League vs. Non-league Play

dsb

dsb

Rookie
Just curious about how much league play people are participating in (USTA, ALTA, UT, whatever...) compared to casual matches, pickup matches, or practice even. I should probably include tournaments as well, it doesn't seem to me that many adults do tournaments.

So, as an adult, how much of your tennis time is devoted to leagues, and how much time do you spend doing 'other' tennis?
 
I'm almost certain my numbers will be the reverse of most people here as I don't play nearly as much league tennis (even less since I was bumped to 5.0 this year), but here you go:


USTA League tennis averages 2 matches per month.

Tournament tennis...eh...6-8 matches per year, depending on how I do.

Fun/casual matches w/ friends...3-4 times per week.
 
dsb said:
Just curious about how much league play people are participating in (USTA, ALTA, UT, whatever...) compared to casual matches, pickup matches, or practice even. I should probably include tournaments as well, it doesn't seem to me that many adults do tournaments.

So, as an adult, how much of your tennis time is devoted to leagues, and how much time do you spend doing 'other' tennis?
Click to expand...
For me, 20% of actual time spent is in USTA leagues... but 80% of my other tennis time is "practice" (matches, drilling, etc...), with the goal of improving in the league matches. Generally I want to get better, but my quantitative personal goal is to get bumped up by the computer to a "5.0".

Tournaments in general are a logistical pain to do, so I tend not to play them.
 
dsb said:
Just curious about how much league play people are participating in (USTA, ALTA, UT, whatever...) compared to casual matches, pickup matches, or practice even. I should probably include tournaments as well, it doesn't seem to me that many adults do tournaments.

So, as an adult, how much of your tennis time is devoted to leagues, and how much time do you spend doing 'other' tennis?
Click to expand...

I play USTA league, but only same-level men's events (18+ and 40+). I don't really enjoy mixed or combo. So only two USTA seasons for me a year, for maybe a total of 14-16 matches per year.

Generally I play 3 times a week, so that leaves roughly 156-16=140 non-league play sessions.

I'm actually kinda surprised that my league play is in actual fact only 10% of my total play. It feels like it's more than that. Probably because my teammates form the core of my tennis group, and we end up playing a lot together whether it's team practices during league season or casual matches / hitting sessions through the course of the year.
 
OrangePower said:
I'm actually kinda surprised that my league play is in actual fact only 10% of my total play. It feels like it's more than that. Probably because my teammates form the core of my tennis group, and we end up playing a lot together whether it's team practices during league season or casual matches / hitting sessions through the course of the year.
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To me, the team practices should be lumped in with the league play, it's not like you'd be able to do it if you weren't a member of the team (or would you?). As for the other, you'd have to judge for yourself how 'connected' it is to the team... Would you hit with them, or be asked to, if you weren't on the team? Do you/they ever invite non-team members to these hitting sessions?
 
dsb said:
To me, the team practices should be lumped in with the league play, it's not like you'd be able to do it if you weren't a member of the team (or would you?). As for the other, you'd have to judge for yourself how 'connected' it is to the team... Would you hit with them, or be asked to, if you weren't on the team? Do you/they ever invite non-team members to these hitting sessions?
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I've almost never practiced with any team that I'm on, mainly because scheduling wise, it never worked out. I think it would be cool to be on a team that also practiced together regularly. Would also make for some intense ladder matches!
 
I generally only play 1, maybe 2, times a week. About 2/3 of my tennis time is league matches. The other 1/3 is casual hitting or practice sets.

Before I had kids, when I played more like 3-4 times a week, it was probably the opposite. Less tennis time now has meant giving up some of the practice opportunities and just showing up for league matches.
 
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dsb said:
To me, the team practices should be lumped in with the league play, it's not like you'd be able to do it if you weren't a member of the team (or would you?). As for the other, you'd have to judge for yourself how 'connected' it is to the team... Would you hit with them, or be asked to, if you weren't on the team? Do you/they ever invite non-team members to these hitting sessions?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I don't know, I was just going by the OP (he listed practice as non-USTA).

In my case, it's chicken-and-egg. We're on a team together because we all play together anyway. And we play together because we're on the same team :-)
 
Funny how some people's goal is to get bumped up while other people's goal is NOT to get bumped up. :shock:
 
dsb said:
Just curious about how much league play people are participating in (USTA, ALTA, UT, whatever...) compared to casual matches, pickup matches, or practice even. I should probably include tournaments as well, it doesn't seem to me that many adults do tournaments.

So, as an adult, how much of your tennis time is devoted to leagues, and how much time do you spend doing 'other' tennis?
Click to expand...

I play 1 or 2 league matches a week. I play ALTA mens & skip the mixed seasons. I love Ultimate tennis since it gives me 7 new people to play per season. I did play USTA winter 4.5 and like to do it for the singles play & I'll probably platy summer as well.

I play twice a week with regular hitting buds (30 minute hit, couple sets, couple tiebreakers or 21's normally).

I played in one tourney last year, won 1st round & lost 2nd round. My body isn't built for multiple matches in a day so I probably won't play those anymore.

I'd say 30-40% of my matches are competitive and 60-70% are for fun/social.
 
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Spring and Fall are big league seasons here. I play on only one USTA team, but also play inter club and queen city leagues. So league matches in the Spring and Fall are three times a week. Practice is one day, fun play is usually two or three days.

Winter there is only one league, and the weather tends to push us indoors. So I usually only get in 3 tennis matches a week, and one of those is league.
 
I've been playing nearly 40 years and back in the day I used to hit/play/practice 4 or 5 times a week with at least 1 tournament a month (March-Oct). But my body can't handle it anymore. Like FloridaTennisDude, I can't do back-to-back matches over multiple days. Played 2 tournaments last year and, with the help of lots of drugs, won one and was a finalist in the other but had to call in sick both times because I could barely walk on Monday. Now I play leagues exclusively and the only times I hit outside of that is to practice for the next match. When the season is over, I go on hiatus, riding bikes, hiking and swimming to fill in the time. Have to save my knees for next season, ya know? I love tennis but getting old sucks.
 
It's seasonal for me. My summers are devoted to league play. Almost all of what I'm playing in the summer is either USTA league, USTA practice, or the local league at Mercer County Park. It ends with the tournament that is hosted at the Park. In the winter, I play at least once a week in a contract with my friends and usually one other time a week, either casually or in drills.
 
I play 4 times a week all year round.

In the summer 2 of those matches are league per week. In the winter only 2 a month are league.
 
mikeler said:
When you get too good, there is nobody left to play.
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Not just that, but NOT getting bumped up gives you more options. For example, a lot of clubs and areas don't even have 5.0 teams. So if you're rated a 4.5, you can only play on one team at your club. However, if you stay a 4.0, you have to option to play on a 4.0 team or a 4.5 team or BOTH. So if you want to play more tennis, it's better not to get bumped up. :)
 
I like to hit 3 times a week. Almost exclusively non-league. The only USTA men's leagues around here are the summer and I participate in that. But that's just once a week for 8 weeks or so.

During the winter, I do a lot of drills since it's hard to find (indoor) court time. I do play doubles with a group once a week.

Oh yeah, I did have knee surgery 2 years ago and the other knee aches after playing now. So yes, as said earlier, getting old bites.
 
BreakPoint said:
Not just that, but NOT getting bumped up gives you more options. For example, a lot of clubs and areas don't even have 5.0 teams. So if you're rated a 4.5, you can only play on one team at your club. However, if you stay a 4.0, you have to option to play on a 4.0 team or a 4.5 team or BOTH. So if you want to play more tennis, it's better not to get bumped up. :)
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Exactly. That's why many of us refer to being rated 5.0 as the kiss of death. I had to drive 2 hours for a LOCAL league 5.0 match last summer.
 
80% of my tennis time is spent in pickup singles/doubles or club league. I dislike the culture of USTA events so I just play in a couple of local tournaments and play SOME doubles in USTA league.
 
BreakPoint said:
Not just that, but NOT getting bumped up gives you more options. For example, a lot of clubs and areas don't even have 5.0 teams. So if you're rated a 4.5, you can only play on one team at your club. However, if you stay a 4.0, you have to option to play on a 4.0 team or a 4.5 team or BOTH. So if you want to play more tennis, it's better not to get bumped up. :)
Click to expand...
Definitely can see this. I belonged to a private club that had a 4.0 team which I played on for a few years, made alot of friends, and generally was my social time (I don't go to bars, clubs, etc...). They didn't have a 4.5 team. When I got bumped to 4.5, it was a bit sad, since I no longer went out to matches to hang out (tried to cheerlead a couple times, but was pretty lame if you're not playing).

I like the platform tennis league methodology. there are 7 divisions, and you get bumped up or down as a team. Doesn't matter what individual level you are. then you can run your team any way yoiu want... and instead you go to nationals to compete for your division. solves alot of problems like:
* not being able to play with your former team of friends.
* 5.0+ can all play together, doesn't matter if you get bumped to 5.5, 6, etc... can even "play down" if you want
 
OrangePower said:
+1 for this. I used to live in an area that had such a league, but unfortunately there isn't one where I am now. I wonder how popular/prevalent it is (in the US).
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There are multiple leagues that work that way in Charlotte, where teams move up and down as teams. Ladies Interclub league plays 7 lines of doubles on clay courts. However, only those clubs with at least 7 clay courts can join. It is the most competitive of any league play in Charlotte. Division 1 teams range from 5.0 players to 3.5 players at the bottom lines of some teams.

Queen City has a slew of different leagues: ladies doubles, men's doubles, mixed doubles. All use the "winning team moves up, losing team moves down" theory on divisions. I was on a team that was brand new, and started in the lowest division. It was four seasons (two years) of not so competitive matches, but now we are playing at our level, and closing in on the next level up.

The Charlotte city indoor and winter warrior leagues also use that algorithm, though often teams prefer not to move up, as then they would change days, so in that case the divisions remain the same.

Only USTA limits by individual ratings, and that seems to be the league used more for practice for the other leagues.
 
i wish i had time to practice or play more. I am playing 4 matches a month and they are league matches. I don't have the time with work and family to play more or even do drills. This is why i am not playing 4.0 currently as my practice is my matches.
 
nytennisaddict said:
Definitely can see this. I belonged to a private club that had a 4.0 team which I played on for a few years, made alot of friends, and generally was my social time (I don't go to bars, clubs, etc...). They didn't have a 4.5 team. When I got bumped to 4.5, it was a bit sad, since I no longer went out to matches to hang out (tried to cheerlead a couple times, but was pretty lame if you're not playing).

I like the platform tennis league methodology. there are 7 divisions, and you get bumped up or down as a team. Doesn't matter what individual level you are. then you can run your team any way yoiu want... and instead you go to nationals to compete for your division. solves alot of problems like:
* not being able to play with your former team of friends.
* 5.0+ can all play together, doesn't matter if you get bumped to 5.5, 6, etc... can even "play down" if you want
Click to expand...

The USTA really needs to do something similar. Should bump up everyone who plays on a team in state.
 
Some years I sign up for a rec league through our Uni, other years not.

When there isn't snow I am playing at the park at least once a week, if not more often if you count 10-20 minute wall sessions while the kids swing or slide.
 
I play in USTA (singles and dubs), UT (singles), and internal club matches. USTA probably slightly more serious. UT slightly lower standard for the same rating. Both are pretty good. Also played in a couple of open tourneys last year, as well as a ton of casual play.

Probably going to cut down after this season as the travelling for matches takes up a lot of time, and also focus on fewer but better quality match ups rather than casual play.
 
I used to play two ladder (club level) matches per week, the rest of the days practice etc, but this winter I decided to save the matches for clay/summer and not risk getting my knee injured again just at the end of the indoor hardcourt season.
 
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