How do you keep your game sharp between USTA matches?

athiker

Hall of Fame
We have informal doubles practice sessions blocked out on the courts here 2x/week for the combined neighborhood teams. If too many show up for the courts we will play "Everybody serves one game" matches with a one point tiebreaker if needed and winner stays on the court. Sometimes we will just play 10 point tiebreakers for practice. We try to pair up partners for the upcoming match if they both show. We do Sundays at 7 pm (3 pm in winter) and Wednesdays at 7 pm. We usually go a couple hours.

A number of players also participate in a local Compass Draw Tournament that involves playing a singles match about every two weeks. A few also play in a singles Ladder. Finally, quite a few double up on either both the 3.5 and 4.0 team or on of those and the Senior team. There are also the impromptu emails on a nice sunny day or just informal hookups for hitting.
 

J_R_B

Hall of Fame
Our captain has practices once a week, but primarily most of us play in the local club's singles league that gets us at least one competitive match a week.
 

bodieq

Rookie
Yes, we have team-scheduled practices twice a week. But our team has everyone's email/telephone so teammates will often just coordinate with each other to hit in addition to the team-practices if they want or have the extra time. I play a lot of USTA Tournaments because I enjoy it and would like to have enough "points" to qualify for the GrandPrix each year in my section. But some of my league teammates will play tournaments simply to fill-up a weekend of tennis when there's either no league matches (or they're not playing in that particular league match that weekend).
 

Carlito

Semi-Pro
Bodieq,

What is the GrandPrix? I play USTA tournaments here in FL but have never heard of GrandPrix.

In So Cal we have a Gran Prix also which invites the top 8 players to compete based on tournament points aquired. Kind of like year end championship. We just had ours 2 weeks ago.


In between USTA matches you have to find ways to play even if your team doesn't practice. Its good to have regular practice partners. Gotta keep the rust off.
 

bodieq

Rookie
Bodieq,

What is the GrandPrix? I play USTA tournaments here in FL but have never heard of GrandPrix.

Yes, what Carlito said (although ours is always in October of calendar year). Maybe it's just a California thing but I'm not sure, since Carlito mentioned he has it in SoCal, and I play here in NorCal.

You qualify through points earned in USTA tournaments, depending on the round you reach. Some really good players can qualify because they win tournaments or advance far in the draws and therefore accumulate lots of points per tourney. Some other people qualify simply by playing tons of tournaments and qualify through sheer volume played (but those people have gotta secretly feel like they dont really belong in GrandPrix when the time comes). To some extent it's like the USTA's way of rewarding people who spend a lot of money in entry fees for their tournaments.
 

jonnyjack

Semi-Pro
Yes, what Carlito said (although ours is always in October of calendar year). Maybe it's just a California thing but I'm not sure, since Carlito mentioned he has it in SoCal, and I play here in NorCal.

You qualify through points earned in USTA tournaments, depending on the round you reach. Some really good players can qualify because they win tournaments or advance far in the draws and therefore accumulate lots of points per tourney. Some other people qualify simply by playing tons of tournaments and qualify through sheer volume played (but those people have gotta secretly feel like they dont really belong in GrandPrix when the time comes). To some extent it's like the USTA's way of rewarding people who spend a lot of money in entry fees for their tournaments.

Problem is they don't care about sand baggers here in Norcal. I always see the same guys winning tournaments and only giving up 1 or 2 games max per round. It's all about the money though I guess. Why would they want to DQ them when they're spending $45 every weekend collecting those little trophies.

To answer the OP's question though, I go to team practices and well as hit with my friends or teammates on my own. I try to play once or twice a week so I joined a couple teams this season to get at least one USTA match each week.
 

bodieq

Rookie
Problem is they don't care about sand baggers here in Norcal. I always see the same guys winning tournaments and only giving up 1 or 2 games max per round. It's all about the money though I guess. Why would they want to DQ them when they're spending $45 every weekend collecting those little trophies..

I'm quite curious to know what specific NTRP division you're referring to in your comment...
 

ssgator80

Rookie
Nothing like the GrandPrix here in FL that I know about. That would be fun. I'm in Orlando and travel to S. FL to play some of the top guys in 4.5.
 
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