Are you happy with your tennis level?
- Thread starter Sudacafan
- Start date
er4claw
Rookie
No. I have been stuck at 3.0 for over 5 years. Its not a fun level to be at. Going out and rallying for fun is still annoying since 2 shot/1 shot error is the norm on some days. Youtube would call me a failure if I posted a vid of me playing. The worst part for me is I don't see how I'll ever get out of it. Its not playing time, when I started playing more times a week I actually got slightly worse and regressed, even if I put hundreds of more hours in I'll still be stuck at this level.
All I care about is getting good enough to the point where can I have a nice rally with someone with 5+ quality shots as the norm. I don't care about competitive play.
All I care about is getting good enough to the point where can I have a nice rally with someone with 5+ quality shots as the norm. I don't care about competitive play.
Lleytonstation
Talk Tennis Guru
For me, my level changes dramatically from indoors to outdoors. At my club I always play outside (indoor cost every use), and outside I play well, but when I play matches (always indoor) I play much better. I don't know if it's the low bounce or what, but I literally am more consistent and hit the ball much harder, smoother, have more control, and play much better defense.
I would be fine with this if it wasn't for the fact I play once a week indoors and 3 times outdoors. I wish I knew why there is such a difference.
I would be fine with this if it wasn't for the fact I play once a week indoors and 3 times outdoors. I wish I knew why there is such a difference.
C
Chadalina
Guest
Very happy, ive only been playing once a week and still hit at least 50 in a row everytime. Im going to start playing more, was injured on and off for a while now.
Working on first serve now, my toss has gotten erratic, sails overhead and left, its hurting my shoulder. Think im leaning a bit upon the release of the toss. Had similar problem as junior with cupping the ball when tossing (has same effect), will be easy to fix. When i do it right, its very fast, when i do it wrong it hurts
Working on first serve now, my toss has gotten erratic, sails overhead and left, its hurting my shoulder. Think im leaning a bit upon the release of the toss. Had similar problem as junior with cupping the ball when tossing (has same effect), will be easy to fix. When i do it right, its very fast, when i do it wrong it hurts
Sudacafan
Bionic Poster
Nobody except its creator achieves that.
This leaves us all in dispair.
Federer and Del Potro
Bionic Poster
I’m not satisfied until I beat Suresh
Sentinel
Bionic Poster
Federer and Del Potro
Bionic Poster
A curry
Sudacafan
Bionic Poster
Define curry
Sentinel
Bionic Poster
Lleytonstation
Talk Tennis Guru
Are we talking Top Spin or Mario Tennis? Gameboy tennis?
Destroy in all 3. Like to see one of you beat INTENSE Mario playing as Daisy... yeah.
Destroy in all 3. Like to see one of you beat INTENSE Mario playing as Daisy... yeah.
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
I was GOATING in TS4 for a few weeks but back on earth now, gonna kick it back up a notch soon need the right motivation lol
need the right motivation lol
Lleytonstation
Talk Tennis Guru
I just played the grass series... of course won them all. I beat this one scrub named Rafa in the final. Great feeling.I was GOATING in TS4 for a few weeks but back on earth now, gonna kick it back up a notch soon
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
I need to create a player again and go through all the building up
had to restart my PS3 and haven't felt like creating anyone since.
Lleytonstation
Talk Tennis Guru
It is a real let down, I can't stand that you max out at level 20.I need to create a player again and go through all the building up
C
Chadalina
Guest
Video game tennis is like the best visualization there is because your actually doing it. Watching tennis makes you bad though, walk on the court and think your a backboard like djok/nadal, returning every shot. Then remember you actually have to do stuff
and head back to the tv/ttw
victorcruz
Hall of Fame
Hell no I'm a legit scrub. I only play once every 10 years for an hour or 2. But I'll take y'all in basketball. So I'm not some basement dwelling loser lol
Poisoned Slice
Bionic Poster
Quite happy with my game. Timing seems to be with me right now.
Not being able to have 3 special attributes like the pros sucks.
Not being able to have 3 special attributes like the pros sucks.
augustobt
Legend
No, not at all. I'm 3.5 at best by now...
First serve and forehand are still in great form but my second serve is stinking and I've got minimum net skills. I don't have confidence to hit a proper backhand on matches for a long time, only against lesser players, my slice is still very decent but backhand is so easily exploitable nowadays...
Im going even further and opening up a bit of my personal life here: I'm fighting (real) injuries since 2011 with a series of bizarre events. I've screwed up the entire right side of my body, half of them because of Tennis.
Actually almost exactly 8 years ago - July 1st of 2011 a 40kgmarble table fell right on my right foot, that's almost 100 pounds for you Americans. And I momentously lost movement for my right thumb. I had to do a surgery, but it wasn't in the same day as ironically I wasn't even feeling pain. I even came back home driving that day. Doctor could't do anything promptly because of that, so I lost 2 weeks before the surgery and another 3 months to be able to properly walk again and then another month of physio. I got lazy, gained 25kgs (roughly 60 pounds) during that time.
Fought back, lost the 30kg and started working on my game, reached a solid 4.0 with glimpses of 4.5 just by the end of 2013 and the middle of 2014. I was even thinking about properly competing again until I've had a torn meniscus on my right knee. And here goes another surgery. What happened later? Well, I got lazy again. And it was almost downhill from there.
I was trying to get back on shape by 2015, started 2016 on a better note but then sprained my right ankle and ended up developing tendinitis there. To further increase that drama, I've been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome on my right hand - consequences of tennis elbow, damn you PS90, so I quit and dumped everything. I couldn't even watch my racket anymore, ended up with 131kg by February of last year until I said again "you know what, **** that, I'm getting back to where I should be".
Lost 48kg in 8 months (mar 18-nov18), got back on court and my game was evolving again... until march of this year when I had a slight rotator cuff tear. I'm not laying in the surgery table for it until the end of this year, but I'm scared of becoming lazy again during the recovery.
First serve and forehand are still in great form but my second serve is stinking and I've got minimum net skills. I don't have confidence to hit a proper backhand on matches for a long time, only against lesser players, my slice is still very decent but backhand is so easily exploitable nowadays...
Im going even further and opening up a bit of my personal life here: I'm fighting (real) injuries since 2011 with a series of bizarre events. I've screwed up the entire right side of my body, half of them because of Tennis.
Actually almost exactly 8 years ago - July 1st of 2011 a 40kgmarble table fell right on my right foot, that's almost 100 pounds for you Americans. And I momentously lost movement for my right thumb. I had to do a surgery, but it wasn't in the same day as ironically I wasn't even feeling pain. I even came back home driving that day. Doctor could't do anything promptly because of that, so I lost 2 weeks before the surgery and another 3 months to be able to properly walk again and then another month of physio. I got lazy, gained 25kgs (roughly 60 pounds) during that time.
Fought back, lost the 30kg and started working on my game, reached a solid 4.0 with glimpses of 4.5 just by the end of 2013 and the middle of 2014. I was even thinking about properly competing again until I've had a torn meniscus on my right knee. And here goes another surgery. What happened later? Well, I got lazy again. And it was almost downhill from there.
I was trying to get back on shape by 2015, started 2016 on a better note but then sprained my right ankle and ended up developing tendinitis there. To further increase that drama, I've been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome on my right hand - consequences of tennis elbow, damn you PS90, so I quit and dumped everything. I couldn't even watch my racket anymore, ended up with 131kg by February of last year until I said again "you know what, **** that, I'm getting back to where I should be".
Lost 48kg in 8 months (mar 18-nov18), got back on court and my game was evolving again... until march of this year when I had a slight rotator cuff tear. I'm not laying in the surgery table for it until the end of this year, but I'm scared of becoming lazy again during the recovery.
Sudacafan
Bionic Poster
Good thing is that only very few people beat you.
Sudacafan
Bionic Poster
Should not, but we are.
Glad we don’t make a living out of it.
navigator
Hall of Fame
Self-reflection and/or therapy might produce benefits.
er4claw
Rookie
Are you a true rec player? Ive seen some vids of you playing and your very good, 4.5 maybe?
I think for a rec player 4.0 denotes expert level or mastery of tennis(like black belt in a serious martial art). Anything above that is unusual. Anyone can get to 2.5 but then most people platue at 2.5 to 3.5 and stay there forever. I'd be happy with 3.5 and 4.0 is the ultimate goal (mainly for fun rallies, cant do that at my level).
navigator
Hall of Fame
Yeah, I'm a rec player along with 99% of the rest of the folks who screw around with tennis. In my view, middling 5.0 and above is, for all intents and purposes, open level play. Everything below that is rec tennis. Unless you're an open level player or are earning a living as a tennis coach (as opposed to merely "instructor" - most instructors probably play tennis at the rec level, albeit at the higher end of it), you're a rec player. Which makes it a hobby. Which makes it unworthy of being overly concerned with one's level. Just my view, of course.
Rafa.the.Magnificent
G.O.A.T.
I’m happy with my current level, mostly. I don’t have any kind of real serve though, and I couldn’t do a purposeful drop shot if I tried. Those two things bother me. I’ve actually improved quite a bit this year and playing is so much more fun! I believe changing my grip accounts for the improvement. However, the heat, really just the humidity, is doing me in right now. I play just for fun with my husband.
MajesticMoose
Hall of Fame
I hate how the multiple areas of my game are all various levels of NTRP...
Serve: 5.0
Forehand: 5.0
Backhand: 4.5
Volley: low 4.0
Footwork: 4.0
Mental: 2.0
Consistency: 2.5
Serve: 5.0
Forehand: 5.0
Backhand: 4.5
Volley: low 4.0
Footwork: 4.0
Mental: 2.0
Consistency: 2.5
Daniel Andrade
Hall of Fame
cuz I wanna improve.
Your last number means that all the other numbers are same as that or less.
MajesticMoose
Hall of Fame
Not quite since I can beat 4.5 players. But good try.
EDIT: I may not be giving myself enough credit on the consistency stat. It's more of a high 3.5 and mental would be closer to 3.5 as well.
Yeah I know what you meant. 2.5 consistency and other 5.0s don't mix. 3.5 seems more reasonable.
MajesticMoose
Hall of Fame
Why so angry. Have another cupcake sureshz. Or maybe a whole pie.
Cashman
Hall of Fame
It is all relative. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to play tennis regularly with correct instruction from a young age will play '4.0 tennis' fairly easily as an adult - even after going years without picking up a racquet. If those players are young and fit, and have the time to dedicate to regular practice, it is not overly difficult for them to reach a 5.0-type level (staying there requires a bit of commitment though).
Going higher is where the sport starts to demand significant levels of talent and sacrifice, and you usually need a financial justification for doing so. That's when I stop describing the players as recreational.
er4claw
Rookie
Oh sure. If you start young and receive quality training from a young age, 5.0 would be achievable for almost anyone who is physically fit (assuming you started well before 10). The only thing is I don't consider that a true rec player journey since I think almost everyone who is putting a child as young as that through intense training at least is considering competitive play in the child's future. I consider a true rec player as someone who never had quality one on one training or someone who picked up the game only in their teens or as adults.
Through the way I define rec player I would say 5.0 is unattainable unless you put in a ridiculous amount of time and resources into it. So just to compare it to another discipline a legit bjj black belt is often a fairly talented person who started as an adult who has been training regularly for 10 years. I would correspond that to mastery of your craft and a 4.0 level in tennis. 5.0s who started tennis as adults are very unusual and rare .
Cashman
Hall of Fame
I'm not really talking about intense training - just regular clinics and maybe weekend matchplay in summer. Similar to what you'd see in kids playing other sports casually (e.g. soccer practice midweek and a game on weekends).
Getting kids early makes a huge difference. My parents were always very strict about us playing weekly sports (one winter and one summer) all through our school years, and it's given me a level of ability that far outstrips my poor natural athleticism.
Stretchy Man
Professional
Not happy but I've accepted that I've reached my limit without serious daily practice.
stringertom
Bionic Poster
Ewe kann beet a rug and Sabooshs wood tye a rhoom twogether reely well az long az the rhoom iz big enuff four a packy durm.
Sentinel
Bionic Poster
You need to stretch yourself a bit, stretchyman !
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