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Tennis Racket Ping

Tennis Racket Ping

tennis rant?

i play with this guy who isn't that good, probably a 2.5 or maybe a 3. but, he speaks as if he's a mechanical engineer or racket designer. he constantly blames very specific parts of the racket for his flaws.
for example, just yesterday, he didn't have his vibration dampener on and blamed his overhitting (as usual) on the fact that his strings were vibrating too much and so he couldn't control it. those vibration thingies don't do much other than eliminate the "ping" sound.

he also talks about the stringing patterns, string type, and how they relate to HIS specific game. he claims to be able to detect changes in different rackets, strings, string patterns, that someone with is experience just cannot. he never of course, critiques his technique and footwork. oh, and he plays with the wilson prostaff original, 85 sq. i get so frustrated from hearing him talk about racket specifications.

how do i deal with this guy's bullshit without blowing my brains out?

First thing's first...if he's that far beneath your playing skill, you're not doing your game any favors by playing with him on a regular basis. You'd be better served (pun intended) playing with someone at your level or above.

There's nothing wrong with playing with him if you do it every now and then but regular play, particularly match-play will pull your game down more than it will better his.

Now, as far as his self-expressed expertise, there are a couple things you can do. The first is a "third person" technique. When you guys are chatting away from the court over coffee or something, tell him a story of this guy you use to play with that enjoyed talking about how much he knew about the game and it's technology but simply didn't play to his potential. Further explain that your "friend" tended to blame his lack of skill on the court on the racket, the net, the weather, etc. Let him know that you directed him to some resources to help him and that your "friend" now plays better than ever. He'll "get it" and likely appreciate that you're trying to allow him to save face.

The second thing you might try (and as simple as it sounds can be quite tricky) is to be straight forward and honest with him. Explain to him that while the equipment and such have a lot to do with his game, that consistantly hitting balls long, etc isn't a racket issue, it's a mechanics problem (if indeed that's what it is). This is difficult to do if you guys have been friends for a long time because as friends, we don't see each other as authority and it becomes tricky to get your point across.

Good luck.

Oh, and one more thing, if all else fails, direct him to this forum question and all the answers you got. If he misses the point then, well, you're on you own. LOL!

Keep it between the lines!

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