What's your biggest weakness?

S&V-not_dead_yet

S&V-not_dead_yet

Talk Tennis Guru
Of the 3Fs which I believe are foundational [fitness, focus [ie mental toughness], and footwork], mine is footwork. I'm just not able to hit the type of shot that I want to when I'm not in the right place at the right time and in balance.

Obvious, right? But it's easy to go down rabbit holes of micro-analyzing pro stroke technique and what not. Me, I'm trying to cut back on that and focus more on the basics. I need to do more ladder drill-type movements.

A close 2nd would be not keeping my head still while making contact: I shank more than most people and that's probably why.
 
Probably focus.

Footwork is fine against my 70-year-old 3.5 Dad, but against my 5.0+ sub-30 former D3 hitting partner, it all goes out the window. Even if I get a similarly attackable shot, I just can't put it away, I get nervous and rush the shot thinking he's going to chase it down. I need to slow the mind down when the pace goes up.
 
Footwork. It still needs to become more natural and unconscious. At times during a match or when I am tired, the footwork gets bad.
 
S&V-not_dead_yet said:
Of the 3Fs which I believe are foundational [fitness, focus [ie mental toughness], and footwork], mine is footwork. I'm just not able to hit the type of shot that I want to when I'm not in the right place at the right time and in balance.

Obvious, right? But it's easy to go down rabbit holes of micro-analyzing pro stroke technique and what not. Me, I'm trying to cut back on that and focus more on the basics. I need to do more ladder drill-type movements.

A close 2nd would be not keeping my head still while making contact: I shank more than most people and that's probably why.
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Footwork for me, too. I need to practice good footwork more.
 
Singles: Probably focus. After 3-4 strokes I start taking my eye off the ball and that leads to the inevitable bad shot.

Doubles: Any overhead stroke. Because of a shoulder reconstruction at age 19, I've never had full ESR and relatively weak ISR. So overheads and serves are still my weakest shots. I can be accurate but not powerful. I really have to work hard to win service games. But after that, it would go back to focus.
 
fuzz nation said:
True... but you gotta love the irony. When a couple of the aforementioned "weaknesses" are on the premises, the effort level among the fellas can get downright Herculean :cool:
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One weakness can lead to another. The focus can be adversely affected when a weakness with a nice backhand is playing on the adjacent court.
 
i am very mentally weak. and my mood goes from happy to depressed the moment i get broken.

sometimes i just want to go home and cry.

edit - also as soon as weather begins to get cold or i begin to feel cold i also get depressed. i must never get cold or i lose my mood and want to go home.
 
Dragy said:
It's not a separate competition fitness vs fitness, strokes vs strokes. Against a fatter guy drifting around the court center axis it may still be your lack of fitness responsible for not beating him.
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That sounds you lack skill to hit to corners or he has skill to force you to hit to him around the court center.
 
For me, it's footwork, footwork, footwork. I don't get on my toes (actually, balls of the feet) nearly enough. Sometimes I get away with it because I'm quick on the court despite my age but it leads to lots of unnecessarily improvised strokes and loss of consistency.
 
user92626 said:
That sounds you lack skill to hit to corners or he has skill to force you to hit to him around the court center.
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Or it’s different styles clash as I may call it. He decides to hit lots of aggression, you bet for running most of them down and returning. Are you fit enough to succeed? Can he beat you despite you are fit enough? Lots of options.
 
S&V-not_dead_yet said:
Of the 3Fs which I believe are foundational [fitness, focus [ie mental toughness], and footwork], mine is footwork. I'm just not able to hit the type of shot that I want to when I'm not in the right place at the right time and in balance.

Obvious, right? But it's easy to go down rabbit holes of micro-analyzing pro stroke technique and what not. Me, I'm trying to cut back on that and focus more on the basics. I need to do more ladder drill-type movements.

A close 2nd would be not keeping my head still while making contact: I shank more than most people and that's probably why.
Click to expand...
i know i said it already somewhere. :) , do some rope skipping. 10 minutes a day for a month, you will find yourself gliding on the court.
I did that for 2 3 months. never moved around so well in my life.
 
Steady Eddy said:
Cannot happen. There is no one less fit than I!
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ded.jpg
 
Dragy said:
Or it’s different styles clash as I may call it. He decides to hit lots of aggression, you bet for running most of them down and returning. Are you fit enough to succeed? Can he beat you despite you are fit enough? Lots of options.
Click to expand...
I have said before that at lower levels styles or particular shots may contribute a lot to winning. For example, simply slice to a 3.5's bh side or drop/lobb against a lazy player! That's enough for you to win.

The idea of tennis, or higher tennis, isn't this way. There's no winning by styles. For instance, Nadal is gonna kick a@$@# whether his opponents are s&volley or one shot basher like Rosol or a runner like Ferrer.

We're not Nadal's level. We play our level but don't bank on styles. Bank on techniques and fitness.
 
user92626 said:
We're not Nadal's level. We play our level but don't bank on styles. Bank on techniques and fitness.
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I agree. Yet we are much less balanced/all-round as most pro players. We are young and old, experienced and newbie, fit and fat, trained and hacky. We rely on what we possess and what we can bump up soon enough. Don’t call it style, call it available assets. You may be fitter than your opponent, and still better fitness may be your shortest way to win over him. Or not)
 
While footwork ... as in ... being in the right position to hit the ball with proper technique ... IS obviously one of the most important foundational components of tennis excellence ... it is TECHNIQUE that determines WHERE that footwork needs to get you to ... in order to accomplish the muscle-memorized technical task at hand. So many people play by "feel" ... and are not "strict" (or aware) enough in their technical process ... to FORCE themelves to find that perfect positioning every time ... and so they wind up modifying their stroke to compensate.

- (1) Technique
- (2) Footwork

- (3) Focus ... on (1) & (2) ... in THAT ORDER!

- Fitness is nice ... and is certainly a benefit ... but it doesn't really make the "list" as a mental focal point. I see tons of super fit players who play way worse than less-fit players with good mindful technique ... and THEN the positioning required for that technique to happen.

~ MG
 
S&V-not_dead_yet said:
Of the 3Fs which I believe are foundational [fitness, focus [ie mental toughness], and footwork], mine is footwork. I'm just not able to hit the type of shot that I want to when I'm not in the right place at the right time and in balance.

Obvious, right? But it's easy to go down rabbit holes of micro-analyzing pro stroke technique and what not. Me, I'm trying to cut back on that and focus more on the basics. I need to do more ladder drill-type movements.

A close 2nd would be not keeping my head still while making contact: I shank more than most people and that's probably why.
Click to expand...
Which one is "too talented in?" Its like the terminator and I just have a list of shots I think I can hit. They all are stupid but I still think I can hit them...
 
Dragy said:
I agree. Yet we are much less balanced/all-round as most pro players. We are young and old, experienced and newbie, fit and fat, trained and hacky. We rely on what we possess and what we can bump up soon enough. Don’t call it style, call it available assets. You may be fitter than your opponent, and still better fitness may be your shortest way to win over him. Or not)
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Haha, you're a funny dude. It was you who called it "styles" in the first place. Post #27 of yours, while I discussed techniques and whatnot.

Again, TT is bizarre that way. Discussions are mindless and schizo alot of time.
 
user92626 said:
Haha, you're a funny dude. It was you who called it "styles" in the first place. Post #27 of yours, while I discussed techniques and whatnot.

Again, TT is bizarre that way. Discussions are mindless and schizo alot of time.
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Yeah of course that was me. As I see it doesn’t resonate well, and following your comments, I suggest reshaping the idea. To better display my thought process.
 
It was mental strength for a while, because I would DF at critical points. Now that my second serve is better it's not as clear, but my footwork is getting lazy.

I experienced the bleak reality of my footwork first hand when I played on astroturf yesterday.
 
Steady Eddy said:
Lack of fitness. Tennis isn't all about strokes. The guy who is more fit in a match has a HUGE advantage.
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This is true, but the degree of this advantage depends a lot on the surface as well as the level of weaponry possessed by both players. All things being equal it can often be a decisive factor.
 
Bender said:
It was mental strength for a while, because I would DF at critical points. Now that my second serve is better it's not as clear, but my footwork is getting lazy.

I experienced the bleak reality of my footwork first hand when I played on astroturf yesterday.
Click to expand...

With your new avatar, are you going to change your name to "Blender"?
 
I guess of the three F's it would currently be focus, but more just my court IQ and match play readiness. Fitness and footwork are good, but since I have only been hitting lately, and with only one person mainly, I don't recognize variety of balls and react to them like I need to. Working on that as I get ready for fall and starting some practice matches again.
 
Footwork for sure. But I lose another level for stubbornly trying to nuke every shoulder height ball for a FH winner when I KNOW I should just take the opportunity to max spin a moonball deep to my opponents BH and follow it to volley away the weak defense.
 
For me it's transitioning from the baseline to the net. I'm fine when I'm at the net or at the baseline, but getting the short in-between balls just puts me in an awkward position that I just never practiced much. My footwork there is not good, decision making and feel in that transition area not great as well. Mostly it's a practice thing. I'm used to just putting balls away, but if you Fed me with a short low ball to draw me in I get caught in some alternate universe of transition tennis hell.

It's the part of my game I just need to someday take some time to practice and figure out the feel and footwork. Which is also why I never serve and volley in doubles. I serve and I hit big enough and well enough with my topspin that I can get away with hanging back and waiting for an opportunity to move into the net if I get one.

Outside of that I'd say patience in singles points. I tend to go for too much, too early, too close to the lines as I love controlling the point. If I'm confident and playing well I have more patience, but I have to remind myself to be patient when I'm not playing well. Ironically I play much more patient tennis in doubles than I do singles.
 
Hit 'em clean said:
For me it's transitioning from the baseline to the net. I'm fine when I'm at the net or at the baseline, but getting the short in-between balls just puts me in an awkward position that I just never practiced much. My footwork there is not good, decision making and feel in that transition area not great as well. Mostly it's a practice thing. I'm used to just putting balls away, but if you Fed me with a short low ball to draw me in I get caught in some alternate universe of transition tennis hell.
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