Tennis: height = talent?

[BreakPoint]

lol i knew someone would say that, federer is there through talent, hardwork, etc, not by being 6`1 lol

I'd say Federer being 6' 1.5" has helped him much more than it has hurt him.

 

[dominikk1985]

I'd say Federer being 6' 1.5" has helped him much more than it has hurt him.

Well maybe he would not have moved as well if he was 6"4. maybe ivo or isner would move like ferrer if he was 5"10.

height comes at a cost not only makes it you less mobile but it also shortens the career.

being 6"1 over 5"9 is an advantage but 6"1 or 6"2 is not tall in these days. so we better say it helps to not be a midget in tennis then being tall.

6"3 is a midget in basketball.

 

[marpiw]

I think it's fairly easy to say that the taller you are the more talented you are as a tennis player.

Height is the single most important physical variable in the game.

Tall players such as Karlovic and Raonic can coast on their athletic talent advantage of being tall to bomb heavy serves and big forehands. They don't need to train so hard.

For shorter players such as Nishikori, Santoro, Hewitt, Ferrer, Coria...etc..., all you will ever hear about is how hard working they have had to be in order to compensate for their lack of talent.

In the future we will see taller and taller players at the top (lol) of the game. And the game will be better for it, because talent beats hard work, imo.

According to this consideration I think that todays most talented player is the Argentine DEL POTRO because he is the tallest in the circuit...do you agree?...I do not...

 

[NJ1]

There is a suggestive optimal for every sport.

Yup, I'd say 6'1" to 6'3" for tennis. Shorter than that can cause serves & reach to suffer, taller and movement and low-shot play is impaired.

 

[Wangtang1]

I think anything below 6'2" puts you at a disadvantage. You see players like Del Potro and Berdych hitting some shots that make Federer and Nadal look like kids in comparison.

Fed and Nadal are huge exceptions as well. Fed's insanely talented and Nadal is pretty much Ferrer-God-mode.

Aren't the courts all becoming slower and higher bouncing? When you watch Federer play Del Potro, he never uses his backhand slice a lot. I think Del Potro just crushes it.

 

[BreakPoint]

Aren't the courts all becoming slower and higher bouncing? When you watch Federer play Del Potro, he never uses his backhand slice a lot. I think Del Potro just crushes it.

Actually, he does. But he used to do it even more. Federer hits backhand slices to all tall players with two-handed backhands, including Soderling, Berdych, Del Potro, etc. It's usually pretty effective. It makes these tall guys have to bend low and reach forward with two hands which is awkward and keeps them off-balance. I think one of Federer's mistakes last night against Berdych is that he didn't slice very often like he usually does. Trying to just out hit these big guys with pace from the baseline is usually a losing battle.

 

[redpurusha]

I'm 6'1. Where is my cart of Slam trophies?

 

[Laurie]

I think it's fairly easy to say that the taller you are the more talented you are as a tennis player.

Height is the single most important physical variable in the game.

Tall players such as Karlovic and Raonic can coast on their athletic talent advantage of being tall to bomb heavy serves and big forehands. They don't need to train so hard.

For shorter players such as Nishikori, Santoro, Hewitt, Ferrer, Coria...etc..., all you will ever hear about is how hard working they have had to be in order to compensate for their lack of talent.

In the future we will see taller and taller players at the top (lol) of the game. And the game will be better for it, because talent beats hard work, imo.

Not at all. There is a cut off point. That cut off point is around 6 ft 4 inches, what's that 1.85 metres? Anyway, there has been no number 1 player above the height of 6ft 4 (Boris Becker).

Juan Martin Del Potro is the tallest at 6 ft 6 to win a slam, it is very rare for extremely tall players to win slams. Can only think of Krajicek at 6 ft 5 inches back in 1996. Tod Martin got to two finals but didn't win. I believe anyone over 6 ft 6 inches is unlikely to win a lot.

Tennis is a sport about movement and these guys over 6 ft 6 inches are too tall to move well. Perhaps it is the media who has helped fuel the obsession about the big serve, which has led a lot of peeople to believe that those who serve the biggest will win the most.

 

[PaulFCB]

I'm 6' 2'' if that's Novak's height, so I'm at least 5 Grand Slams in talent.

Problem?

 

[Tournament Player]

So you believe Fed at 5'7", or 6'10" would still have 17 slams and holds many of tennis records? Sorry, that's impossible.

totally agree with what you are saying but if he was 6'3 it would be easier for him, nadals topspin shots wont affect him as much, he would have a bigger serve, etc.

 

[Tournament Player]

I'd say Federer being 6' 1.5" has helped him much more than it has hurt him.

totally agree with what you are saying but if he was 6'3 it would be easier for him, nadals topspin shots wont affect him as much, he would have a bigger serve, etc. 6 3 is like the perfect balance, jut tall enough so that you don't lose speed and balance.

 

[darrinbaker00]

One word. Failed thread.

I know I'm nine days late, but.....

 

[tlm]

I think it's fairly easy to say that the taller you are the more talented you are as a tennis player.

Height is the single most important physical variable in the game.

Tall players such as Karlovic and Raonic can coast on their athletic talent advantage of being tall to bomb heavy serves and big forehands. They don't need to train so hard.

For shorter players such as Nishikori, Santoro, Hewitt, Ferrer, Coria...etc..., all you will ever hear about is how hard working they have had to be in order to compensate for their lack of talent.

In the future we will see taller and taller players at the top (lol) of the game. And the game will be better for it, because talent beats hard work, imo.

Where in the hell do you come up with calling height athletic talent. The fact is these over grown serving dorks have less athletic talent than the shorter players by far.

As seen the other night when frankenstien serve only got his *** beat by murray a real athlete. Take the tall guys serve away and there lack of athletic ability gets exposed big time.