Top Spin 4 Impressions/Questions Thread

[LorenzoDC]

Re: Top Spin 4 Impressions/Questions Thread

Question regarding Career Mode:

I remember going through all the stats before and it told me that I was like 5-0 on hard surfaces, 3-1 on clay, 4-0 on grass, etc. but I can't remember where I saw that anymore. Could someone point me in the right direction.

I don't know about getting W/L by surface, but in the Career Main Screen, go to Rankings. On xbox, use the RT and LT control to scroll through the pages and you can find your wins by surface. But I don't see loss totals to go with it.

[Seymour Scagnetti]

Re: Top Spin 4 Impressions/Questions Thread

I don't know how you guys do it.

Normal difficulty is cheese for me, too easy. But I can't win on hard. If my timing is off for one shot out of five, it seems that's enough for me to get creamed. And the good to perfect shots get returned most of the time, no matter the placement.

I've been practicing on hard against Federer in exhibition mode, and I've gotten to where I can mostly lose a set by just one break, and I think I've won maybe three sets out of a total of maybe thirty.

Is everyone's timing perfect when you win consistently on hard? Do you always have near perfect placement as well, near the lines or deep?

I'm playing with a level 20 offensive baseliner with FH 77, BH 77, SRV 77, VOL 45, POW 82, STA 79, SPE 56 and REF 52. I have skills at crushing passing shot and instant rocket.

Here are some places where I know I can improve: hitting the corners with good+ timing on serves, more consistent depth to the right handed opponent's forehand court during rallies, more effectively mixing in flat shots with good timing to take advantage of the player's power and ground strokes. I also know I suck at lobs and drop shots.

I feel like I could work on all those things and whatever else I figure out I need to do, though with all my practice, I'm getting a little discouraged.

On the one hand, a bunch of guys on here seem to be able to play consistently well on hard difficulty, but then again, if it takes me forever and it stops being fun in the meantime, I dunno if I want to keep at it.

And wouldn't you know it, I'm facing Novak in the Semis in the French next. I'm stuck with a career setting where sets are 3 games, and I've been winning one game in two sets when I try to play him. I know he's a beast, but I'd feel better if I could at least feel like I'm competing. I do see how he's prone to mini error streaks (seems like that the only time I win, on unforced errors, not many winners from me).

Ok, rant over. I don't want to play Madden again ferchissakes, so someone please talk me off the ledge!

Just keep practicing and your timing will get better. I never use drop shots either. At the beginning I found hard to be pretty difficult until I got the timing down but the key is to press the shot button as soon as it comes off the other player's racquet after you know where it's going. You can still move with the button depressed and aim at the same time deep into the corners (feels a bit awkward at the start but you get used to it) and release it as soon as it bounces and you should get a max power shot off and get the AI on it's heels if you mix up your shots.

I would have developed one of either your backhand or forehand about 10 points higher than the other to make it more powerful and play to that strength. Make your FH an 85 and lower your BH to 69 or so. You still can if you change coaches who specilizes in one more than the other. You don't want to have a player who is capable of both strokes but master of none.

Hard was a good difficulty when my CAP was at level 15 or 16 but now that I decided to put him at 20, hard became too easy where the only guy who would give me problems was Djokovic. Then again I've played alot of hours on this game the last 2 weeks.

Now I've started very hard but it's tough because I got spanked in the 1st round of the French open to a level 18 player who I thought I would beat but there is no room for error at that level and I can't see myself mastering that difficulty where it becomes too easy.

[LorenzoDC]

Re: Top Spin 4 Impressions/Questions Thread

Just keep practicing and your timing will get better. I never use drop shots either. At the beginning I found hard to be pretty difficult until I got the timing down but the key is to press the shot button as soon as it comes off the other player's racquet after you know where it's going. You can still move with the button depressed and aim at the same time deep into the corners (feels a bit awkward at the start but you get used to it) and release it as soon as it bounces and you should get a max power shot off and get the AI on it's heels if you mix up your shots.

I would have developed one of either your backhand or forehand about 10 points higher than the other to make it more powerful and play to that strength. Make your FH an 85 and lower your BH to 69 or so. You still can if you change coaches who specilizes in one more than the other. You don't want to have a player who is capable of both strokes but master of none.

Hard was a good difficulty when my CAP was at level 15 or 16 but now that I decided to put him at 20, hard became too easy where the only guy who would give me problems was Djokovic. Then again I've played alot of hours on this game the last 2 weeks.

Now I've started very hard but it's tough because I got spanked in the 1st round of the French open to a level 18 player who I thought I would beat but there is no room for error at that level and I can't see myself mastering that difficulty where it becomes too easy.

Thanks, I'll keep at it. There are probably other things I should recalibrate about my game as well, like trying different placement for service returns, maybe moving around the service line for serves, whatever. I was just watching some youtube of a match on hard and I saw how the guy played further behind the baseline for returns than I do. That might make it easier to get more power and timing on returns as well, as long as I don't get torqued by the angles.

If anyone of you guys were to post any videos of your games, that would be cool please post them to this thread if you do.

[Yeah...THAT Guy]

Re: Top Spin 4 Impressions/Questions Thread

Thanks, I'll keep at it. There are probably other things I should recalibrate about my game as well, like trying different placement for service returns, maybe moving around the service line for serves, whatever. I was just watching some youtube of a match on hard and I saw how the guy played further behind the baseline for returns than I do. That might make it easier to get more power and timing on returns as well, as long as I don't get torqued by the angles.

If anyone of you guys were to post any videos of your games, that would be cool please post them to this thread if you do.

Yeah I would but I don't have a capture device, but I've found that cross-court topspins while also pushing down and to the side is a great way to set up a winner. cross court drop shots are excellent for winners as well.

[LorenzoDC]

Re: Top Spin 4 Impressions/Questions Thread

Yeah I would but I don't have a capture device, but I've found that cross-court topspins while also pushing down and to the side is a great way to set up a winner. cross court drop shots are excellent for winners as well.

Agreed, at least on the top spins. I'm pretty decent at those with power on the run cross court. I'm practicing my drop shots and I'm spotty but dropping them cross court to a weak ground stroke side shows some promise, got Federer on that with some success to his backhand last night while messing around.

Just need to work on my timing and consistency on that. Plus, since my player has extra skills on passing shots, it would be good to be able to draw opponents in for the kill even if the drop shot is not a winner by itself.

[LorenzoDC]

Re: Top Spin 4 Impressions/Questions Thread

Yeah I would but I don't have a capture device, but I've found that cross-court topspins while also pushing down and to the side is a great way to set up a winner. cross court drop shots are excellent for winners as well.

Well, waddaya know. I just beat Federer on hard in straight sets (6 games) by scores of 3, 2 and 1.

What I did differently: stood further from baseline on service returns, went for max power on pretty much everything, had mostly good timing through and through. Started consistently holding the shot button as soon as the ball was hit to me to load up the shot. Moved around a bit more from the service line to vary my angles on the serve. I didn't need to mess with drop shots, my power pretty much dictated the pace of play throughout.

So, my thanks to the crew here for all the help and tips. Now let's see if I can keep it up. It was just one match but this it was a real step forward for me in my gameplay.

[Seymour Scagnetti]

Re: Top Spin 4 Impressions/Questions Thread

Well, waddaya know. I just beat Federer on hard in straight sets (6 games) by scores of 3, 2 and 1.

What I did differently: stood further from baseline on service returns, went for max power on pretty much everything, had mostly good timing through and through. Started consistently holding the shot button as soon as the ball was hit to me to load up the shot. Moved around a bit more from the service line to vary my angles on the serve. I didn't need to mess with drop shots, my power pretty much dictated the pace of play throughout.

So, my thanks to the crew here for all the help and tips. Now let's see if I can keep it up. It was just one match but this it was a real step forward for me in my gameplay.

Now the game will get really fun for you and before you know it you will be playing very hard and loving it.

[FreakyFraser]

Re: Top Spin 4 Impressions/Questions Thread

New to Os (and to Top Spin 4.....found TS3 frustratingly hard). Hope to play some of you on the interweeb so I can 'step my game up'. Currently working my career on Hard as myself.

When you guys play a quick match online do you normally play as a pro or as a created player?

[LorenzoDC]

Re: Top Spin 4 Impressions/Questions Thread

Now the game will get really fun for you and before you know it you will be playing very hard and loving it.

I hope so. Whatever I did against Federer though is not working against Murray or, of course, Djokovic! Can't win more than a couple of games per set, they get to everything and don't really have weaknesses.

If I can engineer the rally enough to get them way out wide I have a chance to slam a winner down the open court, but I don't get a ton of those before I get pushed into defense and bad position myself. Trying a lot of different strategies, but coming up empty so far.

[josef]

Re: Top Spin 4 Impressions/Questions Thread

ok so did you guys pick normal, topspin, or real tennis for match length in a career? i chose normal but will I ever get to play longer matches (only 10 pt tiebreaks so far)? thanks. I just don't want to keep playing in that career if i never get to play real matches..

[LorenzoDC]

Re: Top Spin 4 Impressions/Questions Thread

ok so did you guys pick normal, topspin, or real tennis for match length in a career? i chose normal but will I ever get to play longer matches (only 10 pt tiebreaks so far)? thanks. I just don't want to keep playing in that career if i never get to play real matches..

I forget what the setting was I chose, probably default normal, and now I'm stuck, as far as I can tell, playing Grand Slams with best 2/3 sets with 3 game sets. Not very happy about that myself. Didn't know any better.

[phillyfan23]

Re: Top Spin 4 Impressions/Questions Thread

do the different surfaces play differently ??

clay slower than grass, clay has higher bounce, grass less bounce things like those?

or is it just purely cosmetic ??

thanks

[LorenzoDC]

Re: Top Spin 4 Impressions/Questions Thread

do the different surfaces play differently ??

clay slower than grass, clay has higher bounce, grass less bounce things like those?

or is it just purely cosmetic ??

thanks

They play differently. The bounces, the physics, the speed of the ball, all appropriate to surface. On clay players changing direction slide the way you do if you're actually playing on clay. All the surface physics details are pretty cool.

[phillyfan23]

Re: Top Spin 4 Impressions/Questions Thread

They play differently. The bounces, the physics, the speed of the ball, all appropriate to surface. On clay players changing direction slide the way you do if you're actually playing on clay. All the surface physics details are pretty cool.

Really ?? WOW.....how did I miss this ? any articles discussing these features?

thanks

[LorenzoDC]

Re: Top Spin 4 Impressions/Questions Thread

Really ?? WOW.....how did I miss this ? any articles discussing these features?

thanks

I've seen it mentioned in some of the game reviews, maybe even the one here on OS. But I don't remember where. But it really stands out during game play, to me at least. Especially on clay, because it's so unique as a surface.

It makes it so that some opponents are tougher based on the surface, combined with their styles of play, like the real deal.