getting the doubles alley seems like a huge spot.

I like it that I can sound cool here cuz I was at that match in montreal vs fed 2nd round (I only know cuz he beat igor first round) It was 6 and 4 not two breakers and it is important to note how emotionally swingy mens tennis is that you dont really see on tv. After leaving that match, my buddy and I were joking about how good fed is. That match was never close, and was never in doubt as fed just danced around like the road runner in the cartoon, but fed did look rusty. Sure fed can say in the post game interview, yeah I was really challenged today and I'm glad I closed it out (is he to say that everyone sucks balls expect rafa when I care?). Is it any different when the fish can't fold AA for 200 bbs, and I say yeah man, that is a tough fold when its obv im never bluffing the river? The people calling the match on TV, they are gonna sell the match as extremely close too, why would they not.

There are guys that are ranked 250 in the world too, that arent really 250 players that have been injured or whatever. A guy 250 in the world that is 25years old that has been grinding sats and challanger events has no chance vs fed, none. Just to play with fed or another great player and lose 5/4 6/4 or win a set and feel like you were in the match is a major victory. A friend I talked too with after losing to fed erupted when the top came up about what you could of done differently. The quote was "you step on court with the guy, its like playing God out there". Its an entirely different situation to know you are better and actually seal a W vs that player and that entire mental battle is so vast. Frank D is a nut case, and practice sets doesn't mean crap in many situations, but I mean no disrespect as it sounds you are well connected in the game. The levels are very close but life is all about the minor details.


As for the guy wanting to becomes a 4.5, I can't stress the importance of good sound technical teaching. If you have teacher that is good (not just someone you like, that says great shot), and you have some athletic ability and time to hit balls (say 5 days a week) you should be able to improve quickly. Year or two is very very realistic, but its about repetition of the correct thing, can't stress that enough.

Hey Brandon---are you opposed to handicapping your match with PA and playing him even money? I think it would be way more exciting as I think you could actually create a really even playing field. Throw the guy a wood racquet and you have a match. That might be a bit much for him to overcome but there are plenty of ways to create some excitement. You could still work on your game and get in shape and all that but you get the added bonus of actually competing with some pressure.

Pretty awesome thread. Don't want to derail too much but figure most of you would appreciate this read: String Theory by David Foster Wallace.

http://www.esquire.com/features/spor...ng-theory-0796

People HAVE to be doing this on purpose. This is the third time someone has brought up that article in this thread like they are doing it for the first time. Did you really miss it two times? I'm so confused if this is all a level or not.

You've got to be trolling...if not this is definitely in the running for most incorrect POTY so far.

My dad will not shut up about how he thinks they need to switch to one serve instead of two because of this.

We talk about the bet a bit on the upcoming PAD.... he preferred to do a handicapped bet for even money, because he thought that increased the choke factor. Probably true. Patrik and I have played a lot of golf for big money and have come out almost exactly even, but I would have been up a huge amount on him if not for a tendency to choke extensively in some spots. And he never chokes. Basically I would either run over him completely (highlight: won 135k at midnight golf at the lighted Angel Park course in Vegas) or I would turn a +30k EV spot into a -30k EV spot due to chokage/mental errors. Doyle says he's only met seven people in his life who didn't choke when gambling golf for big money; I think Patrik should be the eighth. BA

Respect for admitting that. I have chocked more times than I wanna remember, but that was my whole point of why handicapping is better it will put you guys in a sick spot and create some tension where otherwise I think there will be none. Additionally, if you think chocking is a problem for you in general, this is a great opportunity to work on overcoming your fears.

I must say i learned more about tennis in 20mins of reading this thread than I ever have watching it on tv.

You would have to be pretty ****** amazing to beat Nadal when given the doubles alleys. And it would take a ton of practice to be able to make effective use of the doubles alleys. If they had to play today, I think I would take Nadal over the #5 US 18-and-under, where #5 gets the doubles alleys.

The book, The Physics and Technology of Tennis, makes it clear why the doubles alleys are not as big of a spot as you would intuitively think. The act of changing the direction of the tennis ball is much more difficult than most people think. It's relatively easy to return a ball back in the direction it came from with similar pace. Changing pace is hard; changing direction is much harder.

A pro's second serve is a nasty, nasty ball. It doesn't look like much on TV, but a pro's second serve has huge overspin and sidespin and is very heavy on the returner's racquet. To just get it back down the middle with some pace and depth is tough; directing it towards the sidelines is another level of difficulty entirely. I think Nadal's ball is so ferocious in terms of pace and spin that all but the very best players have no hope of directing it toward the sidelines.

Brandon

I played Division 1 AA college tennis. Florida has some great tennis players so if you were top 50 that's pretty good and seems that if you wanted to play college tennis you could have at most non Division 1 A schools.

Assuming you haven't played much since juniors and Patrick had a legitimate shot of going pro(I have no idea how bad his injury set him back) then odds are probably like 40 to 1 against you in a best of 3 set match.

If you started each game with a 2 point advantage that should even the match fairly well and I'd be inclined to take Patrick's side of that without seeing either of you play.

You might be right but considering we are all pretty much anonymous that is a really big assumption.

in Australia...just got in from playing tennis with durrrr, peter jetten, and PA...I think Brandon is going to have a very tough match...PA is a beast...never seen Brandon play tennis though.

be in vegas this summer for the wsop. If you constantly hit a deep ball down the middle and give the guy no angle there are maybe a few handful players in the world who can beat you. Don't try to sound smart, I don't care if you've taught tennis most tennis coaches I've see are complete hacks. If you understand tennis there are only a few things you need.

1) a strong second serve, more important than a big serve or big forehand
2) ability to win cross court rallies
3) not give up the short ball

that's it you guys make it more complicated than it is. Obviously it helps to have more but if you have decent wheels these few things will make you nearly unbeatable. I've watched my old buddies play futures when they are in town. Guys can crush 130mph first serves, big forehands, have average 2nd serves but they lose to Euro, south americans all the time.

These guys don't have big serves, just a non attackable 2nd ball, not even monster forehands, just deep topspins, crosscourt all day. Sure sometimes guys crush a big forehand off a deep ball but less than 100 guys in the world can CONSISTENTLY hit a winner off a deep ball. Even at this level it's not about hitting crazy winners left and right.

Like I said be in Vegas for the wsop. I used to be a S&Ver but I'll dik around and hit loopy topspins and I'm pretty sure I'll beat you handily.

there is no way Rafa or Fed looses with the doubles alley. A guy who played at College of Desert a weird CC that gets great euro recruits. He was a practice partner during Indian Wells. He said their speed, coverage, change of direction is beyond anything one could imagine. He noted that their court was coverage so insane he almost never hit a clean winner and missed more because he seemed like the court had "shrunken".

this thread is making it hard for me to get through a poker session.

you are more experienced but he has a higher peak singles rating than you

any videos of you hitting the ball?

My father Bjorn would beat all your asses in Tennis. And doing it using a wooden racket.

Would def like to watch this

god why do I feel so ****ing pwned right now

sweet re: davis. im a huge fan.

and by huge fan, i mean i've never heard of you.

that said, it's pretty awesome that there are some real players (maybe not by top 100 standards) itt. two questions for you tres if you wouldn't mind indulging a huge fan of the sport,

1. you have a choice between giving an undefeated D3 #1 singles player either:
a) doubles alleys, or
b) x points / game.

first, for 1a, what would you say is the line on the game? (i.e. would you still give odds or would you say that's even money? or does he now have to give odds?).

second, for 1b, what's x such that you're indifferent between giving alleys and points?

for more info, assume the D3 player is still in great shape, has no gaping holes in his game, but is slightly rusty from not having many great playing opportunities and not training as much as he did in college.

2. same situation, but this time the choices are,
a) doubles alleys, or
b) you get 1 serve while he gets 3.

assuming the same line on the game as in 1a, how much better/worse for you is 2b?

rarely get a chance to ask these types of questions and me, my brother, and my roomate have different answers (though obv my roomate's answer has currently the most weight as he's the most experienced player around that i know lol).

also, what is a fair over/under on the # of times, when watching a 5 set quaterfinals+ match, that you laugh audibly at something dick enberg says lol?

finally, have you ever played troiki? my brother played w/ him when he used to take the game seriously down in florida before he quit and split sets w/ him. he said troiki was the biggest whiner he's ever played lol. still true? or has he matured?

Tres Davis is legit, he doesnt know me but I know people that know and played with him. He is more then qualified to answer anything tennis.

My question is, is this thread over when I see PA hitting at crown melbourne in real life? I don't think I need to see BA hit, he did a very good job of defining his game.

I'd take the handicap bet, not the 11-1 odds BA.

THE "Tres Davis"?? Downtown "Tres Davis"??