Thoughts about Tennis Tradition...

[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.

[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]

gzhpcu...

So according to you there is no difference between Johnston's racket and Newcombe's? Equipment evolves.

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.

[gzhpcu]

So according to you there is no difference between Johnston's racket and Newcombe's? Equipment evolves.

[don_budge]

There are Limits…to Reason

An interesting quote from "The Game of Singles in Tennis" by William F. Talbert and Bruce S. Old, 1962:

"In today's top-flight singles, base line play is the forgotten segment. The long, exciting rallies of the golden era of tennis, as exemplified by the play of Tilden, Johnston, Cochet, Lacoste, Vines, Perry and Budge, are completely missing in the current serve and volley game.... As a result, singles has suffered a real loss in popularity as a spectator sport."

The pendulum keeps swinging back and forth it seems.

What we need is a good mix of both, but hard to see how it could be done...

The way that you have presented this quote is typical. All historical context is lost. Talbert never had an inkling with regard to the equipment. He is talking about something all together different than what you are alluding to.

It has nothing to do with a pendulum swinging…I am surprised that you would make such a comment. It has only to do with snow-shoe sized tennis racquets and sand laden courts…not to mention the suped up strings. Wait a minute…I'm not surprised. The limitations or reasoning power never cease to amaze me.

"Tilden, Johnston, Cochet, Lacoste, Vines, Perry and Budge"…none of these guys played with the modern day snow shoes sized tennis racquets. Extraordinarily limited.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsCyC1dZiN8

[gzhpcu]

An interesting quote from "The Game of Singles in Tennis" by William F. Talbert and Bruce S. Old, 1962:

In today's top-flight singles, base line play is the forgotten segment. The long, exciting rallies of the golden era of tennis, as exemplified by the play of Tilden, Johnston, Cochet, Lacoste, Vines, Perry and Budge, are completely missing in the current serve and volley game.... As a result, singles has suffered a real loss in popularity as a spectator sport.

The pendulum keeps swinging back and forth it seems.

What we need is a good mix of both, but hard to see how it could be done...