hi! been a long time fan of your videos. Personally, I would rather watch your videos and be inspired that perhaps someday I can do what you are doing oncourt. Than to just watch ATP videos and be in awe but feel inadequate and knowing that I could probably never attain that level of play. I love how 'zen' you are even when you are playing matches, especially when you are scrambling and hustling for a shot, but never seem to run out of time that moment you take a swing at it. Just want to ask, have you experienced choking in a match? How do you overcome it? It is through countless hours of matchplay? Or just a mental/paradigm shift as to approaching matchplay? How do you build that confidence and that mental fortitude to go about your matches? I can hit freely during rallies and practice sessions, but even in friendly matches I get so nervous that I can never take a full proper swing at the ball. Anyways, all the best to you and looking forward to your future videos!
Well, if you quit your day job and had a coach train you 8 hours a day, and then a full time team preparing your food and messaging you at night you'd have a 1% chance of being in the top 500... which only the top 50 make enough money to really live on... haha... No seriously thanks. Yes, to overcome choking/tightening up you have to have drilled a certain shot so many times that you are confident and don't even have to think about it. If you are thinking about any swing mechanics or technique the pressure will be too much. That being said, some people are naturally more confident than others. Some might require 1000 hours of training on one shot to be confident while others with natural confidence might only need 200 hours. It's a mentality some are born with.. Coaches can see it early on in youths.. .some young players just stay tight and uncertain no matter if they know the shot or not... while the more loose confident players take instruction easily and trust what they have learned. I've had a hard time overcoming this in tennis. Physically I've been able to hang generally, but letting loose and trusting my swing is very hard to do because it produces UNFORCED ERRORS and I feel like 99% of the time I can grind a player out for the win so why should I swing harder than I have to?!? One way to help this is find a player that you can definitely grind out and beat on a regular basis... but instead of grinding them out be loose and swing... you will make many more unforced errors than you are used to but understand it is part of you developing and moving to the next level. Then find a good median during the match where you are still grinding some but really swinging on the shots you have an opportunity on. Hell, you might take a lose the first few times you try it.. but it's the only way progress. One good idea before the match is to tell yourself "If I lose 0-6 0-6 I don't care today I am going to go out SWINGING"... at the end of the day losing sucks but know you are working on a long term goal and playing shitty tennis to get the Win at some point loses its appeal. (side note* going out and playing once a month and expecting to get better won't work... getting better takes commitment.. like maybe playing every other day.. or as often as possible)
Thank you so much for your well thought out and detailed reply! During matches I either hold back too much or try to 'outhit' my nerves and end up blasting shots to the backfence. Thanks for sharing the process you went through to overcome the choking/tightening under match pressure, it definitely provided me with an idea as to what I should be working on. A lot of times during matches when I tighten up I would tell myself to be confident and swing, but that hardly ever works as IMO that is 'false' confidence. But I guess like you said, just have to try to go out SWINGING and SHOW YOURSELF what you can actually do during match situations when you go out of your comfort zone of just blocking the shots back, nevermind the unforced errors, just build on the small successes along the way and use it as a stepping stone for the long term improvement, that is where true confidence comes in. (this paragraph is more of a reminder for myself haha)
I picked up a tennis racquet my junior year, practiced over the summer on Sunday afternoons and became #1 varsity singles my senior year. For the record, it was one of the biggest schools in the state, so competition was fierce. I may have lacked experience & training, but I more than made up for it in confidence. Just wanted to let you know that confidence can take you a long way. :)
Magic Cardist If You are to emotional about matches well that's in your personality and it's called anxiety, and I am sure it's not just about tennis.. normally it should manifest on other situations like in your daily life events that are adding pressure on you... it's not something that you overcome with match experience.... it's perfectly normal to get emotional before and during a tennis match and I'm sure that the more you get into that mach the anxiety goes away but sometimes it's to late.. I'm telling you this because I had the same problem...I was even smashing raquettes because I was behaving completely different comparing to a training session and I was getting crazy...so I took the decision to see a psychologist and with a little work I got to change my mental state wich had a positive impact not just on the tennis court but also in my daily life. A little advice for the tennis court...stop talking to yourself, make sure that you body is completely relaxed, shoulders down and wrists completely loose and breathe slowly. don't be to focused on yourself and don't take your eyes away from that ball..best of luck.
To those who think this is 3.5 tennis I actually do know where you are coming from but I implore you to watch the full Madison Keys vs Sloane Stephens US Open Finals match as an example of how a defensive/counter punching strategy works. On paper every shot Keys has is better than Stephens. Yes, if a power player like Madison Keys is on fire she will beat anybody, but if she is off in the slightest it's a loss. There are many ways to play the game. Cheers!!!
Hi Andrew, been watching your vids for awhile. I am a club player myself and this is definitely a 5.0 match -- the people who rated this as 3.5 tennis is kidding themselves or simply trolling. The video I posted a few years ago is along the lines of 3.0 tennis and while I have improved significantly since then (having competed at my club's B-level tournaments), I would consider myself, at best, a 4.0. Keep up the great work, Andrew, and don't let the trolls get to you.
3.5 tennis? If so, can you play for my team at Nationals this October? Pretty sure you'd win every match 6-0, 6-0. Why? Because this is not 3.5 tennis haha.
iRacer3 no one likes to see the defensive counterpuncher win. In fact, no one likes to see him play, as he is quite boring. And people will generally tend to have an opinion because there are guys like that in every club ranking and everyone has certainly played against them at some point and very likely still remember how it wasn't an enjoyable match. If that's how you want to play fine just don't expect people to come in hordes to praise your game
A lot people will come to see Djokovic and Murray... And Nadal play. They aren't coming out in hordes for 5.0 tennis, but plenty of folks here are watching. Enjoying. Learning.
I dont think Andrew is a pusher by any means. He can whack that forehand pretty hard when he chooses to, similar to Sloane- whom I find to be quite exciting to watch, especially when paired against a power player. Plus, his rally ball is pretty deep and hard to attack. I dont really see him scrambling all that often.
Nice win for you Andrew as it looked like you didn't quite have your "A" game but you grinded out the win anyway. That's a really important skill to develop. You have a remarkable capacity to learn the game during match play. The sky's the limit for you.
At first I thought these guys were about a 4.5 and then i looked carefully and they're definitely 5.0 players. Just because they're not hitting winners doesn't mean they're not 5.0+. They're really fast and play great defense and it is clay so it makes the ball that much slower. These guys would beat most 4.0's 0&0!
I think Ander would beat a lot of 4.5's 0 and 0 at this point. It might be close games, but he really understands how to play winning tennis and close out games.
Excellent victory, Andrew. Your serve is looking better indeed, you seem to have good placement. Very consistent groundstrokes, and your footwork is definitely one of your strengths. You know what type of game suits you best, and you succeed when you bring your opponent to that game. Not to demerit your victory, but clay courts suit your game much more. It would be interesting to see how the same matchup plays on hard courts. Keep it up!
yea all the nice clubs around play on clay in the warm months... during the winter I'll probably be playing more hard court I will be sure to post them
I and my tennis mates are in around 5.0 too. The yellow guy has no killing shot, but his placements at corners are superb. I am not confident to easily defeat him.
Solid win bro, quality stuff. Your serve is lookin so much better now. The other dude has a nice forehand, but you were consistent, played your game and kept your unforced errors in check. Also, that lob at 7:35 was a beaut, haha. Keep it up.
Thanks for providing information on the player you're playing. Unlike this Elliott Hirsch fraud who thinks everyone he plays is an ATP Pro who beat players ranked inside the top 200. Good match mate.
iRacer3 fair enough, a lot of collegiate players don’t want their names out there, especially since anyone can google it and find out their profiles and stuff. I noticed he isn’t very comfortable on clay, so that could’ve given you an edge in this matchup
Lol, I just checked out Elliot Hirsch because you mentioned him, and he has played Daniil Medvedev and Makarova, who are all top-notch players... I am not sure if you are referring to another video where he claims the other player is an ATP Pro when he isn't?
Samarth Bellur - The Audiocrat ahhh hirsch just now managed to hit with pros which is super cool! im referring to other players he used to randomly refer to as pros that he played with, even though they weren’t.
@@5ammy13 , just to point out your comment, he is not playing against pro players, he is a warm up hitter. And I really don't understand why pros hire him, but it seems to be true. There is another youtuber (his channel: ua-cam.com/channels/kUwlSwO05Uybj7brS8ikmA.html) he use to play some tournaments and he has been a warm up hitter for several pros including Djokovic, Tsitsipas, Kyrgios, etc...If I compare both, I understand less why some pros use Elliot...
I watch a lot of your videos man. So, this being my first comment is a bit of me being a douche. I get it. But I can't stop myself from posting it though. That other kid - his game is just so pretty. His serve is a bit bonkers, goes down in stages like a Barkley golf swing. But other than that, his overall game is superb. You beat him hands down on fitness level, but I can't get over the kid's game. Just beautiful to watch. Having said that, I LOVE watching your videos and I am not even at your level consistency-wise. I just try and finish points in 4 shots max and come to the net on crazy bad approaches, so someone like you would pass me almost ever single time. And easily at that. I'd love to get to your level.
TheAudioman15 I was expecting a much harsher comment lay into me a bit more next time!! Yea he’s definitely a product of professional training very solid game. And thanks!
Man D1 is really deep skillwise. If you watch the guys who have points and spend the summer playing futures, you will get a false sense of what D1 is). Watching guys that play for standford, OSU, virginia, etc. vs watching players form say Wayne state or Dayton is totally different even though they are all D1. All that being said, dude's good.
100% agreed. Yes, there is variation within D1 (as in any other division), but the part of the country where this guy is a D1 player has yet to be discovered.
Yeah, D1 can mean anything from 4.0 to good enough to winning a Challenger (the guy from UCLA did recently). I played D3 and have wins over D1 and D2 number 1's and 2's. I'm more surprised that he was a 4 star recruit, but my read of the match is he really doesn't play much on clay (he nearly fell often) and thought he could just massage the ball and beat Andrew. You can see him starting to try harder about 5 games or so into first set, but it was too late. Andrew played really well. Especially on passing shots, you can see he didn't panic at all, just calmly chose a target and hit it the way he normally would.
I think the biggest thing that stands out is how shallow their shots are. I played a 4.0 200pt tourney this weekend and they were blasting every shot to within an inch of the baseline with massive kick. So hard to deal with compared to these perfect "feeder" type shots. Hey, they could both still kill me in a match, but it's weird to see how safe and shallow the shots are in this match for the level.
People saying you are a bad player know NOTHING about tennis. Your ground strokes are solid as a rock, you have very few unforced errors and you know where to position the ball in the court in order to neutralize the opponents attacks. Besides, when you attack you never rush or go for the winner. I wish I could play against you, but I live in Argentina
Well said, 0m3g4s The athleticism, control, and tennis IQ is very strong -- It's a great example of what Rec players should focus on first, versus obsessing on slapping big forehands. One thing I struggled with was wrist control on the forehand side, it was an incredible/shocking breakdown during pressure situations, and sometimes inexplicably during warmups (after, say, playing awesome rallies with a D1 player just a couple days prior). Andrew's videos show you the value of early prep, and having a relaxed, laid back wrist while imparting moderate spin and great placement. I incorporated that into my strokes and have had huge improvements (along with other tips from various tennis channels). Thanks for posting these Vids, Andrew!
I want to play both of them so bad they both have a defined and unique play style with great striking. And the way they look comfortable on the clay! They should film some points in matches like this, really shows you the individual player
Dude you're such a great clay court player. You move really well and might not have the biggest shots but you work hard to win the point by getting so many balls back into play. We have the same interest too. Tennis and I have an STi too. Keep up the hard work.
About the division one thing, I personally know a division 2 national champion, from Florida, and he would kill both of these guys. But, This guy could definitely be D1 if he came from a smaller tennis state and wasn't having the best day. Andrew, you also played him perfectly for the surface and situation, props man.
Hi Andrew. Thanks for all of your video clips. Personally I really enjoy watching them and they help me look at how I play tennis (need to improve my consistency for sure). I did read some comments about you being a pusher which I don't agree with. You are consistent and have a clear strategy (backhand backhand wait for the error and move in with a drop) which works really nicely. Also, I see you hitting with more and more pace which is the next development of a tennis players game (consistency first power later). You are swinging through the shots much more and will, if you swing your hips/trunk more would add considerably more power. I particularly like the forehand return around 56 seconds. Keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing more videos. Going to have to video myself which will be very embarrassing!
I know from experience it is very hard to watch pro players who hit every shot 100mph and then try to translate that into amateur tennis. Happy my videos help translate what a more realistic approach might look like from an amateur player who only gets to play a couple times a week. Good luck!
A couple of times a week would be a luxury. Tend to have a team practice and then, if I am lucky, a team doubles match. One of the problems that I have that as I don't play enough competition tennis my level drops as my nerves increase so I have been focusing on breathing, moving and getting into the zone. Thanks
Hey Andrew!! Nice work here. Don't pay attention to any of the nay sayers here that talk shit. They're most likely good players who have great strokes on both sides of the wings but have had their asses handed to them when playing a defensive counterpuncher. I had my ass handed to me the first few times I played that type of player and I had better, more powerful strokes but not the strategy on how to win. Once I upped my fitness and net game then things changed. Too many players are base line bashers but look like a deer in the headlights when at the net. If you don't have a net game then you're going to have a very, very LOOOONNNNGGGGG match against a defensive counterpuncher.
Counter punching is just playing safe until your opponent makes an error. its about winning not fun and that garbage only flies in amateur tennis . Pro players would put the ball away and destroy counter punchers.
@@NPC-rq9tp , some part is true, but not the whole statement. Playing safe is not the right description, you have to play safe but a enough level to prevent your opponent attach you with guarantees, and doing that is not easy at all when your opponent is a good player. The best example of the best counter puncher in tennis history is Djokovic.
Honestly speaking, I like your videos. It makes more pleasure for me than watching highlights of pro. The level of your tennis is more similar to mine and also I started to play smart points since I have started watching your videos. I used to play only agressive shots. Cheers :)
What a great match to watch! And a very good quality video as always. This opponent has taken you to the limit, his pace of ball is really good, but your answers are fantasctic even you had to run and return many complicated balls, but you are fast, fit and very, very consistent...I guess your opponents end up crazy about it! Well done Andrew!
Andrew, your game is solid man. I must admit if I can game myself to be a lot looser like you, I'll win more matches and probably won't lose as bad like I do at times when I play a friend of mine which is a 5.0. Technically my strokes are like a high 5.0 but when I play matches my technics don't match my match play For a very long time, I've played tennis the wrong way. Meaning not playing the correct shots to stay in the point. As I saw your video, you're doing exactly what I'm learning and that's hitting the right shots to stay in the point. When started playing tennis my coaches worked on the technical part of my game but not the strategic part. I am currently working on actually learning how to hit the right shots when I'm faced with the situation to do so. I haven't mastered that part yet but when I do hit the right shot I see the results. Best of luck to you and your tennis!!
Andrew, great video again, you ground him out. In another comment you mentioned you were 3.5 in 2008 and now you're in 5.0. Can you tell us what the process was like (either in a comment or maybe a video!)? How often did you play and did you have a coach? Did you do a lot of drills/purposeful practice, or just matches? Been trying to see how I can improve my level and you're an inspiration!
Adam, late to the party but I may have some insight. I play at the 4.5-5.0 level and I can tell you that nothing is better for your game than playing different opponents as often as possible. Once you get to the 4.0ish level you have a strong fundamental game, along with some power and spin. I have played plenty of guys that hit the ball much harder than me, but miss often so it's just about making them hit enough shots to make a mistake. Or a serve and volley player will help you to work on your lobs and reads as to which side to pass on. Once to get to this level of tennis, especially if you are new to this level, experience is your best friend. Now don't get me wrong, lessons and drills will help with consistency and stamina, but when you are playing people at your same level, mental game is huge, along with exploiting their weaknesses and taking advantages of your strengths. Hope this helps and best of luck!
Andrew has better balance of top spin and flat thus more finishing power than Matt. Matt's shots are loopy and hard to finish off when chances come. Andrew's serve looks bit funny but Andy Roddick and so many others have their own form so that's that. Great vid.
What do you think his level would be in the Netherlands? I'm a 4 and I always wonder how American ratings compare. His technique is that of a normal 4 player, but he is so stable and fast I think he might very well be a 3.
Did you delete your answers? I saw you react but cannot find them anymore. If you're a 5.7, that would equal 3.5 -4 rating in USA according official conversion docs. Don't forget the camera makes it look slow. But if you count the seconds between each hit, you will notice the tempo is quite high.
Funkytrip73 yea i know, I deleted my comments cuz they were wrong and I shouldn't have made them, Most American players have a different play style compared to the netherlands. And yes it looks slower 'cause of the camera, I don't know what their rating would be, to be honest it doesn't look like a 3.0 (Dutch rating) but I could be totally wrong.
hehe yeah, Americans in general, especially at the 4-5 level I've been checking out on youtube, seem to have a worse technique than Dutch players, but they make less mistakes. Much more percentage tennis. Dutchies tend to go for the kill immediately. At least, that's my experience. Doubles on the other hand is more agressive (if you check out iRacer's doubles it looks like he could compete with dutch 3.somethings from the 1st class saturday leagues)
Dude you are an amazing counter-puncher probably one of the best Ive ever seen at the USTA amateur non college player. I think you have reached the pinnacle of the amateur tennis player. I was able to get to 4.5 but been stuck at that level for like 20 years LOL, so enjoy your success and keep working on your game. Only thing I would work if I were you is to develop a better and more aggressive serve. Work with an experience teaching pro and you will be unstoppable. Also if you want to explore better competition, I would start participating in USTA National Opens that is a really great experience. Ive play on various nationals from 30s to 45s and that will really test your game with the best players.
Christopher Odegard don’t confuse counter puncher with a pusher. A counter puncher still can blast winners, but he is mostly reacting to what the other guy is doing- using his speed, defensive skills and great forehand.
Great video as always. I have a couple of questions: 1 - Do you thinking posting videos of your matches throughout the years has helped improve your game? (because you can see what you are doing and also the comments you get). 2 - What are your results like against SV or first strike players of your level? I am interested to know because you have a David Ferrer style game in my humble opinion.
1. Definitely... I used to play and would win matches regularly at 3.5/4.0 level. I started to want more out of my game so I recorded a few matches and WOW I was shocked at all of the crap I was doing wrong. I've never had a coach or anything so being able to analyse my own strokes and tweak little things has helped a lot! 2. My strength is my speed/movement so SV (serve and volley) or first strike players at my level are generally easier to beat because they make too many unforced errors. At the higher level that would obviously be a different story... but I've never seen a 4.5 or below SV player have tons of success. Most 5.0+ players I face these days are younger and love playing from the baseline like I do with tons of spin.. The strings make so much spin now digging shots off your shoe laces is a tough strategy.
Hi man! Good match! Can you tell me what program do you use for editing your videos and displaying the scoreboard? (it was probably asked before but i can t find it). Thanks!
the people who think this is 3.5 are clueless. you don't miss and you seem like a pain to play especially on clay. I like your videos thanks for posting them!
Hey Andrew great match. Can you share us some info bro. what strings do you use and the tension? Your shots really has "bite" in terms of spin. You're really mastered the art of controlling when to spin and hit flat. More videos and more wins!
Hey Andrew. when I watch tennis videos of tennis players, I'm usually pretty critical of people rating themselves, having played competitively my whole life. I definitely respect your journey and type of play. This to me, at least in my area looks like the upper end of a 4.5 match. I know you are 5.0 computer rated but saw that you struggled in the 18+ season. I saw that you dominated in 4.5 at singles previously, which is why you ultimately got bumped up. Your game is definitely one that bothers the 4.5 level because youre consistent, move well, and can counterpunch. That same play at the next level, at times works, but obviously at a lower rate. So i think HIGH TRUE 4.5 (non sandbagging) would be an accurate rating for you. Hope you don't take this the wrong way, and think my analysis is fair. I think its awesome that you keep progressing and trying to compete at the higher level but I guess you have no choice now, unless you appeal your rating or get bumped down! That's the only way to get better! As for Matt Waddell's game. Im totally surprise this guy played D1, having played against college players myself. I saw that he only played one year at his college, so potentially he quit or got cut? I guess in that case, then, it wouldnt surprise me. Either way, i expected more out of his play with his "juniors" competitive experience. Good on you for beating him, you played smarter and were more patient, which you usually are in your videos. I see glimpses of what got him to a 4 star recruit, but he definitely played more like a high end 4.5 here as well. The Clay could be a factor too, slowing down his pace . Clay totally suits your style. Would love to see how you translate to hard courts against everyday hard court players. If youre ever in the Bay Area, we should have a hit.
thanks for the feedback and no offense taken here man! yea my 18+ season was tough, I went to a 3rd set tiebeaker in my first 5.0 match, played an X-ATP pro player my second match, and retired the 3rd match because it was 110 degrees lol... then the rest was doubles where I played with 4.5 partners against high level 5.0's because my team was short on players... we had a rough go haha. As you mentioned I think the clay is slowing the ball down more than you might be used to and also the movement on that surface is challenging as it is slippery for movement and makes the bounce of the ball unpredictable so everything gets slowed down as a result. I don't travel out there much but if we ever do cross paths I'd be down to play.
You have a solid game. Well done! I have two suggestions: you sometimes have to be careful about dropping the ball short and you throw that sitting slice in the middle of the court that can be attacked.
Are you 5.0 at this point? Out of the good recreational players I watch on UA-cam, you are probably by far the smartest in terms understanding your strengths and weaknesses and playing within yourself. Thanks for putting up the score. For some reason some make it a point not to. But tennis has a very unique, almost diabolical scoring system, and not allowing people to see how players perform under certain scores takes a LOT of the drama and excitement out of the sport.
Andrew, I've watched your videos more than 20. Among them, this one is the best. I love your improvement and the consistent attitude toward tennis. Keep it up. Someday, maybe I want to play tennis with you. I'm from Korea but who knows...BTW where do you live? Last time I visited SF, LA..hopefully near around LA. Anyway, good luck on your tennis bro~
I see~ keep it up Bro~ I'm around 3.0 or 3.5. My forehand is solid but backhand...and second serve...and so on.. Anyways, whenever I watch your video..it makes me practice harder with my coach. Now I'm working on volley. But it's hard....I don't know about the tennis culture? in the states but here in Korea, we normally don't play single but almost all people do doubles..I guess it's because of the size of Korea and the density. Anyway for me volley does matter...after that I'm gonna work on combination of all skills..so far I've done forehand, backhand and smashing. I took me 3years so far and maybe a couple of years more~We'll see how far I can go~ Cheers!! BTW, how long does it take for you to 5.0 from 3.0ish? just wonder...thanks
both players have very nice aspects to their game and are also consistent. i'd say they are 5.0 or better. the tall player has beautiful strokes, in terms of both serving and baseline. his drawbacks - the reason for this channel, i gather - movement not great, not catching ball early enough on bounce, not coming in when get good opportunity (thereby allowing opponent to play five feet behind baseline consistently), being less confident with his volleys and sometimes panicking when chasing ball in open court by hitting a unnecessary hard forehand slice. you can see from the hard forehand slice when running and his drop volley that he has watched and been influenced by professionals such as Federer. his feel for the game is not fully developed yet, though! his ALMOST PROFESSIONAL TECHNIQUE on his strokes (except when he lets ball get in too close to his body on both wings, which i saw happen with some regularity, and that results from a collapsing posture/late contact point) indicates a high potential mastery. he will need to work on taking the slack out of his body and game by extending himself ie playing with urgency, creating more depth on his shots and take more confident control of points to take away opportunities by his opponents to get back in the point. how old is he? the shorter player is calmer under pressure. his strokes are not as great, albeit reliable, and he does not have the advantage of the same height on his serve. he is more free-wheeling, not trying to play with preconceived notions while also having a good feel for the game. he hits deep but the ball tends to float some, which means shots could often be cut off by an aggressive opponent. he is decisive and precise, as well as quick/agile. those are his main strengths, along with his reliability. basically, he has a clean game and doesn't do a lot to beat himself. a good match, overall.
Hey, can you please put in the description who is who? I came here and couldn't really figure out who is who. Without the scoreboard, i would've been clueless. Aside from that, amazing tennis!!
the other guy's serve was pretty solid, though it seemed as though his feel were really unstable during it(the front foot specifically) when i have that issue it takes a lot of power off
I haven't played competitively on clay and by the looks of it I would suck big time. You did a great job here. May have been a different story on a faster court maybe?
Andrew - curious how you learned to hit so few unforced errors? Name of the game even on the pro level is to try to hit more winners than UE's. Pretty amazing how you rarely miss and still hit with depth.
Very well played match..... On paper most people would say a 5.0 could not beat a good D-1.... U just proved them wrong.... I am 5.0 USPTA pro and know many 5.0's that can beat a whole lot of college players ( many are ex college players themselves) ... I did it a lot myself .... Most people are clueless about skill levels in tennis.... A 5.0 that practices regularly and is fit - can over time potentially play well above that level .... It is really kind of a terminal rating in most places I have lived - to achieve 5.5 and above means much travel and tournaments usually or your in or just out of D-1 & can be D-2 college or ex-ATP.
Yeah I know man, this is really low level pussy play tbh, not sure if the guy thinks he's good even though he doesn't have any attacking play whatsoever. And would get absolutely decimated by any decent player, I'd rather watch 1890's tennis than this tbh.
darwinianpickles yea for sure I'm playing with that idea. Remember though flatter requires more power to get it deep, which requires a harder swing, which will increase errors. It's a fine line.
iRacer3 I think that a straight arm forehand like Federer and Nadal's would be a good solution. Such a swing tends to transfer more power to the ball that way. I use a straight arm myself :D
Going that route, maybe Andrew wants to play for select shots using an ATP forehand (lag and snap) as a spinnier, lower ball with some shape still. His more long WTA style forehand is good for higher deep groundstrokes rally balls, but not as good for put aways.
I actually think its flatter that requires less power to get it deeper since there is less spin to drag it short but its the lack of spin that leaves you less margin for error
do you take private lessons or do you improve by playing against other? along with that are there any videos i can watch to better improve my strategy to the game. love the videos and progress of improvement.
Your first serve is improving quite a bit. Looks like your surprised yourself on a couple of them, or were just admiring the pace for a split second lol.
appreciate it. I do really enjoy other surfaces but I feel like I can really play 100% and not get beat up on clay. Whereas hard court playing at 100% can generate a lot of wear and tear the impacts and sliding are much more harsh. I play several other sports so I don't like carrying injuries or soreness so clay allows me to go hard physically without causing injury generally.
iRacer3 yah for sure, the wear and tear is real for tennis except on clay. I grew up playing on soft clay in China but it’s hard to find clay court in Vancouver (cuz we have too much rain)
See the guy you were playing would normally be judged first glance as the better player (especially here on UA-cam). But you are what my coach would call a "match player" someone who knows how to compete and win! Many players can look good and have great technique but not know how to compete in matches. Then again it's also about match ups and what styles seem to counter one another... You aren't the type of player I like playing against for one lol. Great match!
Andrew, I have watched several of your videos! You're a great player and extremely smart in my opinion. You seem to have clear strategies when facing different opponents, and you are very patient and consistent as well. This particular surface suits you well. You move very well on it. At the beginning of this video your opponent appeared to have an overall stronger game than yours, but you stayed steady and focused on your strategy and consistency, and it paid off. It's not always about power.....anyway, excellent job and keep working on your game and improving. Are you playing w/ a pure drive racquet? What kind of string are you using in this video?Andrew, I'm originally from Argentina and I've played on clay before. I love it! I hardly ever get to play on it anymore, as we do not have this type of surface here in Utah. I've lived in UT for close to 25 years now. The game here in UT is on hard courts and super fast because of the altitude. We have to use high altitude balls, which from what I've been told we're only one of three or four states that is required to use high altitude balls for competitions. Anyway, if you're ever out this way, I'd love to hit with you. I consider myself a solid 4.5. I often hit w/ former college players, which has helped my game improve a ton over the years. It sounds like this is what you do as well. Anyway, best of luck and continue to have the passion you have for the game. Cheers!
It would be interesting to play you. I'm a former college player. I would never get in long points with you unless my goal was to lose. I watched a little of your video and it made me tired. I did notice many missed opportunities that the point should have been closed out much earlier by either one of you. I would suggest working on flattening out some of your shots when these opportunities present themselves.
Awesome video! Just a question: most of the time when you hit a backhand you play the ball right back to your opponent. Is there a reason for that? Why not hit it down the line or even short? And how do you decide when to slice a backhand and when not? It feels like most of the time a sliced backhand gives your opponent so much time to prepare and the hit a winner. Cheers from Germany!
hi! been a long time fan of your videos. Personally, I would rather watch your videos and be inspired that perhaps someday I can do what you are doing oncourt. Than to just watch ATP videos and be in awe but feel inadequate and knowing that I could probably never attain that level of play. I love how 'zen' you are even when you are playing matches, especially when you are scrambling and hustling for a shot, but never seem to run out of time that moment you take a swing at it.
Just want to ask, have you experienced choking in a match? How do you overcome it? It is through countless hours of matchplay? Or just a mental/paradigm shift as to approaching matchplay? How do you build that confidence and that mental fortitude to go about your matches? I can hit freely during rallies and practice sessions, but even in friendly matches I get so nervous that I can never take a full proper swing at the ball.
Anyways, all the best to you and looking forward to your future videos!
Well, if you quit your day job and had a coach train you 8 hours a day, and then a full time team preparing your food and messaging you at night you'd have a 1% chance of being in the top 500... which only the top 50 make enough money to really live on... haha...
No seriously thanks. Yes, to overcome choking/tightening up you have to have drilled a certain shot so many times that you are confident and don't even have to think about it. If you are thinking about any swing mechanics or technique the pressure will be too much. That being said, some people are naturally more confident than others. Some might require 1000 hours of training on one shot to be confident while others with natural confidence might only need 200 hours. It's a mentality some are born with.. Coaches can see it early on in youths.. .some young players just stay tight and uncertain no matter if they know the shot or not... while the more loose confident players take instruction easily and trust what they have learned.
I've had a hard time overcoming this in tennis. Physically I've been able to hang generally, but letting loose and trusting my swing is very hard to do because it produces UNFORCED ERRORS and I feel like 99% of the time I can grind a player out for the win so why should I swing harder than I have to?!? One way to help this is find a player that you can definitely grind out and beat on a regular basis... but instead of grinding them out be loose and swing... you will make many more unforced errors than you are used to but understand it is part of you developing and moving to the next level. Then find a good median during the match where you are still grinding some but really swinging on the shots you have an opportunity on. Hell, you might take a lose the first few times you try it.. but it's the only way progress. One good idea before the match is to tell yourself "If I lose 0-6 0-6 I don't care today I am going to go out SWINGING"... at the end of the day losing sucks but know you are working on a long term goal and playing shitty tennis to get the Win at some point loses its appeal. (side note* going out and playing once a month and expecting to get better won't work... getting better takes commitment.. like maybe playing every other day.. or as often as possible)
Thank you so much for your well thought out and detailed reply! During matches I either hold back too much or try to 'outhit' my nerves and end up blasting shots to the backfence. Thanks for sharing the process you went through to overcome the choking/tightening under match pressure, it definitely provided me with an idea as to what I should be working on.
A lot of times during matches when I tighten up I would tell myself to be confident and swing, but that hardly ever works as IMO that is 'false' confidence. But I guess like you said, just have to try to go out SWINGING and SHOW YOURSELF what you can actually do during match situations when you go out of your comfort zone of just blocking the shots back, nevermind the unforced errors, just build on the small successes along the way and use it as a stepping stone for the long term improvement, that is where true confidence comes in. (this paragraph is more of a reminder for myself haha)
I picked up a tennis racquet my junior year, practiced over the summer on Sunday afternoons and became #1 varsity singles my senior year. For the record, it was one of the biggest schools in the state, so competition was fierce. I may have lacked experience & training, but I more than made up for it in confidence. Just wanted to let you know that confidence can take you a long way. :)
Magic Cardist If You are to emotional about matches well that's in your personality and it's called anxiety, and I am sure it's not just about tennis.. normally it should manifest on other situations like in your daily life events that are adding pressure on you... it's not something that you overcome with match experience.... it's perfectly normal to get emotional before and during a tennis match and I'm sure that the more you get into that mach the anxiety goes away but sometimes it's to late.. I'm telling you this because I had the same problem...I was even smashing raquettes because I was behaving completely different comparing to a training session and I was getting crazy...so I took the decision to see a psychologist and with a little work I got to change my mental state wich had a positive impact not just on the tennis court but also in my daily life. A little advice for the tennis court...stop talking to yourself, make sure that you body is completely relaxed, shoulders down and wrists completely loose and breathe slowly. don't be to focused on yourself and don't take your eyes away from that ball..best of luck.
iRacer3 what's your reaction to federer winning the Australian open 2018???
The pop up score board better be a mainstay, keeps the viewer engaged. Great tennis btw!
To those who think this is 3.5 tennis I actually do know where you are coming from but I implore you to watch the full Madison Keys vs Sloane Stephens US Open Finals match as an example of how a defensive/counter punching strategy works. On paper every shot Keys has is better than Stephens. Yes, if a power player like Madison Keys is on fire she will beat anybody, but if she is off in the slightest it's a loss. There are many ways to play the game. Cheers!!!
Hi Andrew, been watching your vids for awhile. I am a club player myself and this is definitely a 5.0 match -- the people who rated this as 3.5 tennis is kidding themselves or simply trolling. The video I posted a few years ago is along the lines of 3.0 tennis and while I have improved significantly since then (having competed at my club's B-level tournaments), I would consider myself, at best, a 4.0. Keep up the great work, Andrew, and don't let the trolls get to you.
3.5 tennis? If so, can you play for my team at Nationals this October? Pretty sure you'd win every match 6-0, 6-0. Why? Because this is not 3.5 tennis haha.
iRacer3 no one likes to see the defensive counterpuncher win. In fact, no one likes to see him play, as he is quite boring. And people will generally tend to have an opinion because there are guys like that in every club ranking and everyone has certainly played against them at some point and very likely still remember how it wasn't an enjoyable match. If that's how you want to play fine just don't expect people to come in hordes to praise your game
A lot people will come to see Djokovic and Murray... And Nadal play. They aren't coming out in hordes for 5.0 tennis, but plenty of folks here are watching. Enjoying. Learning.
I dont think Andrew is a pusher by any means. He can whack that forehand pretty hard when he chooses to, similar to Sloane- whom I find to be quite exciting to watch, especially when paired against a power player. Plus, his rally ball is pretty deep and hard to attack. I dont really see him scrambling all that often.
Thanks for adding the scoring. No Ad scoring really sucks for competitive play though, one point can swing the entire set. I feel for your opponent.
Great inside out 4:28. Man he's got the worlds smallest split step, yet he still gets to every ball. Great win!
Hey man RVA player here too, the guy you played against actually played on my high school team and won states 3x in a row!!
Great match! This may sound rude, but I don't think the ppl saying this is 3.5 understand tennis very well lol This is clearly above average stuff
Exactly what I would expect a 5.0 match to look like.
Right, there is no way 3.5s would have a 15 shot topspin backhand-backhand rally
Nice win for you Andrew as it looked like you didn't quite have your "A" game but you grinded out the win anyway. That's a really important skill to develop. You have a remarkable capacity to learn the game during match play. The sky's the limit for you.
At first I thought these guys were about a 4.5 and then i looked carefully and they're definitely 5.0 players. Just because they're not hitting winners doesn't mean they're not 5.0+. They're really fast and play great defense and it is clay so it makes the ball that much slower. These guys would beat most 4.0's 0&0!
I think Ander would beat a lot of 4.5's 0 and 0 at this point. It might be close games, but he really understands how to play winning tennis and close out games.
Your consistency is pretty sick - well done. especially that bh rally near the end. I'd love to be able to groove bh's that consistently.
Gilles Simon would be proud
Excellent victory, Andrew. Your serve is looking better indeed, you seem to have good placement. Very consistent groundstrokes, and your footwork is definitely one of your strengths. You know what type of game suits you best, and you succeed when you bring your opponent to that game.
Not to demerit your victory, but clay courts suit your game much more. It would be interesting to see how the same matchup plays on hard courts. Keep it up!
yea all the nice clubs around play on clay in the warm months... during the winter I'll probably be playing more hard court I will be sure to post them
I and my tennis mates are in around 5.0 too. The yellow guy has no killing shot, but his placements at corners are superb. I am not confident to easily defeat him.
Your game continues to improve man! Solid playing and loving the forehand!
The depth topspin and angle these guys play is awesome great match guys!
Andrew definitely knows how to win 👍
Solid win bro, quality stuff. Your serve is lookin so much better now. The other dude has a nice forehand, but you were consistent, played your game and kept your unforced errors in check. Also, that lob at 7:35 was a beaut, haha. Keep it up.
JohnnyBunning appreciate it brosky it was a good win for me!
yeah, I agree. I watched some of the older videos and the improvement is apparent.
I forgot to mention, good job with your feet! Your footwork is really improving. Stay focused on this!
Thanks for providing information on the player you're playing. Unlike this Elliott Hirsch fraud who thinks everyone he plays is an ATP Pro who beat players ranked inside the top 200. Good match mate.
A. Thunder yea unfortunately he didn't appreciate it so I had to remove it
iRacer3 fair enough, a lot of collegiate players don’t want their names out there, especially since anyone can google it and find out their profiles and stuff. I noticed he isn’t very comfortable on clay, so that could’ve given you an edge in this matchup
Lol, I just checked out Elliot Hirsch because you mentioned him, and he has played Daniil Medvedev and Makarova, who are all top-notch players... I am not sure if you are referring to another video where he claims the other player is an ATP Pro when he isn't?
Samarth Bellur - The Audiocrat ahhh hirsch just now managed to hit with pros which is super cool! im referring to other players he used to randomly refer to as pros that he played with, even though they weren’t.
@@5ammy13 , just to point out your comment, he is not playing against pro players, he is a warm up hitter. And I really don't understand why pros hire him, but it seems to be true. There is another youtuber (his channel: ua-cam.com/channels/kUwlSwO05Uybj7brS8ikmA.html) he use to play some tournaments and he has been a warm up hitter for several pros including Djokovic, Tsitsipas, Kyrgios, etc...If I compare both, I understand less why some pros use Elliot...
I have no idea who these guys but I enjoyed the game. I am impressed with the video quality and having the score on the screen is great!
I watch a lot of your videos man. So, this being my first comment is a bit of me being a douche. I get it. But I can't stop myself from posting it though. That other kid - his game is just so pretty. His serve is a bit bonkers, goes down in stages like a Barkley golf swing. But other than that, his overall game is superb. You beat him hands down on fitness level, but I can't get over the kid's game. Just beautiful to watch. Having said that, I LOVE watching your videos and I am not even at your level consistency-wise. I just try and finish points in 4 shots max and come to the net on crazy bad approaches, so someone like you would pass me almost ever single time. And easily at that. I'd love to get to your level.
TheAudioman15 I was expecting a much harsher comment lay into me a bit more next time!! Yea he’s definitely a product of professional training very solid game. And thanks!
Great depth off the backhand side for Matt.
What a serve from Matt. Greetings from Dallas Tx.
If they are division one then I am Roger Federer
Man D1 is really deep skillwise. If you watch the guys who have points and spend the summer playing futures, you will get a false sense of what D1 is). Watching guys that play for standford, OSU, virginia, etc. vs watching players form say Wayne state or Dayton is totally different even though they are all D1.
All that being said, dude's good.
100% agreed. Yes, there is variation within D1 (as in any other division), but the part of the country where this guy is a D1 player has yet to be discovered.
Yeah, D1 can mean anything from 4.0 to good enough to winning a Challenger (the guy from UCLA did recently). I played D3 and have wins over D1 and D2 number 1's and 2's. I'm more surprised that he was a 4 star recruit, but my read of the match is he really doesn't play much on clay (he nearly fell often) and thought he could just massage the ball and beat Andrew. You can see him starting to try harder about 5 games or so into first set, but it was too late. Andrew played really well. Especially on passing shots, you can see he didn't panic at all, just calmly chose a target and hit it the way he normally would.
samurai7411 bro but he’s a 4 star. He should look more impressive, even if he is.
I think the biggest thing that stands out is how shallow their shots are. I played a 4.0 200pt tourney this weekend and they were blasting every shot to within an inch of the baseline with massive kick. So hard to deal with compared to these perfect "feeder" type shots. Hey, they could both still kill me in a match, but it's weird to see how safe and shallow the shots are in this match for the level.
Solid. Dude with the blue hat has a big forehand.
People saying you are a bad player know NOTHING about tennis. Your ground strokes are solid as a rock, you have very few unforced errors and you know where to position the ball in the court in order to neutralize the opponents attacks. Besides, when you attack you never rush or go for the winner. I wish I could play against you, but I live in Argentina
0m3g4s appreciate it!
Well said, 0m3g4s The athleticism, control, and tennis IQ is very strong -- It's a great example of what Rec players should focus on first, versus obsessing on slapping big forehands. One thing I struggled with was wrist control on the forehand side, it was an incredible/shocking breakdown during pressure situations, and sometimes inexplicably during warmups (after, say, playing awesome rallies with a D1 player just a couple days prior). Andrew's videos show you the value of early prep, and having a relaxed, laid back wrist while imparting moderate spin and great placement. I incorporated that into my strokes and have had huge improvements (along with other tips from various tennis channels). Thanks for posting these Vids, Andrew!
I want to play both of them so bad they both have a defined and unique play style with great striking. And the way they look comfortable on the clay! They should film some points in matches like this, really shows you the individual player
Dude you're such a great clay court player. You move really well and might not have the biggest shots but you work hard to win the point by getting so many balls back into play. We have the same interest too. Tennis and I have an STi too. Keep up the hard work.
thanks and big-ups to you!!
It's the consistency that let's Andrew beat a lot of these good players. Great match
Great video man. Fitness and consistency win out over sheer talent
About the division one thing, I personally know a division 2 national champion, from Florida, and he would kill both of these guys. But, This guy could definitely be D1 if he came from a smaller tennis state and wasn't having the best day. Andrew, you also played him perfectly for the surface and situation, props man.
Very fun to watch!
nice win.
I enjoyed it, quality match, you've got excellent footwork, well done
Hi Andrew. Thanks for all of your video clips. Personally I really enjoy watching them and they help me look at how I play tennis (need to improve my consistency for sure).
I did read some comments about you being a pusher which I don't agree with. You are consistent and have a clear strategy (backhand backhand wait for the error and move in with a drop) which works really nicely. Also, I see you hitting with more and more pace which is the next development of a tennis players game (consistency first power later). You are swinging through the shots much more and will, if you swing your hips/trunk more would add considerably more power. I particularly like the forehand return around 56 seconds. Keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing more videos. Going to have to video myself which will be very embarrassing!
I know from experience it is very hard to watch pro players who hit every shot 100mph and then try to translate that into amateur tennis. Happy my videos help translate what a more realistic approach might look like from an amateur player who only gets to play a couple times a week. Good luck!
A couple of times a week would be a luxury. Tend to have a team practice and then, if I am lucky, a team doubles match. One of the problems that I have that as I don't play enough competition tennis my level drops as my nerves increase so I have been focusing on breathing, moving and getting into the zone. Thanks
Very nice match, thanks to share!
Matt has a similar forehand to myself, but man am I envious of his backhand. Also love your serve Andrew.
Hey Andrew!! Nice work here. Don't pay attention to any of the nay sayers here that talk shit. They're most likely good players who have great strokes on both sides of the wings but have had their asses handed to them when playing a defensive counterpuncher. I had my ass handed to me the first few times I played that type of player and I had better, more powerful strokes but not the strategy on how to win. Once I upped my fitness and net game then things changed.
Too many players are base line bashers but look like a deer in the headlights when at the net. If you don't have a net game then you're going to have a very, very LOOOONNNNGGGGG match against a defensive counterpuncher.
Counter punching is just playing safe until your opponent makes an error. its about winning not fun and that garbage only flies in amateur tennis . Pro players would put the ball away and destroy counter punchers.
@@NPC-rq9tp , some part is true, but not the whole statement. Playing safe is not the right description, you have to play safe but a enough level to prevent your opponent attach you with guarantees, and doing that is not easy at all when your opponent is a good player. The best example of the best counter puncher in tennis history is Djokovic.
Honestly speaking, I like your videos. It makes more pleasure for me than watching highlights of pro. The level of your tennis is more similar to mine and also I started to play smart points since I have started watching your videos. I used to play only agressive shots. Cheers :)
What a slippery court! Grey shirt seemed to struggle keeping balance. Great tennis!
Very good control and power chain!
What a great match to watch! And a very good quality video as always. This opponent has taken you to the limit, his pace of ball is really good, but your answers are fantasctic even you had to run and return many complicated balls, but you are fast, fit and very, very consistent...I guess your opponents end up crazy about it! Well done Andrew!
Andrew, your game is solid man. I must admit if I can game myself to be a lot looser like you, I'll win more matches and probably won't lose as bad like I do at times when I play a friend of mine which is a 5.0. Technically my strokes are like a high 5.0 but when I play matches my technics don't match my match play For a very long time, I've played tennis the wrong way. Meaning not playing the correct shots to stay in the point. As I saw your video, you're doing exactly what I'm learning and that's hitting the right shots to stay in the point. When started playing tennis my coaches worked on the technical part of my game but not the strategic part. I am currently working on actually learning how to hit the right shots when I'm faced with the situation to do so. I haven't mastered that part yet but when I do hit the right shot I see the results. Best of luck to you and your tennis!!
Great tennis, excelent technique and well used strategy from both players. Thanks for sharing the vid.
Cool. Nice control without the need to blast every ball.
please play more against this guy
Andrew, great video again, you ground him out. In another comment you mentioned you were 3.5 in 2008 and now you're in 5.0. Can you tell us what the process was like (either in a comment or maybe a video!)? How often did you play and did you have a coach? Did you do a lot of drills/purposeful practice, or just matches? Been trying to see how I can improve my level and you're an inspiration!
Adam, late to the party but I may have some insight. I play at the 4.5-5.0 level and I can tell you that nothing is better for your game than playing different opponents as often as possible. Once you get to the 4.0ish level you have a strong fundamental game, along with some power and spin. I have played plenty of guys that hit the ball much harder than me, but miss often so it's just about making them hit enough shots to make a mistake. Or a serve and volley player will help you to work on your lobs and reads as to which side to pass on. Once to get to this level of tennis, especially if you are new to this level, experience is your best friend. Now don't get me wrong, lessons and drills will help with consistency and stamina, but when you are playing people at your same level, mental game is huge, along with exploiting their weaknesses and taking advantages of your strengths. Hope this helps and best of luck!
Ramsey Hurst thanks! I'll keep that in mind for the future, I tend to play a small group of people at my club at this point.
Andrew has better balance of top spin and flat thus more finishing power than Matt. Matt's shots are loopy and hard to finish off when chances come. Andrew's serve looks bit funny but Andy Roddick and so many others have their own form so that's that. Great vid.
Fun to watch, nice match!
Yess a new vid! Liked before watching❤️
Edit: oh Nice you put the scores in the screen, Thx bro
Cheers from the Netherlands
What do you think his level would be in the Netherlands? I'm a 4 and I always wonder how American ratings compare. His technique is that of a normal 4 player, but he is so stable and fast I think he might very well be a 3.
Did you delete your answers? I saw you react but cannot find them anymore. If you're a 5.7, that would equal 3.5 -4 rating in USA according official conversion docs. Don't forget the camera makes it look slow. But if you count the seconds between each hit, you will notice the tempo is quite high.
Funkytrip73 yea i know, I deleted my comments cuz they were wrong and I shouldn't have made them, Most American players have a different play style compared to the netherlands. And yes it looks slower 'cause of the camera, I don't know what their rating would be, to be honest it doesn't look like a 3.0 (Dutch rating) but I could be totally wrong.
hehe yeah, Americans in general, especially at the 4-5 level I've been checking out on youtube, seem to have a worse technique than Dutch players, but they make less mistakes. Much more percentage tennis. Dutchies tend to go for the kill immediately. At least, that's my experience. Doubles on the other hand is more agressive (if you check out iRacer's doubles it looks like he could compete with dutch 3.somethings from the 1st class saturday leagues)
Great passing shots
Dude you are an amazing counter-puncher probably one of the best Ive ever seen at the USTA amateur non college player. I think you have reached the pinnacle of the amateur tennis player. I was able to get to 4.5 but been stuck at that level for like 20 years LOL, so enjoy your success and keep working on your game. Only thing I would work if I were you is to develop a better and more aggressive serve. Work with an experience teaching pro and you will be unstoppable. Also if you want to explore better competition, I would start participating in USTA National Opens that is a really great experience. Ive play on various nationals from 30s to 45s and that will really test your game with the best players.
I appreciate it and good advice thanks.
Christopher Odegard don’t confuse counter puncher with a pusher. A counter puncher still can blast winners, but he is mostly reacting to what the other guy is doing- using his speed, defensive skills and great forehand.
I see him as a Simon LOL still bad ass in my book, joking aside agree with you.
Great video as always. I have a couple of questions: 1 - Do you thinking posting videos of your matches throughout the years has helped improve your game? (because you can see what you are doing and also the comments you get). 2 - What are your results like against SV or first strike players of your level? I am interested to know because you have a David Ferrer style game in my humble opinion.
1. Definitely... I used to play and would win matches regularly at 3.5/4.0 level. I started to want more out of my game so I recorded a few matches and WOW I was shocked at all of the crap I was doing wrong. I've never had a coach or anything so being able to analyse my own strokes and tweak little things has helped a lot!
2. My strength is my speed/movement so SV (serve and volley) or first strike players at my level are generally easier to beat because they make too many unforced errors. At the higher level that would obviously be a different story... but I've never seen a 4.5 or below SV player have tons of success. Most 5.0+ players I face these days are younger and love playing from the baseline like I do with tons of spin.. The strings make so much spin now digging shots off your shoe laces is a tough strategy.
Hi man! Good match! Can you tell me what program do you use for editing your videos and displaying the scoreboard? (it was probably asked before but i can t find it). Thanks!
I am using gopro studio for all of the editing
the people who think this is 3.5 are clueless. you don't miss and you seem like a pain to play especially on clay. I like your videos thanks for posting them!
Mind giving us a serve tutorial? Your motion is very consistent
Good job Andrew Kristensen!
Hey Andrew great match. Can you share us some info bro. what strings do you use and the tension? Your shots really has "bite" in terms of spin. You're really mastered the art of controlling when to spin and hit flat. More videos and more wins!
Francis Lirios thanks, check out the description that's where I put all the info regarding the gear in using.
The difference is the speed of both player.
Love that 2 handed backhand. I could see you taking it earlier, and making it a weapon
Andrew has the game I dream about.
that match was power vs consistent
andrew is consistent
matt is power
Hey Andrew. when I watch tennis videos of tennis players, I'm usually pretty critical of people rating themselves, having played competitively my whole life. I definitely respect your journey and type of play. This to me, at least in my area looks like the upper end of a 4.5 match. I know you are 5.0 computer rated but saw that you struggled in the 18+ season. I saw that you dominated in 4.5 at singles previously, which is why you ultimately got bumped up. Your game is definitely one that bothers the 4.5 level because youre consistent, move well, and can counterpunch. That same play at the next level, at times works, but obviously at a lower rate. So i think HIGH TRUE 4.5 (non sandbagging) would be an accurate rating for you. Hope you don't take this the wrong way, and think my analysis is fair. I think its awesome that you keep progressing and trying to compete at the higher level but I guess you have no choice now, unless you appeal your rating or get bumped down! That's the only way to get better! As for Matt Waddell's game. Im totally surprise this guy played D1, having played against college players myself. I saw that he only played one year at his college, so potentially he quit or got cut? I guess in that case, then, it wouldnt surprise me. Either way, i expected more out of his play with his "juniors" competitive experience. Good on you for beating him, you played smarter and were more patient, which you usually are in your videos. I see glimpses of what got him to a 4 star recruit, but he definitely played more like a high end 4.5 here as well. The Clay could be a factor too, slowing down his pace . Clay totally suits your style. Would love to see how you translate to hard courts against everyday hard court players. If youre ever in the Bay Area, we should have a hit.
thanks for the feedback and no offense taken here man! yea my 18+ season was tough, I went to a 3rd set tiebeaker in my first 5.0 match, played an X-ATP pro player my second match, and retired the 3rd match because it was 110 degrees lol... then the rest was doubles where I played with 4.5 partners against high level 5.0's because my team was short on players... we had a rough go haha. As you mentioned I think the clay is slowing the ball down more than you might be used to and also the movement on that surface is challenging as it is slippery for movement and makes the bounce of the ball unpredictable so everything gets slowed down as a result. I don't travel out there much but if we ever do cross paths I'd be down to play.
Great video for the content. But I remember D1 was a whole lot better but I could be wrong
You have a solid game. Well done! I have two suggestions: you sometimes have to be careful about dropping the ball short and you throw that sitting slice in the middle of the court that can be attacked.
Are you 5.0 at this point? Out of the good recreational players I watch on UA-cam, you are probably by far the smartest in terms understanding your strengths and weaknesses and playing within yourself. Thanks for putting up the score. For some reason some make it a point not to. But tennis has a very unique, almost diabolical scoring system, and not allowing people to see how players perform under certain scores takes a LOT of the drama and excitement out of the sport.
In which state is this guy a 5.0?
Andrew, I've watched your videos more than 20. Among them, this one is the best. I love your improvement and the consistent attitude toward tennis. Keep it up. Someday, maybe I want to play tennis with you. I'm from Korea but who knows...BTW where do you live? Last time I visited SF, LA..hopefully near around LA. Anyway, good luck on your tennis bro~
very cool I appreciate it! I am on the East coast in Virginia
I see~ keep it up Bro~ I'm around 3.0 or 3.5. My forehand is solid but backhand...and second serve...and so on.. Anyways, whenever I watch your video..it makes me practice harder with my coach. Now I'm working on volley. But it's hard....I don't know about the tennis culture? in the states but here in Korea, we normally don't play single but almost all people do doubles..I guess it's because of the size of Korea and the density. Anyway for me volley does matter...after that I'm gonna work on combination of all skills..so far I've done forehand, backhand and smashing. I took me 3years so far and maybe a couple of years more~We'll see how far I can go~ Cheers!! BTW, how long does it take for you to 5.0 from 3.0ish? just wonder...thanks
both players have very nice aspects to their game and are also consistent.
i'd say they are 5.0 or better.
the tall player has beautiful strokes, in terms of both serving and baseline. his drawbacks - the reason for this channel, i gather - movement not great, not catching ball early enough on bounce, not coming in when get good opportunity (thereby allowing opponent to play five feet behind baseline consistently), being less confident with his volleys and sometimes panicking when chasing ball in open court by hitting a unnecessary hard forehand slice. you can see from the hard forehand slice when running and his drop volley that he has watched and been influenced by professionals such as Federer. his feel for the game is not fully developed yet, though! his ALMOST PROFESSIONAL TECHNIQUE on his strokes (except when he lets ball get in too close to his body on both wings, which i saw happen with some regularity, and that results from a collapsing posture/late contact point) indicates a high potential mastery. he will need to work on taking the slack out of his body and game by extending himself ie playing with urgency, creating more depth on his shots and take more confident control of points to take away opportunities by his opponents to get back in the point.
how old is he?
the shorter player is calmer under pressure. his strokes are not as great, albeit reliable, and he does not have the advantage of the same height on his serve. he is more free-wheeling, not trying to play with preconceived notions while also having a good feel for the game. he hits deep but the ball tends to float some, which means shots could often be cut off by an aggressive opponent. he is decisive and precise, as well as quick/agile. those are his main strengths, along with his reliability. basically, he has a clean game and doesn't do a lot to beat himself.
a good match, overall.
Nice match! thanks for sharing!
Hey, can you please put in the description who is who? I came here and couldn't really figure out who is who. Without the scoreboard, i would've been clueless. Aside from that, amazing tennis!!
Belligerent Train good call I'll update description
Belligerent Train thanks!
Would like to know which school he went to, plus most of college players don’t play on hardtru very often if ever
I'm genuinely surprised that a (former) D1 player wouldn't be hitting more kick on his serve, especially on a hartru court like that
the other guy's serve was pretty solid, though it seemed as though his feel were really unstable during it(the front foot specifically) when i have that issue it takes a lot of power off
crazy solid match. i would in awe if i passed by.
The point at 4:25 was incredible by Andrew!!!
Nice match. It seems very good level to my eye. I would like to see more drop shots or lobs, though. :)
I can see why he’s no 1. Great strategic play and understanding of the clay surface. His opponent is just playing typical hard court strat...
Also. They both foot fault in serve constantly...
I haven't played competitively on clay and by the looks of it I would suck big time. You did a great job here. May have been a different story on a faster court maybe?
Andrew's footworks are way better than the oppenent, while both has similar level in theit shot skill
Andrew - curious how you learned to hit so few unforced errors? Name of the game even on the pro level is to try to hit more winners than UE's. Pretty amazing how you rarely miss and still hit with depth.
Very enjoyable to watch! What's the surface they're playing on called?
appreciate it... it's hartru surface.. if maintained well it is very similar to red clay... but if left too long its can get VERY dry and slippery.
Very well played match..... On paper most people would say a 5.0 could not beat a good D-1.... U just proved them wrong.... I am 5.0 USPTA pro and know many 5.0's that can beat a whole lot of college players ( many are ex college players themselves) ... I did it a lot myself .... Most people are clueless about skill levels in tennis.... A 5.0 that practices regularly and is fit - can over time potentially play well above that level .... It is really kind of a terminal rating in most places I have lived - to achieve 5.5 and above means much travel and tournaments usually or your in or just out of D-1 & can be D-2 college or ex-ATP.
Love Andrew
Says "too good" after the opponent hits a winner while consitantly serving weak serves at his forehand and playing at the middle of the court
Yeah I know man, this is really low level pussy play tbh, not sure if the guy thinks he's good even though he doesn't have any attacking play whatsoever. And would get absolutely decimated by any decent player, I'd rather watch 1890's tennis than this tbh.
Hey Andrew, nice play as usual. However, I think it will be useful to add flatter groundstrokes to your arsenal, as your shots seem rather floaty.
darwinianpickles yea for sure I'm playing with that idea. Remember though flatter requires more power to get it deep, which requires a harder swing, which will increase errors. It's a fine line.
iRacer3 I think that a straight arm forehand like Federer and Nadal's would be a good solution. Such a swing tends to transfer more power to the ball that way. I use a straight arm myself :D
Going that route, maybe Andrew wants to play for select shots using an ATP forehand (lag and snap) as a spinnier, lower ball with some shape still. His more long WTA style forehand is good for higher deep groundstrokes rally balls, but not as good for put aways.
I actually think its flatter that requires less power to get it deeper since there is less spin to drag it short but its the lack of spin that leaves you less margin for error
What’s this type of surface called? If it’s clay, what type of clay?
I wonder how you'd do on grass. Slower surfaces really make you a nightmare.
do you take private lessons or do you improve by playing against other? along with that are there any videos i can watch to better improve my strategy to the game. love the videos and progress of improvement.
Matt is clearly the more complete player, better serve, more efficient net play and court utilisation. Andrew defends well.
Your first serve is improving quite a bit. Looks like your surprised yourself on a couple of them, or were just admiring the pace for a split second lol.
Great match Andrew! Since you are such a good mover and counter puncher, would you consider clay to be your best court?
appreciate it. I do really enjoy other surfaces but I feel like I can really play 100% and not get beat up on clay. Whereas hard court playing at 100% can generate a lot of wear and tear the impacts and sliding are much more harsh. I play several other sports so I don't like carrying injuries or soreness so clay allows me to go hard physically without causing injury generally.
iRacer3 yah for sure, the wear and tear is real for tennis except on clay. I grew up playing on soft clay in China but it’s hard to find clay court in Vancouver (cuz we have too much rain)
What do you call that powdery stuff on the ground?
Have yo thought about a one handed backhand.?
See the guy you were playing would normally be judged first glance as the better player (especially here on UA-cam). But you are what my coach would call a "match player" someone who knows how to compete and win! Many players can look good and have great technique but not know how to compete in matches. Then again it's also about match ups and what styles seem to counter one another... You aren't the type of player I like playing against for one lol. Great match!
Cool vid. What does 5.0 mean? Here in Australia our system is 10 = beginner and 1+ = elite.
5.0 is equivalent to Division I college players
Thanks. That's a pretty good standard then.
Andrew, I have watched several of your videos! You're a great player and extremely smart in my opinion. You seem to have clear strategies when facing different opponents, and you are very patient and consistent as well. This particular surface suits you well. You move very well on it. At the beginning of this video your opponent appeared to have an overall stronger game than yours, but you stayed steady and focused on your strategy and consistency, and it paid off. It's not always about power.....anyway, excellent job and keep working on your game and improving. Are you playing w/ a pure drive racquet? What kind of string are you using in this video?Andrew, I'm originally from Argentina and I've played on clay before. I love it! I hardly ever get to play on it anymore, as we do not have this type of surface here in Utah. I've lived in UT for close to 25 years now. The game here in UT is on hard courts and super fast because of the altitude. We have to use high altitude balls, which from what I've been told we're only one of three or four states that is required to use high altitude balls for competitions. Anyway, if you're ever out this way, I'd love to hit with you. I consider myself a solid 4.5. I often hit w/ former college players, which has helped my game improve a ton over the years. It sounds like this is what you do as well. Anyway, best of luck and continue to have the passion you have for the game. Cheers!
It would be interesting to play you. I'm a former college player. I would never get in long points with you unless my goal was to lose. I watched a little of your video and it made me tired. I did notice many missed opportunities that the point should have been closed out much earlier by either one of you. I would suggest working on flattening out some of your shots when these opportunities present themselves.
Awesome video! Just a question: most of the time when you hit a backhand you play the ball right back to your opponent. Is there a reason for that? Why not hit it down the line or even short?
And how do you decide when to slice a backhand and when not? It feels like most of the time a sliced backhand gives your opponent so much time to prepare and the hit a winner.
Cheers from Germany!
Hey Andrew, where in Virginia are you located?
% pls Richmond what's good?
Killer topspin