SGTennis
Bradenton, FL
Male, 24
After completing my four years at a division one college tennis program, I went on to compete on various professional tennis circuits nationwide. Between traveling, training, and competing, little time is left in between stages. Thus, routines and rituals rule my life. All of the matches are won in-between the lines, but the most challenging work is done outside of them. "A perfect combination of violent action taking place in an atmosphere of total tranquility." - Billie Jean King
Unfortunately, mostly all you can do is complain to the official and let him hear your case. If the professional event is lucky enough to be able to afford the "shot spot" technology then you can challenge the officials call(limited number of these per set) and a very slow, zoomed in view of the shot is reviewed and the system confirms or denies the officials call. The technology is still a very recent innovation, but is proving its worth and has almost full support from the professional community at this point. All tennis players can attest to inquiring about the real truth behind an opponents call. Had I been able to use this technology my whole life, I would have avoided thousands of confrontations with opponents!
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Sure. Some of the best pros in the world were taught by one individual or a family member until sometimes very late stages(age 13-14+) of their development. Growing up in Bradenton, FL since age 12 I was surrounded by the factory academies(IMG, Saddlebrook, etc). They are a great resource for most players looking to develop their game but if you tend not to enjoy being herded around like cattle, I would recommend a more private experience. I was able to find a small-medium size camp that I loved due to similar, if not better coaching than IMG could provide with more personal attention. Sure, if you can afford to pay Nick Bolletiere his $1000/hr price than you would get world class eyes and advice on your strokes. If you look up three random professional players in the top 50, they would all most likely have a very different experience through their childhood tennis training years. Dedication, training, fitness, and competition are the key elements to success in tennis. If you can check all four of those off on a regular basis, your game will dramatically improve. If you want to amp up your ability even more start focusing on your diet, and begin a stretching regiment. Try a hot yoga class, you'll never sweat so much and you'll leave more limber.
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Regarding doubles from a mental standpoint, communication is key. As opposed to singles, where there is no one but yourself to deal with. Physically, players of all sizes have found success with both singles and doubles but especially in doubles length and quick, explosive movement rules all.
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I have seen more parents fight than competitors. Many pushing matches, but no full on player on player fights. However, I did get sucker punched once after a match. I get into the matches, and I fight for my rights on the court. When I suspect someone of cheating me, it gets personal. I was about 15, playing in a high level sectional event in FL and after beating a notorious cheater somewhat easily(and for the first time in three attempts), I let him hear it. He had tortured me with dishonest calls for years now and I was ready to tell him that era was finished. After jawing with him back and forth to the pro shop, I set my things down and turned away to watch a friend play. Next thing I know, I got socked in the head and he is running to the parking lot cursing me out. My coach held me back from chasing him down, which was smart for my tennis career and probably also my face...The USTA suspended him for a year and I never faced him again.
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Special Education Teacher
How come it often takes years to figure out that a kid is dyslexic?
Antiques Dealer
Do you think today's "stuff" will one day be collected as valuable antiques?
EMT
What was the most gruesome trauma you witnessed while on the job?
Double groin pull. Slid into a shot at full stride only to lose basic function of my legs for weeks. Very painful, however a close second place goes to losing control of my racket after a serve only to have it bounce of the hard court and drill my throat at full force.
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Yes. Now let me explain. I'll break it down into three main differences between the level of men's and women's PROFESSIONAL tennis. 1. The Serve - The most crucial shot in tennis and the shot with the largest difference in performance from a male to a female. ATP(Men) player's first serve speed can reach 150mph, but usually averages around 115-125mph. WTA(Women) player's first serve can reach 125mph, with an average usually around 90-105mph. The speed difference alone changes the dynamic of the beginning of the point. Less reaction time, more ground to cover in less time, and all the attributes that go along with a faster first shot. This leads into point number 2. 2. Court coverage - The next time you watch tennis, consider the ground covered by each opponent during the point. Now consider each competitor as a soccer goalie whose only(basically) job is to keep the ball in front of them without letting it past. Now imagine that one goalie can cover 20 feet side to side at any given time but the other can cover 25 feet in the same time. Now double that difference since you can be exploited both side to side and front to back on the court and you'll begin to see where the holes in the court appear. The holes I'm speaking off are the areas where the female would be unable to get to that next shot to continue to point. 3. SPIN - Can't say enough about this tricky part of tennis. Spin is powered by strength and power, similar to the speed of the ball. So when considering the serves for instance, the female game has a few who utilize the kick(spin) serve well but in the men's game it is a staple of almost all players. This allows the player to not only put the ball higher up on the returner but also farther away from them. In review, the most important shot in tennis is 20-25 mph different from the men's to women's game. Pro men can cover approximately five more feet in any direction at any given time. Last but not least, spin is utilized on a completely different level by men and provides a foreign element that is non-existent in the women's game today. Simply put, every top 1000 ATP mens player will beat every women in the top 10 of the WTA due to the fact that the speed, court coverage, and spin are that of a player the Women's game has never seen. Yes, Serena is a powerful beast. But she is slow...and any men's professional player would immediately exploit that. **When I was 16, I played a practice match versus a top 500 WTA player training with my camp for the week. Exactly in those three areas is where I found my advantage. My serve(the power then the spin), and my court coverage compared to hers. I would love to see the women's game adapt to a best out of five set format for the majors like the men. You don't see marathon running women run 60% of the race then stop. The same should apply for tennis. I agree with equal prize money, but you should have to earn that.
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In the first round of NCAA competition, my freshmen year Brown University team matched up against a highly ranked Notre Dame team in 2006. With the match tied at 3-3 and all other matches completed, we watched as a teammate went through full body cramps only to eventually lose in a close three-set match. It would have been the program’s biggest win in twenty years or so. Heartbreaking every time I think about it!
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