I was wondering if any of you have been influenced in your own play over the years by player styles.

I remember trying as a kid to play like Mcenroe,even had a dunlop replica in wood,as would rush the net,slice the ball to death,volley as much as possible.

As I got bigger,and everyone around me became even bigger,I would be lobbed continually due to my height.
Around this time Agassi became my tennis idol,and I reverted totally to the baseline.

Got outhit and out-thought by better players.Stopped playing for a while until the Federer years,and once I returned to playing when I turned 30,I realised the way I needed to play.

Now I mix it up,probably more than Federer,as I always look to attack the net during a rally,always on the lookout for the short ball.I'm more solid from the baseline now,and due to watching Federer so much,I now have the topspin backhand to go along with my german slice backhand,so called because of Becker and Graf who hit theirs with eastern grips and not continental.

My question to you all especially those who have played for many years,is has your game remained the same or have you changed as professional tennis has moved on in styles over the years?

I've always been very defensive and I guess supporting Murray isn't the best for that but I am a lot more aggresive on the forehand now-kind of copying his fat forehand.

And my second serve is modeled on Roddick's kick 2nd serve.


Other than that I'm still the same defensive player :lol:

COuld change as I get older and start to move slower ;)

You need to serve liek Goran SG then it'll be easy! :D

Wish i could play, but no hope now. Not with ym joints anyhow. I onyl ever tried a few times, I must say it was very hard and I ached in places I did not know aching was possible :yikes:

I've modelled my forehand nowadays exclusively on the Venus forehand, thus it has it's ups and downs :lol:

I only slice the backhand too, but i feel it's a good blend in my game that i've got a big forehand and a good varied slice backhand. I'm so Graf-esque roflmao

Not a bad player to be 'esque' of dl :lol:

It's all in my mind though SB, i doubt it's how i envisage it in reality roflmao

I'm probably more Greg than Graf :sicky: roflmao

:lol:

Do you seriously never hit over your backhand DL??? I assume you have a single hander like myself. I find hitting over the backhand so much more effective, and then just use the slice either to disrupt rhythm or as a defensive shot......Is there a reason you don't hit the top spin baklhand?

Good Post Brakkus. I'd say something along what you wrote as I have always tried to dictate/attack in the game, so I tried to copy the successful attacking players from Mc, Lendl, Edberg and Federer, but above all racket technology changed my game much more than me taking decisions I think. Constant SVing for instance was dropped the days my opponents developped amazing BH...and me getting slower and tired going at the net did not help. As I never took a tennis lesson in my life, my game is not out of a text book unfortunately but Like Federer said once: "I love my game" and I can honestly say that people enjoy playing with me as I always think where I put the ball (lobs, wrong footing, angles etc...) and vice versa, I always find playing a new opponent very interesting.

Our styles say so much about our persona!

My game is attack attack attack attack like my favourites when they play well all attack.

It's just not as strong when i hit over it. I'll hit over it when in dire need, but i prefer the slice, it sets up my forehand better :shrug:

I find it better to approach the net with too as it keeps the ball now and i get easier volleys :lol:

Interesting comments here everybody,and picking up on what Tenez said about personalities.

I always with any sport,be it snooker,football,golf,or tennis,try to be as expressive as possible.For some reason I always attempt the difficult first and learn the boring basic stuff last.

Stupid I know,but my belief and confidence flows from this approach,but as I have grown older my choices while playing any game are tempered with when to push the boat out and when to take my medicine.

My playing style has changed a lot over the years too Brakkus.

I first started out in 1994 after seeing Novotna play and remembered she lost the Wimbledon final the year before which started me on the path of supporting her. I'm sure I would have gotten into tennis even if I hadn't seen her play that year but she was the one who sparked my passion.

I admired her ability at the net and the fact she was always pushing forward and some of the volleys were just :bow: that she could pull off so as you can imagine my game when I started was serve and volley, every opportunity to get to the net.
It served me well too for a good few years and I became a pretty good volleyer (I think) :unsure: with good feel and touch.

I remember getting such satisfaction having somebody trying to blast the ball past me from the baseline and the feeling from being at full stretch on the volley and pulling off a perfect drop volley.

(Good topic this Brakkus, conjuring up all sorts of feelings and memories for me I had forgotten about :ok: )

I then didn't play much when I went to university, wish I had have done though as when I say I didn't play much, I mean probs twice a year... I was probably in my early 20's the next time I played truly competitively and regularly again, although still not as often as I used to.

I found that for no good or apparent reason, my single handed slice, (could never topspin, probably followed Novotna's game way too much :P ) had now become a two handed backhand and my volleying ability had all but disappeared. Not sure where the two hander came from, I guess both of these changes were from lack of confidence when returning to play again. The slice didn't hold up as well defensively and I think the two hander compensated for the fact I couldn't really pull off what I wanted to at the net, so it became quite a good weapon and is still probably my best shot now.

My game now is pretty much from the back court, working the ball around. I can still mix the ball up well off both angles, slice topspin and flat, (never slice the forehand though) and I rely on deft shots and angles coupled with some nice brute power from my backhand even if I do so so myself :P

Serve is terrible at the moment though.. never has been great, ok in terms of power when it does go in but I haven't paid much attention recently in trying to refine it in terms of slice and topspin etc. My serve is pretty much a lower level club player standard at the mo. I like to think the rest of my game holds up well tho.

I aim to start playing a whole lot more this year too so hope to improve in all areas. :ok:

This thread has got me itching to get out on the court again...

Although I haven't played in over a year my game has never really changed.

Strong flattish serve with a small amount of kick in it and decent volleys. Come into the next after all first serves and some second serves depending on how I am playing. Backhand volley never as strong as forehand volley.

Forehand very strong especially with topspin, but never mastered taking the ball as early as I'd like. Backhand topspin not very good, but flat backahnd and slice not bad at all.

I'd love to get back on court again, but my health has held me back over the last year. I will get back there again though!!!!

It is a bugger to say the least when you can't do something you particularly enjoy due to your own body I know.

Get back out there when you can gav, surre you would still beat me :P

Has anyone on CC ever played each other do we know? I'm sure Yorkie (not seen him for a while) played somebody on here.

If there is anybody near Sheffield I'll have you a game :D

Yeah-it'd be kinda cool to have a Centre Court league :lol:

Laurie works closeby to where I live....and we have had a few rallies after exchanging DVDs of old matches. That was fun.

There was an excellent poster on the beeb (prettyvacant I believe) who took a set of Yannick Noah. He must have been pretty good. Darky I am sure is a good player too. Every time I have played again southerners, be it, Aussies, Sud africans, Argentinians they are extremely good cause they play all year round from a young age with great coaches.

Thanks for the heads up there.Im 26 now and growing up my hero was Agassi.So my game was very much modelled of his.However over the years I have increased in power and speed.My forehand is a bit of a problem,always get caught in a decision of flat and topspin then the errors start.But its a solid shot especially my off forehand,its my favourite.

My backhand.I have a 2 hander,its my strongest shot.I have modelled it over the years so many times.I swear to you guys that i can hit so many different types of two handers its not funny.My favourite technique though is Safins.I have modelled my backhand off his.Its safe,its solid and its powerful.Depending on where we play though I use different styles.I also find that Hingis's technique to be a very very effecient one and given that I have more power its really a weapon.

My game has changed over the years.I use to be intent on outplaying opponents from the baseline but I now find myself setting up myself to get into the net more.I also love playing guys that serve and volley as my coach is a classic serve and volleyer and the challenge to get the ball pass him or anyone at net is such a rush or a high for me. :ok:

Thats me guys,and yes Tenez,we play all year round.I play at least now 4 times a week. :ok:

Come over here Darky and you'll get a lesson for free from a 43 yo! ;)

My coach is about 60 Tenez and plays South African Veterans League and you need to watch him move,I get stunned at the things he can still pull off.But who would refuse a free lesson.I wanna come over to the UK for a holiday and believe me I will look you and Laurie up. ;)

This has got me thinking I might enter a tournament soon if there is one near me.

*runs off to LTA website to check*

Let us know for sure!

Does anyone know what speed they serve at??

Oh yeah I will. :ok:

I was clocked at either 115 or 125 eons ago by my local club....
my mind fails me as to which one it was and how old I was, I think I was around 24-25.
There is no way I could serve at that speed now, I could prob get just over 100 at a guess :shrug:
And that speed wasn't a consistent thing, I had a good few attempts to actually get the ball in at that speed..

Fairy nuff-my serve is more accurate than powerful but it averages around 110mph-although I'm hoping when I fill out a bit some power will be added. My second serve is about 80mph but that's just because it's a kick serve :ok:


Looking on here it seems just about eveyone is an aggressive baseline/Serve and volleyer. Seems I'm the only defensive one :lol:

Pretty good speed SG to say you are only just 16, you will be able to add some to that like you say as you get older.

All this conversation of our actual games has just spurred me on to book a court tomorrow night so cheers folks :ok:

I might try the speed gun SG too, see if I can creep over 100 :unsure:

Im not sure what mine is but its at a consistant speed over 100mph I would assume.The thing is I go more for placement not power anyway,but placement with a decent enough speed so that i dont get picked off from the returner.Speaking of returning,I love returning a serve that comes with loads of pace.The reason being is that you can use the opponents pace against him by just directing or guiding the return back with great depth. :ok:

We should run a CC tournament so i can win!! ;)

I did not mention you earlier FW but thought about you when thinking about good CC players.

Having said that I have been impressed by the tennis knowledge of some posters who actually have never or hardly picked up a racket. And like wise, I do not always agree with some pro comments.

Dude I will challenge you on that for sure :ok:

I'll challenge you both :D

No-one can survive my heavy serve and grounstrokes and speed and movement that is ninja-like. Muhahaha :cheers:

Thats what they all say bud but believe me I have battled with lots of different styles,power and talent.I love a challenge bud believe me when I say that I can play the game and quite well too. :ok:

They will be good battles then ;)

Whats your game style? Mine is baseliner predominantly aggressive 1-2 punch with either stroke but I have good court speed and flexibility so I can play good defense as well. I come into the net occasionally just to mix things up. Typical 18 year old :D

Typical 18 year old eh?

So you ain't got the guile experience and craftmanship of a wily 29 yr old?

6-4 7-5 to trisco I reckon... ;) :lol:

I'll just grind you all down ;)

Trisco you will be gasping for air by the end of the match :P

Well this convo has spurred me on well. Booked a court for tomorrow night to start getting back into the swing of things and have also just whacked out £330 :yikes: on joining a club near me. Probably worth it though as I can see this year being I year I really get back into playing regularly.

Not sure whether I should invest in a new racquet though...
Still using my trusty Yonex Hewitt one from a couple of years ago

That is ridiculous what kind of facilities does it have. I am a member of 2 clubs in England admittedly in the North but one is £85 a year for my whole family (of 4 - sister mom, dad) where there is a clubhouse, bowling green and 3 courts all usable for free 24 7 365 days a year.

The other one I get cheaper because I am 18 but it is like £60 for just me a year. There there is 4 indoor, 6 carpet outdoor, 2 hard outdoor, 2 grass outdoor, clubhouse, cafe, bar, 6 squash courts. Outdoors are free but indoor cost to book.

My club in Spain is free as well although they know me there so I can walk into a few different clubs for free.