@@tre655 No chance to win a game. Chance to win a point or two, yes, but you need to be at a level where your first serve can do some damage or at least earn you a moderate return, not a kill shot.
Andy is obviously right. Brian Scalabrine does this, he takes on good amateur basketball players, and he is in his forties and was at the end of the bench in the NBA, but these guys never score a single basket against him. I was a good amateur bicyclist, I rode in the Saturday Shoot Out and came back first once, I caught a pro pack from behind up a long climb in a race once solo too, and I was riding with my friend who was a legend of a local mountain bike racer, appearing on the podium ten years in a row in the big local mountain bike race, and an 18 year old who had recently signed with the farm club of a Tour De France team. We rode up Mount Lemon, and this guy yo yoed us up the mountain: he would ride down a mile, ride up and catch us again, ride down a mile again, ride up and catch us again, we were as much of a threat to him in a race as a fifty year old woman on a one speed vintage Schwinn.
Ah the hubris of youth. I was availed of that comforting delusion at 4 Star Tennis Academy in Virginia at around 15-16? It was a rainy day so they gathered us inside for games and one involved everyone taking a serve from one of the Pros. It was like trying to defeat Mike Tyson in Mike Tysons Punchout. Just a speed and power beyond my comprehension.
Roddick is 100% right, and he should have corrected his statement by saying "unless you are a D1 tennis player from a top tennis school" because even D1 has huge differences. I would know, I played D1 AA in the America East and our team made NCAAs 3 out of the 4 yrs I was there. We'd play real D1 schools like Ole Miss in the 1st round and get absolutely murdered by all the foreigners. I also played in the Binghamton Challenger for fun in '06 and won my 1st rd of qualies against a community college player. Then I ran into a guy ranked in the 800s or so and he beat me 6-1 6-1 in about 1 hour. The level of difference between us, while to a normal person, may not have looked like much, but as I was playing, I knew within about 10 minutes that he was going to murder me. Totally different world. If I played against any top 100 player in the world, let alone a Novak, Rafa, Carlos etc, I'd be lucky to get a couple of points on my serve.
Right! I think those 'other people' probably never played anyone high level. I was a decent junior player and played against a kid that almost made the Olympic team. Almost! He never did anything as a pro. I lost 6-1, 6-0 and the reason I got one game was because he wasn't trying his best, I did have a big serve, and I probably made a bad call on a point (lol). Against someone at the true Pro level - forget it.@@yakzivz1104
Which is why I don’t understand why Andy needed to go into this whole “800 is not a pro” spiel. What difference does it make? It’s obvious that very few amateur players would win a single game against a top 1000 player in the world, whether you want to call them a pro or an amateur.
Exactly bro. When you get two skilled players(in comparison to an average Joe), it’s hard for an untrained eye to tell a difference during pre match warm up rallies. You, as the experienced player, can immediately tell the difference, even when going through light rallies. It’s like DBZ when they can sense a persons “power” lol.
Good point - there is a world of difference between major conference D1 and mid-major. Having said that, I would definitely back Roddick to hold serve a couple times against Djokovic.
I love Andy and always have. His problem was that he over played against the 3 GOATs. He would go for crazy shots to try and blow them off the court and wind up imploding in the later stages of the match. He was the most talented grass court player to never win Wimbledon, which is a shame.
I was a solid 5.5, scholarship at a JuCo in Florida. I remember playing in one local club tournament against a bunch of “older” guys who were pros 15 to 20 years prior. Made it to semis by pure luck as one guy forfeited mid game due to injury and another was caught with an illegal substance. After 5 games in a favorable draw I lost to the eventual winner who was a former pro now in his 40’s and played with a hybrid wooden racket. Ended up playing consolation against his son who was around my age. That old dude was like a surgeon out there. His ball placement was impeccable, painting the lines with both forehand and backhands, always at the exact side of the court where you were farthest away or leaning in the wrong direction. His serve was no joke, could go left or right with a nasty kick, never missed. He was slowed by age but always reached all but the most perfectly played balls with pace. I lost 6-3 6-3 scoring only my serve which was the best part of my game. I hit maybe 10 winners the whole match. It was either an ace or perfect shot or he would rally me to death until I missed. It was so aggravating losing to an old dude with a wooden racket but I doubt I would have gotten even one lucky game off him in his prime.
No, you would be bagled. And you probably only got those 3 service games as he knew he didn't have to put too much effort in it to win. Why try, why make yourself tired if you know that you get all your service games and you only have to break one?
I think there’s a lot to be said for how well pros disguise their shots compared to people who are not high level enough to actually be working on that intensely. And how poorly non-pros do it. It really does compare to the Brian Scalabrine thing. Where the quicker guys make these moves, but he can read exactly what they intend to do, and never even jump at their amateurish ball fakes. Because he had to learn that in the NBA to survive. A pro is so intensely practiced at trying to read the shot before the opponent hits, to read what direction he is leaning, so he can get a jump on every ball, that when they play good amateurs, they read them like a book. Most players telegraph everything with their eyes or their feet and body language. Like a pro boxer slicing up an amateur and never getting touched.
40's is not old, that is still very young in the recreational tennis world. Federer was near top of the game at 39 and Novak will be as well. The problem with being on tour is you are playing 5-6 days a week.
It's called Dunning Kruger effect. When you know absolutely nothing of a subject, your confidence is where it should be: zero. As soon as you become slightly familiar with some of the concepts but are still substantially ignorant on the matter, your confidence level skyrockets way above where it should be. Then the more you know, the less you become confident until you become fully proficient/expert and your confidence level starts going up to finally reach the right level. It applies perfectly in this case.
Well Andy is cool , but here is the issue. Andy started to insert winning a game off of the number one player in the world. The question in this video was ‘can an amateur win a game off of a professional tennis player’. Not the number one player. And also there are USTA pros who are professionals but are teachers. So can a good amateur win a game off of a professional tennis player ? the answer is yes of course they can. it’s been done 1000 times. There are a lot of tennis players who also consider themselves good like a 4.5 or 4.0 and they truly do not have great athletic skills but they are smart and cagy and can win games. Tennis is the one sport where you can use your brain and strategy to win and you don’t have to be naturally talented. Where say In baseball if you don’t have natural athletic skills you are going to get wiped out and will never hit a pitch off of a D1 or pro.
@@TimTheMusicManif you extend professional to include tennis teachers it gets lame. But no, even those great club players don't win a game against a pro, the level difference is just that big. There have been times where Nadal beat Federer 6-3 6-1 6-0. A pro player is just very far away from a top club level player. You're just delusional if you think they win a game.
I have played against a former junior nationally ranked player who had not played seriously for over 30 years, was slightly overweight, lazy and smoked... I was in my tennis prime as an enthusiastic decent amateur. Believe me the joy I felt from winning a POINT against this guy was incredible despite always losing 6-0, 6-0. I also had a coach for a short time from a guy who was ranked around 350 in the world... You couldn't lob him, drop shot him, pass him with power... And he couldn't take a game off one of the top pro's most likely! 😅
I taught at a club while playing on the ATP satellite tour and we had two staff pros that were top 20 in the world less than 10 years prior. The members challenged the pros to a tournament and handicapped us with wood racquets. I played a 4.5 man in his 40’s and didn’t drop a single point in the set. To put it in perspective, that’s how I felt playing the aforementioned pros. There are levels to sports that normal people can’t comprehend.
Isnt it so that once u reach a certain level that gets u guaranteed income, or decide to go pro at least, It actually only just starts. basically when going for pro u start at a beginner level which is the absolute end level for a (serious) hobby player. And those that get to that end level are top nationals. Who can compete with those just goin pro. But after one year its a almost a guaranteed loss. If the pro circuit player can move up ofcourse and doesnt suck.
I played to a decent level - negative classment in France / 3.2 rating in old money in the UK. I went to live in France when 35 & started playing seriously again. I played for Tennis Club De Paris for their over 35 team. Andrei Chesnokov played no. 1 for the mens team - he was 34. He had been 9 in the world. He gave me a 30 love start every game in a serious practice match - I lost 6-3. The difference in levels was enormous. The pro's get your best 1st serve back & attack your 2nd serve. You rarely get their 1st serve back & are defending on their 2nd serve - not a great start to the rally! But the thing that really stood out is their defence, you hit your biggest fhand and they loop / slice the ball within 10cm of the bline ball after ball. Roddick is right - not one game!
This is so great. I got to hit with Chris Evert once when she was 18 and I was 16. She just wanted someone to warm up with and she found me practicing my serve on a back court at the Clay Court Championships. She knew I was reluctant to hit with her, so she “fed” me balls I could reach and she provided a lot of the pace. After 15 minutes of this I was feeling my oats, and I stuffed a ball right at her when she was at net. A few shots later, she absolutely NAILED me to the baseline with a shot that was as hard as anything I had ever experienced on my high school team! I could barely get out of the way, much less hit it back. Then she shot me a look I was to see on TV many times over the ensuing years-a steely, over-the-shoulder glare that said “don’t mess with me.” She really put me in my place. The message was very clear-she was telling me that I was playing great because SHE wanted it that way. I ate my humble pie! It was a great experience for a kid.
What I didn’t know until a year or so ago, was that Chris Evert has a ridiculous record on clay. Shocking that is the surface you hit with her on. But yeah, outrageously great player.
I don't understand why Roddick is so self-deprecating. "Not the most talented guy." He won a slam and was world number 1. He took prime Federer to 5 long sets in Wimbledon final and it could have gone either way. The guy was insanely good. You can't do all this without being ridiculously talented.
@@fachriranu1041 sure, but he goes on to call himself a klutz, a stinker... people with a lot less achievements than him think a lot more highly of themselves. I get that he's joking of course, but there's a pattern of self-deprecation in all his interviews.
Actually crazy. People only see the pros play on tv and don't register just how fast that ball is coming at you irl. I would be immensely proud even getting a ball back in play at all
I immediately thought about this. It's the tv. On the screen the it seems easy, also the court seems a lot smaller and shorter. When you actually play it's completely different. I remember when I was a teen I said "Wozniacki is such a pusher, how is she world no. 1". Then I started playing tennis and when I saw it was really difficult to keep a rally for more than 4 shots I totally changed idea. Nothing like some humbleness and a reality check.
This is so true. The first time I saw live tennis was the Galea Cup in Vichy some 40ish years ago and I was like "Dad, I can't see the ball". I expected it to be the same as watching Roland Garros on TV and it certainly wasn't.
@@azz4441 You're absolutely right. I mentioned speed because I assume most people who answered this survey are not remotely close to being a high level amateur given the level of delusion. So I also assumed these amateurs could also double as beginners who don't know much.
I support Andy's comment 100%. People are delusional. When you see pros struggling in a tennis match, it's because they are playing another pro. Whatever issues they are having evaporates when they don't have to face the power, placement, consistency, strategy and tactics of another pro. Only way a regular joe gets a point is with a lucky net cord winner or something like that. No way are joes getting 4 points in a single game.
I’m a 5.0 player and I had the privilege of being on the court with a guy who was ranked in the 500s at the time (…he since got to around 200). I tried to hit some returns when he was just warming up his serve, and I could hardly even get my racket on the ball. The one serve he hit (almost right at me) where I did make contact, it practically knocked the racket right out of my hand. The pros make tennis look easy. What they do on the court day in and day out is almost physically inhuman! Absolutely ZERO chance that any of us club level players would be able to get a game off of any of the top pros!
Exactly. I had a similar experience while at a challenger event (as a spectator) on some of the club's practice courts nearby years and years ago. I was playing a bunch at the time at around a 4.5 level and had the chance to hit some balls with Dmitry Tursunov, who was formerly a really high ranked player. He was in a little dip in his career at the time (which is why he was playing this tournament). But anyways, yeah, the power on his relaxed rally strokes sent me pretty quickly into panic mode and he wasn't trying to "win" points. We were just rallying a bit. Absolutely wild the control, action (topspin) and power that they produce without trying. Conclusion: Even winning a point, if the pro was really trying would be a tough thing. A game? Yeah, no.
The problem with tennis compared to running is, is that with running you can time your sprint and you get an idea. With tennis, amateur players don't even record themselves so we amatuers have a skewed image of how " good" we are. And on TV the angle is from above from a distance so you don't see how fast and powerfull the ball flies. Go to a match and sit close to the field at eye level at a masters 250 event without even the top 20 present and you will be shocked at how fast the play is.
The mainstream TV angle on tennis matches don't do justice to the pace of the ball. It's like baseball, where a 100-mp fastball doesn't look intimidating on the typical TV angle. But with catcher's cam it's like "HOLY SHIT!"
You are right. And when people record themselves they are very ashemed of what they see... After a week they forget what they saw at the video and start thinking again they are good hahaha
... and the control the pros have over their shots. they can put pace on a ball and take it off a ball at will. the power is one thing. the control is another.
@@samking4179Yup control is an all encompassing word but it's the biggest difference between pros and amateurs. Control and mastery of the ball in all facets
I used to play tennis competitively (4.0 player) and I was able to routinely hit serves between 90 and 100 mph, and ground strokes between 60 and 75. I have zero chance of winning a game against a pro, but I think I could win a few points off someone ranked 700 (from unforced errors, of course).
I watched a practice point at the O2 in 2012 and watch Tsonga v Djokovic. The pace these guys hit with is unreal, tsonga hit a forehand which I legit could not see the ball until Novak touched it.
This was funny and Andy is so right. It's actually fascinating where all these inflated egos come from. The standard camera angle for television in tennis really does a good job at hiding the difficulty. If you switch to a ground view, the view is wildly different and you should really get your eyes checked if you still have this opinion after watching a live match.
Andy said it best “This is the dumbest segment we have ever done”. Too many amateur players are complete idiots. I was a Nationally ranked junior back in the day and now at 52 still play competitively with high school and college players. I hit last year with 55 year old former pro who was ranked as high as ATP #18. Even now the level he played at was unreal. We has some tight games but I got smoked in the end and I am not your average club player.
@@eincan1313niiice I read Clavet’s bio and he beat Federer in their only meeting in 2000 (Federer was 18 or 19), something clavet is really excited about because he considers Roger the greatest ever.
I'm a pretty good recreational player with nice strokes. I never really competed at a high level, but I'm capable. Once I played a fellow who showed up out of nowhere to the park I used to play in. His story was that he had tried to go pro a year or two prior, but didn't really have what it took to make it. Dude THRASHED me. 6-0, 6-1...and the game I won, I can assure you all was an absolute gift because he felt bad about beating me so badly. He served SO HARD. His serve was behind me before I ever saw it. Again, this is a guy who tried the tour and couldn't make it. I can't even imagine what a successful player would do to me.
I asked my friend “do you think we can take a game off of a seventy year old McEnroe?” His reply summed it up “he would ace us 4 times and hit 4 winners off our serves” Case closed.
I play at USTA 4.0, and my experience is that I struggle to get a game off a 4.5, and I routinely double bagel 3.5's. Just one level up or down is already bagel territory. to go multiple levels up or down is no contest.
Same here. I used to play USTA 4.5 and I could destroy 4.0 players, but I when tried to play against 5.0 guys, I had no chance. I Barely could win one game.
When I was in high school, playing at my peak - probably a solid 4.0, I tried playing against my dad, who played D1 tennis 25 years before, and had hardly picked up a racquet since. He told me that if I could win a game off of him, he'd buy me a car. I won a few points, but never more than two in a game. Those points were mostly flukes - net cord that barely rolled over, etc.
A guy I knew from my college club team managed to scrape 3 games off a top 500 player, but he was playing the match of his life, and the ranked guy never went above first gear. Earlier that year, a 16 year old Borna Coric had destroyed that ranked player.
I'm an 8.5 UTR rated player and I've played a couple of years ago with Miriam Bulgaru, when she was ranked 457 in the world(she's now 202 if I'm not mistaken). She double bageled me in like 40 minutes without braking a sweat!!! She was barely playing at 30% of her level and I was giving my full beans! Amateur tennis players are DELUSIONAL without a single doubt!!!
The Cincinnati Metropolitan tournament used to give the winner of singles a wild card into Cincinnati ATP event. They stopped years ago because the guy who got the wild card, a 29 yr old former University of Illinois player, lost 0 and 0 to Robby Ginepri. Ginepri was not even close to the prime of his career and this guy could not manage a single game.
I was a 12 year old ball boy at a now cancelled ATP tournament when i realized that i would never become a pro. It was during the warm up of my first match, which was between Marc Rosset and a player ive foegotten. It was first time ever seeing pros play and i was at court level. I was absolutely blown away by the power, pace, foot work and skill. Mindblowing. These people are insane, they have no clue. Its the same as like everyone who think they can fight.
By the way, I loved watching Andy playing when he came to Indian Wells. 👊🏼👊🏼👊🏼. Loved his competitive spirit every day he hit the court. Right on gang! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I'm a 4.5 and entered a qualifier for a regional pro tournament. Played and served my best ever against an ~800 ranked player. 6-0, 6-0. When I got off court my buddy said, "you played great!" I was being toyed with the entire match. I did get to deuce once. ;-)
800 in the world can't make a living but still they devote every minute of their life to it in order to get to that situation. If they don't it's over. So to me they're just as good as pro - only the money isn't there for all of them. There's a gap between Novak and #800 but not as big as the gap with an amateur. Just look at Felix Meschner struggling to get his first ATP point. Already he's at a level that most amateurs will struggle to get a game from him.
I dont think when they were talking about amateurs they were talking about someone ranked 800 in the world. Someone ranked 800 in the world is not far away from being a pro.
@@tomsd8656 I think that even getting a point is only possible because of complacency. They don't need to play even remotely close to their best to not lose a single point to an amateur. But, staying motivated for a whole match to not drop a single point when it's essentially meaningless I think could be a factor.
I once played an ex WTA pro who wss a high 400's ranking. She'd been retired for nearly 15 years. We played at 15 point game. I won 2 points that came from her errors. The rest she smacked all winners. The speed, power and precision on her shots was like nothing i've experienced and i've played with high level amateurs.
At a club I used to be at as a junior there was this guy who is a former D1, Who is just playing recreationally for many years, and he would only play like 1% so the kids there can I have a chance against him, but there’s this One kid there that was like a UTR 8 or something like that who thought he could take him at full max and they played two sets, and he got beaten 6.0,6.1 and then we realized how it was to play him at full max. But there were still kids there that weren’t even at the level that one kid was who still thought they could take him😂. Some people are just delusional I guess.
I sometimes watch an ex top 100 ATP Italian player who goes to the local tennis club to participate in tournaments and even at the ripe age of 40 he's hitting 180kmh+ serves and ripping the forehand. His backhand is solid and deep too, within 10-15cm of the baseline consistently.
I’ve played against Scoville Jenkins. Former top 300 pro who played Nadal at the US Open. I could tell he wasn’t even trying hard and got double bageled. I was a fairly competitive junior player as well. The biggest difference to me was not just how hard they hit, but how insanely hard it was to finish the point, on the off chance you did get them on the defensive. They not only get to balls that mere mortals wouldn’t even run for, but return it back right at your feet on the baseline. Then if your lucky enough to hit another quality shot back, expect to hit 4-5 more winners before you maybe win the point.
Yes exactly my experience too. You can't lob them, drop shot or pass them with power... You can only win a point if they make a mistake or you get very lucky 😅
One of my best friends was part of the best doubles team in tennis until the Bryant brothers eclipsed their record,He was also ranked top 25 in the world in singles,He’s been retired for many years now but does camps and still plays some senior tournaments on occasion,My wife was a very good collegiate player and plays every weekend with a ranking of 5.0 so I asked my friend if he’d hit with her because she’s a huge tennis fan and it turned out she was also a fan of his so getting a lesson from him was a thrill for her,I watched the last 30mins of there 2 hour plus session and I was impressed by how hard my wife hit the ball both her forehand and 2 handed backhand were impressive,My friend was talking to her while they rallied giving her pointers and no matter how hard she returned the ball he barely had to move to return it placing each shot exactly where he wanted to put it and no matter how hard she ripped it he was dinking it back to her like it was nothing,They played a couple of games and even though he was taking easy there was no way she was winning a point unless he hit it wide which he didn’t do,He said to me that she had really good ground strokes and hit the ball crisply but her overall fitness was lacking which was to be expected as she only plays 2 or 3 mornings a week,She said if he played normally to the level he plays now she would most likely not win a point let alone a game,It was crazy to watch the control he had even after being retired for years,I asked him if he was to play a top player what would he expect the outcome to be and he said that if he won a game during the set he would be very happy so amateurs thinking they could win a game against Novak or Raffa or Roger when he was playing would be in for a rude awakening….
The gulf is a wide, wide chasm. Ive played a few top 500 guys, living in AZ gives you that exposure if youre playing high level ball and I was very near D1 level then in my 20s and I got smoked yesa couple of games but never in danger of winning. I also got to hit w former pros and the difference is your best ball is their rally ball and they have no problem accelerating when they need too. Their gear box is wider and has more shift room than the avg club player. Their jump from 60% to 80% is our jump from 70 to 100% redline and it's still a less effective ball. I also got to watch Andre Agassi practice alot in AZ when he'd play the Princess tournament in Scottsdale. I've yet to see to this day, a tennis ball transform into the shape he created when laying wood. 8 inch long oval skids on the court for everyball he hit w accuracy that was beyond belief.
I flew Andy and his brother to the Davis Cup. He introduced me to the iPhone back before it had been released to the public. I knew this “Smart Phone” was going to change the world!
I was a decent club level junior. Practised for hours every day for years. In the state chempionships I won 6 points in 2 sets to the best junior in my country at the time, who himself got smashed a few months later at the Australian Open juniors. And the kid who won the junior open would get pulverised by anyone in the top 250 men, easy. The level to be a top player is insane on insane!
I played a guy who was former 800 in the world and managed to get a game, but I could see that he wasn't even trying hard enough... Even though I have a pretty decent serve and aced him 3 times, it felt like he was just cruising and if he wanted, I wouldn't have won barely a point...
God, please have Andy commentate _everything_. Not even just tennis, he should do every sport. Dude's hilarious and absolutely on point. Reminds me of Bill Burr a bit lol.
I go to a tennis club in western new york, and the head tennis coach there was former #587 ranked on the atp tour. hes now almost 50 years old, and one of the younger tennis coaches, who was the former top singles player at stanford challenged him to play a set. theres about a 20 year age difference between these two, and the younger tennis coach (who never even played on the atp tour) was confident he could win. The head coach, playing at HALF-SPEED, gives up 3 points in the entire set. goes to show.
This doesn’t seem right. Stanford number 1 would typically be better than the current 587 in the world I would say or at least comparable. They would obliterate the 50 year old guy who used to be 587
I played quite competitively when I was a teenager, and when I was 17 (probably the most arrogant age for a guy), and playing 2-3 hours a day, I attended Wimbledon with a friend. Walking around the outside courts we stopped and watched a U14 Junior girls doubles match. I realized I wouldn't even win a single game off of any of them. That's when I gave up the dream of becoming a professional tennis player and started playing for enjoyment, lol
Yeh, you need to be delusional to be successful. You were not, thus you were not in Tennis. Every single one of these players today was an amateur. It’s not that deep.
@@charliewalker9443completely wrong, some top players may be arrogant to the point of delusion, but being out of touch with reality is not a prerequisite for success in tennis, or any sport. To be successful in tennis ( top 500 in the world, aka making a living salary from your profession ) you need talent, and at 17, if you aren't already a top prospect in the US, you aren't making it to the pros, let alone successful pro rankings. He was smart to quit, not because he lacked delusion, but because he lacked talent.
@@bojanpejovic7691 I am saying to be the best you have to believe you are the best and that in itself is delusion because it is unprovable. I am a massive boxing nerd and the only way for success at the highest level is delusion. Those level headed high end athletes are not the best for a reason. Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Alcaraz, etc they may not all publicly say it but they all believe they are the best when fighting for it.
@@charliewalker9443 1)believing you are the best only matters if you are the best. 2) it isn't delusion in sport as it is provable, if you are nadal you aren't delusional in believing you are the best at clay when you have lost 4 games in 15 years, someone like Kyrgios or Tsitsipas or Zverev all believe they are the best, but they can't win shit because they are exactly delusional. 3) Charles barkley said what you meant to say, he believed he was the best, even though he knew he wasn't, because he needed it to compete, but guess what, he didn't win shit either. 4) you can believe you are the fastest man on the planet, once you go up against Usain Bolt, you know you are competing for second place, not because his belief is stronger than yours, but because he is more talented.
@@bojanpejovic7691 Believing you are the best only matters if you are the best? This is a ridiculous statement from those that never believe in themselves. Moreover we never truly know who is the best at anything or who has the most talent for something because the odds are actually in favour that we never know due to life circumstance of most people. To be a tennis player you have to have the resources, the support, the facilities, etc. the most talented person out of the 8 Billion of us on the planet and the Billions to come will likely never know they are the most talented. The rest of us make do with what we have and the best ranked and recognised players on the tour get to the top by being delusional in their belief that they can win. It is that simple, until they do win they are an underdog and not the favourites to win. They have to overcome this which is to defy conventional wisdom. No no no. Don’t talk rubbish. What you just wrote about Barkley is EXACTLY the opposite of believing he was the best. He never truly believed he was. But to BE the best you have to believe you are better than everyone enough to beat them. It is that simple. Logical, well reasoned, level headed people are never the best at anything because they have no conviction to go for what is unlikely.
To Andy. Started back watching tennis in 2021. Quickly realized the ball from the pro's is coming at you so quick, you would probably say, oh shit get me out of here. A game. A lot of people doing a lot of dreaming.
I was a DI tennis player with wins on big 10 players. I have no chance to win a game on someone inside the top 500 I'm the world. Those guys are just different. It's inhuman how good and how well trained they are. I couldn't even win a game on a ohio state player in their actual lineup. Not the bench warmers, the actual top 6
I asked my tennis coach, who was briefly a pro before getting injured, to serve to me with a legitimate serve instead of the lobs he usually gives me. I think he served it in the 80mph range and it was literally terrifying. There's no way I could possibly get a point off him unless he's goofing around, hung over, or feeling lazy.
It shows how little appreciation there is for professional tennis players. Go to any pro tennis tournament, and it should be easy to see how amazing they are.
Last year, Caleb Chakravarthi (who if I remember correctly was the captain of SMU tennis) played Vasek Pospisil who was just outside the top 100 at the Dallas Open. He lost 1-6, 0-6. Honestly still impressive that he won a game but yeah if he could get just 1 game then most of us don’t stand a chance lol
In my late 20's I was rated as a 5.0 and was still eating doughnuts from the local D1 guys. How is a player with ATP points even a question, and how the hell are those numbers so high?
I'm really suprised about this results because even really good amateur players that played for many many years got bageled before. I mean even Djokovic/Nadal lost sets 6-0. So how can you believe that you win a game from a pro if you probably got bageled from another amateur before
For us, who really play tennis we know that we don´t have a chance. They might give us a point just to motivate us but only that. It is a harsh reality but it is true.
Ah, a game. But what game? Mario Kart? Bingo? Rock-Paper-Scissors? The survey didn't specifically say a game of tennis. Seriously though, I like Andrea's thinking, style, etc., 10/10. I think a more Roman Colosseum spectacle style of see how really really ridiculously good at this thing the pros are by comparing them side-by-side with amateurs. That's why Messi, McDavid, Jordan, etc. are so insane. Just being in a league with them is insane. And they make their peers look silly. Seeing the best only in the context of the other best distorts the astronomical separation between the groups.
Current 4.0 player and I played against a former female ITF player and I got bageled. She had been out of the pro tour close to 10 years and she still whipped my butt. Whomp whomp
Ha ha great segment I definitely would have said yeah maybe it's not impossible if I get to serve and came away thinking yeah I'm an idiot lol. Fun to appreciate how good the pros are through the humility of Roddick.
ouch andy, as someone who did sats and challengers and hit with you - take it easy some of us had to slug through it to make a living and still loved it dispite not making millions but it did set me up to become a physician.
there's this video of Brian Scalabrine, a former NBA player, a very average looking player who averaged 3 ppg when he played, and he gets challenged by amateurs on ofc he wins. He famously said "I'm closer to Lebron than you are to me".
At the expo for the Chicago marathon they set up a huge conveyor belt that you could get on to try and run at the pace of the elite runners. It was fun to watch person after person get chucked off the back of the thing. A good amateur distance runner can’t run a quarter mile at the pace the pros run 26.2 miles. It’s the same in almost all sports.
I'm a 4.0. The best player I ever played was a college player -- can't recall if he was d1, but he wasn't famous or anything. We played a set, and it was an absolute blowout. I think I got about 4 points in the whole set, and 3 of them were unforced errors from my opponent 😄. Didn't win a single game. I simply could not handle his pace, and his accuracy was mind-boggling to me. Showed me first-hand just how far away I was/am from pro or even semi-pro level.
People are oblivious and out of whack. My experience is that every increase in 0.5 NTRP, the higher rated player will win the set 6-1 typically. A 4.5player like me will beat a 4.0 player 6-1 and lose to a 5.0 player 1-6. This gives you an idea of how many rungs there are before the typical NTRP 3.5 can get a game off a 6.5 or 7.0 pro.
Yes, the Dunning Kruger effect is maybe most expressed in tennis. But people need to have hope so I like to say: try getting a set off of your friends who play tennis near your level first, then find a league and you'll get surprised how much of a mountain there is to climb (if you're a competitive person). Then go watch an M15 tournament near you to get depressed. And that's just the start of the plateau, the real mountain is yet out of sight for most. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't improve and take one step at a time. And, by god, have fun! Yes you can lose a lot and still have fun and be creative! Be well ❤
Yeah, as a 4.5 usta player, I wouldn’t win a single point against an ATP pro. Only chance for a point would be maybe to hit a lucky service ace. People participating in this survey suffer from severe Dunning-Kruger cognitive bias
I think you can get a point, but the goal of the whole match is to get a point, not to exchange ground strokes, which means on your serve, you go all out every time, go for the lines, corner, no second serve, then maybe over the course of a best of three match, you might get lucky one point.
I’m interested in the demographics of this survey… Cause I’m pretty sure that 0% of the players in my club think they would take a game against a pro… not even the head coach who played Challenger-lvl a couple years ago. Maybe it’s an American thing… 😆
As an American, I have the same question. I almost wonder if this is just a joke TC is playing on us. I don't know a single player who thinks they could beat a pro. To Roddick's point, pro means someone who makes their living from tennis. That means we're talking about players ranked, on average, above at least 300 or so. By the time you get to 800 (like Weissman mentioned), you're talking about players who cannot make a living from the paltry money at that level.
@@christiannovak-zemplinski9749 Sure, but I'm talking about 20-somethings as well. I was about 20 when I played that college player and still had my ass handed to me. I guess we agree that it's absurd regardless of age 😊.
100% I was a Florida Junior w/ Andy. I’m 4 years older I was 17 he was 13 and he beat me every time. I played d3 college & the level of tennis is nowhere near pros.
i played against steve johnson (former top 30 player) in highschool and he demolished everyone in the league. Literally only one guy got a game off of him. He bagelled everyone else
100% agree....even D1 level is insane...just stand on the side of the court and watch the athleticism and the skill level...and we haven't even talked about the match play experience
This level of delusion is common today lol! I played varsity tennis for my HS my junior year. No. 8 seed most of the year on a good team. I think we went to Semifinals for Los Angeles. I once played our No. 1 seed who had UCLA scholarship secured, I could not win a game off of him. People are largely ignorant of separation of levels in tennis probably because they have never shared the court with it.
I am sitting here and laughing my ass off for real I'd bet that 80% of the planet's population don't even realize that they are in no shape to last through a few warm up games, let alone play on any even remotely serious level. On the other hand, those who played even for fun eventually figure out how taxing it is on the body. They also tend to respect the pros way more. Because the shit is insane. I remember even moving on the clay court feels like my ankles are getting chained to the ground stronger with every single step
I remember as a teenager I asked Donovan Bailey to race me down the street in Toronto. I was flat out sprinting and Bailey jogged beside me egging me on
the 'fans' aren't fans then. I'm a 4.5. On a good day I can hang with a 5.0. If I hit with a 5.5., I'm lucky to take a game. A pro? No chance. Whatsoever. They would just play at 70% and hit corners on me until I would break down. And at that level of 'hitting' for them, they wouldn't make an unforced error. Ever.
He’s 100% right there is no way any of you guys can take a game or even a point off a pro. They’re just in a different realm of athleticism from anybody else. I personally seen Andy Roddick playing in his prime, and that guy was a cat on the court. He was so fast.
I am so sorry - I wish I knew who she is, I love her attitude! And *always* loved Andy Roddick play. A GREAT guy, terrific person. And yes, respect the professionals.
Roddick is 100% correct! These fans need to go out onto the court and actually see how fast and how hard these pros hit the ball. Try and see if you can even return their first serve
Love and miss you Petkovic! My Man Roddick, I thought I could join the Circuit 20 years ago, I saved alot, and hired several coaches, I did not survive 3 months of training!
@@devinedude3690 lol, I do not want him. even his tennis turned sour. and he bulked in all the wrong places... I do not attend baby showers. they are childish!
Still it a chance. Just look at Winston's Du later videos, there a pro ato player (high school with 1 ATP point ranked 1200 in the world). If that kid plays serious, no amateur club player can get a off of him. So I back Roddick's point of view.
At 40 I wasa 5.0 humble weekend warrior. I played an open player in a tournament first rd. 74 players. I was 73.😂 I one the first game I served because the guy was trying to hit winners every time. After that, he started playing better. I remember winning, really winning 3 points after that. I was amazed that I won 3 points. Three winners. Thats it! I took a beating but it help me to better my game. Move your feet! 😂
People are delusional! I played junior hockey in Canada, and not junior major just a level below, some dude thought he could play with us because he wasn’t bad in an outdoor rink, we made him come to a practice, he didn’t touch the puck! By comparison no player in our league came close to the nhl, and 7% of kids make it to the level I did! Ain’t no way an amateur is beating a pro at anything
Obviously these are people who have never actually seen a pro (or a particularly high-level player) hit in person. They say TV adds 10 lbs, but it also subtracts 15mph from your groundstrokes. Djokovic averages 80mph on his forehand; most club players will never hit a shot at that speed that isn't an overhead.
I completely agree with them.. however you could argue Emma Raducanu was a ‘club player’ because she never pursued Tennis until after she left School and she didn’t focus her training solely on Tennis either.. so her routine would’ve been similar to a Club Player, she only chose Tennis a few years ago.. so to some extent “a club player” with a lot of natural talent is probably the only exception. 😂
If you have good technique you'll be somewhat competitive. The key is all to do with footwork and using your wrist a lot + racquet acceleration. As far as tactics, it can be as simple as just hitting cross court and moving your opponent. Vary loopy shots with flat shots, always using the wrist. And hit hard.
Respectfully, if you're outclassed all these ideas are out the window. Your're scrambling for every shot. the serve is opressive, every mistake you make is punished, it's just impossible. thats why your opponent is rated higher than you.@@mitsuhh
I want to know where these supposed stats are from. I think maybe they have been skewed to be more dramatic to be a conversation piece. They are so ridiculous that I almost think they are not real or heavily biased in some way. Did they even ask tennis players? Do the people who were answering even know what a game is in tennis? I doubt most people who actually play tennis are that delusional.
If you're an 8 UTR (roughly a 4.5 USTA) I defy you to play a 12 UTR (a low to mid D1 player) and get one single game, much less a real ATP pro (15+). After coaching for fifteen years and being around the game for decades, my belief is that you have a lesser chance of achieving a 12 UTR (as a male) than being struck by lighting on a cloudless sunny day. To be that good requires many things: incredible talent, body awareness, hand-eye coordination and speed + a work ethic that drives you to the court while your teenaged friends are out on a Saturday night (10k hours). For most people (outside of anomalies like kyrgios) talent alone without work ethic will get you no where. Tennis is one of the hardest games on earth. These people are delusional.
At 60yo and a 7 UTR, I played a 12+ UTR in a tournament and won 2 games on serve. At the time I topped out at about 110 mph and had 0 pressure so I was aiming my serve at corners and hitting them. Even so, if he’d just been trying to make returns instead of attacking them I wouldn’t have won a game.
That's not "work ethic" it's money disparity and support in general (like the best conditions, courts...) and talent itself isn't a God's gift, it's only hard working, training, that religious mentality about talent as a supernatural thing doesn't match with reality, Kyrgios, as you said, is an exception so you can't count as the rule and even Kyrgios some time back in days was a young dedicated guy trying to do the best only naive thinks he's born-to-play tennis.
I love watching sports - played them all when I was young and healthy - and love to hear commentary. Andy Roddick is by far my favorite commentator in any sport. The guy is smart, funny and knows the sport cold, obviously. Listening to him is just a treat! Previously my favorite was Vin Scully for the Dodgers. These two set the bar high sky for anyone to be better. Obviously Andy is right - it's the same as the tired women can take games off the men. No, they can't. :)
I knew someone that was at the top level in my country and I asked him if he ever decided on going pro and he just laughed. He said people just don't understand how good the top players are.
