Everyone who's down on Gabino are not realizing how good he is. Yes he doesn't take a million choppy stutter steps, coaches tell you to do that so you can get your positioning just right. But he reads the ball so well and has such good timing and touch that he can take longer and thus more relaxed strides and produce the same results. His stroke look relaxed and not like the athletic and aggressive looking strokes of Tim and other impressive looking players. But again, Gambino has such good touch and control, that he makes the ball do whatever he wants, almost casually. Placement starts to be more important than pace at this level, and you're seeing it. Also, I don't believe he was giving 3/4 effort, as some have said. His game plan is to out-consistent his opponent, so I can see this being exactly his usual match pace.

@Maximagq

3 жыл бұрын

Most people don't know how hard it is to generate pace off Gabino's balls. It is deceptively tricky.

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

Great comment and points. Agreed Gabino was definitely not holding back, that's just his style of play. Very controlled and unassuming but accurate and effective

@mamapapalong

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, is like my coach said, you don't have to hit winner off everything, you just have to keep the ball inside the court.

I love how Gambino is just chillin' while he plays

Your opponent seems to have all kinds of time on most shots - that is why he is so consistent. Thanks to his great foot work and simple/efficient strokes. He is so calm hitting most shots. Very effortless playing style. I guess he can last all day in the tournament without a problem.

@intlvoiceofreason9239

3 жыл бұрын

Agreed, Gambino has very smooth calm style of play that that can be quite deceptive

@sangitashrestha6570

3 жыл бұрын

@@intlvoiceofreason9239 lol, you turned him into an italian wise guy all of a sudden. i thought it was gabino

excellent content and commentary Tim, great tennis as always. Good stuff!

Nice match. Really elevated your game on those saved set points. Gabino has great strokes and strategy.

With how difficult it is to jump up rating from 4.5 to 5.0 OFFICIALLY I bet it was super satisfying. You definitely deserve it with the hard work you've put in. Thanks for a great match as always Tim. Your opponent hit soft and precise (very casual it feels) and you hit a stronger ball. Interesting matchup for sure!

@MAELOB

3 жыл бұрын

Agree I am still trying after 25 years 😭

This Gabino really has a feel for the ball - very relaxed so much so that he doesn't really split step at all a la Fognini!

@crashbandi9591

3 жыл бұрын

Doesn't split step? Did you watch the vid with the laptop lid shut? 🤔

Great match, really enjoyed this one. Gabino looked like a super tough opponent - epic fightback from you at 4-5 down in the second!

That second set 5-4 game was crazy! Good job Tim!

Why is it more fun to go big than to be consistent? Consistency wins more often but going big and making huge shots is more gratifying, in my opinion. I guess winning would feel the best though, right? Thanks for posting tennistim!

Your fitness level towards the end of the second set was amazing. You secured key points but also tired him out.

Tim, I am glad that you won the hard-fought 2nd set. You have very good footwork to cover down the line balls to both sides, a skill that I will need to work on, especially, on my backhand side. Thank you for posting.

Excellent adjustment with the second set! I like how you explain your objectives in between sets during the video. Thank you.

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Johnson! Glad you found it helpful

I'm 4.0-. Been watching some of your videos to self reflect on footwork and timing. Perfect cam angle 😁 Surprised to see your progress to 5.0! Subscribed!

Another great match Tim !!! Loved the score board and your commentary !!!

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!

Gabino is deceptively awesome. His footwork is horrendous, but his shot selection is robotic. He just goes for the highest percentage shots almost all the time. At first glance, he looks like a 4.0 player. Then you realize he gets almost everything back with very good placement. Even shots that Tim hit well, Gabino typically has a good defensive response. This guy is good.

Awesome match. Nice come back!

Gabino is solid as rock. Also i noticed his on the rise shot timing is very good.

Gabino is a good model for other amateur tennis players. If you just watched him play, he looks like 4.0. player in his serve and techniques but his consistency is key. I always imagine myself never getting better unless I can pummel my serve and groundstrokes. The truth is, you'll win the majority of your matches by reducing your mistakes.

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

That's a great point! Most matches up until the pro level are decided more by errors than winners

@tennnis498

3 жыл бұрын

Chris Smith - well stated. Just the way Gabino drives through the ball each time, it’s smooth healthy power. It looks like he’s just going for regions of the court, to make it difficult (at the amateur level). My footwork is much more energy consuming. He’s learned that happy medium of not going big on shots but hitting it early, and putting it where he wants it. He looks super-relaxed just jogging around the court. He’s a great player. I might have to watch it again to see if he rips a single ball. The MEP on the tennis troll channel is similarly effective, but not at this level imho.

Interesting match! My first impression, is that Gabino is putting in about 75% effort. He looks like he is giving you 3/4 speed rally balls at all times. Maybe this is from his years as a coach, but hitting so many balls on the rise, wearing warmup pants, walking to many balls, high percentage of 1st serves, consistency in rallies, and slower racquet head speeds give me that impression. I suspect he has a lot more firepower, if he were so inclined to use it.

Gabino's consistency and control are good. Congrats on making 5.0! Great match!

cool to see my coach in this vid ! nice game tim

Great match between you and Gabino!

Been binging all your videos the past few days it's wild to see how much you have improved over the span of your content! Also peeped you're a Duke alum! Me too! Go Duke! Keep up the great content!

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

Always great to hear from another Duke alum, and a tennis player at that! DDMF

@EdgeriPlaysTennis

3 жыл бұрын

@@tennistim Oh yeah! If you're ever in the Northern VA / DMV area in the future would love to play!

Great game. Fun to watch. Loved your footwork and control when you came in and finished the short balls. Would have liked to see all the points. I’m learning strategy, and it helps to understand ebb and flow (and strategy) in the match

Great comeback!

Lots of comments on Gabino’s plying style of not hitting hard and being consistent and kind of knocking him for not being exciting to watch. They need to understand that both of you are USTA Tournament players. You have to win each match to stay in the tournament. You are always playing for a ranking so winning moves you up in the rankings. In recreational tennis you can go big and take chances and have fun because it doesn’t matter if you win or lose. Playing USTA league play is competitive but you are not eliminated for losing a match so you can afford to take a more aggressive approach. In my tournament playing and coaching experience being a consistent shot maker and understanding how to control and construct points is a major part of attaining a USTA ranking.

@jamesball5743

2 жыл бұрын

TL;DR: boring

Solid playing on both parts

I watched you for the last couple days and thought - follow this guy! You’re not annoying.. some tennis youtubers can be quite annoying.

I love Gabino's playing style so much. Not hitting too hard, very relaxed swing, and great footwork.

@sebastianotonini8962

3 жыл бұрын

bruh... i know you didnt just say great footwork lmao

@smittywerbenjagermanjensen1051

3 жыл бұрын

For a moment I thought he was playing in flip flops. His footwork is soo lazy

Tim, you should be able to routinely beat this guy in the longer run, as he's purely a consistency player. Your game is continuing to evolve nicely from all your previous videos.

@myluckytofu

2 жыл бұрын

"The wall never loses. Never." - Sun Tzu (Art of War)

I swear it’s the guys who play in sweatpants that are the toughest to beat! >.

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

Seriously. I sweat through my shirt and grip started slipping towards the end, and he was chilling in pants the whole time

@Maximagq

3 жыл бұрын

Gabino wears sweats even in 100 degree weather hahaha

@betalpha314

3 жыл бұрын

@@Maximagq I would default that match before it ever began.

@hoatran-rq1ip

3 жыл бұрын

the more relaxed the player the deadlier the skills. I am surprised you did push him a bit harder.

@mrjohnsonfong

3 жыл бұрын

@@hoatran-rq1ip Hey Hoa. It’s Johnson.

MORE VIDS pls, Tim. That was super clutch in that 2nd set - Coric (vs Tsitsi @ USOpen) level almost breaking him down 2 match points. Good to see you back, Gabino is textbook BRICK wall, toughest kind of opponent and you fought well.

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! I've got a video vs a current College Division 3 player I'm working on right now, coming soon...

Thank you for the wonderful video. I just started a tennis KZread club in Korea, and I enjoyed the great tennis game. I envy him when he can do so well. I will learn a lot. Thank you for the useful video.

TXT with the defensive looping backhand when he needs it. I like it!

It is interesting to see someone relatively young with an eastern forehand. It allowed Gabino to hit the ball early and take the initiative -without having overwhelming power.

What strings and tension does Gabino use? It has to be a gut or multi at least. It looks like he barely swings yet the ball always has a decent lenght and depth.

Nice Match and very nice Serve 😳. What I noticed is that during longer rallys you tend to lose depth on your groundstrokes, losing a lot of pressure. I am playing at a similar level in germany and its something I started working on (playing a lot more with depth an not only trying to „outmove“ the opponent) and I started to recognize some serious improvement in my matchresults. Keep up the good work and sorry for my spelling mistakes😂. Cheers from Germany

nice congrrats on the 5.0 almost there myself not quite.

my play style is exactly like gabino’s. the forehand m, backhand, little footwork except really quick when necessary, the type of plays, the feel, the quick pickups, the relaxed forehand winners that appear to be luck, the slides on hard court to the forehand and playing a little squash shot. i’m a 5.0 player too and won the state championship twice in high school. i never realized how little i moved my feet until someone recorded me. the resemblance is literally uncanny

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

you sound like a great player!

Some things I noted. 1) Your backhand seems to find the middle third of the court. If you could push that shot into the corner you'd put more pressure on him. 2) Gambino doesn't always recover well or completely - seems like you could get him in trouble with some well placed shots. 3) you did a great job of your approach shots, stuck them down the line or in the corners.

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

2ddw good point on backhand placement, I should aim for corners more. Thanks for the tips!

Your opponent gambino yelled something at the 1:26 mark. Sounded like a street fighter character, was expecting a super tennis shot after he yelled lol.

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

It was actually somebody from another court that just happened to be perfectly timed LOL

Always enjoy your videos Tim! Glad to see you are still playing :) Will we get any tournament footage in the future?

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

Hope so! Tournaments are are canceled in Northern California at the moment due to the pandemic

Gabino plays on the rise, almost as smooth as a half volley. That gives him the edge over you. He also doesn’t waste energy forcing power into the shots. You are a better, more athletic player. You could adjust by hitting on the rise and devising a serve and volley or hit and charge for players like him. Keep up the good work

I think the main difference is Gambino's movement was better. He anticipated your shots well and put you on reactive mode. When you tried to change things up, your movements became more deliberate and you antipated his next shot better. This maybe is the experience of playing lots of different people in tournaments. My coach told me you have to track the ball the moment it leaves the opponent's racquet. If you wait too long, you'll be caught in reactive mode. Same thing with receiving serve. We track the ball's trajectory the moment it leaves to the moment we hit it .

I like your opponent's style here. It's lazy, but efficient. But he can run when needed. You plays like me. He serves with the same style, but his serve is more consistent than mine. Great videos! 👍🎾

I love Gabino’s style. I’m definitely taking some of that game for myself.

Good fight, great comeback I think he got rattled after losing the 40-0 love then started rushing. Great job

pretty good match very close overall. I notice hes taking everything early and not giving up any space. Somehow you have to get him off the base line as a key objective each point. I notice on points where you started hitting heavier balls you were able to do this and he was giving up control of the point. I think its just a matter of doing that every time.

Great fight in the second set Tim! I usually go against you but I hate it when the other player makes it look too easy but you battled in the second set, great fight Tim! Glad you won that second set I’m a 4.0 btw

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Brent, appreciate it!

He had great anticipation and was able to play on or inside the baseline.

Tim, you should play in Qamar's Pocket Match Tournaments. You'll be able to face more players of Gabino's caliber. Gabino has played in a couple of those already. They're held in the Berkeley area and there's prize money. You can download the app at the app store. Just type in Pocket Match.

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

Interesting, I'll check it out!

This guy is like the fully-evolved form of a pusher: one with high-level and super-efficient form. And good topspin. And depth. And shotmaking ability when he wants it. Pretty cool playstyle IMO.

Lets goooooo

This is the kind of player that can be so frustrating to play against! So consistent! I can't help but want to go for the big shots to finish it. Then it goes long...

I consider you a consistent hitter, excellent shape and quite difficult opponent. By Gabino is a Wall!!! Like you mentioned, hes thinking the development of the point. On the first set if you could have taken shots on the air reducing his time to regroup you could have claim the first set. But saying it is easier than doing it. Anyways, you are a great player and i love watching your videos. BTW, those matchpoints saved, just wow.

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

Good point, maybe should've tried more swinging volleys. Thanks for the comment and for watching!

Gabino seemed to have really relaxed and solid technique and overall very skilled player. As somebody mentioned he seemed to slow down a little bit. I wonder how his game would look like if he had the same effort on court as Tim has. :D Btw Tim, what editing program do you use for your videos? Thanks.

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

Samu Riihelä I used imovie when I first started, now final cut pro. Thanks for watching!

I love Gabino's game - very smooth and efficient. He doesn't have to force anything and gets you to play at his pace. Tough opponent to play.

Hey Tim - good to see you playing. It's been awhile since we last played. I saw a few things in this video which might be helpful for you. I think you have a ton of latent power in your forehand that you currently aren't utilizing. Here is what I am seeing: You have a huge knee bend (load) but with your right foot is often parallel with the service line. This makes all your force from your load go either backwards or straight up rather than through the ball. It also requires your whole body to really get off the ground and spin just to drive through the ball. Potential solve to try: If you just turn that right foot in towards the court more and load up with the same effort, I think you might have easier time generating force and potentially an easier time lining it up and recovering into the court.

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

Hey! Thanks for the comment. I don't recognize you from the username, have we played before? Interesting point re: right foot positioning. It's not something I actively think about, and from watching some pro videos, it looks like great forehands are hit from both parallel and perpendicular to baseline (both open and closed stance). I do agree that having right foot pointed towards net prob aids in body rotation into the court. Might experiment with it

@marquisegg9946

3 жыл бұрын

​ @tennistim - Ah sorry, I forgot my picture and username is a bit ambiguous. Brian K. from the presidio team. Yes pros will hit with parallel back feet often, but the devil is usually in the details. There are always exceptions, but generally when you see a parallel back foot on a pro's forehand, you will usually see a pro do two things depending on which leg they have weight on during the swing. As a note - players like Djokovic are actually a pretty strong offender of this general rule because they often favor a very closed stance. Importantly, even with Djokovic, you will rarely see him jump up into his shots from a parallel stance - you will see him pivot into the ball and drive it. Re: Pros - 1) They will start with a parallel back foot and still drive with that leg. But they manage to drive it forward rather than up and around allowing their swing path to go right through the ball. If you keep the back foot facing parallel its really hard to do anything but drive up. Most pros who start a shot this way will try and quickly get onto the ball of their foot allowing it to pivot and free the hip to drive forward. This is critical as it allows them to rotate/pivot into their shot and drive the ball with maximum efficiency. 2) If they have a somewhat closed stance they will either stay planted and hit a fairly relaxed ball or slide the back parallel forward as they swing to transfer weight into the shot while pivoting ---- such as here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/npt30c18XZDSqaw.html and kzread.info/dash/bejne/npt30c18XZDSqaw.html

Love your channel -- what camcorder setup do you use to record your matches? Looking to help my game by reviewing video and any suggestions you have in terms of recording gear would be welcomed.

@hpt150

3 жыл бұрын

Just found the info I was looking for above -- thank you for including it!

Your opponent seems to be in control of his playing style very much and he prefers a lower string tension; on top of his good positioning it helps him to play every ball deep effortlessly. My recommendation would be to have different tension racquet ready for these circumstances plus try and bring him to the net more. Good game

Tight match. Congrats on 5.0. You belong.

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

TennisTroll Channel thank you! Been following your channel too, great content. Would be great to get a match in if I'm in Atlanta after travel is more normalized

Gabino is a wall. Tim fought well. Excellent match.

Who else is still watching in 2020?

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

LOL

Hey Tim, I recognize those courts! Would love to play a match again soon. You could do a series of Tim vs Tennis coaches! Haha just a thought. -Jeff

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

Yes! We should get out there soon when the air clears up

What app did you use to track and add the scoring in real time throughout the match or was it added later? Thx for posting this.

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

Added later. Wish there was an app like that :D

@TBT417

3 жыл бұрын

tennistim thanks for the reply. That must have been labor intensive and time consuming. I can’t say it doesn’t exactly and I’ve only been using it for two weeks but I recommend Swing Vision. It generates graphics for shot location for practices and matches, ball speed, spin and statistics for the whole session. I’m a 5.5/6.0 and use as I get back into playing. I recommend it at least for the real time stats and tools I mention.

Yeah, Gabino is a tough player to go against. He reads the game so well. He takes the ball so early and has insane accuracy. It seems like he hits an off pace knuckle ball, and when you're on the run, you have to generate all the pace. He usually comes to the net more often. I'm surprised he didn't considering he has a good volley game. You played really well against him, but from what I've seen, he plays much better at night. It's like night and day.

@tennnis498

3 жыл бұрын

somebody got the joke

Do you mod your Babolat Pure Strike with lead tape or silicone?

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

Nope, but looking to experiment with it soon! Feel like I could add some more weight for power and stability

On shots that he hit short, may be throw in some drop shots to bring him into the net?

It looks like Gabino is playing with a TENX racquet, most likely Xcalibre, 98sq in 16x19 extended in length, Australian company

Gabino has really solid technique. I feel like he moves as though he has had an injury or 2 in his legs and it's still hindering him a bit. Great match overall though

@Tennisbull-match-statistics

3 жыл бұрын

He didn’t look like a great mover but still got to almost every ball, very annoying when he is your opponent 😂

4:39 man thats when you know how brutal he is >.

How long did it take you to rise through each level? How long have you been playing?

@megamind9175

3 жыл бұрын

Also, what's your general approach to improving / rising through levels? (if you've shared this in a video before, my bad, I just found this Chanel)

oh man that construction next to you is sooo mood breaking

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

It was the park gardeners just cutting grass lol

@d0rzA

3 жыл бұрын

@@tennistim haha really ? i should get a hearing check bruh

great highlights! As for advice (from someone who is only 4.0 player so pls feel free to ignore it :P ) You need to create sharper angles - whether from baseline or at the net. I remember that You used to play at the net a lot, even S&V. Might be a good tactic against someone with not that much of a power? At the end it was a draw, but You needed to work so much harder for the result. It seemed like Gabino was controlling middle of the court all the time and wasn't pressured at all. Btw - everybody praises Gabino consistency, but oddly enough it seems to me that You were doing most of the running and defending :).

measure the time between the ball hitting the racquet for your groundstrokes vs. Gabino's and work to reduce your time and come close to his (timing). Your results will improve exponentially.

With in the first 3 games, I saw what this match was: you hitting against a wall! I’m thinking, about your opp: this guy doesn’t look like he’s burning any energy hitting the ball! No idea how this ends, but guessing by your note of “hitting tight”... not the best😅 ( great adjustments! I underestimate the value of tactical shifts at higher lvls)

Great match to watch. Gabino doesn't appear to hit a single ball with more than an 80% swing effort. The kind of opponent that beats me in about 40 mins and when it's over, I'm wonder WTF just happened.

Gabino is more like a defensive player who thrives on your inpatience/mistakes, not sure if you can tell, Tim score more when he forces Gabino dictates the point, plus he doesn't hit much topspin as much I can tell, I'd lure him to the net with slice, I bet he is not comfortable making shot with low ball

People play at this level at 4.0-4.5 in Atlanta due to the competitiveness of tennis in the city.

If I were you I would have tried getting him more to the net since his volleys wasn't the best. Also maybe try to put some high balls on his forehand so he have to back out a bit more.

Where do you live and play? Im looking to relocate to a good tennis community!

Gabino just massaging the ball around beauty to watch

on tennistroll channel, Gabino would be known as "Coach Pants"

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

sounds about right

I felt like he hits everything on the rise, taking time away from you

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah great call, short backswing and stays on top of the baseline

@AllyBeans4

3 жыл бұрын

especially took on rise on backhand. overall on rise/get ball back quickly vs speed/power. what would you say is the kryptonite/antidote to 'on the rise' ball striker (what did Connors struggle with)?

@AtobeTanhausser01

3 жыл бұрын

@@AllyBeans4 from an objective standpoint, coming from someone who likes to mix hitting on the rise and having time, it definitely can be a factor on timing of the ball. Hitting on the rise means you also have less time to make the shot you want, and therefore need great vision and reflexes to consistently be dangerous. Over time in a match, if your playstyle revolves mostly around it, execution becomes more difficult from a mental standpoint. Physically, you need to be quick to get to the ball instead of waiting, which means when you are pushed back, from not being able to stay on top of the ball, it can hurt your ability to hit penetrating shots. Hitting on the rise is most effective the closer you are to the court. The farther back you are is actually more time you take away from yourself, which opens up the court.

You need to make him run. Your shots are in the middle and he made you run. He's a pusher = you have to be patient. You have the stamina for it. You have better serves, net play. He has better angles and patience.

Hi Tim love your passion . Have you ever think that your back swing is too deep?

Gabio slide his leg like he plays a clay court lol, Nice game from both of you though

here I think take more aggressive shots. No Idea how you're feeling that day. That's a big factor in tennis. could be sore or tight in the legs/shoulder. Other guy seems loose. You see the gentleman in the red fighting for every point, seems more fresh.

What rackets are you guys playing with?

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

I'm playing with a Babolat Pure Strike 16x19 (2017 edition) not sure about Gabino @bayareaplaytennis

@JessicaSmith-co1ul

3 жыл бұрын

@@tennistim nice racket choice!

@DJDJ-qi6wr

3 жыл бұрын

Gabino is playing with a TENX racquet, most likely Xcalibre, 98sq in 16x19 extended in length, Australian company

what's your daily job?

ack the shadows detract.

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

yeah sorry about that, was the only open court that morning

gabino reminds me of Miloslav Mecir in the 80s... super clam and consistent... u have to find ur inner Lendl...

@tennistim

3 жыл бұрын

Chay Sayaovong maybe I need to tag him when he comes to net ;)

Gabino is a silkworm 👏

Gabino was playing like relaxingly unconpetitive.

gabino is a good pusher and grinder. he is very annoying to face!

Gabino seems to be playing Casually.

It would add a little flavor if you would note what courts you're playing at.

Where's the 3rd set?

Your skill set is much better than his; a lot of people are very uncomfortable at net unlike you, maybe hit more drop shots or slice short more.