Speed and Spin in the Current Men’s Game

[jimlosaltos]

Since we've looking at historical perspective, I dug around and somehow found this one.
Fedal & Sock from Indian Wells, I presume 2019 when Sock met Fed for the title? Not certain. No, I don't have a photographic memory but I was at that final.
Regardless, if this was all you saw, I suspect one wouldn't profile Fed nor Rafa correctly.
Presumably, this is for this event to the quarters. Rafa withdrew from his quarter with Fed.

Rafa has the lowest spin, the lowest trajectory, and the lowest speed of the august trio.

Sock highest of everything.

Fed's ave MPH is about normal for his forehand, but his spin here is perhaps 300-400 MPH more than I recall him averaging? Was he over-spinning to exploit the IW courts, which have more sand than The Ar Rub' al Khali desert? Was it because of his matchups coming in? Or just random?

From: Tennis Channel.

filedata/fetch?id=101831&d=1691349513&type=thumb

[stroke]

Since we've looking at historical perspective, I dug around and somehow found this one.
Fedal & Sock from Indian Wells, I presume 2019 when Sock met Fed for the title? Not certain. No, I don't have a photographic memory but I was at that final.
Regardless, if this was all you saw, I suspect one wouldn't profile Fed nor Rafa correctly.
Presumably, this is for this event to the quarters. Rafa withdrew from his quarter with Fed.

Rafa has the lowest spin, the lowest trajectory, and the lowest speed of the august trio.

Sock highest of everything.

Fed's ave MPH is about normal for his forehand, but his spin here is perhaps 300-400 MPH more than I recall him averaging? Was he over-spinning to exploit the IW courts, which have more sand than The Ar Rub' al Khali desert? Was it because of his matchups coming in? Or just random?

From: Tennis Channel.

filedata/fetch?id=101831&d=1691349513&type=thumb

That is super interesting. If I had to hazard a guess, it would be the conditions were not good for Rafa, maybe rushing him a bit and not able to consistently groove his forehand match wise.

[jimlosaltos]

That is super interesting. If I had to hazard a guess, it would be the conditions were not good for Rafa, maybe rushing him a bit and not able to consistently groove his forehand match wise.

Good guess. My hazy memory is that he conditions were hot sun that year. But since Rafa withdrew before quarter, I think it was, with Fed perhaps whatever the injury it was bothering him earlier? I'm sure he wouldn't have pulled from a Fed match for something trivial. I saw those two in another IW quarter. Fed's back was so bad he couldn't tie his own tennis shoes. But with a full stadium and Rafa, he showed up and took his beating. While Rafa retires more often, I suspect he'd feel the some need to show.

When Fritz beat Rafa, Rafa was significantly impaired from his semi with Alcaraz. But then Fritz's coach Annacone was telling him to withdraw as of that morning.

Separately, I hate to say this, but perhaps Tennis Channel mixed them up. Tennis media simply isn't at the level of media covering "organized sports" like baseball and football

Regardless, the "reaction time" differences are imperceptible.

[jimlosaltos]

Retired? Old? Retire This !

Today in Toronto: "Whoa...117 mph...have you ever seen that before? Maybe from del Potro?" says Pam Shriver on Tennis Channel.
as Gael Monfils hits a forehand 117 mph forehand at against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Dude's got home hops!

Leaping forehand vid clip at The Web Site Formerly Known as Twitter (TWSFKT, never X)

https://twitter.com/ATPTour_ES/status/1689354858271326208?s=20

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[stroke]

Well done by Monfils. Brutal by Tsitsipas. Monfils at the end of his career. Just review his record vs the big 3. That says it all. 0-18 vs Novak. A bit better vs Rafa and Fed.