangerous. Sliding should be only in cases of emergencies, not as a technique. You should go punch your moron of a coach square in the jaw. Idiot.