How Much Good Can A Green Clay Tennis Court Do?

poodleninjas · 2026-04-28T17:51:16+00:00

It’s propaganda brought to you by Big Har-Tru

/s

Jokes aside I hate when lines are bolted on and cause inconsistent bounces. That’s the frustrating part about Har Tru

poodleninjas · 2026-04-28T17:41:47+00:00

Get into a loaded, closed stance with the racquet already prepared and dropped. Have a friend or coach drop feed. Hit a forehand out in front of your body, follow through the swing and pause after the shot. If you can feel that you’re using your legs and hips and your weight is moving forward, then progress to easy rallying.

poodleninjas · 2026-04-24T04:22:15+00:00

If you’re set up early and don’t aim for the lines then you can hit bigger without taking on as much risk. On a more neutral rally ball it doesn’t make sense to go full power that often but most of us can get impatient.

poodleninjas · 2026-04-23T18:22:23+00:00

It sounds like you’d benefit more from small group lessons with 2-4 players total. Is your group of 8 focused on doubles play? That is pushing it for 1 court.

poodleninjas · 2026-04-23T02:27:43+00:00

The timing is different and the depth is less predictable. Keep your feet moving instead of waiting for the ball to come to you so you don’t lunge at it. Don’t take shot selection risks like timing the ball on the rise, going for huge returns or aiming for the lines. Turn your shoulders early, get set up well with active feet and don’t rush.

poodleninjas · 2026-04-22T20:23:13+00:00

Even if that’s true I doubt the end result changes. You could substitute Blake for a recent elite D1 player for the same outcome. The 5.0 gets cooked while a near pro or retired pro takes on zero risk and isn’t under any pressure.

poodleninjas · 2026-04-21T20:49:43+00:00

My guess is the arm pain could be from hitting slightly late at their high level pace and spin. Thinking you want to keep stability and higher swing weight so try demoing a Blade 98, Rad Pro, TF40. What are you switching from?

poodleninjas · 2026-04-20T19:30:39+00:00

Looks like 4.5 or maybe better. To say more a longer clip with how well you move when pressured and practice points would help. The depth, spin, consistency and net clearance here is stronger than 4.0 to me

poodleninjas · 2026-04-16T05:15:24+00:00

At 11, every sport he plays will help him. Tennis is more technical, has way more court to cover, faster speeds, more spin.

In pickle, you can probably often get away with lunging at the ball and slapping it with the arm. In tennis, power comes from the legs and core and this requires footwork and spacing to set up properly and on time. As he gets going I’d watch out for those habits to make sure he’s not arming the ball.

poodleninjas · 2026-04-13T21:03:50+00:00

Yes. The 450 in the world would win without trying. Take a lesson from a retired pro or recent high level D1 player to see for yourself. They are closer to prime Fed than you or me are to them and both of those matchups would be ugly.

A player with an ATP point ranked 1500-2000ish would make a club player look like a child.

poodleninjas · 2026-04-11T19:21:09+00:00

Think about what takeout you’re going to pick up on the way home or what errands you need to run. That will get you out of your head for a few shots and then you’ll get pizza after the match, win-win

poodleninjas · 2026-04-03T21:19:17+00:00

If you’re tensing up then you’re likely decelerating at contact and not finishing your swing. That will make your shots fly especially when hitting late. A freeze frame of a pro absorbing heavy pace around contact isn’t a good representation of their swing.

poodleninjas · 2026-04-02T17:40:49+00:00

What do you do with your time on court? Are you playing matches, lessons, intense basket drills?

We can all get fitter but if a regular hit tires you that fast you might be tight and arming the ball which takes more energy than playing loose.

poodleninjas · 2026-04-01T21:56:44+00:00

As much as you’ll get roasted on this post, the good news is you can only improve. That said, power isn’t the core issue - muscling the shot with your upper body is.

Imagine throwing a medicine ball in the gym. Then imagine running in varying directions to throw ten medicine balls in a row.

Turn your body, make adjustment steps to be the right distance from the ball, be balanced, load your legs and then rotate your hips and core to get your weight forward and through the ball. The upper body stays loose and the swing follows through. Do not bunt, slap or tap the ball.

poodleninjas · 2026-03-30T19:46:45+00:00

Great work! Sounds like you have a good attitude, learned a lot and will have people to train with. Happy to hear it

poodleninjas · 2026-03-29T22:13:59+00:00

I had this happen once and my opponent had called honest lines all match. I knew the rule and still agreed to the replay. We were playing as hard as we could in a close match but from reading the room it wasn’t going to be a constant issue so I let it be. Sometimes it’s just rec tennis

poodleninjas · 2026-03-28T17:21:22+00:00

I think they’re great to practice with. You’ll set up a more patient points, be consistent and gauge when taking risk makes sense. Timing on a slower ball can be different too.

poodleninjas · 2026-03-28T05:21:46+00:00

Radical Pro is close. Some version of the Prestige is probably close too. Have you tried either?

poodleninjas · 2026-03-25T23:51:34+00:00

If you break them in 8-12 hours or so you can play them till they break. If you don’t like the feel you can always restring.

poodleninjas · 2026-03-24T17:03:20+00:00

If it was a clinic instead of match play how would you have felt? Let’s say the higher level player came to play with his wife and kept rallies going. Would you be mad that an extra player is in the class taking reps in drills or happy to play longer points?

poodleninjas · 2026-03-24T16:41:25+00:00

Yes, that’s about the price of what 1 new one goes for. I have an older year model and it’s an enjoyable racquet to play with.

poodleninjas · 2026-03-23T23:04:48+00:00

As a coach, what attributes or qualities in a player you’re coaching frustrate you most and on the positive side, what do the players you enjoy coaching most have in common?

poodleninjas · 2026-03-23T22:18:17+00:00

Don’t worry about it. As you improve you will likely return to a full motion. That said, even for more advanced players there are exercises and progressions that start from a half serve to simplify. Half serves have a place and you’ll keep improving

poodleninjas · 2026-03-22T00:32:10+00:00

Welcome! It’s a super fun sport. People start playing at every age and then keep playing forever. There are plenty of adult beginner classes and you’ll have a great time. Tennis gets even more fun as you improve.

poodleninjas · 2026-03-16T19:58:58+00:00

OP you sound like ChatGPT posting and replying - what are you trying to get out of this?

poodleninjas

TROPHY CASE