Tuesday, August 30, 2005

My Tennis Plan 2005

After playing with my new racket for several games, I cannot say it is my perfect match yet. Well, I gain more power from the racket but at the same time I lose some control on the strokes too. Compare with the rackets, the differences are:

a. Pure Control use high rip string which can hold the balls in the racket for a little bit longer time and enable me to decide which way the ball shall go, while the AreoPro use Timo 18 has less friction and I hit more flatter ball with it, and find difficulties in hitting short drop shot in front of the net. Some adjustment of the form is required for the new racket (I hit less accurate with AreoPro)

b. Pure Control vibrates madly when hitting drive volley or drive return, but AreoPro is very solid with not vibration at all for drive volley.

c. Pure Control is very easy to slice down the ball in a volley, AreoPro usually bounces long and high (part of the reason is I do not really know how to slice).

d. AreoPro is more powerful in serving and easier to play back hand strokes – it surely has helped my back hand strokes

e. AreoPro is more difficult to produce top spin than Pure Control (may be due to difference in strings rather than the racket)

In order to take the benefits of the power from the new racket, my short term goals of my games include

1. Improve control in ground strokes by adjustment my form.

2. Increase my back hand successful rate up to over 70%, and try to control the balls directions as far as possible.

3. Improve first serve successful rate and second serve power

4. Change my form to hit volleys.

There are a lot of things to do, nevertheless, I feel this new racket gives me opportunity to grow (if I can complete the above goals), so up to this moment I still think that I am correct to buy the AreoPro – at least it make me happier than the old racket.

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

ATP Roger's Final - Nadal VS Agassi

Hi Vicky,

Thanks for the video DVD. I watched them finished after our tennis last night. I would say the match demonstrated excellence.

Agassi is great. His technique is so mature and so consistent that he really can threaten Nadal – even more if he is younger and with more pace. I think his double backhand is wonderful that he can keep the power, the angle with so more control but with so little swing movement, I do not know how he can do it and I think nobody can mimic him too. Agassi also showed excellent sportsmanship that he had no argument to any questionable line calls. He just accepted them.

Yes, Nadal is the better one in the game, and from this game I firstly find out that Nadal is not only equipped with his muscles and pace, he also has the very much talent in his brain in playing his games. Apart from his very strong topspin, he has added to his weapon very powerful first serve. He is also a player with excellent control over the ball even when he is defending, which many times has surprised his opponents with his defending winners. Across several match I have found that Nadal has extremely low unforced error in each match, and this is his secret of success?

I do really think that Nadal possess the chops to win over Federer in the US Open. However, before that we may want to see

1) Nadal VS Roddick in round 3

2) Hewitt VS Gasquet in round 2

See http://www.cincytennis.com/global/styles/cincinnati/common/download_redirector.asp?file=http://www.masters-series.com/posting/2005/422/MDS.pdf

The draw table seems favour Federer?