I'm new to "competitive" tennis and could really use some advice. I've played tennis just for fun for many years. Then a few years ago I decided to try to get better and started taking pro lessons, doing drills, and playing competitively, to win. I've made a lot of changes, bought a new modern racquet, and my form has improved tremendously. I haven't played in any tournaments yet, just against other players at my club. I thought it would be fun and challenging to play in some tournaments this coming summer. I'd like to get to a level of play that I can get in some long rallies on a regular basis instead of just a few of shots per point. I can't get into those kinds of rallies unless I get good enough to play with the better players, so that's my main motivation for trying to get better. I don't have an "official" ranking, but I estimate I'm a 3.5 level player because I play a guy who has a USTA 3.5 ranking and I win most of the time and barely lose sometimes. On a good day I feel like I'm approaching the 4.0 level. I'm still inconsistent though and play below the 3.5 level on bad days. Unfortunately, now tennis is not as much fun. It's becoming complicated. Instead of just getting the ball back I have to concentrate through the whole point and if I make a mistake I lose the point. Most mistakes are unforced and most mistakes are mental, such as a bad choice of where to hit the ball and/or failure to get to the right place on the court after I hit the ball. During a match, I fail to make shots that I make all the time when practicing with a ball machine. I feel hurried and by the time I hit the shot I'm often confused as to what shot to try. So, I botch the shot. Then I get frustrated. I don't get mad and throw my racquet or anything, I just get frustrated and discouraged. Before I started playing to win, if I made a bad shot it was no big deal and if it was a silly mistake on a shot I should have easily made I just laughed it off and I didn't worry about it. Now I let it bug me and it carries over to the next point. It's not so much that I lose the point and maybe eventually lose the game (and set/match), but the frustration is more from botching a shot I know I can make and should be able to make. I can safely say it's not whether I win or lose that causes the frustration because even when I win sometimes I feel frustrated because I played bad and only won because the other player played worse. If someone beats me because I played decent and they played better, then it doesn't bother me so much. Is this part of the normal progression when moving from a casual player to a competitive player? Can tennis be fun at the competitive level or is it just expected to no longer be fun once it gets competitive? So, my bottom line question is "How do I make tennis fun again?"
How do I make tennis fun again?
- Thread starter Mosey
- Start date
Totai
Professional
You are thinking too much about losing during your matches. Just forget about the match as a whole, and just think of the current point that you are playing. Also, there is nothing on the line of you lose, so just relax a bit and enjoy hitting the crpa out of that poor yellow ball
MixieP
Hall of Fame
You didn't play bad. You won.
Go to work for 5 years, like 60 hours a week.
Now play some tennis. Tennis is fun.
Perspective. Would you rather be working for someone, or playing tennis for yourself?
We all know working for yourself is a bad option, as it allows little to no time for yourself to play tennis.
Now play some tennis. Tennis is fun.
Perspective. Would you rather be working for someone, or playing tennis for yourself?
We all know working for yourself is a bad option, as it allows little to no time for yourself to play tennis.
JRstriker12
Hall of Fame
IMHO - sounds like you are coming up against a lot of things that are common for recreational players who are growing their games.
I think the part highlighted in red above may be your biggest problem. While most people like to win, and we go out to do our best, overall winning is not something you can always control.
So don't play to win. Go out in the court and just try to play your best.
Also, try to have a short memory. Dwelling on a missed shot or something that went wrong can be the worst thing you can do to yourself. If you noticed something went wrong, note it, fix it or try to avoid it, then move on. Next point is a totally new point and anything can happen.
As for messing up a shot in a match that you hit in practice or against a ball machine - welcome to competitive tennis - the mental aspects of the game don't get enough attention. At the NTRP level where most player's skills are very similar, its the competitors who have a strong mental aspect of the game that tend to win out (IMHO).
Alot of people concentrate on stroke production but don't practice building up the mental part of their games. It's A LOT easier to be relaxed an swing freely in drills and practice, hitting that shot under pressure can be tough. Being a little bit tight from pressure can cause little things that throw off your stroke.
Only solution to working better under presure is to play more matches or create simulations in practice where points matter - play for a can of balls or gatorade.
Overall, yes, I have alot of fun playing competitve tennis. I enjoy the competition, the challenge, testing my game against other players, and most of all, I just like playing tennis.
Don't take it so seriously. Work hard, enjoy, it's not life or death.
li0scc0
Hall of Fame
To make tennis fun - find a partner, and 'just hit'.
To make tennis horrible - play singles matches.
I am not saying this is the case for everybody! But given what you are mentioning in your post, your mentality, it doesn't sound like competition of singles is good for you.
So....stop playing competitive singles. Find partners to hit with who love to 'just hit'. 90 minutes of 'just hitting' is 10x more fun to me than 90 minutes of a match. And, in 90 minutes of 'just hitting', I hit a lot more balls, and get to try a lot more shots, than I might try in 90 minutes of a match.
It is not for everyone, but I don't understand why so many people have to play a match, every time.
To make tennis horrible - play singles matches.
I am not saying this is the case for everybody! But given what you are mentioning in your post, your mentality, it doesn't sound like competition of singles is good for you.
So....stop playing competitive singles. Find partners to hit with who love to 'just hit'. 90 minutes of 'just hitting' is 10x more fun to me than 90 minutes of a match. And, in 90 minutes of 'just hitting', I hit a lot more balls, and get to try a lot more shots, than I might try in 90 minutes of a match.
It is not for everyone, but I don't understand why so many people have to play a match, every time.
JRstriker12
Hall of Fame
I understand some people just like hitting. I have several freinds who are good players who prefer just to hit. I'll go out with them and hit for hours.
But having said that, why does playing singles make tennis horrible? If I took that same attitude, then I'd just say "Pointless rallies are boring..." - both statements are not true.
Some of the best times I've ever had on the court were playing epic (at least for me they were epic) matches against friends who were very close in skill level. Games where you had to raise your play and go all out. Where I surprised myself by some shots I made under pressure. And win or lose, you have a sense of deep mutal respect for the other guy. Hard to call that horrible.
As for why people always want to play a match - well competition is fun. A lot of people enjoy competition, whether it's badminton, ping-pong, checkers, or chess. IMHO - Tennis is no different.
RogerRacket111
Semi-Pro
I think your too concerned about your shots and not looking at the bigger picture or playing a match. You can have the best shots but still lose if you don't know how to play a match. Match play is different from practice. Its all about figuring out what your opponent doesn't like and what is working for you. How to hide your weakness and highlight your strengths. You can easily get caught up with hitting the perfect shot every time but that wont win matches. Winning matches will give you much bigger high than having the most perfect game and losing. Open your eyes and see how you can think ahead in points. Move your opponent around and then set up the winner. Don't always go for the winner right away.
Match play requires playing matches and even while you practice make sure to play sets and treat it like a real match. You will get the calm and you can take the same to real matches.
Match play requires playing matches and even while you practice make sure to play sets and treat it like a real match. You will get the calm and you can take the same to real matches.
Angle Queen
Professional
If you don't mind my asking, what brought you to this level of play? Like many on this forum (I think), I returned to sport in my middle-ages (and, mind you, that's a very relative term) after playing it in my youth...either "competitively" in school or simply in our collective youths. It truly is one of the Lifetime Sports and has much to offer at all levels of play. Finding your motivation to enter the "competitive" regime might help us advise you better on your quest to make it more enjoyable.
...
Pardon me for laughing out loud. Although I carry an "official" 3.5 ranking...I feel much like you. On a good day I feel like I'm approaching the 4.0 level. On a bad day, I...well...stink.
Fortunately, the bad days are fewer and further between. And that seems to be my experience as well. IMHO, the difference between 0.5 levels is more about the consistency rather than specific (overall) skill sets. We seem to know what the next level up requires; we just can't always make our bodies do it.
I'm so sorry you've fallen into this emotion about this great game. Just goes to show you how mental all of it is.
...
We all go through many of these emotions (I think). It's hard to let that (losing/poorly played/poorly executed) point go and move on to the next one. But...you gotta. And you gotta let that point, that game, that set, that match go...too. If you wanna keep it fun.
For me, the key is to...strive for excellent...and accept mediocrity. I mean, c'mon, none of us (a few posters excepted) will ever make a dime/dollar/euro from playing tennis. At the end of the day, it's just that: A Game. You can call it your Fitness Plan; you can call it your Sanity Plan...but it's just a game.
Find other people who it enjoy it...like you do. Play with them...and let all the other Stuff...slide.
LeeD probably said it best:
Summed up: A bad day on court...is better than a good day at work.
And for us stay-at-home types: A bad time on court...is better than being home cleanin' toilets.
It's all about perspective.
But thank you, though, by posing this question, for making me think about what makes tennis fun...for me. Welcome to TT.
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dizzlmcwizzl
Hall of Fame
Well I think we can all agree that just as you can play well and lose you can also play badly and still manage to win.
Thanks for all the feedback so far. I'm getting some interesting responses to think about. One is saying to not worry so much about the match and concentrate on each point. Another is saying just the opposite! I'm also beginning to realize I need to feel better about what I'm doing right and not dwell on what I'm doing wrong. I guess I need to lighten up and realize I'm playing because I want to, rather than working because I have to! I agree with the "just hitting" theory. I hit a lot more balls and get a lot more exercise. I also hit shots that I could never hit during a match because I'm more relaxed. I guess I want to play competitively in order to see what I can do. I want to see if I have what it takes to be a good competitive player. I think it's the challenge that attracts me. Maybe it's the idea of possibly being better than average someday. I don't know if I have the skills to do that or not, but I want to try and see how it turns out.
I'll admit that part of my problem is that I don't think fast. It takes me time to evaluate a situation. For example, if I get a short ball I can either hit a slice approach shot and go in, hit a drop shot, or hit a deep topspin cross court. It takes me so long to make a decision that I end up confused by the time I hit the ball. Then I either hit it into the net or out, or a puffer that he can kill. That's one source of the frustration. Another is when I get him running, then when he's pulled wide all I have to do is hit a decent shot to the other side of the court and I put it into the net or hit it long. I'm also good at missing easy volleys. So, I'm basically choking on what should be the winning shot.
I'll admit that part of my problem is that I don't think fast. It takes me time to evaluate a situation. For example, if I get a short ball I can either hit a slice approach shot and go in, hit a drop shot, or hit a deep topspin cross court. It takes me so long to make a decision that I end up confused by the time I hit the ball. Then I either hit it into the net or out, or a puffer that he can kill. That's one source of the frustration. Another is when I get him running, then when he's pulled wide all I have to do is hit a decent shot to the other side of the court and I put it into the net or hit it long. I'm also good at missing easy volleys. So, I'm basically choking on what should be the winning shot.
dizzlmcwizzl
Hall of Fame
Seems to me that if you are the sort you enjoys competition then playing matches is great fun in singles or doubles. That is me all the way.
However, if when you play you are overly concerned about winning and if the assessment of yourself and your play is based soley on whether you won or lost you are going to be dissapointed quite a bit. On average 50% of the time you are not going to enjoy yourself, and who wants that.
I would suggest that you find happiness in improvement. From my perspective getting past 3.5 that usually means better consistency. Many 4.0 players I know can hit the same shots as 5.0 players it is just that they dont hit them at the right times and with the frequency the better players do.
So if I were to offer advice I would say strive to become more consistent. Drill and practice about as often as you play competitive matches. Measure you progress in terms of thengs that you can control such as reducing UE's or DF's ... do not measure success in Wins or Losses becasue those include many thigns outside your control specifically your opponent.
However, if when you play you are overly concerned about winning and if the assessment of yourself and your play is based soley on whether you won or lost you are going to be dissapointed quite a bit. On average 50% of the time you are not going to enjoy yourself, and who wants that.
I would suggest that you find happiness in improvement. From my perspective getting past 3.5 that usually means better consistency. Many 4.0 players I know can hit the same shots as 5.0 players it is just that they dont hit them at the right times and with the frequency the better players do.
So if I were to offer advice I would say strive to become more consistent. Drill and practice about as often as you play competitive matches. Measure you progress in terms of thengs that you can control such as reducing UE's or DF's ... do not measure success in Wins or Losses becasue those include many thigns outside your control specifically your opponent.
Fuji
Legend
I've hit the same boat as you before! I got the best advice ever, just take a break from tennis. It's not going away, it'll still welcome you back. I took a month off, it made me miss it so much that I was thinking, "Why was it not fun anymore?". Since then I've changed my perspective towards it. Winning is nice, but I just love playing tennis. When you take time off, you begin to really understand what it means to you. Win or loose, at least your out playing a game that you really enjoy. I know a lot of people up here in the frozen north, (It was a high of -42C today), that would love to be able to play every day, or at least more then once a month in the winter!
Just remember, your hitting a ball because you want to. No one is really forcing you out there every minute, of every time you go out.
Don't worry about errors either! I've spent countless springs/summers/falls out playing against very high level players and walls, and errors are natural. No one is perfect, not even the pros. Errors can be frustrating, but don't let them get you down. Mishits and lost points are just part of the game!
Go out there and have some nice relaxing tennis!
-Fuji
(Sorry for the long-ish post by the way!)
Just remember, your hitting a ball because you want to. No one is really forcing you out there every minute, of every time you go out.
Don't worry about errors either! I've spent countless springs/summers/falls out playing against very high level players and walls, and errors are natural. No one is perfect, not even the pros. Errors can be frustrating, but don't let them get you down. Mishits and lost points are just part of the game!
Go out there and have some nice relaxing tennis!
-Fuji
(Sorry for the long-ish post by the way!)
JRstriker12
Hall of Fame
FWIW - Try to have a plan going in so you don't have to think. Get help through a coach or just figure out what sort of response you will have to certain shots. For example, a high bouncing short ball, you may want to drive but a low bouncing ball near the net, you may have no choice but to dig and slice it back.
Yes there may be variation, but I'd say for the majority of the shots I hit, I generally know what type of shot I need to hit.
As for hitting on the run, it may seem easy, but it's not always. IF your scrambling, then you're under pressure. Also, most 3.5's don't have a very solid volley - it's just something you have to work on.
MixieP
Hall of Fame
Yesterday I played a match and won 6-2, 6-4. Certainly, there were aspects of my game that I wasn’t all together happy with. I lost some points which I could and should have won. But, it was a match, and the object was to win. And I won.
For me it’s more important, and rewarding, to play bad and win, than to play good and lose.
If you win a match and your lasting memory from that victory is that you didn’t play good, you just won because your opponent played worse than you, then I believe you have a problem with negative thinking. You may be too hard on yourself. You focus too much on the mistakes you made, and you forget to celebrate the good shots you produced. And you forget that you actually achieved your goal: you won the match.
spaceman_spiff
Hall of Fame
Before each point begins, smile (even if you have to force it).
After each point ends, smile (even if you have to force it).
The release of endorphines when you smile has amazing effects, even when it's forced.
After each point ends, smile (even if you have to force it).
The release of endorphines when you smile has amazing effects, even when it's forced.
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X
xRain
Guest
When you're in a match, just think about playing to get better.
Cindysphinx
G.O.A.T.
First, a quick suggestion on your issues with how to evaluate a situation.
Rule One: Hit everything crosscourt. Rule 2: Hit the highest quality shot you can hit, regardless of what your opponent is doing or where he is.
One of my strongest shots is a volley drive up the middle and deep. There are times when a could perhaps hit a winner by hitting an angle instead, and the angle would be the textbook shot. Too bad. I hit my strong shot up the middle anyway, even if the opponent is standing right there. Because it is a strong shot, it is good enough to win the point.
Now the bigger issue.
When you decide to improve and invest in your improvement (by using $$$ on instruction and using time to practice ), you are accepting a challenge. Anytime you accept a challenge in life, there is a chance you will fail. You may fail now and then, or you may flame out spectacularly.
You have to be willing to accept failure and brush it off. It is completely up to you regarding how you will view your failures in tennis. You can choose to see them as evidence that you should abandon the challenge. Or you can see them as useful feedback without which you would never know when you have reached your goals.
Good luck.
max
Legend
Excellent advice. I was once in a regular league for doubles in which partners rotated. We kept track of individual results. The first year was funsies, and I won somewhere about 70-75% of the time; the second year, I played serious each game, as competitively as possible, and that win rate soared to the mid-80s. Your attitude matters.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
How to make tennis fun:
Become a gear junkie.
Inhale a slight bit of greenery pre match.
Racquet snob all over your entire club by only playing with St Vincents.
Dress in a late 70's Johnny Mac outfit.
Only hit slice backhands.
Become a gear junkie.
Inhale a slight bit of greenery pre match.
Racquet snob all over your entire club by only playing with St Vincents.
Dress in a late 70's Johnny Mac outfit.
Only hit slice backhands.
Hmm. I can't tell what you mean. Do I hit everything crosscourt? Or do I hit everything crosscourt? Sorry, I can't tell if you're kidding or what. If you're serious, then that certainly simplifies the game! But, won't the other guy quickly figure out what I'm doing?
OK! Probably the best advice so far...
It's funny you bring up the late 70's Johnny Mac outfit. I'm about the same age as him (6 months younger) and I actually used to own a pair of shorts just like those!
li0scc0
Hall of Fame
You missed my point. For some people, absolutely, competition RULES! For others, they do not thrive on it, they want to simply enjoy the hit. The original poster sounds like they are not thriving in the competitive setting. So why not go out and enjoy some hitting?
They said tennis was fun, now they are playing matches, and tennis is not fun.
so....stop playing matches....for that person, might be just the thing to make tennis fun again.
heninfan99
Talk Tennis Guru
Play a tennis party or join a tennis Meetup. Bring beer. Play drunk & eat food.
It's okay if you don't enjoy getting into the warrior spirit for battle --what I call the Jimmy Connors Zone. PLAY WITH HATRED!!!
It's okay if you don't enjoy getting into the warrior spirit for battle --what I call the Jimmy Connors Zone. PLAY WITH HATRED!!!
I understand both sides of the "hitting" discussion. But, I'm not ready to give up on competitive tennis. I'll leave that option open, but I'm going to keep trying to make competitive tennis fun. I'm this way with other things, not just tennis, I get frustrated and almost quit, but I never quit - I always come back to it. I realize I named this thread wrong. I should have asked "How do I make competitive tennis fun?"
I've tried to teach my kids. That's a whole 'nother subject that I don't want to get into on this thread, so I'll start a new thread on it when I get a chance.
Cindysphinx
G.O.A.T.
I mean that every time you hit a groundstroke, hit it crosscourt.
If the ball comes your FH in the deuce court, hit it crosscourt.
If the ball comes to your BH in the ad court, hit it crosscourt.
If the ball comes up the middle, take your pick, but know that you will take the next ball that isn't up the middle crosscourt.
The reasons are primarily because of safety. Court geometry will mean you are taking less risk. You aren't changing direction, therefore less risk.
Maybe your opponent will see that you are doing this. That's fine (although your opponent will likely be so wrapped up in his own head that he doesn't even notice). It needn't be a secret. You are just trying to hit consistent, deep shots without missing a lot. Let your opponent make the mistakes.
JRstriker12
Hall of Fame
Oh. I see.
In Bjorn Borg's prime, a journalist, hoping for a magical nugget of information that would explain Borg's success, asked Borg what his secret strategy for winning was.
Borg replied, "I mostly play crosscourt."
I imagine the journalist walked away disappointed at this mundane, prosaic reply, but hey, if it worked for Bjorn...
DBH
Wow Mosey - that exactly describes me (except I play doubles). I have the same problems w/ frustration and disappointment. Before I'd laugh off bad days, but now I take it home (mostly because I have a doubles partner). I'll have to review all the guidance you get on making the game fun. Good luck.
Me, if I want tennis to be fun, I'd hit everything exactly where everyone says that I should not, defy logic and reason, and of course most important, selectively remember only my successful shots, bedarned with all my losers or the opponent's winners.
That is basically the logic of S/V tennis.
That is basically the logic of S/V tennis.
Rain coming this weekend, played today at RoseGarden, 3 doubles sets, opposing the only decent player twice.
Teamed, we won 2's, of course.
My returns are all over the map, as was everyone's except the decent player's. No fast serves, as I just spun in the top/slice at 80% looking for placement.
Someday......
Teamed, we won 2's, of course.
My returns are all over the map, as was everyone's except the decent player's. No fast serves, as I just spun in the top/slice at 80% looking for placement.
Someday......
ngoster
Semi-Pro
I agree with Cindysphinx' advice. The most basic, yet effective, strategy is to keep hitting the ball crosscourt until you get a short ball then hit it down the line. If it doesn't produce a winner, then repeat the process. Most importantly, play within your ability and keep your strategy simple to avoid overthinking.
You just gotta get "used" to playing matches and the mindset it requires. For practice, try working up to it...start out with just hitting with your tennis buddies/practice partners, for a day or however long you want.
Then start to play out the rallies but not worrying about score.
Now introduce serving into these rallies- serve 2, play out the point, then your practice partner serves 2 again w/o score. Like a tie breaker but again no scoring.
Start playing for points - just go for a game to 11 or whatever - no serves or returns yet. Play a bunch of those.
Now maybe introduce serves/return into your 11's or maybe just start playing tie breakers.
Hopefully you're starting to loosen up and are going for your shots more under "simulated" point play.
When you're feeling good with TBs move onto playing a set and then start playing best 2 of 3 matches.
Also, after you play a set, TB or match try to just have a good hit afterward. I always found I hit incredibly well, (relaxed) after a match so I would try to get a hit in afterward to finish on a positive note, (if I lost or felt I didn't hit well).
Still, you'll have to keep playing those competitive matches to get into that mindset (strategy) and less (technical) thinking. It will happen, you probably thought at one time you'll never get 10 balls in a row into the court but you had to go through that frustration phase to get there.
I think once you get through that transition of practice to competition you'll be having a lot more fun again.
Then start to play out the rallies but not worrying about score.
Now introduce serving into these rallies- serve 2, play out the point, then your practice partner serves 2 again w/o score. Like a tie breaker but again no scoring.
Start playing for points - just go for a game to 11 or whatever - no serves or returns yet. Play a bunch of those.
Now maybe introduce serves/return into your 11's or maybe just start playing tie breakers.
Hopefully you're starting to loosen up and are going for your shots more under "simulated" point play.
When you're feeling good with TBs move onto playing a set and then start playing best 2 of 3 matches.
Also, after you play a set, TB or match try to just have a good hit afterward. I always found I hit incredibly well, (relaxed) after a match so I would try to get a hit in afterward to finish on a positive note, (if I lost or felt I didn't hit well).
Still, you'll have to keep playing those competitive matches to get into that mindset (strategy) and less (technical) thinking. It will happen, you probably thought at one time you'll never get 10 balls in a row into the court but you had to go through that frustration phase to get there.
I think once you get through that transition of practice to competition you'll be having a lot more fun again.
The Ripper
Semi-Pro
I recently rediscovered some CD's on tennis called "Fearless Tennis" by Jeff Greenwald. I listened to the discs and it has made a huge improvement to my game. FWIW, his teaching is based on the "Inner Game of Tennis" books we are all familiar with by Timothy Gallwey. Okay, I've been playing tennis a long time and I am well-versed in "inner" learning and letting go while playing rather than tightening up and getting mental. But these simple techniques will change your entire approach to playing and I guarantee you it will improve your playing. One of the main ingredients is having "fun" while playing which translates into playing from inside yourself rather than getting caught up in the score, the other player, etc., etc. I am now actually having fun playing tennis and feeling much better about winning and losing. Ironically, because of my new attitude I'm winning more points. And if I lose, it doesn't upset me anymore. So check it out! I highly recommend it.
