Tired of Generic club pros with ignorant lessons

[Nostradamus]

Ok, we have a Highly advanced drills for our team tennis guys--4.5 to 5.0 ish and practices that club teaching pros run. Of course, we all pay for the time and drill.
Why do the club pros continue to say stupid things like

1. " be more consistant, Unforced errors lose matches"
2. Hit crosscourt, it is higher percentage shot
3. Don't hit into the alley in doubles, net is higher there. LOL

Hey, Idiots, this is not beginner or intermediate drill, this is Advanced team practice and drill, We know all that stuff.

Why can't these fools give us some tips we can use. Like advanced shot patterns in singles. There are dozens of shot making patterns and playbook-stretegy that we can all learn from.

1. Hit short cross court angle with slice and bring your opponent to net and topspin lob down the line for the pass.
2. Hit 2 crosscourt ball then on the 3rd, hit a high topspin shot to the backhand to set up a short ball.
3. Hit up the middle hard to force a short ball then drop shot up the line.

This is kind of shot patterns that we could practice to win more matches.

 

[5263]

I agree most coaching needs to greatly improve, but also think he might not
move on to higher things when they are still seeing tons of the mistakes you
mention that you already know. Odd he would say that if he is not seeing you
guys still doing it frequently, even from a poor coach.

 

[5263]

There are dozens of shot making patterns and playbook-stretegy that we can all learn from.

1. Hit short cross court angle with slice and bring your opponent to net and topspin lob down the line for the pass.
2. Hit 2 crosscourt ball then on the 3rd, hit a high topspin shot to the backhand to set up a short ball.
3. Hit up the middle hard to force a short ball then drop shot up the line.

This is kind of shot patterns that we could practice to win more matches.

1...don't lob dtl...yes there are some exceptions
2. this one is good, but I wouldn't force it on 3rd ball
3. If you can hit it hard, why go down the middle? the angle gives more depth
to work with and sets up the drop shot even better.
avoid the middle...yes, there are some exceptions.

 

[Headshotterer]

Maybe you can try asking college coaches for private lessons

 

[mightyrick]

Maybe you can try asking college coaches for private lessons

Or better yet, how about trying to ask a college player for private lessons.

I've learned a lot more talking to higher-level competitive players than from guys who basically pass a fairly weak test to call themselves "certified".

 

[Headshotterer]

I remember taking lessons from this guy who had "rave" reviews. It just consisted of hitting ball after ball drill after drill with him barely giving tips to improve my game.

I found doing my own research helpful but getting lessons from a college involved person would accelerate your improvement.

 

[paulfreda]

Strategy you can get from books or a good HS/College coach.

But learning technique is much harder.
My method is this .....
Find an advanced player that has a shot you admire and want to learn.
Then ask him to teach it to you if his price is reasonable.
He KNOWS how to do it and knows the keys to making it work consistently.

Go to Future, Challenger events, watch good 5.0 or higher matches.
Most will be flattered you ask them.
Some will not oblige, but you have your whole life to learn.

I did this with the #1400 player in the world and he taught me a "doorknob" topspin BH that is fantastic.
I just wish that guy who hit a wonderful American Twist was around again so I could ask him for his tips on that shot.

 

[Nostradamus]

My technique is very good on most part. Times that i get goofy is when i am really tired or get lazy then i will go off textbook technique.

Also i had issues when i see or watch people who have crappy technique or real funky swings, then my swing gets affected too. How do you avoid this other than closing your eyes.

 

[dominikk1985]

Ok, we have a Highly advanced drills for our team tennis guys--4.5 to 5.0 ish and practices that club teaching pros run. Of course, we all pay for the time and drill.
Why do the club pros continue to say stupid things like

1. " be more consistant, Unforced errors lose matches"
2. Hit crosscourt, it is higher percentage shot
3. Don't hit into the alley in doubles, net is higher there. LOL

Hey, Idiots, this is not beginner or intermediate drill, this is Advanced team practice and drill, We know all that stuff.

Why can't these fools give us some tips we can use. Like advanced shot patterns in singles. There are dozens of shot making patterns and playbook-stretegy that we can all learn from.

1. Hit short cross court angle with slice and bring your opponent to net and topspin lob down the line for the pass.
2. Hit 2 crosscourt ball then on the 3rd, hit a high topspin shot to the backhand to set up a short ball.
3. Hit up the middle hard to force a short ball then drop shot up the line.

This is kind of shot patterns that we could practice to win more matches.

well maybe he feels that you are not advanced enough for those things because you still make a lot of UEs and would make even more if you went for the fancy stuff you mentioned.

can you hit 10 consecutive CC shots into the court with decent pace and depth? you would be surprised how many young kids with good technique and a lot of experience cannot do this. they can bang away and play cool shots but not play a certain shot over and over again (partly because they are overanxious).

you need to get this down first before you can advance.

 

[sureshs]

I don't think such players at the very upper end of the club spectrum take group lessons from generic club coaches (who then will be usually below their level) and then complain about it. They would be very particular about who they hit with and take lessons from.

Maybe you guys are nowhere near 4.5 or 5.0

 

[Nostradamus]

I don't think such players at the very upper end of the club spectrum take group lessons from generic club coaches (who then will be usually below their level) and then complain about it. They would be very particular about who they hit with and take lessons from.

Maybe you guys are nowhere near 4.5 or 5.0

This was Not a lesson.:???: This was team practice/Drills that is run by the club pros. since we pay Premium for the court time and practice run by these pros, they give some advice here and there during the drills. That was what i was talking about. Guys in our team hasn't taken a lesson of any kind in 15 years.

 

[sureshs]

Why do you pay premium for pros you cannot stand? Why don't you just play practice matches among yourself?

I personally find most of these group drills etc to be a waste of time and do it only on vacation if there is no other way to play.

 

[UCSF2012]

This was Not a lesson.:???: This was team practice/Drills that is run by the club pros. since we pay Premium for the court time and practice run by these pros, they give some advice here and there during the drills. That was what i was talking about. Guys in our team hasn't taken a lesson of any kind in 15 years.

So if it wasn't a lesson, why did you expect a lesson? Their job was to facilitate feeds and drills, and they did just that.

 

[Nostradamus]

So if it wasn't a lesson, why did you expect a lesson? Their job was to facilitate feeds and drills, and they did just that.

It's not the same to just do a drill by ourselves. These pros feed and they tell us to do these College drills and stuff and they provide guidance during the drill. If we get together by ourselves, we just end up playing practice matches and sets.

 

[backttennis]

I get tired of pros not working on what I want to work on. I took a private lesson a few weeks ago, and really just wanted a hitting session where the pro and I would hit a lot of balls from the baseline and I'd get a great workout with someone who hits very well. Instead, he spent most of the time chatting about volley grips and singles strategy, neither of which is rocket science in my opinion. I left there without even breaking a sweat. I guess next time I'll have to be more specific . . . if there is a next time.

 

[JW10S]

I recently did a guest pro gig at a private club. On the next court to me was 1 of the club's staff pros. I witnessed him give lessons to a portly, middle-aged 2.5 man, a housewife who was a 4.0 league player, and a 10-12 yr old junior who clearly had been playing for awhile. He gave each of them the exact same lesson. Same warm-up, same dead-ball feeding drills, same number of groundies, volleys and serves, even the same lame jokes. I, on the other hand, would have taught each of them very differently from one another--1 size does not fit all. Clearly this guy was working from the only script he knew. So I guess such a thing is not so uncommon. Which is why if you're going pay you should work with someone who has developed their own style, and not someone who is using some else's script.

 

[backttennis]

I think the USTA clinics are overblown too, at least at my club. One of my friends asked me to take two singles clinics with her every week, and I said "forget it." Four people on a court with a pro talking? Sorry . . . that ain't singles. If the club had their way, I'd be taking a singles or doubles clinic twice a day.

I agreed to take one singles clinic bi-weekly for the drills and the social interaction and that's it. Other than that, I want to have time to actually play singles.

 

[decades]

sounds fishy. if you're 5.0 you need lessons?

 

[Nostradamus]

sounds fishy. if you're 5.0 you need lessons?

Mentioned few posts ago that this was not a lesson. It was Team Practice and Drills that was run by our pros at the club.

 

[UCSF2012]

It's not the same to just do a drill by ourselves. These pros feed and they tell us to do these College drills and stuff and they provide guidance during the drill. If we get together by ourselves, we just end up playing practice matches and sets.

I believe you were responding to suresh, not me.

You got a guided practice. That's what you were supposed to get. You didn't get a lesson, because they weren't hired as a coach/instructor.

 

[North]

I think the USTA clinics are overblown too, at least at my club. One of my friends asked me to take two singles clinics with her every week, and I said "forget it." Four people on a court with a pro talking? Sorry . . . that ain't singles. If the club had their way, I'd be taking a singles or doubles clinic twice a day.

I agreed to take one singles clinic bi-weekly for the drills and the social interaction and that's it. Other than that, I want to have time to actually play singles.

One of the (several) reasons I never do group clinics is that they usually only work on doubles patterns/drills (I'm not interested in playing doubles). Even the ostensibly "singles clinics" often wind up being more doubles focused.

 

[backttennis]

Agree. I think some women, especially in doubles, rely too heavily on these. At some point people have to get out there and actually play if they want to get better at it.

 

[sureshs]

I don't like artificial feeds and artificial situations. Half the time the feed is wrong, and the other half of the time the opponents don't behave like in a real match.

 

[backttennis]

I agree about the feeds. Also, clinics are often low on serving and return of serve practice.

 

[dennis10is]

My technique is very good on most part. Times that i get goofy is when i am really tired or get lazy then i will go off textbook technique.

Also i had issues when i see or watch people who have crappy technique or real funky swings, then my swing gets affected too. How do you avoid this other than closing your eyes.

Must a nice to have textbook technique.

Must sucks that these textbook technique are so easily neutralized by you just seeing bad technique.

I have a similar malady. I'm brilliant, probably the smartest human being ever. But whenever I see, hear, smell or just imagine another human being stupider than me, which is everyone, my genius disappears.

The only time that I can remain the smartest human is when I'm asleep and not dreaming.

If only my brilliance can be harnessed during sleep, I could have save humanity many times over and bring peace and prosperity to all. If only you people weren't so stupid compared to me.

 

[vil]

Must a nice to have textbook technique.

Must sucks that these textbook technique are so easily neutralized by you just seeing bad technique.

I have a similar malady. I'm brilliant, probably the smartest human being ever. But whenever I see, hear, smell or just imagine another human being stupider than me, which is everyone, my genius disappears.

The only time that I can remain the smartest human is when I'm asleep and not dreaming.

If only my brilliance can be harnessed during sleep, I could have save humanity many times over and bring peace and prosperity to all. If only you people weren't so stupid compared to me.

This is the funniest post I've read for a while:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:

 

[FrisbeeFool]

Nostradamus, maybe private lessons are the solution. In a clinic, you are going to get more boilerplate, general advice. In a one on one lesson the pro will have more time to focus on you.

 

[Timbo's hopeless slice]

or, you could cut down on the unforced errors, play mostly crosscourt and actually win for a change...


as for the alley in doubles, well, it's a dumb shot on return of serve for sure, ok otherwise.

but that's how pros play, so I guess you would obviously know better that that!

 

[vil]

OP, you have far too much expectation from clinics, where everyone's need is different. In your level, when it comes to drills, you don't need a coach to tell you what to do. Use your partners to do drills if you are semi serious about it. You need coach to brush your textbook techique if anything. I don't know how it works over in your area but I would never pay anyone to show me how to practice drills. If you've got no idea, just look up the internet.

 

[tank_job]

The coaches I've seen offer the most redundant or self-obvious advice and never go deeper than that.

They say: "use your shoulder", "hit the second serve slower", "get the ball over the net", or "the ball will go where the strings are pointing". I have never heard him say anything deeper than that - even the best players at my club.

He also says to NEVER go down the line because it is "the higher part of the net". But if you hit heavy topspin with high net clearance anyway - surely the extra inch or whatever the net is higher at isn't a factor.

Yes, the directionals of going DTL are more difficult than cross-court - but the coach hasn't even got close to offering insightful enough advice to talk about directionals.

 

[vil]

If you want depth from coaches you have to pay big bucks for a good reputable coach, preferably one on one and no groups. Me, instead of clinic, I'd rather have a hitting partner who is the same level as me or better and is a good friend so we can discuss what we want to practice without anybody interfering.
In my opinion, this is the best way to elevate your game as well as your partner's. Unfortunately, such person is much harder to find.

 

[Limpinhitter]

or, you could cut down on the unforced errors, play mostly crosscourt and actually win for a change...


as for the alley in doubles, well, it's a dumb shot on return of serve for sure, ok otherwise.

but that's how pros play, so I guess you would obviously know better that that!

It's amazing how hard it is to convince even putatively higher level players how important it is to play the percentages.

Having said that, I've tried out a few clinics and found them to be of very limited value for my time. If your goal is social interaction, then they can be fun. But, if your goal is to improve your ability to win tennis matches, then why spend an entire clinic working on the 3rd most important part of the game and completely ignore the 1st (serve) and 2nd (return) most important parts of the game?

 

[Limpinhitter]

The coaches I've seen offer the most redundant or self-obvious advice and never go deeper than that.

They say: "use your shoulder", "hit the second serve slower", "get the ball over the net", or "the ball will go where the strings are pointing". I have never heard him say anything deeper than that - even the best players at my club.

He also says to NEVER go down the line because it is "the higher part of the net". But if you hit heavy topspin with high net clearance anyway - surely the extra inch or whatever the net is higher at isn't a factor.

Yes, the directionals of going DTL are more difficult than cross-court - but the coach hasn't even got close to offering insightful enough advice to talk about directionals.

As a practical matter it's very simple. If you get a short, weak, ball (which is a relative term for everyone), the ricochet effect is absent and the issue of directionals becomes moot. In addition, if you have some room to work with (eg: hitting from 5 feet inside the sideline), almost like a mini inside out dtl, you have more margin for error. But, you still have the higher net, the shorter court, AND you have left yourself out of position and open to be nailed cross court if you don't hit a winner, or at least make your opponent hit on the stretch.