posted Nov 26, 2007

Good point HB I was going by observance rather than statistics.
Its hard to be definative as to how much it takes with each match and I noted a certain lack of real enthusiasm in Federers game.
He is alway under scrutiny and called on for interviews which can be wearing.
However I hope he stays injury free as he has done well in that regard.
Interestingly he has an almost frail upper body but strong legs but most of all a great tennis brain.

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posted Nov 26, 2007

Federer is IMO the most naturally gifted player in the history who is in the position to make the most spectacular shots in a rather nonchalant manner. That also explains why he has been playing almost injury-free ( unlike Nadal, Haas, Djokovic,etc.)up to how.

I also like to speculate how good Nadal would have become if Uncle Toni had not made him switch to the left hand as a youngster -- he is a right-hander by nature ( he writes with right).

My "educated" guess would be:

He would have developed a more potent serve with his dominant right hand, comparable to his ferocious ground strokes ( more lethal than the harmless serve he has now. He would have had a more lethal forehand as well, but a considerably weaker two-handed backhand ( the backhand he has now is anchored by his dominant forehand)


But would that make him a even stronger opponent to Federer and the other top players?
I donīt really think so. Because the lefties always enjoy an edge over the righties, which shows in the following pairs ( the first is lefty:

Navratilova - Evert
McEnroe - borg
Seles - Graf
Nadal - Federer

Nadalīs forehand matches up perfectly with Federerīs backhand -- tough for Fed.

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posted Nov 27, 2007

"But would that make him a even stronger opponent to Federer and the other top players?
I donīt really think so. Because the lefties always enjoy an edge over the righties, which shows in the following pairs ( the first is lefty:

Navratilova - Evert
McEnroe - borg
Seles - Graf
Nadal - Federer

Nadalīs forehand matches up perfectly with Federerīs backhand -- tough for Fed. "

As a left hander myself i always always have issue with this statement as the likewise can be said for the right handed player - i.e Federers forehand matches up perfectly with Nadals backhand- an equal advantage can be gained on both sides - the only real sniff of an advantage is that Nadal will be used to playing predominantly right handed players, whereas it will be less familiar to Fed player a lefty - BUT with 1000's of hours of tennis behind top player any difference is negligable...

The same goes for Boxing imo as the opposite stance of a lefty disadvantages him as much as advantages him - its just famililiarity that is the issue.

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posted Nov 27, 2007

Tom_____ wrote:

<<<<
As a left hander myself i always always have issue with this statement as the likewise can be said for the right handed player - i.e Federers forehand matches up perfectly with Nadals backhand- an equal advantage can be gained on both sides - the only real sniff of an advantage is that Nadal will be used to playing predominantly right handed players, whereas it will be less familiar to Fed player a lefty - BUT with 1000's of hours of tennis behind top player any difference is negligable...
>>>>

This is something that occurred to me as well. I play right handed. However, many crucial points are played on the AD side of the court where the LEFTY has the advantage. This in combination with the relative unfamiliarity of the right hander with the left hander leads to somewhat of an advantage for the LEFT hander. One other thing that needs to be considered is that when the right hander gets an opening he naturally tends to run around his backhand to hit an inside out forehand which is the forehand side of the LEFTY - usually the stronger side.

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posted Nov 27, 2007

Tom,

This is exactly the edge I meant -- the unfamiliarity for the right-handed (and also for the LEFT-handed )opponents. Fed still has problems making adjustment to play Nadal, as he said after his FO loss that to play Nadal is like to see the world upside down. So it is not something you can just turn on or turn off -- you have to change the whole concept of the game.

As far as Rafaīs forehand matching up well with Fedīs backhand is concerned, it is more than just this edge of unfamiliarity:

Nadalīs vicious topspin-forehand bounces extremely high, which makes Fedīs one-handed backhand vulnerable. So instead of returning with topspin, Fed sometimes has to content with a slice, which gives Nadal the initiative for attack.
But there is no such match-up btw. Fedīs forehand and Rafaīs backhand.

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posted Nov 27, 2007

"This is something that occurred to me as well. I play right handed. However, many crucial points are played on the AD side of the court where the LEFTY has the advantage."

As a lefty i don't believe this is specifically true either - yes most points are played in the AD court and yes this is where a Right hander would be hitting, but likewise as a left handed player its more natural and easier to hit forehands to the deuce court (or right handers forehand zone) - its exactly the same advantage for both. What Nadal has done is implement a strategy where he constantly attack Federers backhand side with a very consistent forehand - but it is not natural for him to do that - believe me. I think as a left hander you are confronted with these situations more often and therefore naturally adapt your game in this way - it maybe harder if right handed to adapt.

Still i stick behind the theory that its simply familiarity behind the Left/righthander conflict, not ease of shot making for one over the other.

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posted Nov 27, 2007

Tom,

I know very little about the studies of the brain, but heard from time to time theories that the left-handers are more creative -- the right side of the brain controls the creativity, etc...

I watched the games of the past legends, and it seems to me that the games of the lefties tend to be more creative and that of their right-handed opponents tend to be more consistent: Navratilova - Evert, or, McEnroe - Borg.

Would be interesting to know a bit more about the brain!!!

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posted Nov 28, 2007

"Tom,

I know very little about the studies of the brain, but heard from time to time theories that the left-handers are more creative -- the right side of the brain controls the creativity, etc...
"
Intresting point - never really thought about it that way. For myself a skill i have that most don't is that i can jungle fire clubs - which invloves use of both sides of the brain as well as a touch of insanity. I also seem to have two opinions on the same things and have several voices in my head - never thought that might be because i'm a lefty...

however what i do know is that as a lefty you are definately aware you live in a right handed world, whether you're trying to use a pair of scissors, a ruler, go to a restaurant to eat with knives and forks, shake hands with people. It seems that the 'done' way is very much the 'right' way if you know what is mean. What i've always felt this does mean lefties do is that we constantly have to assess situations, then act - rather than just do what comes naturally. You get very quick at this and this is maybe where that creativity comes from, because you have think very quickly - without really thinking if i'm making any sense?

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posted Nov 28, 2007

And in sport you donīt have to follow that "right" norm and you can really be yourself -- although McEnroe wanted a bit too much to "be himself"!

The other theory I heard is that the lefties have a faster reaction time than the right-hander -- the right side of the brain also controls the visual perception, thus better eye-hand coordination. Graf in her prime had a lot of difficulties dealing with Selesīfast ground strokes, not only because of the unfamiliarity playing a lefty (she was dominating Navratilova at the time who past her prime), but because of her fast reaction time.

If you look at the sport as a whole(not only in tennis), you will see that among the worldītop athletes, the left-handers are far more successful in relation to their proportion in the whole population.

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posted Nov 28, 2007

The reason left handed players have more of an advantage over right handed players is simple. Left-handers play far more right-handers than right-handers play left-handers. Therefore they have a lot more practice against someone playing with the opposite hand

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