Some videos of my game

[tennis_chiro]

Great improvement!!

ok so, 30 days later, this is what I got:

side view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htnhtsHmhiM

side view2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvm_PKQdoIs

rear view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-UyGSlqDWI

rear view rally: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8hS_TzTt-E

Been working hard to hit more through the ball but I am still late on most balls, something that's really hard for me to fix for some reason...
Balls didn't take spin or bounce high enough because they were used too much already.
Getting prince exo3 tour 16x18 in few days, because my current racket is just 2 much for me to handle.

I'm really impressed, Nikae. You really took the input you got here and put it to good use. I think a lot of those forehands look terrific. I'm very curious to see what some of the other contributors here have to say, but that's the kind of thing you want to see in a before and after commercial. Of course the ball is not always sitting there for you to "jump" into it. You don't really want to jump, you want the momentum of your natural lift into the ball to perhaps take you off the ground; but you are doing a great job of that in most of those shots. It's tough on that fast a surface, but some of the balls where you don't get to leave the ground tell a more important story. When you are hitting the ball less aggressively and staying on the ground, you would like to be able to finish on the front side rather than backing up; you could do a little work there. See if you can get as full a transfer of weight even when you don't leave the ground. Of course, a lot of balls are hit backing up, but that is not preferable. I also imagine once the weather improves and you are playing outside, the courts will be a lot slower. But take a good look at some video and you will see the players are hitting a lot of balls with both feet on the ground. Especially watch guys like Djokovic and Murray and Berdych and Ferrer. It's almost unfair to watch Federer; he's from some other planet. Nadal's footwork is great too, but he uses so many reverse forehands it's not a great model. Probably Ferrer is the best model for you.

But you are to be congratulated. In a mere 30 days, you have made tremendous progress!

don

[nikae]

ok so, 30 days later, this is what I got:

side view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htnhtsHmhiM

side view2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvm_PKQdoIs

rear view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-UyGSlqDWI

rear view rally: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8hS_TzTt-E

Been working hard to hit more through the ball but I am still late on most balls, something that's really hard for me to fix for some reason...
Balls didn't take spin or bounce high enough because they were used too much already.
Getting prince exo3 tour 16x18 in few days, because my current racket is just 2 much for me to handle.

[don_budge]

Dr. House calling ( aka don_budge)

Sounds good!
Come to my town, you will have house, food and tour around the Serbia main towns, all for free!
Now, air plain ticket could be costy

You know what nikae...I have always wanted to visit the Balkans.

[nikae]

Sounds good!
Come to my town, you will have house, food and tour around the Serbia main towns, all for free!
Now, air plain ticket could be costy

[don_budge]

That's easy...nikae

So yes, you are probably right...but what shell I do now? I am stuck!

What shall you do? That's easy nikae, you just need to get moving in the right direction so to speak...just invite good old don_budge to your club for a weekend. We'll see how much we can straighten out and write a story for the tennisplayer forum about it. It will be like Dr. House making a house call...to Serbia.

[nikae]

No, never had coaching. There's one old guy who lives in village near by my town, who has been the best player around here for long time. When I started 3 years ago, I spent few days with him, but he didn't teach me much. The only good thing he kept telling me was to bend my knees. He never thought me how to grip the racket, close my shoulders or pretty much anything.
Everything i learned (good or bad) came from internet.

So yes, you are probably right...but what shell I do now? I am stuck!

[don_budge]

The question of Coaching...

The reason that I was asking was because when I was looking at your videos it occurred to me...I wonder who taught him to hit the ball like that. From the looks of things you have probably tried to imitate what you are seeing from the pro game. This is a very difficult way to learn the game of tennis.

Tennis is a game very similar to golf. It is played more or less on the foundation...of pure technique. Your level of competence is limited by the standard of your technique. In order to learn to play the game properly, certain fundamentals must be learned first before you can explore hitting the ball in the manner that the professionals seem to be hitting it. The only way to learn these fundamentals is with proper coaching...otherwise you spend endless hours spinning your wheels going nowhere, practicing the wrong technique over and over, which can be terribly frustrating. My guess was that there probably is a definite lack of competent coaching in your area.

I have seen video of you before...perhaps a couple of months ago and it appears that you may be backsliding a bit. I am sure that part of the reason is because in the previous video you were hitting on clay which is slowing things down appreciably, whereas that indoor surface looks pretty slick which is going to make you look even worse on camera. Even so...this points out the obvious thing and that is your game should be flexible enough to adapt to different surfaces and as it stands now...your strokes do not meet this criteria.

That was my question...and you answered correctly. What you are saying is you have had no coaching or very little coaching...right?

[nikae]

nikae...what are you doing for coaching over there in Serbia?

Um...please re-phrase the question. Not sure what are you asking.
But if you are asking about coaches around here.....its impossible to find a coach to teach you something, unless you you are 3-10 years old and just starting, then you can find coaches that will teach you some basics, but they are bad IMO, they believe in too many myths (especially regarding wrist usage).

Just few weeks ago I saw a coach teaching kids to hit forehand and backhand, and he says that hitting with straight arm is a must for both

[don_budge]

Coaching...

nikae...what are you doing for coaching over there in Serbia?

[julian1]

Babolat string

You mean the one where I asked about making hybrid out of 2 poly strings?

I just wanted to make SPPP feel softer, and Cyber Power (the one I can easily find, and is really cheap) is really soft string.

I would advise to try a full bed of a Babolat string first

[nikae]

You mean the one where I asked about making hybrid out of 2 poly strings?

I just wanted to make SPPP feel softer, and Cyber Power (the one I can easily find, and is really cheap) is really soft string.

[julian1]

Wrong way

I saw ypur latest post on TW.
You are going completely wrong way

[nikae]

I'll give babolat xcel a try. I dont think I can find that yonex string around here.

@tennis_chiro:
I am at indoor club here in Serbia. Yes, its multisport facility, pretty fast surface to play tennis on.

[julian1]

Change of strings

Sure thing, which one do you suggest and why? I need more power on this racket, I'll be adding 5g of lead tape at 12 o'clock.

I would suggest to wait with a tape and change strings first.
Dwell time would be better with

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Babolat_XCel_Power_16_String/descpageACBAB-BXCELP16.html

Do one thing at a time-this way you will see differences better

A second choice for a string is

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Yonex_Tour_Super_850_16_String/descpageACYONEX-ATG850.html

Going lower with tension is a MISTAKE

http://www.tenniswarehouse-europe.com/descpageRCHEADH-HYTPMP.html

gives a range 52-... for your racket.
Your 24 kgs is 52.8 pounds
so you are at a lower range of tension ALREADY

Please let me know about results of changes.
Thank you

julian mielniczuk uspta certified pro juliantennis@comcast.net Ph.D
www.julianmielniczuk.usptapro.com Courtside Tennis Club,Bedford,MA

[nikae]

Any chance to convince you to go to a multi from a poly string?

Sure thing, which one do you suggest and why? I need more power on this racket, I'll be adding 5g of lead tape at 12 o'clock.