If she has the money, why not?
What's the best way to play with my husband?
- Thread starter Cindysphinx
- Start date
If she has the money, why not?
Sentinel
Bionic Poster
suresh, please post a video of your game for Cindy and others.
tennis_ocd
Hall of Fame
As one who used to first believe this I've come around to see it's utterly false. With endless self-video, youtube comparisons and reviewing one might come somewhat close but at 10x the time. I do agree with hitting with all types of styles.
Feel for the ball must be developed. I suggest simple exercises like bouncing the ball on the strings and ground, hitting against any wall from just a few feet away, getting used to hitting over the head badminton style, feeling how gentle top spin and slice feel and how the ball moves, etc. These first steps are better than playing on a court all at once.
Another great idea is to use 10-and-under soft balls and play mini tennis between the service lines. It will prevent him from getting frustrated and giving up.
And of course the grips. Start him off with a SW on the FH and whatever you use on the 2 handed BH. He must understand the importance of grip and the need for changing it.
Most beginners hold their racket open face. He must understand that closed face is the norm and then he can eventually develop open face for slices.
Another great idea is to use 10-and-under soft balls and play mini tennis between the service lines. It will prevent him from getting frustrated and giving up.
And of course the grips. Start him off with a SW on the FH and whatever you use on the 2 handed BH. He must understand the importance of grip and the need for changing it.
Most beginners hold their racket open face. He must understand that closed face is the norm and then he can eventually develop open face for slices.
goldenretriever
New User
I think you are doing exactly the right thing by hooking him up with your club pro. We had a similar situation in that my husband learned to play a few years after I took it up, and he needed the pro not only to work on his strokes but to teach him court positioning in doubles. We've had a lot of fun over the years playing together, both in singles matches and as mixed doubles partners. My only advice is to resist the urge to coach/criticize on the courts. Let him discover and work on his weaknesses on his own. Maybe I should add that although I love playing singles with him, we have never been able to just go out and rally together. I swear he doesn't understand the concept of "cooperative".
I think the 2 handed backhand should be promoted if for no other reason he's much less likely to get tennis elbow from it which is a common problem especially for older players without well developed strokes.
I know this isnt a gear thread but dont go the big granny stick either which apart from encouraging bad blocking style technique is also more likely to cause arm injuries.
A decent weight racket of medium to low stiffness no bigger than 100sq" would be my recommendation. Oh and definitely no full poly string jobs!
I know this isnt a gear thread but dont go the big granny stick either which apart from encouraging bad blocking style technique is also more likely to cause arm injuries.
A decent weight racket of medium to low stiffness no bigger than 100sq" would be my recommendation. Oh and definitely no full poly string jobs!
Cindysphinx
G.O.A.T.
Yeah, I have to stop coaching. It is so *hard* to shut up, though.
We're doing an intermediate clinic together. It is just 4 players for two hours, with a pro. It's great for getting to hit a lot.
But the pro is not teaching hubby anything at all. Like last night, we were the only two players, and the pro was hitting easy feeds so we could work on volleys. Hubby making two big mistakes -- stepping in with the wrong foot, playing FH volleys when the ball came to his body. These are not difficult corrections to address, yet the pro said nothing. I could almost see the bad muscle memory developing, as hubby made these mistakes for about 20 minutes.
So finally I piped up: "If the ball comes right at you, take it as a BH."
This was, erm, not appreciated.
Yeah. I think we need to ditch the clinics and spend that $$$ having him work with my pro.
amorris525
Rookie
Why does he need to take balls right at him as BHs?
Captain Ron
Professional
tennis tom
Legend
Who was it not appreciated by, the pro or your hubs?
Anatomically it is easier to hit them with the BH.
dunlop_fort_knox
Professional
whatever you guys do just don't scare the horses?
Definitely. Correcting him in front of another man would be like him piping up in front of your friends that your dress makes you look fat.
I'll accept a 2 hander may take longer to put together but against this pretty well every hacker style 50+ guy I know with a SHB has developed a bad elbow which has often stopped them playing for good. Even those who temporarily "cure" it will have frequent relapses involving all sorts of interventions to moderate.
The only exception seems to be guys who have either worked on tools all their lives eg carpenters or those with overdeveloped arm muscles from weights etc.
Players with good form who use full swings, dont arm the shot and hit the ball out in front are largely immune but from what I read in the above that's unlikely to be the case here.
The 2HBH pretty well forces you to hit with more of your body weight not just your arm and take the ball earlier. Slice BH hit late and behind you is one of the riskiest shots for your elbow.
Cindysphinx
G.O.A.T.
Plus, having a bad 1HBH is a curse for doubles. No topspin, floaty. Opponents will feast on it.
By the way, if you are referring to your spouse as "hubby" to him or in front of him, odds are very good that you are annoying him and causing some embarrassment. I've never heard of a guy who wanted to be referred to as a "hubby." It's a kind of sad, middle-aged-resigned-to-cutseyisms kind of expression that is viewed no more favorably than the average woman would like to be referred to as "THE Wife," "my ol' lady," or "The Old Ball-and-Chain."
Cindysphinx
G.O.A.T.
No, "hubby" is for your benefit.
By all means go for the 2 hander. I use both (and I don't mean 1 hander for slices). For balls coming in quickly to me, I sometimes hit 2 handed. I am just concerned that an older man may not be able to learn to hit 2 handed and 1 handed for slices for a long learning period.
What about calling him "my boy toy?"
For the backhand?
You're making progress, Cindy - you're not as passive-aggressive as usual.
eelhc
Hall of Fame
Or my favorite... SWMBO
Cindy, it is OK for your husband to learn to play with 10 and under balls. Even higher rated players are getting into it:
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?p=8880737&posted=1#post8880737
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?p=8880737&posted=1#post8880737
tennis tom
Legend
And don't forget to use a rosin bag so the grip don't slip.
stapletonj
Hall of Fame
tennis tom -
OUCH !!!!!!!
OUCH !!!!!!!
pc1
G.O.A.T.
Frankly there is no set way to play with your spouse. It all depends on the person's personality and what you feel they can accept. I have two teenage daughters who took tennis lessons, one listens to the instructions, realizes she's not going to be great right off the bat and did the drills they give her. She now has excellent form although I wouldn't call her an excellent player. My other daughter just couldn't take any constructive criticism and didn't handle taking the lessons well. She can barely hit a ball over the net. 
My wife (when she was playing she was a lower intermediate player) used to play some doubles with me on occasion. So I was playing mixed doubles with her on my side with a woman who was just a few years before a top college doubles player. My wife couldn't handle the sharp angled returns the other woman hit in the deuce court. So I figured the best thing to do was to poach. We lucked out and won my wife's service game that time but she scolded me angrily that I shouldn't poach and that was her shots. So the next time she served, no poaching and we lost the game at love. However I figured I'd rather lose the match and be happy at home than win the match and be unhappy at home.
My wife (when she was playing she was a lower intermediate player) used to play some doubles with me on occasion. So I was playing mixed doubles with her on my side with a woman who was just a few years before a top college doubles player. My wife couldn't handle the sharp angled returns the other woman hit in the deuce court. So I figured the best thing to do was to poach. We lucked out and won my wife's service game that time but she scolded me angrily that I shouldn't poach and that was her shots. So the next time she served, no poaching and we lost the game at love. However I figured I'd rather lose the match and be happy at home than win the match and be unhappy at home.
