Top 5 ball-strikers, men

[Winners or Errors]

I love how young TT has become. Where's Connors on the list of best ball strikers ever? The guy has to be in the top three of all time as a ball striker, and probably also as a returner of serve.

That's why I'd also place Agassi and Djokovic on that list. Great serve returners are usually great ball strikers.

 

[skaj]

So if you have good 2hbackhand you are gonna be great ballstriker.

I don't think so. Look at Andy Murray.

 

[metsman]

Apparently you have never seen him play.
When Nishikori was training at the Bolleteri Academy, every coach coach said he was the cleanest hitter they ever had at the academy.

In groundstroke drills maybe

 

[mental midget]

I love how young TT has become. Where's Connors on the list of best ball strikers ever? The guy has to be in the top three of all time as a ball striker, and probably also as a returner of serve.

That's why I'd also place Agassi and Djokovic on that list. Great serve returners are usually great ball strikers.

seriously. not all time but ones i remember hitting a really clean ball:

agassi for sure
connors
nalbandian
korda
rios
mecir

 

[tonylg]

In no particular order:

Wawrinka
Sampras
Becker
Leconte
Hoad

 

[stringertom]

I love how young TT has become. Where's Connors on the list of best ball strikers ever? The guy has to be in the top three of all time as a ball striker, and probably also as a returner of serve.

That's why I'd also place Agassi and Djokovic on that list. Great serve returners are usually great ball strikers.

Immediacy bias on this forum is strong.

For Jimbo to do what he did with a second tier serve and without much stature and playing godawful equipment for all of his peak years was incredible. Immaculate footwork and great hand/eye coordination.

 

[Ray Mercer]

Agassi is right up there on top of the list. His movement was far inferior to Djokovic and others yet he could rag doll opponents by taking the ball early.

 

[Dolgopolov85]

So ballstriking means how often you have clean contact with the ball?

Then OP's list seems okayish can I can accept Fedal not being on there (hit with too much spin).

But Djokovic I feel has had too many falling off balance moments to be top 5 ball striker.

And I never felt like Safin hit his forehand that cleanly.

why should best be equates to cleanest though? That itself is debatable. No debate on Agassi being right at the top but the criteria, I mean. And I don't see heavy topspin as an automatic disqualication. AO 2009 and 2017, after seeing those, how can anyone argue Fedal don't belong among the best ballstrikers? So, like what, they win by serve volley or something?

 

[Dolgopolov85]

Immediacy bias on this forum is strong.

For Jimbo to do what he did with a second tier serve and without much stature and playing godawful equipment for all of his peak years was incredible. Immaculate footwork and great hand/eye coordination.

Nishi up there but no place for Jimbo apparently. And no idea why skaj doesn't spare some of the Nalby love for Davydenko.

 

[Dolgopolov85]

Are you kidding me with this? I've been watching tennis for 20+ years and i have seen PLENTY of Nishikori matches. He's not mr clean hitter when he is playing the big matches and i've seen him shank so much that its only second to Federer. Besides even if he was as good, there are many many many players better than him for clean hitting even without mentioning the big names. Players like Cilic or even Berdych have much better hitting than he does. Nishikori is one of the most overrated players on this forum i swear.

Nice shout out to Berdych. Berdych OTOH gets underestimated on the forum maybe because of how unlikable he is. He has beautiful timing.

 

[skaj]

Wow...

I'm glad you like the thread.

 

[skaj]

Kafelnikov I forgot to mention. Tipisarevic was also striking the ball very well from the baseline.

 

[Red Rick]

Best ball-striker and best groundstrokes usually mean 2 slightly different things around here.

Ballstriking is mostly the gap between perceived talent and results

 

[aer0pr0]

Berdych had the most effortless power both backhand and forehand. The player with the cleanest shots in my opinion. besides also had all the guns except for the right mind facing top4 guys

 

[RaulRamirez]

Ballstriking the gap between perceived talent and results

There's something to that, in how the term is often used, although of course, great ballstriking can also drive great results.
In golf, a lot of great ballstrikers can't make clutch putts, and can't win majors. In tennis, I've never seen "ballstriking" refer to the serve, or even volleys, let alone more imaginative shot making. The term was probably tailor-made for someone like Berdych.

 

[125downthemiddle]

Ballstriking is mostly the gap between perceived talent and results

"Ballstriking of the gaps"

 

[Red Rick]

There's something to that, in how the term is often used, although of course, great ballstriking can also drive great results.
In golf, a lot of great ballstrikers can't make clutch putts, and can't win majors. In tennis, I've never seen "ballstriking" refer to the serve, or even volleys, let alone more imaginative shot making. The term was probably tailor-made for someone like Berdych.

I think it's quite funny because some players are called extremely talent based on their physicality or making highlight, ignoring how clean they actually hit a ball, while for others being clean ball strikers is the sole reason they're overhyped, i.e. Nalbandian.

I think Baghdatis is the other example of a great ballstriker. I.e. hard to win on ballstriking alone when the physicality and base weapons aren't really there. Monfils is the opposite example imo. All the physical talent. None of the ballstriking talent.

 

[RaulRamirez]

I think it's quite funny because some players are called extremely talent based on their physicality or making highlight, ignoring how clean they actually hit a ball, while for others being clean ball strikers is the sole reason they're overhyped, i.e. Nalbandian.

I think Baghdatis is the other example of a great ballstriker. I.e. hard to win on ballstriking alone when the physicality and base weapons aren't really there. Monfils is the opposite example imo.

Good examples....maybe Kohlschreiber as well?
Agreed that Monfils is kind of an opposite, although he also does not have a lot of the intangible elements that get players to the very top.

 

[Red Rick]

Good examples....maybe Kohlschreiber as well?
Agreed that Monfils is kind of an opposite, although he also does not have a lot of the intangible elements that get players to the very top.

I think Monfils' mental weakness is overrated, cause if he really were that talented both his average and his hot streaks would be a lot more impressive. I've looked at his stats and his 2nd serve stats are absolutely lolbad for a player who's one of the fastest guys AND one of the biggest hitters on Tour.

 

[travlerajm]

Man, the sound of the ball at the USO back in the day when Andre hit it

Fresh Problend strung tight.

 

[Aurellian]

Foggini should be on your list.