Why a Tennis Pro would Smoke You

Another experimental video on figuring out what it would take to beat a pro player. This case study is on Carlos Alcaraz, and how fast he is. And boy is he fast!
These videos take a lot of work, so like and subscribe! it helps me make more videos.
#tennis #tennisplayer #tennispro #adobe #adobepremierepro #babolat #sprinting #40yarddash #editing #carlosalcaraz

[@warriorson7979]

You named ONE factor... Now add: 1. Running like that for 5 hours, while swinging a racquet at about 70% the whole time. 2. Having so much ball sense that you can hit a ball coming at you with spin and pace into a 1ft area anywhere on the court...with spin and pace. 3. Having so much decision making ability and spatial reasoning that you can adjust your shotmaking and tactics every few seconds. 4. Having the mental toughness to handle all that pressure and frustration and stay calm focussed and motivated.

[@JakeOfAllTrades-Ginger]

Absolutely, the pros are insane!

[@neptune1525]

Does this mean that a WTA player is also faster than the average man?

[@warriorson7979]

@@neptune1525 Definitely not when it comes to running speed...😑😒 Most successful WTA players are tall skinny slavic women and run slow as fnck.

[@neptune1525]

@@warriorson7979 I just asked-

[@warriorson7979]

@@neptune1525 WTA players however, will absolutely smoke the average male club or college player in a tennis match. They hit the ball so hard you won't be able to properly return it even if you can reach it.

[@thingsofink7567]

Dude you're mastering the youtube game. The hooks you come up with, the experiments, actually going out in the field and doing it yourself haha. It's all great!

[@JakeOfAllTrades-Ginger]

Thank you!! Haha yeah I want to make more videos like this!

[@petersullivan5809]

As a native hard court player, I have played on clay once before, and it is so much harder to run fast. It is so hard to keep a grip on the court and keep speed up, to make this any more impressive than this already is. The difference between clay and hard courts speed is incredible

[@JW-bw8nj]

I took a private lesson from a D1 player (top 5 in singles last year) and the most impressive part of his game was his foot speed. I knew his groundies would be massive with a ton of spin and his 130 mph serve would be crazy to see up close, but I had no idea how much faster these guys are compared to us club players. For a 4.5 guy, I hit the ball pretty hard, but he was getting to everything with EASE, even all my shots that landed in the doubles alleys. Seriously, my shots had to be so bad and land several feet outside of the doubles alleys for him to not be able to get to them in one bounce. It was absolutely insane.

[@adamcravets5408]

I had a coach that used to be #1 at UCLA. I am also a 4.5 player. He was harping on me to get my racket back faster and I was not doing it so he started to increase his ball speed until I was unable to get my racket back fast enough to make a connection with the ball at all. Like literally I was taking my racket back at the same speed as the ball while it was passing me. And all of his balls were in play. I learned a lot that day.

[@JW-bw8nj]

@@adamcravets5408 There are levels to this game that most of us club/league players will never see or experience. A lot of league players are SUPER delusional and grossly exaggerate their abilities while simultaneously grossly underestimate the abilities of current and past pros. A former 4.5 buddy of mine thought he could beat a prime Laver if he was able to use a modern graphite frame while Laver used a wood racket 🤦‍♂️ He would have undoubtedly been one of the 71% of morons who said they could win a game against a pro.

[@adamcravets5408]

@@JW-bw8nj undoubtedly. I loved Roddick's response to that question!

[@obi-wankenobigoat]

He could prob run even a 4.4 or 4.3, because in that small sample size run some of that ft/sec time was spent accelerating whereas in a longer run less % of time will be spent accelerating and more time at top speed. Also I think if he was purely focused on just running like you said that would add a bit more speed.

[@alexpetersen5]

Good call, always a faster second half in races up to 200m

[@Funkytrip73]

As a tennis player you really learn those drills during training. Run to first doubleline. Touch it, sprint back, run to second double line, touch it, run back, run to double line at the other side, touch it etc. Short sprints until you drop from exhaustion.

[@deepak23031992]

He was accelerating only for first 2 to 3 seconds. He decelerated a little when he knew he got close to the ball.

[@bdhere1]

Really interesting video. Two thoughts from me: 1. Often when tennis players train short sprints (like you do at the start), they start from a side-on split step, to simulate they need to turn 90 degrees before they start sprinting. (Rather than a foreward facing sprinter pose) 2. I imagine Alcatraz 120ft dash would be quicker than twice as much as his 61 ft time, because for the second half of the distance he's already at a good speed. Keep the videos coming. Intriguing thoughts!

[@tds7078]

As someone who played #1 doubles at the collegiate level… The biggest difference in all levels is FOOTWORK. I could handle the pace of D1 players on groundies and occasionally serves but their preparation/anticipation on every shot is what separated me from the best.

[@teej143]

Also, it was already deep in the third set of that grueling match when Carlos had to make that sprint.

[@smftrsddvjiou6443]

Fun fact I read somewhere, Tennis Pros are not so much faster in a normal sprint (against other athletes, not agianst us hobby players) but they do excell in short sprint with turning directions. Because thats what they do most of the time.

[@Lladless]

They could probably do as good as nfl players in the shuttle drill thing

[@HeavyTopspin]

Great point regarding the backstop! Particularly that it's a MINIMUM of 21 feet, and considerably more at venues like the stadium courts at the US Open. Where Medvedev stands to return serve is actually behind the fence at your local public court. Combine that with other normally un-thought-of things like playing with a set of 6 balls that are replaced every few games, or even the concept of bringing 8 freshly strung rackets, at least one full change of clothing, and multiple brand-new pairs of shoes to every single match you play. What we play at the recreational level is so removed from the professional game, we might as well be senior citizens playing pickleball.

[@secondserve3213]

I'd also like to point out that Carlitos did not know he will run that way until he actually saw the ball hit by the opponent. That small fraction of time required for the perception of where to go would matter! Great video btw. Liked it!

[@sin.nombre.porahora]

What the fuck are a feet and a yard? The world use metric system.

[@MistahhMingus]

THEN THE REST OF THE WORLD IS FUCKIN DUMB 😂😂🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@freshj6358]

Your videos are golden. Much needed. Thank you. I started playing 2 months ago. And I have become intermediate at the social level. This will help me keep growing

[@adamcravets5408]

Two things: not only is he fast but he has to be mentally calculating his body and racket position to end up so he can cleanly hit the ball. Two: do de Minaur. I think he is faster.

[@Lladless]

Great video, love that you are showing how truly athletic tennis pros actually are

[@givemethesantahatfoo]

Another banger. Great vid man.

[@jomarigarcia1309]

Honestly I noticed how amazing they were the more I get better at the game.

[@marfu1119]

True professional tennis player makes tennis looks easy

[@summarumfitness]

Bro you are pretty fast and good for an amateur. Saw your videos the other day, liked the data approach. Keep up!

[@boyzemail4769]

Great storytelling and editing! Ver professional man 👍

[@mcjohngd3583]

Amazing and interesting content , keep it up!

[@rayintheforest]

Carlitos' feet have wings. He flies through the court. I hope I can see him play live one day... Generally speaking, tennis is a sport that requires incredible lightness on the feet in a way that some dance forms (more than other sports) require. For example, every time I see the Zaouli dance from cote d'ivoire, it reminds me of tennis players' feet just before trying to return a serve. Tennis is a sport of delicate control, balance, and timing rather than a sport of sheer muscle power.

[@kingnole4237]

Lol Still smoked by 36 years spanting Djokovic

[@rayintheforest]

@@kingnole4237 Nole is my absolute favourite too. He is the master who has mastered the art of tennis. Carlitos is still a disciple level in many ways.

[@mrmoneyhacks5480]

Just watching one of these pros hit their first warmup shots up close is enough to dispel any illusions an amateur would have. I hit with a 400 ranked little Japanese pro once and just his rally ball was very challenging to send back.

[@gicking3898]

The average person thinks a tennis pro is a top 20 ranked person, and everyone else is a social player. I used to too, until recently. Dunning Kruger effect in full swing ,

[@opelfopeltoe6088]

nice video!

[@hamchillyvlog6034]

Very interesting experiment 👌

[@sol029]

Enjoyed that. And yes. The noise at court level is was blows my mind watching the pros. And just how ripped the women are. It doesn't come across on the TV.

[@salvasied]

just a great video

[@AlexTennisChannel]

You’re maybe the only person that love tennis and metal on youtube just like me! Only for that I had to sub🎾🎾🤘🏻🎸

[@demneptune]

This is a great overview. Be awesome if you could superimpose the frames, so we can see where u would be rel to carlos

[@JakeOfAllTrades-Ginger]

Oooooo that's a good idea!

[@888allate]

He was decelerating on that sprint as well.

[@julestennisuniverse]

In case you're not from United States, Liberia or Myanmar, good luck.

[@carniedph]

It would much, much more than a smoke show.

[@trgjtk182]

the 70% stat to me is almost more ludicrous then the claim that one could get a game off a pro itself. the fact that such a large proportion of the population is so delusional is just mind boggling. i used to play high level junior tennis and would absolutely smother anyone with a utr 9 (probably top 5% of regular players) or under very handedly, and could likely still do it right now while picking up a racket once or twice a year. and yet i won't get a game off the people who won't get a game off a pro. I'M TWO ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE BELOW THE REQUIRED SKILL TO GET A GAME LMAO. and the average player is likely another 3-4 orders of magnitude below me. it's just absurdity

[@pedroV2003]

I really enjoyed this video. A couple comments. First of all I have always thought that a televised game of tennis should include substantial court level views. That view will give the viewer a better idea of the speed and spin of the game. In 1977 I went to the U.S. Open. It was the last year the event took place at Forest Hills and I got to go on the first day. I got to see many great players including Nastase, Rosewall and best of all Guillermo Vilas who eventually beat Connors in the finals. Anyway, on the first day I got to watch Vilas from court level was just so impressed with the amount of topspin he imparted on the ball. The spin was so violent that the ball actually appeared to elongate as it flew over the net. Oh by the way, the ball cleared the net by 10-15' at least.

[@kyko-pj7uz]

I know the point is to “ooh” and “ahh” at tennis pros, but dang, you ran a 4.73 with a relatively strong body composition!

[@JakeOfAllTrades-Ginger]

Thanks! If I train more, maybe I can run a 4.5 myself haha!

[@nsebast]

I remember a point I had with a 20+ year old guy who was about 4.5-5-0 player. My forehand ball clip the top of the net and drop 20cm over the net and he was able to sprint from behind the baseline and reach the net and got the ball in play in 1s. And this guy is only a good amateur, pros are probably 30% faster, so that's crazy fast.

[@LunaticSoldiers]

That is not something most people would be able to return based on pure reaction, tbh. He had to have had some good cognition to realize that the ball was going to clip and started running before it actually happened. It's still a good experience to recall, but this is definitely a corner case, even by pro standards. :)

[@nsebast]

@@LunaticSoldiersYou're right that he starts moving when he sees that ball clip the top part of the net. But still very very impressive I still remember it to this day. That's why it's very hard to dropshot pros. The only way Alcaraz is winning those dropshots is because his opponent is 3m behind the baseline waiting for a hard shot.

[@LunaticSoldiers]

@@nsebast Yeah, dropshots have to be used after winning time, and even then players have to chip them at very sharp angles to the opposite side of their opponent's position. They're very hard to pull off effectively.

[@vladimirulyanov7855]

As a 10 UTR (I'm not saying that's amazing but it is definitely above the average and starting to look at the entry-level professional tournaments), I would be lucky to get 1 game off these guys

[@heyuanlin8093]

Also it’s harder to accelerate on a clay court

[@jbranche8024]

Yeah, been to Saddlebrook about 15 years ago. Some use weighted sled, parachute, resistance band and guy adding a little resistance and running in the sand along with regular sprint drills. I can guarantee you get see a beneficial increase with sprint training. Played a college player once (doubles) and they are almost like a blur. None of your shots are outright winners, they seem to get to unreachable balls pretty routinely.

[@appleyeah100]

🎉🎉🎉

[@demneptune]

1:11 sweeeeeeet!

[@kienanclewis]

Insane

[@sossamarkets4796]

Do this for Deminaur! I love this video

[@Losing_CTRL]

4.5 player here. Listening to 3.5s talking about how they’d put up up a solid fight with female players. Think you can make a breakdown of some WTA players and how most of us scrubs don’t stand a snowballs chance in hell?

[@yuetchuen]

Not because they are pro, then they can smoke you. Its because they are at least able to smoke amateur, then they consider to turn themselves into a career

[@Bonomax85]

pros are pros for a reason. but we general people do not catch that. watching them it seems all easy.

[@dastanprobg2071]

There is absolutely no problem to reach this speed and skill if you start training at age 5-6 and train everyday for 2-3 hours, that's actually how pros become pro in tennis. There is absolutely no chance if you start like at 15-16 and try to match those who started 10 years earlier. You may somehow reach same speed but skills form between 6-12 ages. Tennis is a technical sport, possibly most technical, so technical skills mean a lot in tennis.

[@LunaticSoldiers]

I have to say that the physical fitness part is something most people can reach within a few years. People reach a point of diminishing gains after so long and it generally does not take 10 years of training to get near your peak levels. A person whose max potential allows them to sprint 40 yards under 5 seconds will only see a few tenths/hundredths of a second of improvements after reaching that level, and some of those improvements aren't repeatable because it was just the nature of the run. I agree wholeheartedly with the technique though. I also want to add that people who swap their rackets too often, their strings, etc. are doing themselves a disservice because they are not practicing with what they know. It is important to find what works best, and to occasionally do sanity checks and branch out to make sure you are still happy with where you are, but unless you have full intention of changing the equipment it should not be so common to practice drills and matches on equipment that won't be similar to what is played on the court.

[@gab_ale]

Carlos is like a wall. He destroys your spirit.

[@kingnole4237]

Djokovic laughs on you

[@gab_ale]

@@kingnole4237 Wimbledon 2023. LOL

[@kuutso1197]

Don't you think he could run the dash even faster? Isn't the time spent accelerating to "full speed" a bigger portion of his run than what it would be had he run the 40 yard dash instead?

[@jellaoud9712]

Please use km per hour

[@MistahhMingus]

NAHHH 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@Sandysand701]

I'm quite a good club player, However, If I played a set against Novak Djokovic, I would say, It's a 50/50 chance I could win one point!

[@alwaysprepared]

Curious to compare Carlos to Gael Monfils...

[@fabs1887]

Also he already played 2 sets, so hes exhausted to a certain degree.

[@alastairtheduke]

You can't average out the time for the pro courts, because on the pro court a lot more of the distance will be ran at his top speed

[@LunaticSoldiers]

We can ballpark it. The extra distance isn't enough to drastically impact the conclusions, it's maybe one and half more strides at that speed.

[@bradleybrazington385]

👍🏻

[@kdoublec973]

I’d say you’re pretty fast too

[@shabzone]

I heard if you get your own stringing machine you would be able to take a set off Nadal

[@ismailedoomun8006]

How so

[@noahcarvalho2105]

Probably because is waaay too hard find some amateur that plays decently

[@MysteriousApe1]

so, if recalculate in metric system, his speed was around 12.5s / 100m. In fact, as I remember that it was a decent result in my university years, but not to say that it was any amazing. A few guys from my class can run this quick(afair somone even had 11.9s/100m result), and they were not athletes at all, it was just an average technical faculty in Russia.

[@LunaticSoldiers]

Well, yeah, sprinters in general will probably average out higher on this because that is their specialty. Keep in mind, however, that Olympic-level runners are only about 1 or 2 tenths of a second faster than the estimated time here, which really isn't much in the grand scheme when the conversation is "I specialize in sprinting" vs "I use sprints for stamina and agility training." If you had people in your University running faster than this then you should give credit where it is due and talk them up and not talk him down. :)

[@MysteriousApe1]

they are not athletes, they studied engineering with me 😀 i was a little slower, I run 100m for 13.2s - my best time, but I never exercised running outside university's physical training classes (2 times a week) same as they, it's just smth came from the nature@@LunaticSoldiers

[@MysteriousApe1]

olympic athletes are running for about 10s / 100m - much much faster@@LunaticSoldiers

[@Allschmoi]

This comparison makes little to no sense. The clip used here is near the end of a game where Carlos is already fatigued. Also you will obviously average a better time over 100 meters compared to a shorter run since you have way more time at full speed. So to conclude, whilst I experienced simular times at my university and was even able to run a solid 11,94 myself (I was extremly happy) there is not the slightest chance in the world that Alcaraz is not absolutly destroying me in a 100 meter run and more obviously on the tennis court with the shorter runs.

[@Dreamdancer11]

Why? Cause pro athletes in any sport are 100 times better in every aspect of the game than a weekend warrior....lol.

[@kingoftennis94]

Fake news. 100m in 4.5 seconds?

[@williamsannuto8239]

Relax with the Carlos talk he is juicin my brotha

[@WiredDragon-fm6sy]

LOVE IT