Stan Smith...on the serve

[tennis_chiro]

The wrong prism

You have to read today's article by Joshua Speckman on the copoly strings and especially the link at the end to Rod Cross's article about the additional inch in today's rackets to understand we are looking back at yesterday's players through a false prism that tries to compare apples to oranges.

I don't know if those of us who learned to play with the old rackets can ever really learn to hit with the topspin players use today (physical limitations and age aside); the underlying habits are so ingrained. But today's players are definitely playing with equipment even more different than I realized until reading that article. Over 40% more spin just from the strings over old nylon. And I have to believe that old nylon was less "sticky" than the gut we all craved. (Anyone remember Victor Imperial?!)

Nothing is ever a one-way street and there have to be other considerations, but this information about the increase in spin on the ball because of the string is really mind altering.

don

[gzhpcu]

Agree Stotty, Stan's style was always too stiff and ponderous for my tastes... very nice guy though... remember the famous Davis Cup match against Tiriac in Romania?

[stotty]

I was never a fan of Smith. Nasty should have been shot for losing to him that day in 1972. Nasty was a much better player. Another guy who should never have won Wimbles was Ashe. Connors should have been shot too for losing to Ashe on that day in 1974.

I'd agree with Geoff about Smith not making the top 100 these days. More controversially, perhaps, I don't think Rosewall would either. His serve wouldn't have been good enough for today's tennis.

[gzhpcu]

I find every era is interesting. With wooden rackets, more serve and volley, more variation and touch, with modern rackets, more athleticism, more powerful groundstrokes. I like them both...

[don_budge]

Leaning Tower of Pisa anyone?

I noticed that Stan doesn't have much of a shoulder turn on his serve, lots of body lean though...

Thanks Phil. Contrasting styles. Contrasting characters. It's the contrast in life that makes it interesting.

Thus the "Leaning Tower of Pasadena" vs. "Nasty". Great theater.

But anyways...regards to Stan Smith: Seemed like a quiet, unassuming guy but not to be taken lightly. He meant business.

55 singles finals...won 36 and lost 19

81 doubles finals...won 54 and lost 27

Jack Kramer ranked him in the top 21 players of all time.

Yea, I know geoff...save it. He wouldn't of stood a chance with anyone in the top 100 today.

[gzhpcu]

Here you go don...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRWmC1EzdJE

I noticed that Stan doesn't have much of a shoulder turn on his serve, lots of body lean though...

[don_budge]

Incredibly...

Funny, Phil...to see Smith walking out to play a professional tennis match and all he is carrying is three racquets and a towel. Why don't you post that Smith vs. Nastase clip here as well? Those were two great service motions.

When I watched the boys entering the coliseum...I mean, tennis stadium, yesterday before their match I couldn't help but notice the amount of luggage they were carrying with them. Besides the zillion racquet bag combo that they all carry now, they each had an accessories bag in tow. They carried as much on the court as I carry for a two week vacation...sans golf clubs. They were only out there for over an hour...and a fair amount of that time they spent waiting for each other to serve.

But back to the serve and tactics. Let's not get distracted. What about it coaches? How much of your teaching is devoted to service motion and tactics? How do you rate the importance of the service game in relationship to the overall development of your students?

[gzhpcu]

Here is one of the few clips I found of Stan playing....
http://www.ina.fr/video/CAF95051528/...-smith.fr.html

[don_budge]

Once you have developed the perfect service motion then you can begin to discuss tactics. This is a good place to begin...the "Leaning Tower of Pasadena" in the words of a well respected man of few words.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxcMr1Ya5w0

In this clip he discusses the number of possibilities there are to set up your opponent with different varieties of serves in terms of location, spin, speed and from point of delivery. Basic stuff...but "virtually" nonexistent in the game today.

I don't think that many coaches today are spending much time or effort in developing good service motions or sound tactics. They have not done so for many years now. The current state of professional tennis is the result. The play is too one dimensional and...on and on and on. I know that I am not alone in my thinking. Many of the comments on the youtube clips of "classic tennis" lament the boredom of tennis today.

Once you have the perfect motion and the proper tactics then you can begin to attack the net behind your serve. It's a long process and it is hard work. It takes a longer time to develop the all court game. Hmmm...