Have a Question for Me?

[eaglesburg]

Here's my serve:

http://youtu.be/ST98NvqXjMY

Today I was working on the racket drop.
Do you think it is close enough to perpendicular with my torso or do I need to work on it more? I am having trouble telling even though it's 240 fps.

Thanks!

[johnyandell]

Racket drop looks good. Extend that tossing arm and create more shoulder tilt!

[eaglesburg]

Racket drop looks good. Extend that tossing arm and create more shoulder tilt!

I'll work on that. Does my whole toss motion need to be changed though? I start rather high but I'm not sure if that's an issue and if I should start lower.

[johnyandell]

Try the extension first.

[eaglesburg]

I want to try making making my forehand grip less extreme. You have said before that you like eastern, but I'm not sure if that is too big of a jump as my school season starts around March. Taking all this into account do you still think it's worth trying to go to an eastern? What index knuckle/heel pad combination do you think I should aim for?


Thanks!
Eaglesburg

[johnyandell]

Eastern is 3/3. Or extreme Eastern 3 1/2 /3. Experiment for a couple of days. I can't decide for you. You have 3 months so if you like it, continue. But don't do it just for the sake of doing it or because Roger does. With your current height it is going to be an issue and you may have to take a lot of balls super early.

[eaglesburg]

How does this serve look? What should I work on?

https://youtu.be/Q_apYurC6sw

Right now when trying to serve hard I am hitting mid to upper 80s consistently, cracking 90 on occasion. While the speed isn't really quite up to par with other kids I know, I have a really nice kick serve to back it up.

However I am finding that I can't hit low slice serves only top slice serves. I've always been a natural topspin server. But these top slices sit up to people's forehands instead of being low to people's forehands.

Thanks,
Eaglesburg

[bobbyswift]

stroke archive

Amazing how many players are now retired from the stroke archive. Wondering when and if your going to go back and start adding new players once a month like before?

[johnyandell]

Bobby,

Great question. And the answer is no. I will have more to say about this later but the ATP is drastically restricting and in most cases terminating filming access.

It is headed directly toward the model of MLB and the NFL. There is a long story here including the rampant abuse of credentials by other entities, the flooding of YouTube, and the shady exploitation of players images to sell commercial products.

In the foreseeable future we will be the only group with (legal) access to film but even that will be restricted to practice courts at certain events.

[johnyandell]

Rohan,
It looks good. From that angle seems the toss is pretty far left--not too far at all--but in the kick serve area. It sounds like that serve is better in general for you. But to hit lower slice you would have to move the toss a little more right--should always stay to the left of the hand with the racket tilted at contact but maybe a little. Not everyone can have high velocity four corner serving.

The other thing. Look at your landing. You could put the ball more in front by a few inches which could help speed. Landing with your heel just inside the baseline is a good checkpoint.

[stotty]

Bobby,

Great question. And the answer is no. I will have more to say about this later but the ATP is drastically restricting and in most cases terminating filming access.

It is headed directly toward the model of MLB and the NFL. There is a long story here including the rampant abuse of credentials by other entities, the flooding of YouTube, and the shady exploitation of players images to sell commercial products.

In the foreseeable future we will be the only group with (legal) access to film but even that will be restricted to practice courts at certain events.

I see this as a terrible shame. The horse has bolted. Filming is rife and unstoppable. You are taking the legal route, most don't bother. Everybody blatantly films at Wimbledon, and many of the shots taken end up on websites.

The thing is, if the videographer gets in tight, who the hell is going to be able to identify where the shot was taken and whether it was on a practice court or not? It cannot be policed.

Like I said, the horse has bolted.

And another thing: two months after filming who cares anyway? What harm is being done if short clips are released a few months after the tournament has been played?

Tennisplayer.net is educational. That has to appeal to the LTA who know full well many coaches aren't educated enough. A website like yours should have right of way.

[johnyandell]

Stotty,

Well it is interesting. You can't take a cell phone on the golf course at the Masters. In San Jose one year an usher tried to take my camera away even though I had a badge--the hockey team that used the arena had a no camera policy and he didn't know the difference between tennis and hockey...

Currently the ATP is making a huge deal of this. I may eventually tell the whole story. But you are right. Filming is ubiquitous. The thing that is lacking from the bootleg footage though is consistency, quality, variety, organization, and the ability to advance frame by frame. The things that we have.

I have allies in this period of turmoil in the media and even within ATP. Rolling with it for now.

We still have tons of footage to put up--including a whole catalogue of classic high speed footage of Agassi, Guga, Pete and Justine.

The ultimate question though is whether the understanding of the evolution of the pro game is going to atrophy.

[stotty]

Stotty,

Well it is interesting. You can't take a cell phone on the golf course at the Masters. In San Jose one year an usher tried to take my camera away even though I had a badge--the hockey team that used the arena had a no camera policy and he didn't know the difference between tennis and hockey...

Currently the ATP is making a huge deal of this. I may eventually tell the whole story. But you are right. Filming is ubiquitous. The thing that is lacking from the bootleg footage though is consistency, quality, variety, organization, and the ability to advance frame by frame. The things that we have.

I have allies in this period of turmoil in the media and even within ATP. Rolling with it for now.

We still have tons of footage to put up--including a whole catalogue of classic high speed footage of Agassi, Guga, Pete and Justine.

The ultimate question though is whether the understanding of the evolution of the pro game is going to atrophy.

Thanks for the considered reply. I really cannot understand it...the point. Every Tom, Dick and Harry can film but an educational videographer with a proven track record can't?

I guess this is how Tennis Oxygen got shut down?

I hope someone at the ATP can see sense. It will be great for Tennispayer.net if they can. Must be so frustrating for you.

[johnyandell]

I am used to dealing with politics and lack of vision... It's a money deal at this point or an imagined one. The guys who put the hundreds of clips on YouTube did that by really stretching what their credentials specified--and then they used those images to collect emails and drive traffic for sales of unrelated instructional products. It in effect made Roger et al into unpaid public spokesmen. There was also a lot of bragging about how lucrative it all was...and how they had gotten over on the man... The ATP not knowing really anything about the players and the market had a blanket reaction. We are still in that phase and it may be permanent.

[klacr]

Stotty,

Well it is interesting. You can't take a cell phone on the golf course at the Masters. In San Jose one year an usher tried to take my camera away even though I had a badge--the hockey team that used the arena had a no camera policy and he didn't know the difference between tennis and hockey...

Currently the ATP is making a huge deal of this. I may eventually tell the whole story. But you are right. Filming is ubiquitous. The thing that is lacking from the bootleg footage though is consistency, quality, variety, organization, and the ability to advance frame by frame. The things that we have.

I have allies in this period of turmoil in the media and even within ATP. Rolling with it for now.

We still have tons of footage to put up--including a whole catalogue of classic high speed footage of Agassi, Guga, Pete and Justine.

The ultimate question though is whether the understanding of the evolution of the pro game is going to atrophy.

I am used to dealing with politics and lack of vision... It's a money deal at this point or an imagined one. The guys who put the hundreds of clips on YouTube did that by really stretching what their credentials specified--and then they used those images to collect emails and drive traffic for sales of unrelated instructional products. It in effect made Roger et al into unpaid public spokesmen. There was also a lot of bragging about how lucrative it all was...and how they had gotten over on the man... The ATP not knowing really anything about the players and the market had a blanket reaction. We are still in that phase and it may be permanent.

It's a sticky situation. Cooler, logical heads will prevail when the facts come out and the ATP understands who is really doing it the right way. John's clips are excellent and a credit to the ATP/WTA level, not a steal or a hijack like many youtube warriors like to showcase.

This is one of the many factors that attracted me to this site. High speed footage of top players in actual match play...not practice court hitting. It was also the way it was presented. Classy, in an education format, not a "hey, look who I just filmed, please subscribe" kinda way. Tennisplayer.net takes the moral and ethical high road in its videos and presentations. The goal is education and understanding, not prolific video views and questionable technical advice.

The Tours are not dumb, but they are powerful. knee jerk reactions with them have an enormous ripple effect throughout.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton