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<s>[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. [/INST] I’m not sure I follow. I always respect my opponent’s ability which is why I try to do anything I can to gain advantage and win. Edit: well based on upvotes seems like people agree with the guy above. I’ve heard the saying “if everyone you meet seems like they are a jerk, it’s probably you that is the jerk.” Seems like maybe I’m the jerk then? It’s a hard pill the swallow, but seems like others agree, so maybe I should at least consider the idea that perhaps I am a jerk on court. Should I change my play style, or maybe just my mentality?</s>

<s>[INST]I used to play with a full poly setup but have switched to a multi/poly hybrid and love the comfort while having good access to spin! and coaching sounds great, I’m sure someone more knowledgeable analyzing your play can be of great help, best of luck![/INST] &gt; I used to play with a full poly setup but have switched to a multi/poly hybrid and love the comfort while having good access to spin! Interesting, I might try that out! &gt; and coaching sounds great, I’m sure someone more knowledgeable analyzing your play can be of great help, best of luck! Thanks!</s>

<s>[INST]Weird situation all around. I guess it’s an open event, and signing up as 3.5s for that sounds like a terrible idea. In evenly matched play, If someone doesn’t move off the net, my strategy is to move them back by going at them early and often in the match. On the other hand, I’ve literally never aimed at people when I had them completely overmatched. I was a 5.0 for quite awhile when I was younger, and I go at people, but I would never have done this to 3.5 level players. Total dick move. It’s just not right.[/INST] IS THIS ABOUT SEX??????????!!!!!!!!!</s>

<s>[INST]Good job, keep it up![/INST] No disrespect but are you saying to use one of the most fragile strings for the purpose of using the same stringbed for over a year? That only works with flat slowish strokes. </s>

<s>[INST]Just tennis.[/INST] Not much to roast about your forehand. However, i would like to roast your ball machine setting. Why are you setting it to feed so frequently? You do not have time to get into ready position, so you wwing like a windmill. Not sure what the purpose of that is. I find it si much better to set I at lower frequency and include more footwork. For instance, if i am practicing inside out forehands, i would move to the center of the court between shots, split and then move to the left to take the next shot as forehand. </s>

<s>[INST]What’s your play style and current level? Are your strokes long or short? Can you generate your own power? How about spin?[/INST] I'm guessing I used to be 4.0, but I've only just started playing again after a 2 year break so I'm kind of all over the place. For strokes do you mean how long my swing is? In that case it's probably medium. I may be wrong though. I hit with as much topspin as I can. I basically never ever hit flat shots from the baseline. As for power I think I do okay considering how skinny I am. I use my whole body to swing and I can hit (relatively) hard for my muscle mass compared to those around me. I'm going to start working out soon so strength will increase. I will record some video tomorrow and get back to you. I wish I had better info for you. Edit: Oh and as for playstyle I LOVE running up to the net as soon as I get the chance. For backhand, I basically spam slice unless I'm 100% sure I can two-hand it. My two hand backhand is terribly inconsistent in the sense that sometimes it's way past the baseline and like 30% of the time it hits the net. Anything else in particular I should elaborate on? Edit: I compared my swing with others' swings and it turns out mine is actually a full swing, not abbreviated in any way. Idk if that affects the racquet choice though.</s>

<s>[INST]Yeah our Texas heat is no joke. You'd think it's something you can get used to, but this cool front we're getting in is a welcome relief.[/INST] IMO 2.5-4.5 level players, maybe a few 5.0s that are too old/injured/have other reasons not to pursue further training/competition.</s>

<s>[INST]Ah ok, I was wondering if perhaps wilson marketed them in Europe or something. Thanks for the info![/INST] No problem! I think they made the second gen 97S with a box beam design because Dimitrov was using a 93 sq. in. box beam racket at the time, but the market for 93 headsizes wasn't big anymore (unlike the days of the popular Blade 93), so they released a 97 sq. in version to the masses instead. Nowadays, it seems like almost all the pros are even using 97 or above, save for a small handful who like to stick to their older classics.</s>

<s>[INST]- look at your right leg: it dangles a bit next to your body, maybe you can excel your rotation by swinging your foot upward, like shown here: https://youtu.be/393ZDw8FFmE - i like your rythm on your serve, it looks simple, and that is usually a good sign; maybe you can make it a bit more explosive by serving more from your hips[/INST] Thank you!</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] Don't knock yourself down, I've seen people do much worse in a year. Tennis is a lifelong game of learning and we're all, including the best in the world, trying to get better at it. As for the video, without having seen all of it, one thing I'd recommend is loosening your grip on the racquet. This will allow it to swing more freely, and cause the racquet tp lag behind your wrist as you pull to contact, giving you a much smoother motion. The benefits of this are higher racquet head speed, which in turn helps generate topspin, which in turn let's you hit harder and still keep the ball in.</s>

<s>[INST]Yeah I should say maybe middle age. I have the time and ability to change my body though, making good strides, setting high(er) goals for protein intake on your recommendation has certainly helped a great deal in terms of recovery and body composition. Down from 25% body fat to about 21% based on a tape measure algorithm, even lower based on my scale’s estimate but I don’t trust that thing. Either way, I’m slimmer, a bit faster, and I don’t hurt as bad anymore after workouts so I’m going to keep up this high protein regimen. Wife has been making me 5 gallons of chili on the weekends to eat during the week, and then Friday and Saturday I do a skillet steak basically searing it and then broiling it for 7 minutes and then finishing it in the pan by butter basting it, and then eating it with a bunch of roasted veggies. [/INST] I agree with 51bender, bend your knees more. Also would like to see more for a better analysis.</s>

<s>[INST]nice. was it in surprise, arizona?[/INST] Yes it was. I should have gone to watch, but I didn't. Cross town traffic with the snowbirds here is horrible.</s>

<s>[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?[/INST] I'm in the black shirt/blue shorts. After this match I started to feel deep sharp pain in my right shoulder joint - played competition the next day and since then (about 10 days ago) my shoulder has been a write-off! I can open doors, raise my arm straight upwards etc but things like washing my hair are complete torture.. making a throwing motion kills me!!! Looks like no tennis or much of anything for the next few weeks unfortunately..</s>

<s>[INST]According to Wikipedia the jr championships didn’t begin til 1947[/INST] Weight shift is key to hitting with both pace and spin. You can hit the ball a LOT harder with, say your 150 pound body's momentum, then just using your arm. It's easy to test out. Just hit a ball off your back foot with no weight shift. </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] Solinco Tour Bite, 17 g, strung at 52 lbs (53 lbs in summer months). Racquet is the Wilson ProStaff RF97 with 6.25 grams lead tape added to 9:00 and 3:00. I’m a singles player with a one-handed backhand who likes coming to net a lot, and I like this string because of all the different poly strings I’ve tried, this one feels most responsive in the mid court transition game and at the net. All the others I’ve tried feel like a trampoline at the net and shots are impossible to control except for put away volleys.</s>

<s>[INST]I'm a pretty notorious grunter whenever I'm playing someone lol. Like sometimes when I hit a winner I'll do the prolonged "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh". But when I'm practicing it just doesn't feel right for some reason.[/INST] Lol I feel you man. I was just playin around. I grunt when I’m winded and need to control my breathing. The OHBH looks good to me. I can’t give any tips bc I don’t have one of those</s>

<s>[INST]How rude. I'm a 4.5 now and I don't like their attitude.[/INST] Yeah, no one knows what will allow a person to win matches and progress up the USTA ladder. I’ve been computer rated as high as 5.0 back in my late teens and as low as a computer rated 3.0 in my early 20s when I was close to a 300 lb alcoholic with no reason to live, and everything in between. I still can’t tell exactly what level someone is just by watching them. Some people are good at winning tennis, some aren’t. Most are pretty mediocre, as you’d expect.</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] I would simplify your movement on your serve. Strokes are decent.</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] Really enjoyed watching both you and your partner attack the ball! At 7:50 on the serve and volley, there was a bit of hesitation before your approach to the net, compared to your 5:20 serve which looked like it could have been a fluid move to serve and volley, although it was a fault - were you going for a S&amp;V there? I would go for those more!</s>

<s>[INST]https://www.reddit.com/r/10s/comments/cqexw9/form_tips_cant_seem_to_hit_the_sweet_spot_but_can/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=ios_app[/INST] Honestly, your form looks great. I'd think about exploring taking the ball with an open stance sometimes though. Obviously it depends on the ball/situation.</s>

<s>[INST]Those scuff marks on the vibrant court colors are a feast for the eyes.[/INST] I'm going to be playing on them again in a couple of hours.</s>

<s>[INST]These are all good tips, thanks! I'm a newbie to the 1hbh, so I need to start with the basics anyway. One of the things I struggle with is keeping myself planted and standing my ground. I tend to lean backwards for some shots, which you can get away with when doing a 2hbh, but not with a 1hbh. I need to get used to planting myself firmly and stepping into the shot.[/INST] Yes very important part of 1hbh. I try to move into the court as I am planting. Stepping into the shot ends with the plant for me.</s>

<s>[INST]I'd be more aggressive with the finish (more wrist action) and would take the ball a little closer. It looks like you're reaching kinda far.[/INST] You mean actively using my wrist in the shot?? My problem with this shot is when I get aggresive the ball lands long, so I think I could use more spin. I see a lot of the pros finish the racket above their head on this type of shot but I don't know how to achieve that. I agree with you about taking the ball closer.</s>

<s>[INST]Not too bad. It weighs something over 20 lbs/9 kg, has two wheels and handles/slots to grab when lifting. I've seen 2 machines online made for practicing returns, they cost $7000 and $9000 USD and neither looked easy to transport. There must be a way to make something more reasonably priced and portable. [/INST] I am using gut/poly hybrid at this time after taking advantage of last holiday's Luxilon gut sale, buy 3 or more and get half off(!!!) which I jumped on and got me pretty much a year's supply of the 16 gauge, lol. For poly crosses I have been using the 18 gauge Luxilon Timo on my 18x20 string pattern and 93 square inch frame. Going thick on crosses tends to make the hits a bit boardy so I like to go as thin as possible on the crosses, and I believe Timo is also also pretty stiff and helps reel in the natural gut's power. I think going thin crosses also raises the launch angle a little bit, which is fine for the 18x20. Tension, I go at about an 8 pound differential (56/48), which I think helps the mains snap back easier on the tight pattern and raise the launch angle a bit more. I can get a good month and a half durability with this setup. For full poly, I like to go with Tier One strings, as they are very low cost and has great performance. I really like Black Knight, even though they advertise it for "5.0 players" they actually mean they recommend it for players who can produce enough racquet head speed to make the strings shine (not fully sure what this actually means, though *shrug*), but since my racquet has a high swingweight I feel like that's not an issue and the strings have great all around performance. Tier One also came out with a new string called Ghost Wire, which is supposed to be great as cross strings, and I just got a pack of it this week which I will try with natural gut. </s>

<s>[INST]If you know any overgrips that fit the description, feel free to share.[/INST] https://www.tennis-warehouse.com/accessoriespage.html?styleref=66600 I'd think it's the super grap as it's pretty popular. they have it in many colors. It's pretty tacky.</s>

<s>[INST]which non-tennis workouts do you think translates well into improved tennis footwork?[/INST] Very good practice!</s>

<s>[INST]Yeah our Texas heat is no joke. You'd think it's something you can get used to, but this cool front we're getting in is a welcome relief.[/INST] Sitting here after moving to the NE missing the Texas fall and winter. 11 days a month of rain really puts a damper on outdoor play during the nice part of the year where it's 60 degrees out. Equipment doesn't behave right trying to play when it's 30-40 out.</s>

<s>[INST]Quick question: if you put lead tape under a grip at 7 inches, is it better to put the weight on either side of the racquet or all on one side? So say you're adding 10g, would you have one side of the racquet with 10g or have 5g on both? Cheera[/INST] 7.0 inches ≈ 17.8 centimetres ^(1 inch = 2.54cm) ^(I'm a bot. Downvote to remove.) _____ ^| ^[Info](https://www.reddit.com/user/Bot_Metric/comments/8lt7af/i_am_a_bot/) ^| ^[PM](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=Ttime5) ^| ^[Stats](http://botmetric.pythonanywhere.com) ^| ^[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.) ^| ^[v.4.4.7](https://www.reddit.com/user/Bot_Metric/comments/8o9vgz/updates/) ^|</s>

<s>[INST]93 head graphene xt prestige pro. &amp;#x200B; i believe most pros play in the 100 size now.[/INST] Shame about Osaka losing so early</s>

<s>[INST]I started training for running a marathon, and it has been really helpful! [/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. </s>

<s>[INST]Wisdom from Gramps should take him far![/INST] Easy, swim. Hard, find the time to swim a mile/day.</s>

<s>[INST]Yeah it's alright, just not the most serious ruleset. Pretty standard for those one day round robin tourneys[/INST] Seems like it, unfortunately i'm not able to commit an entire weekend to a regular tournament at this time and i figure i'd just get as many games in as possible on one day. Kind of like a tennis equivalent of speed dating? lol</s>

<s>[INST]I have three grunts. I'm genuinely tired and continuing to slug the ball kinda hurts. Like the end of an exercise set type grunt. I just hit the ball very hard and expect to win the point so I must announce my dominance. Someone just hit a dropshot or a really good off the court shot and I need a grunt to muster up the courage to run and try to get it. Also let's the other guy know you're impressed. [/INST] [Definitely a start ](https://youtu.be/1ZSDIK23T7o)</s>

<s>[INST]Can we see a video or pictures of your forehand? This is tough to evaluate with just words.[/INST] https://www.reddit.com/r/10s/comments/cqexw9/form_tips_cant_seem_to_hit_the_sweet_spot_but_can/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=ios_app</s>

<s>[INST]The two hander has some real advantages over the one hander. For example, return of serve, and handling high balls. There are days where I wish I had a two hander.[/INST] I have a one hander and I agree. Your coach might have seen something about your one hander that made him realize as much as you love the idea of a one hander, it ain't happening. Now, it's up to you. You have to decide what tennis means to you. If you just wanna have fun, do whatever gives you the most joy. If you wanna get better, maybe listen to your coach. If you plan on competing, I would definitely recommend a two hander. If you insist on hitting a one hander, I would focus on learning the backhand slice first. It's an easier, more forgiving shot.</s>

<s>[INST]Unfortunately I don’t have a traditional “stringer” - closest one that I know of is an hour drive away so I recently started doing my own stringing. The upside is that I can experiment more easily and find a reasonably durable and cheap setup that’s sufficiently comfortable. I might look into those revolve strings you mentioned. Thanks for your help[/INST] Ah ok, good luck with your search then.</s>

<s>[INST]What if one doesn’t have an iPad .. or a friend[/INST] :(</s>

<s>[INST]My arm is very slightly bent. It's basically like Thiem's, I take it back with a pretty straight arm. I do think there are some advantages with a more elastic, bent arm take back. But I hit my backhand the best when I keep the arm straighter all throughout.[/INST] I think I'm the same, my 1hbh is more consistent with a straight arm throughout, most likely due to less variables during the swing. But it just feels kinda awkward or stiff, like I'm almost forcing my arm to be straight. However, the bent arm takeback feels more natural to me, since it's the same way I hit my BH slice. I think I'll spend some more time with the bent-arm takeback and hopefully get it to be as consistent.</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] 100%.</s>

<s>[INST]How often and do you treat those as seriously as a tournament?[/INST] Call them out on their abuse! �� great rallies though.</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] So you lift or is that all just from tennis?</s>

<s>[INST]Man that looks awesome. I’ll leave it up to the proper coaches I honestly can’t see much wrong. [/INST] When you bring your back foot up, you're putting it in front your front door, right on the baseline. This inhibits trunk rotation, and so much power in tennis comes from rotation. When you bring your back foot up, it should be right next to your front door (to the left of it) and not in front of it at all. This photo of isner is a perfect example of this. https://www.flickr.com/photos/43555660@N00/7546554542 If you look at any top male player with a good serve that uses the same style of service motion, you'll notice that all of them do the same thing as Isner.</s>

<s>[INST]I’m happy with my serve until I make contact with the ball. I do this thing where I pull my upper body downward or something, my legs scrunch up and I don’t get off the ground. I feel like I’m reaching as high up as I can, but it’s obviously not working. What can I tell myself to focus on to correct this? Edit: thank you all so much for the advice!!! You brought up some really great points I can’t wait to try out![/INST] Looking at the video I actually think you're hitting the ball too low. You have good height and a nice wingspan your reach is a lot higher than you think. Another thing that could potentially help you trying to hit the ball higher up is to imagine reaching up to the ball with your racket instead of hitting through it.</s>

<s>[INST]It did not go too good today, all my serves were basically flat balls into the body, I think I turned my body too much instead of keeping it straight. It was a very long set, we were 6-4, 1-1 when our two hours of reservation time were over on the court unfortunately. Well, it was fortunate for me, my dad broke me back to 1-1, and I was quite tired, so I think I might have lost if we kept playing, haha. I tried too many new things on my backhand return, I try to split and cut off ball, and use my left arm as counterweight, and I think I was thinking about too many things and didn’t watch the ball very well. But there is always next time to make improvements![/INST] Ok !!keep going ,it’s very hard when you want to change things on your game,it’s normal to think too much and that’s why you are loosing other important things like the ball (power,spin,hight....) but unfortunately there is no other way to make these changes,keep trying and you will see that each time it’s better from the previous one Can you send me a video of the serve?</s>

<s>[INST]"Hell is other people." (Sartre) And how about this one, "opinions are like assholes, everybody has one." (Dirty Harry movie) I'm sure opponents have spoken about me and my style of play, but no one has ever said a word to me before, during or after a match. Of course I know this happens in leagues, and that's why I don't play in leagues. I pick the player I want to hit with. And I really think this number rating thing is bullshit. Age / sex grouping is fine. [/INST] Yeah this only happens in league style play. The dudes I hit with we just have a good time, you know. I think I like getting riled up and angry, otherwise why else would I play leagues? That was my dad’s insight. </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] Correct. It can be used as an insult for sure but if you are a club player, it’s not an insult lol.</s>

<s>[INST]Honestly, go with whatever is more comfortable. Lots of players hit both ways - not really a right or wrong answer I believe. As long as your extended at contact and you’ve got a good contact point, it will work. Edit: added second sentence![/INST] No ad scoring makes games go by much faster. Make sure you give yourself ample time to warm up, since this game format is unforgiving on players that have a slow startup.</s>

<s>[INST]Not a lot to go on here. Maybe y’all were rusty but in NorCal this would be closer to 8.0. Not enough racket head speed, poaching, or general consistency on display here.[/INST] Am from NorCal, can confirm. This looks like 4.0 doubles. Not saying that’s a bad thing; but the 4.5 flight here is dominated by a lot of ex-college players from D2-3 programs. (I’m talking about guys with computer ratings.)</s>

<s>[INST]Mine arrived today. Initial impression - They feel extremely stiff, almost like rock in the hand. But they actually bounce very very well. Hypothesis - People are writing off this ball for no good reason: either they are turned off by the fact that the balls are unpressurized, or they only hit with them for a short time. I'm going to assume that once the balls are broken in a bit, they will improve in feel. Yes, I'm biased because I'm hoping for a ball that does last 4x as long, meaning less money spent on balls. But I'm at least going to give it a fair trial. I haven't hit with it yet, but when I do, I will update you.[/INST] Would you mind pinging me a reply when you do? I'm interested too ��</s>

<s>[INST]So awesome and stoic bro tell us more[/INST] $79 on tennis warehouse https://www.tennis-warehouse.com/adidas_adizero_Defiant_Bounce_2_Grey_Grey_Mens_Shoe/descpageMSADIDAS-AMSADGR.html</s>

<s>[INST]Really enjoyed watching both you and your partner attack the ball! At 7:50 on the serve and volley, there was a bit of hesitation before your approach to the net, compared to your 5:20 serve which looked like it could have been a fluid move to serve and volley, although it was a fault - were you going for a S&amp;V there? I would go for those more![/INST] I try to s&amp;v a lot because my hands are my biggest weapon. So yeah, it was.</s>

<s>[INST]Sort of. I prefer to go to a pro shop and actually get measured. Or use this site: http://protennistips.net/tennis-racquet-grip-size/ I think the “finger width” rule has too much variation and I’ve seen very different results. It’s a bit too loose as a rule of thumb. I’d rather measure tip to knuckle etc. it makes a difference.[/INST] I think that you are lifting your wrist too high which doesn't leave time for it to drop below the elbow when that leads into the ball. Compare your elbow/wrist with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvD9JgrcR1I These are good vids to help you think about how your elbow leads into the contact. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGWyLmyWzvc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZCw2crznhs</s>

<s>[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.[/INST] which non-tennis workouts do you think translates well into improved tennis footwork?</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] I exclusively play tennis at night, so I never have gotten any tan lines.</s>

<s>[INST]Forget about technique, first thing is watch the ball! The first 3 mins you did not return one serve and the balls you were able to get all shanked. Slices or bunt all balls if you have to but make sure you watch the ball and make solid contact. Also you are standing in a pure forehand stance so I am guessing you don't like to hit backhands. Next time during practice say it to yourself which side you are preparing for. If the ball is coming to your forehand side, say forehand as early as possible. This will force you to determine early and prepare early to make a solid shot. Once you get good at this you can start calling out which area you can hit at your opponents side, such as crosscourt or down the line. Too many beginners and intermediates focus on wrong things such as minute movement of the wrist and knees pointing 2 degrees off non sense. It makes zero difference if you can't hit the ball. It matters at a very high level, but to us rec players we have a lot more to learn before even getting to that place, if ever. [/INST] yeah, i have to work on watching the ball better for sure. Thanks for the feedback!</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] No advice from me. Big lefty serve was ALWAYS my personal nemesis. I did fine it a little easier to slice a return on a lefty serve, but that's not too much advice.</s>

<s>[INST]Try a hybrid with a poly and multi. If you don’t have elbow/wrist/shoulder issues, you’ll see a benefit from having a poly.[/INST] Would that be poly in mains, and multi in crosses?</s>

<s>[INST]Thank you for your recommendation, I looked for the strings you suggested but both seem difficult to obtain at my location. Regarding supex (in case I find a supplier) do you have a recommendation? Synthetic gut titan seems good for my needs (cannot see prices but probably also quite expensive).[/INST] ah, if that's the case, then its a pity. They really are cheap and quite good value. I'm partial to either Big Ace Revo (power) or Nova Hex (spin), since those are the two that I'd go for my spare racket strings. Never used any of their synthetic gut before, so can't comment on that.</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] So: 1) Relax a bit. Remember tennis should be fun =). 2) You never really go into the trophy pose. You keep your arm by your side until the last second when you hit it. You are losing tons of power. After you throw the ball your racket should be behind your head.</s>

<s>[INST]Again, if the technique was that ingrained, you probably wouldn't have played that badly.[/INST] Just talked to my coach over text. He said he watched a little bit of it and said it wasn’t exactly your nerves but very poor decision making and shot selection throughout the whole match. Guess that answers the mystery.</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] Haboobs aren't as bad as tornadoes, but yes, AZ in summer is nasty.</s>

<s>[INST]So I haven't had much experience with it, but Weiss cannon sent me a bunch of their strings to try. Black 5 edge feels pretty similar. The data is similar too. It's actually shaped. I only hit a few balls with the racquet I had strung with it, so i didn't test it too much. But I would actually say it's worth a shot. Cheaper than blast[/INST] [deleted]</s>

<s>[INST]Thank you - I have been watching your videos for the past couple months and the way you explain and break down mechanics is very easy to follow and understand. Hope for the best success for your channel this year! [/INST] Thank you very much ,if you have any suggestion for future videos don’t hesitate to write to me</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] "Nice shot!" Which means, lucky shot, you asshole.</s>

<s>[INST]Thanks! I'm going to be doing a lot of hanging ball practice this week while I recover haha. [/INST] Sounds good man. Keep it up you'll be there in no time. It's good that you could already feel and believe in yourself that you're better than them. That's the most important first step</s>

<s>[INST]Would that be poly in mains, and multi in crosses?[/INST] Use your body, from the legs to the core to the arm, when you serve.</s>

<s>[INST]*cough* essential tennis *cough* *cough* [/INST] Yes</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] I went ahead and tried the racquets this afternoon, and I agree that the RF97 Autograph was a little unwieldy for my current level of strength/fitness. It had an unprecedented level of control, but like no power especially for serving. I felt really consistent using it, but just couldn't move the racquet and ball at the pace I wanted. So I ordered the Pro Staff 97L which NetAssetTennis recommended I try. I'll compare and see if the 97L is a good base from which to add weight. Also agree about the Babolat stiffness. I had no trouble actually using those racquets, but it just didn't feel RIGHT in my hand when I hit the ball. For that reason I decided to demo the Yonex VCORE Pro, and ordered 3 different versions of it. I've heard that these racquets feel very nice to hit with. On Angell: Whoa! Custom tennis racquets? That is really really cool, I'll have to look more into that down the line once I figure out what I'm looking for.</s>

<s>[INST]Bh nonexistent need more drilling but you already have bad habits. Don't hug the baseline, stand farther back. Your partner is giving you low balls need more topspin so they bounce at your strike zone[/INST] Having trouble with trophy pose</s>

<s>[INST]You should treat winners as groundstrokes that your opponent can’t get to. That said, you could always try making your follow through more horizontal and lean forward and into your shot if you really insist on hitting winners out of nowhere.[/INST] [deleted]</s>

<s>[INST]Dunno if you’ve purchased your frame already but the Blade 98 is a good racquet for most people. Check which string pattern before you buy—16x19 or 18x20. I’m not too familiar with the 104 but iirc it’s an extended frame and so is harder to manoeuvre. The Hyper Hammer is a very head heavy frame best suited for players who can’t create any power themselves and have no desire to develop any. They’re your classic weekend warrior frying pan serving old farts at the public park kind of racquet (as described to me when I talked about having started with that exact line of racquets myself). You may also consider other Wilson racquets like the PS97 or Babolat / Head / Yonex frames as well if you have an opportunity to do so. You can try the RF97A but it’s not a forgiving frame over time (you get tired very quickly if your technique is not there yet, which is likely the case as you said you’re a 2.5), and from personal experience I have yet to meet someone who wields that frame that is proficient at tennis...usually they’re Federer fans who bought it because it’s what he uses. On the plus side if you do really want that frame there’s a good chance you can find it for sale second hand. Finally, if you want a frame with more swingweight, you’re may be best served adding lead tape at 3 and 9 on a lighter platform racquet that has the features you want, instead of buying a racquet that is heavy to begin with that isn’t quite your style.[/INST] Thanks, appreciate the reply. Played with the 104 last night and found it too light. Thing is I played 3 of last 4 days and my arm is quite sore today. I'm not sure if this is because of not playing for so long and getting back into it, technique or whatever but am leaning towards the Hammer as a result (due to light frame). And the fact I can get it for $40CAD doesn't hurt - I can switch later in the year after a bunch more playing as my skill improves. The reviews on Amazon are quite good but I'm sure that doesn't mean much</s>

<s>[INST]Let's be realistic. We're not going to win in the beginning. But we certainly can learn. When I play better players, I only try to get the basics right - watch the ball, get in position, preferably play a high rather than a low percentage shot, be more consistent, don't worry about match situation. When the focus is to improve technique &amp; patience rather than to win a match, you actually end up with more satisfying results, namely, by the end of the match you're probably doing 10 more things right than you did prior to start of match. I love to take the ego out of the game. It has helped me be a better player &amp; has also made me a lot of friends.[/INST] I'd say it's bc you're stopping follow through. Don't try and slow it down, become morevrelaxed</s>

<s>[INST]I don't own one but regularly use one throughout the week at my local tennis center. Like you say, it's very convenient when I can't arrange a hit or just want to go out and hit some balls for a while. But more than anything I use it for exercise. Setting the machine on random placement and then trying to recover back to the middle after every hit usually drains me in an hour or less. I've found it to be good practice for volleys as well, since it's difficult to practice volleys with another person for an extended period of time unless you're paying them. It can also be a bit zen-like if you get in a rhythm, almost relaxing. As far as ball replacement costs, it would depend on how many balls your machine holds (obviously), and how much you are willing and able to spend on keeping fresh, pressurized balls in there. My tennis center rotates as many leftover balls as they can through the machine, so there's a mix of dead, pressureless, and somewhat live balls coming out. Not ideal for replicating perfect competitive conditions, but very cost effective for the facility and suitable to my needs. I've known some people that purchased their own machines in the past, and the biggest thing that they complain about, aside from the cost, is hauling the machine around. Depending on the model you get, it can start to become a hassle to transport your machine and balls around, as well as setup and tear-down everytime you go out. As far as the ettiqute concerns: yes it can be a bit annoying to play next to but as long as you aren't constantly splaying balls into the adjacent courts it's no more noise than a chatty doubles match. If your courts have no separator like a net or small fence then regularly containing all your balls to one court will be difficult. My nearby facility has a low fence in between courts and I'll still put 1-10 out of every 150 or so balls into the adjacent court from mis-hits and rolls off the net. Anyway, I think a ball machine is a great thing to use for physical fitness, and may be good for your form if you're able to get a good recording and some good feedback, but of course will never replace match play experience. For personal use, it does come with a bit of added encumbrance and hassle when transporting it around, but of course like you say the trade-off is it allows you to hit some balls whenever you like. I think the ideal setup is renting one from your local tennis facility, since you don't have to worry about setup and tear down and can just show up at your reserved time. But if that isn't an option for you, and you have the financial freedom, it never hurts to shop around for something that might suit you.[/INST] Awesome, thanks!</s>

<s>[INST]Yes next time I serve I will take some video. The last two days I played I wanted to video but I think my blue tooth watch was far away from the phone so it drained all the battery while I played unfortunately. [/INST] Don’t worry,next time !!</s>

<s>[INST]I routinely get caught shadow swinging at work haha[/INST] Yeah people give me a weird look. So I just look at them like WHY AREN'T YOU GOING THROUGH YOUR SERVE HIP MOTION?</s>

<s>[INST]I don't really see the problem in this, could you clarify? I think i should land inside the court to begin with so that's what i should work on but i don't see an issue with making 1 step forward after my serve.[/INST] Depends what you're trying to do for the third ball. If you'er trying to get in to the net and volley off then that's fantastic. If you're immediately taking that step back and retreating behind the baseline, you can save yourself two steps plus the time involved in taking them by limiting your forward momentum.</s>

<s>[INST]Well for starters you choke up too much with the left hand, it should be as low as you can get it, just above the right hand.[/INST] Where I live the temps can get up to 36C and usually sits at around 90-95% humidity. So not as hot but far more humid. I spend a minute every few games to squeeze sweat out of my shirt.</s>

<s>[INST]What hand do you use when you hit ground strokes? That's the hand you should learn to hit the serve. Yeah, this video looks good to me. It's building up some good fundamentals. One thing I will say when learning to serve: don't underestimate the importance of the ball toss. The ball toss height and location dictates so much with the serve, you'd be surprised. You can develop the most fluid service motion in the world, but if you don't toss/put the ball in the right spot and a the right time then you will not have a great serve. Edit: I first read your post as "server problems", and I immediately panicked. I guess I've been working in IT for too long.[/INST] Thanks for your reaction! My ground strokes are with my right hand, so I go for that hand. For the toss, I will pay attention to it. Hopefully this will lead to a decent serve with good fundamentals!</s>

<s>[INST]Thank you[/INST] When it’s high do you ever use a chopping slice forehand up high? I have been doing this a lot lately and it’s almost like being able to use a slice serve, like a 3/4 overhead but with such angle it goes into the service box and slides into the fence. Is this a reasonable thing to do as well?</s>

<s>[INST]Dunno if you’ve purchased your frame already but the Blade 98 is a good racquet for most people. Check which string pattern before you buy—16x19 or 18x20. I’m not too familiar with the 104 but iirc it’s an extended frame and so is harder to manoeuvre. The Hyper Hammer is a very head heavy frame best suited for players who can’t create any power themselves and have no desire to develop any. They’re your classic weekend warrior frying pan serving old farts at the public park kind of racquet (as described to me when I talked about having started with that exact line of racquets myself). You may also consider other Wilson racquets like the PS97 or Babolat / Head / Yonex frames as well if you have an opportunity to do so. You can try the RF97A but it’s not a forgiving frame over time (you get tired very quickly if your technique is not there yet, which is likely the case as you said you’re a 2.5), and from personal experience I have yet to meet someone who wields that frame that is proficient at tennis...usually they’re Federer fans who bought it because it’s what he uses. On the plus side if you do really want that frame there’s a good chance you can find it for sale second hand. Finally, if you want a frame with more swingweight, you’re may be best served adding lead tape at 3 and 9 on a lighter platform racquet that has the features you want, instead of buying a racquet that is heavy to begin with that isn’t quite your style.[/INST] Bought it looking like this. Besides the cracked butt cap, no other damage besides just cosmetic scratches/ missing paint Obviously doesn't affect how it plays, got it does a steal $20 or $30 (especially for having 4 3/8 grip, most in thrift stores or online seem to be 1/4 or 5/8) just curious if anyone knows/ has experienced how paint can damage like this Best guess is whoever owned it threw it around between uses, but odd how worn it looks but no significant damage</s>

<s>[INST]Sounds like a reward instead of a punishment ;D[/INST] Personally I work on shot anticipation and footwork. They are so hand in hand and will improve predition/returns on any kind of shot. I basically keep my feet moving while trying to read my opponent, and split step right before contact similar to return of serve. If I'm caught off guard I'm caught off guard, nothing you do will eliminate this completely as it is your opponents job to catch you this way. That being said I will either step into the shot or like you said or use neutral stance and try to regain my footing after I return the ball. If I am wrong someone please correct me as we all endeavour to get better.</s>

<s>[INST]A protein shake and you should eat some steak and a bit of carbs (Your choice). Make sure to drink a lot of water. [/INST] Thanks. Had a bunch of steak, had the riced cauliflower for my carbs with a little v8 juice, and then I found some really high protein frozen yogurt my parents had, so I ended up eating a bunch of that as well, tasted a bit weird, haha, but nice to mix it up and not drink another protein shake. Man, Orange Theory is legit. I went in making fun of it the other day when we went to go do a free trial with my wife and sister because they wanted to go, but it’s a great workout. Probably shouldn’t have done one of their workouts within the same 24 hour period that I planned on playing two best of three matches though. </s>

<s>[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 [/INST] So the topspin serve is different from “kick” or is the same thing? Finally our weather should be good next week. My last videos I had not been able to play since early January and that was my first time in almost two months to play, and only my second time to try out your service tips. I feel if I can get practice on your way of serving I might actually have a good serve one day! I have been practicing in the mirror to open up my chest like you say for kick serve, I realized I close my chest, and work on keeping left hand inside of my body and staying more sideways as well. </s>

<s>[INST]You mean actively using my wrist in the shot?? My problem with this shot is when I get aggresive the ball lands long, so I think I could use more spin. I see a lot of the pros finish the racket above their head on this type of shot but I don't know how to achieve that. I agree with you about taking the ball closer.[/INST] Depends on the situation.</s>

<s>[INST][deleted][/INST] I've been hitting a fine topspin kick serve for years now. The kick serve in this video is an attempt at a "twist-kick" serve, where the ball should kick to the right upon hitting the court. I know how it's *supposed* to work, but I just haven't been able to make it kick more to the right.</s>

<s>[INST]That's good to hear! Where are you located? How are their shipping options and shipping speed?[/INST] Body serves and playing a serve and volley</s>

<s>[INST]When you bring your back foot up, you're putting it in front your front door, right on the baseline. This inhibits trunk rotation, and so much power in tennis comes from rotation. When you bring your back foot up, it should be right next to your front door (to the left of it) and not in front of it at all. This photo of isner is a perfect example of this. https://www.flickr.com/photos/43555660@N00/7546554542 If you look at any top male player with a good serve that uses the same style of service motion, you'll notice that all of them do the same thing as Isner.[/INST] This is something i haven't noticed about myself or the pros. Thanks for the tip, i'll try my best</s>

<s>[INST]Good information. I I think on balls this high I always start my swing from “above” the ball and hit down. I will try this style. [/INST] Yes try in every ball and in every situation to start a bit lower than the ball </s>

<s>[INST]Your form looks good. You are hitting the ball too low. You need to catch it higher and hit up on the back of the ball. Remember that you are not hitting down into the court, you are hitting high over the net. Keep at it.[/INST] You need a little bit higher ball toss. You should almost feel like your hitting up on the ball. You body should be straight when making contact. Check out this video on serve technique: https://youtu.be/wAb3NFcyMCQ?t=389</s>

<s>[INST]It might have to do with the angle of your hand and how much your putting behind the stroke, but the grips are so close you could probably get away with whatever is working best for you. Sounds like your grip might just be sacrificing a bit of spin potential for power.[/INST] This has a ton to do with it. Hitting spin is all about hitting in the right part of the hoop to engage the strings the right way (shortened version of it). So different grips give you more control or less control over the racquet in the horizontal direction. For spin you generally want to have less extra horizontal "angular velocity" as it will give the racquet more time in the vertical direction to line up for contact. So more aggressive grips (grips with more of your hand in front of the handle) will have an easier time to slow the racquet in that horizontal direction, at the cost of making it harder to push the racquet for extra forward racquet head speed.</s>

<s>[INST]Weight lifting, High intensity interval training etc.[/INST] Can you be more specific? I regularly weight lift already but can't imagine adding weight to my deadlift will help with this. Perhaps adding reps?</s>

<s>[INST]which non-tennis workouts do you think translates well into improved tennis footwork?[/INST] You call the balls on your side, they call the balls on their side. You can acknowledge that it was close, but you called it how you saw it. If you are not sure, then it is in. Otherwise don't waver.</s>

<s>[INST]Oh yeah, footwork for the 1hbh needs to be on point. If I'm the slightest bit out of position it screws up the whole shot. Much smaller sweetspot for sure, and much smaller margin for error in general. Can't be lazy with the one-hander like I could with the 2-hander lol[/INST] Yep! I get lazy with the 2hbh cos I can get away with flicking when stretched wide open stance. Like you alluded to, good luck doing that with the 1hbh without breaking the wrist. Having said that, I do use the 1hbh to force better footwork and slice so not a bad thing!</s>

<s>[INST][deleted][/INST] It'll feel amazing whenever you hit it perfectly, but it will be harsher than hell outside the sweet spot. You're also more likely to shank, but the pros of how nice the midsize feels may outweigh the cons of inconsistency. Definitely test it out, rackets are very personal</s>

<s>[INST]Did wilson at some point sell a 97s? That sounds like a frame I'd like, especially if it's weighted and balanced like a traditional prostaff. The only thing I want out of my prostaff now is a bit more spin.[/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.</s>

<s>[INST]Yes, closer to the body. For me that applies to the slice as well, especially on the backhand wing. Bear in mind the more extreme your grip the closer to the body your normal contact point is going to be (for normal groundstrokes in general). My contact point moved forward when I switched from an extreme semi western grip to an extreme eastern one for my forehand. So if you’re trying to hit forehand slices it may be that the contact point need not be much closer if at all. Either way it’s best to just go out and find out your ideal contact point that gives you good results repeatably, rather than worry too much about the little details.[/INST] I noticed a lot of your shots go high. When you are hitting, if you feel like you are making relatively flat contact yet your balls go high, it usually has to do with weight transfer. Since you have less time to react against the wall I feel like what happens a lot is people hit with the weight on the backfoot which tilts your whole body back a little. This opens up the racquet face angle and what feels like flat contact is actually angled up, resulting in those balls jumping over the wall, Definitely work on timing that transfer of weight, it’ll give your shots more weight and plowthrough</s>

<s>[INST]Enough space to fit index finger when holding the racket continental?[/INST] Looks way better than mine, very solid. Maybe you could focus on getting more depth?</s>

<s>[INST]Yonex PTP 120. I use an 18x20, with tensions in the mid 40s on one frame, mid 50s on another. I like it because I get the ridiculous spin that full poly provides, but it's thin and poppy enough that it feels sort of like a multi or syn gut at high tension. After 5 or 10 hours I cut it out, depending on how paranoid I am feeling. It is also quite cheap if you buy a reel from overseas. [/INST] Where do you buy it? There are so many sites but I'm always looking for who is reputable</s>

<s>[INST]I don't own one but regularly use one throughout the week at my local tennis center. Like you say, it's very convenient when I can't arrange a hit or just want to go out and hit some balls for a while. But more than anything I use it for exercise. Setting the machine on random placement and then trying to recover back to the middle after every hit usually drains me in an hour or less. I've found it to be good practice for volleys as well, since it's difficult to practice volleys with another person for an extended period of time unless you're paying them. It can also be a bit zen-like if you get in a rhythm, almost relaxing. As far as ball replacement costs, it would depend on how many balls your machine holds (obviously), and how much you are willing and able to spend on keeping fresh, pressurized balls in there. My tennis center rotates as many leftover balls as they can through the machine, so there's a mix of dead, pressureless, and somewhat live balls coming out. Not ideal for replicating perfect competitive conditions, but very cost effective for the facility and suitable to my needs. I've known some people that purchased their own machines in the past, and the biggest thing that they complain about, aside from the cost, is hauling the machine around. Depending on the model you get, it can start to become a hassle to transport your machine and balls around, as well as setup and tear-down everytime you go out. As far as the ettiqute concerns: yes it can be a bit annoying to play next to but as long as you aren't constantly splaying balls into the adjacent courts it's no more noise than a chatty doubles match. If your courts have no separator like a net or small fence then regularly containing all your balls to one court will be difficult. My nearby facility has a low fence in between courts and I'll still put 1-10 out of every 150 or so balls into the adjacent court from mis-hits and rolls off the net. Anyway, I think a ball machine is a great thing to use for physical fitness, and may be good for your form if you're able to get a good recording and some good feedback, but of course will never replace match play experience. For personal use, it does come with a bit of added encumbrance and hassle when transporting it around, but of course like you say the trade-off is it allows you to hit some balls whenever you like. I think the ideal setup is renting one from your local tennis facility, since you don't have to worry about setup and tear down and can just show up at your reserved time. But if that isn't an option for you, and you have the financial freedom, it never hurts to shop around for something that might suit you.[/INST] "out!" I hate hearing that! (about my shots) </s>

<s>[INST]I'm just starting to turn this around. Just started thinking if I'm not relaxed and in the moment then all in doing is holding myself back. Because I'm so competitive though, I spin it into something like "he doesn't want me confident and relaxed, so I'll show him" kind of thing. Has been helping a lot, but still not fully there yet.[/INST] It’s different for me. I like to pump myself up. Helps me play faster and harder.</s>