I'm a 4.0 player. 36 years old. I play about 2 time a week and try to play 1 tournament a month. I'm in decent shape...I do martial arts, power walk, hike, play basketball. If I play 2-3 sets in a day my body handles it fine. But 4 or 5 sets in a day...and my body really feels the pain especially my back. I was curious...just a survey for u players...How many sets can you play before it really takes a toll on your body?
How many sets can your body handle
- Thread starter jls304
- Start date
therecanbeonlyone
Semi-Pro
I am about the same as you. 36 years old. Play once or twice a week. A couple of days ago I hit for about 75 minutes or so in the morning and then went and played 4 sets that evening. When I got home that night I had all of these little cramps in my feet, legs, stomach, sides, etc. I thought I would be sore over the next couple of days, but that hasn't really happened. I've made it through two matches per day in post season and tournament play too. But I think I might hit my limit at 5 sets. Probably wouldn't have anything left in the tank after that.
D
Deleted member 23235
Guest
these days, 3 sets is my limit.
if i go more, it takes me 2-3 days to recover.
surface makes a difference too.
i can probably go 4-5 on clay which would be the equiv of doing 3 on hard.
that said, wearing artilage or footprint insoles has made a huge difference. i don't feel quite the soreness i used to before.
if i go more, it takes me 2-3 days to recover.
surface makes a difference too.
i can probably go 4-5 on clay which would be the equiv of doing 3 on hard.
that said, wearing artilage or footprint insoles has made a huge difference. i don't feel quite the soreness i used to before.
OrangePower
Legend
Depends whether singles or dubs. And easier to measure by hours rather than sets, since not all sets are equal:
Dubs - Can probably play 4 hours straight
Singles - Probably going to start hurting after 2.5 hours.
Mid/late 40's 4.5 player.
Dubs - Can probably play 4 hours straight
Singles - Probably going to start hurting after 2.5 hours.
Mid/late 40's 4.5 player.
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
With maintenance, I can play 2 sets of singles 5 days a week, preferably on clay.
I can play 5 sets of doubles in a single day but will feel it afterwards.
I can play 5 sets of doubles in a single day but will feel it afterwards.
S&V-not_dead_yet
Talk Tennis Guru
Anything past 3 sets of singles would be icing on the cake [or ice on the knee, if you will].
61, 4-5 sets a day. I already hit for 3 hours a day 6 days a week, most of the time with state ranked juniors, if I'm not playing a match. Unfortunately the only reason I can do this is due to the crash in the oil industry and I have lots of free time. To be honest, I'd rather be working.
Moveforwardalways
Hall of Fame
Moveforwardalways
Hall of Fame
As a serious reply though, I can play all day and recover the next day fine. But after 3 sets my performance drops considerably. So if you are catching me on my 4th set, it just isn't the same.
elga
Rookie
Age is starting to catch up these days being a lifelong athlete - can only realistically play every other day if it's 5 sets, and that lasts about a week until I'm wiped. Could play 4 days in a row though if it's 3 setters, with additional doubles sprinkled in. A typical week is 3.5 hrs 3 days a week - usually at night during the week and once on the weekend. Wish I had the masseuse and cryo budget the pros have for professional sports, that would be nice. Oh, to be in college again with everything provided.
Yes but in a tournament sometimes you're playing 2 matches in a day followed by more the next day. It's a lot of tennis...talking singles here.
N
Nashvegas
Guest
Mid 40s. Two hours is more than enough and that much play requires a couple of days off. I play S&V and C&C and do a lot of sprinting and stopping. The joints are fighting back from the abuse from various sports over the years. Think I was probably too cavalier about how much strain I was willing to place on my feet planting harshly to change direction. Kids, work on absorbing the impact and landing softly.
I only play tournaments with 2-4 man draw
Actually, no. Points over much quicker.
xFullCourtTenniSx
Hall of Fame
Depends on how the grinding baseline style goes. If there's very few changes of direction and just throwing groundstrokes at each other all day, serve and volley is much more taxing but ends faster. If there are a lot of change of directions, then the grinding style takes the cake.
The difference is S&V works your first step more intensely, even if they hit the ball out, you're most likely going to make a powerful first step towards the ball out of habit anyways before determining the shot is long. Also, you have to run pretty quickly to the net after serving to get a decent first volley. S&V is much more high intensity, but lower duration. Grinding baseline points is longer duration with varying intensity. What's harder, sprinting 400m or walking a mile?
I'm out at 3 or 4 sets. I'm very poorly conditioned though. If I was properly conditioned, I could probably push to 5 or 6 sets.
MathGeek
Hall of Fame
No pain - no pain is my philosophy, and I only play through pain in competition, not in practice.
My medical advisers are in unanimous agreement, cut back on stuff that hurts. I've recently given up basketball, mountain biking and Ultimate in hopes of playing singles a few more years, but likely transitioning to doubles only over the next five years. I try and gauge my pain by how much stuff hurts the next morning before I take any ibuprofen, and how many days it takes before the pain subsides from the match.
navigator
Hall of Fame
I'll be 50 next year. I think of it more in terms of games. I can play 30-40 games of singles per day on clay under normal weather conditions without any problems. I just played about 60 games of doubles the other day on hard courts without any issues at all. I generally play 4-5 times per week.
the green god
Professional
"Not that there is anything wrong with that."
user92626
G.O.A.T.
Guys, could you tell me if I play too much, given amount of rest:
Didn't sleep at all last Tuesday night.
Slept for about 6 hrs on Wed night
On Thursday, played 4 sets of doubles and then 11 games of 1-on-1 where I covered my whole doubles court side while hitting to opponent's singles area*. Would have played more if the lights didn't turn off.
(* we play modified sets and various advantages to level the playing field for everyone)
Then, came home and slept for about 4 hours. I'm having major sleep issue these days.
Too much? I'll be 40 in a month.
Didn't sleep at all last Tuesday night.
Slept for about 6 hrs on Wed night
On Thursday, played 4 sets of doubles and then 11 games of 1-on-1 where I covered my whole doubles court side while hitting to opponent's singles area*. Would have played more if the lights didn't turn off.
(* we play modified sets and various advantages to level the playing field for everyone)
Then, came home and slept for about 4 hours. I'm having major sleep issue these days.
Too much? I'll be 40 in a month.
S&V-not_dead_yet
Talk Tennis Guru
Given how little sleep you're getting, ANY amount of playing is probably too much. Get that addressed quickly: bad things happen to your health when you're sleep-deprived.
user92626
G.O.A.T.
You are right obviously.
When I tell people I cannot sleep, they always tell me that I need to exercise (or more). Funny thing is I log about 15 hours of tennis a week and walk 30-60 minutes almost everyday. I am skipping coffee and alcohol for 2 weeks already. I'm tired in the morning but when I go to the court later I feel OK to play. I don't know wtf is wrong with me!
2 sets of even level singles, and one tie break.
If it's doubles I can play like 5 sets easily, assuming there are breaks in between.
Gone are the days where I used to be able to play singles for 6 hours. I played a 3 hour doubles match in a tournament once and I thought I was going to die.
If it's doubles I can play like 5 sets easily, assuming there are breaks in between.
Gone are the days where I used to be able to play singles for 6 hours. I played a 3 hour doubles match in a tournament once and I thought I was going to die.
S&V-not_dead_yet
Talk Tennis Guru
Here are some suggestions:
- Knock off computer/smartphone/TV a couple of hours before bed
- Eliminate ambient light sources: alarm clock, electronics with glowing status lights, seepage from blinds/shades, etc.
- Wear an eye mask
- Eliminate ambient noise sources
- Wear earplugs
- Try a white noise generator [which isn't a contradiction of the above due the regular nature of the noise]
- Get checked for sleep apnea
crazyups
Professional
Pretty good for 67. I am only 55 and can do 3 to 4 hours of competitive singles and need to rest the next day, but I am 6'4" and 217 lbs so that makes it harder. The lighter the person the easier it is to stay in shape I have heard. If i am in really good shape I can do 2 days in a row sometimes playing My best.
WYK
Hall of Fame
40's. If it isn't too hot out, I can do five sets in singles. It isn't pretty the last set. In early summer I played 5 straight matches in as many days, starting with a five setter, the rest being three. Nearly threw my back out. In a previous life I was competitive university(in the US), and bicycled a couple hundred miles a week. I was always good for endurance. I played an inter-club coed doubles friendly last night and made it to the finals. I think that was about 6-8 sets in all as each 'match' was a short set since there were so many of us.
jayserinos99
Hall of Fame
37 yr old, 4.0 dubs player. 3 sets tops each day. I typically play 3-4x/week but never 3 days in a row.
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