Tennis machine question for the tennis freaks

[Screw_Michigan]

Thinking about buying a tennis machine. Any thoughts? Any recommendations?

I have read good reviews about this one. At what price do you think I could get a good used one? $500? I would love to pay $500 for a used TennisTutor ProLite. That would make me very happy.

https://www.amazon.com/Tennis-Tutor-Pro ... B084Y7GDW9

[smackaholic]

Is it really that hard to find someone to play with you?

[Screw_Michigan]

Is it really that hard to find someone to play with you?

I play with friends or take classes once a week already. I'm in a group chat where we throw out times we want to play and typically enough people show up to play a match or two.

[Softball Bat]

It takes a lot of balls use a machine like that.

That's right.

And when you use a machine like that you really need to use it on an "isolated" court -- because it make considerable noise and balls are spraying around everywhere.
Someone on a court right next to you will not be happy.

That's not to say the use of a machine is bad.
You just need to consider how you will be using it.

I've been away from the game too long to be up to speed on what current machines are good, or are a good value, SM.


Personally, I would find a backboard to use.
A wall.

I spent a LOT of time hitting on a wall.


Anyway, enjoy your tennis!

[Mikey]

Why don’t you just hit one ball against the garage door. It always comes back.

[Carson]

Put that money toward a washer & dryer, dumbass.

[L45B]

My advice:

Watch this scene…

[Screw_Michigan]

My advice:

Watch this scene…

Haha

[Screw_Michigan]

Personally, I would find a backboard to use.
A wall.

I spent a LOT of time hitting on a wall.

What is the best way to practice on a wall?

[Softball Bat]

The wall never misses.
So when you begin to practice by hitting against the wall you will quickly discover the reason you are still losing to players you want to beat.
-- You are making too many errors --

The wall teaches you the top secret to playing winning tennis.
That is -----> you must control the ball.

When you begin to learn how to really control the ball, you are on your way to being a winner!


There are many things you can do.
Set a goal.
Decide you are going to hit 20 groundstrokes in a row without missing.
If you make it, set your sights on a higher number.

You'll find that it is a cardio workout, because at your level, most points you play only last a couple/few strokes.
When you are on the wall, the ball ALWAYS comes back at you.

I liked to be very keen on keeping my balance with each shot. Really making a point of it.
Proper footwork.

And of course you can move up very close to the wall and practice hitting volleys.
You'll need to be very quick with your hands to do this. The ball comes back at you very quickly.
It is excellent practice.



The great Jimmy Connors, still getting good wall practice at age 60!

You can see that what he is doing is purposely alternating forehands and backhands in a pattern -- rather than just hitting randomly.
Forehand, backhand, forehand, backhand...

I'm sure sometimes he just hits only forehands for a while.
Or only backhands.

There are many things you can do.







Control of the ball needs to come before power.

[Screw_Michigan]

The wall never misses.
So when you begin to practice by hitting against the wall you will quickly discover the reason you are still losing to players you want to beat.
-- You are making too many errors --

The wall teaches you the top secret to playing winning tennis.
That is -----> you must control the ball.

When you begin to learn how to really control the ball, you are on your way to being a winner!


There are many things you can do.
Set a goal.
Decide you are going to hit 20 groundstrokes in a row without missing.
If you make it, set your sights on a higher number.

You'll find that it is a cardio workout, because at your level, most points you play only last a couple/few strokes.
When you are on the wall, the ball ALWAYS comes back at you.

I liked to be very keen on keeping my balance with each shot. Really making a point of it.
Proper footwork.

And of course you can move up very close to the wall and practice hitting volleys.
You'll need to be very quick with your hands to do this. The ball comes back at you very quickly.
It is excellent practice.



The great Jimmy Connors, still getting good wall practice at age 60!

You can see that what he is doing is purposely alternating forehands and backhands in a pattern -- rather than just hitting randomly.
Forehand, backhand, forehand, backhand...

I'm sure sometimes he just hits only forehands for a while.
Or only backhands.

There are many things you can do.







Control of the ball needs to come before power.

Thanks friend! I really appreciate this. Right now I don't have much touch on my forehand. It's either cranking it and it goes out, or it hit it too lightly and it hits the net.

[Screw_Michigan]

So I walked up to the local 'hood courts today to practice. I thought they had a wall to practice on, but they didn't.

Instead, there was this moderately attractive blonde woman of English descent playing by herself. So I asked her if she wanted to practice with someone and she said sure.

Then, of course, she mentioned that she was just killing time until she had to go pick up her husband from the airport. Like clockwork. So we played for about 30 min. She was pretty good.

Will there ever be a rainbow?

[Mikey]

So I walked up to the local 'hood courts today to practice. I thought they had a wall to practice on, but they didn't.

Instead, there was this moderately attractive blonde woman of English descent playing by herself. So I asked her if she wanted to practice with someone and she said sure.

Then, of course, she mentioned that she was just killing time until she had to go pick up her husband from the airport. Like clockwork. So we played for about 30 min. She was pretty good.

Will there ever be a rainbow?

I guess you'll be stuck playing with yourself for the time being.

[Screw_Michigan]

I guess you'll be stuck playing with yourself for the time being.

[L45B]

Screwey— this could be you

[Screw_Michigan]

Jerky Boys, lol. Now there is a blast from the past.

[Softball Bat]

Right now I don't have much touch on my forehand. It's either cranking it and it goes out, or it hit it too lightly and it hits the net.

If you find a wall to use, you could try this, SM.

Stand pretty close to the wall -- about 7 or 8 ft away.
Start hitting "mini" forehands.
Very short backswing, just bumping and controlling the ball over and over against the wall.

When you get comfortable doing this, take a step or two back, so you are about 10 ft away from the wall.
Do the same thing, but notice your backswing is getting longer.
But still work on just controlling the ball.

When you are comfortably hitting steadily this way, step further back.
Etc.


It's the same principle as mastering the 2 ft putt before you try to nail the 15 footers.


Master control of the ball, and control of your swing.



Good luck with the ladies!

[Screw_Michigan]

Thanks for the tips!

[Softball Bat]

The wall

The wall...

[LTS TRN 2]

Okay, feel free not to believe this, but it's perfectly true.

In 1984 on a Friday night I was hitting on the wall of S.F.'s Moscone playground, a venerable site formerly known as Funston--with a baseball field where Joe DiMaggio played as a youth, softball fields, a putting course (no chipping allowed) and driving cages all but overrun with moss. And both basketball and tennis courts--and a nice hitting wall. And this one time--the only time ever--I was the only person on the entire playground. No one playing basketball, no tennis, no softball--everyone else apparently had dates. It was about 9:00 pm in the Spring. And just like Jimbo I was working the wall--groundies overheads, serves, repeat. And then stepping onto the court from the left of the wall (having come in a direct line from the nearby Marina SafeWay) steps Richard Ramirez himself. No question whatsoever it was him. And at that moment neither I nor anyone else knew anything about him--this was when he was occasionally laying low in S.F., before his final spree. But I was extremely apprehensive as he approached--walking right up to me. I was holding the racquet as a weapon and considering its actual force as a weapon when he said, looking at me with a sort of exaggerated manner, "You have the power," and went on across the basketball court and on up to Chestnut St. It was only later that same year in the Fall when I happened to be residing in Park Merced (owned at that time by Leona Helmsley) that Ramirez--the Night Stalker--struck only a few blocks away (Peter Pan, a gentle man) and his face became known--and I knew it was him. So...what was I doing hitting the wall and facing down serial killers when I should have been out on a date? Fair question. But that's what it takes.

[Softball Bat]

lol

RACK the story!

[L45B]

To further sound track the evolution of this thread…

[Screw_Michigan]

NEWS FLASH: For the freaks...

I'm off tomorrow and I'm renting a fukkin tennis machine. One of these VVV

rack me

[Softball Bat]

Have a good time slappin' those balls around!

[Screw_Michigan]

Have a good time slappin' those balls around!

[Softball Bat]

Did you use the machine, SM?

[Screw_Michigan]

Did you use the machine, SM?

He had to cancel because the battery wasn't holding the charge. Seems to be a problem with the Tennis Tutor line of machines.

[Screw_Michigan]

Hey Dan Vogel--Thinking of getting my racket restrung. How much does this usually cost?

I heard you should get rackets restrung a few times per year if you play multiple times per week. I have been playing at least once a week, sometimes twice, many times three times a week.

I have noticed that I have a problem hitting balls too hard. Would restringing my racket help with this? I feel like I have to almost tap it to not sail it over the baseline.

I'm having fun slapping those balls around!

[Softball Bat]

Strings loosen up the more you play with a racquet.
And when the strings are loose, the ball will fly off the racquet with more speed (and less control).

You could imagine a trampoline.
On a loose trampoline you can really get some good spring and launch yourself high.
If the trampoline is tight, you can't launch as high.

I used to play with the same set of strings in a racquet until the strings broke.
Then I would get the racquet re-strung.
I played (and taught) many hours a day, so my strings would break within a couple/few weeks.
Sometimes sooner.

But if you're playing frequently and the strings seem loose, yes, you could get the racquet re-strung.
Tell the person who is going to string the racquet that you want the string tension to be a bit tighter than what you currently have.
The might help with your problem of "hitting the ball too hard."

Since you are still a relatively new player, you could choose a "cheap" string.
No need to go high end on the strings.

As for cost, I don't know.
I've been away too long to know what it will cost you these days.

Maybe one of the other tennis voices here can weigh in on it.

[LTS TRN 2]

As far as the "trampoline" effect, consider that McEnroe strung his at a mere 48 lbs. And that's loose. And Borg strung at about 80 lbs., which is super tight. Go figure.

[Softball Bat]

Yes.

McEnroe (loose strings) had a short backswing. Very compact.
Borg (tight strings) had a large backswng.

I suspect SM has a fairly long backswing.

If you've got a long backswing and you're playing with loose strings, you're going to have a very hard time controlling the ball.

[Screw_Michigan]

Strings loosen up the more you play with a racquet.
And when the strings are loose, the ball will fly off the racquet with more speed (and less control).

You could imagine a trampoline.
On a loose trampoline you can really get some good spring and launch yourself high.
If the trampoline is tight, you can't launch as high.

I used to play with the same set of strings in a racquet until the strings broke.
Then I would get the racquet re-strung.
I played (and taught) many hours a day, so my strings would break within a couple/few weeks.
Sometimes sooner.

But if you're playing frequently and the strings seem loose, yes, you could get the racquet re-strung.
Tell the person who is going to string the racquet that you want the string tension to be a bit tighter than what you currently have.
The might help with your problem of "hitting the ball too hard."

Since you are still a relatively new player, you could choose a "cheap" string.
No need to go high end on the strings.

As for cost, I don't know.
I've been away too long to know what it will cost you these days.

Maybe one of the other tennis voices here can weigh in on it.

Thanks, friend. I finally found a real tennis shop in DC so I am happy about that. Will check out stringing.

https://tenniszoneplus.com/

[Screw_Michigan]

Hello tennis freaks. I've been playing a shitload of tennis this summer and it has been great. I have also been watching a lot of classic matches online. Would you have any suggestions for ones I should watch?

I really liked this Becker vs. Agassi match from 1992 Wimbledon. Becker's serve is crazy. How does he bend backward so far? And then he places it in the corners almost every time.

[Softball Bat]

The 1984 French Open FInal, McEnroe vs. Lendl, is a GREAT watch.

The 2008 Wimbledon Final, Federer vs. Nadal, is also epic!

[Mikey]

Becker's serve is crazy. How does he bend backward so far? And then he places it in the corners almost every time.

Seems like he bent over backwards pretty far to avoid paying taxes too. Apparently not so good at hitting the corners though.

[Screw_Michigan]

Seems like he bent over backwards pretty far to avoid paying taxes too. Apparently not so good at hitting the corners though.

Doesn't like paying taxes
Likes knocking up women in broom closets

Dude could play, though

[L45B]

Hello tennis freaks. I've been playing a shitload of tennis this summer and it has been great. I have also been watching a lot of classic matches online. Would you have any suggestions for ones I should watch?

Great job Screwey! Keep it up man! Don’t give into the Pickleball bullshit. Pickleball is for lazy bums and losers who wish they were athletic.

Some classic men’s matches you should replay, off the top of my head (my loyalties to the 80s/90s completely evident)—

‘95 Aussie Open F: Agassi vs Sampras
‘89 Roland Garros R16: Chang vs Lendl
‘91 Roland Garros F: Courier vs Agassi
‘99 Roland Garros F: Agassi vs A Medvedev
‘88, ‘89, ‘90 Wimbledon F: Becker vs Edberg (‘90 being the best, but a great rivalry)
‘92 Wimbledon F: Agassi vs Ivanisevic
‘98 Wimbledon F: Sampras vs Ivanisevic
‘01 Wimbledon F: Ivanisevic vs Rafter
‘91 US Open R16: Connors vs Krickstein
‘01 US Open QF: Sampras vs Agassi

[Screw_Michigan]

Hello tennis freaks. I've been playing a shitload of tennis this summer and it has been great. I have also been watching a lot of classic matches online. Would you have any suggestions for ones I should watch?

Great job Screwey! Keep it up man! Don’t give into the Pickleball bullshit. Pickleball is for lazy bums and losers who wish they were athletic.

Some classic men’s matches you should replay, off the top of my head (my loyalties to the 80s/90s completely evident)—

‘95 Aussie Open F: Agassi vs Sampras
‘89 Roland Garros R16: Chang vs Lendl
‘91 Roland Garros F: Courier vs Agassi
‘99 Roland Garros F: Agassi vs A Medvedev
‘88, ‘89, ‘90 Wimbledon F: Becker vs Edberg (‘90 being the best, but a great rivalry)
‘92 Wimbledon F: Agassi vs Ivanisevic
‘98 Wimbledon F: Sampras vs Ivanisevic
‘01 Wimbledon F: Ivanisevic vs Rafter
‘91 US Open R16: Connors vs Krickstein
‘01 US Open QF: Sampras vs Agassi

Great suggestions. Will certainly check them out.

[Softball Bat]

Great job Screwey! Keep it up man! Don’t give into the Pickleball bullshit. Pickleball is for lazy bums and losers who wish they were athletic.

I can understand the attraction to pickelball.

Tennis is much more difficult to play, both physically and from a skill standpoint.

But pickelball is not nearly as interesting and physically rewarding.
It is boring, simple, and very limited.

Pickelball's current popularity is another symptom of the dumbing down of America.


I was disappointed, but not surprised, to see Agassi, Roddick, McEnroe, and Chang play that dumb pickelball exhibition a few months ago.

Pitiful whores.

[L45B]

Pickelball's current popularity is another symptom of the dumbing down of America.

I was disappointed, but not surprised, to see Agassi, Roddick, McEnroe, and Chang play that dumb pickelball exhibition a few months ago.

Pitiful whores.