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<s>[INST]https://streamable.com/cm7mz https://streamable.com/lg0ns In the last one i tried something different, i'm currently having some pain due to surgery a couple months back, and have to find a way to get that out.[/INST] move your feet lol. You look like you're paralized from the waist down. Load up on your right leg, launch off.</s>

<s>[INST]VS touch 16g/Hurricane Pro 17g comes as a prepackaged hybrid and may be cheaper than buying half sets. At my shop it's 10$ cheaper. Put the gut in the mains a few lbs higher.[/INST] The recommended string tension is 48-58lbs, should I stay in the middle like mains 53 and crosses at 51?</s>

<s>[INST]I think I use a 100, but rn I’m using my backup racquet and it’s a 110[/INST] Oh man I have struggled with this too. Here is a battle plan that helped me improve: First, reboot from a new mindset: Topspin is NOT optional. EVERY groundstroke should have topspin. When you hit you should be thinking about two things: striking it to give it topspin and with enough height to get it over the net. Hit with more topspin than you think you need. Do not be tempted to hit flat. Master this and only this until you have reliable control. Expect your level to drop for a few hitting sessions while you re-tool the technique. Then start to \*very gradually\* add power back. Think about "throwing" the racket through the topspin swing. Don't "muscle" the ball by intentionally "hitting hard"; instead, let the natural forces of swing path and angular momentum provide the power. (You still need to avoid hitting flat.) Focus on that feeling of letting the string friction lift the ball up and over the net. You should still be hitting with feels like a lot of topspin. After practicing this often, you will start to feel more confident and find yourself naturally adding more power with the topspin keeping it in the court.</s>

<s>[INST]Having two rackets had little to do about skill and more to do about practicality [/INST] Thanks, I guess I was thinking I don't play that often relative to others, so I'd probably never break strings or chip racquet frames to warrant needing a backup. Plus, I'm still figuring out what my optimal racquet is (weight, balance, strings), so I thought I should optimally configure the one before getting another?</s>

<s>[INST]NXT is very soft, I found it almost mushy feeling on my Prostaff, it's a great string for people with elbow/arm issues. Maybe on a much lighter racket like the PSL it won't take away so much of the feel. Can't comment too much on the prince synth gut, I've used it once, as it's sort of the standard go to synthetic gut, it's got great durability, but that's about all I can say. As to whether you should try other strings, you'd have to tell us what you're looking for out of your strings. Natural gut strings are expensive, but if you don't break them, they hold tension better than anything so your racket will play the same longer, they have unparalleled feel, etc. Perhaps your coach is telling you to avoid them since moisture damages them and you don't have a backup racket? Polyester strings with a light racket is a recipe for disaster IMO, so you're definitely right to avoid that.[/INST] &gt;Perhaps your coach is telling you to avoid them since moisture damages them I'm playing in the summer nights and our courts are near a river so I think you're right about this. I play with big strokes and quite a bit of topspin. Control seems fine with the lighter racquet, so I'm mainly looking to get more power, topspin, and durability from the new strings.</s>

<s>[INST]I never realized how bizarre it was until recently. It works for me, though.[/INST] Swing hard and stroke the ball instead of pushing</s>

<s>[INST]How often should I be restringing? Is 2 months on the more frequent side? Restringing costs quite a bit here ($20 plus strings), so it adds up quickly.[/INST] My advice is to find something you like and just stick with it. If you have another identical racket, experiment with that one if you want. </s>

<s>[INST]Serena's current UTR is 13.31, which is lower than the lowest ranked men's player with 1 ATP point, Xin Gao, who is at 13.82. She is around or lower than the level of the very best (top 100) D1 college players, so she is obviously really tough to get a point against. I would say the average 4.5 men's player could definitely get points, maybe even a game or 2 if the stars aligned right. The average person definitely would struggle to get even 1 point if she was trying.[/INST] Why would you bet $250 vs dinner, you have more to lose. And if she really took your racket then she's not that into you</s>

<s>[INST]It's pretty good. I used to use cyclone religiously but I was having control problems in the 350sw and above range. Just felt a bit unpredictable. If you like cyclone maybe give Weiss cannon ultra cable a shot once. It's technically a bit softer. Feels different than the black I used, but it has by far the most bite on the ball I've ever tried. And I've tried a few gear shaped strings lol. Not going to be a huge bump in spin, but it's not that expensive (I think 12 or 13 dollars, can't remember), and sometimes it's fun to try new things.[/INST] If you are only 3 total months into playing, then most of this is more a matter of time than anything else. In my experience, most teenage and adult players take about 6 months to a year to develop a real sense of their preferences, strengths, and weaknesses in how they play. Be in communication with your coach about all of those areas, if you can. Also, while working on form is great, if you continue on with this coach, don't be afraid to bring up recreation of match scenarios that bother you. It's best to send them an email or text about what's been bothering you in matches (or mention at the end of a lesson for next time) so they have some time to design some drills or exercises to help with those areas in the next lesson. Know that what you describe here is common in most, if not all, players and take any comfort there is to be had in that. Accept that it will continue to happen in the future, and explore mindframes that reduce the pressure in your mind. Some like to take a Zen-like approach when playing, making effort to focus and silence their mind by dialing in on the ball, or their feet, or whatever. Some take the more conventional competitive mindset,with lots of positive self thought and talk. Others still sort of disconnect themselves from the outcome, see themselves as more of a "come what may" type. I won't proselytize what I think is best, whatever works at the time. In the long-term, perhaps the very long term, a focus on match play will probably be the best move for you going forward. You will squelch or learn to maneuver your choking, nerves, yips, and all other manner of mind and body non-congruence by playing more in situations that create those pressures in you. Your first 1000 break points might bring a lump to your throat, but by the 10,000th one, you'll be more deadened to the feeling. The only way to replicate break points is to face them, and you won't get that having a 30 minute hit and chat twice a week before a real match. If you hit with someone, ask to play a set after warmup, it's a perfectly reasonable request and the worst they can say is no thanks, or that they would prefer to rally. Good luck, hope you enjoy the journey.</s>

<s>[INST]it's a bad rule that enforces bad habits, sorry if you can't understand that. there's nothing more to say.[/INST] You will mature some day and realize that adults sometimes work together to do what makes sense in the moment. First serve is not a tennis rule and is a convenience applied by socially adept group of human beings. Using first serve is simply an option to practice serves if needed (for players of your professional caliber) or to save time if not. </s>

<s>[INST]Yup! Once you put in your information, the final invoice should just give you the price that was shown without the VAT and the shipping cost. Should be good to go![/INST] Awesome. If I may ask, did you use a Visa or a Mastercard? Also, have you ever bought from Amazon UK? They carry some of the Pro's Pro stuff that I'm looking for.</s>

<s>[INST][deleted][/INST] Good luck. This stuff is a lot easier said than done. Took me a while to completely revamp my shots too, but just know that it's possible.</s>

<s>[INST]You have to play more times a week and not just hitting and rallying. Play more matches, record yourself and compare to pro footage and tweak your techniques from there. I o ly had a year of coaching to learn the basics and the rest I self taught. Play better people than you and they might teach you things too. That was my way of getting 'coaching' Also if injury then don't just wear compression bands and keep playing, there is a technique problem and it should be fixed before it gets worst. I have had many I juries before I can play my style effortlessly with no pain.[/INST] [deleted]</s>

<s>[INST]I see! I thought it had a negative meaning, since I often hear it used with a critical undertone. So it's a catch-all phrase for all levels of recreational players then?[/INST] By rule, you make the calls on your side of the net. You must give benefit of the doubt but if your opponent asks for your opinion, he must accept ruling, unless neither of you have an opinion, then the ball is assumed in. You can reverse your call as well if you so choose. If you had second guessed yourself and reversed your call, the point would go to your opponent and you would not replay. In your case, your fine. You did nothing wrong, your opponent was just upset about your call. shrug emoji</s>

<s>[INST]Brand does not matter in the least. Racquets and strings are very much just personal preference, as long as something works well for you, there's nothing wrong with using it. Also I'm very much white and american lol[/INST] Anyway, in what tension would you recommend my racket strung?</s>

<s>[INST]"Every few hours" - look at mr. Moneybags over here[/INST] [deleted]</s>

<s>[INST]You know, it’s really brutal, but they really do have it down to a science, in that they just don’t push you beyond what you can recover from. Everything is broken down into basically 4.5-6.5 minute blocks, and you get a heart monitor and the trainers at least where I went were really good. They basically push you when you’re lagging, but they have instant access to where your heart rate is as well and tell you to cool it down if you’re pushing too hard. You’re basically in and out in an hour, you do feel kind of dead immediately after the last block, but even for me and I’m in bad shape, during the stretch session you essentially recover and you’re feeling decent by the time you’re back in your car driving home. The best part to me is that I don’t feel nearly as bad the next day as I have with other workout routines. Like yeah I’m sore right now, but I don’t feel completely wrung out and miserable, which is good because we have court time in 45 minutes lol. Also, you just burn so many damned calories by keeping your heart in exactly the right zone. The first day I actually did more calories as I didn’t know how to pace myself. Yesterday I was a little short of 800, but I’m a big dude, just shy of six foot and around 209 right now. Anyhow, if you want to just get in shape, you might want to give it a shot. Might as well do the free trial lesson. We basically went in to try it as research for my wife for work, she may end up bringing in Orange Theory as a client, and she is really into getting inside the business model mentally of any client she is trying to bring on so she can give advice from both the technical legal aspects but also from the perspective of a consumer of someone’s product of that makes sense. Anyway, long story short, after doing it, we signed up on the spot. My wife hates exercise if any sort, btw, she’s really into efficiency if exercise, basically her routine is doing a couple sprints up a quarter mile hill a couple times a week and then just some dumbbell compound movements and planking, so she obviously really liked the efficiency of the routine. If your biggest limiting factor in life is either time, or just not liking non-sport working out (I also basically hate working out aside from distance running, but want to get more strength/muscle endurance for tennis and to lose weight) then I think orange theory or any program like it is your best bet. It is pricey, about 20 bucks a session. [/INST] I stepped away from the game just as the Sampras era was coming to an end, came back last year to find the game has completely changed but it's actually been fun to learn the modern style. Still decided to develop my serve and volley game because I don't think I have the fitness to grind it out at the baseline, and from a tactical standpoint it feels a bit boring to me to camp out back. My assumption is also that if I develop solid S&amp;V skills, at the intermediate rec level, my opponent won't be able to hit passing shot after passing shot through the course of a match, and if he does, then hats off to him. </s>

<s>[INST]Bounce back! Make sure you are eating properly and drinking water. Bad days happen to everyone.[/INST] I wonder if you are not gripping the racket hard enough, especially on volleys. You may want to try chocking up an inch on the racket handle when volleying.</s>

<s>[INST]&gt; If you and your opponent both hit hard, with a lot of topspin Stupid question, but how do I know if I hit hard? Like I'm always seeing a lot of other guys hit way harder than I do, but also a lot of girls not hit as hard? Also, when I got these strings, I requested a lower string tension than "recommended" for additional power. Should I go up in tension next time?[/INST] Edit: sorry for the poor punctuation I'm posting on my phone. A few periods and paragraph breaks didn't go through for some reason. Whenever you add topspin you directly will reduce pace. A solution here actually might be to increase the spin weight of your racquet. In other words use more swing weight. A bit of weight at the tip like 4-9 grams will do wonders for returning pace to your shots. I did a long video talking about this and am preparing the next one about this topic of spin. There certainly is a lot more at play for the grip differences and weight. However what you're experiencing most simply can be remedied with more swing weight (as a first step). Here is my last video. It's very long. But you might find it to help answer questions; https://youtu.be/bVz3taiFJnA</s>

<s>[INST]The answer is always yes. Also I second the recommendation to just go get something from Wal Mart. Get something that’s “single frame” where the underpart is all one tube. Probably can get one for 35-50 bucks I’d say. Or just get the ti-s6 from head you can get one at like academy or get it online, it’s a great beginner’s racket [/INST] What if I’m too bad at the game? How should I practice at home? (Just to be safe)</s>

<s>[INST]NXT is very soft, I found it almost mushy feeling on my Prostaff, it's a great string for people with elbow/arm issues. Maybe on a much lighter racket like the PSL it won't take away so much of the feel. Can't comment too much on the prince synth gut, I've used it once, as it's sort of the standard go to synthetic gut, it's got great durability, but that's about all I can say. As to whether you should try other strings, you'd have to tell us what you're looking for out of your strings. Natural gut strings are expensive, but if you don't break them, they hold tension better than anything so your racket will play the same longer, they have unparalleled feel, etc. Perhaps your coach is telling you to avoid them since moisture damages them and you don't have a backup racket? Polyester strings with a light racket is a recipe for disaster IMO, so you're definitely right to avoid that.[/INST] If you have that low regard for all of your opponents, you can’t honestly be surprised when they (kind of, indirectly) show low regard to you. </s>

<s>[INST]It's pretty good. I used to use cyclone religiously but I was having control problems in the 350sw and above range. Just felt a bit unpredictable. If you like cyclone maybe give Weiss cannon ultra cable a shot once. It's technically a bit softer. Feels different than the black I used, but it has by far the most bite on the ball I've ever tried. And I've tried a few gear shaped strings lol. Not going to be a huge bump in spin, but it's not that expensive (I think 12 or 13 dollars, can't remember), and sometimes it's fun to try new things.[/INST] You pull the cleanest set of white crews out of your dirty laundry pile, shove your feet into your clearance rack tennys, and snap on your headband. After you crank up your 1995 Volvo wagon and begin the drive over to the local park, you mind begins to scheme. The goal today, as it is every day, is to break your opponents will to play, and then feast on the fleeting moments of his agony, the only time you feel something inside since the divorce. But what will do the most damage? With all the different attitudes out there how can you really get under this guy's skin? Your lifetime of experience has left you with a number of options. All of them experienced first hand and further refined through even more first hand experiences. The Theological Crisis: Second serve ace Shank shot Net cord winner These will have the scum on the other side of the net shaking a fist at his God, asking why this match has been predestined against his favor. As your 4th frame shank begins to hurtle down towards the baseline from 25ft in the air, all he will be able to ask is "why have I been forsaken?". The Intimidation Factor: Nothing brings on a case of the sads on like undeniable brute force. No mercy, no care, no apologetic hand. It's bad form to apologise for another's weakness. Yes, I meant to hit it at you. Overhead Obliteration Short Ball Savagery Volley violation Playing you is beneath Me: Playing a real poser? A guy who just doesn't deserve court time with you? Down 0-5 but want to score a mental victory before you have to shamefully report your score? Return winners Underarm serve Down-the-middle approach and slap putaway Low Grit: Prefer your mental warfare with a side of attrition? Hitting a winner may make YOU feel good, but nothing upsets another person like a mistake of their own making. Short slice and lob, repeat as needed Moonball Back-and-forths</s>

<s>[INST]Yup! Full poly on my 93P worked best for me around 45lbs when I used it at stock and at 340SW. It seems like a lot of the people who use that frame prefer low tension thin poly to provide the combination of pocketing and feel with the spin you get from it. Rarely heard anyone go higher than mid 40's with poly for this racquet. I had 340's swingweight and my racquets came in pretty headlight, so i think all I did was add a few grams at the tip at that time. But now I've gone all out on my customization to a 360 swingweight, replaced the leather grip with synthetic to make it a bit more head heavy, and added some weight at the buttcap to get the balance to around 32.5cm, but I don't know if I would recommend something this drastic to anyone since this customization was made with my particular stroke mechanics in mind. I still stuck with 56/48 on gut/poly with the increased swingweight, but at 340 or stock it felt a little tight, so if I did it again I probably would have gone with around low 50's gut mains and mid 40's poly. Also confirmed that in a couple weeks there will be a 14x18 version of the 93P coming out and I'm super excited about it because the Prince Original Graphite Mid was the racquet I used in high school and I'm really excited about trying it out. And I imagine that will play super differently than the 18x20![/INST] Thank you for your reply, that is great information. Wow, that is big news about the 14x18! Prince has so many rackets available these days. I hope the standard 93p (as we know it) doesn't disappear. I will have to get my SW measured one day to be sure about it. For some reason the number 330 sounds too low, but that is what's advertised. Oddly enough I tried some 1.25mm strings recently, and they increased the total mass of the racket by 1.5 grams (compared to 1.20mm strings). Many people will shrug this off, but the change is noticeable and affects SW by a few points. It would be similar to adding 1.5 grams of lead at 3 and 9. </s>

<s>[INST]If you only had 3 months of experience, I would say you just need to experience more match play. I know plenty of people who have strokes of a 4.0/4.5 in practice but would not win against 3.5/4.0. And I think it all comes down to experience in match play. Practice has no penalties for missing. In a match you want to go for the safe high percentage shots (going cross court on the run instead of down the line, or approach shots to bigger targets then on the line). Just play more tournaments or in practice, try different scenarios like 5 balls in first, or 2nd serve only.[/INST] Thats what I've started doing. A LOT more second serves. And trying more scenarios during parctice seems like a great plan. And definitely going to start doing more match play</s>

<s>[INST]Try the youtec IG mid. Beautiful stick If you really want a plush feel, try the Pro Tour 630[/INST] Yes! I’m keeping my eyes open for a Youtek mid. Thanks. Hit yesterday with the flexpoint. It’s nice but it... flexes. Haha. There’s a strange flex feeling in the hoop which feels odd to me. The i.Prestige is rock solid.</s>

<s>[INST]There are two models of the PS97S, although the racket seems to be discontinued now. The first version came out around 2014, with a close to even balance (same paintjob as the first Gen red/black rf97). The second gen was the black with red at 3/9, which featured a slightly more headlight balance than the original, and a boxier bean construction. Both had swingweights close to around 330, I believe.[/INST] Ah ok, I was wondering if perhaps wilson marketed them in Europe or something. Thanks for the info!</s>

<s>[INST]A very large step above the division 2 college tournament I watched here in Phoenix last week. Ah, to be young and slim again. Lean as whippets.[/INST] High-level D1 players are really low-level pros, a lot of them are as high as 300 ish in the world.</s>

<s>[INST]Right on, yes. I love a good rally, it's almost like a whole other activity (vs competitive tennis). Is it just me, or is there an underlying sexual nature to rallying? Maybe that's the wrong word. A good rally keeps the players mind full of compassion and reciprocation. It's a cooperative activity, and the full joy of it can only be reached together. When I'm rallying with someone, especially if they're beginner/intermediate level, I am constantly focused on how they're doing, how to hit them the best ball possible, trying here and there to stretch them out or crank up the pace, see if can they handle some topsin here, what if I go 90% on a flat forehand, can they level with it and enjoy getting it back? How can I get them in the zone so they're playing their best? My attention is constantly on providing my partner with the best hitting experience possible, all while watching myself for proper form, and selfishly hoping to sneak in some pace and aggression if the other player is up for it. I dunno, it is a strange form of intimacy. [/INST] Funny, I've always contended that tennis was more fun than sex. When I say that, people usually respond, "you're not having sex right." I always give them back, "you're not playing tennis right." A good rally session is almost like meditation. You're not thinking, you can't feel your feet moving, you just flow to the ball. And the unwritten rule for rally tennis is 3 times over the net before you start going for it.</s>

<s>[INST]I would simplify your movement on your serve. Strokes are decent.[/INST] I don't really know how. That wind-up helps me find my rhythm on the shot. Any idea how I can make it work?</s>

<s>[INST]I haven't tried them yet but pressureless balls are usually great to fill up practice hoppers. I'll give them a shot when I get the chance![/INST] I updated other people ITT so I thought I'd let you know too: Had a chance to hit with the Triniti balls today. Can honestly say anyone who has issue with these is just nitpicking. They feel great to hit with after the first 15-20 minutes once they've opened up a bit, and then they feel like proper brand new balls for hours upon hours. For the price you pay for a case from Tennis Warehouse ($95) I cannot recommend them enough.</s>

<s>[INST]Yes. It's a difference of it having power, spin and pace vs a mediocre shot that a good player will tee off on.[/INST] Especially with a flat forehand you can get insane speed</s>

<s>[INST]I use poly string and restring every month or two depending on how much I’ve been playing. I’ve heard that you should restring at least as many times a year as you play per week so I guess some people go up to 3-4 months, but I can’t imagine the strings can hold tension for that long. You can also get more life out of them if you don’t leave your racket in your hot car in the summer etc.[/INST] Good work man. Just got to put in the reps. Think of it this way, would tennis be a high skill sport if you were playing at your level for 5 years, only to have someone come in and knock your clock out on their first go?! You did great to come back. Just have to work out those nerves, give it time. Get better with eliminating negative thoughts beforehand. Taking care of pushers will get easier as your form/technique becomes more en-grained. Better muscle memory will make it so you don't think about hitting like you are.</s>

<s>[INST]You drop shot your dad? Ouch. That's for sure elder abuse. Your dad needs to carry a sock full of quarters, so on the change over he can swing it at your knee. Even things up a little.[/INST] Lol</s>

<s>[INST]Better drink some chrysanthemum tea [/INST] I have an old machine (read huge and heavy) on my neighbor's tennis court. It was good when I was returning to tennis after a 12 year layoff. But now that I'm back in form, I find it very boring. I haven't used it in a year. It's so much more fun hitting with another player. That being said, if you don't have a steady hitting partner, it really helps to have one to keep you sharp.</s>

<s>[INST]9.0 really?? What area of the country?[/INST] Central FL. Granted, this isn't a league match, but all of us can compete at a 4.5 level.</s>

<s>[INST]Can someone explain fast versus slow court surfaces. Here when I play outdoors it is always on city run courts which are I assume ashpalt with paint and that's it. Then indoors it is again a city facility built in the middle of a running track and the surface is incredibly fast. I finally played indoors at a proper tennis place this weekend and the surface was at least 20% slower than the city run facility. It was so much easier on return of serves. Can anyone provide a rundown on the types of hardcourt surfaces?[/INST] They are the slowest and bluest courts I've ever played on. I hit today, but under bad conditions. The courts were great, but 50 degs. F with a constant 12 mph wind with gusts up to 25 mph. Lots of miss hit balls all around.</s>

<s>[INST]Would that be preferable to the Alpha Revo 4000 for $739? (New, Tennis Warehouse)[/INST] Pretty comparable I would say. Alpha might be a better machine but only have experience with the gamma crank pulls.</s>

<s>[INST]honestly your serve makes me sick[/INST] [removed]</s>

<s>[INST]Can someone explain the 9.0 , 4.5, rating thing?? Surely 9 would be like twice as good as 4.5...but then what counts as a pro??? I’m so confused.[/INST] 9.0 is two 4.5s playing doubles.</s>

<s>[INST]Yeah Division two isn’t that good. I finally started getting back on barbell training today. Felt good to push around a little weight with proper form.[/INST] I'll ask my stringer to see if he has any info.</s>

<s>[INST]Funny, I've always contended that tennis was more fun than sex. When I say that, people usually respond, "you're not having sex right." I always give them back, "you're not playing tennis right." A good rally session is almost like meditation. You're not thinking, you can't feel your feet moving, you just flow to the ball. And the unwritten rule for rally tennis is 3 times over the net before you start going for it.[/INST] The mantra I rally by!</s>

<s>[INST]Yes, you need to have your footwork dialed in first. The stroke does not start at the hips, it starts with the leg drive up. So you need to ask yourself if you are set up, balanced and have your right leg bent a little and loaded. Since you did not mention your feet at all, I feel like you may not be doing that well enough or consistently enough. It's paramount to the rest of the stroke. Once you are able to do that every time besides when on the run, you probably want to think about opening your chest to the net. Thats a good way to get the core rotation you are looking for. Short story, the hips move because the legs are driving the shot.[/INST] Good D1 Guys, and Pros with ATP points or at the Challenger level or better could definitely do it</s>

<s>[INST]93 head graphene xt prestige pro. &amp;#x200B; i believe most pros play in the 100 size now.[/INST] Loose grip most of the time but tighten grip before and through contact for volley.</s>

<s>[INST]Great video man. I'm so glad you're out there doing things like this. Just wanted to chime in and add a thought. I've always seen that higher launch angle plays into higher spin. Back in the day I was hitting with my TC95 16x19 with gut mains and 4g crosses, after the mains were really old and losing tension. The launch angle was ridiculous. I had to swing through with a more-closed racket face just to tame it. But the spin was ridiculous as well. Heavy balls like no other. When I string up a racket all tight and boardy (results in very low launch angle), I am hitting flatter and getting less spin. I almost have to hit "under" the ball to get the flight path correct. Almost like I have to use a more eastern grip. I think your model of the racket twisting over the ball affecting spin explains this. Thank you, that is all. [/INST] I like Babolat tonic mains and some kind of poly cross. Right now Weiss Cannon Silverstring is my favorite as it's really really really close to alu power silver but cheaper. I'm going to test out next another Weiss cannon cross poly with tonic mains. It should be a little stiffer than alu power, and as a result should play a bit later well into the life of the string job. The reason I like tonic is that its actually vs natural gut, just cheaper. The way the string is produced means some gut strands are thicker towards the ends of the gut line, but babolat is good about qc on their vs gut. So the string sections that are thicker than 1.3 or whatever get chopped up and sold as tonic. So basically it's even more durable cheaper VS natural gut. Vs is great because it never breaks prematurely and the extra coating means it handles humidity and moisture a hell of a lot better than other guts. Also means it's got good friction ratings against other strings, extra durability, and you don't need wax to string it. I like using a natural gut hybrid for the extra launch angle. That works well for me, I grew up using OS racquets so that's just what I'm comfortable with. The other thing is how much extra pop you get with a heavy racquet on low swing speeds. Using like a 370sw, high recoil weight, returns feel god like. My best returning has always happened with a high twist weight 370sw hybrid in an open string pattern. Really like the IG speed 300, but am giving the ps97 chinese frames a test in the future. The extra stretch and efficiency gut strings give, mean huge ball pocketing on the return and it just makes returning a dream. Also feels pretty good on forehand and backhand, but returning is my strong point (when I'm actually playing lmao), so to me it's truly worth it. I have some special discontinued super super soft expensive natural gut I've been saving to try, but for me tonic and Weiss cannon are just so good, new old etc. Costs about 35 for the tonic 10 or 12 for the silver string. But vs is like 45 and alu power is 20. So not the biggest savings possible, but over time it adds up a bit. 13$ a resting is worth it. And the performance is basically the same. I'm not too picky with string, even though I can feel differences in them very clearly. As far as poly goes, I like stiff poly in all poly beds. Get a lot of control with it. I'm going to give rpm blast 1.35 a shot. Rpm team is very good if you have a high SW and want control. But depending on the racquet, I also really like luxilon 4g and 4g S (the extra thick 4g, also the stiffest poly on the market). I used to like volkl cyclone. But I found I was restricting it way too fast at higher swing weights. It would just start being mushy too quickly and control was not predictable for me. I like strings I don't have to replace. I have a few Weiss cannon strings sent to me to review and plan on reviewing a kevlar hybrid too.</s>

<s>[INST]For example at 2:55 you hit a decent serve and you can see that he's already late to return. (also he has really slow reactions). you should already be rushing the net. But I get it, he hits a decent shot back. You fire off a strong shot from his return, yet you're 3 feet behind the baseline. you should already be halfway up the court ready for a half-volley. Same at 3:10. you see that he has a weak return straight to your partner. You should be at the net at that point. Same at 3:28. He hits a floater return, you should either look to take it on the rise on the bounce or take it in the air. The chip shot you attempted at 3:45 isn't necessary. Hit a forehand deep and move up. no need to chip or slice or be cute. Be more aggressive. You have a strong serve. No need to sit at the baseline and extend the rally.[/INST] Wow thanks a ton for breaking it down. You literally helped me with my match last night (we lost 11-9 in the tie-break, but not because of strategy, just got out of sync with our ground strokes). Unfortunately I got there late and didn't have time to setup my camera, so I won't be able to analyze our match, but I felt like I played much better. Thank you!</s>

<s>[INST]Sliding the foot back would kill your momentum. I'd be willing to bet once you master bringing the back foot forward you'll be generating more pace.[/INST] Honestly, your racquet wont really make a difference. Improving your technique will. </s>

<s>[INST]Computer rated 4.5? Or self rated?[/INST] Put your racquet in your non-dominant hand in between points and shake out the tension. Take your time. If you don't have a service ritual, develop one. It'll help your rhythm immensely.</s>

<s>[INST]That is very insightful. Moving forward, I will put more emphasis on footwork and preparation.[/INST] This is a good video on the topic. https://youtu.be/iXvWh-xMSd0 </s>

<s>[INST]Slicing is fine, especially at an amateur level. There are pros that do well slicing a lot of OHBHs. You could try to improve your slice's spin/direction/placement or even improve your movement. If your movement is better, you will probably open yourself up to more opportunities for less defensive backhands or even better slices.[/INST] Yeah, I can see for ex. Fed slices a lot to obviously great success. I just feel a bit naturally disadvantaged against other aggressive players because of my backhand.</s>

<s>[INST]I started doing that at one point, got up to a little over 10k distance and decided I hated running, lol. Also I was really fat at the time which made it doubly miserable. I mean I’m still pretty fat, but I was really fat even as recently as like last summer. [/INST] Just like anything confidence comes from experience. Experience allows you to start thinking ahead on points a bit more as you start to rely on muscle memory. This is why I have started playing as many matches I can, serving every time I hit the ball etc. This is why I try to play super aggressive or super defensive when rallying so I can practise each scenario under a little more pressure.</s>

<s>[INST]Try and remember to split step. Right now you're basically just walking or at best waltzing around the ball to make contact. During actual play or even a hitting session, you're going to be too slow to get to the ball or too slow to create space between you and the ball. Plus, the surface on which you're playing is rough so active and light footwork is crucial if you want to make clean contact consistently. The stroke itself is also too tentative, although I understand that it could be because the wall you're hitting against is low and there's nothing to stop the ball from bouncing all over the place if you miss.[/INST] [deleted]</s>

<s>[INST]I do want to get equipment to record myself. Was thinking GoPro or similar, but still need to look into a mount.[/INST] I would use an extreme eastern the way Thiem holds it. And imitate his swing path, which is pretty level.</s>

<s>[INST]How often do you change your overgrip? I like a fresh one every time I play a match, especially in the summer. [/INST] I change a lot in summer, not so much over the winter. I don’t play much tennis though, I think I’ve played maybe 5-10 times since around thanksgiving. Im also pretty lazy about equipment care, the strings are pretty old, the newest ones were from around thanksgiving, the oldest ones are probably from last summer or something when I got it restrung right before work busy season. I’m not really good enough for this stuff to matter to be honest. I mean yeah in the summer I do get sweaty but I switch between my rackets a lot and have two sweetbands on my arms which helps keep it off the grip. </s>

<s>[INST]Thanks! I'm in the Columbia/Jefferson City, Missouri metropolitan area/nexus. Columbia itself is a big college town, but tennis seems to be more focused on the country club - university staff member level. Yeah, I'm definitely in the 3.0 - 3.5 range at this time. It seems like the only way to improve is to play real matches though![/INST] Search for Gladiator Tennis - they might be operating there (I know they had a St. Louis thing going). You need to find a tennis club or drills that happen at the College. I lived in Evanston IL and when I got back into tennis it did it in drills at Northwestern then hooked up with the 3.5 USTA team there and met a ton of people I play with to this day.</s>

<s>[INST]When I started lifting, my vertical jump increased significantly - surprise a lot of people when they attempt to lob me at the net. I found the benefits of strength training to taper off once I approached some decent weights though (190kg squat, 210 deadlift, 130 bench). Started training the snatch and clean and jerk. Much more applicable IMO. Need a coach though, finally joined a weightlifting gym and was doing quite a lot wrong. Plus, using less weight for the same results on court means less stress on my joints.[/INST] Glad to hear you were finally able to get out on the courts. </s>

<s>[INST]If you’re anywhere near a 6.0 player you’re miles ahead of most people here, that’s national tournament level, so take me with a grain of salt here because I was 4.5 at my best. 1. I’m confused with what you mean by lead? I definitely feel like my buttcap is facing the ball when I initiate the swing toward the ball, I’m confused how your racket tip even could though. 2. Imo no. My elbow is up, but I’ve been told my take back is a bit elaborate. 3. For me, immediately after initiating the swing toward the ball. 4. Pistol 90% of the time, i drift towards a hammer grip on higher drive shots though. 5. Just practice it around the house. 6. Probably? 1hbh chips are weaker than a 2hbh, so I tend to slice lower balls that are a stretch more than 2 ganders.[/INST] According to my coach friend(s), I'm closer to 5.0. They just said I'd be closer to 6.0 if I was more in shape and fit, so I don't think that hypothetical means much in the present. 1. Yeah, that's what I mean. I couldn't think of a better way to describe it. With my 2hbh, my buttcap almost never faces the ball, it's usually pointing to the side-ish before contact. I tried to mimic that with the 1hbh, but it turns out very awkward and produces weak shots. 2. My elbow naturally points more downward while pulling the racquet back by the throat, so I guess I'll stick with it then. 3. Yeah, I think this is what I lean towards as well. Keeping it straight from the start feels a bit awkward for me. 4. Ok cool, I thought I was the odd one for doing this. 5. Sounds simple enough. Why didn't I think of this lol 6. I guess I'll still slice at my usual ratio, which is usually for defensive shots on the run/stretch, and super low balls. I notice that some 1hbh players like Shapovalov also use the BH slice very sparingly. Thank you so much for the advice! I'm still a newbie at the 1hbh, so I'll take any advice I can get.</s>

<s>[INST]I’d worry less about your rating and work more on your technique. Your forehand needs to be reconstructed if you want to become an advanced rec player.[/INST] Nice</s>

<s>[INST]I took a closer look at some of their backhands, and it looks like [Shapovalov](https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/denis-shapovalov-of-team-world-plays-a-backhand-during-a-practice-picture-id1175680481)'s hitting arm is relatively straight on the backswing. [Tsitsipas](https://www.tornosnews.gr/en/files/800px_Stefanos_Tsitsipas__2___43079345114__Tennis.com_Tsitsipas_and_Sakkari_are_transforming_the_sport_in_Greece_836308261.jpg)' looks more bent. I guess you can't go wrong with either?[/INST] Cheers!</s>

<s>[INST]Unless you have a particular attachment to your semi-western grip, I would say hit however you feel most comfortable. The important thing is having good technique whatever your grip. Western grip equips you better for those high balls anyway :)[/INST] It certainly does, with high balls I can whip it back and watch it kick up over the opponents head. I can then usually run up and volley the short return to end the point. Super fun to do, but the short placement of most of my forehand shots is starting to really bug me.</s>

<s>[INST]Awww man that sounds brutal, I’m in the Midwest and it’s pretty humid here but Arizona sounds unbearable in the summer.[/INST] Well done. Only 30 pounds to go. That should take about a year. Cut out the carbs, the weight will just fall off. When you think about it, that's about 3.6 gallons of water. And don't forget the old saying, a camera adds 10 pounds to you. I also suffer from mental image delusions. Must be catchy.</s>

<s>[INST]Yeah Division two isn’t that good. I finally started getting back on barbell training today. Felt good to push around a little weight with proper form.[/INST] Lift a few for me, grandpa is too old for that. I'd just hurt myself.</s>

<s>[INST][deleted][/INST] Speaking from personal experience (YMMV), the most important thing for me as a beginner was not missing (and to a lesser extent having fun). * I watched a lot of youtube videos. I found feel tennis instruction and tenfitmen to be the best. I did shadow swings for a few weeks for \~10 minutes a day whenever I had time. They break down the different elements of each stroke. Do shadow swings focusing while focusing on all those different elements. * Keeping in mind that the goal was consistency, I worked on short court, where you're only playing in the service box. Initially, just keep the ball in play, but then later focusing on decent form and footwork, hitting with topspin. The goal was to rally 10, 20, 30 in a row. * Then moving back to the baseline and the same thing. Initially focus on keeping the ball in play, but then also work towards having good form. Similarly, try to hit 10 in a row, then 20, then 30, etc. * Find a coach or practice partner who will rally with you. Like someone mentioned, don't find a coach who will solely feed balls. If you're ONLY blasting ball feeds, then you're not subconsciously trying to control the ball and you don't care if you miss because there's another ball right behind it (IMO). * Cardio. Footwork is very important because a lot of the strokes rely on how well you can get into position. Footwork made me tired. I started running 3 miles twice a week. I think all your short term, measurable goals should be related to how well you can keep the ball in play / rally length until you get to the point where you rarely miss.</s>

<s>[INST]You know, it probably isnt as much about the mental game as you think it is. If you're losing 6-0, 6-2 in a 3.0 league, its probably your technique. Do you have a coach?[/INST] I play in Tennis Canada’s junior provincial program.</s>

<s>[INST]No way.[/INST] Yup, just tennis.</s>

<s>[INST]Thanks. I was kind of looking to vent and I guess i didn’t clarify but it was more like my muscles just got stiffer and stiffer and the hole I dug with one error become a sinkhole.[/INST] Honestly, it's not up to us to decide. you're probably better than 80% of the people on the sub. and the 20% probably aren't good enough or don't have experience coaching to let you know. Get a coach.</s>

<s>[INST]I’d imagine that nat gut is always gonna be more comfortable but I’m not sure if I wanna spend that kinda money. On the other hand, if shaped poly + multi is gonna break quick then the cost savings will end up getting negated. I’m really not familiar with the differences between shaped/round poly, or if there are any other types, or how to find out which one a certain poly is. I’ll see how these strings play and change it up from there.[/INST] What is your baseline level of fitness? This was happening to me too until I started working out regularly outside of tennis. I didn't necessarily feel tired buy my legs were getting tired and my whole game would go. Doing much better now that i'm in better shape.</s>

<s>[INST]Your landing is really good, just inside the baseline, so your body momentum is moving forwards through contact correctly. After this, the ball's already gone and taking two more steps isn't doing anything. Don't forget that your service motion is more than just hitting the ball, you should practice landing balanced and being able to immediately get into your split step so that you're not beaten by a good returner. You may choose to land balanced and immediately transition into the net, but it should be serve-land-ready-transition. This gives you the choice of moving forwards or backwards after contact. The pros will often skip the "ready" part of it if they're going straight to the net because they practice landing balanced and getting straight in. It looks like you're going in by following through from your serve and are still off-balance as you move forwards (see the first serve in the video; you don't completely regain your balance until you do a little two-foot jump step at the end - this should happen much sooner after contact).[/INST] Thank you</s>

<s>[INST]Jesus, why do you overlap your grip so much?[/INST] Multi / poly is a cheap alternative. Some people hate it, a few really like it. Something to try. I string up Sensation mains with a smooth round poly cross sometimes. It has a nice feel, not that much spin.</s>

<s>[INST]What if one doesn’t have an iPad .. or a friend[/INST] Sounds like you're getting a bit nervous which leads to tightening up your shoulders and poor stroke execution. Learn to mentally and physically relax.</s>

<s>[INST]Do you have any videos that are purely about kick serving? I have always thrown behind my back, but I have had to visit a doctor because now that I am older and don’t have time to lift weights as much in the past (I used to do the “deadlift” quite often) my back and especially my lower right hip have been hurting so my doctor said I should change my serve, he suspects that is my biggest problem with my lower right back/sciatic nerve/hip.[/INST] Yes my friend this is a big mistake for kick serve and generally for second serves.i have a video about kick serve https://youtu.be/FnGXK-QynYY and never toss the ball behind you </s>

<s>[INST]Nice to hear. Your advice on diet is paying off. Body fat dropping, crushed out over 600 watts of power on the tower, serve is back in the 120s, if I could just stop being a head case and double faulting multiple times a game I should have east service games down here at 4.0, lol. It really is amazing how my body has taken to 200-250 grams of protein a day. Almost like instant recovery.[/INST] I'm going to need longer videos, and from more angles before I comment.</s>

<s>[INST][deleted][/INST] I've slowly come to use the hammer probably 80% of the time on a 1hbh drive. Most players are hitting semi western and going for spin, and if you don't want to slice 50% of your backhands, being able to handle balls above your waist is a necessity, an eastern hammer grip lets me handle most heights well, if it's really crazy I might shift my grip onto the actual bevel itself, but I probably just needed to move better. I use a pistol style grip on my slice 100% of the time though.</s>

<s>[INST][deleted][/INST] Thanks for the clarification, I do think that slight adjustment would make the serve more comfortable on the deuce side.</s>

<s>[INST]Why not learn an overhand serve and push to master the shots you dont know properly? It seems to me that this style of play is not that fun for you, or the other player. I would not be satisfied with the win, if the other player does not want to play a third set. Just my two cents. Seems that you do not want to get better at all.[/INST] Does anyone actually play with the rule for more than the first service point of the match for each player? I've only done this with friends after the winter season when none of us have played much but it's not the worst thing in the world for a whole 2 points of a match. </s>

<s>[INST]WOW! You must have tons of topspin.[/INST] 1. It doesn’t need to be THAT good. Just short enough to make your opponent think twice about camping too far behind the baseline. 2. Disguise is very important. If you telegraph it then it doesn’t matter how good your execution is (short of something that bounces back over the net or it lands like 2-3 ft from the net and literally dies off the bounce) if your opponent covers the court well. I usually hit them when I get a short ball on the backhand wing that I could approach the net with. I start with a takeback that is identical to my normal 2HBH, then execute the drop shot and move into the net. If you’re a one-hander this in some ways should be even easier. You can also pretend to hit a normal slice and execute the drop shot instead, but that requires a looser arm + wrist and racquet face control. 3. The easiest time to use it is when you get a short ball that you want to approach off of because that’s when your opponent will most likely move back to defend. 4. For me, a good way to practice it (especially drop volleys) is to: (a) practice catching incoming balls (eg balls during hitting practice that your opponent is sailing way long) with your racquet without letting it bounce off the strings; and (b) practice catching incoming balls (again with balls during practice that are sailing way long) with a more open racquet face and trying to slice it so that it bounces right in front of you and back into your body. (c) alternatively you can start by hitting short slices and adjusting from there but be wary that you don’t sacrifice too much disguise for results. 5. Same as all shots, you should hit the sweet spot. Pace is absorbed by your arm(s), and the backspin combined with the more open racquet face and decreased pace should help drive the ball higher then drop almost vertically. The backspin should cause the ball to not move forward too much into your opponent’s part of the court.</s>

<s>[INST]Old thread, but I just came across this sub, and wanted to offer some input. I switched the the RF97 6 months ago, and I tested it initially with my usual setup of Volkl Cyclone at 48lbs. I came from a weighted up APD, similar in weight to a stock pure aero tour. While that setup was amazing in my APD, it sucked in my RF97. It made the racket feel super stiff/dead, and felt like it was holding back the racket from reaching it's true potential. I decided to give the natural gut main/poly cross hybrid a try, and I haven't gone back since. Natural gut holds tension extremely well - with it in the mains, if you don't break your strings often, you can essentially play with the setup until it breaks, as the gut carries the poly crosses well after the poly has already died out. I haven't had to restring my rackets in 5 months, and this is with playing 2-3 times a week at a 4.5-5.0 level. The RF97 plays extremely well with a gut hybrid - it honestly feels like it has more spin than a full bed of poly, as the gut slides against the smooth poly cross really well. I'd recommend giving it a try and seeing what you think![/INST] Thanks man, I def gonna try that next restring. Exactly which strings did you use for main and cross and exactly which tension on each? Is synthetic gut an ok substitute for natural or does it have to be natural? And finally did you feel it retained the ploughthrough with this setup? Edit: oh and 1 more question if you do half gut and half poly, can you use the other half of the gut and poly reels for your other restringing? I.e. just need to buy 1 reel of gut and 1 reel of poly and can string twice with that?</s>

<s>[INST]You're supposed to go up in increments of like 1 g when it comes to leading up your frame. Did you apply the lead tape at 12 o'clock?[/INST] "that's why you buy the whole racquet" after you frame a shot for a winner.</s>

<s>[INST]How do you get to playing in UTR tourneys?[/INST] Play in any sanctioned tourney and they will show up. You can also play friendlies versus your friends and post them if you want. In my area, it’s really easy to get a UTR, especially for juniors. If they’re USTA tournaments, they’ll usually put them into myUTR.com. If you have an account, look yourself up. You may have a UTR and not even know it.</s>

<s>[INST]I assume you're the guy in blue shirt? Good work, get a better hitting partner. He's not making you work.[/INST] Yes, blue shirt. Actually, my bro has more sound technique and physically more fit. We are pretty close in level - he probably was not moving me around in this session.</s>

<s>[INST]Bigger nail clippers. Or have the nail surgically removed like Brad Gilbert did[/INST] Night tennis is the best tennis ��</s>

<s>[INST]Thanks for the kind words! And great point about seeing how they react to short backspin balls. Guys underestimate that ball all the time (I’m a one-hand backhand player) and I use it against two-handers all the time. Really gets me out of trouble AND I use it to approach — especially against a counterpuncher. They tend to not like moving forward and I find a short backhand slice approach (the kind that has not a lot of pace, that would bounce twice in no-man’s land if unhit) really works well. It’s also interesting to hear your thoughts on your own backhand — you, like I, expect to hit a lot of backhands because, well, that’s the extent of most players’ game plans, and clearly it’s not enough. Federer hits a ton of backhands but I doubt anyone would say that it’s easy to pick on it. What’s really interesting is watching how Roger uses his backhand — I like going to the 2005 US Open final where he dismantled Lleyton Hewitt. Early on in Roger’s career, he couldn’t deal with Lleyton. Lleyton was such a great counterpuncher and Roger would basically try to move Lleyton side to side and then charge the net. Big mistake. Even my hero, the great Pat Rafter, wouldn’t do that. Roger lost to Lleyton all the time until he figured out how to use his slice backhand against Lleyton. Basically Roger would hit the ball right at Lleyton and wear him down with quality shots — not necessarily hard shots, but shots that were a little out of Lleyton’s strike zone, backhand slices that would make Lleyton have to step in and then step back in the same point with his two-handed backhand until he finally coughed up a neutral mid-court ball that Roger would just take with his forehand. Once he figured that pattern out he almost never lost to Lleyton again (like after 2003 or so). Really impressive![/INST] That’s exactly the ball I like to hit against counter punchers with good accurate passing shots, haha. I liked it so much I developed a forehand slice so I could do it on both sides, also a cross court short forehand slice that spins into the body on the opponents’ forehand side, or even better one that I do inside in, tempting them to pass me up the line as I approach from the ad court towards the middle to cut off their cross court, tends to work really well against aggressive hitters. My biggest nemesis are those dudes that are like 5’9-5’11, in excellent shape, 175ish lbs and muscular, with great footwork. Those guys are so technical but have enough power and leg strength to get to my short balls and punish me, and they tend to succumb the least to my tactics to wear them out with a combo of high rolling forehands to their backhands and a steady diet of kicks out wide. I guess overall they are just good, and have a perfect height to handle my short and higher balls, and their footwork tends to make it difficult to jam them to the body. What do you do about this type of player? The only thing I’ve found is to drive balls deep and right up the middle of the court and allow them to try to overplay those balls, but usually they are also very patient players. </s>

<s>[INST]You're supposed to go up in increments of like 1 g when it comes to leading up your frame. Did you apply the lead tape at 12 o'clock?[/INST] 1 gram is only 0.33% change. Virtually nothing. Tape at 3, 6 &amp; 12.</s>

<s>[INST]Yup! Full poly on my 93P worked best for me around 45lbs when I used it at stock and at 340SW. It seems like a lot of the people who use that frame prefer low tension thin poly to provide the combination of pocketing and feel with the spin you get from it. Rarely heard anyone go higher than mid 40's with poly for this racquet. I had 340's swingweight and my racquets came in pretty headlight, so i think all I did was add a few grams at the tip at that time. But now I've gone all out on my customization to a 360 swingweight, replaced the leather grip with synthetic to make it a bit more head heavy, and added some weight at the buttcap to get the balance to around 32.5cm, but I don't know if I would recommend something this drastic to anyone since this customization was made with my particular stroke mechanics in mind. I still stuck with 56/48 on gut/poly with the increased swingweight, but at 340 or stock it felt a little tight, so if I did it again I probably would have gone with around low 50's gut mains and mid 40's poly. Also confirmed that in a couple weeks there will be a 14x18 version of the 93P coming out and I'm super excited about it because the Prince Original Graphite Mid was the racquet I used in high school and I'm really excited about trying it out. And I imagine that will play super differently than the 18x20![/INST] Using a ball machine next to an active court with people playing a match is a big no-no... Our club has a couple "instruction courts" which are fenced in - only there can hoppers and ball machines be used. If I had a coaching session once a week, I would use my other hitting times for match play. Tennis is about playing matches and winning points! If I had no coach, maybe a weekly ball machine session would be a great substitute. Of course you can do them all, too! I know a guy who bought a ball machine, and he will get 2 or 3 friends together to use it at the same time. One guy is hitting, the others are picking up balls and resting. It's a good rhythm for them. </s>

<s>[INST]Brand does not matter in the least. Racquets and strings are very much just personal preference, as long as something works well for you, there's nothing wrong with using it. Also I'm very much white and american lol[/INST] So... no native speaker, terms may be off but hope you know what i mean. All your power comes from your arm. You don't use your body in the right way. You position yourself in a half open way which means you lock your body in a way in which you can't generate the power from any other way than your arm. Secondly, your balance is backwards. In other words... your weight is on the leg behind. This also means you dont generate power by moving forward. You try to make up for this with a forward jump but that really isn't effective. Half open/ closed stance is better if you can transfer the power of your opponent. Not so much in generating power. If you want to generate more power you will have to use your entire body. In doing so you would have to change your swing. You would have to position yourself with 1 foot forward and balance your weight on this foot in order to generate power through your body. This way you generate power through your body instead of just your arm. Hope this helps</s>

<s>[INST]Right on, yes. I love a good rally, it's almost like a whole other activity (vs competitive tennis). Is it just me, or is there an underlying sexual nature to rallying? Maybe that's the wrong word. A good rally keeps the players mind full of compassion and reciprocation. It's a cooperative activity, and the full joy of it can only be reached together. When I'm rallying with someone, especially if they're beginner/intermediate level, I am constantly focused on how they're doing, how to hit them the best ball possible, trying here and there to stretch them out or crank up the pace, see if can they handle some topsin here, what if I go 90% on a flat forehand, can they level with it and enjoy getting it back? How can I get them in the zone so they're playing their best? My attention is constantly on providing my partner with the best hitting experience possible, all while watching myself for proper form, and selfishly hoping to sneak in some pace and aggression if the other player is up for it. I dunno, it is a strange form of intimacy. [/INST] 2014 Head prestige pro Pattern: 16x19 String: kirshbaum max power 1.30mm/16 gauge Tension; 55lbs in the mains / 52 lbs on the crosses Why I love the racquet: 11.7 oz strung but I weighted it up to 12.1 oz. denser 16x19 with superb control. Lets me take big cuts at the ball, or swing loosely. Stable at net, very good feel. I love heads interchangeable pallets for the handles and an a big fan of the more rectangular grip style. Why I love the string: it’s pre stretched and maintains tension better than any poly I have played. It plays similar (or better imo) to lux alu power. Why I love 16x19: allows for more action on the ball, but I stick to denser 16x19s to stay more on the control side.</s>

<s>[INST]Solinco is super popular for a reason. It's got a bit of bite and good stiffness, good energy return. Good string for sure. I would rate it up there with the best of luxilon.[/INST] Yeah actually that’s what I like about it at the net — stiff, easy to impart backspin on volleys, great with drop volleys. You hit the nail on the head</s>

<s>[INST]I'd say worry about that stuff when you're competitive. Having the right swing weight is important when you're playing against big servers and groundstrokes but isn't really important for beginners who are learning. Also learning to string yourself might be a good investment[/INST] Ask him to coach whatever you want to play with. 2hbh is probably easier, but if you want to play a 1hbh, you're the one paying him. Tell him you want to learn it, and if he doesn't want to teach you, find someone who will.</s>

<s>[INST]Man these guys are pretty damned good!!![/INST] A very large step above the division 2 college tournament I watched here in Phoenix last week. Ah, to be young and slim again. Lean as whippets.</s>

<s>[INST]/u/woogie_2901 is similar to what I had done. Ultimately I took some time off because of another injury, and now the golfer's elbow is completely gone when I play. I am back to playing about 4-5 times a week now and as long as I maintain flexibility/pliability I think I will be able to avoid pain. This is something I wrote to another tennis player experiencing the same issue you and I experienced. &amp;#x200B; \-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I don't know how bad yours is.  For me it was only affecting me on serves, and I felt a small pop one day serving a lot (it was nagging a bit in the weeks leading up to the minor acute incident).  A couple weeks later it was getting to the point that it would hurt the next day after a match.  Simple daily tasks started to irritate my elbow (anything that involved concentric muscular activation of my bicep, such as bending over and picking up my dog).  At that point I stopped serving, didn't play matches for about 5 weeks, limited hitting to once or twice a week for a few weeks, and began searching for a rehab program.  After three weeks of no match play and a week after finding a good rehab protocol, I tested serving again to no success (pain was significant on warm up serves and any throwing motion).  After another week I could serve about 60% and then 5 weeks after stopping I got through a good 3 setter with no ill effects.  I still am trying to rehab it because it is not 100% (minor discomfort in warmup and rehab), but it is good enough to play without thinking about it.   I ice my elbow after tennis and after rehab in the mornings (max 20 minutes).  I also wear a compression sleeve for a few hours, after icing and apply biofreeze (probably better to use actual heat, though).  There is little scientific evidence for compression wear assisting in healing or mitigating injury, but my thought process is to restrict blood flow a little bit to muscles to hopefully increase it to the ligament.  The sleeve helps a little with incidental contact with the arm and stressing the ulnar collateral ligament throughout the day. Tennis player XXX suffered from this ailment for months and contemplated stopping altogether until he found a protocol that worked for rock climbers.  Local chiro suggested some exercises that I believe similarly stimulate blood flow to the affected ligament, but not as effectively as the rehab exercises I currently do.  He also had suggested I wear the sleeve for playing, which I agree may be beneficial, but I am impatient and the sleeve feels too restrictive.  If I had time to get used to it I may end up using it. The rehab I do consists of a protocol similar to what Steven Low suggests: [http://stevenlow.org/overcoming-tendonitis/](http://stevenlow.org/overcoming-tendonitis/) [https://www.reddit.com/r/overcominggravity/comments/8jzr8q/overcoming\_tendonitis\_gathering\_data\_on\_overuse](https://www.reddit.com/r/overcominggravity/comments/8jzr8q/overcoming_tendonitis_gathering_data_on_overuse) I suggest checking out his site and bio, and even reaching out to him if you have questions.  He is much more of an expert than I.  The first link gives a good overview of the common misunderstandings of the injury, and some concepts to follow.  If you're super adventurous you can try reading his published works (I probably will do this when I have time). My summarized understanding of what Steven is arguing is that low weight, high repetition, eccentric exercises has a high success rate of helping athletes suffering from "tendinitis" related injuries back to a high performing state.  The eccentric exercises help with improving the overused muscles to extend and lengthen.  It also helps with not starving the ligament of blood needed to help heal.   I started my road to rehab by really digging in to my forearm and tricep area with a roller similar to this: [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BXVN1JJ/ref=cm\_sw\_r\_cp\_awdb\_t1\_4UaZBbKXJZH9J](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BXVN1JJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_4UaZBbKXJZH9J) I had neglected stretching adequately my forearms and this made it really obvious.  When I first started digging in I could feel minor pain rushing to my pinky and ring finger.  Now the massage roller doesn't affect me as much, but I do it to try to stay pliable. I then started using the Taylor twist rubber sticks, but I don't think those are super effective.  Now I do the low weight high rep eccentric exercises (2 types).   First exercise: basically I will hold a 25lb dumbbell in my affected hand in a supinated position and let gravity pull it down slowly over 3-5 seconds, hold, then pull back up with the opposite hand.  25lb may be too much, but I found 10lb was too light for me and 25 is what Steven suggested for rock climbers.  You will need to find a weight that works for you (I would guess between 5-15lbs).   [https://youtu.be/0\_BcOI3By5E](https://youtu.be/0_BcOI3By5E) Second exercise: get a weight and do eccentric pronation.  Tennis player XXX had suggested a tennis racket with a towel wrapped around it.  I have a dumbbell that I can pull the weights off of the ends and use one end to grab (I currently have 5lbs on the dumbbell about 8 inches above where I grip it).  You can also use a stick: [https://youtu.be/iwtm43B1CLs](https://youtu.be/iwtm43B1CLs) Keep in mind you are not doing the exercises until failure, but should be able to do them through to completion.  For exercise one I am currently doing 3 sets of 30 reps and exercise two I am doing 2 sets of 40 reps.  I do them every other day or so (no more than 4 times a week).  Steven references 36-72 hours is required for tendons/ligaments to heal.  You should feel minor discomfort, but not significant pain.  If it is painful try using a lower weight until you only feel discomfort.  After a week or two of a weight try incrementing it up until you get to something reasonable.   Playing tennis while doing rehab should not be a big deal.  I just recommend not doing the rehab immediately following playing, but space it out at least a few hours (generally I rehab in the morning and hit in the evening).  Coincidentally my gf picked up Tom Brady's fitness book, and he stressed pliability.  He suffered a lot of arm issues just due to the nature of his profession.  His work is a lot less scientifically structured than Steven's, but I think it concurs with his findings.   Again, I recommend you check out the links, and if you have questions feel free to reach out![/INST] Wanted to thank you again. Since I started the exercises the pain is diminishing! Thanks again!</s>

<s>[INST]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0FXXx2ltGw&amp;t=13s You have a great serve, but your trophy pose is 100% the "before" of the serve. Take a look. I know he's doing a kickserve there, but the same principle applies to all serves. Also, you could probably afford to toss the ball more forward and lean your hips in before jumping to land inside the court. GL![/INST] Just for clarification, with before you mean his serve after the improvements right? Tha ks for the tip and the video! I know about tossing the ball more forward... was surprised i barely did that myself</s>

<s>[INST]Thanks for your explanations, I'm learning a lot here. One more question, why do you string the gut at 57 but the poly only at 52? If the gut retains tension better than the poly then I imagine this gap will grow even further and possibly be more like 10 lbs gap after a month? Currently I have a full bed luxilon 4g @ 56lbs in my RF97A, and yes, I agree it can definitely be tough on the arm. The shoulder and wrist for me can sometimes be issues if I'm playing multiple days in a row. How do you think access to spin will compare to the gut/poly hybrid?[/INST] If someone is literally picking up a racket for the first time, I personally don't see the harm in them using a sub 300g strung racket. However, if they actually start training, even just once or twice a week, they will quickly develop strokes that have enough pace to warrant the need for a heavier racket. Essentially, when starting out, I feel like the ball is going to fly all over the place, regardless of what they use. Once they can start hitting some rallies with others at the same level, then that is when I think the lighter rackets will begin to cause compensations in their technique and development. They will inevitably have to start muscling the ball to an extent when they are more comfortable rallying with some more pace, which will result in them developing poor habits/technique that will likely be difficult to fix in the long run if left unchecked, when a simple upgrade to a heavier racket could have prevented it in the first place. Personally, I think that you bring up a good topic for discussion. Many coaches are more than capable of teaching good technique and are very skilled in the sport themselves, but the majority have no clue about the right equipment for each player, other than using what is provided by their club's sponsor, and what "feels right." A beginner will not be able to know when to upgrade or switch their rackets - this should be a responsibility that should primarily fall on the coaches, at least in the beginning. If they see that an individual is "outgrowing" their racket, they should pick up on it and be capable of providing good recommendations. This knowledge should, in my opinion, at the very least include basic knowledge about string types and tensions as well. When I was in my junior years, I just played with an Aero Pro Drive with a poly the entire time because Nadal was my favourite player. I never thought about adding weight, testing out different rackets, or anything or the sort because I had no idea where to start. Of course, it isn't the equipment that makes the player, but that should not be an excuse to neglect using equipment that is best suited for your game.</s>

<s>[INST]What if I’m too bad at the game? How should I practice at home? (Just to be safe)[/INST] Everyone is terrible at tennis when they start. So don't stress about it. Also you can even head to good will for your first racquet. Look for something that's made of graphite and has a big head size. When you're still just learning to follow the ball the racquet won't matter. It does matter later, but that does depend on how serious you are at improving.</s>

<s>[INST]I'm still trying to figure out why there isn't a single indoor court in this city?[/INST] Well where I live land is really expensive. I’d imagine indoor courts would be even more expensive.</s>

<s>[INST]If you are looking for sticks around 11 oz, right out of the box, the Pro Staff 97 autograph will be to heavy. And it will most likely feel to beefy, as it is quite a lot of racket to swing. The Babolat sticks are more in the weight range you are looking for. They are however a little stiff for my liking (personal preference) &amp;#x200B; Angell makes very good rackets. Personally I really enjoy Head Radical and Prestige. &amp;#x200B; Rackets can be customized and adapted in many ways, so I would recommend getting a stick that is lighter and add weight if you prefer this. It is harder to reduce weithg of a racket.[/INST] If you are looking for sticks around **311.9 grams**, right out of the box, the Pro Staff 97 autograph will be to heavy. And it will most likely feel to beefy, as it is quite a lot of racket to swing. The Babolat sticks are more in the weight range you are looking for. They are however a little stiff for my liking (personal preference) &amp;#x200B; Angell makes very good rackets. Personally I really enjoy Head Radical and Prestige. &amp;#x200B; Rackets can be customized and adapted in many ways, so I would recommend getting a stick that is lighter and add weight if you prefer this. It is harder to reduce weithg of a racket. _____ ^(I'm a bot) ^| ^[Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=Ttime5) ^| ^[Stats](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=Bot_Metric&amp;subject=stats&amp;message=Sent%20this%20message%20to%20get%20some%20stats) ^| ^[Opt-out](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=Bot_Metric&amp;subject=Don't%20reply%20to%20me&amp;message=If%20you%20send%20this%20message,%20I%20will%20no%20longer%20reply%20to%20your%20comments%20and%20posts.) ^| ^(v5.1)</s>

<s>[INST]My friend generally I like your serves,just I think you have to gain better rhythm before the contact point ,I mean you rush too much to hit the ball ,secondly you should transfer your body weight into the court for all your serves ,if it’s first serve you turn your body earlier and if it’s second serve you stay more sideways but you have to transfer your body into the court Also try to stay more high with your arm after the contact point [/INST] Ok will do. I think in general most of my problems they come from a very short toss. Would you agree? Is my wrist pronation pretty good? To keep my arm up should I focus on keeping my elbow higher? </s>

<s>[INST]Oh she's settled on the AeroPro, I think it's a great choice for her game. As far as ever present, pretty much every light racket is marketed as "Great for beginners/intermediate" and anything over 11oz seems to be marketed for "intermediate to advanced players".[/INST] Guess I haven't bought a beginner racket lately!</s>

<s>[INST]No way.[/INST] I am coming to your house and beating you over your head with your carbs. AND I want your father's email. I'm going to give him advice on how to BEAT you.</s>

<s>[INST]I use these for trap door's https://www.golfworks.com/rubber-tungsten-swingweight-tape/p/gw0054/? They're pretty affordable. If you have foam you can usually remove some of it for more room pretty easily. You can even burn it out with a soldering iron if you are careful about not inhaling the fumes and doing it outside. That racquet would benefit from some weight at the tip too. The thing you have to remember is that wherever you add weight, you shift the power towards there. The string bed efficiency and sweet spot location are determined by the balance point mainly. So if you dump 20g into the bottom of the handle, you'll pull the sweet spot down 2cm. That doesn't seem like much, but some of my viewers were coming to me finding just an additional 5g at the bottom of the handle shifted the sweet spot down enough to be hurting power for them. And I didn't ask them or instigate any kind of questions about it. Going from ~33.3cm balance to 31.3cm is going to play really poorly with a 310 swing weight because of that. The sweet spot will move down a lot, and there really isn't much mass in the hoop to compensate for less efficiency. I don't recommend players go below about 32cm. Depending what you want out of the racquet, I would go with 3-9g at the tip, bring the racquet at least to about 330sw, and then add about 5g more than that amount at the bottom of the racquet. There's a lot more to handle weighting than it would appear however. And just cranking the balance point down too far doesn't nearly have as much "maneuverability" benefit as people think, with pretty noticeable downsides. u/ddek u/MansourBahrami[/INST] I would suggest practicing the motion without the racket. Also, do cross court and down-the-line shots repeatedly until you become consistent with the proper footwork. Be conscious on your feet placement because it's where the forehand shots begin. It's fine to do it slowly first, specially the hip rotation part so it'd be innate in you sooner.</s>

<s>[INST]I don’t know much about string types. From the relatively small amount of research I’ve done, it sounds like I should start with a poly or a syn gut, and move into a multifilament if it’s too uncomfortable? I chose multi over poly for the demos that I ordered yesterday.[/INST] Yeah a good multi will be good until you progress to where your breaking strings every 6 hours or so of play time. Until then poly will do more harm than good because you need extremely fast racquet head speed to get any benefit. Technifibre NRG2 is a great multi to start out with, but definitely experiment with different strings and gauges. Syngut is also good for starting out as a base of reference, Prince DuraFlex is a solid syngut that you can’t go wrong with for a first string. After a few string jobs I’d definitely recommend trying out a full bed of natural gut. It’s pricey, but it’s the best string for 99% of people.</s>

<s>[INST]Isn’t Prestige Pro a 98 sq in head? Only Prestige Mid is 93 sq in.[/INST] Seize the means of production</s>