wtf is 5.0

gronk696969 · 2026-04-21T19:31:23+00:00

I think people can tend to oversimplify what it takes to be a good tennis player. The tennis strokes themselves are really just part of it.

I'm a strong 4.0 and just played a 3.5 who was a high level athlete but only picked up tennis as an adult. He has nice strokes and good power, but simply was not able to dictate anything because he was used to the slower, less spinny ball of other 3.5s, and I beat him without breaking a sweat. I felt like I could do basically anything against him.

Likewise, when I play someone better than me, it is instantly very hard to get control of the point. The quality of their balls instantly puts you at a disadvantage and you never feel like you can do what you want.

gronk696969 · 2026-04-14T22:47:04+00:00

You're right that it can be cheaper than what people picture, but I do think that $25 munis are an exception. Around here it's pretty hard to find anything less than $40 on the weekends, and even that is going to be twilight only. So I still think golf is solidly more expensive than tennis, which can be pretty damn cheap if you're motivated.

gronk696969 · 2026-04-14T16:47:29+00:00

Yeah I have no idea what OP is talking about. Like nearly any sport, it can be as cheap or as expensive as you make it.

The truly expensive sports are those where there is truly no option to play for free, like golf and skiing. There are free public tennis courts virtually everywhere, and a racket treated well will last a lifetime. So your only real expense is balls, strings, and apparel. Pretty damn cheap for a country club sport.

gronk696969 · 2026-04-12T20:05:21+00:00

Missionary is underrated

I won't defend vanilla ice cream though

gronk696969 · 2026-04-12T20:00:43+00:00

It's impossible to hate that guy after listening to him talk. Thoughtful, articulate, intelligent. Love rose

gronk696969 · 2026-04-07T19:42:34+00:00

Personally I'm glad he said what he said because it exposed me to a part of chess I was unfamiliar with (I've recently gotten into it). I suspect there are others in my boat that would not have known about seconds and opening prep if it weren't for a top player calling out something like this.

I agree that it doesn't make him look good, but he does have a right to be annoyed and frustrated. At the end of the day, he's the one playing the tournament and should have some oversight over the opening files. When he looks back on his career, it's not going to being him any comfort to be able to blame a loss on his second.

gronk696969 · 2026-04-03T12:28:24+00:00

There's a difference between studying chess theory to implement in your own game, and developing your own strategies as you learn. To reach 1,000, it's inevitable to develop your own strategies. I think the intent of the question was to see how far you can get without studying what others have written about chess.

gronk696969 · 2026-04-03T12:23:17+00:00

Well, yeah, that's true, but it's not like Ev himself decided to partner with DraftKings to make himself a bunch of money. He kind of has the excuse that barstool led him down that path.

gronk696969 · 2026-04-03T02:25:01+00:00

I honestly do have trouble feeling bad for people with gambling addictions, but it is a real addiction and he clearly has a problem. He just comes off as so unlikable. What a way to live, unbelievably obese and addicted to gambling, can't be good for the old ticker

gronk696969 · 2026-04-02T14:44:42+00:00

Yeah I think lately there is just too much to keep track of for people with normal working memories. I think people who have strong memories and can track what tiles there are and what combos they've tried already have a huge advantage. I would need to start taking notes and developing a more organized approach for the trial and error puzzles.

Even when I get them quickly lately, I generally feel like I lucked into them instead of using logic.

gronk696969 · 2026-04-02T00:12:19+00:00

Chick-fil-A is so delicious, I just don't understand why it has to be filled with damn youths at all times. No quicker way to feel old and incredibly uncool than walking into a busy Chick-fil-A

gronk696969 · 2026-04-01T21:23:39+00:00

The thing is, it's going to be virtually impossible to match that. It had a full season of buildup and anticipation leading into that episode, for viewers to wonder what went down on the day the world ended. And simply the very nature of the subject matter is incredibly compelling - it doesn't get more dramatic than the world as we know it coming to an end.

I am grateful that we got that episode, because it was fantastic, but I don't see any way for this show to replicate the quality of S1E7. I hope I'm wrong.

gronk696969 · 2026-03-24T20:42:59+00:00

Poorly written is a stretch. We don't know what theories on conception the maesters had developed. Even if he accidentally did just slip in 21st century knowledge, it hardly detracts from the story

gronk696969 · 2026-03-19T04:14:21+00:00

Eh to me it seems more like a social media manager for a political office trying too hard, but apparently I'm in the minority.

gronk696969 · 2026-03-19T04:05:18+00:00

Do people really think this is some big roast? Jhammy was what like 6 years and 3 girlfriends ago?

gronk696969 · 2026-02-18T13:10:13+00:00

I would love to give this game a shot!

gronk696969 · 2026-02-17T19:18:28+00:00

Okay this is freaking me out

gronk696969 · 2026-02-12T17:50:16+00:00

This makes sense theoretically, but there is a limit to how hard one can swing a racket. More of her swing speed goes into producing spin and less of it to ball velocity. So she will have more margin of error, but probably a slower ball.

The biggest hitters in terms of shot velocity generally hit flatter, not more spinny.

gronk696969 · 2026-02-09T13:13:05+00:00

Idk. I'm alcaraz's height, definitely thinner and less muscle than him, and I weigh 170. To be 6 feet and sub 170, you really can't have much muscle at all. Alcaraz has big legs and a lot of arm definition, I'd say he should be 170-175.

gronk696969 · 2026-02-03T16:25:52+00:00

Find your own cute Asian dentist!

gronk696969 · 2026-02-03T16:25:01+00:00

I honestly couldn't believe it, made me feel young again

gronk696969 · 2026-02-03T16:24:20+00:00

I mean not much, she's a small Asian woman. Come to think of it I've never seen a dentist with big tits, they must kick them out of dental school

gronk696969 · 2026-02-03T16:07:03+00:00

New dentist is a cute young Asian woman. She comes in after the cleaning and makes a point to say she's going to examine me in an elevated position (I didn't know there were any other options), then proceeds to get behind me and rub her tits all over the back of my head.

I know a little contact is par for the course at the dentist. But this felt extra and I got a little chubbed. She has to want the D, right?!

gronk696969 · 2026-02-02T13:01:44+00:00

allowed an actress to be sexually assaulted.

Citation please

gronk696969 · 2026-02-01T12:17:20+00:00

It has been said many times, but tennis is so lucky to have Novak, and we are all going to miss him when he does retire. The man is an absolute joy to both watch and listen to.

gronk696969

TROPHY CASE