Interesting Article on Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe

[EdWeiss]

Below is a link to an interesting article (first saw it posted on Lisa Stone's Parenting Aces page) about the very different development paths of Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe. In some sense, it has the feel of the great tennis book Levels of the Game about the very different paths to the upper echelons of the game taken by Arthur Ashe and Clark Graebner. I would be interested in everyone's thoughts on the article.

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer...is-talent.html

[kenh]

It was a great article. Thanks for posting it. Loved the line — “Small in back and big in front,”. I was really struck by Tiafoe's love for the game and self motivation. It hearkens back to older days when tennis was not so easy to come by. I also remember Guy from when he played at USD and circuits like the WATCH circuit. You can tell how he still loves the game and wants to be and is easily capable of being involved at his son's highest level. I will bet that when Taylor hits a rough patch, his father will help because he understands the foundation of it all so well.

[don_budge]

Tiafoe and Fritz...

Both went down in flames last night in five sets to fellow Americans...Isner and Sock respectively. That being said without reading the article...which I intend to read at some point.

[bottle]

It was a great article. Thanks for posting it. Loved the line — “Small in back and big in front,”. I was really struck by Tiafoe's love for the game and self motivation. It hearkens back to older days when tennis was not so easy to come by. I also remember Guy from when he played at USD and circuits like the WATCH circuit. You can tell how he still loves the game and wants to be and is easily capable of being involved at his son's highest level. I will bet that when Taylor hits a rough patch, his father will help because he understands the foundation of it all so well.

I absolutely think you identified the key phrase "small in back and big in front." That may be biased of me and even an exhibition of cherry-picking for special purpose, since the overall article offers a considerable amount of insight into PEOPLE along with its wit, especially in the first half, but this small in back and big in front idea is the revolutionary place where tennis ought to go.

Praise to Ed Weiss for timing along with the usual Weiss rest in that Ed Weiss posted this article one day before Frances Tiafoe's classic match with John Isner.

That match was wonderful but sad too. (As for the other main character in the article, I haven't seen the Fritz-Sock match yet). How many times did Tiafoe have the match on his racket? Just the slightest glitch of confidence at the long delayed climax of the five-set match was the difference. Poor Frances tried to quiet down the crowd as he served for the win. Too distracting. Just accept the noise and build on it. Don't do anything to distract yourself!

Please, please, Frances Tiafoe, for the sake of yourself and all the rest of us who wish unreservedly to support you, don't ever submit to such a sudden drop of confidence again. Do not become another Donald Young. In fact, both you and the good Donald, Donald Young, could now become tough as nails-- I know I wouldn't mind.

[hockeyscout]

Practiced 6-8 hours a day. Unreal.

[gzhpcu]

Too bad they just both lost 5 setters in the first round of the US Open...