The Post-Injury Existential Crisis

Cindysphinx

Cindysphinx

G.O.A.T.
I have played tennis/USTA for 18 years. I'm 61. I had a hip replacement last summer. And I am thiiiis close to hanging up my rackets.

A couple of months ago, I decided to get back out there, take a few lessons, and test things out. Between the hip replacement and six months of rust, I am playing terribly. I am unbelievably slow, a bunch of bad habits have resurfaced, and I can't hit my once-solid BH at all. Sure, all of this could improve with practice, but it is the dead of winter so that's not an option.

Even before the hip replacement, I felt like I was slowly losing my motivation. I stopped captaining. I played on fewer teams. I stopped arranging social matches. I started to resent finishing a day's work and then having to race out to some tennis facility for a night match. The idea of advancing to the post-season did not thrill me. At the same time, I was doing other things I enjoyed more, like hanging out with my adult kids. Once I wasn't paying for court time, strings, and lessons, I suddenly had more money.

For this season, I told two of my three captains I was going to sit out the winter. My third captain begged me to join (not because I'm good, probably just because she's shorthanded), so I did. But I am already dreading showing up and playing poorly (and probably losing to players I used to be able to beat).

When I was new to tennis and everything was exciting, I couldn't understand why some players who were deeply immersed in tennis would suddenly quit. Now, I get it.

Cindy -- who told herself that if she quits tennis, she has to find a new sport; and pickleball doesn't count
 
If it's work, a chore, not something you look forward to, something you dread, etc...it's time to take the hint and move on. Why spend your recreational time doing something that doesn't check most of the boxes? Finding something else will probably not even be a problem, as long as you don't use tennis as the yardstick; enjoy the new activity for its own merits.
 
Cindysphinx said:
I have played tennis/USTA for 18 years. I'm 61. I had a hip replacement last summer. And I am thiiiis close to hanging up my rackets.

A couple of months ago, I decided to get back out there, take a few lessons, and test things out. Between the hip replacement and six months of rust, I am playing terribly. I am unbelievably slow, a bunch of bad habits have resurfaced, and I can't hit my once-solid BH at all. Sure, all of this could improve with practice, but it is the dead of winter so that's not an option.

Even before the hip replacement, I felt like I was slowly losing my motivation. I stopped captaining. I played on fewer teams. I stopped arranging social matches. I started to resent finishing a day's work and then having to race out to some tennis facility for a night match. The idea of advancing to the post-season did not thrill me. At the same time, I was doing other things I enjoyed more, like hanging out with my adult kids. Once I wasn't paying for court time, strings, and lessons, I suddenly had more money.

For this season, I told two of my three captains I was going to sit out the winter. My third captain begged me to join (not because I'm good, probably just because she's shorthanded), so I did. But I am already dreading showing up and playing poorly (and probably losing to players I used to be able to beat).

When I was new to tennis and everything was exciting, I couldn't understand why some players who were deeply immersed in tennis would suddenly quit. Now, I get it.

Cindy -- who told herself that if she quits tennis, she has to find a new sport; and pickleball doesn't count
Click to expand...

Tennis is extremely hard on the body. I’m 35 and I already told myself that if I have a bad case of tennis elbow and or need surgery etc for ankle knee etc I would hang up the rackets.
If you really wanted to play a racket sport you could do pickle ball.
 
I'm 68 and after a long stint of playing USTA adult tourneys and leagues, a blown ACL and other injuries had me take a (literal) step back. But I found that all those special skills and talents that tennis brought out made me long for playing again. So, while I don't train nearly as hard, and have to accept I'm not as good a competitor, I've found a lot of joy in playing when I want to. I smile a lot when I make a few shots, and wince less because I don't push myself to the limit like I was once able to.

My suggestion to Cindy is to continue to play the game in a different way. Find other skilled players who play for the pure FUN of it. Play as hard as you can, but not to the point of injuring yourself. Know your limits and know that once you give up the game, you may be leaving some skills and functional abilities to moulder and disappear. That would be a shame.
 
It’s important to ask yourself what aspects of tennis you enjoy most, and what parts you can do without.

It sounds like you only enjoy usta when you feel like you are ready to compete and win. If you are physically compromised, usta probably isn’t the best way for you to enjoy tennis.

Do you enjoy playing social doubles with friends where you can just mess around and hit some fun shots and laugh and get smoothies together afterward? Where no one really cares much about what the score is? There are plenty of folks who continue playing tennis that way long after their usta days are over. It gives a way to exercise and socialize in a group.

Where I live now, both my worlds, in both Seattle and South America, the city park with outdoor courts is the local watering hole for most of the year. There are regulars who show up every day. They just play doubles with whoever shows up. Everyone knows each other. People rotate around with different partners. Maybe something like that exists where you are?
 
If the love for tennis is gone, it’s fine as you should take a break and know that the love for the game might come back someday. After playing many years as a kid and through college/grad school, I didn’t play during most of the Nineties. I played often for about 7 years after that and then took a 5-year break. I’ve been playing regularly for the last twelve years. Generally I’ve stopped playing tennis when there was other enjoyable and/or time-consuming things going on in my life and what I thought would be a 3-4 month break then lasted years as I found other things to do.

I played USTA leagues including captaining regularly only for about eight years. Most of my adult tennis life has been about playing socially with friends. When I played on public courts, it was tough to fill up the calendar with regular tennis sessions without playing on league teams or tournaments. After I joined tennis clubs a couple of decades ago, the opportunity to play social tennis is there almost every day as there are many players wanting to play a lot every week and that’s why they spend the money to join a tennis club. And since clubs have bars/restaurants, it is easy to socialize with tennis friends.

At the end of the day, a lot of the pleasure from tennis is from the endorphins generated from doing a physical activity. Maybe while you were recovering post-surgery, you probably did other physical activities to get that and now you don’t need tennis as much to make you feel good. All the best - take life as it comes!
 
What drives me at 68 is not beating some other geriatric player, but improving hitting elegant shots. I don't care if I am feeding to an 8 yr old or 40 yr old 3.0, or hitting to a 30 yr old rising 4.0 or talking smack to my other over 60 hitting partners. When I decide to take my 93" 18x20 19mm straight beam 11.9oz out and have a good outing I feel satisfied. Win or lose, good or bad, I love hitting tennis balls just because..... I lost being competitive the last time I stared down the barrel of an AK 47 and didn't die... Tennis is a kids game, play for the joy of being able to just play...like when you were a kid...I laugh, shout, giggle, mumble obscenities and generally have a great time every time on the court.. Tennis is fun....
 
Sounds like somebody needs a trip down south for about a week of doubles drills and rum drinks afterwards!

Hang in there Cindy, we'd miss ya too much! (age 66, rehabbing a foot injury right now....)
 
definitely sounds like you need a break.... dive into other things in life.
i've taken several breaks over the years:
* moved to nyc, stopped play for 3y (pain to find/book outdoor courts and schedule time with similar level players)
* acl surgery 18mos
* new interests 7y (marathon, bjj/martial arts, off roading)
then something happened for me to catch the bug again (eg. friends ask for a friendly hit, corporate league invite, random "need a 4th" invite, team invite, tennis wall next to the playground my kids were at, etc...)
 
Oh @Cindysphinx I feel for you.
On the coming back from a major injury/surgery. I have done it more times than I would like in my life. Mostly not with tennis though. But full ACL repair to get back to collegiate soccer ... the physical aspect was enormous work, but the mental aspect was tougher. Getting my confidence in my body's abilities was elusive for quite a while.

Tennis ... Lots written about the "lifetime" aspect of it. I think that is part of the beauty. At least for me.
Being mid-50s I look at those in their 60s, 70s and 80s at the club and see how they evolve.
I see those in their 70s and 80s who love playing on their terms at their level ... groups of men and women clearly playing with joy and saying "too good" to shots that they would have chased down a decade before.
Perhaps there was mental gymnastics that got them to where they can play happily without the possibility of playing as they did before.

All that said .... give yourself a little time. 6 months is not a very long recovery post-surgery.
I know of quite a few tennis players with replaced hips and knees who after a year are playing at or above the level they had been ... and at about your age.

Different people play the sport for their own reasons.
Some love the competition, the drive to improve, drive to advance in leagues.
Some love the sport itself and the playing without needing to look at or be concerned with the score.
Others are there for the exercise and the friendship
All good reasons.

And yet if no reason justifies For You the time or costs or struggle to recover ... that is okay too.

Side note: I can't think of another sport that you could switch to (aside p-ball) that would have a lower bar physically than tennis.
 
Do what you enjoy, and pickleball does count. Don't knock it 'til you try it.... :). Good luck and stay healthy!!
 
Cindysphinx said:
Cindy -- who told herself that if she quits tennis, she has to find a new sport; and pickleball doesn't count
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear, friend. Your posts are legendary on this forum! Hope the rust wears off soon and your motivation returns.

Your closing line cracks me up! lol
 
The minimum acceptable age for pickleball is 70, without subjecting yourself to constant ridicule. You could get a medical waiver for 61 with a hip replacement, though. Maybe that's the answer?
 
I wouldn't swear off tennis just yet. The folks I know that have had hip replacements are playing better tennis now than they did before their surgery. Maybe just try to play socially instead of league tennis.

Also there's nothing wrong with pickleball. You should give it a shot. It's quite fun and a pretty decent workout. Played Saturday. Temp was in the mid 40s and I got a good sweat going.
 
Thanks for the support, ya'all.

Well, a friend just added me to the sub list for her seasonal time. I guess I have to get back out there sometime and at least try.

Heck, there's a chance I can distract them from picking on my pitiful BH. I can throw them off the scent by displaying my Godawful FH.

Cindy -- who really should drop down to 6.5 combo and work her way back from there, but who is too proud for that
 
Cindysphinx said:
I have played tennis/USTA for 18 years. I'm 61. I had a hip replacement last summer. And I am thiiiis close to hanging up my rackets.

A couple of months ago, I decided to get back out there, take a few lessons, and test things out. Between the hip replacement and six months of rust, I am playing terribly. I am unbelievably slow, a bunch of bad habits have resurfaced, and I can't hit my once-solid BH at all. Sure, all of this could improve with practice, but it is the dead of winter so that's not an option.

Even before the hip replacement, I felt like I was slowly losing my motivation. I stopped captaining. I played on fewer teams. I stopped arranging social matches. I started to resent finishing a day's work and then having to race out to some tennis facility for a night match. The idea of advancing to the post-season did not thrill me. At the same time, I was doing other things I enjoyed more, like hanging out with my adult kids. Once I wasn't paying for court time, strings, and lessons, I suddenly had more money.

For this season, I told two of my three captains I was going to sit out the winter. My third captain begged me to join (not because I'm good, probably just because she's shorthanded), so I did. But I am already dreading showing up and playing poorly (and probably losing to players I used to be able to beat).

When I was new to tennis and everything was exciting, I couldn't understand why some players who were deeply immersed in tennis would suddenly quit. Now, I get it.

Cindy -- who told herself that if she quits tennis, she has to find a new sport; and pickleball doesn't count
Click to expand...
Try to throw that all out and play for the exercise, the social time. Play the speed that you can and just accept that is the speed you can play. It's still good exercise and still gets you out with people.
 
I love ping pong. I live in a city with a club that has a facility with 18 tables. They have a league night where they group you with similar level players. If you play significantly higher level players you can get an enormous workout from them running you around.
 
Last edited:
That sounds like a blast, Jimmy8. And think, there's always the chance of getting good enough to make the Olympic team!
 
Take up yoga and / or basic strength training with a trainer or in a group setting. Once you are feeling physically more confident, the tennis will come easier and you will get back into it if you still want to.
 
No real words of wisdom or such, just a..

fist_bump_shawn_gus_psych.gif
 
Cindysphinx said:
That sounds like a blast, Jimmy8. And think, there's always the chance of getting good enough to make the Olympic team!
Click to expand...
Go to a club, you might meet some people who are a level or a few levels below Olympic level. Olympic level is so far above recreational, it's not even funny. I got to rally with an Olympic level lady for a minute or so. Her skill level was so amazing. I met her when I was in junior high school and my school's club went to a high school to compete with their club. I'm not sure why she was there, but I got to rally with her.
 
jimmy8 said:
Go to a club, you might meet some people who are a level or a few levels below Olympic level. Olympic level is so far above recreational, it's not even funny. I got to rally with an Olympic level lady for a minute or so. Her skill level was so amazing. I met her when I was in junior high school and my school's club went to a high school to compete with their club. I'm not sure why she was there, but I got to rally with her.
Click to expand...

I got to hit with Pete Sampras briefly a really long time ago. I was a 5.0 in my late 20s at the time, but the levels were so far apart, I realized how much I suck in comparison. There is a massive chasm of difference between a competitive recreational player and a world-class athlete (especially a GOAT). I've had a hard time taking my tennis accomplishments too seriously since then. I imagine that it's the same in any sport between rec players and pros, be it table tennis or anything else.

As for @Cindysphinx's situation, playing tennis while in pain is no fun at all, no matter what your level is. I would suggest focusing on getting healthy, fit, and pain-free before trying to do anything deep with tennis. You've already accomplished more than most recreational tennis players. Take some time off, feel good, and come back to tennis when there is a sense of excitement about playing. Also, as we age, our movement is going to keep diminishing, so it's a matter of understanding what our capabilities are and recalibrating. Back when my sister was a 3.0, I remember she ran into this player that was in her 60s and who had once been a really strong 4.5 or 5.0 player, but had lost much of her mobility. However, she really enjoyed playing tournaments and could compete at the 3.0 level against younger people, moonballing and getting to as many balls as she could. My sister had a 3 hour battle with her and the older lady won... and you could tell she was just as happy to win that match as anything she might have done when she was younger. So it's a matter of perspective.
 
pickleball may be a lot of things, but it is not a sport. take a look at all the morbidly obese and
golf is VERY borderline, unless you walk all 18 holes and carry your own bag.

You dont play tennis to stay in shape, you stay in shape to play tennis.

hang in there Cindy!
 
Most important thing is to have fun playing! If you do, you'll naturally want to play more, and improve (or at least decrease more slowly with age, lol).

But it's a hobby, not a chore. There's really no point to forcing yourself on the court when you don't want to be there (and it'll just make you worse anyway). Take a break! Play some pingpong or some pickleball or whatever seems neat.
 
Max G. said:
Most important thing is to have fun playing! If you do, you'll naturally want to play more, and improve (or at least decrease more slowly with age, lol).

But it's a hobby, not a chore. There's really no point to forcing yourself on the court when you don't want to be there (and it'll just make you worse anyway). Take a break! Play some pingpong or some pickleball or whatever seems neat.
Click to expand...

Croquet is a sport that involves hitting wooden or plastic balls with a mallet through hoops (often called "wickets" in the United States) embedded in a grass playing court.
 
I wish you a speedy recovery and hope you find a form of exercise you can enjoy.

I enjoyed reading about your experience as an adult rec player. What follows is how I look at tennis for whatever that is worth.

The main reason I play tennis is for health reasons. I can’t stand treadmills or any sort of exercise just for the sake of exercise. When I played football I swore I would never lift weights or exercise again if I stopped playing. I kept that promise for about 22 years. At 40 I did jujitsu for about a year but getting thrown around and doing that was a bit much for pro couch potatoe. So I stopped all exercise again for about another 8 years. My wife started playing tennis with her friend and suggested I try it. So I took a tennis 101 class and have been playing ever since.


I am sort of used to sports that physically hurt when I am outplayed. Of course, I realize tennis can be painful too. But it is not more physically painful if I play someone better than me. So for me my ability or lack of ability, is something I consider, but it always takes a back seat.


Like jackthehac points out there is a huge gap between top pros and all rec tennis. So where I fit in the rec tennis pyramid is not that important to me. I will play tennis as long as it is more fun than other forms exercise.

I do recognize that my views are not common. I know other players that get frustrated and quit because they are not doing well. I feel bad for them unless they have some other form of exercise they will jump into. I never looked at the clock hoping tennis would end except once and that was because I was not only very sore but very hungry and new I had a very good dinner planned that night. So it was part looking forward to what I had next.

I have been through a rut recently. I was often the worst player on the court and felt I was dragging the overall level of play down. It’s not a great feeling. And I admit I was mildly disappointed not to be bumped to 3.5. Mainly because the club I go to has drills/clinic for 3.5 men and 4.0 women and higher and now I can’t justify going to those since I am an official 3.0. The coach said I could go and I love those clinics but I feel the rule is fair and I don’t want to disrespect the other players.

for me I just had to say ok maybe I’m not so good but tennis is making me healthier than I have been in years- and I hate to think how bad I would be if I never took it up.

So I took a break from competitive tennis and just do drills with 3.0 and lower players. I figure any fun I have is icing on the cake. But I am having fun nonetheless.
 
Moon Shooter said:
I wish you a speedy recovery and hope you find a form of exercise you can enjoy.

I enjoyed reading about your experience as an adult rec player. What follows is how I look at tennis for whatever that is worth.

The main reason I play tennis is for health reasons. I can’t stand treadmills or any sort of exercise just for the sake of exercise. When I played football I swore I would never lift weights or exercise again if I stopped playing. I kept that promise for about 22 years. At 40 I did jujitsu for about a year but getting thrown around and doing that was a bit much for pro couch potatoe. So I stopped all exercise again for about another 8 years. My wife started playing tennis with her friend and suggested I try it. So I took a tennis 101 class and have been playing ever since.


I am sort of used to sports that physically hurt when I am outplayed. Of course, I realize tennis can be painful too. But it is not more physically painful if I play someone better than me. So for me my ability or lack of ability, is something I consider, but it always takes a back seat.


Like jackthehac points out there is a huge gap between top pros and all rec tennis. So where I fit in the rec tennis pyramid is not that important to me. I will play tennis as long as it is more fun than other forms exercise.

I do recognize that my views are not common. I know other players that get frustrated and quit because they are not doing well. I feel bad for them unless they have some other form of exercise they will jump into. I never looked at the clock hoping tennis would end except once and that was because I was not only very sore but very hungry and new I had a very good dinner planned that night. So it was part looking forward to what I had next.

I have been through a rut recently. I was often the worst player on the court and felt I was dragging the overall level of play down. It’s not a great feeling. And I admit I was mildly disappointed not to be bumped to 3.5. Mainly because the club I go to has drills/clinic for 3.5 men and 4.0 women and higher and now I can’t justify going to those since I am an official 3.0. The coach said I could go and I love those clinics but I feel the rule is fair and I don’t want to disrespect the other players.

for me I just had to say ok maybe I’m not so good but tennis is making me healthier than I have been in years- and I hate to think how bad I would be if I never took it up.

So I took a break from competitive tennis and just do drills with 3.0 and lower players. I figure any fun I have is icing on the cake. But I am having fun nonetheless.
Click to expand...

Actually your perspective on this is not at all uncommon!

I play for very similar reasons:
- It's my primary form of exercise, and pretty much the only form of exercise that I actually enjoy.
- It's a lot of fun - for me just the act of hitting balls is fun, regardless of whether I'm just drilling, playing points, or playing matches.
- It's meditative... when I'm playing, I'm not thinking about anything else.
- I enjoy the social interaction with all the people I play with regularly

Of course it is satisfying when I feel I'm playing well, and can be frustrating when I feel I'm playing poorly, but at the end of the day I'm just a rec player and the competitive aspects are not the reason I play.
 
Cindysphinx said:
I have played tennis/USTA for 18 years. I'm 61. I had a hip replacement last summer. And I am thiiiis close to hanging up my rackets.

A couple of months ago, I decided to get back out there, take a few lessons, and test things out. Between the hip replacement and six months of rust, I am playing terribly. I am unbelievably slow, a bunch of bad habits have resurfaced, and I can't hit my once-solid BH at all. Sure, all of this could improve with practice, but it is the dead of winter so that's not an option.

Even before the hip replacement, I felt like I was slowly losing my motivation. I stopped captaining. I played on fewer teams. I stopped arranging social matches. I started to resent finishing a day's work and then having to race out to some tennis facility for a night match. The idea of advancing to the post-season did not thrill me. At the same time, I was doing other things I enjoyed more, like hanging out with my adult kids. Once I wasn't paying for court time, strings, and lessons, I suddenly had more money.

For this season, I told two of my three captains I was going to sit out the winter. My third captain begged me to join (not because I'm good, probably just because she's shorthanded), so I did. But I am already dreading showing up and playing poorly (and probably losing to players I used to be able to beat).

When I was new to tennis and everything was exciting, I couldn't understand why some players who were deeply immersed in tennis would suddenly quit. Now, I get it.

Cindy -- who told herself that if she quits tennis, she has to find a new sport; and pickleball doesn't count
Click to expand...
i quitted tennis for running, as much as i like tennis, i dont regret it, much cheaper and gets you fitter, straight to the point, endorphin shot, takes little time..., i have improved much more than i expected, im very happy
 
Bambooman said:
I'm surprised how many consider tennis good exercise. It does almost nothing for a typical player.
Click to expand...

I think it depends on how you are playing tennis. For instance, if you are playing social "hit and giggle" doubles, there probably isn't much running or exercise involved. On the other hand, competitive singles is definitely exercise.

I played over an hour of singles this morning against one of the club pros. This consisted of 30 minutes of drills, followed by a set (which was super close and I barely won). According to Fitbit, I logged over 6,000 steps, 82 exercise "zone" minutes, and burned approximately 741 calories. My average heart rate during this time was 124 bpm, with a few spikes into the high 140s.
 
Slicehand said:
i quitted tennis for running, as much as i like tennis, i dont regret it, much cheaper and gets you fitter, straight to the point, endorphin shot, takes little time..., i have improved much more than i expected, im very happy
Click to expand...

Nothing prevents someone from combining both. I usually try to do some stretching and take a short walk before tennis.

Running can cause knee problems down the line.
 
sureshs said:
Nothing prevents someone from combining both. I usually try to do some stretching and take a short walk before tennis.

Running can cause knee problems down the line.
Click to expand...
if you want to give your best in either one, you can only take the other as a fun thing to do sometimes, i train running 5 days a week, if i want to play for fun, it has to be on the off day, and then it messes up my recovery, so its not thats simple, unless you are not trying to be as competitive as you can, which is a normal thing, just do it for fun, for me sport is about challenges and giving your all
 
Jack the Hack said:
My average heart rate during this time was 124 bpm, with a few spikes into the high 140s.
Click to expand...
When I playing singles (50+ years old), my heart rate will spike into the 150s, and 160s. When that happens, I take my time before starting the next point to get my rate back down under 150.
 
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