OT: Can you do what the pros do?

[storrsroars]

Your math is wrong, too. When you are losing 6-0, 6-0 in a best of three set match, you are only facing closer to 24 first serves.

You trying to equate baseball batters with tennis receivers tells us tennis is not your thing. A tennis serve has more dimensions than a baseball pitch, and the receiver needs to cover a much larger distance.

Some of you are making it sound like one can easily return good serves with practice. But know that on ATP tour, 38% of first serves do no come back - they are aces or unreturned serves.

If the pros cannot return more than a third of the serves they receive, what chance do mere mortals have?

Believe whatever the hell you want. I've actually accomplished the feat.

 

[Hunt for 7]

In 2006 spring about two months before they played the PGA Championship at Medina CC in the Chicago suburbs, I played the course from the tips plus 7K yards. Played with one of the club pros in a charity tournament which was best ball. So we all had to play our scores. I shot 78 the club pro shot 77. Sure there were a few gimme puts but they where all in the leather.

Now could I do the same thing with 70K fans standing around you on every hole is a different story. But I did shoot less than 10 over on pretty much the same set up they used at the PGA. Two of the par 3 were a bit shorter because they were making the holes plus 200 and the new tee boxes were not ready. So that may have helped.

 

[WillB4]

Back in the day.....I played football, not that football, the real football AKA soccer. Had a treble in high school, a few goals in college. Now only a PK would net results.

 

[Tenspro2002]

You can also find some where the challenger succeeds.

He's swinging way too hard to actually return it like you would in a match. And he succeeded at 120 mph once in 7 tries. I'm just trying to get strings on the ball with a slice grip to get that sucker over the net in play. Basically a "tennis bunt," all reflexes, no stroke. Doable with some practice.

 

[Spaceman213J]

The one I would not want to try at all is scoring a goal in pro hockey. I could skate a little when I was young, but a lot of people don't understand how fast those guys are going and how big a lot of those grown men are. Now, aside from keeping your head up and not getting blasted into next week, you also have to skate and maintain control of the puck with a stick.
No thanks! I would like to keep my teeth intact and not be concussed.

 

[Captbluefin]

The question is can the pros do what I do?
Or what any of us do..

 

[superjohn]

He's swinging way too hard to actually return it like you would in a match. And he succeeded at 120 mph once in 7 tries. I'm just trying to get strings on the ball with a slice grip to get that sucker over the net in play. Basically a "tennis bunt," all reflexes, no stroke. Doable with some practice.

Again, those serves are nowhere near 120 mph and the guys who are serving them to him aren't pros. If you think you can return 120 kilometers per hour serves from regular tennis players which is much more in line with this video I would agree with you.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The funniest would be watching any of us try and return a serve from a professional tennis player.

Even that is easier than trying to hit major league pitching.

 

[superjohn]

Even that is easier than trying to hit major league pitching.

Possibly but as we've seen from the responses pretty much everyone agrees they aren't getting a hit against professional pitchers yet several people are delusional enough to think they're returning serves from professional tennis players. I think it would be hilarious watching these people actually try.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Maybe, maybe in a scratch golfers best round ever they could break +10 in a major - for a single round, not a 72 hole tournament.

Buddy’s dad is a member at the same club as Rickie Fowler. Has never played with him but they have a mutual friend that each plays with separately. Buddy’s dad is a 10, the mutual friend is scratch, and the friend has told him the gap between the two of them is far less than between the scratch golfer and Fowler. They’re playing a different sport.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Possibly but as we've seen from the responses pretty much everyone agrees they aren't getting a hit against professional pitchers yet several people are delusional enough to think they're returning serves from professional tennis players. I think it would be hilarious watching these people actually try.

Could change it to “make contact with a pro tennis player’s serve” and the answer would still be a resounding no for the vast majority on here.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Possibly but as we've seen from the responses pretty much everyone agrees they aren't getting a hit against professional pitchers yet several people are delusional enough to think they're returning serves from professional tennis players. I think it would be hilarious watching these people actually try.

Could I do it when I was 22? I think I might be able to do it against a woman's pro from that era when I was at my best. Matina Hingis averaged 79 MPH for example.

 

[storrsroars]

Possibly but as we've seen from the responses pretty much everyone agrees they aren't getting a hit against professional pitchers yet several people are delusional enough to think they're returning serves from professional tennis players. I think it would be hilarious watching these people actually try.

Here's the thing. As I've already mentioned, I've played against a ranked player. He was not a full time pro, but had completed in Open tourneys. And I returned more than one serve and made contact with a few others. I was around 30 at the time. He told me I had no chance. I did. I didn't win a single game. But I did return some serves.

No, I could not do that now at 68. That would be delusional.

 

[Improviser]

Here's the thing. As I've already mentioned, I've played against a ranked player. He was not a full time pro, but had completed in Open tourneys. And I returned more than one serve and made contact with a few others. I was around 30 at the time. He told me I had no chance. I did. I didn't win a single game. But I did return some serves.

No, I could not do that now at 68. That would be delusional.

If you can find one, play a 68 year old former pro (unless he still plays in a separate seniors circuit) and see what happens.

Age wears us all down. Maybe you are now in better shape than he is at his age.

The years are kinder or less kind to different folks. Sometimes things equal out.

 

[storrsroars]

If you can find one, play a 68 year old former pro (unless he still plays in a separate seniors circuit) and see what happens.

Age wears us all down. Maybe you are now in better shape than he is at his age.

The years are kinder or less kind to different folks. Sometimes things equal out.

Just had gel shot into my knees last week. But if that guy is in hospice, I might have a chance!

 

[temery]

This cracks me up. I have the genes of a world class athlete, just not a very competitive one.

 

[temery]

If you can find one, play a 68 year old former pro (unless he still plays in a separate seniors circuit) and see what happens.

Age wears us all down. Maybe you are now in better shape than he is at his age.

The years are kinder or less kind to different folks. Sometimes things equal out.

Most retired players can still play. They retire when they can't do it six days in a row.