Pro Tennis is played too hard!

[bigpayback]

I say this because I've noticed the power-baseline players tend to always get a bunch of injuries, while more traditional players like Martina Hingis, and even Roger Federer in some ways don't get that many injuries. I've noticed that when players take their time and don't exert their bodies to their limit, they tend to stay more healthy and injury-free. As a person learning tennis, I think that strategic placement is much more important than just bludgeoning the ball. What do y'all think?

 

[RCrowe]

Actually, Hingis was off of the tour for over four years because of injuries. Placement is important, but to prevent inuries it is best to use proper form for your groundstrokes and especially your serve. The best example of someone who was pretty much injury free during her career was Chris Evert, who had textbook form on all her shots. Playing on softer surfaces such as clay helps the knees also. Hope this helped.

 

[bigpayback]

Actually, Hingis was off of the tour for over four years because of injuries. Placement is important, but to prevent inuries it is best to use proper form for your groundstrokes and especially your serve. The best example of someone who was pretty much injury free during her career was Chris Evert, who had textbook form on all her shots. Playing on softer surfaces such as clay helps the knees also. Hope this helped.

Oh wow, I forgot all about Hingis' injuries. But tell me your thoughts on this, do you think she stayed away more because heavy hitters like the Williams Sisters intimidated her a bit?

 

[RCrowe]

sorry about the delay . . .

Hingis was having foot/ankle problems when she retired, but at the same time Davenport, the Williams sisters, Capriati, Pierce, etc. were playing what was called "Big Babe Tennis" because of the sheer pace these women were hitting the ball. After her injuries healed, she wasn't in a rush to come back because she did feel overwhelmed by the big hitters. She played in what is basically exhibition tennis last summer ('05) and did really well. All of the hard hitters were injured and not winning tournaments, so she decided she could compete and is now in the top ten again. She even beat Venus to win in Rome in May.

 

[bigpayback]

Power tennis is entertaining, but only for so long. That's why I enjoy watching players with variety, such as Roger Federer (though he is winning too much and it makes me sick...haha) and Martina Hingis. I'm a recreational player and I see myself and others going for too much on our shots sometimes and it becomes difficult to maintain consistency. That's when I bring out the variety in my game...the slices, loops (yeah...I know some people hate them), and drop shots...or even mix up my baseline game with some serve-and-volley.

Yes! the variety is so important. One of the male players who I think combines power tennis and some variety is Dmitry Tursunov. He's off and on, but he's been pretty consistent. He needs to always stay calm and I think he has it in him to win a Grand Slam. I think his most varied and skillful performance was at this year's Davis Cup semifinal. His drop shots are deserving of a million replays. Okay you can tell I'm in love with the guy. Oh yeah, and I feel you about Federer. He's amazing and he's a sweet guy, but one thing that annoys me is the way he bounces when he walks after just winning a point or game. There's just something about that bounce in his step and the way his hair bounces under his bandana. It's weird, but I just notice little things like that.

 

[RCrowe]

Since tennis refuses to put restrictions on equiptment like golf has, tennis rewards those who just hit hard. McEnroe mentioned when Becker won Wimbledon unseeded that he was amazed at how hard the serves and returns were coming. The Williams sisters are a good example of this. When they are on, they simply blow opponents off of the court, but when their timing is off, or they are playing a retriever, they make errors all over the place and have no apparent back-up strategy. The US players don't succeed on European clay because they have trouble constructing points instead of going for winners.
I have been playing tennis for 26 years and I play differently since the mid-sized graphite/space materials have been put into racquets. I can generate winners off of the baseline that I never could do with a wooden racquet.

Note: I got to watch .. practice for about an hour in Cincy, and I agree that he is something to see in person (and shirtless)

 

[RCrowe]

That was supposed to be Dmitry Tursunov I saw practice in Cincy !!

 

[bigpayback]

I like players who can take the heavy pace of their opponent and use it to create their own power. Crowe, have you ever heard of Anna Chakvetadze from Russia? She just won her first two titles this year, one of them being a huge one: the Kremlin Cup. She is very much like Hingis, she can hit shots from angles that most players can't reach. It's really exciting to watch. And the thing is with players like Hingis and this girl Chakvetadze, they can have different gears; meaning they can up the ante a bit, while the power-hitters can't seem to take their feet off the gas. By the way, have you noticed that Hingis hits with a lot more power than she used to?
Oh and I'm so jealous that you got to see Dmitry aka Dima practice. lol Tell me this, how's his ass? I can never seem to get a good, definitive look at his butt. I know for sure that he doesn't have a chunky ass like Nadal (drools). And I still have fantasies of Dmitry in that shirt he wore at the Davis Cup where the sides of it are short.

 

[RCrowe]

Bigpayback . . .

Dmitry has a GREAT ass, and I have a couple of pictures, but no earthly idea how to post on here.

If a player plays close to the baseline and takes the ball early, they can use their opponents pace. If they play 6-8 feet behind the baseline like Roddick was, they have to generate their own pace, and this can create errors, and it's almost impossible to hit winners that far back. I have never seen Anna C. play, so I can't really comment on how she plays. Hingis has made a definite effort to put more pace on her groundies, but her second serve is still soft and becomes a bit like playing t-ball.

 

[bigpayback]

Bigpayback . . .

Dmitry has a GREAT ass, and I have a couple of pictures, but no earthly idea how to post on here.

If a player plays close to the baseline and takes the ball early, they can use their opponents pace. If they play 6-8 feet behind the baseline like Roddick was, they have to generate their own pace, and this can create errors, and it's almost impossible to hit winners that far back. I have never seen Anna C. play, so I can't really comment on how she plays. Hingis has made a definite effort to put more pace on her groundies, but her second serve is still soft and becomes a bit like playing t-ball.

Just send them to my e-mail and I post them on here. My e-mail: kinglear18@coolgoose.com And people, I have many e-mails and this is just a backup. Not my main. haha

Watch Chakvetadze play here against Nadia Petrova: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69pC6oLdwP8&mode=related&search=

 

[wetboxersguy]

hingis was actually less-injury prone during her reign as no.1 from 1997 to 2000, compared to the injuries sustained by the big babes....

 

[bigpayback]

hingis was actually less-injury prone during her reign as no.1 from 1997 to 2000, compared to the injuries sustained by the big babes....

That was exactly my point. Hingis seemed like she always plays with so much calm finesse. It's like she was doing ballet. And I find you guys calling the big-hitters "big babes" hilarious, but I like it.