Some videos of my game

[nikae]

Made some videos today with a friend. We were nervous for some reason and didn't hit very good. You will have hard time finding a forehand where I didn't jump on, or being late, or doing laso... didn't know its that bad until I actually saw the videos myself.
I am the one in red shirt
Racket I use: head prestige youtek MP (320g unstrung) : http://www.tenniswarehouse-europe.co...DH-HYTPMP.html strung with signum pro poly plasma at 24kg, and I have to string it lower in the future, need a little bit more power.
I have been playing for around 3 years now, I play a lot.
I am 5'9, 156lbs
Here are the videos:
strokes side view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au2O_7UQNMQ
strokes rear view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRmz7SKLkdY
serves rear view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnhYMJ0FZv0
serves side view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzTIQZ9bYO4
match game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tJ7XHnrkvw

Surface is really really fast!
I'll try to record myself hitting VS a ball machine next time!

BTW, do you think the racket could be a bit too demanding for my level?

[tennis_chiro]

Load the hips and shoulders

Made some videos today with a friend. We were nervous for some reason and didn't hit very good. You will have hard time finding a forehand where I didn't jump on, or being late, or doing laso... didn't know its that bad until I actually saw the videos myself.
I am the one in red shirt
Racket I use: head prestige youtek MP (320g unstrung) : http://www.tenniswarehouse-europe.co...DH-HYTPMP.html strung with signum pro poly plasma at 24kg, and I have to string it lower in the future, need a little bit more power.
I have been playing for around 3 years now, I play a lot.
I am 5'9, 156lbs
Here are the videos:
strokes side view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au2O_7UQNMQ
strokes rear view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRmz7SKLkdY
serves rear view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnhYMJ0FZv0
serves side view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzTIQZ9bYO4
match game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tJ7XHnrkvw

Surface is really really fast!
I'll try to record myself hitting VS a ball machine next time!

BTW, do you think the racket could be a bit too demanding for my level?

Nikae,
check the forehand you hit in the first clip at 31 seconds in. You are not rushed at all and stroke it pretty well; but, as JY pointed out in his response to your direct question, although your left hand is in a good initial position, it never really extends to the right and never really gets you the full benefit of the little bit of load in the shoulders and hips that the left arm extension to the right is supposed to create for you. While you are in that position before you extend the left arm to the right, you do not want the racket head to be so far back; more just off your right shoulder.

And where are you? That is a neat multisport facility, but those are really fast courts. Reminds me of playing at Bill's Indoors up in Harlem in the 70's in NY.

good luck,
don

[julian1]

String

Any chance to convince you to go to a multi from a poly string?

[nikae]

Any chance to convince you to go to a multi from a poly string?

Sure thing, which one do you suggest and why? I need more power on this racket, I'll be adding 5g of lead tape at 12 o'clock.

[julian1]

Change of strings

Sure thing, which one do you suggest and why? I need more power on this racket, I'll be adding 5g of lead tape at 12 o'clock.

I would suggest to wait with a tape and change strings first.
Dwell time would be better with

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Babolat_XCel_Power_16_String/descpageACBAB-BXCELP16.html

Do one thing at a time-this way you will see differences better

A second choice for a string is

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Yonex_Tour_Super_850_16_String/descpageACYONEX-ATG850.html

Going lower with tension is a MISTAKE

http://www.tenniswarehouse-europe.com/descpageRCHEADH-HYTPMP.html

gives a range 52-... for your racket.
Your 24 kgs is 52.8 pounds
so you are at a lower range of tension ALREADY

Please let me know about results of changes.
Thank you

julian mielniczuk uspta certified pro juliantennis@comcast.net Ph.D
www.julianmielniczuk.usptapro.com Courtside Tennis Club,Bedford,MA

[nikae]

I'll give babolat xcel a try. I dont think I can find that yonex string around here.

@tennis_chiro:
I am at indoor club here in Serbia. Yes, its multisport facility, pretty fast surface to play tennis on.

[julian1]

Wrong way

I saw ypur latest post on TW.
You are going completely wrong way

[nikae]

You mean the one where I asked about making hybrid out of 2 poly strings?

I just wanted to make SPPP feel softer, and Cyber Power (the one I can easily find, and is really cheap) is really soft string.

[julian1]

Babolat string

You mean the one where I asked about making hybrid out of 2 poly strings?

I just wanted to make SPPP feel softer, and Cyber Power (the one I can easily find, and is really cheap) is really soft string.

I would advise to try a full bed of a Babolat string first

[don_budge]

Coaching...

nikae...what are you doing for coaching over there in Serbia?

[nikae]

nikae...what are you doing for coaching over there in Serbia?

Um...please re-phrase the question. Not sure what are you asking.
But if you are asking about coaches around here.....its impossible to find a coach to teach you something, unless you you are 3-10 years old and just starting, then you can find coaches that will teach you some basics, but they are bad IMO, they believe in too many myths (especially regarding wrist usage).

Just few weeks ago I saw a coach teaching kids to hit forehand and backhand, and he says that hitting with straight arm is a must for both

[don_budge]

The question of Coaching...

The reason that I was asking was because when I was looking at your videos it occurred to me...I wonder who taught him to hit the ball like that. From the looks of things you have probably tried to imitate what you are seeing from the pro game. This is a very difficult way to learn the game of tennis.

Tennis is a game very similar to golf. It is played more or less on the foundation...of pure technique. Your level of competence is limited by the standard of your technique. In order to learn to play the game properly, certain fundamentals must be learned first before you can explore hitting the ball in the manner that the professionals seem to be hitting it. The only way to learn these fundamentals is with proper coaching...otherwise you spend endless hours spinning your wheels going nowhere, practicing the wrong technique over and over, which can be terribly frustrating. My guess was that there probably is a definite lack of competent coaching in your area.

I have seen video of you before...perhaps a couple of months ago and it appears that you may be backsliding a bit. I am sure that part of the reason is because in the previous video you were hitting on clay which is slowing things down appreciably, whereas that indoor surface looks pretty slick which is going to make you look even worse on camera. Even so...this points out the obvious thing and that is your game should be flexible enough to adapt to different surfaces and as it stands now...your strokes do not meet this criteria.

That was my question...and you answered correctly. What you are saying is you have had no coaching or very little coaching...right?

[nikae]

No, never had coaching. There's one old guy who lives in village near by my town, who has been the best player around here for long time. When I started 3 years ago, I spent few days with him, but he didn't teach me much. The only good thing he kept telling me was to bend my knees. He never thought me how to grip the racket, close my shoulders or pretty much anything.
Everything i learned (good or bad) came from internet.

So yes, you are probably right...but what shell I do now? I am stuck!

[don_budge]

That's easy...nikae

So yes, you are probably right...but what shell I do now? I am stuck!

What shall you do? That's easy nikae, you just need to get moving in the right direction so to speak...just invite good old don_budge to your club for a weekend. We'll see how much we can straighten out and write a story for the tennisplayer forum about it. It will be like Dr. House making a house call...to Serbia.

[nikae]

Sounds good!
Come to my town, you will have house, food and tour around the Serbia main towns, all for free!
Now, air plain ticket could be costy