Have you Moved to Another State and Found that your Rating there May be Different?

[Loose Cannon]

Have you ever went from a Tennis haven, say Florida, SC or GA........moved to a different state...I don't know......lets just say a State up North that doesnt play year round.......and said WOW......What a difference a State makes.....I'm going to need to play up.....to keep my competetive edge?


Im from SC, where there are alot of Tennis facilities, year round tennis.......so Im thinking a 4.5(not me) there.....wouldnt have the same struggles as he would, say if he entered a Tourney in the Boondocks of West Virginia(just an example). Now I know.....there will always be the exception to the rule......


Anyone ever notice a HUGE shift in skill level upon moving?

[floridatennisdude]

I went to 4.5 from 4.0 back when I lived in upstate SC. Moved to Florida few years ago. I don't notice much of a difference. What I have noticed is that the consistent level of play being higher exists in a major metro area (for me, Charlotte) than it does in the rural types of area that I am in now.

I think it is more mental than anything. If you think a state should be stronger, then it will feel like it is.

[gavna]

Absolutely - a 4.5 in California, Texas or Florida are in general going to be stronger than the same in Illinois, Iowa, New york.....etc thats really nothing new - it even can vary between cities.

[GMay]

Yes, I moved from Washington to Arizona and noticed a big difference. A lot more USTA players in Washington (about 4000 in WA vs about 500 in AZ) and as a result a lot more competitive and better players in WA.

[goober]

Since I started playing tennis I haven't moved, but I have played players who have moved here from different parts of the country. I have not noticed any huge discrepancies in level of play for a particular level. In fact I have noticed that players from the supposedly strong tennis states- CA, FL and TX did not do as well after they moved here based on their prior USTA record. OTOH we have had some players from the mid west that were not from traditional strong tennis states- like OH and Indiana that have been top level players here at the same level.

I think this does vary by level even within the state. For example here 3.0 level participation is pretty weak on both mens and womens side so most play at 3.5. The mens USTA 4.5 is basically dead because a very popular alternative league that has all the 4.5-5.0 players. The 4.0 level though is pretty strong as a result since above that level there is not much going on as far as USTA so there is a lot of incentive to keep players at 4.0 and a lot of high level players entering the system end up at 4.0 instead of 4.5

[DeShaun]

Originally Posted by GMay

Yes, I moved from Washington to Arizona and noticed a big difference. A lot more USTA players in Washington (about 4000 in WA vs about 500 in AZ) and as a result a lot more competitive and better players in WA.

Michael Chang said something consistent with this notion when he showed up in Seattle for the Champion's League exhibition last winter. I was there, in Key Arena, when he recalled his first experience with trying to reserve court time in Seattle, an experience that had taken place after he had only just moved here so many years earlier. He said that he could not then believe how difficult it was trying to reserve court time here, but that such difficulty only confirmed for him that Seattle had a very healthy tennis community.

For what it's worth, a particular guy who shows up now and again to play on one of the local public courts apparently played some down in California before moving to Seattle. His Tennisopolis profile indicates that he was a Bay Area 4.5. Watching his movement and strokes, I have my reservations about his claim on being 4.5 because he looks more like a middling 4.0 to me. To my mind one must possess some natural athletic gifts to reach 4.5 whereas, that guy is in darn good shape but, honestly, he does not appear to be athletically exceptional.

[GMay]

I knew I would get goobers goat with my post. Lol. Bot if lowest level of usta play is essentially 3.5 and there is no rule restricting the number of out of level players then the level of play will be lowered. In the PMW ted are limited to 50 percent out if level players on a team. Here in AZ I have seen 4.0 teams with 75 to 80 percent 3.5 players. That brings all players at that level down.

Just based mere number of players and also national championship results the level of play is higher in WA state. Plus you have to be farore dedicated to get court time plus pay $30 for an hour and a quarter!0

[Timbo's hopeless slice]

so, does any one state dominate nationals? or a few states?

that ought to be revealing

[maggmaster]

It doesn't appear so, although population density of the area looks like a reasonable predictor.

[J_R_B]

Originally Posted by Timbo's hopeless slice

so, does any one state dominate nationals? or a few states?

that ought to be revealing

DE won the 4.5 nationals last year, so I guess that's a national tennis hotbed.

Differences in levels between states is a myth, especially among league players (B & C rated players) because the intersectional play at nationals allows the levels to normalize across the country. In tennis hotbeds like FL, you'll find more players at every level but not better players. For tournament players (T rated and non-rated tournament players), the levels are far more variable because there is much less interaction between sections.