Hi everyone,
Thanks to your advice in a separate thread, I've taken the plunge, and in my 30s, have taken my very first ever tennis lesson. A number of you will not care to read a diary of my progression, but I'm putting one up in the hope that:
a) you can advise me along the way on if I'm doing the right things;
b) it keeps me accountable;
c) if any other latecomers to the sport come across the thread, they may benefit from the mistakes (financial, and otherwise) that I'm making.
First lesson:
Suprisingly, we were straight into it. I was put on the service line, shown (she didn't name it, but I've come to know as an Eastern Forehand grip, after googling it) and asked to hit a few balls gently down the line. We also looked at what was described as a chopper grip, and a double-handed backhand.
I served, I hit backhands. This lesson was more about getting an idea of my coordination, and it felt very good.
Main takeaway?
From the baseline, I managed to put 5 out of 20 serves in correctly (again, coach explained that this is something we wouldn't regularly be doing until I was more comfortable with the other basics)
From baseline, managed to get 18/20 forehands, and 13/20 2hbs into court.
Didn't pay for the lesson, as it was more about seeing how I was feeling, and getting a measure of me.
Forehand feels like an intuitive shot to hit. 2hb feels like an extremely odd movement to make (not sure how much to bend/straighten arms).
I also learned that the biggest surprise for me was ... how hard it was to toss a ball consistently!
I'll post a video so you can see how a complete first-timer progresses (in a few months time, if the interest materialises).
Loved it, going back for more one-to-ones. Coach very complimentary and feels that I'll learn quickly. But also warned that there are many many hard and humbling surprises ahead.
MODS: if this thread shouldn't be here, go nuts.
Thanks to your advice in a separate thread, I've taken the plunge, and in my 30s, have taken my very first ever tennis lesson. A number of you will not care to read a diary of my progression, but I'm putting one up in the hope that:
a) you can advise me along the way on if I'm doing the right things;
b) it keeps me accountable;
c) if any other latecomers to the sport come across the thread, they may benefit from the mistakes (financial, and otherwise) that I'm making.
First lesson:
Suprisingly, we were straight into it. I was put on the service line, shown (she didn't name it, but I've come to know as an Eastern Forehand grip, after googling it) and asked to hit a few balls gently down the line. We also looked at what was described as a chopper grip, and a double-handed backhand.
I served, I hit backhands. This lesson was more about getting an idea of my coordination, and it felt very good.
Main takeaway?
From the baseline, I managed to put 5 out of 20 serves in correctly (again, coach explained that this is something we wouldn't regularly be doing until I was more comfortable with the other basics)
From baseline, managed to get 18/20 forehands, and 13/20 2hbs into court.
Didn't pay for the lesson, as it was more about seeing how I was feeling, and getting a measure of me.
Forehand feels like an intuitive shot to hit. 2hb feels like an extremely odd movement to make (not sure how much to bend/straighten arms).
I also learned that the biggest surprise for me was ... how hard it was to toss a ball consistently!
I'll post a video so you can see how a complete first-timer progresses (in a few months time, if the interest materialises).
Loved it, going back for more one-to-ones. Coach very complimentary and feels that I'll learn quickly. But also warned that there are many many hard and humbling surprises ahead.
MODS: if this thread shouldn't be here, go nuts.