Viewing Thread:
"The next Federer"

My new ambition is to become a pro. tennis player and hopefully win a wimbledon....... It's a high stake.........

In my limited experience of tennis at the non-serious stage, is to continually come to the net. Always do Serve and Volley, it'll help you keep serve. If you're not the best player, don't get into baseline rallies; you'll need some shot to win the points.

lol

Yeah pretty much backs up what I just said.

DeadMetal wrote:
> Just keep to something your already good at, like Laser Quest (if
> that counts as a sport).

Heh...

I played some tennis today. Couldn't believe how hard it was. I guess all those years of playing Badminton didn't help. I fount hitting the ball very hard, and when I did make contact, it went straight out of the court.

I wouldn't recommend starting a sport like Tennis professionally at that age unless you gonna put your soul into it, all the pros start much earlier or play everyday of the week for hours on end to perfect their game.

Just keep to something your already good at, like Laser Quest (if that counts as a sport).

I think it would be difficult to become pro starting at 17. It really depends how good you are now. Do you have a rating?

Hewitt started playing when he was about 14 apparently, so nothing's impossible, but it would be hard.

You'd have to put a lot of time and money into it. To be a pro, you'd have to train at least two hours a day, and coaching costs. You'd have to give up all other activities, and it would mean making huge sacrifices. Just look at what Maria Sharapova went through. She had to live without her mum for two years to have a chance of going pro.

On the topic of 10 year old geniuses, I don't know that they would kick your a*se if you're a good player. They might beat you but you'd give them a game. Generally because of your height, power advantage.

I played in the London Youth Games last week, and our top singles player was 12. He goes full time to a tennis academy, which means he only has a private tutor for 3 hours a day (no school). He could strike the ball as sweet as anyone, but I reckon I'd have given him a game because I'd have more power and reach, which would prove a great advantage on serve and groundstrokes. But he will be a great player one day.

I remember when I was about 12, my coach asked me if I wanted to try and go pro, but I said no because tennis is something I wanted to enjoy and do for fun. If I trained solidly everyday, it might not be as fun for me. So now I just train about 2 and a half hours a week and I really enjoy it. In a way I do regret saying no, but I think I made the right decision. After all, if you put all that money and time into tennis, and you don't make it, then you have nothing to fall back on. No real school education, and no other real talents.... So it was probably the right life decision for me, as the chances of making it as a pro are generally quite slim.

But if you really want to do it, and you have the time, money and determination. Then I'd say go for it. But remember this, it will be tough. Very tough.

(Woah that was too long and serious for my liking. Don't kid yourself, you could turn pro, but you'll never match Federer :P There we go, that lightened the mood :) )

It looked so amazingly poor that I never even considered watching it.

Bah, i thought it was mildly entertaining and thats all i have to say on the matter.

cookie monster wrote:
> Azul wrote:
> A superb choice in film, I do say.
>
> It's mildly entertaining.

I'm disappointed in you, CM.

LotR - Yes.
Stuck on You - Oh dear.

Azul, djerrud posts irratically, Herc! was gone a long time ago, and the whole group-age has almost disbanded.

I'll always have my djerrudish, I will. It will never die. But I can't help but be serious.

Love me, Azul.

Azul wrote:
> A superb choice in film, I do say.

It's mildly entertaining.