ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
Glad to hear your game is coming around!
I'm playing pretty well considering I can't play too much. My tennis schedule consists of a 1+ hour of practice (no serving) on Friday followed by league match on Sundays. Unless I opt out of league (if it's a weak team and/or if we have lots of guys available) then I hit a second time instead of playing a match.
Even though I get zero serve practice (because it's hard on my wrist) I have been serving much better in matches. I have reworked my motion/toss (to an extent) watching videos and shadow swinging with no racket. Very few df's and better placement (thanks to better toss). In that respect not playing many matches has been good for me.
Sprinting in the park with the dogs and skimboarding has really helped my movement - best it's been in 15 years probably thanks to all the sprints and fixing the hips.
I've played 5 singles matches in league, going 5-0.
1: guy was top few in league, I was underdog, beat him in marathon 7-5 in the 3rd. Great win.
2,3: Guys were solid, I would consider myself the favorite, beat both in 3 sets.
4,5: Guys were a level below, easy wins.
Played dubs twice, won both.
So 3 tough singles matches in which fitness helped me win the third (thank god no 3rd set TB lameness, I hate that about USTA).
Our team is going to win the league (local 4.0 league), we are 8-1 with 1 match to go. Last season there was a team made up of all self rates with a couple legit 4.5's and several strong 4.0's and they dominated. But they are gone, so our deep, solid team is doing well.
Anyway, I wish I could hit 3-4 times a week, I think I could be playing really well but hopefully the wrist will finish healing and I can do that in the spring. I would like to play USTA (the good guy I beat invited me to play on his team) but I would have to travel to play home matches and I don't have the time. Maybe when my kid goes off to college.
So all things considered, it's going well.
I am not getting a ton of play myself, about the same with a bit of practice and trying to only do one match a week but I am on two teams so I get used often for both. I am the opposite for success this season, as are both teams overall. Some guys it is their first rodeo at 4.0 and then there are a bunch of us that just hadn't played leagues for a while. We have progressively gotten better and grabbed some wins, but in the 40+ we are last and for the 18+ we are 9th out of 11. Lots of tie breakers we lost and close sets...just not getting the W's. I've played both singles and dubs and played top spots and the low court. And our top teams in both, many of the guys are playing both 4.0 and 4.5, so I don't feel too bad in those losses. I am just not there yet, but great watching them play (I mean, when I am not on the other side of the net get fed bagels and breasdsticks).
Awesome the wrist is holding up. I know when you are playing well and feeling good about it you wanna get out more, but sounds like a bit of limiting is allowing you to heal and play. Keep those winning ways!