From 3.5 to ???, follow along with Curtstead on his tennis journey!

curtstead

Professional
Back in my semi pro poker days (made a few thousand on the side in college, don't let semi pro fool you, I wasn't all that good lol a lot of rec players were just really bad), I used to use the 2+2 Poker Forums. In those forums, people would post their trajectories on to playing higher stakes, the World Series of Poker, etc. Some people actually made it.

I haven't actually seen threads similar of someone posting their rec tennis journey, any match results or posting through their attempts of trying to make it to higher ratings, etc. Maybe there have been and I just haven't seen them, but regardless, here is mine. I posted it in here as this was the closest section I could think of for something like this.

Some background on me: My name is Curtis, I'm 34 y/o, I am a 3.5 according to USTA, and have been playing since December 2018 when I picked up a racquet at Dick's Sporting Goods for cheap. Briefly played juniors when I was 10-11 years old, but I just wanted to play video games. I hated sports, much to my parents's displeasement. My dad was a college basketball player at a D2 school here in Georgia, and my Mom was a personal trainer/athletics instructor for 30 years. The closest thing to an athletic achievement I had in my youth was playing Halo 1 on original Xbox for 30 straight hours with my friends at a weekend sleepover. Just so you get an idea on my athletic history, lol. My sports switch flipped when watching Fed win the 2005 US Open final against Andre. After that, I couldn't get enough of watching sports. Tennis has always been my favorite though.

I live in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. I captained my USTA 3.5 men's 18 and over team to nationals in 2024 in San Diego. Unfortunately for me, my losses at Nationals seemed to have keep me down at 3.5 (lol wtf??) as opposed to moving up to 4.0.

I play in a few flex leagues here in Atlanta. One is called Ultimate Tennis, as I am listed as a 4.5- on their website, which is roughly equivalent to high 3.5/low 4.0 USTA if I had to guess. For example, my cousin plays the highest level of Ultimate Singles, which is 6.0. He is a confirmed 4.5 USTA player. That is where we start. I am currently in my Fall 2025 4.5- Singles Season.

I just recently got Swingvision, and I will post all my matches in here for those interested in following along, for (hopefully constructive but you can say whatever TF you want) criticism, just shooting the sh*t, whatever you want. I already played my first match, against a guy I know, and won 6-2, 6-3. Had a recording error that has since been fixed. I have 6 matches remaining before (hopefully) playoffs. I have my next match this evening, and will post both the recording, and any thoughts I have from the match.

Some side notes, starting with my current racquet setup (from a holic so this has changed a lot :)):
2023 Yonex Vcore 98, 1g of tungsten at 12, wilson leather grip plus og
Strings: Grapplesnake Tour Sniper 1.25/17g at 49#
OG: Gamma Supreme
Lacoste AG-LT 23s

I also have a weight loss bet with a teammate of mine. Started the year at 231 pounds, had to get to 190 and be no more than 193 pounds on new years eve. As of today, I am halfway there at 210 pounds with a little under 4 months to go. Going to be a tight one!

To wrap, I don't really know why I'm starting this thread, but I just am starting it anyways, and am looking forward to it nonetheless. Will post my match results and footage tonight. Cheers!

-Curt
 
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2023 Yonex Vcore 98, 1g of tungsten at 12, wilson leather grip plus og
That is safer than lead. I have used it once but it did not stick securely, and I see below that it is a genuine concern. Does it stick well for you?


Tungsten tape and lead tape are both used to adjust the weight and balance of sports equipment, such as tennis rackets or paddles. Here are the key differences between them:
  • Tungsten tape: More dense than lead, so smaller quantities are needed. Less soft than lead, which makes it less user-friendly. Can be more difficult to securely stick to the racket frame.
  • Lead tape: Commonly used for weight adjustment. Softer and easier to work with. Contains lead, so care is needed for handling and disposal.
 
That is safer than lead. I have used it once but it did not stick securely, and I see below that it is a genuine concern. Does it stick well for you?


Tungsten tape and lead tape are both used to adjust the weight and balance of sports equipment, such as tennis rackets or paddles. Here are the key differences between them:
  • Tungsten tape: More dense than lead, so smaller quantities are needed. Less soft than lead, which makes it less user-friendly. Can be more difficult to securely stick to the racket frame.
  • Lead tape: Commonly used for weight adjustment. Softer and easier to work with. Contains lead, so care is needed for handling and disposal.

The only time I’ve had issues is when I’ve tried to take the tungsten tape off and apply it to another racquet of mine. Other than that, nope. No issues.
 
Tungsten has some toxicity issues as well. If I got back into using weighted tape, I would go with copper. Lighter than lead but looks way cooler and doesn’t fall off like the Tungsten tape
 
He probably doesn’t remember me but we played a few years ago in the USTA Challenger ladder. I got 3 games off him and I was proud, lol. He probably took it easy on me. Very cool guy.
I don't follow. You played a Challenger as a 3.5? Or is the term misleading?
 
Tungsten has some toxicity issues as well. If I got back into using weighted tape, I would go with copper. Lighter than lead but looks way cooler and doesn’t fall off like the Tungsten tape
If there is a lightning strike and you have raised the racket for a serve or overhead smash, will it conduct the charge like an antenna and zap you?
 
Okay, so we got in our second match of the flex league season tonight. How did it go?

For starters, I got a coffee from Starbucks to finish off my workday as there’s one right by my office. However, this felt like a good time to get something decent to eat before my match at 7:30. Starbucks actually has decent Oatmeal. Threw some blueberries, agave, nut medley in there, kinda slaps, ngl.

So I get to court early to stretch and get my camera set up, and I’m already annoyed because I can’t find my tripod for filming. (Back home now and still can’t find it, ordering a new one after this post.) Pain, no match footage for tonight, sorry thread. So I’m already a little bummed out, understandably.

Then my opponent gets there, and we go on court to get warmed up. The guy is a lefty, and after some short court warm up strokes, he just starts ripping the **** out of the ball for rest of warm up, kinda annoying lol. He was SUPER intense with it, too, like full grunts on just casual warm up groundies, lmao. This is my first time encountering that in my now 6 years playing rec league tennis.

So to get the result out of the way, we got the dub 6-4, 6-4. A but of a weird though. With no footage to show, I’ll try and describe it as best I can. First, my opponent. He was a lefty, late 30s, very fast and athletic. Also, again… intense, lol.
He was a bit all over the place. I was expecting huge groundies from the baseline based on his grunt filled warmup. Instead, he started off as more of a crafty player. Make his way to net, try and sneak up mid rally, but most often it seemed he would come to net because he couldn’t keep a rally going beyond 6 balls. Then win a 20+ shot rally where he would hit nothing but moonballs. Then he’d go back to rush net and make an error on his 3rd-4th ball if he had to stay back. It’s like he was morphing in to every generic type of rec singles player.

In regards to the first set, I got broken to start the first, then ran off 4 in a row to take a 4-1 lead. Had multiple points to break and take it to 5-1, and just missed easy sitters which is painful. After missing a second sitter on my ad at 4-1 on his serve, next thing I know, my focus drops, he morphs in to a grinder and hits moonballs, I lose 11 straight points, it’s 4-4. Then I’m down 15/40 and it felt like I just let him back in. I found a tough hold after he left the moonball tactic again to start ripping. Then, I break at love to win the first set 6-4. I don’t even know how I won this set, I just tried to play consistent, come in on the right ball, and make a play.

Second set was a similar story. We race off to a 4-1 lead again, we have multiple break points to go to 5-1. He made a pretty tight call on a return I went DTL on that I’m pretty sure I made, he called it wide (half the fking ball was on the line) unfortunately, it stuck with me for a while and brought my level and focus down again. Next thing I know.. he comes right back and it’s 4-4. This time though, the moon balls weren’t working, so he was coming to net and applying as much pressure as possible. So he came back in a different way. So bizarre with the different playstyle switching he would do. This time it felt like not only I dropped focus again, but getting the tight call was tough. However, we have a good service game, held at love where 3 of the 4 serves didn’t come back. Locked in, broke to love, match over.

What I liked:

- I was happy I was able to just find a way, and refocus when I needed to. I kept calm, didn’t freak out despite blowing two fairly large leads in both sets.

- I liked that I ran some plays in some service games. When I give myself a plan of attack when serving, it seems to help me keep focus.

- I liked that I payed attention to what my opponent was doing, any changes they made, etc.

What I didn’t like:
-My tripod being gone :-(
-My lack of focus. Sometimes, my focus just leaves me. I go on autopilot, I have no plan in mind, I’m just mindlessly hitting to backhands, and won’t come up with a change of my own. One of my worst weaknesses.
-I didn’t like that I felt tight and started to not move my feet. Groundstrokes suffered as a result in his comebacks in both sets.

Hey, we got the win, we’re 2-0, 5 more matches to go. Next one is Thursday evening at 6pm EST. Tripod will be here, footage shall be expected. Onwards!

-Curt
 
I haven't actually seen threads similar of someone posting their rec tennis journey, any match results or posting through their attempts of trying to make it to higher ratings,
Here is mine. I started playing tennis around 2016 in my late 40s as a sub for my neighborhood social doubles league. I joined USTA league in 2022 as a self rated 3.0. I've slowly improved, but it feels like I'm moving at a snail's pace. I hope to make it up to 4.0 someday.

2022: 3.0S
2023: 3.5C
2024: 3.5C
2025: 3.5C
2026: ???
 
Tungsten has some toxicity issues as well. If I got back into using weighted tape, I would go with copper. Lighter than lead but looks way cooler and doesn’t fall off like the Tungsten tape
Copper oxide is extremely toxic. To the point that it's now banned for boat antifouling coats.
 
What did you think of the Middle States team at 2024 Nationals?
I watched them in 2023 and I’m not sure if it was the same guys, probably not, but they were very solid. One of their 3.5c had a dynamic close to 4.5. He mentioned that he played D1 baseball and you could tell his athleticism was top tier.
 
Alright, so I have two match updates.

Ultimate Tennis 4.5- Fall 2025 for Curtstead:
Match #3 6-0, 4-6, 6-1.

One of the most bizarre matches I have ever played. I won the first set in about 15 minutes. He legitimately couldn't put a ball in the court. It was either long or in the net, every time. I think the thought crept in that this would be an easy win, and I took my foot off the gas a little. Huge mistake!

Then, in the second set, he just woke up. At least on return games. He became very crafty, approached to the net on my backhand, punishing me for leaving anything short, and just played smart. As a result of this sudden level rise, I began to feel pretty tight. Especially on serve, everything just seemed to be coming back deep middle. This was also my third match in 4 days, and I think my legs started to feel it. I used to be able to get away with playing 4-5 singles matches in a week. Now, at 34 y/o, I just don't recover as fast as I was 3-4 years ago. I know I got plenty of tread left on the tires, but I have to be smarted with scheduling some days between singles matches, but even gotta be careful with doubles, too.

He only held serve one time in the entire match, which was at 4-5 in the 2nd for him to win the set. I was still in all his service games. I even got up 0/30 in that game, and then tightness of losing the set crept in to the mind, and I suffered as a result with silly UEs. How many sets you drop can affect the overall league standings once playoffs come (which begin in November, btw). I am in contention for a top seed, and maybe even #1 overall, so dropping that set hurt. However, I get broken at the start of the 3rd, I hadn't held serve in over an hour, so finally I just had to let that sh*t go and just try and win! I was in a battle out of seemingly nowhere. I got a crucial break back, and FINALLY held a long deuce game to get it to 2-1 in the 3rd, and it felt like a weight had been lifted from my temple. I started to play much more free, and his level dropped back down. Ran away with it 6-1 in the 3rd. That guy has since beaten another solid player I have yet to play, so I am learning that you just never know. As I have risen in levels, some of the lesser players can still rise up, play well, and results are out the window.

My mental game is simply not the best. I've got to continue to do the work to remove outside thoughts of standings, what score I need to make, what match I'm playing the next day, anything going on in my personal life, etc. It all has to go when I'm on court, or at least need to do a better job of managing it. If anyone has any tips on focus while playing, I am all ears. I used to be much better with the mental game in my poker days, but it's been a bit of a struggle with tennis lately. However, small wins gotta be acknowledged as I don't do that enough either. I managed to regroup, find my level again, and find a way to win. On to the next match, which I recorded and will post the swing vision link below.

Match 4: 6-0, 6-3


(This is my first Swingvision upload, noticed the AI scoring got some of the points wrong, will be on the lookout next time but it still got the overall score right.)

Before I even get in to the match details, I'm just going to discuss some of my pre-match routines, meals, just thoughts moving forward. I got good sleep, been big about getting 8 quality hours a night. Coming from someone who used to get 4-5 and thought that was sustainable lol, I am pretty big on this. Non-negotiable these days for me. Got good rest. About two hours before the match, I had a greek yogurt with blueberries, along with a nice PB&J. I try and hydrate throughout the day in general, but especially on match days. 100oz of water minimum, with one of those waters being filled with Electrolytes (Drip Drop Zero Sugar Lemon Lime flavor, this stuff absolutely slaps IMO). I used to get away with not having to drink as much, but not anymore. So in the last year, I have been trying to notice what I consume and how I slept on days where I perform my best. On my way to court yesterday, I just felt good, so I will keep this pre match meal in mind. Throughout matches, I tend to drink water with LMNT packs, and I also have a pack of dates in my bag. I also usually have a banana with me that I nibble on. I am undecided on which mid match snack I like more... so both for now!

Now to the match:
I had some scouting on this opponent as a friend of mine had played him in the summer season. Heard he had a big forehand, was athletic, fast, but could get pretty gassed. Upon talking at the start of the match, I found out he had only been playing doubles for the past couple months, and he hadn't played a singles match since July. I could tell in warmups that his forehand was pretty spinny, and it was fast. However, at least for this level, my forehand tends to be on the bigger side, too. So I wanted to test out how rallying FH cross would work. It definitely worked to my benefit. In the first set, it felt like I just overpowered him at times, with a lot of his balls not getting past the net. Not to mention, rallying cross on the BH is not my forte, and if I hit my backhand short, he could either attack it with big approach shots, or hit his slice which was tough. It was low, penetrating, and heavy. He even passed me with it at close to ankle height a few times and hardly missed it in these situations. However, I noticed early on he made a few errors running to his FH, including this sometimes good and then sometimes janky looking FH slice that he would dump in the net, so I just kept it there when I could. When I did come in, I knew he was going to rip it at me or pass me sometimes. In the past, I'd get discouraged and stay back. However, I have been working on being a bit more brave, play the percentages, and keep coming forward. So I'm glad I did that.

First set just felt clinical. Keep it cross, hit DTL when I felt he was giving me the opportunity, return deep middle, and let the errors come when he felt pressured. Of the 3 breaks I got in the first set, I felt lucky for a couple of them as he double faulted up game points, was up in games that I felt like he just let me back in on, etc. Second set, his level raised a bit, but thankfully I never really allowed him to get involved in any of my service games outside of maybe two. I felt locked in the whole match, and liked how I played.

Pros:
-Felt focused the majority of the match
-Implemented a strategy and stuck with it for the most part
-Kept coming in

Cons:
-Most of my serves were all flat. I've been working on my serve recently and I can't find a new cadence or stance that works well for me yet, so I went back to what works. However, I would like to keep working on this and hit more slice/kick just so my serve doesn't get easier for opponents to return.
-There were a couple service games where it felt like my focus dipped a little. What is helping me is muttering where I'm serving, and what my plan is after that (s&v, +1 cross, etc). It's very much under my breath so my opponent can't hear me. Not to mention, even if they did... would that REALLY matter at 3.5 if I'm executing well? I'd lean no, but I could be wrong. It's just a way to keep me focused. If I feel it dropping on return, I do the same thing, mutter what my target is. Anything to keep a guy with ADD like me focused, helps.

So big win, we're 4-0 with 3 matches to go. Everyone else in my division already has at least one loss, so we are squarely in the drivers seat right now! I will post again with my next match, which is later this week, along with a big ALTA match on saturday. My team is in first, and we play the team in second who is behind us by two points!

Cheers!

-Curt
 
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Match 5: 7-5, 6-3

Match footage: https://swing.vision/matches/70bda474-342e-41bc-af6a-943a77ea609a

(AI Scoring got this wrong. I was down 1-3 and facing BP, it was never 2-2 in the first set. Overall score was correct, though.)

We rescheduled from tomorrow to yesterday to avoid chances of rain here in Atlanta. So it was my second day in a row of playing, right after I said I didn't love playing singles multiple days in a row anymore, haha. It is what it is, I'd rather get it played than get rained out and try to reschedule again, it is the ultimate pain in the ass.

So this opponent I played yesterday had no record in singles in prior seasons that I could find, and the only match he had played this season was against a guy I beat in my first match of the season. I won that first match 6-2, 6-3, and my opponent yesterday lost to him 0-6, 7-5, 6-7. I am essentially going in blind with his game singles wise. However, he had played a lot of doubles.

He was already warming up serves when I got there, and they were pretty big. In warm up, I could tell he had great hands, but his groundstrokes seemed just okay. He was missing a lot. The second the match started, that changed as he played a very consistent ball from everywhere. Got a lot back and deep that other opponents would either not make or give me a short ball that I could attack. He felt like a mix of a grinder and counter-puncher. I struggle the most against these types of opponents, who cause me to make one more ball I normally don't have to hit. However, generic sentiment against these types of players is to bring them forward, as their net game generally isn't good. That was NOT the case here, as his volleys were very strong. In the footage, you'll find a few points where I ripped the ball trying to pass him while he was at the net, and the point would end with a pretty epic drop volley. So I really didn't want to bring him forward. So what was I left with?

I just tried to be as patient as I could, play the right patterns, hit a lot of inside out FHs, and see if I could generate some shorter balls to attack. I felt a bit tight early on, got immediately broken, and it was tough to get into some of his service games as well. He hit a rather big 2nd serve and made it a lot. When I fought back to get it to 4-3 and my advantage on his serve, he hit a giant 2nd flat serve out wide that was probably out, but I wasn't sure. Just brutal, and next thing I know, it's 4-5 and he's serving for the set. Thankfully, I think I had started to grind him down a bit, and he played the sloppiest game of the set and I broke back. At 6-5, I just had to keep fighting, don't get frustrated when my plan doesn't work, and keep going. Very long deuce game and I got the first set 7-5. You can see the relief on my face as his ball sails long, I didn't have the energy to celebrate. RELIEF is all I felt.

Then in the break, it felt like my energy just rose. After getting broken to start the second in a game I felt like I played pretty decent, I run off 5 straight to get it to 5-1. I think I let my foot off the gas a bit here, just a lack of focus. However, I refocused, closed it out at 5-3.

Overall, I'm proud I just found a way. This was certainly not my best performance, and while I look for feedback on all my matches, I am DEFINITELY looking for it here as these are the opponents I struggle against the most. Watching it back, there's balls I should've followed in that I didn't, moments I could have run around a high short ball and hit an overhead, that I lazily instead took off my backhand wing. This stuff has to get better. I have always struggled with coming forward on balls I'm not sure I'm going to win the point on, and sometimes it's just easier to stay back in my comfort zone on the baseline. Some of this also comes from my lack of confidence at net, which will only improve the more I leave my comfort zone. If I am ever going to improve, I need to come in a lot more often in these points. Just be brave. I sometimes even tell myself that, only to stay back and not follow through. However, I did do it a couple of times, and I will take the small wins. There was a time I would almost NEVER do it at all.

So we are 5-0, 2 matches to go. Here are the standings. 14 points means you won a match in 2 sets, and 12 points means you won it 3. Anything less, it means you lost, and 0-8 points you get from a loss depends on how close you kept it. Everyone else has a loss except the player at the bottom, who I know. I don't play him this season, but he's not likely a threat here. He's middle of the pack at best.

Of my 2 opponents left, one is solid, likely my toughest match of the season before playoffs, at least on paper. He is my next match, and I play him on the 29th. If I win that, it doesn't even matter what happens in my last match, I'll be moving up a level.
g5IdeiW.png

Cheers!

-Curt
 
So equipment update:

1.) I removed the 1g of weight at 12. I’ve gotten some extra RHS and I don’t think I’m actually losing a ton of power.

2.) I also removed the leather grip and went back to the stock Yonex grip, and a Gamma Supreme OG. So basically stock + OG and I’m enjoying it. I’m not having a ton of stability issues, I’ve gained back some maneuverability and RHS, and unless something changes, gonna stay stock for a while!

3.) I am trying Grapplesnake Tour M8 17g at 48# next. I have this in my spare VC98, so I still have Tour Sniper 17g strung in my main frame. Just checking it off my strings I wanna try list. Anyone have any experience with M8 they want to share? Especially in any Yonex frames.

That’s all for now.
 
Short couple of updates.

1.) I have a couple more matches to post: but I finished 7-0 in my local league! I'll likely be a top 4 seed when playoffs occur in November, so we'll see! Overall, I'm playing pretty well in these matches. I just keep having some drops in focus that are causing some sort of lul where I left the opponent back in. Gotta keep working on that killer instinct, keeping my foot on the gas pedal.

Here's the last singles match of the regular season: https://swing.vision/matches/7912d3f5-75bc-4aec-a463-aaca9db12121

I also play ALTA (local doubles league here in Atlanta), and I played a middle line, our match clinched the 3-2 win for my team: https://swing.vision/matches/dc92dc63-f5b7-47ce-9cdd-e3c163cb5c1e

I am definitely looking for feedback as always, so feel free!

2.) I have changed strings from Grapplesnake Tour Sniper to Grapplesnake Tour M8 17g at 48#. It's a close call between the two, but I just love how M8 feels. I just feel like I'm getting just a slight bump in playability, and the tension maintenance has been outstanding. I'm stringing up my 2nd Vcore 98 with it as well. So... no more equipment mods! This feels very weird but awesome!

I'm playing in Tri-Level sectionals for 3.5/4.0/4.5 USTA tomorrow in Rome, GA. Hopefully can get that match recorded as well.

On a personal note, I mentioned my weight loss bet in my OP. I'm down to 202 pounds and am 12 pounds away with a little under 3 months to go. Gonna be close!

That's all for now!

-Curt
 
Been a little while! We are still going strong. I'll post a longer update tomorrow.

1.) I finished undefeated in my singles flex league regular season, and earned the 2 seed in playoffs for my skill level. The 1 seed has already been knocked out, so I am home for every match. My round of 16 match is tonight, and I will post results and hopefully footage if my opponent consents.

2.) My ALTA team won the city championship 3 lines to 2, and I was on one of the winning lines, that was awesome.

3.) I am at 195 pounds! Almost there, 5 more to go!

That's all for now, and I will post longer update tomorrow! Also, I am eagerly awaiting the USTA Year End ratings, I am right on the cusp of 4.0 so we'll see if I get bumped.

-Curt
 
Here is mine. I started playing tennis around 2016 in my late 40s as a sub for my neighborhood social doubles league. I joined USTA league in 2022 as a self rated 3.0. I've slowly improved, but it feels like I'm moving at a snail's pace. I hope to make it up to 4.0 someday.

2022: 3.0S
2023: 3.5C
2024: 3.5C
2025: 3.5C
2026: ???
Normal trajectory. We might play the steepest learning curve sport...maybe baseball is higher. Maybe golf. Baseball hitters and golfers are at least stationary.

I self rated 3.5, got computer confirmed a year later. Have been computer 3.5 for 5 years.
 
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Here is mine. I started playing tennis around 2016 in my late 40s as a sub for my neighborhood social doubles league. I joined USTA league in 2022 as a self rated 3.0. I've slowly improved, but it feels like I'm moving at a snail's pace. I hope to make it up to 4.0 someday.

2022: 3.0S
2023: 3.5C
2024: 3.5C
2025: 3.5C
2026: ???
2026: 3.5C

I though I would get a bump this year, no dice. New goal is to get my doubles UTR over 6.
 
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