Going Full Time at Tennis

[CAM178]

Originally Posted by SJP

I'm so happy not to have to worry about freaking billable hours.

Oh Christ, I never EVER thought I would hear someone say the exact sentence I said last year right after I got out. I was in investment banking/management consulting. . . all the same thing when it gets down to it. I am loving that there are 2 other guys out there just like me, and they're both on these boards! Ha ha. Guys, it's good to hear kindred spirits. Keep the posts coming.

Moz, I am actually about to do what you are doing, although not quite the same extent. I am just going to play some big tourneys around the Southern US, and see how I do.

Good luck on the journey.

[iradical18]

That's awesome Moz, good luck with the journey. I've got your blog bookmarked and will enjoy watching your progress.

[maverick66]

do alot of fitness at first. dont worry so much about court time as long as you can play 2-3 hours a day. but get fit. you need an insane level of fitness to play at a high level. you need to be able to play 2 times a day that could be 3 sets and come back and do it again.

[Moz]

Originally Posted by CAM178

Oh Christ, I never EVER thought I would hear someone say the exact sentence I said last year right after I got out. I was in investment banking/management consulting. . . all the same thing when it gets down to it. I am loving that there are 2 other guys out there just like me, and they're both on these boards! Ha ha. Guys, it's good to hear kindred spirits. Keep the posts coming.

Moz, I am actually about to do what you are doing, although not quite the same extent. I am just going to play some big tourneys around the Southern US, and see how I do.

Good luck on the journey.

No more of the - "sure you can have a day off as long as you get all your hours in".

Good luck in your tournaments - keep us posted as to how it's going.

[Moz]

Originally Posted by maverick66

do alot of fitness at first. dont worry so much about court time as long as you can play 2-3 hours a day. but get fit. you need an insane level of fitness to play at a high level. you need to be able to play 2 times a day that could be 3 sets and come back and do it again.

Thanks for the advice. I assume that playing and drilling isn't sufficient fitness wise. I was going to add in some hill repeats and sprints. Do you have any recommendations?

I've got 3 matches this weekend - will be interesting to see how much I pay for it afterwards!

[CAM178]

Originally Posted by Moz

No more of the - "sure you can have a day off as long as you get all your hours in".
Good luck in your tournaments - keep us posted as to how it's going.

LOL. . . nope, no more. And no more "Why didn't you bill this client more than this?", or "Why did you bill this client so much?"

Thanks for the well wishes. Who knows: maybe we'll end up at the same tournament some day (I'm only a year older than you).

[Moz]

Stranger things have certainly happened!

[smiley74]

Just wanted to add my good luck wishes to the OP!!!

No regrets, baby!!!

We'll all be rooting for you!!!

[J011yroger]

Give em hell Moz. It is a fun thing.

I was hurt from 17-23 and unable to play, while all my buddies went on to play college/futures. So I never found out how good I could get.

Taking another crack at it while I am young and have the chance.

07 was my first year of tourneys, and hoping to make 08 better.

It is hard working 50 hours a week, playing 15-20 hours a week, and being in the gym 7-10 hours a week. But better than sitting on the couch watching american idol and eating ice cream.

I'll be down to see you guys this year, and we can let it fly.

My motto was and still is "As long as your good days are better and your bad days are not as bad, that is all one can ask."

J

[Moz]

Thanks very much mate - good luck to you aswell.

Man, I wish we could swap ages! You've got plenty of time.

[J011yroger]

Originally Posted by Moz

Thanks very much mate - good luck to you aswell.

Man, I wish we could swap ages! You've got plenty of time.

I thought I was done at 23, until I met the world #1 55 and older.

And I said to myself, self I can do this.

Funny where inspiration comes from.

I was waching Out to Sea, and Jack Lemon thought he had missed his chance and said "It's too late"

And Walter Matthau replied "It's never too late, that's why they invented death."

And I was like, "Hey!! That's me!"

So I thought it would be way cool if I could play ITF Seniors in 10 years and compete on the Senior Davis Cup teams.

The best older players I know, all to a man say that no matter how much older they got, they never stopped improving.

J

[Jonnyf]

Hey Moz, just read the blog update, Let's be honest here- Did you get d!cked in that warm-up tourny?

[Moz]

Originally Posted by Jonnyf

Hey Moz, just read the blog update, Let's be honest here- Did you get d!cked in that warm-up tourny?

Shhhhhh...

Did you read the last entry posted this evening?

I won 6-0, 6-2 then lost 0-6, 5-7. It was a very strange evening. I've got to leave for sunday match in 8 and a half hours aswell.

[maverick66]

Originally Posted by Moz

Thanks for the advice. I assume that playing and drilling isn't sufficient fitness wise. I was going to add in some hill repeats and sprints. Do you have any recommendations?

I've got 3 matches this weekend - will be interesting to see how much I pay for it afterwards!

if your gonna tourny every week its gonna be tough to do fitness and play. so you need to decide which tournies mean something and which are there for practice matches. when i had futures coming i would ease off the fitness but for local prize moneys i would still do fitness that day if i only had a match, i was 19-22 years old at the time so i was much younger but your body will adjust.

as for fitness try to get a program with a trainer who knows the sport if you cant your gonna need to do it alone which isnt always good. do alot of intervals and movement type stuff. you need a solid base to so lift weights. get your core strong and legs even stronger so you can grind out tough matches. unless you need to cut weight avoid doing long distance cardio as i found it made me slower to jog.

[Moz]

Originally Posted by maverick66

if your gonna tourny every week its gonna be tough to do fitness and play. so you need to decide which tournies mean something and which are there for practice matches. when i had futures coming i would ease off the fitness but for local prize moneys i would still do fitness that day if i only had a match, i was 19-22 years old at the time so i was much younger but your body will adjust.

as for fitness try to get a program with a trainer who knows the sport if you cant your gonna need to do it alone which isnt always good. do alot of intervals and movement type stuff. you need a solid base to so lift weights. get your core strong and legs even stronger so you can grind out tough matches. unless you need to cut weight avoid doing long distance cardio as i found it made me slower to jog.

Cheers Maverick - I'll follow your advice.

At the moment I will probably try and do one weekend on and one off. There are so few events over here that you have to take them when they come. Also, I am short of strong hitting partners at the moment so playing matches is keeping my eye in.

[CAM178]

Moz, if it's any consolation, I lost today, too. I lost pretty badly, and I lost to a guy I should have beaten with ease. BUT, I haven't played a match since last May, so I see it as a positive. I know I just need to get match tough. Sorry about the loss, and good luck on traveling to the next tourney in pain.

Getting old sucks.

[Jonnyf]

Originally Posted by Moz

Shhhhhh...

Did you read the last entry posted this evening?

I won 6-0, 6-2 then lost 0-6, 5-7. It was a very strange evening. I've got to leave for sunday match in 8 and a half hours aswell.

Ooops.....Sorry I wrote it 3 minutes beforehand! Unlucky man, I know how it can happen... Seriously good luck in Biiirminghammm.

[tbini87]

just found this thread, seems like a lot of fun. i hope to be able to do something like that sooner or later. i am still young and getting to play at my junior college right now, so i have plenty of time. but seeing older guys giving it a real go is pretty motivating! good luck to you guys!

[Moz]

Thanks chaps. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, but not the 2 hour drive each way. Plus, getting out of bed the next morning is hard at my age....

Cam - maybe it was something in the water today?

[J011yroger]

Originally Posted by CAM178

Moz, if it's any consolation, I lost today, too. I lost pretty badly, and I lost to a guy I should have beaten with ease. BUT, I haven't played a match since last May, so I see it as a positive. I know I just need to get match tough. Sorry about the loss, and good luck on traveling to the next tourney in pain.

Getting old sucks.

Welcome to the wonderful world of tournament play.

Hopefully I got most of my lump taking out of the way in 07, but I have a feeling it's gonna take all of 08 aswell to become a serious tourney player.

Got 15-20 on the schedule, know there are gonna be some ugly looking lopsided losses in there, but hopefully I can bring home some hardware to offset it.

Hope these quotes do you guys some good.

Originally Posted by Sup2Dresq

"It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up." Vince Lombardi

Originally Posted by J011yroger

"The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place It will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is going to hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit, it is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much can you take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!" Rocky Balboa

J