Have you been served Humble Pie?

[dizzlmcwizzl]

Share an interesting story here ... My personal tale of woe goes like this ....

I had a really good season which resulted in getting bumped up to 4.5 on early start ratings. I am in full training mode for next year which includes diet, core excercises, and swimming. At this moment I feel great and after seeing earlier today I had been bumped I feel like all the hard work is paying off.

A friend of mine invited to fill in for an indoor contract and I agreed. It turns out the other players were 3 super seniors ranging from high a 3.5 to low 4.0's ( I am 42). I figured I would dominate the evening, get a congratulatory beer and go home happy.

What I got instead was a lesson in using my pace against me. Ridiculous change of pace on the serve and having every ball come back from these 125 squared inch rackets ...

I ate my humble pie of a 6-3, 6-2 drubbing that I cant even blame on my partner. Back to practice.

[Larrysümmers]

yeah man. in the semis of this doubles open we encountered these guys. they just whooped us good. and they did it like they have done it many times before. not super fast serves, but fast enough and in good enough placement to play textbook doubles. causing either my partner or myself to be stranded at net while hitting perfectly placed balls to the baseline causing mad scramblings.

needless to say they had our number good.

[Clay lover]

I played with some old guys regularly at some park before and all they did was hit the ball flat with little pace, when you hit them a high ball with topspin they dink it back high. However, they would make no errors and give you no freebies. I'd bet they can beat most 4.0 doubles teams.

[chollyred]

I play with a bunch of seniors whenever I can get off work on a Monday or Friday (I'm 53). There can be anywhwere between 20-30 guys playing round robin. Some of these guys are in their 80s and can make you look and feel stupid. Not a lot of pace, but deadly accurate shots with tons of spin and high lobs on the baseline. They know how to pick your game apart and make you pay for any mistakes. Some are still playing A division doubles against much younger guys and going to the playoffs.

[Lame_Backhand]

My form of humble pie came in Adult league this season. I started playing tennis around the same season as a guy from another facilty, and I have pretty much owned him in all of our meetings. Apparently he took a ton of private lessons over the winter and went from a pusher, to a player, and he also worked with his doubles partner (both computer rated 3.5's) with their pro as well on their double strategy/game. The result, he and his partner "drubbed" myself and my partner 6-3, 6-0. The match was over quick.....

I commended he and his partner on their great play and hard work. They went undefeated in both 3.5 and 4.0.

So, the above experience has definitely lite a fire under my ***** to get my game in shape. I took for granted last season that I would be one of the better 3.5's in the area, and did not work to improve. Lesson learned.

[Cindysphinx]

Geez.

I had to eat it once in a tri-level match. Line-ups were exchanged, and I gazed at my opponent across the lobby. She was the octogenarian who was literally putting on support hose to get ready for the match. Man, she was so old and frail looking. I figured my main job was to make sure I didn't nail her with an overhead and hurt her.

Um, she was the one who hurt me. Good lord, I could not get a ball past her. She spent the next two hours finding ways to make my partner and me miss shots.

When the match finished, my partner and I did the walk of shame to the lobby to report our scores. This lady sat down in a chair and slowly peeled off her support hose. Mission accomplished.

[Nellie]

I have learned to not underestimate retirees. They have too much time on their hands to play.

[vcat]

Lost to a one legged senior citizen when I was in my late twenties....enough said?

[prgault]

in answer to the original question...yes, once a week Monday night quad league....

[cknobman]

My 2nd 3.5 tournament match ever I was given a double bagel 0,0!!!!!!!!!!!

[Wilson 1986]

several times by older players.
not so much by their speed around the court, but the precision of their shots.
a bit more precision and power soon put a stop to that.
never underestimate older players.
lesson learned.

[tennis tom]

Those guys who figured out 5 year increments for age groups knew what they were doing.

[Wilson 1986]

you can say that again.
we would all love to spend every day on the courts.
most of us have jobs that restrict that.
people who have retired don't have this to worry about.
it really isn't fair

[jdubbs]

I used to have problems with them, but just got a lot more accurate and put a lot more pace on the ball and hardly ever lose to them anymore. A hard, high, topspin shot gives these guys a lot of problems. A big, well placed serve as well.
But yeah, we've all been handed our collective *****es by seniors at some point.

[michael_1265]

Yes, I eat a serving of humble pie at least once a season. At least it's low in calories, right?
Two years ago, we lost to a doubles team headlined by a 75 year old with two knee braces and a hearing aid (his partner was 65). He started out looking like he didn't even know what court he was on. He got faster and more alert every game. At the beginning of the second set, he split my partner and I with a running passing shot, and he was moving so fast I thought the the braces were going to disintegrate, a la Forest Gump. 6-1, 6-1.

[r2473]

When you were my age, did you ever get served humble pie from an octagenarian?

No, I never had that problem really, why?

[Wilson 1986]

it makes you wonder, will we be giving young whippersnappers the run around when we retire.
I certainly hope so.

[Matt H.]

i've taken a couple double bagels in league play.

a few 1-0's or 0-1's as well.

Sometimes it's been frustrating because i feel like i make a couple shots to open up the court and don't finish. other times i just know there's nothing i can do to hurt my opponent and i'm just going to get my butt whipped on that particular day.

[goober]

Beat this guy 6-0, 6-0 first time we play. Next time I win like 6-2, 6-3. I don't see him again for about 8 months. Then I see his name again on drawsheet. I am thinking easy win. He shows up 40 lbs lighter with better groudstrokes and more aggressive play. He runs me off the court 6-0, 6-1.

[Hewex]

My opponent beat me 6-1, 6-1 in a league match and told me that was the quickest match he'd had.