Anyone else a slow starter?

[obtn]

I'm not sure why, but nearly every match I play I seem to do significantly better starting near the end of the first set or beginning of the second. Has anyone else overcome this problem and have any recommendations on how to do so?

For example, here's some matches I've played recently:
1. Down 2-5 in the first set, came back and won 7-5 6-2.
2. Lost first set 0-6, lost match 0-6 6-4 4-6.
3. Lost first set 5-7, won second 6-0 and a tiebreaker in lieu of third, 7-0.
4. Lost first set 1-6, lost match 1-6 7-5 3-6.

These are just four examples, but this happens all the time for me.

It's possible that showing up before my match and doing extra warmup might help, but I don't always have the time to do this, and in tournament situations there is often a time limit for warmups.

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[dozu]

certain people are born to be slow starters... it's just brain chemistry... I usually play a bunch of tie breaks/games when I play with my partners... and usually I'd lose the 1st one, and clean up the rest.

you should just get that warm up period out of the way.... before the match, find somebody to play a few games or tie breaks... by the time you start the match, it's already 2nd set for you.

 

[5263]

I'm not sure why, but nearly every match I play I seem to do significantly better starting near the end of the first set or beginning of the second. Has anyone else overcome this problem and have any recommendations on how to do so?

These are just four examples, but this happens all the time for me.

It's possible that showing up before my match and doing extra warmup might help, but I don't always have the time to do this, and in tournament situations there is often a time limit for warmups.

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance for any help.

I was and still am to an extent, on the slower side of getting to my best tennis.
It does not always show in the score (sometimes i will start winning games early), but I've come expect that in the early games I'm probing and adjusting to my opponent. During this time I find what their preferences are and fine tune my timing to the rhythm of the particular match. This takes a lot of pressure off in the early games.

It even seems to help me in the big picture,
as I go on the court with the mindset that I will work into my BEST tennis; whether it takes 3 games or a set and a half, I want to keep at it till I work up to playing my best and maintain that level of play till the end. In dubs i will often mention to a new partner that i might start a little slow, but to be patient cause i will get there.

I also use this to bolster a partner who is off to a slow start, saying things like, "hey, don't worry, I know what kind of player you are and know you will work your way into it in a couple of games!" It seems to pick them up when you have confidence they will find some good tennis.

We are lucky in tennis not to have a clock, cause we can be down 6-1, 3-1 before we start to click, but it is never too late as long as you are still on the court!

 

[dozu]

^^ good point.

I've read somewhere about type A (mindless ball bashing) and type B (the opposite) tennis players.

so it would take a while for the type B to adapt, especially if the opponent is new.

 

[Cindysphinx]

I am also battling the tendency to fall way behind in the first set of singles. I think I may have figured out how to avoid this.

I used to take the court figuring I would hit to my opponent's BH until they proved they could beat me with it. There are two problems with that approach. First, it had me changing direction or hitting uncomfortable shots in an attempt to reach the BH, so I would miss. Second, if I hit to her BH, she could take it crosscourt easily to my BH, which is my weaker shot right now.

Now, I go right out and hit my FH to her FH as much as I can. I figure my FH is stronger than hers until she proves otherwise. Also, I am more likely to get a FH reply, so that's good too.

Maybe the issue for OP's slow start is a failure to use his own strengths and weapons rather than looking for weaknesses that may not exist in the opponent?

 

[obtn]

Interesting point, Cindy. While this may be somewhat the case, I do feel mostly like I am just not hitting my shots as well in the first set, and less that I am using a failing strategy.

I've never actually kept track, but I would bet my unforced errors are much higher in the first set than in the following sets.

However, taking a high percentage approach in the beginning of a match (such as crosscourt forehands) may actually be a good strategy to help myself get in a groove. Maybe I should even try to get my opponent in some longer rallies and be less aggressive in the first set.

Good thoughts so far, thanks everyone.

 

[bukaeast]

I realize that I am a slow starter also. It is even worse if I am forced to just start banging from the baseline. I am best if we start off with a bit on mini tennis, inside the service line taking exaggerated slow, full followthrough swings forhand and back. I also get my eye on/for the ball and watching it properly. Then I can work my way back to the base line. Too often I get volleys to drive me back at best. They think I want to start with volleys and then jump back to the baseline to whack it back.

Too little time with indoor tennis to warm up properly in the time allotted.

But when I play people that know and respect the slow start beginning with mini tennis we all start the games wih a much better style of tennis.

I remember one match where the whole first set all four of us had a terrible time with returns, and it was most likely because we didn't warm up slowly and properly to get our hand-eye coordination in sync with the way we were stroking the ball.

My hitting partner knows that I am this way and when we play and can start this off properly, it pays off for all.

 

[salsainglesa]

I am a slow starter, so we must warm up prior to the game, an hour at the very least.
At the end of the warm up play some points, a sudden death and use the tactics you are going to use in a match.
If you know your opponent and can variate tactics, use this time to warm them up. The set up shots, The aggresive shots and finishing shots.

Good day on the courts!

 

[FloridaAG]

In day matches, no. When I play at night I often start slow. Generally, too much time sitting at my desk combined with not enough warm-up time often leads to slow starts

 

[SweetH2O]

I know the OP, so I looked up his scores on a couple websites. It looks to me like you start off slower against the people you haven't played before. Against your usual playing partners you do better. So maybe it takes you longer than you'd like to figure out a new opponent's game? Just a theory, but it fits our two matches also.

 

[Bacterio]

I used to be a slow starter but actively worked into changing it. Before I started doing tournaments and leagues, my only experience with match play was hitting with friends and then doing a best of 3 or best of 5 match.

Problem is that when hitting with friends we'd warm up for about 30min, maybe even an hour before we even considered starting a set. Then when I started doing tournaments, I'd go out there and almost always end up down early in the first set or outright losing it before I started playing like I wanted to.

What I did was start taking a more match like approach to hitting with friends for a few months. I'd ask them if it was ok if we could just warmup for about 10min then start a match. The time we would spend rallying got moved to after the match instead of before.

Nowadays it doesn't matter much how much warmup time I have. So long as I'm warmed up physically, loose arms and legs, warm muscles, then I'll be ready mentally as well to play my game.

This might not work for you because some people just realistically need a much longer warmup to get used to the court, conditions, etc. If that's the case then the best approach would be to get out there early with someone else and get a much longer prematch hitting session in.

 

[obtn]

I know the OP, so I looked up his scores on a couple websites. It looks to me like you start off slower against the people you haven't played before. Against your usual playing partners you do better. So maybe it takes you longer than you'd like to figure out a new opponent's game? Just a theory, but it fits our two matches also.

This certainly may add to it, but my most recent match was against my father, who I've played my whole life. That was the match I was down 2-5 and came back to win 7-5 6-2. (so I won 11 of the last 13 games, versus 2 of the first 7) This match was a perfect example of how in the first seven games, I was making a lot of unforced errors, hitting the tape or just out, and then those same shots were landing in later in the match when I was more warmed up. In this particular match I was able to not let those early errors bother me and managed to come back, but that is not always the case.

I just hate putting myself in a hole right from the beginning, haha...

I think I'm going to try to employ the "playing high percentage" tactic for the first set or so in my next match, and see if that helps. Have a tournament this weekend that would be a good place to try this out.