Thoughts about Tennis Tradition...

[don_budge]

sherlock_holmes…on Borg's case

I found Borg's comeback embarrassing to watch. Not only was he a shadow of the player he once was, he was also using an antique racket that left him with no chance whatsoever of beating anyone. It broke my heart. Borg seemed totally unperturbed. He didn't seem to care less.

This video is just a teaser. Just tangentially broaching the sacred subject.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7hfZDvlR1o

Not so much embarrassing but perplexing nonetheless. Why the wood racquet? I won't quit until I get to the bottom of this one. I think I have an idea about how to get close enough to Bjorn to ask him the 60,000 dollar question. His son is playing tournaments here in Sweden. He showed up at one that wasn't so far away and a couple of my kids got things autographed by him. On the case…sherlock_holmes.

[don_budge]

The Swedish Psyche…The Iconic Björn Borg

What's that old saying? You have to learn the rules before you can break them...

Inexplicable...why Borg chose to make a comeback, inexplicable how he chose to do it with wood.

I'll tell you a true story: Back in the mid eighties when working in a tourist resort in the Algarve, Portugal, I coached a former executive from Donnay. Donnay just had recently gone bust.

He told me Donnay had put all their eggs in one basket with Borg. Borg was making them a fortune and so they gave him whatever he wanted. When they made suggestions to Borg that he might try newer technology, he wasn't interested. As a result, Donnay didn't bother to invest as heavily as other racket companies in newer technology because the world's most bankable player showed no interest in its benefits, none.

The Donnay executive told me that Borg was similar in other areas of the bandwagon. Borg always insisted on wearing his pinstripe FILA shirt at Wimbledon. He liked to wear the same shorts and disliked changing his style of Diadora shoes too often either. Borg liked things to always remain the same.

Borg's stubbornness stopped the companies associated with him from progressing. Donnay went bust when Borg suddenly walked out of the game, leaving them stranded with their antiquated rackets. Donnay had counted on Borg being around another five years. The executive lost his job and didn't have too many good things to say of Borg, nor Donnay's "eggs in one basket" decision making.

I did find it understandable why Borg eight years later returned to the game saying he "needed to play tennis". I kind of got that. What I couldn't understand is why he insisted on using a wooden racket. Wooden rackets had ceased to be manufactured by then so he had to commission a company in England to make him 500 rackets made from ash...Donnay rackets were made from ash.

I found Borg's comeback embarrassing to watch. Not only was he a shadow of the player he once was, he was also using an antique racket that left him with no chance whatsoever of beating anyone. It broke my heart. Borg seemed totally unperturbed. He didn't seem to care less.

Thanks for your very fine post and it truly is a great story! You might substitute "Swedishness" for "stubbornness" in Borg's case. For most of the tennis world Björn Borg is an enigma. One of the keys to understanding Borg is understanding the "Swedish Psyche" which is truly a unique cultural pearl. Swedish people ask me all the time…do you find Swedish people odd?

Now that I understand the "Swedish Psyche" I truly understand the inner workings of Björn Borg much better. It wasn't so much that he was such a great sport or that he was calm. He was just being Swedish. A Swede doesn't want to draw too much attention to himself and God forbid…be involved in anything remotely controversial. But there is also the paradoxical complement to the "Swedish Psyche" and that is the inner Viking. Obviously Borg had this connection in his DNA as well as his culturally engineered social personna. He blended the two to perfection and came up with the perfect tennis personality. An iconic version all of himself. The Borg Version.

Borg's fixation with the wooden racquets is perfectly understandable. Swede's have this fixated idea about tradition and there isn't any wavering or waffling in their adherence to certain fixed fundamentals. I believe that Borg began working his way up the ladder basically at the very same time that tennis went "Open". His foundation was in the Classic Game even though he certainly gave it his own artistic interpretation. The two handed backhand and the strong gripped forehand…the forerunner of the modern game. His foundation was deeply entrenched in the white clothes, white balls and wooden racquets and that is precisely the manner in which he ate his way up the food chain in the professional game of tennis.

His exit coincidentally came at a time when the dyke burst in tennis and the whole game went to the new equipment. The leaking started sometime in the mid 70's and gradually it was leaking like a sieve until it burst wide open. He left just before the burst. His timing proved that he was somewhat ahead of the game and knew what was coming. All of the top players felt this reverence for the traditional and classic game and the equipment was a huge part of this. The new equipment was a blasphemy to those that were on the top of the mountain and they were defending the integrity of the sport against the hordes trying to take their spot at the top. There was John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl and Björn Borg at the top waving their little wands at the intruders howitzers. Much as you see in this video of Thomas Högstedt and Björn practicing. A combination of some rust and the artificial advantage that Hogstedt has on account of his equipment renders the once god-like Borg to look somewhat amateurish. As you yourself noted in the Connors clip…there was no place Connors could go to get the invincible Swede off balance.

Surely it was a combination of things that led Björn to quit the game prematurely. But paramount was his feeling that he had been gyped out of his legacy by the engineering and the money that equated too.

Thanks for your invaluable insight into the workings of Donnay and Borg. Obviously the two fates went hand in hand and shame on Donnay for not knowing Björn better than that. But on the other hand the cool arctic Swedish psyche is virtually impenetrable from the outside. I am on the inside just a bit…the Swedes here cut me the "McEnroe Pass" as it is. I continue to amuse them but must maintain caution to not upset their Swedish sensibility. It is important to know the difference between a VIP and being a guest.

[bottle]

What a story! That should add to anyone's knowledge of the subject.

[stotty]

Donnay and Borg

Watch Borg's footwork in this practice video…particularly on the forehand side. For all of his reputation of hitting open stance the fact of the matter is entirely different. His reputation was also as a backcourt player but in any match that I have ever seen of his he is always taking advantage of any invitation to go to the net.

What's that old saying? You have to learn the rules before you can break them...

Borg is using his standard sized wooden Donnay and Hogstedt has the new state of the art oversized graphite. In the hands of a professional this advantage is obvious between the two. In one rally Borg is pinned on his backhand side and he hits very defensive slice backhands. He is overwhelmed by the power of Hogstedt. Borg is only aiming for the middle part of the court and Hogstedt is pounding it into the corners.

Inexplicable...why Borg chose to make a comeback, inexplicable how he chose to do it with wood.

I'll tell you a true story: Back in the mid eighties when working in a tourist resort in the Algarve, Portugal, I coached a former executive from Donnay. Donnay just had recently gone bust.

He told me Donnay had put all their eggs in one basket with Borg. Borg was making them a fortune and so they gave him whatever he wanted. When they made suggestions to Borg that he might try newer technology, he wasn't interested. As a result, Donnay didn't bother to invest as heavily as other racket companies in newer technology because the world's most bankable player showed no interest in its benefits, none.

The Donnay executive told me that Borg was similar in other areas of the bandwagon. Borg always insisted on wearing his pinstripe FILA shirt at Wimbledon. He liked to wear the same shorts and disliked changing his style of Diadora shoes too often either. Borg liked things to always remain the same.

Borg's stubbornness stopped the companies associated with him from progressing. Donnay went bust when Borg suddenly walked out of the game, leaving them stranded with their antiquated rackets. Donnay had counted on Borg being around another five years. The executive lost his job and didn't have too many good things to say of Borg, nor Donnay's "eggs in one basket" decision making.

I did find it understandable why Borg eight years later returned to the game saying he "needed to play tennis". I kind of got that. What I couldn't understand is why he insisted on using a wooden racket. Wooden rackets had ceased to be manufactured by then so he had to commission a company in England to make him 500 rackets made from ash...Donnay rackets were made from ash.

I found Borg's comeback embarrassing to watch. Not only was he a shadow of the player he once was, he was also using an antique racket that left him with no chance whatsoever of beating anyone. It broke my heart. Borg seemed totally unperturbed. He didn't seem to care less.

[don_budge]

The Day the Music (Tennis) Died...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsZFiMo8TIc

"American Pie"…Don McLean

A long, long time ago
I can still remember how that music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while

But February made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn't take one more step

I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died

So bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
Now do you believe in rock and roll?
Can music save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?

Well, I know that you're in love with him
'Cause I saw you dancin' in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues

I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died

I started singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

Now for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin' stone
But that's not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the king and queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
And a voice that came from you and me

Oh, and while the king was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned

And while Lenin read a book on Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died

We were singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
It landed foul on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast

Now the halftime air was sweet perfume
While the sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance

'Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?

We started singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
And singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again
So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
'Cause fire is the devil's only friend

Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in Hell
Could break that Satan's spell

And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died

He was singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
And singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn't play

And in the streets, the children screamed
The lovers cried and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken

And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died

And they were singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

They were singing bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
And singin' this'll be the day that I die


Something touched me deep inside and I knew that I was out of luck…the day that tennis died.

[don_budge]

See the path cut by the moon...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-Db7U0sicA

"Unthought Known"…Pearl Jam

All the thoughts you never see
You are always thinking
Brain is wide, the brain is deep
Oh, are you sinking?

Feel the path of every day
Which road you taking?
Breathing hard, making hay
Yeah, this is living

Look for love in evidence
That you're worth keeping
Swallowed whole in negatives
It's so sad and sickening

Feel the air up above
Oh, pool of blue sky
Fill the air up with love
All black with starlight

Feel the sky blanket you
With gems and rhinestones!!!
See the path cut by the moon
For you to walk on

For you to walk on...

Nothing left, nothing left
Nothing there, nothing here...
Nothing left, nothing left
Nothing there, nothing left...
Nothing left, nothing left
Nothing there, nothing here...

See the path cut by the moon
For you to walk on
See the waves on distant shores
Awaiting your arrival

Dream the dreams of other men
You'll be no one's rival
Dream the dreams of others then
You will be no one's rival

You will be no one's rival...

A distant time, a distant space
That's where we're living
A distant time, a distant place
So what ya giving?
What ya giving?


A distant time…a distant place.

[don_budge]

Björn Borg practicing…1975

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMkspM4KaB0

Watch Björn Borg throw his racquet and show "passion". The other day I asked one of my 14 year old's…I said, "you know that a chain is only as strong as its' weakest link…what is the weakest link in your game?"

He replied to me…"my temperature". What? He meant his temper. He said he got too angry. I told him he didn't get angry enough. You have to care and you have to love it so much it hurts. You have to be perfect even if that is an unattainable goal. You cannot get angry enough…get in touch with your inner Viking. These guys are just getting to the point where they are going to be young men. It is time to wake them up to the reality of the situation. It isn't nice.

These guys are waking up and I am upping the ante for them. Pushing them into the next level.

Watch Borg's footwork in this practice video…particularly on the forehand side. For all of his reputation of hitting open stance the fact of the matter is entirely different. His reputation was also as a backcourt player but in any match that I have ever seen of his he is always taking advantage of any invitation to go to the net.

[don_budge]

Björn Borg and his Donnay...

Yes I am. I notice a distinct difference in that clip. Compared to this where there is seemingly nowhere Connors can hit the ball where Borg can't get.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTMx--E0OhY

Yep there is a difference. Maybe Borg is a bit "rusty" in the original post. But the thing that I am focusing on is that Borg looks to be overpowered and overmatched by Thomas Hogstedt. Hogsted was a fine player in his own right but he was no Jimmy Connors. Notice the discrepancy in equipment and how it alters the landscape all things being equal. Interesting that Borg is still hanging onto the Donnay when the tennis world had moved on from standard sized wooden racquets. What was the mentality? What was the process going on in his head? He knew that it was a distinct advantage so why would he not switch?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5apFRFE2KA

Borg is using his standard sized wooden Donnay and Hogstedt has the new state of the art oversized graphite. In the hands of a professional this advantage is obvious between the two. In one rally Borg is pinned on his backhand side and he hits very defensive slice backhands. He is overwhelmed by the power of Hogstedt. Borg is only aiming for the middle part of the court and Hogstedt is pounding it into the corners.

[gzhpcu]

Just a reminder to all: this site and forum belongs to John Yandell. Save your rejoinders Budge - I won't see them....

[stotty]

Yeah…that is extremely cool to see the innocence of a yesteryear. Marianna with a nice Dunlop Maxply Fort.




When you say "Borg still moves well in the clip but by now he has lost a little nimbleness and power"…what exactly are you referring to in the clip? Are you referring to the segment where he is hitting with Thomas Hogstedt in Stockholm?

Yes I am. I notice a distinct difference in that clip. Compared to this where there is seemingly nowhere Connors can hit the ball where Borg can't get.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTMx--E0OhY

[don_budge]

"lost a little nimbleness and power…"

I found it touching to see Simonescu and Borg hitting together. I don't know why...I just did.

Borg still moves well in the clip but by now he has lost a little nimbleness and power. He's still the best natural mover who ever lived in my view.

Yeah…that is extremely cool to see the innocence of a yesteryear. Marianna with a nice Dunlop Maxply Fort.

Interesting video…Björn Borg practicing. First in the mid '70's with Marianna Simonescu. Then a clip of him using his traditional Donnay practicing against an up and coming Swede in 1985. He looks a bit futile against the new equipment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5apFRFE2KA

When you say "Borg still moves well in the clip but by now he has lost a little nimbleness and power"…what exactly are you referring to in the clip? Are you referring to the segment where he is hitting with Thomas Hogstedt in Stockholm?

[stotty]

Simonescu and Borg...

Interesting video…Björn Borg practicing. First in the mid '70's with Marianna Simonescu. Then a clip of him using his traditional Donnay practicing against an up and coming Swede in 1985. He looks a bit futile against the new equipment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5apFRFE2KA

Lovely clip and a great find. The standout comment for me was "Forest Hills was the only major left to win". Clearly the Australian Open didn't count back then. It wasn't considered a major.

I found it touching to see Simonescu and Borg hitting together. I don't know why...I just did.

Borg still moves well in the clip but by now he has lost a little nimbleness and power. He's still the best natural mover who ever lived in my view.

I do love these oddball clips. Sometimes they are the best...reveal the most.

[don_budge]

Jimmy Connors vs. Björn Borg…1994 Senior Tour

Nine years down the line from the video posted in the post yesterday. This match with Dwight Stone, Dennis Ralston and Leif Sheris is an exquisite piece of information.

Connors is playing with a Prince racquet…without an open throat. Borg with a oversized Head. This is the earliest example of his playing oversize that I have seen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFo3_vcKgMY

More to say on this match…and the commentary.

[don_budge]

The List...

Fine by me. I just put you on my ignore list. Suggest you do the same.

"I just put you on my ignore list"…that's great. Good bye. Don't ever even suggest to me what I should do. I'm not like you.

[gzhpcu]

Basically you and I have nothing to discuss. Why do you persist in coming into MY thread with your nonsense? Are you some kind of sick person that likes to provoke others by pushing their buttons? Sort of passive aggressive. Just please stop…I don't want to waste my time with you.

Fine by me. I just put you on my ignore list. Suggest you do the same.