The "bunch of buds"...talking tennis.

[GeoffWilliams]

ARGUEMENT: backed with emotional insults is negative and worthless. And that is why I stopped posting at tw.

[hockeyscout]

Interesting ...

I got one piece of information from worldsbesttenniscoach which was invaluable.

He's right when he claims "top pro forehands are weak." Ten or twenty years from now we will be looking at this generation, and remarking how much the game has evolved after studying "the next", a new player driven model by someone who isn't impressed with the current paradigm.

I agree, we do have to be very careful with offbeat character! You know, sometimes they are so far off the track they manage to revolutionize and win.

Any top coach or parent who's ever developed a world class athlete has bucked the system and developed anti-tennis technique.

Bolettierri (held out of the Hall of Fame for many years), Landsdorf, Williams and Agassi are great examples of this in action. They reached their peak proficiency in the IBM days, and unfortunately no ones (parent, player, coach or mentor) has expanded on what they have done and created an Apple, Google or Facebook in the brilliant, and always inventive USA marketplace.

Just as a side note here, I think worldsbesttenniscoach would have been a brilliant pro tennis coach if that is what he would have chosen to do.

His raw ideas were compelling. However, tennis coaching was never his full time gig from what I understand, as he did has a professional career in another field.

Sometime guys the people who were meant to be the next Robert Landsdorf or Rick Macci end up in a career, government job, wife who isn't keen on the tennis career and their life takes a different shape.

Still, their raw ideas can easily be put into play, modified, rethought and made to work.

The best ideas often comes from people outside the industry who haven't completely bought into the dogma, science or spent 25,000 hours on the court, and, or athletic field.

[hockeyscout]

So like everything else ... 99 percent you might not like, however, their's always that 1% you got to listen close for that will make the different. worldsbesttenniscoach had a few really intriguing thoughts.

Thanks
worldsworsttennismentor

[10splayer]

[QUOTE=hockeyscout;26971]I got one piece of information from worldsbesttenniscoach which was invaluable.

He's right when he claims "top pro forehands are weak." Ten or twenty years from now we will be looking at this generation, and remarking how much the game has evolved after studying "the next", a new player driven model by someone who isn't impressed with the current paradigm.

I agree, we do have to be very careful with offbeat character! You know, sometimes they are so far off the track they manage to revolutionize and win.

Any top coach or parent who's ever developed a world class athlete has bucked the system and developed anti-tennis technique.

Bolettierri (held out of the Hall of Fame for many years), Landsdorf, Williams and Agassi are great examples of this in action. They reached their peak proficiency in the IBM days, and unfortunately no ones (parent, player, coach or mentor) has expanded on what they have done and created an Apple, Google or Facebook in the brilliant, and always inventive USA marketplace.

Just as a side note here, I think worldsbesttenniscoach would have been a brilliant pro tennis coach if that is what he would have chosen to do.

His raw ideas were compelling. However, tennis coaching was never his full time gig from what I understand, as he did has a professional career in another field.

Sometime guys the people who were meant to be the next Robert Landsdorf or Rick Macci end up in a career, government job, wife who isn't keen on the tennis career and their life takes a different shape.

Still, their raw ideas can easily be put into play, modified, rethought and made to work.

The best ideas often comes from people outside the industry who haven't completely bought into the dogma, science or spent 25,000 hours on the court, and, or athletic field.[/QUO

If current players have poor forehands, who in your estimation has a good forehand. (from yesteryear)

[hockeyscout]

Evolution

If current players have poor forehands, who in your estimation has a good forehand?

I don't know why you are asking me this question?

But, its a good question. I would say none. No one impresses me. I don't hold anybody in awe.

I used to be impressed with Carl Lewis in 1988. Insane fast. We all said, we can't get much faster than that!

Today, he'd finish 10 feet behind Usian Bolt.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/08/05/sports/olympics/the-100-meter-dash-one-race-every-medalist-ever.html

The next great player (s) in the game are going to say: "I liked watching this player, and I took this from them, and did this, that and a few things I won't tell you to make myself better, and I did it for me. I saw a hole, a problem in science, an opportunity to transcend the game and I captured what everyone else missed."

It's called evolution, and somewhere out their on earth a future # 1 won't be playing by our rules, and will have a vision no one else possesses. He'll break all the rules of the game, and make us rethink our dogmatic ideas.

There are a million athletes out their with their own innovative next level ideas, and one of them will win.

There are a million coaches out their with their own program designed to get their players to the next level, and only one of them will win.

That's sports.

Regards
theworldsworsttennismentor

[hockeyscout]

sorry for the long post ...

[hockeyscout]

Forehand

Kind of from a hockeycoach's perspective. Remember, I kind of see tennis much differently than the rest of you.

Okay, forehand.

I like Agassi.

I am not really interested in his strokes or grips, what I like is how he's always hitting, yet under control of his body and already moving into what I call him NEXT. That separates the greats from the rest. His feet are so good his hands look more impressive then they probably really are in the big scheme of things. He's a small man who mastered getting into perfect position. Once you have developed the feet and the smarts to get into perfect position offensively in any sport, it all becomes possible. Interestingly enough his game matured nicely, something that doesn't often happen with players of that ilk. His late career stuff is a bit tough to watch as he's really tight, and obviously breaking down, but counting his steps, focusing and really becoming all economy of motion. You can see his dad was a hell of a boxing coach, because he never overextends or elongates himself like the rest.

I like Grigor Dimitrov.

Athletically to me his arm is equal to Joe Montana's. His field (game) speed isn't at Agassi's level, although I'd be certain he'd beat Agassi in a 20-30-50-100 meters spring by a wide margin. Raw speed is great, however, game speed is a whole different teaching game. Athletically for me he's chaotic, however, I think his game will age very nicely as he's very well set in terms of functional athletic movement.

I like Pete Sampras.

Magic rotator cuff. Hyper-mobility. Quiet work ethic. He fooled a lot of people.

I like Roger Federer.

I don't like the ankle supination or athletic gait at all. However, his Bode Miller (the downhill skiier) type rib-cage is UNBELIEVABLE. His body control above his waist masks a lot of problems with his athletic movement. He surprised me, I always thought he'd blow out an ankle, however, that collarbone, head, eyes and everything is so darn perfectly set he can get away with doing a few things on the tennis court we wouldn't ever want to see in other sports.

I like Andy Roddick

Hip speed on the serve, unbelievable. NFL arm. That guy went a long way with the tools he was lacking, and made the most of what he had!

So, Federer is the man for rib cage and head stability, and close to Bode Miller. He's intelligent, Gretzky like, and he gets to the ball at the right time, and with the right pace.

Agassi's movement is above and beyond, and close to a Roy Jones Junior.

Grigor Dimitrov set up is very nice (his mom I guess was an olympic sports coach, and I think that helped set him apart). However, I wonder why he isn't more dominant with his raw speed and NFL QB type arm. Instincts? Others maybe have better "tennis field speed" and get to the right place at the right time better (Federer for instance).

So, anyways, as you can see I do not really think in terms of the strokes. I think about the other aspects, however, that's just the nature of how development in my sport work.

I am more interested in field speed, hips, ankles, rib cage, getting behind the ball, continuity of momentum, athletic foundations and that sort of thing. When one of those things breaks down in my opinion, your hands are going to be bad no matter what. So, I am not focused on forehands, backhands and grips, I am more focused on what is happening with that tennis racket out of the picture.

You know what would be interesting me to me. It would be great if John Yandell could somehow put up video, white out that darn tennis racket, and see if we all see something new without it in the way. Tennis in my opinion is way to focused on the grip (which varies so much from player to player) and the racket, and not concerned about what is truly guiding that racket (hand, arm, shoulder, collarbone, rib page, abdominals, hip flexors, legs, ball of foot ect).

I always want to pretend in my mind that racket isn't there. However, that all comes from hockey. Your stick will never work unless your doing some pretty complex fundamentals with your athletic set up!

My last thought, in fact, I think it's very important kids spend a lot of time practicing without the strings in the racket, working on everything before they hit the ball. Everyone is so concerned about what is happening with the ball, and not with what happens before the ball is hit. If you're in the right position, and understand time and space like a martial artist, or MMA fighter, you're golden in this sport. There is to much concern about the stroke, or what happens to the ball (end outcomes), and not in the process to the outcome.

Again, I have my own ideas taken from another sport, and I understand they are radical in tennis. But, when I look at tennis players this is how I look at them.

So, the question on what do I think of a forehand, its not really something I think much about generally speaking.

Regards
worldsworsttennismentor

[gzhpcu]

He's right when he claims "top pro forehands are weak." Ten or twenty years from now we will be looking at this generation, and remarking how much the game has evolved after studying "the next", a new player driven model by someone who isn't impressed with the current paradigm.

Top pro forehands are weak? Never saw such hard hitting as in the current players. If we happen to look back 10-20 years from and remark how much the game has evolved, it can only be that the parameters (rackets, strings, surface, etc. have changed). With the current equipment and courts, the players are playing optimally. If someone comes up with such a statement, he is obliged to demonstrate the correct technique with a player trained to do it. Very doubtful...

[don_budge]

Crossover between hockey and tennis??? Where are the dots...???

Kind of from a hockeycoach's perspective. Remember, I kind of see tennis much differently than the rest of you.


I always want to pretend in my mind that racket isn't there. However, that all comes from hockey. Your stick will never work unless your doing some pretty complex fundamentals with your athletic set up!

My last thought, in fact, I think it's very important kids spend a lot of time practicing without the strings in the racket, working on everything before they hit the ball. Everyone is so concerned about what is happening with the ball, and not with what happens before the ball is hit. If you're in the right position, and understand time and space like a martial artist, or MMA fighter, you're golden in this sport. There is to much concern about the stroke, or what happens to the ball (end outcomes), and not in the process to the outcome.

Again, I have my own ideas taken from another sport, and I understand they are radical in tennis. But, when I look at tennis players this is how I look at them.

Regards
worldsworsttennismentor

worldsworsttennismentor...I doubt that you are all of that. But one thing is for certain...your perspective certainly is different. I would like to point out one thing to you...the crossover between hockey and tennis is very miniscule. Tennis shoes vs. ice skates, round ball vs. flat cylindrical puck, team sport vs. individual sport. The whole concept of the game was originally to spin the ball...please read if you haven't already "Match Play and the Spin of the Ball" when you get a chance.

I know a bit about hockey too after growing up in "HockeyTown" all of those years. Your ideas have some merit with regards to sports theory in general but as far as having any actual field basis as in playing the game of tennis or actually coaching it I find your writings to be sort of a "manifesto" type. To coach tennis you don't have to be a former world number one but you must have some competitive experience. Not everything you write is actually false but much is over cooked and greatly exaggerated.

For instance the statement that I bolded and italicized is a good example...all decent tennis coaches are very much concerned with getting in position for each and every shot. You are not so radical as you are to prove everyone else wrong...which is starting from a very difficult and complex position. Speaking of getting into position.

But I liked worldsbesttenniscoach too...but I also realize that his social skills were sort of lacking. He turned everyone off to a participating man on this forum...except for me. Maybe one or two others. This is a trait that if one could speak liberally across the board you might say that many Phd's suffer from the same inadequacy. They have a difficult time playing with others that are not so deeply mired in their specialty.

But this isn't to say that you are wrong...you just might train than little precocious daughter of yours to be the greatest tennis player ever. I hope you do. But it seems to me that you are going to do it on your own...your ideas and your attitude will certainly discourage anyone to work with you. They will have a hard time lasting for any serious amount of time.

Best of luck!!!

[don_budge]

Grips, hockey and punching each other in the face...

I like Agassi.

I am not really interested in his strokes or grips...

So, I am not focused on forehands, backhands and grips, I am more focused on what is happening with that tennis racket out of the picture.

Tennis in my opinion is way to focused on the grip (which varies so much from player to player) and the racket....

Regards
worldsworsttennismentor

Forgive me for the extensive editing of your remarks but I wish to accentuate your lack of preoccupation with the grip. This is a major shortcoming in your approach to tennis. You will want to bone up on your knowledge of grips and the behavior of the wrist...this is the conduit with which all energy is transferred into the ball. It is a rare science indeed when you take into account how the game of tennis is actually played...it is afterall a battle of control on the physical, emotional and even cerebral level for the tennis ball. To not understand or to underestimate the importance of grip to spin and therefore spin to tactics is a fatal mistake for any fledgling tennis mentor or coach.

Have you ever read..."Match Play and the Spin of the Ball" by William Tilden. I strongly suggest that you do...as I have in the past.

You know...another major difference between tennis and hockey...at the end of the match even though both sports advocate shaking hands and saying something nice to each other...in tennis it is very unlikely that either player has attempted to punch each other in the face. I believe that the mental and emotional approaches are very different...not that tennis is not some metaphorical primal struggle in itself.

[hockeyscout]

Tennis (and any other sport) is very complex, and the right plan needs to be implemented.

I took a very close look at this forum. 99 percent of the posts on this board were regarding the racket, and out of 100, 1 was about footwork, and the posting didn't really delve into anything to technical (Sanchez Academy).

Comments like "the puck is flat and the ball is round" and "your ideas and your attitude will certainly discourage anyone to work with you" are an interesting response.

My wife hears "tennis running is much different than your sport" and "you are a running coach, and you need to leave tennis running to the experts."

I have to ask, lets talk on specifics on positioning on the ball, getting behind the ball, transitioning phases, working from the ground up, neurology, set ups, velocity mechanics, applied mechanical - movement principals, ball, footwork, movement, circuit training, aerobic efficiency, breathing, postural integrity, rhythm and deceleration more please!

I just went to Monaco to the World Conference on Injury Prevention, and I was surprised at the lack of participation in the tennis community.

At the USTFCCCA Track and Field Convention I haven't yet seen a tennis coach, plenty of MMA, boxing, basketball and football people.

Why is this?

Is tennis truly a unique sport, or is the complicated NEXT in tennis coaching and player development right in front of our noses?

Something else very interesting from these conferences. I call the wife from the beer halls! Every coach from every other sports is hounding every other coach until 5 am hoping to understand the other sport, and another guys system. The other coaches wanted to learn how we stop, start, slide, hit, train, breathe, breathe and all the rest for instance.

I never heard the "crossover between hockey and your sport is very miniscule" from any major athletic coach, however, in tennis I hear it all the time. I wonder why?

I think their is a huge crossover between sports like hockey and tennis, and every athletic coach in any other sport I network with agrees.

However, even if it is a miniscule one percent, that's the difference between a top 1000 player, and a # 1 in any sport.

Tennis, especially the woman's game is far from being at it's optimal. I thought twenty years ago Carl Lewis was as optimally fast as a human can run. Now, his technique looks weak, and Usain Bolt is literally ten feet in front of him.

What we think is optimal, is never optimal. Out with the old and in with the new.

I don't even want to get back into talking about grips again (and the racket).

I am into an athlete driven trial and error, experimentation and feel belief system. One thing you all may be overlooking is whether or not the athlete has a feel for the ball, and a naturally smart racket. In the case of a Borg, Nadal or McEnroe, it was best to leave them alone on that aspect and focus on other areas. For instance, I would not teach a young Beckham how to free kick, Gretzky how to read the ice, get Ali to change his anti-technique or instruct Roy Jones Junior how to evade pressure like a bird. So, sometimes you need to leave something alone to florish, and not slap chemicals, soil, water and time on it. Think about it.

As for worldclasscoach. I liked the guy. I don't see him as disrespectful, stupid, trolling, socially inept, jerk, badly dressed, ugly, pimples, two different color shoes, Mr PHD or whatever.

If you knew everything about everyone you've ever met in life you probably wouldn't like many people.

All that mattered to me was trying to understand his one percent. I was focused on the tennis, not what was going on around me, who was saying what or what the masses were feeling at the time.

I really found your statement interesting:

"Your ideas and your attitude will certainly discourage anyone to work with you. They will have a hard time lasting for any serious amount of time."

Your right! Coaches generally have pretty short shelf lifes! I do agree with you, if we ever go the route of tennis coaches some of them will have a hard time lasting with us as from our end "THERE ideas and attitudes MAY discourage US from working with them." It's always a two way street. As I have said before, some dads kids will win. However, their will be a million who don't. Some coaches will help a player win. However, their has been a million cases of coaches who didn't help athletes win. It works two ways. We just don't know!

My best regards:
worldsworsttennismentorwhoknowsnothingaboutgripsan dwillhaveashortshelflikewithcoaches

[gsheiner]

I'm going to take the side of " worldsworsttennismentor" on this one.

Having played many other sports as a kid before taking up tennis, I can see many similarities between sports.

For example, since I played a ton of baseball as a kid, I developed a very good throwing motion. This has enabled me to almost always have a bigger serve than most of the other guys , including those who grew up as ranked juniors.

Now, of course, there are tennis specific issues like swing plane, toss location, etc but the basic body kinetic chain issues seem to me to be very similiar.

I recently started playing golf and was struck by how much more technical the instruction is concerning angles of body joints, hip action, etc.

I would say that instruction on golf and even baseball hitting technique, focuses a lot more on the hip action which I believe is critical to good timing and power.

Golf has the concept of the forward lean of the front hip. Well, that's what the great servers do as well.

I don't believe that generating maximum rotational power is sports specific.
I do believe that how you apply that power is sports specific.

As for movement and techniques to improve it, how can one say that principles of balance, acceleration, and deceleration are different from sport to sport. They'll be tweaked obviously for each sport.

On this website, I believe that there is a section called Tennis myths. This section deals with concepts which were widely held to be the " gospel" but were dispelled when high speed video proved them wrong.

We note that Mcenroe played soccer as a kid as did Nadal, Federer, and probably djokovic. Did playing soccer growing up help these guys in some way with their footwork and balance?

And, lastly, let's engage " worldsworst" and try to see what we can learn.
We already know the "gospel".

[hockeyscout]

Now you are talking my language.

Here's a few thoughts:
NFL:

I do what I call walk-through's. This idea is stolen from the NFL. Its not a practice, its a long verbal discussion right on the court. We do so much walk-through. I've never seen it done at any tennis place because court time is expensive, and no one wants to go at it slow.

Track and field:

I met one track and field guy who really understood personalities and character. On that note, I figured out my athlete is a verbal learner. worldsbesttenniscoach is likely visual, and unable to communicate verbally on the site by the way , and everyone is angered, however, we're all guilty for not communicating with him in a way that fits his best needs. He can't get the message across because he's likely visual. No matter what, again, I would find a way to communicate with him, and understand.

MMA:

For the last four weeks I have been bringing in a young MMA fighter to work with my athlete. I bring him in, and show him how to hit a ball. What's interesting, is he wants to choke up on the handle of his racket to make his lever shorter. Interesting! I play with him tennis, he asks me questions about his MMA training, food, hockey, tennis, my eight year old teaches him how to play tennis, we watch videos of tennis, the kid takes him to play video games (the kid is 21 and loves it) and on the weekends I take him to the disco, we smoke Turkish pipes, drink and talk sport. We've got great dialogue, and we're at the point now where he's telling me how he envisions the sport of tennis needs to be placed. I like their drill sets in MMA, however, their's a set of rules that can't be broken (or you'll get knocked out), and he's finding he can break all of those rules in tennis and it's been a gas for him! His observations have been very unique, and I can go more into depth for any of you if you wish. Their is one poster here that is big into MMA in Florida, and I'd be really interested to see if he's brought out fighters to watch his tennis training to guide him on what they see, what they like and what they do not like.

I communicate with a MLB throwing coach - I suggest tennis coaches study Cross Over Symmetry. Baseball pitching footwork is an unbelievable science, and its always interesting to hear the great work they do in terms of sequential summation of movement. The baseball guys have been begging me to do video without the racket in it (baseball pitcher only has his hand on the ball). Anyways, these guys are unreal, and the Short Stop coaches are out of this world in teaching how to understand time and space. I am working with a couple guys right now on how to properly have my athlete run with a tennis racket, fall, roll, recover, hit, move, drop, roll, ect, and get up and hit like the baseball SS coaches (or Ozzie Smith do). The MMA guys and I are playing with it a bit right now as well, however, that's important in tennis I think, and something I can learn. Nadal is pretty good in this area, as is Monfils. Its an important next thing.

For example, since I played a ton of baseball as a kid, I developed a very good throwing motion. This has enabled me to almost always have a bigger serve than most of the other guys , including those who grew up as ranked juniors.

Yes, perfect!

Now, of course, there are tennis specific issues like swing plane, toss location, etc but the basic body kinetic chain issues seem to me to be very similiar.

Perfect, and don't forget you can incorporate and play with many other things from other sports. Problem is I do not know golf, and just can't get my head around it, so that's a weak link sport for me. A few tennis folk here might know a bit more about uncle Toni taking things from ping pong to tennis?

I recently started playing golf and was struck by how much more technical the instruction is concerning angles of body joints, hip action, etc.

Golf is so complex!

I would say that instruction on golf and even baseball hitting technique, focuses a lot more on the hip action which I believe is critical to good timing and power. Golf has the concept of the forward lean of the front hip. Well, that's what the great servers do as well. I don't believe that generating maximum rotational power is sports specific.

Excellent!

As for movement and techniques to improve it, how can one say that principles of balance, acceleration, and deceleration are different from sport to sport. They'll be tweaked obviously for each sport. On this website, I believe that there is a section called Tennis myths. This section deals with concepts which were widely held to be the " gospel" but were dispelled when high speed video proved them wrong. We note that Mcenroe played soccer as a kid as did Nadal, Federer, and probably djokovic. Did playing soccer growing up help these guys in some way with their footwork and balance?

Anyways, great to see the thread is on the right track now.

My best regards:
worldsworsttennismentorwhoknowsnothingaboutgripsan dwillhaveashortshelflikewithcoaches

[don_budge]

True Carryover...Tennis is Golf on the Run

I'm going to take the side of " worldsworsttennismentor" on this one.

For example, since I played a ton of baseball as a kid, I developed a very good throwing motion. This has enabled me to almost always have a bigger serve than most of the other guys , including those who grew up as ranked juniors.

I would say that instruction on golf and even baseball hitting technique, focuses a lot more on the hip action which I believe is critical to good timing and power.

Golf has the concept of the forward lean of the front hip. Well, that's what the great servers do as well.

And, lastly, let's engage " worldsworst" and try to see what we can learn.
We already know the "gospel".

Engagement is my middle name. Yep, yep, yep...bring it hockeyscout. But try to focus...this is a tennis forum. Racquets are mandatory...this is an unavoidable given. You cannot take the club out of golf. Or the piano out of piano playing.

I don't mind reading sports theory...but don't try to make everyone out to be stupid for teaching tennis in the manner that they have learned to teach it. For 90% of a coaches students you start with the fundamentals and stick with them until the student makes it to their own discovery process. Every student is unique and each has their own issues. I can certainly appreciate the experimental mode of new tennis coaching...but my time is limited. Once again...good luck. I hope that your daughter reaches the highest level of her potential. Obviously with your guiding hand she will have her work cut out for her...and hard work is the only thing that this world understands.

Yeah...I was a great pitcher of the baseball as well when I was young. Pre tennis years. Dad was a professional baseball player. I threw right handed and had some good stuff...pretty much did everything right handed. Basketball...I had a serious Jones...I played from point guard to high post. One of my coaches favorite play was "give Navarro the ball". I liked that play best of all...I wanted the ball. I did bat left handed though.

When I grew up...I had an even better serve than I pitched the baseball. Big serve...huge kicks and slices. Big boomer too. Perfect motion taught to me by Don Budge himself. The thing is...I serve left handed. I also mastered the game of golf later in life...right handed.

Anyways...the gospel is Tilden gsheiner...and that is according to Harry Hopman. Have you read "Match Play and Spin of the Ball" by the way. I keep asking "worldsworsttennismentor" this question but have not gotten an answer. I still maintain that the carryover from other sports is not the deal breaker...not that it hurts the matter developmentally speaking. Tennis is tennis...I guess that I like to simplify the matter at hands and not chase my tail through life.

Incidentally...I never used any training gimmicks or video to learn golf. I just worked at it. Played every night after work until dark. All weekend too. I took my first golf lesson at forty years old (actually my fortieth birthday) as I had NEVER played before that. I always said that golf was an old mans game...then I became old...or at least I was no longer young.

I read a lot of books. I started with Bobby Jones stuff...books and videos and worked my way to modern times. Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman to name a few...and finally Tiger Woods. I guess you might say that I was a student of the game. When I was learning golf...I lived, ate and breathed golf.

But regarding carryover from sport to sport...I have always said that I learned more about teaching tennis by playing and teaching golf than I ever learned from playing tennis. The golf instruction is not necessarily better than tennis it is just that it is much simpler...you are dealing with a ball in a stop position. You have time to think this stuff through whereas tennis is golf on the run.

hockeyscout is absolutely correct on the importance of getting in position to make a good tennis swing from a balanced position...just as good golfers endeavor to do. This is a huge part of the challenge to playing tennis...and it is only one of them.

But in no way am I saying that anyone is wrong and I don't feel it necessary to take sides. I prefer to stand alone...just as it is when I am playing tennis or golf. I have more than a little of that Richard Gonzales "lone wolf" in me.

[hockeyscout]

Hey don-budge, can you send me a video of your golf swing? As well, if you had a high end athlete what aspects of golf would you try and translate over to the tennis game. Imagine if Tiger Woods or Arnold Palmer came out to your court, what do you think they'd be able to teach you as a tennis player - coach that would make you better, or more importantly what do you think they'd dislike about what you are doing in your present day tennis model?