I played a USTA 4.5!

[@steventran3361]

Thanks for the fun set Winston! Let's grind to become solid 4.5s (☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞ ☜(ﾟヮﾟ☜)

[@AriGlazer]

Huge improvement since the last match - you must have been working hard

[@VintageSecure]

Hell yeah dude, you did it! Hard work always pays off someday, somehow it will and when it does it is always worth the hard work and sacrifices.

[@matthew_bots]

I remember you from TOC!! Let's goooo

[@gozer825]

Hi Steven !! Ur game as evolved a lot since high school.

[@steventran3361]

@@gozer825 tyty

[@davidcane8011]

The whiff and the dog, back to back. One of the most iconic sequences in the channel's history.

[@justchimaera9915]

Fuckin' pickleballers

[@davebeery_youtube]

😆

[@orionpahl]

4:30 for anyone else looking for this moment. Amazing!

[@tenniswithandy]

First of all, 4.5 is not average. You two are both advanced players and it was a clean match my both. Steven, you've improved so much and you were crushing everything. Winston, that backhand is clean and I'm liking when you go for it down the line. Since you asked for feedback on your serve, I think you have a pretty clean kicker and the slight adjustments that Ryan suggested would make it better. I think there is more to gain for you if you develop a hard flat serve or hard flat-slice. One way to work on that in practice or warm up is to serve from like 6 feet behind the baseline and try to hit the fence on the fly. The only way to do that effectively is by staying loose and just using your entire kinetic chain. Once you're comfortable with that, you can go back to the baseline and repeat the motion (same swing speed) and make the slight adjustment to get the ball to get closer to the box. Once you're comfortable with that pure pace, you can add a little bit of slice or kick to up the consistency.

[@nsebast]

That is true. I'm a 4.5 and the only players who can beat me are mostly coaches. Really hard to find a higher level opponent to play with. Of course there are clubs where high level players play but it's too far for me between work and family.

[@amoghkodur239]

Hi Winston! You both are great players. Wish you the best in content making in 2024! Keep it up

[@altrfryd5859]

But they both are nothing compared to Hermont though...

[@anantakhatri1444]

I would say that most recreational tennis players are 3.5. Therefore, somewhere between 3.5 and 4.0 is probably considered average. 3.5 and 4.0 have the largest group of players across the US. Once you get to 5.0 it's extremely difficult to find players, especially in areas that don't have as many tennis players.

[@bournejason66]

Not true. The stat says majority USTA players are 3.0

[@anantakhatri1444]

@@bournejason66 Is that right? I always assumed 3.5 and 4.0 has the most leagues (mainly based on observations) across the country. I guess I was wrong.

[@nsebast]

That is true. I'm a 4.5 player close to their level. The only 5.0 I know in my area has a bunch of tennis trophies from when he was young. I would call a 5.0 a semi-pro. They are D1 college players good and probably can win a few games from a Top 500 pro. A top 100 pro probably still zero.

[@mskcrc]

Pickleballers with a loose dog. Only thing they lack is a Bluetooth speaker pumping out terrible music. The actual worst…

[@michaelp9061]

Appreciated this match. You played really well.

[@JasonFurlong]

You’re playing some great tennis bro! I’m a 5.0 from Florida and if you titled this 5.0 tennis, I don’t think I would’ve even questioned it. You’ve really improved. Keep it up!

[@nsebast]

Naa. 5.0 have faster and more accurate serves. Also the forehand and backhands are closer to the line. Also they can do running forehand and backhand well. Us 4.5 struggle with sprinting and hitting forehand or backhand.

[@JasonFurlong]

@@nsebast my serve is actually garbage and I don’t have a reliable topspin backhand (both are a work in progress), but the rest of my game makes up for it. I need to at least develop a good serve though if I ever want to get to 5.5. I probably am somewhat of an exception in that regard though. Also, I wouldn’t suggest aiming close to the line when playing. Lol

[@nsebast]

@@JasonFurlong Look at Hermont in this channel, he is a 5.0. He is semi-pro level, he can win a few games from Top 500 pro. He is very good. The only 5.0 in my neighborhood court is a guy who has a bunch of trophies from when he was junior. And coaches. 5.5 players are usually ex-pros or ex regional players.

[@JasonFurlong]

⁠@@nsebastno way Hermont is a 5.0. lol Even Karue said that. I’ve played multiple rated 4.5 players here in Florida, including one of the top ranked ones, and I beat them all without much of a problem. I’ve been stuck at this level though for years. I feel like if I could develop a good serve, I can start to beat actual good players. I’ve been stuck at this in between level. Lol I beat most recreational players easily and lose to players who are actually good.

[@jasonrowland1594]

Nice match, Winston and Steven! I thought both of you played better than I've seen before. Winston, I think you need to work more on your net approach and sure up your volleys. That along with the serve could take your game to the next level. Your groundstrokes are getting nice!

[@a2max280]

Pickleballers and a dog. Really?!?! 🤨

[@Jkan2001]

Idiots everywhere, no respect

[@hwoarang2001]

Just be like me and say “mmm me want gaegogi and bolshintang… “

[@davebeery_youtube]

😆

[@sankalpjain2983]

what’s next? having a bbq party on tennis courts? smh

[@a2max280]

@@hwoarang2001 i tried "stew" once and i remember my stomach getting warm. No clue what breed it was. Never again since and ever.

[@timvansamang]

Really good 4.5 level set!!!! Nice work both of you.

[@TheRmm1976]

4:53 while it's not cool they had the dog on the court, I had to laugh 😂😂😂

[@kyleklontz3214]

I would have lost my damn mind if someone's dog ran on my court TWICE

[@caseyterbeest9394]

Definitely fun for me to watch 4.5 tennis, as that’s what I am. On that super long point at 5-4, I kept imagining what shot I’d hit, and for most of the point, Winston hit the exact shot I had just envisioned. Great channel, great set, keep it up!

[@TimelyAdventure]

Impressive serving from Steven and backhand looking good, Winston!

[@paulkramer4176]

NICE playing Steven. Rare to see a guy come up from 4.0 to 4.5 and play so well. Second serve is pretty darn good too! Not a lot of net play, but expected and Winston is pretty good from the backcourt.

[@TheTennisMonkey]

I'd like to see you interview that puppy. Tennis was good, too.

[@2dacloud]

Steven is steaming in the Outro, nice set.

[@gab_ale]

Nice playing. Loving that backhand. 4:37 Oh no!!! 4:54 Haha. Cute doggo moment.

[@user-ld3si9iy6s]

What a wholesome guy, loved Steven! Good match :)

[@Elw00d28]

Damn pickle's trying to take over our courts with their lines!

[@gabrielfernandez9792]

Great match guys. Winston, it´s incredible how much you have improved. Your forehand is much more agressive, you seem to really go for these, plus you are much more consistent with it. Your new backhand is coming through as well. Steven was SUPER. Nice seeing him on the channel, great personality. Thanks to both of you.

[@Qu3Xu5]

Damn 27 hit rally! Great matchup today, back and forth battles were a lot of fun to watch

[@jdmar340]

This was a really great game to watch, very even match-up. Winston, whatever Steven did to practice his serves you need to copy, his second serve showed a lot of confidence. Others have said it and I agree, your first serve motion looks stiff. You already have a pretty consistent kick-serve but you need to master the flat serve to get more free points. It will greatly increase you level. As for Steven, his shots are super consistent but he can probably work on depth, that will make his transitions to the net more effective. Inspiring to see your progress guys. Keep the amazing work, this channel is a lot of fun to watch!

[@Shaunsweeney-Kubach71]

Great set fellas, both of you fellas played great and you both deserve a thank you for your hard work on this channel and the tennis courts. Have a blessed New Year and keep swinging my dude.

[@AFenderson]

Steven's serve tip was enlightening for me, and super solid ball striking. Really fun to watch y'all! Nice humble brag on being "average recreational players" i definitely disagree (at least it helps my pride). BTW, Winston, I heard a very slight scandinavian accent in there.. maybe it was something else but I'm usually right.

[@dOntBcUt]

Great match Winston! awesome to see Steven back and improving -Well deserved W

[@altrfryd5859]

From what I've seen thus far during this and other previous matches I can safely say that only Hermont is capable of fixing Winston's serves

[@ryanytennis]

Great match Steven! That would be a tough 4.0 opponent before being bumped up! Solid playing all around Winston and Steven.

[@banxunited]

Well played by both of the players! I must say, at the get go, I was thinking that Steven's serve motion looked higher level than his ground strokes! Groundies definitely got better as the match went on and after hearing his comments that he's been working on it definitely makes sense. The effort really shows

[@-Munditimum-]

Really good game guys. Steve is playing like never before. I see 5.0 for both of you guys. BTW, Winston I think it's time you make some content with tennis balls and racquets on Pickleball courts. :) Cheers! M

[@-Munditimum-]

BTW, I heard from a USTA official that 3-3.5 is the average player level.

[@RisingInTheFlesh]

I would agree with this, being a 3.5 myself​@@-Munditimum-

[@BassByTheBay]

Ha, yes to tennis on pickleball courts! 😄 I don't wanna be that guy, but it really does irk me that tennis courts are being repurposed for what is a barely related sport. BTW, what's the etiquette if tennis players are waiting for a court that's being used by picklers. I haven't encountered that yet, but I think I'd feel pretty annoyed if I were waiting on them at a dedicated tennis court 😊.

[@RisingInTheFlesh]

@@BassByTheBay I've seen a lot of transitions. They retrofitted my old indoor tennis facility into a pickleball facility

[@BassByTheBay]

@@RisingInTheFlesh Yeah, I've seen that too. Just wondering about courts that are still just regular tennis courts.

[@topspin1715]

Hahahahaha the doggie ran onto the court 4:55. Glad you held back the power and replayed the point.

[@srudloff12]

That was great! Great match up and Steven has really improved!

[@felixfranco]

Let’s go Steven! I was rooting for him to win, he is so nice and am glad to see him take the w

[@AlexWozoid]

Nice guys, nice tennis, nice cameos! New multi-species content, a cat or a reptile in the next one? Steven's cross court practise paid off.

[@qichaowang4610]

those 2 pickleball players on the other court

[@elchanclascocina]

That's pretty good set! Steven, that was very solid!

[@cinnabunben4779]

I can definitely see BIG improvements from your earlier videos. Love your content keep it up 👍

[@jamesmckinnon9473]

Average player is like a 2.5. Everyone on this channel is a beast. Appreciate the awesome matches. Still Plugging for the Dill Plays match up.

[@dilanmistry2983]

Lol the dog 😭😂

[@welcome2thejungle69]

Your looking really good with the shot placement and really just driving the forehand well played 👏

[@wadeyyy]

The dog 😂 I love it. Life is too short to be upset at something so cute

[@steventran3361]

4:11 That backhand though 🔥

[@christianwest8032]

The dog likes tennis better than pickleball

[@tennisjourney]

So much goin on on the other court! lol you guys have solid shots!

[@omegaman66]

Average is probably 3.0. No way 4.5 is anywhere close to just average.

[@BassByTheBay]

Kudos to both of you for putting up with the, uh, distractions 😄. Winston, that backhand looks good! It seems like your swing is more compact, but what specifically have you changed about it?

[@VintageSecure]

This was the closest match I've watch on this channel so far. Very tight match.

[@Bowl849]

You’re serve seems like it’s improved a lot Winston 4:38 the worst feeling in tennis 😂

[@WinstonDu]

did you watch the whole match lol

[@Bowl849]

@@WinstonDuI only come to this channel every now and the so I’m comparing it to when I last watched you play, which was a while ago 😂

[@ItMaker5000XL]

​@@WinstonDu I was going to say the opposite. Really need some free points on the first serve. Maybe time to try flattening it out and getting it thru the court. The tiebreak first serves were limp noodles compared to Steven who was getting plenty of free points off the first serve.

[@geausportequipment]

Great set guys!

[@kdesa1]

Great points, never seen a let due to dog running on the court tho 😂

[@rmartins4888]

Another great video! As a 4.5 myself, I would love to play a match against Winston!!

[@af02271]

Great level out there guys!

[@andrewpatterson9833]

4:35 - Winston nooooooooooooooo 😭 haha just playin', I have that happen to me all the time too 😂

[@cortezbrown6838]

Winston, I think the main problem with your serve is the ball toss. It isn't in front of you and you place it over your head 75% of the time like you're going to hit a kick serve. No matter if you're going to hit a slice or a flat serve on your first serve, the ball toss needs to be in front and then you'll need to figure out your placement of that ball toss as well.

[@Justhetube]

Solid set, great serves and rallies, nice level Winston impressive power and consistency and good footwork, maybe a little work to do at the net you could take those points! Thanks for sharing

[@jaedonlombela341]

Anybody else notice whenever it's deuce for Winston, his full name displayed

[@yangling4755]

even tho I trash talk you, I know how good you are, keep it up!

[@orionpahl]

Steven's 2nd serve was staying spicy!

[@nicoalabat6670]

Playing someone same level as you is much different than playing someone higher level than you. I feel like if you play someone much better there is less nerves due to not even thinking of winning but to just let loose and learn. In comparison to same level, there is more nerves due to the competitiveness on winning which results in being tighter.. Great game. Stevens serve motion reminds me of Hermonts

[@jimgoddard3957]

Forehand looking as tasty as ever, Winston 👍. Would love to have that pace and consistency.

[@kenttalcott8428]

You two are definitely above average. Both of you are very solid with great technique and ball striking from both wings. Your match demonstrated great consistency and shot tolerance, and very similar playing style and point construction. Enjoyed your match very much. My advice to Winston is to relax your body and arm when serving. Your motion is very structured, forced and somewhat wooden. Think about your forehand where you establish a good base then you release your stroke with a fluid and relaxed forehand strike. Tense muscles never move fast, only slow. At no point in your serve do you look relaxed and your racquet head speed pails in comparison to your forehand. You might search out some videos of Federer practicing his serve. His practice sessions show him casually serving ball after ball in rapid succession but completely relaxed and fluid. Djokavic is another good example to follow. His arm looks like a noodle on the take back and transition. I think you would benefit from finding a service motion that is fluid and relaxed with reasonable consistency as a base. Once established you build on that base by adding speed and different releases (flat, slice, kick). Good luck and thanks for the great content!

[@pr4nk5tr]

Steven got a very good second serve

[@clydewmorgan]

that was some great play

[@marktace1]

Steven needs to invest some time in that slice backhand. He likes to play deep so you need to hit some high soft balls and attack the resulting short balls with angles. Easy to say from this side of the camera.

[@alexvague421]

the most powerful 140km/h WINNER at 4:36

[@yangwenli5788]

that dog owner really need to watch his dog

[@zachary8033]

If you're looking at most people that play tennis the average person has to be around a 3.0-3.5. 4.5 and up is definitely above average.

[@johnthurston7783]

Great game seemed good point building

[@srudloff12]

There is no way I could play with that dog running around! 😮

[@endasthenrik516]

Oh, those pesky serves! Why is it so damn difficult!?🤣 Really nice match! Definitely not average. And one of the best after match talk!

[@anonusniogsonisrgnip]

Congrats, your tennis is amazing both of you! would love to get as good as you one day. very consistent! By the way, these people on the other court should be thrown out immediately, what are they doing!!!! They have a dog running freely on a tennis court? It ran into your court in the middle of the ralley??? And they play with pickle ball rackets on a tennis court??? Some people have no shame. I would have completely lost it hahaha

[@michaell1274]

Good playing!

[@clydewmorgan]

that was some good tennis

[@jennybower4738]

Seriously that dog on the next court had to be so distracting!! Nice match, you guys!

[@circuitdesign]

Dog spotted at 4:53. LET!!! 🤣

[@SwanTech6061]

i love this channel

[@FlyingRacket]

Looking good Winston, I’d love to be a guest on your channel some time🎾

[@thejohnnytapia123]

heyy do you use swingvision to edit the videos?nice game!

[@adriansyliangco6820]

Hey Winston, what camera do you use?

[@andreasmueller8353]

Is the dog taking a tennis lesson? Or are these pickle ballers?

[@WinstonDu]

Pickleballers on tennis courts

[@ismailedoomun8006]

​@@WinstonDushould be fined two paychecks

[@MiniHasSwag]

damn winston you got a lot better

[@aarohazel]

If Steven learns to take the ball early and take time away from the opponent he can add that to his weapon arsenal. He's giving Winston too much time by hitting the ball on the dip.

[@CrowPasture]

The biggest thing I notice about Winston's serve is that he hits trophy position way too late. He has that bad habit of tossing the ball while his racket is still really low, and then bringing it up while the ball is in the air. Pause the video where the ball is just about at the peak for any player. Winston's racket is anywhere from at his waist to his chest, still rising. Most players have already hit trophy position and are already getting ready to snap to the ball. I think he probably needs to rework what he does with his racket hand during the toss, but that's definitely a hard habit to change.

[@michaelchurchill1048]

It's an interesting question "What constitutes 5.0? What is the weakness in your game(s) that has this as sub-5.0 tennis?" I don't immediately see it. I like to think of myself as close to a 4.5 and you guys would both crush me. Also ... SUPER RUDE of those people to make all that noise and have their dog running around.

[@jjstylez]

that shot at 15:35 by Steve was in but you called it out lol 🚫

[@MostLikedComment123]

what's the race?

[@antonyvo4president]

****in pickleballers

[@SAM098.]

Winston Grunting 🤔

[@twinwankel]

I think Steven's service motion is excellent though I think he relies too much on slice serves on his second serve and not get much kick. I think the weakness in his game is that even after a good serve, he retreats back like 6 feet from the baseline. This is way too passive and he needs to use the opportunity to play serve plus 1. However he really needs to improve his forehand to get the most out of his serve. Winston, I've been trying to figure why your service motion looks awkward to me. I think maybe it's cos you don't pronate enough at the finish and there's not that bend at the elbow that is prominent in pro serves.

[@rizahawke]

3.5 is the average USTA player.

[@Bowl849]

Hello

[@MarcoSolidx]

Average player would be where most of tennis players would be. Nick have a video explaining very good of this (essential tennis). Guess most would fit at 3.5. 4.5 is already above average and 5.0 would be the cream crop of recreational level. Guess you won’t see anybody at 5.5 level who started tennis after 16y

[@FlyingRacket]

I am 7.5 NTRP

[@TheEriclikeseatin]

Were they playing pickleball on a court without lines for pickleball?

[@WinstonDu]

Yes

[@caseyblack4450]

Idiots...

[@majesticaaa4131]

What da dog doin

[@proshepherd]

3.5 is definitely the average. I think about a third of players are 3.5. Edit: I just found this from Tennis League analytics: Roughly, one-third below NTRP 3.5, one-third at 3.5, and one-third above 3.5. A 4.0 player is in the top 37% of players. A 4.5, top 11%. And a 5.0, top 2%.

[@scrabbleking1965]

And that is league players.... for every 3.5 league player there is another person playing at that level but not in a league. For every 3.0 or lower league player there are 3 not playing in leagues. WAIT, most of those people I mentioned now play pickleball....

[@FlyingRacket]

Average Rec player would like 3.5 max

[@smashthestateX]

dudu serve is 3.0 with wrong grip

[@CR4WLFC]

Is it the ezone 98 or 100?

[@steventran3361]

98