Thinking of quitting tennis due to lack of good players...

M

mkat

New User
So when I was a kid, I took a lot of lessons. My parents contemplated putting me in an academy to play full time which would have probably led to a scholarship at an America school. Well that didn't happen but I still trained at the academy over the summers and got pretty good...a solid 4.0 player.

Now that I'm in my 20s, I play at my local clubs and regularly encounter 3.0 players or lower. These are the people I mainly have to play against and there is no fun in it. I immediately resort to playing "ugly" tennis. Just what is required to beat them. Some of them just get the ball on the court and just push the whole entire time. I just give them a short ball and lob it over their head or do a dropshot and win every time. It's extremely boring to the point that I don't want to play anymore.

Yes, it's true I'll find the odd person who is comparable to me but it's extremely rare to find someone better than me and I'm only 4.0. I've now been playing worse players than myself on a regular occasion for at least the last 7 years and I'm kind of done with it. I want to become a 4.5 player but that will never happen when I have to play 2.0s or 3.0's.

Has anyone else been in this predicament?
 
40-15 still haunts me

40-15 still haunts me

Banned
Unfortunately there will be millions out there who are better than you, it’s just the way it is however taking on players of weaker ability isn’t really going to do you any favours when you finally take on someone with an equal or better ability than yourself. Aren’t there any other clubs you can go to with higher ranked players or at least try and find someone you can play with regularly who’s better than you to push yourself ?
 
N

nyta2

Hall of Fame
mkat said:
So when I was a kid, I took a lot of lessons. My parents contemplated putting me in an academy to play full time which would have probably led to a scholarship at an America school. Well that didn't happen but I still trained at the academy over the summers and got pretty good...a solid 4.0 player.

Now that I'm in my 20s, I play at my local clubs and regularly encounter 3.0 players or lower. These are the people I mainly have to play against and there is no fun in it. I immediately resort to playing "ugly" tennis. Just what is required to beat them. Some of them just get the ball on the court and just push the whole entire time. I just give them a short ball and lob it over their head or do a dropshot and win every time. It's extremely boring to the point that I don't want to play anymore.

Yes, it's true I'll find the odd person who is comparable to me but it's extremely rare to find someone better than me and I'm only 4.0. I've now been playing worse players than myself on a regular occasion for at least the last 7 years and I'm kind of done with it. I want to become a 4.5 player but that will never happen when I have to play 2.0s or 3.0's.

Has anyone else been in this predicament?
Click to expand...
i have, back when i lived in NH... seemed like it was mostly 3.5's or 5.0.. nothing in between (eventually i did find the tweeners).
that said, the way to practice against 3.5 or lower, is NOT to just push back...
i used:
* play sets, where every shot is a solid stroke (not a push)
* hit only to their fh (or whatever their good shot is)
* s&v (back at 4.0 i sucked at forecourt)
* hit styles i don't feel comfortable with (s&v, c&c, dink&lob, dtl only, must end point by 4th shot, play with both feet inside baseline at all times, only hit winners after my 6th shot, only hit bh (or whatever my weaker shot is), etc...)
bottom line is that there is soooo much you can practice against a 3.5.

so if you quit, you're quitting due to lack of creativity, and arguably an frail ego (ie. i don't want to s&v cuz i might lose to a 3.5, and i'm a big-time-baseline-basher-four-oh)...
i also question if you're a 4.0 if you need to resort to ugly tennis to beat a 3.0-3.5 (maybe you just don't like no-pace).
at 4.0 you should be hitting forcing shots every time they hit a short ball (which should be always)
 
M

mkat

New User
40-15 still haunts me said:
Unfortunately there will be millions out there who are better than you, it’s just the way it is however taking on players of weaker ability isn’t really going to do you any favours when you finally take on someone with an equal or better ability than yourself. Aren’t there any other clubs you can go to with higher ranked players or at least try and find someone you can play with regularly who’s better than you to push yourself ?
Click to expand...
nyta2 said:
i have, back when i lived in NH... seemed like it was mostly 3.5's or 5.0.. nothing in between (eventually i did find the tweeners).
that said, the way to practice against 3.5 or lower, is NOT to just push back...
i used:
* play sets, where every shot is a solid stroke (not a push)
* hit only to their fh (or whatever their good shot is)
* s&v (back at 4.0 i sucked at forecourt)
* hit styles i don't feel comfortable with (s&v, c&c, dink&lob, dtl only, must end point by 4th shot, play with both feet inside baseline at all times, only hit winners after my 6th shot, only hit bh (or whatever my weaker shot is), etc...)
bottom line is that there is soooo much you can practice against a 3.5.

so if you quit, you're quitting due to lack of creativity, and arguably an frail ego (ie. i don't want to s&v cuz i might lose to a 3.5, and i'm a big-time-baseline-basher-four-oh)...
i also question if you're a 4.0 if you need to resort to ugly tennis to beat a 3.0-3.5 (maybe you just don't like no-pace).
at 4.0 you should be hitting forcing shots every time they hit a short ball (which should be always)
Click to expand...
I disagree I will potentially quit due to lack of challenge and boredom. Somehow it's my fault though lol. I question if you're as good as you say you are...hmm...what a riveting answer...you don't know me at all btw. :) Perhaps you have a frail ego and feel the need to insult others. Have a nice life.
 
USO

USO

Banned
I have never been able to find a player who is as good as me or better yet I have not quit the sport. And based on from what I’m seeing on TV the only players that would be able to beat me are Fedal. My advice to you is to hold your head up high and keep playing. Try new things and just enjoy the game. :giggle:
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
mkat said:
So when I was a kid, I took a lot of lessons. My parents contemplated putting me in an academy to play full time which would have probably led to a scholarship at an America school. Well that didn't happen but I still trained at the academy over the summers and got pretty good...a solid 4.0 player.

Now that I'm in my 20s, I play at my local clubs and regularly encounter 3.0 players or lower. These are the people I mainly have to play against and there is no fun in it. I immediately resort to playing "ugly" tennis. Just what is required to beat them. Some of them just get the ball on the court and just push the whole entire time. I just give them a short ball and lob it over their head or do a dropshot and win every time. It's extremely boring to the point that I don't want to play anymore.

Yes, it's true I'll find the odd person who is comparable to me but it's extremely rare to find someone better than me and I'm only 4.0. I've now been playing worse players than myself on a regular occasion for at least the last 7 years and I'm kind of done with it. I want to become a 4.5 player but that will never happen when I have to play 2.0s or 3.0's.

Has anyone else been in this predicament?
Click to expand...

Try Meetup tennis groups in your area and the app TennisPal. Even Craigslist sometimes though be careful about the posts for fit male tennis partner needed for rallying and a good gym workout later.
 
BlueB

BlueB

Legend
mkat said:
So when I was a kid, I took a lot of lessons. My parents contemplated putting me in an academy to play full time which would have probably led to a scholarship at an America school. Well that didn't happen but I still trained at the academy over the summers and got pretty good...a solid 4.0 player.

Now that I'm in my 20s, I play at my local clubs and regularly encounter 3.0 players or lower. These are the people I mainly have to play against and there is no fun in it. I immediately resort to playing "ugly" tennis. Just what is required to beat them. Some of them just get the ball on the court and just push the whole entire time. I just give them a short ball and lob it over their head or do a dropshot and win every time. It's extremely boring to the point that I don't want to play anymore.

Yes, it's true I'll find the odd person who is comparable to me but it's extremely rare to find someone better than me and I'm only 4.0. I've now been playing worse players than myself on a regular occasion for at least the last 7 years and I'm kind of done with it. I want to become a 4.5 player but that will never happen when I have to play 2.0s or 3.0's.

Has anyone else been in this predicament?
Click to expand...
First, I'm surprised that you are not a 4.5 already, training at the academies and what nor... of course, you could have declined to 4.0, with lack of training and competition.

Next, there are few options for you, some were already mentioned:
Play "honest" good tennis, proper groundies until you win the point. No droppers, lobs, trick shots, etc. Even only to their FH if required, as someone suggested.
Find another club, travel to tournaments, advertise on CL for hitting partners.
Select one or two most promising 3.0-3.5 players and coach them to your level. It's totally doable. Probably within a year.
Last but not least, if so much better the the rest in your area, it's a chance for you to do the lessons for money. Not only that you'll be on court more often and make money in the process, but the average level of the players in your area might elevate, eventually...
 
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Y

Yamin

Hall of Fame
Yes I was in this exact situation recently and around the same level. Unfortunately the resolution was to find a more expensive club with a good tennis director to join. This guy sent me an email list of higher level players he personally knew, and I had to reach out to all via email. Out of those only 3 responded and I only play with one semi-regularly but it was enough to be challenged and progress further.

If you don't network it's hard in some regions. Try to see if your area has a tennis FB group as well.
 
S&V-not_dead_yet

S&V-not_dead_yet

Talk Tennis Guru
mkat said:
So when I was a kid, I took a lot of lessons. My parents contemplated putting me in an academy to play full time which would have probably led to a scholarship at an America school. Well that didn't happen but I still trained at the academy over the summers and got pretty good...a solid 4.0 player.

Now that I'm in my 20s, I play at my local clubs and regularly encounter 3.0 players or lower. These are the people I mainly have to play against and there is no fun in it. I immediately resort to playing "ugly" tennis. Just what is required to beat them. Some of them just get the ball on the court and just push the whole entire time. I just give them a short ball and lob it over their head or do a dropshot and win every time. It's extremely boring to the point that I don't want to play anymore.

Yes, it's true I'll find the odd person who is comparable to me but it's extremely rare to find someone better than me and I'm only 4.0. I've now been playing worse players than myself on a regular occasion for at least the last 7 years and I'm kind of done with it. I want to become a 4.5 player but that will never happen when I have to play 2.0s or 3.0's.

Has anyone else been in this predicament?
Click to expand...

When you write "encounter", it sounds random, like you showed up at the challenge court and lower-level players were all you had to choose from. That happens all of the time when I go to a public park, which is why I almost always plan to hit with someone; if I just go to practice serving, I occasionally end up hitting with a stranger but I can't be picky in that case.

How about talking to the instructors at your clubs and asking to get introduced to players of your level? Maybe find out when the higher-level clinics are and meet people that way?

Here are some other suggestions:

- Play tournaments [hopefully there are some close by that get enough entrants]; you get to pick your level. Network like crazy once you get there. Hang around until the end, even if you lose in the first round
- Visit the local academy [if there are any] and network
- Contact local HS and college coaches; offer to pay $20/hr for a 4.5 hitting partner
- Craigslist [beware of people who over-rate themselves]
- MeetUp groups
- playyourcourt.com or numerous other sites
- myutr.com, where you can search for players in your area and you can see their UTR
- [edit] Attend a tennis camp for adults targeted to your level

There are so many options; you just have to do some legwork but soon you should have a tennis circle full of 4.0+.

It's possible you live in a tennis desert, which means you'll have to do more legwork.
 
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S&V-not_dead_yet

S&V-not_dead_yet

Talk Tennis Guru
mkat said:
I disagree I will potentially quit due to lack of challenge and boredom. Somehow it's my fault though lol. I question if you're as good as you say you are...hmm...what a riveting answer...you don't know me at all btw. :) Perhaps you have a frail ego and feel the need to insult others. Have a nice life.
Click to expand...

2 messages in and you're already insulting people: one of the more knowledgeable ones to boot and an instructor.

And yeah, he is that good.
 
N

nyta2

Hall of Fame
mkat said:
I disagree I will potentially quit due to lack of challenge and boredom. Somehow it's my fault though lol. I question if you're as good as you say you are...hmm...what a riveting answer...you don't know me at all btw. :) Perhaps you have a frail ego and feel the need to insult others. Have a nice life.
Click to expand...
i get triggered by anyone who uses "pushing" to describe counter punchers. immediately evokes an image of the many baseline bashers i've known/met that can occasionally hit a winner (and therefore think they are better than they are), but doesn't have strokes refined enough to consistently handle high & deep no-pace junk balls
 
SystemicAnomaly

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
mkat said:
I disagree I will potentially quit due to lack of challenge and boredom. Somehow it's my fault though lol. I question if you're as good as you say you are...hmm...what a riveting answer...you don't know me at all btw. :) Perhaps you have a frail ego and feel the need to insult others. Have a nice life.
Click to expand...
I think you are taking it wrong, mkat. These guys gave you some good, honest feedback. Do not believe their intent was to insult. Look around and read some of the other stuff from these posters. I believe they know what they are talking about. Do not take their speculations as intentions to insult you.

Try to keep an open mind and and not taken it too personally. Have you tried any of the options (or similar ones) suggested by @sureshs in post #9?
 
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Z

zaph

Professional
Sigh, another post being rude about pushers and junkballers. Look no player can force you to play "ugly tennis". If you are as good as you claim to be, you should have no problem overpowering such players. I am hardly in an area full of world class players and I know plenty of people who could blast a 3.0 level pusher into the weeds. If you can't play aggressive tennis against a pusher and win. You're not as good as you think you are.
 
OnTheLine

OnTheLine

Hall of Fame
mkat said:
I disagree I will potentially quit due to lack of challenge and boredom. Somehow it's my fault though lol. I question if you're as good as you say you are...hmm...what a riveting answer...you don't know me at all btw. :) Perhaps you have a frail ego and feel the need to insult others. Have a nice life.
Click to expand...

I swear you said you were in your 20s .... this comment seems a little more juvenile.

Sign up for a tournament. 4.5 or open for USTA ... UTR pick something around UTR 10 .... you will meet people and if they think you are worth their time they will call you for a hit.
 
socallefty

socallefty

G.O.A.T.
Players who took a lot of lessons as kids and were top juniors usually get burned out on tennis in their twenties because they can’t find good competition on public courts. When they make enough money to join private clubs that have many ex-college players as members, they find a playing circle that makes them enjoy tennis again. Usually, this doesn’t happen until many people are in their thirties or forties and you’ll find many top juniors who took a 10-15 year break from playing competitive tennis. The only way to break this cycle is to play a lot of tournaments in your twenties or somehow get on a league team at your level.

OTOH what I am saying applies more to 4.5+ level juniors. It shouldn’t be that hard to find 4.0 players even on public courts if you live in a metropolitan area.
 
heninfan99

heninfan99

Talk Tennis Guru
Yeah, you are in tennis purgatory. I would take lessons and pay a hitting partner until you hit the 4.5 level. Then everything will open up again.
 
S&V-not_dead_yet

S&V-not_dead_yet

Talk Tennis Guru
mkat said:
I disagree I will potentially quit due to lack of challenge and boredom. Somehow it's my fault though lol. I question if you're as good as you say you are...hmm...what a riveting answer...you don't know me at all btw. :) Perhaps you have a frail ego and feel the need to insult others. Have a nice life.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure why you responded to @40-15 still haunts me: what about his post is offensive? Was it the "millions are better than you" comment? An exaggeration but the core truth is there: no matter how good you get, there will always be a lot of people better than you.

For example, my UTR is about 7.4 and myutr.com stated that there were about 90,000 with a higher rating. If you're a strong 4.0, your UTR is probably in the 6s, which means there might be 200,000 people better.

How is that relevant to your improvement? It's not.

Forget about assigning blame; focus on what you need to do to find quality partners. Plenty of suggestions above.
 
Vanhalen

Vanhalen

Professional
Hum, new user, troll post.
Come on, unless you live in Siberia, how hard is it to find good players? Enter a tournament and watch your ego cry for mommy.
 
Slicerman

Slicerman

Professional
You should do something you actually enjoy. Just do whatever you want. You don't need anyone's permission or justification to quit or continue.

You're not a tennis pro who needs to do this for their livelihood nor are you a junior being forced to play by your parents.

If there's no commitment to the sport and you no longer enjoy playing, then by all means quit. All this energy could be put into something more productive.
 
P

princemidplus

Semi-Pro
Ok. I'll volunteer to play against you. You just need to make it to south africa and we can have a good match. I'm not sure what my level is but I'm pretty certain it is at least a 4.0. I can play several styles too so you can practice.....chip and charge, serve and volley, stay back (admittedly my weaker style), moon ball if you like, drag you round the court, slice, you can choose. That way I'll even help you out by you not having to choose what skills you need to work on. Let me know........
 
S&V-not_dead_yet

S&V-not_dead_yet

Talk Tennis Guru
There are actually 2 active threads on the topic:

what is the best app for finding nearby tennis players (toronto specifically)

anyone use apps to find hitting partners?
tt.tennis-warehouse.com tt.tennis-warehouse.com

Best way to find hitting partner

Hi, I hope this is an okay place to post this but was wondering if anyone knows a reliable way to find hitting partners in the same town you live in. I live in the Orlando area and need more people to hit with. I've tried using online sites like playyourcourt and tennisround to find people to...
tt.tennis-warehouse.com tt.tennis-warehouse.com
 
C

Chas Tennis

G.O.A.T.
S&V-not_dead_yet said:
There are actually 2 active threads on the topic:

what is the best app for finding nearby tennis players (toronto specifically)

anyone use apps to find hitting partners?
tt.tennis-warehouse.com tt.tennis-warehouse.com

Best way to find hitting partner

Hi, I hope this is an okay place to post this but was wondering if anyone knows a reliable way to find hitting partners in the same town you live in. I live in the Orlando area and need more people to hit with. I've tried using online sites like playyourcourt and tennisround to find people to...
tt.tennis-warehouse.com tt.tennis-warehouse.com
Click to expand...

USTA in Baltimore had plenty of strong 4.0 players. Indoor USTA caught on and was quickly very popular. Based on Baltimore several years ago - The 4.5 players had trouble getting enough players together for leagues every year, often there were leagues of 3 and maybe even 2 teams. (I last played USTA in 2014.) You find good tennis players in clubs that are often expensive. Some areas have serious low cost clubs. If you can join a USTA activity you will quickly learn most of the tennis in your area, maybe missing some county clubs.
 
R

Ruark

Professional
You might call the head pro at your tennis courts to one side and just chat with him about your situation and ask if he can give you some direction and/or contacts.
 
Steady Eddy

Steady Eddy

Legend
You can try handicapping. Allow yourself only one serve. Or your opponent automatically wins the point if they can hit 3 returns.

Are you a baseline? If you are, try rushing the net vs. these weaker players. Or help teach these weaker players. Encourage them to learn to play the net better. Many self taught players have 4.0 forehands, 3.0 volleys, and a 2.0 overhead. Practice hitting overheads with each other.

If you've learned all the shots, try learning to hit tweeners.
 
ChaelAZ

ChaelAZ

G.O.A.T.
Between juniors, high school and colleges around, there has to be someone to hit with. I used to hit very often with the juniors and high school players that were at, above, and even below my level. Most are off or around all summer long and looking for court time. Worth checking around, but at the facility we play out of I found more than enough players.
 
graycrait

graycrait

Legend
@Maj, move, it won't get better in the US where you are at if it already isn't. Tennis is constricting into "pockets"
in the US.
 
Fintft

Fintft

G.O.A.T.
Got more lessons myself recently, due to lack of good parteners. It's a cost, but it may be worth it, including for you.
 
FatHead250

FatHead250

Professional
I find it really hard to believe. In any city there will be tennis players who are better than 4.0. Who coaches these 3.0s? Just search for them. They might have other stuff going on so they dont do club tennis like 3.0s do
 
Crocodile

Crocodile

G.O.A.T.
mkat said:
So when I was a kid, I took a lot of lessons. My parents contemplated putting me in an academy to play full time which would have probably led to a scholarship at an America school. Well that didn't happen but I still trained at the academy over the summers and got pretty good...a solid 4.0 player.

Now that I'm in my 20s, I play at my local clubs and regularly encounter 3.0 players or lower. These are the people I mainly have to play against and there is no fun in it. I immediately resort to playing "ugly" tennis. Just what is required to beat them. Some of them just get the ball on the court and just push the whole entire time. I just give them a short ball and lob it over their head or do a dropshot and win every time. It's extremely boring to the point that I don't want to play anymore.

Yes, it's true I'll find the odd person who is comparable to me but it's extremely rare to find someone better than me and I'm only 4.0. I've now been playing worse players than myself on a regular occasion for at least the last 7 years and I'm kind of done with it. I want to become a 4.5 player but that will never happen when I have to play 2.0s or 3.0's.

Has anyone else been in this predicament?
Click to expand...
I haven’t been in this predicament but I guess we need to help you find a solution. It’s important that people discuss these types of topics because if they are not heard then this is when clubs and individuals disappear from tennis.
The first thing I would do is to do a survey of tennis in your city or district and find places to play that would provide you with the tennis you find fulfilling. Your tennis governing body should have things going on that you could tap nto.
Now secondly, if you are a member of a club and that club is forward thinking then it could be an initiative of the committee to market their club to attract better players. If they are not motivated to do such a thing then it’s best to move on.
You generally find that the keen players all gravitate to certain clubs, and flourish with that type of membership and other clubs dwindle away. A pro active tennis coach can attract good players to their club and build the culture.
Finally you could join a FB page that represents your local tennis community and advertise for hitting partners. I did this for a client of mine and the response was very good.
 
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