Thanks for going out of your way to post your comment, it means a lot. As someone who grew up in NY, I've always appreciated "Say what you mean, and mean what you say" as long as it's done without malice or being a jerk. My goal with this channel was to authentic, knowing full well it may occasionally rub some people the wrong way and they will not understand that my intentions are well meaning. Most people behave and act differently around people we don't know well and the same applies to creators. If I take that route then I doubt I would feel and fulfillment from making these videos. That's why comments like yours are worth 10x any negative commenter makes.
An excellent analysis, I see it similarly if Flipflop Fritz changes his shoes and focuses even more on tennis, he can still improve. He is very talented and not yet fully trained :)
Fritz's agility doesn't even come close to Zverev or Medvedev and they are an inch taller. So, you can throw that narrative out the window. Taylor's problem is that he is stubborn. He admittedly will go with his "instinct" on the court, rather than following the advice of his coaches. Personally, I think his coach sucks. Paul Annacone not so much, but the other guy, he's useless, especially if Fritz won't even listen to him. Fritz gets away with his hotdog hitting when playing Zverev because his groundies are way more aggressive than Zverev.
I may not agree with the sentiment about his agility, but certainly no argument about the coaches...never mind they look line wankers wearing the matching Lucky shirts 🤦♂
Yeah, the agility assessment is off. That’s a weakness, even though it’s somewhat made up for with a ton of heart and tenacity. Still, leading off the assessment by calling his agility elite is a joke.
Michael "Muscle" Russell may not be the greatest coach but he was one of the hardest working players who truly maxed out his potential. And Taylor did too this year so i guess the coach must be doing something right. I find Annacone annoying.
PINNED COMMENT: Whether you agree with my assessment or not, please know that my perspective comes from decades of studying the game. My goal is to offer insight and I hope you find value in it. Some may wonder, "Who am I to give a 'report card' on players?" The truth is, we’re all constantly assessing and forming opinions-there’s nothing wrong with that if it’s done with good intentions and without malice. That’s the spirit I try to bring to these videos. While I can’t play at the level of these world-class athletes, that doesn’t diminish the validity of my observations. With my background and experience, I aim to provide insights that help recreational players improve their own game. If you appreciate these assessments, please consider subscribing and leaving a like! These videos haven’t been performing well lately, but I truly enjoy creating them and sharing my perspective on "What I See When I Watch the Top Pros Play." Thank you for your time and support-it means a lot!
We all have our opinions. I think it's fun to see someone who actually has a decent amateur game to give their opinion. You don't claim to be a pro, just a fan with an opinion. No one gets hurt. Keep it up!
I think Fritz has all the tools. Except for maybe the IQ. I'll explain. I think hes too passive w his targets on the run. The elites winning the slams just seem to tighten up their targets in protracted situations. I feel Fritz moves well enough for his height. He converts way too little extended rallies vs these guys because his targets stay large whilst on defense. He has the FP to change defense to offense but if it doesnt create instability then these top 4 or 5 guys arent threatened by neutral aggression on the run. Too many of his shots on the run are landing in the center 3rd of the singles court.
That’s an interesting take. IMO, he’s only ranked as high as he is because of his tennis IQ and heart. He is very strategic and analytical; even Tiafoe has said so around Laver Cup. Not a conversationalist, but very strategic with his game. A true talent maximizer.
From my perspective, each player has a trait to play fight or flight tennis in the most stressful moments. This learned behavior or innate ability (whatever you believe) is usually defined early in a pros career. If a player does not achieve these break-throughs early, then they become a product of their history and it defines them typically for the rest of their careers. For those players like the Big 3 and now Carlos and Jannick, it's part of their identity and everyone else is at their mercy and/or lady luck. Players like Zverev and Fritz have an almost impossible task at this stage of their careers to change into the clutch players they are striving so hard to achieve. They could potentially win a Grand Slam, but it's not fully within their control.
You're right in that's where he needs to head to. But it's not really IQ. For one he plays with a light racquet which on defense can be less stable and harder to redirect shots. The other issue is his movement still needs work. If he takes a ball down the line on the run he then needs to run more for the cross. Sinner and Alcaraz can cover that mitigating the risk but Fritz will get into a pickle.
Well, I just don't agree with your analysis. Now I do think that he's been playing great of late and that's moved him up to no. 4 in the rankings. A lot of this however is due the drop in play of the other players like Zverev, Medvedev and even Alcaraz of late. Take nothing away from Taylor, he has taken advantage of this and played very steady. I personally don't like watching Taylor play. His form is not great. His groundstrokes are not in balance. They look awkward. His movement is also average at best. Yes he has a great serve and good but not elite forehand. He just looks average in coordination for a professional athlete. Can he ever win a major? If Sinner, Alcaraz, Zverev or Medvedev are knock out before he has to face them then maybe. Just highly unlikely. I think Roddick is a better player and he only managed to win one major. (Of course, he was unlike to be a contemporary of Fed.) I just think Taylor got lucky in the US open to even make the finals. Unlikely to happen again.
Nah you don't become this high in ranking without an elite forehand, just being an serve bot doesn't do that. His forehand and aggressive shot making that goes with it is what really propelled him this year and covering a lot of his defensive deficiencies.
Great job with the over all assessment. You are brutally honest and that's refreshing.
Thanks for going out of your way to post your comment, it means a lot. As someone who grew up in NY, I've always appreciated "Say what you mean, and mean what you say" as long as it's done without malice or being a jerk. My goal with this channel was to authentic, knowing full well it may occasionally rub some people the wrong way and they will not understand that my intentions are well meaning. Most people behave and act differently around people we don't know well and the same applies to creators. If I take that route then I doubt I would feel and fulfillment from making these videos. That's why comments like yours are worth 10x any negative commenter makes.
An excellent analysis, I see it similarly if Flipflop Fritz changes his shoes and focuses even more on tennis, he can still improve. He is very talented and not yet fully trained :)
Maybe the nickname will catch on 😉
Fritz's agility doesn't even come close to Zverev or Medvedev and they are an inch taller. So, you can throw that narrative out the window. Taylor's problem is that he is stubborn. He admittedly will go with his "instinct" on the court, rather than following the advice of his coaches. Personally, I think his coach sucks. Paul Annacone not so much, but the other guy, he's useless, especially if Fritz won't even listen to him. Fritz gets away with his hotdog hitting when playing Zverev because his groundies are way more aggressive than Zverev.
I may not agree with the sentiment about his agility, but certainly no argument about the coaches...never mind they look line wankers wearing the matching Lucky shirts 🤦♂
@ omg! I saw that too. Weird…
@@chuckfriebe843 so weird, cringe!
Yeah, the agility assessment is off. That’s a weakness, even though it’s somewhat made up for with a ton of heart and tenacity. Still, leading off the assessment by calling his agility elite is a joke.
Michael "Muscle" Russell may not be the greatest coach but he was one of the hardest working players who truly maxed out his potential. And Taylor did too this year so i guess the coach must be doing something right. I find Annacone annoying.
PINNED COMMENT: Whether you agree with my assessment or not, please know that my perspective comes from decades of studying the game. My goal is to offer insight and I hope you find value in it.
Some may wonder, "Who am I to give a 'report card' on players?" The truth is, we’re all constantly assessing and forming opinions-there’s nothing wrong with that if it’s done with good intentions and without malice. That’s the spirit I try to bring to these videos.
While I can’t play at the level of these world-class athletes, that doesn’t diminish the validity of my observations. With my background and experience, I aim to provide insights that help recreational players improve their own game.
If you appreciate these assessments, please consider subscribing and leaving a like! These videos haven’t been performing well lately, but I truly enjoy creating them and sharing my perspective on "What I See When I Watch the Top Pros Play."
Thank you for your time and support-it means a lot!
We all have our opinions. I think it's fun to see someone who actually has a decent amateur game to give their opinion. You don't claim to be a pro, just a fan with an opinion. No one gets hurt. Keep it up!
Great breakdown, I hope he can win a grand slam in 2025 🇺🇸
Yes he can if Sinner, Alcarez, or Djokovic all lose or pull out.
I think Fritz has all the tools. Except for maybe the IQ. I'll explain. I think hes too passive w his targets on the run. The elites winning the slams just seem to tighten up their targets in protracted situations. I feel Fritz moves well enough for his height. He converts way too little extended rallies vs these guys because his targets stay large whilst on defense. He has the FP to change defense to offense but if it doesnt create instability then these top 4 or 5 guys arent threatened by neutral aggression on the run. Too many of his shots on the run are landing in the center 3rd of the singles court.
That’s an interesting take. IMO, he’s only ranked as high as he is because of his tennis IQ and heart. He is very strategic and analytical; even Tiafoe has said so around Laver Cup.
Not a conversationalist, but very strategic with his game. A true talent maximizer.
@sbrons1 I think the IQ is all Annecone.
From my perspective, each player has a trait to play fight or flight tennis in the most stressful moments. This learned behavior or innate ability (whatever you believe) is usually defined early in a pros career. If a player does not achieve these break-throughs early, then they become a product of their history and it defines them typically for the rest of their careers. For those players like the Big 3 and now Carlos and Jannick, it's part of their identity and everyone else is at their mercy and/or lady luck. Players like Zverev and Fritz have an almost impossible task at this stage of their careers to change into the clutch players they are striving so hard to achieve. They could potentially win a Grand Slam, but it's not fully within their control.
You're right in that's where he needs to head to. But it's not really IQ. For one he plays with a light racquet which on defense can be less stable and harder to redirect shots. The other issue is his movement still needs work. If he takes a ball down the line on the run he then needs to run more for the cross. Sinner and Alcaraz can cover that mitigating the risk but Fritz will get into a pickle.
You say he’s 26 like he’s 32 or something
Interesting analysis but your crab psychology doesn't help. The guy is a dominator, fixes his game here and there and you'll see it
Well, I just don't agree with your analysis. Now I do think that he's been playing great of late and that's moved him up to no. 4 in the rankings. A lot of this however is due the drop in play of the other players like Zverev, Medvedev and even Alcaraz of late. Take nothing away from Taylor, he has taken advantage of this and played very steady. I personally don't like watching Taylor play. His form is not great. His groundstrokes are not in balance. They look awkward. His movement is also average at best. Yes he has a great serve and good but not elite forehand. He just looks average in coordination for a professional athlete. Can he ever win a major? If Sinner, Alcaraz, Zverev or Medvedev are knock out before he has to face them then maybe. Just highly unlikely. I think Roddick is a better player and he only managed to win one major. (Of course, he was unlike to be a contemporary of Fed.) I just think Taylor got lucky in the US open to even make the finals. Unlikely to happen again.
Nah you don't become this high in ranking without an elite forehand, just being an serve bot doesn't do that. His forehand and aggressive shot making that goes with it is what really propelled him this year and covering a lot of his defensive deficiencies.
He needs to work on his forehand. That elbow is too close to his body.