Better tennis as I get older

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Deleted member 775668

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I was wondering what others are doing to maintain themselves and their tennis game as they get older? I’ve noticed a big drop off of my game this past summer. I do know my play is half or less this year because of Covid but I’m just seeing big issues on executing shots this year that I did better last year. I’m in pretty decent shape for my age. I have kept up drills and a match once a week but the drilling seems to go out the door when I play a match. I see lack of power, movement and reaction speed, yikes sounds like age is kicking in on me. Just wondering how others are doing to keep their competitive edge. I have a 4.5 rating but would question my level in my singles play.

thanks
 
U

undecided

Semi-Pro
Tennisnut01 said:
I was wondering what others are doing to maintain themselves and their tennis game as they get older? I’ve noticed a big drop off of my game this past summer. I do know my play is half or less this year because of Covid but I’m just seeing big issues on executing shots this year that I did better last year. I’m in pretty decent shape for my age. I have kept up drills and a match once a week but the drilling seems to go out the door when I play a match. I see lack of power, movement and reaction speed, yikes sounds like age is kicking in on me. Just wondering how others are doing to keep their competitive edge. I have a 4.5 rating but would question my level in my singles play.

thanks
Click to expand...
My problem is mainly vision acuity going south and of course injuries which come and go. Other than that, things have actually improved, my BH is better than it's ever been.
 
G

golden chicken

Hall of Fame
I know being a kamikaze S&V guy is for the youngbloods, so I'm always working on the rest of my game. Trying to improve weaknesses I used to try to cover up.
 
RiverRat

RiverRat

Professional
Yeah, we can improve our strokes, perhaps not the power. It brings me great joy to look good on a court when the ball comes close enough to me. ;) Also, we can make a special effort to exercise, so that our physiology erodes a little more slowly. I, too, was a S&V guy and a chip and charger. I used to be able to be more physical than the other guy. Those days are over. I am trying to learn how to conserve energy and win points in different ways. Kind of fun.
 
G

golden chicken

Hall of Fame
RiverRat said:
Yeah, we can improve our strokes, perhaps not the power. It brings me great joy to look good on a court when the ball comes close enough to me. ;) Also, we can make a special effort to exercise, so that our physiology erodes a little more slowly. I, too, was a S&V guy and a chip and charger. I used to be able to be more physical than the other guy. Those days are over. I am trying to learn how to conserve energy and win points in different ways. Kind of fun.
Click to expand...

Just as my driving style changed as I got older, my playstyle is becoming more reliant on experience and more conservative, or "safer" choices, as opposed to quick reflexes and athleticism.
 
D

Deleted member 775668

Guest
Now I’m getting some good responses. I’m 61 now but still move around the court pretty well, but I know that will not last. I guess the best way to say it is I’m starting to see a change in what I’ve been use to play as a game style. I too in my younger years did S/V and yes that takes strength and reaction speed that I long ago lost. My best description now is all-court type game. But I take the point from all here that there may be a change in strategy needed here. So I will certainly take the suggestions here and go forth.

Thanks all
 
S&V-not_dead_yet

S&V-not_dead_yet

Talk Tennis Guru
Tennisnut01 said:
I was wondering what others are doing to maintain themselves and their tennis game as they get older? I’ve noticed a big drop off of my game this past summer. I do know my play is half or less this year because of Covid but I’m just seeing big issues on executing shots this year that I did better last year. I’m in pretty decent shape for my age. I have kept up drills and a match once a week but the drilling seems to go out the door when I play a match. I see lack of power, movement and reaction speed, yikes sounds like age is kicking in on me. Just wondering how others are doing to keep their competitive edge. I have a 4.5 rating but would question my level in my singles play.

thanks
Click to expand...

I'm playing more singles now than at any time since HS due to CV [all singles, in fact].

My main concern is injury prevention so I stretch plenty, use the foam roller and elastic bands, and some HIIT.
 
socallefty

socallefty

G.O.A.T.
I’m 52 and still play singles and doubles regularly every week with mostly 4.5 rated players. I do find that I‘ve lost back flexibility and some speed over the years, but don’t find much difference in endurance. So, kick serves and explosive quickness at the net are affected a bit compared to 15-20 years ago, but I don’t think ability to cover the court or play long rallies has been affected yet.

I’ve started taking lessons once a week since I turned 50 to improve my game further - I feel like I need to keep improving my technique/footwork to make up for any physical decline that happens over time. My coach is in his late twenties and played College/Futures tennis less than 7 years ago - the main benefit of playing with him weekly is hitting against the high quality of his shots and the movement drills he makes me do. He does help with minor technique tweaks as he has added more topspin to my shots with an increase of shot tolerance and better footwork - so, I play less defensively than in the past against better players which helps make up for any potential decline in court coverage. I feel that I notice what’s working or not working during a match quicker and make tactical adjustments much faster than when I was younger as ‘experience‘ does come with playing thousands of matches. Also, doubles skills have improved a lot as I started playing doubles seriously only in the last decade after I turned forty.
 
I

Injured Again

Hall of Fame
I didn't get to be 4.5 rated until my early 50's and I turn 59 in three days. My strokes are better now than they have ever been, and I'm honestly still able to see improvement in the technical production of my strokes. If my body holds out, I think I have another three or four years of continuing to improve my level of play, which at this point is 95% singles. It's a lot of work - there's a lot of time spent in the gym, and more time at home stretching several times during the day. I also have to eat well and sleep a lot - it's good that I love to do both of those things but they are critical. I fortunately retired at 55 and without doing that, I am sure I wouldn't be anywhere near the level of skill that I am today.
 
tennis347

tennis347

Hall of Fame
I would just like to chime and say that at 53, I am still improving. The biggest improvement over the last few years is the serve and topspin OHB. The court coverage is still very good but I have lost a bit of stamina over the last number of years. I do find that the cross training with the cardio and strength training has enabled me to keep playing at the 4.5 level. I am a self taught player that has been playing for 30 years and came from a tennis family. I believe that my biggest improvement moving forward will be with the serve. I no longer play tournaments and work more on technique, footwork and being able stay injury free since I have some knee and shoulder issues over the last 10 years.
 
B

BumElbow

Professional
I am 62. I now try to limit play to people around my own age. No more hitting with the below 50 age group - they hit the ball too hard. I have also limited my play to doubles and am trying to lose weight and be fitter. I am still working full-time and live in an unfriendly tennis area with cold winters and limited courts. I am considering joining a tennis country club despite the expense and the travel required. My goal is to just enjoy the tennis and to be around like minded people. As of this writing, I am not yet at the dink and lob stage because I still like to drive the ball. To add power, I am stringing my racquets looser. To be kind to my body, I am hitting the ball flatter. My signature 1-handed topspin backhand may have to be replaced with a slice because it's less physically taxing. Likewise, the kick serve will go the same route. Why? Because hitting the ball hard is no longer a priority. Now my priority is making sure I am injury free and have a game that lets me play for as long as I can. I love to complete but can only take it a match at a time.
 
Dartagnan64

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
I play mostly doubles these days at 55. Singles I can play but tennis is a social thing for me and I actually prefer the team aspects of doubles.
I'm probably plateaued at a good 3.5, low 4.0 level. much of the problem is nagging injuries and time to practice. Hard to fit in anything else but a few matches of doubles in per week.

I'd say the other thing that is holding improvement back is declining vision with age. I probably should invest in sports specific lenses but as a lifelong non-glasses person I'm just never comfortable playing with prescription lenses. I even hate sunglasses and use them only if the sun is right in my eyes.
 
Humbi_HTX

Humbi_HTX

Semi-Pro
LeeD said:
If you play better as you got older only means you sucked at tennis when you were younger.
Click to expand...

I for sure did when I was young, I always played soccer competitively at recreational leagues and the schools team, while my younger brother was breaking strings and playing with a Vlk c10pro tour w/ kevlar hybrids since 12 and was on the middle and hs teams, he still wipes the court with me.

LeeD said:
Everyone get's old.
Lower your expectations.
Try being 71.
Click to expand...

My dad is 71, I am 35, he is still teaching me tennis. I had learned how to hit while my brother practice and I would feed balls or try to return something back, but I never learned how to play tennis until not long ago and he is still teaching me. I enjoy playing doubles with him a lot, it really has develop a bond.
 
tennytive

tennytive

Hall of Fame
At 70 I still play singles for 90 to 180 minutes. Unfortunately after not playing for 3 years due to court resurfacing and covid shut downs, I've regressed due to mobility.
Balls I could get to before and put away I'm a half step too slow now and cough up a short ball or miss the shot completely.
The guys I played with 3 years ago have all given up tennis except for one who's 20 years younger and can still get to every shot I think is a winner and hit it back just out of my reach.
Out of the 9 sets we've played I've won four, but I'm toast after and really feel it the next day. I weigh pretty much the same as always but my legs just won't get me to where my eyes and memory think I can. It would seem as though I'm playing Canadian doubles against my opponent and Father Time. Not to mention that not hitting for 3 years and then thinking I could pick up where I left off has led to golfer's elbow… another consequence of aging, quick to injure and slow to heal.

As far as playing better vs younger, I disagree as the new rackets and strings make the game easier and thus more fun.
 
U

undecided

Semi-Pro
tennytive said:
At 70 I still play singles for 90 to 180 minutes. Unfortunately after not playing for 3 years due to court resurfacing and covid shut downs, I've regressed due to mobility.
Balls I could get to before and put away I'm a half step too slow now and cough up a short ball or miss the shot completely.
The guys I played with 3 years ago have all given up tennis except for one who's 20 years younger and can still get to every shot I think is a winner and hit it back just out of my reach.
Out of the 9 sets we've played I've won four, but I'm toast after and really feel it the next day. I weigh pretty much the same as always but my legs just won't get me to where my eyes and memory think I can. It would seem as though I'm playing Canadian doubles against my opponent and Father Time. Not to mention that not hitting for 3 years and then thinking I could pick up where I left off has led to golfer's elbow… another consequence of aging, quick to injure and slow to heal.

As far as playing better vs younger, I disagree as the new rackets and strings make the game easier and thus more fun.
Click to expand...
Keep it up. After having not played for 9-10 months because of shoulder injury, I found that movement was the one thing that suffered the most. After 2.5 months, movement is coming back. I am a bit younger than you though (55).
 
babar

babar

Professional
I'm in my late 40s now.
Still play at a good 4.0/4.5 clip depending on the day.
Trying to incorporate other forms of fitness into my life as I want to be able to play tennis as long as possible.
Yoga has helped and I think it will pay dividends as I get older still, but weight loss seems to be the biggest factor for me in terms of being able to play at a level that I "think" I should play at.
Also, I'm trying to learn a platform serve stance to alleviate knee and shoulder issues I've been having recently.
Lastly, I'm not lying to myself anymore about how good or bad I am. I've really begun to understand my limits and my abilities better which helps me to deal with my performance ups and downs.
I mean, I don't have the time to "practice" tennis so whatever I do is during matches. You're going to mess some of those up, but as long as I see improvements and progress, I'm content.
I do love to play doubles though. Always have, but feel I should be better at it than I am, so going to focus on playing more to improve the dubs game.
 
BenWolfeTennis&Fitness

BenWolfeTennis&Fitness

New User
Deleted member 775668 said:
I was wondering what others are doing to maintain themselves and their tennis game as they get older? I’ve noticed a big drop off of my game this past summer. I do know my play is half or less this year because of Covid but I’m just seeing big issues on executing shots this year that I did better last year. I’m in pretty decent shape for my age. I have kept up drills and a match once a week but the drilling seems to go out the door when I play a match. I see lack of power, movement and reaction speed, yikes sounds like age is kicking in on me. Just wondering how others are doing to keep their competitive edge. I have a 4.5 rating but would question my level in my singles play.

thanks
Click to expand...

I hear you! Father time is never easy on us but I do find a few things to keep me going on the tennis court. It sounds like you could benefit from some things to do off the court. Here are some ideas: 1. Sprints. I notice that as people get older, they run and train slower. I think some sprints are a good way to stay fast and make sure your body is ready for that movement on the court to avoid injury. 2. Jump rope. Fast feet would really help with your reaction time so maybe getting those feet a little more active. Even some cone drills. Nothing too crazy as you don't want too much wear and tear on your joints. 3. Mobility. I would roll on any sore spots every day, especially after a match (which probably isn't that sore at first since you're still warm but worth doing). Increasing your range of motion is important. 4. Mind: How are you using your strengths and minimizing your weaknesses. Some things you cannot do as well with age but you can compensate and change your game to make it so you can still compete. 5. Racquet tweaking. I added lead tape and now keep the ball much deeper to keep me from being so defensive. Just an example of doing something with your weight or strings to improve your game.

Hope that helps! Best of luck :)
 
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tlm

tlm

G.O.A.T.
Im 64 and still play singles 99% of the time, just can’t get into doubles. I hit at least 5 days a week but some days are just rallying for an hour and play a few tiebreaks. But still play matches and don’t have problems with injuries, I’ve been lifting weights since my 20’s and believe that makes a huge difference in maintaining muscle mass and avoiding injuries.

In the last few years I’m doing more off court work like cross fit and some running, I started getting winded too easily so had to do more aerobic work which has really helped. I’ve been retired for the last couple of years so I’ve had more time to work on my tennis and according to my opponents I have improved in the last year or so. But I didn’t start playing until my 40’s so as Lee would say I sucked at tennis when I started.
 
socallefty

socallefty

G.O.A.T.
Usually older people have more disposable income. They should use some of that to take coaching lessons instead of paying for playing rounds of golf at fancy courses. Keep improving your techniqie while your body slowly deteriorates.
 
ChaelAZ

ChaelAZ

G.O.A.T.
Dartagnan64 said:
I play mostly doubles these days at 55. Singles I can play but tennis is a social thing for me and I actually prefer the team aspects of doubles.
I'm probably plateaued at a good 3.5, low 4.0 level. much of the problem is nagging injuries and time to practice. Hard to fit in anything else but a few matches of doubles in per week.

I'd say the other thing that is holding improvement back is declining vision with age. I probably should invest in sports specific lenses but as a lifelong non-glasses person I'm just never comfortable playing with prescription lenses. I even hate sunglasses and use them only if the sun is right in my eyes.
Click to expand...

Except for playing dubs mostly, this is exactly the post I would say about myself. I was a decent 4.0 player (50/50 at my best), but in my mid 40's injuries and lack of self-care in health lead me down to less and less performance. The declining vision (one eye worse than the other) has been huge for depth perception and playing at night is a crap shoot anymore. I get totally dizzy trying to play in glasses so that won't happen. And then, yeah...there is always something that fricken hurts. That said, I continue to try to battle to at least maintain being competitive at some level, with ideas that when I retire I can devote a little more time to tennis too.

All that said, while that are the facts of things, that is not the story I reinforce in my mind or I could feel defeated already. I have accepted my play has dropped and some things I won't be able to change. I like dubs, but still get out an play singles more because I like the challenge and movement. The other night I tried doing an hour hitting practice, followed by a couple hours of doubles, then finished at 9p and got up at 4am to coffee up and warm up to play a single practice match at 7:30a. I was unbelievably tight to start, but loosened up and was doing decent (just posted some of the points in the match play thread). Biggest thing was my should for serving so I just resolved myself to duffing a few pace wise and focusing on variety.

Meh. Is what it is. Probably will go back to playing with our 3.5 teams this season to see how it goes and let results drive things to where I am.

I will say, at only 51 I feel too young still to feel older, so a lot of it is that part of the story I tell myself in my mind. I truly believe that.

Cheers old people.
 
I

Injured Again

Hall of Fame
travlerajm said:
My theory is that the older we get, the harder it is to remember how well we used to move.
Click to expand...

What's always the most startling for me is that after a period of playing only against age group peers, that balls I cleanly hit by them get run down easily when I play guys in their 20's and 30's. Makes me think others also find it extraordinarily easy to hit a ball past me.
 
T

travlerajm

Talk Tennis Guru
Injured Again said:
What's always the most startling for me is that after a period of playing only against age group peers, that balls I cleanly hit by them get run down easily when I play guys in their 20's and 30's. Makes me think others also find it extraordinarily easy to hit a ball past me.
Click to expand...
Always good to play a variety of players with different skillsets (and keep a speed demon or two on the opponent rotation) to maintain a clear perspective of our strengths and weaknesses.
 
Dartagnan64

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
travlerajm said:
My theory is that the older we get, the harder it is to remember how well we used to move.
Click to expand...

That's a clear sign that you are getting older. As soon as someone pulls out the "I'm just as fast as i was when I was 25", I know they are going senile. They've clearly forgotten how fast they were when they were young.

I'm still very cognizant about all the speed I've lost. What drives me batty is that I can't jump any more. My 2 inch vertical leap has left me wanting on so many overheads. I used to be a receiver in college and I never had problems getting up over the defensive back to grab a ball.
 
Y

YK

Rookie
I don't try to negate consequences of aging to play a decent tennis. I have a reverse attitude - I try using tennis, among other sport activities I do, to age better. Almost everything I do taxes sprints, stops, balance, coordination, and vision. In turn, working on physical components helps slowing down the degradation, or so I hope. I have also helped to alleviate the age-related game frustrations by never getting too good in the first place.

Sometimes I think it would be fun to go and sign up for a 4.0 league again and see what happens but tennis is not my first sport and I just don't practice enough to compete right now. I am 52, thinking retirement in 15 years or so, gonna get a Big Bubba then and sign up for super senior league. Until then, 98 square inch, mid-11 oz standard length sticks and trying to hang with a recent D1 player (he is nice to me, of course).
 
Last edited:
I

Injured Again

Hall of Fame
travlerajm said:
Always good to play a variety of players with different skillsets (and keep a speed demon or two on the opponent rotation) to maintain a clear perspective of our strengths and weaknesses.
Click to expand...

Currently have regular hits with players in their 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, and 60's. The couple of 70 year olds have left for warmer winter environs. In there are really hard and flatter hitters, heavy topspin players, players with really good doubles skills, and a speed demon who is more defensively oriented. The only thing I don't regularly get is a junk-baller. Do you know of one? ;)
 
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