Pitti
Rookie
Hi. I signed up for an amateur league at one of the local clubs. Rules state that everybody starts on the lower of the 6 or 7 tiers and promotes up to twice a year. Only exception is the winner of the club tournament, which is immediately promoted to the 1st tier league. From what I've played in the club, both friendly and competition matches, I've lost adjusted matches against 2nd tier players (6/4 6/4) and won all matches against 3rd tier ones. 1st tier players have easily crushed me, so over time I think I'll end up somewhere between 3rd and 2nd tier.
I'm currently playing on the 5th tier, and most players there are under my level. I never refuse playing a match if I can, so I play friendly matches with everyone. Obviously, most of the matches I play are against those 6th or 5th tier players I've been knowing through the last year. Some of them are not that bad and have good technique and strong serves, but they make tons of unforced errors. With those I must play a normal match, focusing on my habitual game.
But with other players, the difference of level is really obvious. They're the kind of players who will hit a very soft flat 2nd serve that I can attack almost from the service line. On friendly matches, instead of finishing them on each short ball, I try to play longer points and let them commit a mistake so that we both can have some fun.
How could I use those matches to improve my own game? Some days I start drop-shotting them for a while. Some other days I play a random full serve&volley game during a set. But I need some ideas that will help me improve some aspect of my game while maintaining some general fun instead of bagelling them.
I'm currently playing on the 5th tier, and most players there are under my level. I never refuse playing a match if I can, so I play friendly matches with everyone. Obviously, most of the matches I play are against those 6th or 5th tier players I've been knowing through the last year. Some of them are not that bad and have good technique and strong serves, but they make tons of unforced errors. With those I must play a normal match, focusing on my habitual game.
But with other players, the difference of level is really obvious. They're the kind of players who will hit a very soft flat 2nd serve that I can attack almost from the service line. On friendly matches, instead of finishing them on each short ball, I try to play longer points and let them commit a mistake so that we both can have some fun.
How could I use those matches to improve my own game? Some days I start drop-shotting them for a while. Some other days I play a random full serve&volley game during a set. But I need some ideas that will help me improve some aspect of my game while maintaining some general fun instead of bagelling them.
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