An Interview With John Yandell Part 1 Paul Fein

[johnyandell]

Let's talk about Paul Fein's article, "An Interview With John Yandell Part 1"

[don_budge]

Let's talk about Paul Fein's article, "An Interview With John Yandell Part 1"

Excellent interview so far John. You covered all the bases including the "fabulous forum"! I think that your overall philosophy and the scope of the website were covered quite well. You blend the classical game and the modern game in both your philosophy and in the website. It will be interesting going forwards to read the rest of the interview.

"Tennis isn't like golf, where you have basically one swing. You have about seven swings that can be hit from an infinite number of positions on the court. So no two tennis strokes are identical." All these years I have been alluding to the infinite nature of golf and the finite nature of tennis. Calling tennis golf on the run. Well I won't go so far as to say I disagree with you on this. It could be a long discussion but I know that you haven't acquired a taste for golf...yet. It's never too late you know. You'd be funny to golf with I imagine. The temper might be a source of amusement for everyone in your group. I'm speaking from experience. But when you spend four or four and a half hours with guys on the golf course...a lot of stuff comes out. I think what happens on the golf course should stay on the golf course. Tennis, on the other hand, is closer to the "witnesses" so you have to be a bit more careful with stuff like what comes out of your mouth. Other actionable stuff.

The website has been an "experience" for me. Tennis used to be a big, big part of my life. It has been a riot to participate on the forum for all of these years...sharing experiences with the guys. At times it was almost like a neighborhood. Not like the other forums I've seen where there is just too much chatter. The videos in the archives (which I wish I could access now) have been such a great tool in teaching or discussing strokes. The infintisimal details of technique. The site is a great, great tool for a teacher or a player. Or just someone who loves tennis. There is something for everyone...just as you said.

One very interesting aspect of your interview was that you didn't come across as a guy tooting his own horn. It seemed like a moderately modest description of all that goes on in the website. That speaks very well of you. Thanks man! It's been over a decade and the consistency of the product is the thing that I find most impressive. Month in...month out. It is just a high level of craftsmanship. When I think of all the time and hours I have spent on tennisplayer.net it makes me realize what a great bang for the buck it has been. That is the acid test of a product. The value. Incredible value in a lot of respects. Education and entertainment come to mind. This makes 6,440 posts. Where did I find the time? Too much fun...that's all I can say.

[don_budge]

I'm reading the interview again...closer and looking into details. But I get an impression. John has covered the classical period of tennis...even before. Then there was the post classical period followed by the modern era of tennis. So what does it look like going forwards...given that tennis often metaphors life. As I have been saying for the last decade. Could it be the fourth turning? What does that mean and how will tennisplayer.net stay ahead of the curve? Stay up with it? The nature of change has radically changed...ironically speaking. It is all happening so fast. Well...get ready for the fourth turning. We have lost all sight and remembrance of the traditional. Remember that thread...something about tradition.

Politicians and even more importantly...social scientists have been talking about a fourth turning. The Russians have an interesting view of what they believe to be the fourth turning. Tennis has found itself in a ship without a rudder now that Roger Federer..."The Living Proof"...is now in the rear view. Tennis has been engineered to the point where it is no longer recognizable to its original "content". The current "GOAT" is a tennis player who when he gets to the net basically looks like a fish out of water. Forget about serve and volley, John predicted a game where it was serve and a swinging volley...the volley itself is basically gone by the way of the Dodo. Except in mop up situations...the volley itself is basically dead. Forget about the isolated incident or so when a player actually somehow finds his way to the net.

"Going back over five Anglo-American centuries, Strauss and Howe discover that within each saeculum, or 80-to-100-year period, there are four dramatic shifts in the mood of the nation, with each lasting roughly 20 years. These four turnings of the saeculum include a “high” marked by an upbeat mood, conformity, and trust in institutions, an “awakening” marked by increased spirituality and rebellion, an “unraveling” in which institutions become distrusted and individualism is strong, and a “crisis” in which a revolution of some type occurs and the old order is destroyed. A new order emerges during the high era of the following saeculum, and the four turnings repeat themselves in the same order."

One of the keenest aspects of tennisplayer.net to me, a mere subscriber, is the tie in of the eras. With video libraries...this is a visual as well. It will be interesting going forwards what will be. John shows no sign of slowing down. At an age where I have thrown in the towel and basically go grocery shopping wondering where the money came from to pay for the groceries. It appears magically every month. But tennisplayer.net shows no sign whatsoever going forwards of slacking off. This is remarkable in itself.

The Fourth Turning...the new order emerges.

[doctorhl]

Ditto: a great interview on so many levels..

don_budge: your interest in tennis social science and performance analysis might be whetted by comparative analysis of the relatively new sport of pickleball. It is interesting to see the pickleball pro game travel down the same roads of tennis, but avoid others. The pro game , in its infancy, is currently dominated by a Federer style of control and strategic cunning with fan interest currently rooted in doubles. There are already signs of an evolution of the sport toward dominance by athleticism and power. The paddle industry is poised to be heavily involved as rule development is wrestling with ball and paddle face spin regulations. Marketing, unbound due to a lack of tradition, is stimulated by a " gold rush " mentality. The purchase of pro team leagues has recently been birthed with an eye toward the gaming industry. Television coverage, I predict, will experiment with promoting a "Hollywwood" atmosphere to attract a younger fan base to increase viewrship and attendance to a sport presently identified with the geriatric culture. Time will tell if it is destined to have the holding power of tennis or fades into racketball obscurity.

[johnyandell]

Thanks Doc