Played as a sub in a 3.5 league.

dman72

Hall of Fame
I've been playing as a hack on and off for about 15 years. This was my first time ever playing organized or indoors. Took me long enough.

It took me awhile to get used to springy Deco Turf and the southpaw I played, but after playing this guy, I'm confident that I will be competitive in a 3.5 league. I looked at the other guys playing on adjacent courts..all older than me, no big serves, no real weapons. The guy I was playing hit maybe 4 balls past me the whole match..most of his points were on my errors. Typical for me. I had many service winners and he could not get to my well struck forehands in the corner. I lost a few service games due to double faults and trying to kill some of his fluttering duck returns and sending them just long.

I felt like I was auditioning for something, and lost the first set from jitters. Then, I got angry with myself and won the next set 6-3, ended the third set in a tie because 2 hours were up (this guy was kinda sucking wind and stalling, mostly sending moon balls to me to catch his breath. I'm used to playing 4 or 5 sets so I wasn't tired, but the moonballing was frustrating me a bit..it's very effective on decoturf, I can imagine how effective it is on clay).

I guess I've been underrating myself, or these guys are all overrated, because he has a winning record in the league.
I just wish it wasn't so damn expensive! If anyone is wondering why tennis is declining is popularity..it's because it's too expensive to become anything other than a weak amateur, at least in cold weather climates. Every league in my area will basically cost you $700 and up for 12 singles matches. I'm doing doing fine financially, but convincing the wife that I should spend that..."can't you just wait for the spring?"

But, I'll never get better if I take 2-3 months off every year. :mad:
 

Ash Doyle

Professional
Every league in my area will basically cost you $700 and up for 12 singles matches.

WHAT!? I have never in my life heard of such a high price for league. In my area, it costs about $15. If you are saying that club membership is needed, then I didn't know the USTA allowed that. Around here you do not have to be a member of the club hosting the league team to be on the team at any of the league clubs I know of.
 

dman72

Hall of Fame
WHAT!? I have never in my life heard of such a high price for league. In my area, it costs about $15. If you are saying that club membership is needed, then I didn't know the USTA allowed that. Around here you do not have to be a member of the club hosting the league team to be on the team at any of the league clubs I know of.

This is indoor. $15 is the guest fee that tack on to 24-30 an hour for indoor court time here..$15 per person.
 

raiden031

Legend
The league I just joined requires club membership. In addition to club membership, each person on the team is spending $100 for the season in court fees.
 

dman72

Hall of Fame
The league I just joined requires club membership. In addition to club membership, each person on the team is spending $100 for the season in court fees.


How much is your membership? The memberships here run around $400 per year. The one I played at last night is $59 PER MONTH during the tennis season!! So, you pay $230+ for your membership, a $59 activation fee, and then something like $300 for the league.

So, I was wrong, $600 and up.

There is another place that has 1.5 hour league, 30 weeks, $900!! What a bargain!!

This is the part of the scam that I love....the fall league starts in September, and the spring league ends in May.


Who the hell needs to be playing indoors during September, October, the 2nd half of April, and May in New York? There are good lighted public courts where I live...3 or 4 places that you can usually find an open court. The indoor league should be ONE season from November to March or something.


Tennis: a rich persons game.
 

raiden031

Legend
How much is your membership? The memberships here run around $400 per year. The one I played at last night is $59 PER MONTH during the tennis season!! So, you pay $230+ for your membership, a $59 activation fee, and then something like $300 for the league.

So, I was wrong, $600 and up.

There is another place that has 1.5 hour league, 30 weeks, $900!! What a bargain!!

This is the part of the scam that I love....the fall league starts in September, and the spring league ends in May.


Who the hell needs to be playing indoors during September, October, the 2nd half of April, and May in New York? There are good lighted public courts where I live...3 or 4 places that you can usually find an open court. The indoor league should be ONE season from November to March or something.


Tennis: a rich persons game.

I don't know what it costs to be just a tennis member at my club, but I pay $75/month for access to tennis as well as swimming pools, weight rooms, and cardio machines. Its run by this homeowner's association where I live and some of the funds come from everyone's association fees. I think they said if you are not a local resident, it would cost $150/month for the total package I have.

Even with being a member, if I want to just use an indoor court for my own personal use, its $30/hour. Outdoor courts charge no court fees though to members. So yeah its a very expensive sport in the winter. I will probably suck it up and just play my league (~6 matches) and thats it until I can play outdoors again.
 

dman72

Hall of Fame
I don't know what it costs to be just a tennis member at my club, but I pay $75/month for access to tennis as well as swimming pools, weight rooms, and cardio machines. Its run by this homeowner's association where I live and some of the funds come from everyone's association fees. I think they said if you are not a local resident, it would cost $150/month for the total package I have.

Even with being a member, if I want to just use an indoor court for my own personal use, its $30/hour. Outdoor courts charge no court fees though to members. So yeah its a very expensive sport in the winter. I will probably suck it up and just play my league (~6 matches) and thats it until I can play outdoors again.


Yeah, I'm just basically looking to not have to shake off the cobwebs in the spring like I do every year..which is what keeps me from improving. I figure if I play every other week indoors with some wall hitting every week, I'll be ok.
 

d wayne

Rookie
During indoor season, I find it best to play in a block time doubles group. The court time is split 4 ways and it guarantees playing once a week. I usually end up subbing with other groups 1 or 2 times a week, so that gets some free tennis.
It may not be the same as singles, but it keeps you somewhat sharp year round.
 

goober

Legend
I just paid $28 for my winter league. If I had the time I would sign up for 3 or 4 different leagues, but for now I just get once a week.

BTW club leagues often are much weaker than USTA tourneys/leagues at the same NTRP level.
 

Caswell

Semi-Pro
Tennis: a rich persons game.

Really depends on where you live and how you do it.

In the warmer parts of the country, competetion among clubs for membership keeps the rates down. I pay $600 a year to play at a very nice club with nine clay courts and four hard courts, fitness center, and a staff that has never failed to arrange a match for me when I give them a time I want to play.

USTA league play is around $14 a season, and the local leagues are $10 a season. Usually get five or six matches per league per season.

I string my own racquets, wear C9 clothes from Target (if it's good enough for Davydenko, it's good enough for me), and usually pick up enough money from stringing my friends' racquets to cover my own string.

I've got more money in one of the surfboards hanging on my wall than I do in a year's worth of tennis, and I've got more than one surfboard...
 

heycal

Hall of Fame
I just paid $28 for my winter league.[ QUOTE]

28 bucks? Man, it must be nice to live in Mayberry, Goober... In the northern suburbs of New York City, an indoor league can cost 900 bucks for a once a week match, which comes out to over 30 bucks a match for a 27 match season or thereabouts.
 

SteveI

Legend
How much is your membership? The memberships here run around $400 per year. The one I played at last night is $59 PER MONTH during the tennis season!! So, you pay $230+ for your membership, a $59 activation fee, and then something like $300 for the league.

So, I was wrong, $600 and up.

There is another place that has 1.5 hour league, 30 weeks, $900!! What a bargain!!

This is the part of the scam that I love....the fall league starts in September, and the spring league ends in May.


Who the hell needs to be playing indoors during September, October, the 2nd half of April, and May in New York? There are good lighted public courts where I live...3 or 4 places that you can usually find an open court. The indoor league should be ONE season from November to March or something.


Tennis: a rich persons game.

"Who the hell needs to be playing indoors during September, October, the 2nd half of April, and May in New York? There are good lighted public courts where I live...3 or 4 places that you can usually find an open court. The indoor league should be ONE season from November to March or something."

Hey man,

I live near Buffalo and we play all our USTA indoors.. even in June, July and August. The main reason I will not play USTA ever! I wait all winter to get back on the outside courts.. then play USTA indoors in July??? Maybe if I move to a warmer section in my older age.. I might consider it.. then there are the AHoles (Sandbaggers/Cheaters) to deal with

No way!

Steve
 
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Voltron

Hall of Fame
Really depends on where you live and how you do it.

In the warmer parts of the country, competetion among clubs for membership keeps the rates down. I pay $600 a year to play at a very nice club with nine clay courts and four hard courts, fitness center, and a staff that has never failed to arrange a match for me when I give them a time I want to play.

USTA league play is around $14 a season, and the local leagues are $10 a season. Usually get five or six matches per league per season.

I string my own racquets, wear C9 clothes from Target (if it's good enough for Davydenko, it's good enough for me), and usually pick up enough money from stringing my friends' racquets to cover my own string.

I've got more money in one of the surfboards hanging on my wall than I do in a year's worth of tennis, and I've got more than one surfboard...

Ok then, that sounds creepily like my tennis club. Same price, same courts, yeah.....
 

Venetian

Professional
You guys have really hit the nail on the head here. It just costs way to much to play during the winter. I live in Colorado Springs (a fairly large city), and the clubs around here are virtually empty even at peak times during the winter. About the only time they really fill up is when there's a USTA tourny going on. There are just so many other fun things people can find to do during the winter that either have no cost or cost much less. I realize that it costs a lot to maintain an indoor facility. But just because the cost is justified doesn't mean people are willing to pay it.
 

eunjam

Rookie
i'm just lucky i live in so cal.

and yes....i've heard of $45/hr in manhattan.

i play regularly with a guy who moved from there and is never moving from so. cal.......just because of that!
 

heycal

Hall of Fame
You guys have really hit the nail on the head here. It just costs way to much to play during the winter. I live in Colorado Springs (a fairly large city), and the clubs around here are virtually empty even at peak times during the winter. About the only time they really fill up is when there's a USTA tourny going on. There are just so many other fun things people can find to do during the winter that either have no cost or cost much less. I realize that it costs a lot to maintain an indoor facility. But just because the cost is justified doesn't mean people are willing to pay it.

People are willing to pay it here in New York. The club I mentioned above is nearly always full.

And 45 dollar an hour in Manhattan would be on the cheap/off peak side. Some are 70 dollars or more an hour. Google Midtown Tennis or Sutton Eastside Tennis and other Manhattan clubs and check out their rates -- unbelievable. (Prices are a little better in the outer boroughs though.)
 

arnz

Professional
I see you made the jump to club playing, I'm in the same boat as you, I never played in club leagues either because of the expense. It just never made sense to me to spend that much on a hobby, but now I'm reconsidering since I've reignited my love for tennis this past year.

I too live in Long Island, my quick internet inquiry to the closest club to me(Eastern Athletic Club in Blue Point) and your figures turn out to be right, around 700 for membership +league/ladder play. On the other hand they include a nice gym for use also, so it might be worthwhile. Plus I imagine the structured competition would be fun, bragging rights and so on if you win:-D
 

dman72

Hall of Fame
I see you made the jump to club playing, I'm in the same boat as you, I never played in club leagues either because of the expense. It just never made sense to me to spend that much on a hobby, but now I'm reconsidering since I've reignited my love for tennis this past year.

I too live in Long Island, my quick internet inquiry to the closest club to me(Eastern Athletic Club in Blue Point) and your figures turn out to be right, around 700 for membership +league/ladder play. On the other hand they include a nice gym for use also, so it might be worthwhile. Plus I imagine the structured competition would be fun, bragging rights and so on if you win:-D


I am equi-distant from 4 clubs: Eastern in Blue Point and Dix Hills, Sportime in Hauppauge, and World Gym in Setauket. They are all around the same price..I'm actually sitting here doing "bang for the buck" calculations as we speak. "Let's see, this league is 2 hours, guaranteed 12 matches, this one is 1.5 hours, 15 matches" :confused:

I am looking the structured competition..I've been playing the same 2 guys for the past 4 months and they are both 4.0's who kill me..I've won maybe 6 sets off of them since September. I'm looking at playing in the league I subbed in to work on strokes in match play..the guys I saw don't hit very hard, so they cannot exploit my pathetic backhand as much as the 4.0's...I could run around almost every shot the last guy I played hit.
 

maverick1

Semi-Pro
And 45 dollar an hour in Manhattan would be on the cheap/off peak side. Some are 70 dollars or more an hour. Google Midtown Tennis or Sutton Eastside Tennis and other Manhattan clubs and check out their rates -- unbelievable. (Prices are a little better in the outer boroughs though.)

Yeah, Manhattan is expensive. The best deal I have (in a suburb on other side of you unfortunately), is at the Princeton university indoor courts. They are open to the public for $12 per person per hour. This Friday night, the courts weren't full and I managed to play 2 hours for 12 bucks.

Have you checked out colleges near you? You may find such deals. At Rutgers, I heard guests of students/alumnii pay only $5.
 

heycal

Hall of Fame
Yeah, Manhattan is expensive. The best deal I have (in a suburb on other side of you unfortunately), is at the Princeton university indoor courts. They are open to the public for $12 per person per hour. This Friday night, the courts weren't full and I managed to play 2 hours for 12 bucks.

Have you checked out colleges near you? You may find such deals. At Rutgers, I heard guests of students/alumnii pay only $5.

I'm actually an alum of two different colleges in Manhattan, but I tend to play at the places in the outer boroughs that are both cheaper and open until midnight, like Stadium Racqeut Club in the Bronx or Flushing Meadows in Queens. I generally start playing at 10pm when the rate is 32-40 bucks an hour, which you can often stretch to two hours. (I also signed up for a half share in the league at that nearby club here in the northern 'burbs becaue I was dying for some regular competition.)
 

heycal

Hall of Fame
I've been playing the same 2 guys for the past 4 months and they are both 4.0's who kill me...

Consider yourself lucky. I'd love to get regularly pounded by some 4.0's so I could improve my game -- my two main hitting partners are my girlfriend and my best friend, who's only been playing for a year, and I usually play them with my weak hand in order to make it competitive.
 

arnz

Professional
Dman, when are the leagues starting? I'd like to try it out, but maybe they have a payment plan? 700 is a big chunk of change, it always feels a little better when I pay monthly or in installments :)

BTW, I emailed you too
 

dman72

Hall of Fame
Dman, when are the leagues starting? I'd like to try it out, but maybe they have a payment plan? 700 is a big chunk of change, it always feels a little better when I pay monthly or in installments :)

BTW, I emailed you too


Cheers. ..........
 

dman72

Hall of Fame
Dman, when are the leagues starting? I'd like to try it out, but maybe they have a payment plan? 700 is a big chunk of change, it always feels a little better when I pay monthly or in installments :)

BTW, I emailed you too

Leagues start mid-January, I believe.
 

dman72

Hall of Fame
Wow, that's craziness. I guess I'm spoiled here in the south. Tennis all year long, free of charge.


Yeah, you don't hear of any big-time pros living year round in cold weather climates.

By the way, I played 4 sets with ARNZ today in about 50 degree weather with annoyingly high winds. We started a fifth but I had to bow out with 2 broken blisters in my hand. I guess the hand isn't used to more than 3 sets. I think we've both found our new LI hitting partners...very compatible skill levels. His 3.5 consistency vs. my 3.5 feast or famine cave man tennis.

First match to ARNZ. Thanks TW forums!!
 
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heycal

Hall of Fame
Yeah, you don't hear of any big-time pros living year round in cold weather climates.

By the way, I played 4 sets with ARNZ today in about 50 degree weather with annoyingly high winds. We started a fifth but I had to bow out with 2 broken blisters in my hand.

So you retired and lost the match?

I played three sets today too, in the same 50 degree weather as you, but didn't find the wind TOO annoying. I was hurting too, my friend, but I stuck it out like a man! (And beat my gf with my weaker arm...) Riggs d. King!
 

dman72

Hall of Fame
So you retired and lost the match?

I played three sets today too, in the same 50 degree weather as you, but didn't find the wind TOO annoying. I was hurting too, my friend, but I stuck it out like a man! (And beat my gf with my weaker arm...) Riggs d. King!


Yeah, he was up 2 luv so he won. No arguement from me.

I guess I'm not half the man you are. :rolleyes:

You normally beat your girlfriend with your strong arm, so you decided to be nice to her for the holidays and take it easy on the beatings? Now she'll have to tell her folks she walked into left door stop instead of the right. :mad:


Sorry, I shouldn't make light of domestic violence. :sad:
 

heycal

Hall of Fame
Yeah, he was up 2 luv so he won. No arguement from me.

Come on! Lendl was down 2 sets to 0 to McEnroe at the French Open, but he didn't give up and look what happened there, yet you give up when you're down a measly 2 games in the fifth? Quitter!
 

10sfreak

Semi-Pro
Wow, down here in Georgia, the courts are free all year long, and it costs $22to join the local USTA league for a season. I'm currently playing 6.0 Mixed-doubles, 7.0 Mixed-doubles, and 6.5 Men's Combo. So, a grand total of $66, and we'll play this season through mid-February. I guess we've got it pretty good down here tennis wise, huh?
 

ta11geese3

Semi-Pro
Geez, you guys should really consider moving to socal. In my little suburban city, we've got... uh... 20 some courts? spread throughout the hs, elementary schools, the park, etc... of course, free of charge...

plus the weather's nice... =p

Or go to ucla lol. Plenty of nice courts there.
 

gscone

Rookie
I play at Roslyn Sportime and there prices are very reasonable.The Main thing i hate about there league is alot of players whom claim they are 4.5+ are no better than 3.5- so getting good competition out of the league can be frustrating.
 

dman72

Hall of Fame
I play at Roslyn Sportime and there prices are very reasonable.The Main thing i hate about there league is alot of players whom claim they are 4.5+ are no better than 3.5- so getting good competition out of the league can be frustrating.

"Reasonable" is a relative term. $700 for 1 season 24 court hours and 900 for the year is a lot money when you figure I can play basketball indoors for $0-$10 all day during the winter.

Sportime is Roslyn is the same rates as Kings Park, except the "initiation fee" :rolleyes: is $100 instead of $50.

I found it interesting how many daytime women's leagues there are at sportime in Roslyn....bored rich ladies?
 

dman72

Hall of Fame
Geez, you guys should really consider moving to socal. In my little suburban city, we've got... uh... 20 some courts? spread throughout the hs, elementary schools, the park, etc... of course, free of charge...

plus the weather's nice... =p

Or go to ucla lol. Plenty of nice courts there.

There are plenty of good courts around here..I have 2 in my complex and 4 2 minutes away. The problem is when there are icicles forming on your nose.

Actually, it's been beautiful. We should have played today instead of yesterday. It's supposed to be 60 today and there is no wind.
 

arnz

Professional
Yeah, good match Dman! We should do it again soon, when real life isnt getting in your way :)

Yeah today is a nice day, oh well. Maybe there will be more days like this during the winter. and theres always indoor :)
 

dman72

Hall of Fame
Yeah, good match Dman! We should do it again soon, when real life isnt getting in your way :)

Yeah today is a nice day, oh well. Maybe there will be more days like this during the winter. and theres always indoor :)

I think we will have some titanic struggles. I think we will not feel fufilled after 2 hours indoors, but 3 hours gets expensive.

I was hitting against a wall this morning at courts around the corner, and this guy pulls up in a mini van and asks if I want to hit. My arm was twinging from Saturday, and I was wearing band-aids on the blisters, but I couldn't say no!! We played one set and he won 6-4 or something, but I was only going maybe 60% on my serve because my shoulder and the 2 holes in my hand. He was saying "I'm 4.0, you aren't 3.5, you're at least 4.0" after I crushed a few forehands.

I told him what I told you...it's about match results, not that I can hit a few forehands and serves per set that look like a 5.0.

Off to Christmas shop.
 

gscone

Rookie
"Reasonable" is a relative term. $700 for 1 season 24 court hours and 900 for the year is a lot money when you figure I can play basketball indoors for $0-$10 all day during the winter.

Sportime is Roslyn is the same rates as Kings Park, except the "initiation fee" :rolleyes: is $100 instead of $50.

I found it interesting how many daytime women's leagues there are at sportime in Roslyn....bored rich ladies?[/QUOTE

Out here on the North SHore, all the daytime leagues are filled with rich women....lol
 

tlm

G.O.A.T.
I play in the suburbs of chicago + it costs me+ the wife $300 a year to be members.The court cost is $23 an hour at prime time+ $13 during day hours, which sounds like it is pretty reasonable.

I play on 2 teams+ the cost is $16 per match, there is no league charge but you must be a member of a club to play league tennis.I would tell anybody trying to improve that if you can afford it, go for it.This is my 3rd indoor season + i love it, i have many more players to pick up matches with + the league play has helped my game.

It sure makes the boring winter a lot more fun, i play 5-6 days a week so every year of tennis for me is like 2 years.Plus there is a lot you can learn from experienced club players.
 
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