Where did talent go? U.S. tennis "Lost Generation"

sureshs

Bionic Poster
Don't always blame the coaches, the way American culture is heading, there are less and less kids who are willing to put the hard work in and and have a champion mentality, instead they become increasingly distracted by the internet/girls etc...Add to this they are probably comfortable financially. Sometimes you have to partially sacrifice these things and dedicate your life to your chosen sport, it appears to me the number of kids with the correct mentality is decreasing rapidly, not such a problem in Europe. You can't teach attitude.

Is that why the US has the most Olympics medals in every category?
 

Seany

Banned
Is that why the US has the most Olympics medals in every category?

Pretty sure we're talking about tennis, a sport that has far more global depth than almost all these categories you speak of. Pretty sure we're also talking about a lack of top level juniors, not the Williams sisters.
 

sureshs

Bionic Poster
Pretty sure we're talking about tennis, a sport that has far more global depth than almost all these categories you speak of. Pretty sure we're also talking about a lack of top level juniors, not the Williams sisters.

So "American culture" is only about tennis?
 

West Coast Ace

G.O.A.T.
So "American culture" is only about tennis?
No, just this thread.

But you are correct: we took names and kicked *sses AGAIN at the Olympics, in spite of the pathetic officiating of some events (when the Russians say "this is worse than the Chinese in Beijing" something is truly rotten) and the made up events to pad the Chinese medal count and make them feel all special. "USA, USA!"
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
In the wood era the volley was also used to kill off the point and made for quick games, but in the slow court era the serve may have diminished in importance but that hasn't rescued the volley and hence points are longer than ever.



I don't understand this nostalgia for super fast balls and super fast courts which were themselves a result of technology change.

As far as I can tell when the racquets moved from wood to other materials the ball and courts were still in the wood era. Thus you had a period during which the sport devolved into serving contests of just a couple of shots per serve. THAT wasn't tennis compared to the wood frame era. It was boring serve contests with the winner being the guy with a uni-dimensional game. Just serve bigger and better.

Today the ball and courts are getting back in sync with the frame technology resulting in more balance. Big servers still have opportunities to serve their way out of trouble or win sets/matches in tie breakers. But they can't JUST rely on serves to win consistently. They need to build points and exploit opportunities instead of just smashing aces down the T.

Longer/more complex points, more diverse skills, greater demands for physical and mental endurance/conditioning...that's far more interesting than tie break serve contests.
 
D

Deleted member 307496

Guest
Kids from America just aren't that interested in tennis anymore.
 

Flash O'Groove

Hall of Fame
Don't always blame the coaches, the way American culture is heading, there are less and less kids who are willing to put the hard work in and and have a champion mentality, instead they become increasingly distracted by the internet/girls etc...Add to this they are probably comfortable financially. Sometimes you have to partially sacrifice these things and dedicate your life to your chosen sport, it appears to me the number of kids with the correct mentality is decreasing rapidly, not such a problem in Europe. You can't teach attitude.

Actually there is no evidence that young americain have a different mindset than the young american from the seventies. There is even less evidence that if if this evolution does exist, it doesn't in Europa. What would make you believe that young "european" have a different mentality?
 

Mick3391

Professional
I don't understand this nostalgia for super fast balls and super fast courts which were themselves a result of technology change.

As far as I can tell when the racquets moved from wood to other materials the ball and courts were still in the wood era. Thus you had a period during which the sport devolved into serving contests of just a couple of shots per serve. THAT wasn't tennis compared to the wood frame era. It was boring serve contests with the winner being the guy with a uni-dimensional game. Just serve bigger and better.

Today the ball and courts are getting back in sync with the frame technology resulting in more balance. Big servers still have opportunities to serve their way out of trouble or win sets/matches in tie breakers. But they can't JUST rely on serves to win consistently. They need to build points and exploit opportunities instead of just smashing aces down the T.

Longer/more complex points, more diverse skills, greater demands for physical and mental endurance/conditioning...that's far more interesting than tie break serve contests.

With all respect, I couldn't disagree with you more. In the past players PLAYED, they had footwork, placed their shots from all areas of the court.

I was shocked at the state of Tennis upon my return. They teach kids to be baseliners, they use these giant 110 sq inch heads and are taught basically to just get the ball over the net and hope the other guy makes a mistake, they don't teach shot making.

The baseliners just sit back, hit it as hard as they can, and aren't that concerned about actually placing a shot or stategy. I started teaching my son 3-4 months ago and started him with a 75 square inch wood racquet, it FORCES you to be good, it strengthens the arm, you have to earn your spin and learn to place shots. He now has a PS BLX 90 and just beat another 11 year old who's been playing for 4 years, and who just won a USTA tournament. My son had hide tied up in knots, the kid didn't know what to do.

Look at Djokovich, when he lost to Federer at Wimbledon, the announcer actually said of the then number 1, "He doesn't play well at the net"!

It's time we return our training and playing to stategy, shot making, and all court playing, if we do that we'll get better and do better.
 

THUNDERVOLLEY

G.O.A.T.
You can say what you want, Nick has produced 10 world #1s. How many have serve and volley coaches produced?


The top four players today are baseliners.

What has the one-dimensional baseline form done for American men's tennis since the end of the Agassi era?

Nothing. Remember, this topic is about U.S. men's tennis, and the two generations since Agassi have only managed to trip their way into winning one major.

Further, I do not accept the excuse made by others when they simply shift the blame to the occasional Safin blip, and the rise of Roger and Rafa, as there's no excuse for Roddick's rapid decline other than his one-trick-pony skills were easily figured out once real talent emerged.

Moreover, Federer is not now, nor has he ever been a true baseliner; he's one of the last top male players who actively and naturally plays the entire court. While we're on the subject of baeliners, let's not forget that Nadal--the most unexpected candidate for change of all--made a conscious effort to learn the entire court when playing at Wimbledon (which was successful), as he realized baseline grinding was not going to work.

Perhaps if Roddick tried something else, he would have won those Wimbledon finals instead of Frankensteining his way to net.

The Donald or Vania King are not going to be great players whether they serve and volley or not. That is not the issue.

No one is saying they will, but if a child starts out of the gates only knowing a part of the court, they are already robbed of opening their minds up to tactical options, as opposed to the flat-footed, predictable antics of the Roddicks of the world--still carrying the ideological torch of the Nick farm.
 

sureshs

Bionic Poster
^^^ All speculation. Federer has said he has moved away from high-risk play to more percentage tennis recently. There is no evidence whatsoever that serve and volley play by US players like Dent and Rampras would have achieved anything.
 

pmerk34

Legend
I don't understand this nostalgia for super fast balls and super fast courts which were themselves a result of technology change.

As far as I can tell when the racquets moved from wood to other materials the ball and courts were still in the wood era. Thus you had a period during which the sport devolved into serving contests of just a couple of shots per serve. THAT wasn't tennis compared to the wood frame era. It was boring serve contests with the winner being the guy with a uni-dimensional game. Just serve bigger and better.

Today the ball and courts are getting back in sync with the frame technology resulting in more balance. Big servers still have opportunities to serve their way out of trouble or win sets/matches in tie breakers. But they can't JUST rely on serves to win consistently. They need to build points and exploit opportunities instead of just smashing aces down the T.

Longer/more complex points, more diverse skills, greater demands for physical and mental endurance/conditioning...that's far more interesting than tie break serve contests.

Well two things: It's more of a nostalgia to see Americans do well for those of use who root for Americans. The last great era for American players was the fast court/lighter teenis ball era of the 1990's.

Secondly just as the conditions got too fast in the 1990's they have gotten too slow to the point that in last years Us Open final no one could hit through each other for 5 hours. Wimbledon playd nice and fast this year which was good to see.

If you enjoy the same baseline play on every surface with many of them (obvioulsy not all tournaments are slow) being slow enough to allow for endless rallies and long matches with Americans playera having no chance then you really wouldn't want to change too much.

For myself I want to see American players excel and would like to see less injuries due to 5 hour and 3.5 hour three set matches.
 
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THUNDERVOLLEY

G.O.A.T.
^^^ All speculation. Federer has said he has moved away from high-risk play to more percentage tennis recently. There is no evidence whatsoever that serve and volley play by US players like Dent and Rampras would have achieved anything.

^^^ All missing the point. You tried to toss Federer in the baseliner camp, but his game is not based on baseline play at all. Moreover, the Nadal detail is fact, and he still incorporates the rest of the court into his game in this phase of his career, so your list has been boiled down.

The last American to truly exhibit dominant results was Sampras (not career-pockmarked Agassi) who was a serve and volleyer. Regarding baseliner Roddick, what has he done---other than being a one major wonder with a game quickly figured out? Not much.
 

2ndServe

Hall of Fame
there is no mystery to why these players didn't pan out. They lacked some major qualities or had fundamental short comings.

If you serve a 2nd serve at 75mph you simply can't make it on the atp tour profitably. It's like trying to be a wide receiver or db in the NFL with a 5.0 40 yd dash time. You can't do it.
 

sureshs

Bionic Poster
^^^ All missing the point. You tried to toss Federer in the baseliner camp, but his game is not based on baseline play at all. Moreover, the Nadal detail is fact, and he still incorporates the rest of the court into his game in this phase of his career, so your list has been boiled down.

The last American to truly exhibit dominant results was Sampras (not career-pockmarked Agassi) who was a serve and volleyer. Regarding baseliner Roddick, what has he done---other than being a one major wonder with a game quickly figured out? Not much.

How many countries have produced a person who has won one major in the Fed-Nadal-Djoker era? You make it sound as if Roddick winning the USO is a joke. Perhaps you do not remember the W match with Fed, when Fed was clueless for the first 2 sets.

There will always be a Sampras from somewhere. Right now it is Fed from Switzerland, the country no one expected to produce a top player. For years, the Australians dominated the game, then they had no one, while the fab 4 stepped it up. You are trying to find cause and effect when it is not clear cut at all.
 
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