Moving from 16's to 18's

[gw795]

Hey guys,

I have played a few tournaments at the 16's level (Eastern Southern) and have gotten beaten up pretty badly, mostly due to a lack of experience and consistency. I am a much better player now (at least in my opinion), but I turn 17 in 2 weeks and to be honest I'm a little worried about the jump from the 16's to the 18's. Is it generally that big of a jump?

Thanks

 

[TennisCoachFLA]

Hey guys,

I have played a few tournaments at the 16's level (Eastern Southern) and have gotten beaten up pretty badly, mostly due to a lack of experience and consistency. I am a much better player now (at least in my opinion), but I turn 17 in 2 weeks and to be honest I'm a little worried about the jump from the 16's to the 18's. Is it generally that big of a jump?

Thanks

I think you probably know the answer. Yes, in most sections it is a big difference, boys start turning into men, some earlier than others.

But you can only worry about one thing.......you and your game and your improvement. Focus on improving every practice and becoming the best player you can. Focus on your strength, how much stronger you can bet week by week.

The opponents are going to be there no matter if you worry about how good they are or just focus on improving your own game. In my experience, players who do the latter have a much easier time of it.

 

[SoCal10s]

if you are lower rank ,then it's a big jump... I suggest you develop a big weapon(serve,forehand,serve and volley style..ect).. then do a lot of conditioning ,just refusing to let a ball get by you will win a lot of matches,but for that to happen ,you need to be in great shape .. good luck..

 

[Larrysümmers]

At the 18's I feel like the serve becomes more of a weapon.

 

[DevilsChildXD]

Dont worry bro your not alone Im turning 17 in may, im pretty scared myself!! But im ready for the challenge and im ready to improve!! =D

 

[bfactor61]

from moving to the 16's to 18's the biggest difference is the physical play. Most players in the 18's are big and strong. I suggest if your a small guy start lifting weights to keep up with the pace. The serve does become more of a weapon in the 18's.

 

[NoSkillzAndy]

There is a big gap between 16's & 18's, but nothing that can't be overcome. Strength & conditioning is important as others mentioned, but most importantly you'll need to improve some aspects of your game. Work on being able to handle pace and send it back with depth, as older juniors like to try to overpower each other and you need to be ready for it. You'll also need to juice up your serve, getting more mph on the first serve so that it can be a weapon if it's not already and more spin & depth on the second so it can't be easily attacked. Besides that make sure you can efficiently put away short balls off of both sides and finish at the net with put-away volleys & overheads too so that you can make the most of your opportunities.

Good luck!