Seniors lounge (over 50) come on in.
- Thread starter Vanhalen
- Start date
Cage Rattler
Rookie
Worlds seniors teams event starts next week in Mexico City for 50, 55 and 60. I was at the main venue in February at an ITF seniors tournament, even managed to persuade one of the top guys playing for a US team to play a match or two with me for our club in the German league which is over May and June.
cks
Hall of Fame
Even though I played JV and Varsity soccer during my high school years, I did remember three (3) friends who played on the HS tennis team. I checked their names with USTA player search tool today and found some play history for one name, but not the other two.
atatu
Legend
I was on Reddit earlier today and someone posted about wearing a glove while playing. This led to a comment about Cliff Drysdale and his glove. I also remember that there was an American guy who had a cord that wrapped around his wrist racquetball style, but I can't remember his name, does anyone know who I'm talking about ? Also I remember that back in the day when I had to play high school matches in freezing cold temps we used to cut off the top of a tube sock and wear it over our hands to try and stay warm, curious if anyone else did this or if that was just "a thing" in Virginia back in the late 70's.
LuckyR
Legend
That was Robert Van't Hof.
mixtape
Professional
I'm blessed to have 3 of my high school teammates I can still hit with. We try to meet up at least once a week and play a few sets. One lives a few hours away, but when he's in town we usually try to get a doubles match going, but we always manage to sneak in a round of golf first.
ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
Been getting out a bit more and happy to get in some singles. Posted some points in another thread - http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/share-your-match-video.629587/post-18077573
Still lots of work on...as is always the case I suppose...but really enjoying match play lately. Want to get back in decent enough shape to compete in a tourney over a weekend.
Still lots of work on...as is always the case I suppose...but really enjoying match play lately. Want to get back in decent enough shape to compete in a tourney over a weekend.
Cage Rattler
Rookie
Extremely tough team game in German league 55s playoff yesterday .. the opposition brought in the entire French national seniors side. Rodolphe Gilbert played at #1 beat Eoin Collins from Houston who won the M55 worlds in Mexico City last month. I saw Eoin in Mexico during February and invited him for a match with our team. I managed to sneak a win in a match tiebreak with two others losing in match tiebreaks.
atatu
Legend
Wow Collins is a great player. He has a brother here in Texas who is also very good, saw him playing with his teenage son in a father-son tournament in May, the kid is also a great player.
Cage Rattler
Rookie
Last year in the 50s and looking forward to 60s next year. Just lost to ex #1 world seniors champ 5 and 6 after throwing away the second set being 5-3 40-0 up. Strange rules at this Hong Kong tournament due to limited number of courts .. all games are sudden death at deuce which makes it a bit of a lottery - we had 12 or 13 sudden death games.
ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
lol. Apparently wanting to get in shape is not the same as doing it. Cuz I am still up 40lbs, but have been out slinging my fat asssss around the court after balls at least. Nothing new or improved really, but some good play lately.
Did just get the Wilson 01 to demo. Hitting with it again tonight. First impressions are, it is much less forgiving with a smaller sweet spot, and a bit less flex than I thought it would have. Specs are similar to my Blade, just a bit less weight in the head.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
Played my first post-knee-replacement tournament several weeks back. Level 4 age group open with an eight man draw in the 60’s. Beat a 4.0 and lost in the semis to a 4.5 who is ranked top 60 in the nation. It was close - afterwards my opponent said there were a half dozen points that could have changed the match but I didn’t execute on those. I was surprisingly nervous for both matches and especially my first. I had a sitter backhand at match point and 5-3 up, and I ended up missing/choking that and then found my opponent serving for the second set at 6-5 up. I ended up breaking serve and then winning the tiebreak but just never felt loose.
After the tournament, I started a heavy lifting block. I played several days in a row while lifting because my wife and I had a two week road trip with minimal tennis so I wanted to get in as much as I could beforehand. I overdid it and had a moderately severe tear in my left calf while playing competitive sets.
We left five days later with my calf feeling much better and having not done anything strenuous. We wanted to do a fairly strenuous hike on our first day and I thought I was ready, but as we were almost finished, I tweaked that same calf again.
I played some light tennis nine days later in the Palm Desert area, and had my first competitive hit today though I really held back on hard movements. It seems okay but I’m still gunshy about hurting it again. I sure don’t remember things being this arduous to heal even 20 years ago.
I’m back now and starting another heavy lifting block while playing tennis four times a week. Next tournament seems to be early January and I hope to be 100% physically ready for that. If I don’t hurt myself again.
After the tournament, I started a heavy lifting block. I played several days in a row while lifting because my wife and I had a two week road trip with minimal tennis so I wanted to get in as much as I could beforehand. I overdid it and had a moderately severe tear in my left calf while playing competitive sets.
We left five days later with my calf feeling much better and having not done anything strenuous. We wanted to do a fairly strenuous hike on our first day and I thought I was ready, but as we were almost finished, I tweaked that same calf again.
I played some light tennis nine days later in the Palm Desert area, and had my first competitive hit today though I really held back on hard movements. It seems okay but I’m still gunshy about hurting it again. I sure don’t remember things being this arduous to heal even 20 years ago.
I’m back now and starting another heavy lifting block while playing tennis four times a week. Next tournament seems to be early January and I hope to be 100% physically ready for that. If I don’t hurt myself again.
onehandbh
G.O.A.T.
I don't lift anywhere close what you're lifing or as often as you do, but my recommendation is to avoid playing tennis on the same day you do heavy lifting.
If you do lift and play on the same day, play tennis first and then lift afterwards. Tennis has dynamic movements and you don't want a tired muscle while doing these movements.
Same applies for doing plyometrics. I don't know anyone who does plyometric jump training after lifting heavy.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I lift only after tennis and my heavy lifting days are followed by a day with no tennis.
I’m pretty pleasantly surprised that now at age 63, I‘ve been able to sustain a lot greater physical workload than I thought. I just need to sleep more and pay even more attention to what I eat. Obviously, I also need to be smart enough to rest when some body part is telling me to, but this may be the hardest thing of all.
onehandbh
G.O.A.T.
I look forward to playing tennis with the speediest 63-year-old in the PNW next month
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
The last time we hit, I was six days away from my knee replacement surgery so this time surely can’t be any worse!
onehandbh
G.O.A.T.
I don't know if I'll be better or worse, but I made a slight change to my topspin backhand.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
Sounds like we need new video of your updated backhand and my updated knee! It’ll be interesting to compare from last year.
onehandbh
G.O.A.T.
My new backhand is a work in progress but video would be good. The change is very sublte and I may not even be noticable.
btw, how have you adjusted your gym workouts as you've gotten older. Do you find higher reps necessary? Trying to figure out if I should change up my workout routine to adapt to getting older. I do once a week with barbells and once a week with dumbells.
Other than the bench press, for most exercises, I do about 7-12 reps per set. On the bench I do this:
136.4 lbs x10 (warmup), 158.4 x7, 191.4 x1, 176x2, 136.4x7
(the weights are odd numbers because I converted them to lbs from kg)
For squats, I only do 4 sets. 143x12, 198x12, 220x4, 198x5
Most other exercises, I just do 2 o r3 sets.
For the last 10 years or so, I've been going 1-2x a week. 2x the last few years. I used to do a split, but now a full body workout that I got from ttw poster Hitman.
It has always been difficult for me to gain weight and when I don't go to the gym, I lose weight (partially b/c I am less hungry).
Only other exercise I do is tennis 1-2x a week, and hiking 1-2x a month. (around 5-6 km in the forest)
Happi
Hall of Fame
No absolutely not, love my work as much as I love tennis. Dont plan to retire or stop playing tennis.
10sbeast888
Professional
tried retirement for 3 months... couldn't stand it.. you can only play so much tennis/golf.. I also rode my dirt bike a ton in the woods... after a while brain rust sets in, you lose track of the time of the day, day of the week..
work is satisfaction.
kayak4water
Rookie
Retired. Was shown the door in 2009. Had significant savings. Never looked back. Then disability insurance kicked in bc some psychiatrist said I couldn’t work.
Did lots of biking and hiking (Pacific Crest Trail in’15).
Tennis only since ‘19. Not talented. No promise of ever getting good. But fun to see what I can learn. Cheers!
Did lots of biking and hiking (Pacific Crest Trail in’15).
Tennis only since ‘19. Not talented. No promise of ever getting good. But fun to see what I can learn. Cheers!
Happi
Hall of Fame
YES
As a pro photographer I have been blessed with a trade that many people has as their hobby. For me it is a lifestyle to be travelling around the Globe making images as much as it is a job. Never want to retire from that and never want to stop playing tennis.
I hope that the body holds up.
that's what i was thinking, but when sharing with (still working) friends & fam they thought i was crazy... so i thought i might be crazy...
their idea of retirement was vacationing, lounging, etc...
but i can't see myself doing that for more than a year
coaching hs tennis in spring/fall was partly about me experimenting with "could i see myself doing this when retired?" (seems fun so far, low stress, etc...
thx @10sbeast888 for sharing that... cuz ihat's exactly how i thought i'd end up feeling... work does give one purpose/satisfaction...
if i had that creative ability/job, i think i wouldn't quit either
so far, wife & i can see a routine of working out every day (including flexibility, etc...), taking (cooking,dancing,etc...) classes together, traveling for a month or so at a time,...
and obviously i would still be playing tennis, health permitting.
but as mentioned above, can see myself getting restless...
i have a friend that retired (from fam biz), and he went back to school to do some kind of engineering, and actually went back to work to do engineering stuff. he loves it.
ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
you guys in this thread, retired yet?
planning my retirement life seems harder than i thought it would be...
[edit] anyone in a 55y+ community? is the loofah thing for real?
If COVID hadn't taken down the economy and companies inflated prices for massive capital gains, I would be retired. Kinda froze me though.
Although I can sell my house, buying something in this overpriced market would be a ridiculous move. I would go from a 4200 square foot house on a 1/4 acre to a 1500 square foot for the same price these days. My house hasn't appreciated as much as the rest of the market. Now, we can all complain about the ensuing inflation of things and companies raping everyone for profits, but that also has me beating the market the last three years, and this year the market itself is at some insane 38% return rate, and I am still upwards of close to 45%! So where I can't afford to retire, at least when I do my nest eggs will be MUCH higher. Thank Biden for the investments and great employment there. With the changes that will come in January, within the next year we will see unemployment back up and increased pressure on interest rates to be reduced, but they will go up, along with taxes. Not to mentioned reduced consumer protections, an attack on social security and medicare, health care will be INSANE...
Just cashed out a ton of positions so I have cash reserves to buy back in when it's all back down, so that will be a huge boon in the long run, but that will be over the next few years.
And so...working as long as they don't lay me off I guess.
Hell, I am only 55.
Fintft
G.O.A.T.
On the other hand I don't know if I still have the energy to apply myself at work, in new fields such as AI, being notoriously lazy.
Not retired,
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10sbeast888
Professional
to me 'to apply' is a moot point.. the motivation is there, either for financial reasons, or for passion - e.g. playing rec tennis has no $ gains.
AI - there is not much you can do. all dominated by the mega's... small companies working on some thin wrapper will most likely be short-lived..... I consult in enterprise supply chain which will naturally involve AI.. the big stuff is coming.
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Fintft
G.O.A.T.
Not a moot point, b/c if I involve myself in something new, I should have the energy for it, not just the desire...
Oh, but we can do some AI and while I was the only looking into it 7 years ago, strictly from a high level architecture pov (such as capabilities) now there are groups inside my org that started working on it.
Rattler
Hall of Fame
you guys in this thread, retired yet?
planning my retirement life seems harder than i thought it would be...
[edit] anyone in a 55y+ community? is the loofah thing for real?
Been retired for eight years now. I stay busy. Back to running 4+ miles a day, weight lifting 4 times a week, tennis at least 3 times, and pickleball 2 or 3 times. I stay busy, but it’s busy doing what I want to do.
Rattler
Hall of Fame
Diff’Strokes
That has not happened to me.
Oddly enough I used to lose track of the days all the time while I was working. I always knew the date thought.
4200 is huge...
biggest houses on the block never do...
if it's any consoloation, mj's house is still for sale... 1096d and counting
2700 Point Ln, Highland Park, IL 60035 | Zillow
2700 Point Ln, Highland Park IL, is a Single Family home that contains 32683 sq ft and was built in 1995.It contains 9 bedrooms and 19 bathrooms.This home last sold for $9,500,000 in December 2024. The Rent Zestimate for this Single Family is $4,657/mo, which has increased by $4,657/mo in the...
www.zillow.com
tbf, suze orman vids have me extending my horizon...
i presume gop is anti taxes?
and anti tax on ss
just in time for 55+ ret communities...
i was entertained for a min to move to one of those... seems like a 24/7 party...
then remembered i'm not 20 anymore...
retire to me does not equate to not working...
i think i'd still need to adhere to maslow's update pyramid...
thus would still be working.. but might be some charity work, coaching hs tennis, <some other job that's interesting, but not necessarily well paid>,...
i have a buddy that's could retired a couple decades ago, but still works at a faang cuz it's still interesting... (though he's more likely to blow off deadlines now that when he was 21
)seems eeryone i know in tech, including me, is doing something AI related... just using the LLM's with proprietary data (not building llm'$$$)
4 pillars of fitness will be my top prio in retirement...
1. cardio
2. flex
3. strneght
4. agility/balance
like ly swim vs. run...
knees are going
do you find yourself accomplishing the top 2 of the pyramid?
Maslow's hierarchy of needs - Wikipedia
Rattler
Hall of Fame
4 pillars of fitness will be my top prio in retirement...
1. cardio
2. flex
3. strneght
4. agility/balance
like ly swim vs. run...
knees are going
My knees have survived getting my Jump wings in the service and 200+ jumps.
Rattler
Hall of Fame
do you find yourself accomplishing the top 2 of the pyramid?
Maslow's hierarchy of needs - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
I do, but that’s more of a personal accomplishment. I also read plenty of books and do my own writing.
I pursue plenty of my own interests. I’m lucky enough to travel when and where I want to go.
Lately my newest hobby is horology.
wow, thx you for your svc... (though i'm a few days late).
200 jumps impressive...
lol, maybe i worry, i'm just not that interesting...
always wanted a double tourbillon... but ultra2 infinitely more practical
ballmachineguy
Hall of Fame
That house reminds me of something Rick James (Chappelle) yelled at the Murphy brothers (Charlie and Eddie) on Chappelle’s Show.2700 Point Ln, Highland Park, IL 60035 | Zillow
2700 Point Ln, Highland Park IL, is a Single Family home that contains 32683 sq ft and was built in 1995.It contains 9 bedrooms and 19 bathrooms.This home last sold for $9,500,000 in December 2024. The Rent Zestimate for this Single Family is $4,657/mo, which has increased by $4,657/mo in the...
Rattler
Hall of Fame
wow, thx you for your svc... (though i'm a few days late).
200 jumps impressive...
lol, maybe i worry, i'm just not that interesting...
always wanted a double tourbillon... but ultra2 infinitely more practical
200+ jumps is a small number in comparison to my buddies. They all have over 2,000, but they came in and retired as the AFSC, I cross trained.
I lean towards divers, there is a micro-brand from Venice that makes some beautiful watches.
Then Omega and of course Rolex…I haven’t settled on a Rolex yet. Love the DateJust and who doesn’t love the Daytona? Or the GMT, and the Sub…see what I mean?
since this is a ttw... can't leave out
Introducing: The Richard Mille RM 27-05 Flying Tourbillon Rafael Nadal
The final entry into the lightweight Rafa series weighs a mere 11.5 grams.
www.hodinkee.com
unless you're a fed fan, in which case i see what rolex is your thing
lol
Rattler
Hall of Fame
I was talking about parachuting
Rattler
Hall of Fame
Who’s got that kinda cash? That’s a small home in San Diego or large one with at least an acre in 30 other States.since this is a ttw... can't leave out
Introducing: The Richard Mille RM 27-05 Flying Tourbillon Rafael Nadal
The final entry into the lightweight Rafa series weighs a mere 11.5 grams.
unless you're a fed fan, in which case i see what rolex is your thing
100k invested in sp500 at ~8% will get me enough to buy that watch in 30y... i'll just have to work on the guns until then so i can showcase the watch on nadal-like arms every time i hit my fh...
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