Your Best Scenario For Rafa In 2016

[ClayDeath]

He should hire Edberg to learn how to volley correctly

He said he is doing fine. He also added that he is not going to change a thing.

if farting around in Manila and New Delhi for petty change and some spotlight is not an indication of what is going to happen in 2016 then some people are simply living under a rock.

he just said yesterday that he does not know if he can be a factor again at big events.

 

nothing is going to happen in 2016. My fear is that it will be worse than 2015.

he has no fitness and no ground game to compete with the best. He called the dogs off completely before 2015 even started.

more next time.

 

 

[Moxie]

He should hire Edberg to learn how to volley correctly

What do you think is wrong with Nadal's volleying?  He's considered to be a fine volleyer, when he is confident about going to net.

And I agree with Broken that Rafa has a fine chance of making the finals at RG, if the comeback to form continues on this trajectory.  I believe the betting odds have him the 2nd favorite.  He's got a good chance to be #4 by RG, so the likelihood is either a Djokovic-Nadal SF or F.  I'm hoping for the draw gods to be a little kind at the AO, which could give Rafa a decent (or better) showing in Oz, which brings him to one of his better parts of the calendar.  There is a lot to look forward to in 2016 for him, imo.

 

[ClayDeath]

nothing is going to happen if your preparation for 2016 includes farting around with meaningless, pathetic exos while wasting precious, valuable, limited time flying from country to country.

 

 

that worthless doubles is preparation alright. it is doing more harm than good for him.

 

he lost to milos in singles. that was not even a match. just one lousy meaningless set.

I saw his highlights. he has just turned into a weakling. I don't know why he is doing this to himself but you know what he is doing.

he is on his retirement circuit. he has no desire to get back into the swing of things.

he even said so but evidently nobody is listening. he said very specifically that he does not know if he can be a factor at "big events".

he worded it that way to include masters.

 

translation: I don't really care to win. that is what he is saying but he cant say it to his fans and his sponsors.

 

I saw some of the highlights. it only takes him about 5 seconds to start pushing the damn backhand back. it is just pathetic. it is like he is scared to go after the ball off his backhand wing.

his return of serve is getting worse by the day. and this is against lesser players in meaningless exos.

it only takes him about 10 seconds to start running around his backhand to hit forehands while handing them the whole court.

 

 

he is my player and always will be but he walked away from the fight. he packed his bags in long before 2015 started.

so I look for 2016 to be worse than 2015.

he is doing absolutely nothing to improve his game and his fitness.

 

 

and guess who is doing exactly that? a guy that already has a million ATP points and is no danger of ever losing his #1 rank.

 

that is right. Djokovic is slaving away on the courts and also on the fitness front. his results speak for themselves. he wants to be even better than he is. he said he has room to improve.

 

right now Rafa cant even get the damn ball back on the serve. and those that are in are weak and short.

 

get to work Rafa and stop talking nonsense.

 

[ClayDeath]

isabelle wrote:
He should hire Edberg to learn how to volley correctly

What do you think is wrong with Nadal’s volleying? He’s considered to be a fine volleyer, when he is confident about going to net. And I agree with Broken that Rafa has a fine chance of making the finals at RG, if the comeback to form continues on this trajectory. I believe the betting odds have him the 2nd favorite. He’s got a good chance to be #4 by RG, so the likelihood is either a Djokovic-Nadal SF or F. I’m hoping for the draw gods to be a little kind at the AO, which could give Rafa a decent (or better) showing in Oz, which brings him to one of his better parts of the calendar. There is a lot to look forward to in 2016 for him, imo.

why don't you go pick up a racquet and go take some tennis lessons moxie.

 

 

it is not exactly rocket science. rafa cant volley well and effectively. he pushes it and guides it. lot of his volleys are drop shot attempts. that is the first dead give away that he cant volley.

 

I guess next you will tell us that he has a perfect slice.

 

 

he refuse to work hard and he refuses to change a damn thing. he even said so. do you know what that gets you?

 

 

it gets you a rinky dink title in Rio with a win over Monaco. or it gets you a small, useless title in Hamburg with a win over Fognini.

or you get a small title with a win over victor troicki.

 

those results are laughable for an all time great but he did that to himself.

he can fix it but he just does not want to.

 

 

his decline did not just happen in 2015. it has been happening for a while. that is why it is a very tough road back and he does not feel like taking that road.

he is an all time great and he is a tennis immortal. that is enough for him. he feels he has done enough.

 

[Moxie]

You probably won't want to watch all of this, but at the end, we see that Nadal has the best percentage of the year at net. As he laughingly acknowledges, because he doesn't go to net so often, but it's also not crap.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Nadal is not a very good volleyer. The myth about him being among the best volleyers on tour (started mainly due to Mac's nonsense) is laughable. He went from having underrated volleys to having extremely overrated volleys. His percentage around the net is always good because his approach shots are good and he only comes in on really high percentage plays. His overhead is rock solid and his forehand drop shot is quite decent. He can hit some really good volleys but on average, he's really just an okay volleyer. So in that regard, I kinda agree with Samson (minus the hyperbole).

That said, the notion that he put forth about Rafa "refusing to work hard" is utter nonsense. What a load of crap.

 

[Moxie]

Nadal is not a very good volleyer. The myth about him being among the best volleyers on tour (started mainly due to Mac’s nonsense) is laughable. He went from having underrated volleys to having extremely overrated volleys. His percentage around the net is always good because his approach shots are good and he only comes in on really high percentage plays. His overhead is rock solid and his forehand drop shot is quite decent. He can hit some really good volleys but on average, he’s really just an okay volleyer. So in that regard, I kinda agree with Samson (minus the hyperbole). That said, the notion that he put forth about Rafa “refusing to work hard” is utter nonsense. What a load of crap.

I was actually responding to Isabelle who said that Rafa should learn to volley.  I said his volley isn't crap, which you acknowledge.  He makes intelligent use of the net when he goes there.  The general commentator trope is that his volley is "underrated."  (If we all had a dollar for every time they said that during a match....)  But I think you're right...basically only McEnroe tends to overrate it.  As to the bolded...well....