Ok you know how some players have flaws but work like crazy to Improve? (Serena, Venus, Justine, Sugiyama) but others just don't want to change something even though it is preventing them from the top? (Cough: Elena Dementieva 12 DF in 2 sets? jeez)
Why is it? I mean I know its mental, but you'd think, after all the myriad of hours and god nows how many sacrifices that you'd want to be as good as you could possibly be.
Any ideas?
Oh and about Venus's second serve, this is random, but I've always maintained for someone who averages 110, her second serve average should be atleast 90. Therefore, a 20 MPH drop. Not a close to 40 MPH she was doing in Australia in 2003. But I was watching some Miami tapes yesterday and I realized something.
Carlos Moya who averages around 123 ish first serve, was only averaging in the mid to high 80's on his second serve! So its not just Venus.
But then again, it's more than just speed. And why don't women use kick serves out wide more? Woops, off topic, sorry
Venus' forehand and second serve haven't improved really.
So I wouldn't include her.
Dementieva's serve is still the same since she first came on to the tour, I don't get it either.
I think once you get the serve motion thought when you're a young kid, you keep doing it that way.
Maybe she had a bad coach when she was little and he told her to serve like that.
It's very hard to change something you've been doing wrong for ages, just ask Justine, who changed her whole service motion when the 2002 season started.
Add Aniko Kapros to the list. I hope her serve improves because she has a respectable ground game from what I saw. Likhovtseva also needs to improve her serve. Kim Clijsters needs to find a way SOON to be more aggressive at all times...
I don't know about Dementieva. Many people forget that her backhand was the laugh of the tour when she first came on to the scene, but now she has one of the hardest, flattest backhands and an awesome down the line shot. So she improved that, at least.
I'd say Mauresmo. Everything still the same as always, except her serve I think used to be good... but no longer.
I don't know about Dementieva. Many people forget that her backhand was the laugh of the tour when she first came on to the scene, but now she has one of the hardest, flattest backhands and an awesome down the line shot. So she improved that, at least.
it is not easy to improve. To improve the second serve one must have a good first serve. If you accidently made a mistake on first, but your serve is very reliable, you would hit the second with the same power. But if your 1st is unreliable, you can not use the same power, and hence have to slow it down. So peopel have to work on serves in general, and that's not easy
I don't know about Dementieva. Many people forget that her backhand was the laugh of the tour when she first came on to the scene, but now she has one of the hardest, flattest backhands and an awesome down the line shot. So she improved that, at least.
I'd say Mauresmo. Everything still the same as always, except her serve I think used to be good... but no longer.
the reason her serve was bad in 03 was because of her back and rib injuries she continued to have in the year, she wasnt able to work on it and therefore it lost form. she said she wanted to wokr on it over the off season wehn shes healthy. She just couldnt do it a lot on 03 for fear of further injury.
Myskina really needs to improve her second serve (who doesn't but for a top 10 player her second serve is awful). I know if i had a bad serve i would practice, practice, practice, asking for advices ...
In Dementieva's case, do you know how hard it is to learn a new way of serving after doing it one way your entire life? That is MASSIVELY DIFFICULT. And there is no saying she'll come out the other side with a better serve either.
But that's a little off topic. Most players don't improve because they've peaked already. Not because they don't want to. They've just gotten as good as they will be. Some don't have the desire, but they are the minority.
Venus' forehand and second serve haven't improved really.
So I wouldn't include her.
Dementieva's serve is still the same since she first came on to the tour, I don't get it either.
I think once you get the serve motion thought when you're a young kid, you keep doing it that way.
Maybe she had a bad coach when she was little and he told her to serve like that.
It's very hard to change something you've been doing wrong for ages, just ask Justine, who changed her whole service motion when the 2002 season started.
it is not easy to improve. To improve the second serve one must have a good first serve. If you accidently made a mistake on first, but your serve is very reliable, you would hit the second with the same power. But if your 1st is unreliable, you can not use the same power, and hence have to slow it down. So peopel have to work on serves in general, and that's not easy
Yes, and this points up something else. During the AO, pay attention to a stat I personally "created" that I call "SSD" (Service Speed Differential). EZ calculation: just subtract avg from max first serve.
I first began looking @ that when Serena beat Jen in the '02 Key Biscayne final. While the max speed for both was in the "near 115" area, Jen's average was ova 20 mph slower than her max, Serena's under 10.
The reason was readily apparent: with Jen's erratic toss, she could smoke it on a good one, but often just "punched it in". (Yes, on her first serve)! On the other hand, you could almost set a stopwatch by the time Serena's racquet would contact the ball.
As the "ground war" was basically even, this was clearly the deciding factor. Of course, it was the first of a 5-0 year for Serena ova Jen. Whether the latter finally "going outside the family" to fix this Works, We'll know soon enough.
I am a believer in strengthening your strengths rather than dwelling on your weakness. I believe this for ever facet of my life. In tennis I don't mean one shouldn't pay attention to their weaknesses at all but but success can still be achieved by making your strengths even stronger. every player is bound to have weaknesses anyway. Take hingis for instance, she had a great game but not enough power in her serve to make it a weapon. She found a way around it and was competing very well till she was injured. Venus second serve is weak compared to her first serve but she remains successful because she has improved her defence game, so when her second serve is attacked she can still find a way to win the point.
Everyone talks about Lindsay's mobility but when she is on you barely notice it coz she has found a way to dictate play so she doesn't have to be moved around.
In my opinion the problem is this: Improving or mainly CHANGING something is a process which in tennis, takes longer than a few months until you really acquire it.
SO.... this means that players have to compete practically every month at least once, so in the meantime it's hard for them to apply so quickly what they are changing into the competition. For example: Venus wants to change her second serve, add more spin. At first it will take A WHILE for her to really change it into what she wants and this means that if she applies what she's learning to the court it will cause her lots of mistakes, while sticking to the 'old thing' isn't THAT BAD and it does not cost her that many errors.
If you play tennis you'll understand what I'm talking about.... this si just a supposition. Maybe I'm talking total bullshit, but it seems quite logical to me.
I am a believer in strengthening your strengths rather than dwelling on your weakness. I believe this for ever facet of my life. In tennis I don't mean one shouldn't pay attention to their weaknesses at all but but success can still be achieved by making your strengths even stronger.
Indeed that (Jen's groundies, esp. the forehand, and her stamina) got her to a lot of meetings with Serena, esp. in '02. Then her weakness did her in. Marti was great against the "still raw" W/S in the late 90's. Once they added enough finesse, HER weakness would have meant continuing to lose most of the time even w/o injury.
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