2021 Miami Open...ATP 1000...Miami, Florida USA

[stroke]

I do agree Sinner will never be as good as Roger, Rafael, or Novak.

[stroke]

I just keep coming back to the same thing with the modern junior. No variety. These guys just learn to bang the ball and there is nothing else. No volleys, no slice, no offspeed stuff. Just rip, rip and rip. That works for a while but at the very top it does not. Look at what Barty was doing to Andreescu. She was slicing her around the court and making her hit all kinds of offspeed stuff. Imagine Edberg out there playing the men's final. Even if he doesn't come in on every shot. He is going to keep changing the pace and making the other player play inside the court. Hurkacz is 6'5". You cannot hit through this guy. You have to hit him below the knees, off to the side, get him off balance.

Sinner fell into the modern trap. Let's bang our way to the top until it doesn't work. At 19, the big 3 and any old schooler would have made the big guy an express lunch order. No more than 1.25 hours. Max!

Hurkacz played so smart. He played within his limitations. Made people hit through him. He even sliced when necessary. By playing his very clear game he exposed everyone else's lack of game plan.

It's robot city out there. Then there is Barty. All she needs is a topspin 1HBH. It would be Henin all over again. Except Barty has a much better serve and a real net game.

Sorry guys. The most exciting young player now is not a man. The men just look like carbon copies.

I think all players should just go play cricket for a year. Then they might look like a complete tennis player. And that, in today's game, would be Ash Barty.

Just do not agree. And I even disagree more that women's tennis is in the argument/conversation regarding men's tennis. That being said Arturo, I appreciate your passion. You clearly love tennis.

[stotty]

There is very little substitute for power, and the ground shot game prevails above all else. Consistency is another vital.

The best example I can give you is Roger versus Novak at Wimbledon. No one has the repertoire of Roger Federer. Perhaps no number 1 player has ever been a one-dimensional as Novak. Yet Novak thwarted Roger in their 3 Wimbledon finals despite grass being a surface that plays right into Roger wheelhouse. Maybe if they speeded the grass up a bit things may have swung in Roger’s favour, but you wouldn’t count on it. The bottom line is Novak is a very, very good grass court player. Way better than anyone gives him credit for.

Novak is a two-winged player, which is actually old school. He is equally good on both wings and seeks to run round very little. That’s a strength and equates to better court coverage and efficiency as matches wear on.

With power and consistency…and add the ability to redirect the ball to that short list…and you have a player that is darn difficult to beat, no matter how expansive your repertoire may be.

If Roger can’t manoeuvre the ultimate one-dimensional player out of the equation, who the hell can?

I do sense the volley creeping back into the game as the game gets ever more powerful. It’s bound to happen.

Another thing which has done the rounds on the forum is tall people can't move well. Being tall is a huge asset and plenty of tall people move extremely well so long as they are lean. I might argue they move better as they cover more ground in one stride. I coach a boy aged 16 who is 6.5 inches tall and he is the quickest player I have. He is also nimble. It is not a given that tall players cannot move. It really isn't.

[stroke]

There is very little substitute for power, and the ground shot game prevails above all else. Consistency is another vital.

The best example I can give you is Roger versus Novak at Wimbledon. No one has the repertoire of Roger Federer. Perhaps no number 1 player has ever been a one-dimensional as Novak. Yet Novak thwarted Roger in their 3 Wimbledon finals despite grass being a surface that plays right into Roger wheelhouse. Maybe if they speeded the grass up a bit things may have swung in Roger’s favour, but you wouldn’t count on it. The bottom line is Novak is a very, very good grass court player. Way better than anyone gives him credit for.

Novak is a two-winged player, which is actually old school. He is equally good on both wings and seeks to run round very little. That’s a strength and equates to better court coverage and efficiency as matches wear on.

With power and consistency…and add the ability to redirect the ball to that short list…and you have a player that is darn difficult to beat, no matter how expansive your repertoire may be.

If Roger can’t manoeuvre the ultimate one-dimensional player out of the equation, who the hell can?

I do sense the volley creeping back into the game as the game gets ever more powerful. It’s bound to happen.

Another thing which has done the rounds on the forum is tall people can't move well. Being tall is a huge asset and plenty of tall people move extremely well so long as they are lean. I might argue they move better as they cover more ground in one stride. I coach a boy aged 16 who is 6.5 inches tall and he is the quickest player I have. He is also nimble. It is not a given that tall players cannot move. It really isn't.

As Walter White might have said, "there's that".

[arturohernandez]

Just do not agree. And I even disagree more that women's tennis is in the argument/conversation regarding men's tennis. That being said Arturo, I appreciate your passion. You clearly love tennis.

I wanted disagreement. Tell me why please. I want to have hope. I am a hopeful person. I was excited at every new generation of tennis from when I started watching Borg all the way through the current Big 3.

I am not saying the women are more athletic or better than men. Just that Barty is a real all court player who knows how to play the entire court. I just don't see that in the men at all these days. I also don't see it in women either.

I do love tennis but I also want some variety again. And only Barty gives me full all court tennis.

[arturohernandez]

There is very little substitute for power, and the ground shot game prevails above all else. Consistency is another vital.

The best example I can give you is Roger versus Novak at Wimbledon. No one has the repertoire of Roger Federer. Perhaps no number 1 player has ever been a one-dimensional as Novak. Yet Novak thwarted Roger in their 3 Wimbledon finals despite grass being a surface that plays right into Roger wheelhouse. Maybe if they speeded the grass up a bit things may have swung in Roger’s favour, but you wouldn’t count on it. The bottom line is Novak is a very, very good grass court player. Way better than anyone gives him credit for.

Novak is a two-winged player, which is actually old school. He is equally good on both wings and seeks to run round very little. That’s a strength and equates to better court coverage and efficiency as matches wear on.

With power and consistency…and add the ability to redirect the ball to that short list…and you have a player that is darn difficult to beat, no matter how expansive your repertoire may be.

If Roger can’t manoeuvre the ultimate one-dimensional player out of the equation, who the hell can?

I do sense the volley creeping back into the game as the game gets ever more powerful. It’s bound to happen.

Another thing which has done the rounds on the forum is tall people can't move well. Being tall is a huge asset and plenty of tall people move extremely well so long as they are lean. I might argue they move better as they cover more ground in one stride. I coach a boy aged 16 who is 6.5 inches tall and he is the quickest player I have. He is also nimble. It is not a given that tall players cannot move. It really isn't.

I think a tall player can do really well these days. The proof is in how many taller players are doing well. But in going so tall, tennis is losing the more dynamic nature of the game. Let's compare it to soccer. Soccer could have become a tall man's game but then came Maradonna and Messi and lots of good players who were smaller and faster. These guys force the other players to play in smaller spaces. Then they outmaneuver them. There is just no way a 6'6" guy can be as agile as a 5'8" guy in a small space. They can be very agile but not as agile. And al that agility is lost because the game keeps going bigger. Tennis today is like playing soccer with half a team.

What ends up happening is that no models are left who play inside the court. People see one route to the top. Hit big and with lots of topspin.

I am just wondering if any crazy coach out there has decided to have his kids train with wood rackets. Come to the net. Force them to win points inside the court. Practice doubles like crazy.

I do think the conditions have changed things considerably. And I think the ATP should bring in some really fast conditions. Maybe they can monkey with the balls so there are not a million aces. At the same time speed up the conditions so that there are some tournaments where it is an advantage to play at the net.

I was watching Fed this morning. I realize he is a once in a generation type of player. But other players in the past could have done what he is doing. Not everything but at least some of the things he does.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10pRh5GQbb8MZ9Pdoe00aL0Vs_117uKTI/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Clh0_hkUYy049eOApuMjBm1g3cBf3glC/view?usp=sharing

It's just sad that today all the players just seems to be the same. Maybe Medvedev is the only one I see who really doesn't fit the mold.

I agree that Djokovic is pretty one dimensional. And right now I think is the model for the modern junior.

I really hope that changes some time soon.

[stroke]

I wanted disagreement. Tell me why please. I want to have hope. I am a hopeful person. I was excited at every new generation of tennis from when I started watching Borg all the way through the current Big 3.

I am not saying the women are more athletic or better than men. Just that Barty is a real all court player who knows how to play the entire court. I just don't see that in the men at all these days. I also don't see it in women either.

I do love tennis but I also want some variety again. And only Barty gives me full all court tennis.

To me, the women's game is just so different from the men's game that whatever is going on out there in the women's game, tactical or otherwise, there just is nothing there that the men could observe and apply to their game to help them be more successful. I still think McEnroe even now at age 60+ would beat Serena. I do not think he would beat any male player on tour.

[don_budge]

I think a tall player can do really well these days. The proof is in how many taller players are doing well. But in going so tall, tennis is losing the more dynamic nature of the game. Let's compare it to soccer. Soccer could have become a tall man's game but then came Maradonna and Messi and lots of good players who were smaller and faster. These guys force the other players to play in smaller spaces. Then they outmaneuver them. There is just no way a 6'6" guy can be as agile as a 5'8" guy in a small space. They can be very agile but not as agile. And al that agility is lost because the game keeps going bigger. Tennis today is like playing soccer with half a team.

What ends up happening is that no models are left who play inside the court. People see one route to the top. Hit big and with lots of topspin.

I am just wondering if any crazy coach out there has decided to have his kids train with wood rackets. Come to the net. Force them to win points inside the court. Practice doubles like crazy.

I do think the conditions have changed things considerably. And I think the ATP should bring in some really fast conditions. Maybe they can monkey with the balls so there are not a million aces. At the same time speed up the conditions so that there are some tournaments where it is an advantage to play at the net.

I was watching Fed this morning. I realize he is a once in a generation type of player. But other players in the past could have done what he is doing. Not everything but at least some of the things he does.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10pRh5GQbb8MZ9Pdoe00aL0Vs_117uKTI/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Clh0_hkUYy049eOApuMjBm1g3cBf3glC/view?usp=sharing

It's just sad that today all the players just seems to be the same. Maybe Medvedev is the only one I see who really doesn't fit the mold.

I agree that Djokovic is pretty one dimensional. And right now I think is the model for the modern junior.

I really hope that changes some time soon.

arturohernandez...I can see that you have been studying at the Don Budge School of Classic Tennis. As CEO, I give you an A+. All points that you have made in your series of posts are valid and deserving of serious discussion. But as you can see...even the coaches here on the forum have been severely brain washed and passively, if not actively, participate in the hijacking that occurred back in the eighties when Nick "Bowl of Cherries" and company became the snake oil salesman who sold the game down the river for their thirty shekels. See how history repeats itself?

But as with all modern problems now...take racism for instance...there are no viable solutions. Once you tinker in one direction, something goes kaflooey in the other direction. Once the engineering was out of whack just kiss your ass goodbye. Jesus may be coming back but classic tennis certainly isn't. Too many demons on board the modern tennis train.

When I came top Sweden some years back in 2004/2005 I used to tell people that I was a political refugee. Coming from America, that sounded a bit odd to the inhabitants here. But see how it has evolved in the USA? I got out ahead of the tsunami. I didn't do it on my own. Seriously...I call it a divine intervention. There are no such interventions coming down the pipe in tennis. With every invention comes a curse and tennis is cursed. Damn it to hell anyways. What they are dishing up nowadays isn't tennis anymore than paddle ball is. It's a fad. The soup of the day. A cheap imitation and a tire rerun of a sitcom that was boring the first time around. Screw it.

Anybody in the game to day is a slave to their pay check. You cannot bite the hand that feeds you. Even if you know better. Novak Djokovic. Aptly named. What a joke. What a joker. He carries around that big snowshoe for a racquet as if he were a real tennis player. Bouncy...bouncy...bouncy. Look at me! He and the other ridiculous one...Fafa Nadal. Real imposters. These two idiots would be nothing but cat food under the conditions years ago when everyone played like Roger Federer. I hold off on Divining Roger too. That racquet of his is an illusion. His greatness is enhanced by the optics. If he had been accomplishing all of these miracles with a Dunlop Maxply like John McEnroe did...well, thats another story.

You have done yourself a great service in expressing yourself as you have. Going against the grain. Standing up to the myth. The greedy machine. It is all fake. Fake...fake...fake. Fake media. Fake politicians. Fake tennis. It's all fake. I spoke with my Father yesterday. A deep though provoking discussion. Probing him on what made him...him. He is legendary. A blast from the past. A man of conviction, I tell you. I asked him where that came from. I spoke of Jesus. He spoke of his mother. How highly he thought of her. His motivation for doing good...for being good was simple. He would never do anything that would embarrass her or cast negative light on her. Such devotion. It is Biblical. Conviction comes for a parent's love for the child. As you are showing yours. By being the Master of your Domain so to speak.

You look at the problems in the cities today and you don't have to think about it all too hard. The problem is in the parenting or more specifically...the lack of it. The problem with the game of tennis started with the engineering and then it was the tennis parents who applied the final blow...the coaches. The coaches without a paradigm. Without conviction. Tennis once again...metaphoring life.

[doctorhl]

DB: Why can’t I seem to find disagreement in your perspective( except maybe in degree)? We are are challenged to think!

[glacierguy]

I wanted disagreement. Tell me why please. I want to have hope. I am a hopeful person. I was excited at every new generation of tennis from when I started watching Borg all the way through the current Big 3.

I am not saying the women are more athletic or better than men. Just that Barty is a real all court player who knows how to play the entire court. I just don't see that in the men at all these days. I also don't see it in women either.

I do love tennis but I also want some variety again. And only Barty gives me full all court tennis.

Bit late to this discussion, but have to lend some support to arturohernandez when it comes to Ash Barty - a terrific tennis player and all round sportswoman. I really enjoyed watching some of her matches for precisely the reasons already mentioned: clever, surprising angles and spins which mean you never know what's coming and keeps the spectator engaged. Plus I love watching her service action - a straight line descendant from Sam Stosur.

And I nearly forgot to mention true grit - she really came through some tough moments showing grim determination.

[stroke]

Bit late to this discussion, but have to lend some support to arturohernandez when it comes to Ash Barty - a terrific tennis player and all round sportswoman. I really enjoyed watching some of her matches for precisely the reasons already mentioned: clever, surprising angles and spins which mean you never know what's coming and keeps the spectator engaged. Plus I love watching her service action - a straight line descendant from Sam Stosur.

And I nearly forgot to mention true grit - she really came through some tough moments showing grim determination.

I agree with what you said about Ash.

[arturohernandez]

arturohernandez...I can see that you have been studying at the Don Budge School of Classic Tennis. As CEO, I give you an A+. All points that you have made in your series of posts are valid and deserving of serious discussion. But as you can see...even the coaches here on the forum have been severely brain washed and passively, if not actively, participate in the hijacking that occurred back in the eighties when Nick "Bowl of Cherries" and company became the snake oil salesman who sold the game down the river for their thirty shekels. See how history repeats itself?

But as with all modern problems now...take racism for instance...there are no viable solutions. Once you tinker in one direction, something goes kaflooey in the other direction. Once the engineering was out of whack just kiss your ass goodbye. Jesus may be coming back but classic tennis certainly isn't. Too many demons on board the modern tennis train.

When I came top Sweden some years back in 2004/2005 I used to tell people that I was a political refugee. Coming from America, that sounded a bit odd to the inhabitants here. But see how it has evolved in the USA? I got out ahead of the tsunami. I didn't do it on my own. Seriously...I call it a divine intervention. There are no such interventions coming down the pipe in tennis. With every invention comes a curse and tennis is cursed. Damn it to hell anyways. What they are dishing up nowadays isn't tennis anymore than paddle ball is. It's a fad. The soup of the day. A cheap imitation and a tire rerun of a sitcom that was boring the first time around. Screw it.

Anybody in the game to day is a slave to their pay check. You cannot bite the hand that feeds you. Even if you know better. Novak Djokovic. Aptly named. What a joke. What a joker. He carries around that big snowshoe for a racquet as if he were a real tennis player. Bouncy...bouncy...bouncy. Look at me! He and the other ridiculous one...Fafa Nadal. Real imposters. These two idiots would be nothing but cat food under the conditions years ago when everyone played like Roger Federer. I hold off on Divining Roger too. That racquet of his is an illusion. His greatness is enhanced by the optics. If he had been accomplishing all of these miracles with a Dunlop Maxply like John McEnroe did...well, thats another story.

You have done yourself a great service in expressing yourself as you have. Going against the grain. Standing up to the myth. The greedy machine. It is all fake. Fake...fake...fake. Fake media. Fake politicians. Fake tennis. It's all fake. I spoke with my Father yesterday. A deep though provoking discussion. Probing him on what made him...him. He is legendary. A blast from the past. A man of conviction, I tell you. I asked him where that came from. I spoke of Jesus. He spoke of his mother. How highly he thought of her. His motivation for doing good...for being good was simple. He would never do anything that would embarrass her or cast negative light on her. Such devotion. It is Biblical. Conviction comes for a parent's love for the child. As you are showing yours. By being the Master of your Domain so to speak.

You look at the problems in the cities today and you don't have to think about it all too hard. The problem is in the parenting or more specifically...the lack of it. The problem with the game of tennis started with the engineering and then it was the tennis parents who applied the final blow...the coaches. The coaches without a paradigm. Without conviction. Tennis once again...metaphoring life.

Poor Pete Fischer. The first fallen hero of many that followed him. But he did one thing that changed tennis history. He fantasized that Pete Sampras would have a one handed backhand and that he would win Wimbledon. And Sampras said that Fischer was always appropriate with him. Tennis is pleased that he did not ruin such a great talent. Maybe that was the reason. I don't really know. But I am glad he kept strictly to tennis with Sampras.

I don't think it's all fake but I do wonder how much will there is to follow a different path.

Today NSF (the National Science Foundation) announced a transformative program to fund science for the public good. The problem is that we have no idea what the public good is. Tell me that three years ago, someone would have funded coronavirus research or mRNA research. I am sure funding for other very high priority research was much higher than for the very technology that would save our lives and produce a vaccine in one year. Someone somewhere is doing the research that is way off the radar but will yield a new cure for cancer or heart disease or a discovery that will change our lives. The only problem is we don't know it.

In tennis, there must be a Fischer (the coach) out there who is willing to go down a different path. To try and build a different kind of player. Barty is that kind of player. Maybe she will be the model for some to follow.

[tenniscoach1]

This Jannik Sinner kid will be one of the ten best men players to EVER play the game - I am talking top 10 of all time - best tennis prospect since Roger Federer - his potential is limitless and he has not even scraped the surface. And, what's interesting is he is training the correct way in everything he does from A to Z. A lion cub right now - but, he'll hit peak in 24/36 months and blow everyone off the court. Rare potential. And, his training people don't look like fucking insane coaches doing dip-shit things - his people understand the science. Doesn't really surprise me he was a ski prospect before tennis and did not play until he was 13.

[stroke]

coach1, I agree. I have him pegged as a future #1 sooner than later. As Bublik said.....

https://tennishead.net/jannik-sinner...xander-bublik/

[tenniscoach1]

Raw as hell right now, big potential, not biting off more than he can chew and if they don't do dumb shit like bench presses, squats, deadlifts olympic lifts, burpies, train the wrong energy systems for tennis, crossfit and hire insane coaches with lack of scientific experience he'll produce - goes to show you rate of force speed production training and stretch reflex initiations will always create meteoric development (plus a few other things) and deliver very calm confident athletes to match pressure scenarios ... kids got confidence in his program and knows it will work. No insecurities - and, I tell you athletes are smart - they know by feel what works and what doesn't - and a lot hate what they do, never feel quite right, always sore and in the big pressure scenarios freeze because they know in the back of their alligator brain all is not right in the world. Came out of nowhere thanks to a brilliant training program. Brilliant programs always work like that - athlete comes out of nowhere - coaches not in a rush - everything is done correctly with a long term peak in mind and no importance places on todays noise created by others who are insecure and want it now. A few others had a lot more upside in his age group - Felix especially - but, his Jannik's sports science team is light years ahead of everyone and they did it while he was young and could eat it up and suck in the myelin like a sponge. First brilliant training system to market what this guy does! This kids going to be the real deal - unless, of course they let the Federation and big name coaches touch him - he needs to stay the course in his system and not let outside influences peddle their theories. Anyways - the best become the best because they find the right people every step of the way and have the instincts to know who knows, and who doesn't. This kids got it - they will need to really limit his travel/games/tournaments/matches for a few years as focus on the training aspects off the court but they probably know how to stress manage his growing body. He is 19 in a 15 year old's body right now.