What's your motivation in tournaments?

[MrCLEAN]

I took a hard hard loss back in Feb, and haven't hit a ball since. Basically over the last several years, I've been working on my game trying to get better, but I seem to have topped out at the 4.0 level. Now I've got arthritis and disc issues, which will probably keep me there. Up to this point, I've always played tournaments w/ the goal that if I played well, I would have a CHANCE to win. After my last beat down (in which I played as well as I could), it is clear that I won't be winning any tournaments no matter how I play .

So anyway, I still want to play, but I've never played one w/ the mindset going in that I won't be able to win. Does anyone in a similar situation still enjoy tournaments as much w/ the knowledge that they won't be competitive in the later rounds? I just don't know if it's worth the time/money to continue to play them.

 

[Mike2228]

My motivation is 1 part competition 1 part fun. Thats about it.

 

[SlapShot]

Depends on the tourney.

NTRP tourneys, I play to go deep into and try and win the whole thing. I expect that if I play well, there shouldn't be a 4.0 player that can beat me - it's not often the case, but I have expectations.

I play opens to learn how to play at that level - it's not about winning, but rather about being able to work on patterns, footwork, and playing 1 ball better or 1 point better.

 

[bodieq]

My motivation for tournaments is to collect a bunch of dust-collecting trophies so I can throw it in a box and let it sit there in my garage.

 

[pyrokid]

Tournaments are mostly just for fun for me. I like hanging out with the people I only see at them, and playing tons of tennis is never a downside.
But I also love seeing how much I've improved, and seeing how I'm improving compared to the others I was on the same level as.
At the beginning, like 3 years ago, I was like you. I could play out of my mind and still only make it a few rounds in. But I've improved tons these last three years, and now I'm in the group of people who are all pretty much guaranteed spots in the semis in non-endorsement/supers tournies.

You'll get there, don't give up. There are always areas to improve on. Heck, a better mental game will improve most people a half NTRP level I'd assume. (Not totally sure, as I'm just a junior.)

 

[NoSkillzAndy]

I enjoy the competition aspect of it the most. There's no better way to test yourself IMO than attempting to win a bunch of matches in a row against increasingly difficult opponents. League matches don't really accomplish the same thing, as they are usually one-shot deals in which either player/team could be having a good or bad day. You can be pretty sure that whoever wins a big tournament draw is on their game because they're having to prove it over and over again.

I suppose I also like the sheer physicality of a long tournament. Playing 2-3 matches a day (and sometimes more for people that play multiple events!) tends to weed out the "weekend warrior" types who with their minimal practice & fitness might be able to get by in a lone league or ladder match but who fall apart physically or mentally in tournaments.

I also grew up playing lots of juniors tournaments, so it's sort of ingrained into my idea of what competitive tennis should be. I do participate in leagues and sometimes ladders, but for me those are always secondary to tournaments.

As for what I get out of it? I'd say I play tourneys mostly for the competition, to see who I can beat, how far I can get, get a chance to play new people, etc. It's certainly not for the "free" t-shirts! I do try to make it a habit to bring home some hardware, and occasionally I'm motivated to go for a sectional ranking as well. Texas has an end of the year invitational tournament for the top ranked players, which is pretty cool.

 

[film1]

Man,

I hear what your saying. I a was decent player a few years ago but got away from playing very much and when I did it was doubles, quit working out, doing cardio and eventually put on about 30 pounds.
Now my conditioning and game have dropped significantly but I still go out like a dummy and try and compete at the same level.

I keep telling myself I am going to loose some weight and get fit and play enough to put up a fight but right now I am hurting, (The heat is torture, high of 102 this weekend and very humid) Who knows what the court temp will be?
No shade near the courts so you also bake during change over.

I will probably be starting my second match of the day around 2:30pm so it is pretty much torture right now.
Hope this helps you feel better about your situation.

 

[BMC9670]

Are you playing NTRP or Open? I played Open for a year and would sometimes get a draw where I was competitive, but usually got beat badly. I liked learning from the better players, but losing badly does get to you after a while. Now I enter NTRP so that, like you, I feel I should have a "chance" if I play well.

I know it's not always like this in reality, but theoretically, players in an NTRP grouping should be relatively the same level, right? At least we can keep thinking that for motivation.;-)

 

[goran_ace]

To not get injured.

 

[ibeeskeef]

I play for the beer truck!

 

[cll30]

If you played as well as you could, what more could you ask for? Don't beat yourself up just because you lost.

 

[RogerRacket111]

I wish I could get mad about losing. I get mad if I don't play as well as I can. Winning and winning easy also leaves me with an empty feeling. I wish I had that built in me of taking losses hard well maybe not life is too short.

 

[thejuice]

I used to get all hyped up and ready to play matches and tourneys like I thought a pro would until I kept getting disappointed because I expected more from myself. I found that I looked too many rounds into the future and was focusing on accepting a trophy long before my first serve of the whole tourney. What I have started to do is to focus on one small thing at a time. One small change at a time can actually change the world just as effectively as one big change.

 

[saigonbond]

If you're a 4.0 and your motivation is still to win, however you're getting whipped when you step on the court...
Common sense would say drop down to 3.5 would it not?

 

[nickarnold2000]

With your physical problems, you may not be competing for the trophy at 4.0 singles but there's still doubles to go for(which requires less movement). As someone mentioned above, try moving down a level in singles and see how it goes.
In the end, I just really enjoy getting out there and hitting the ball. Good luck.

 

[tennis tom]

Now I've got arthritis and disc issues, which will probably keep me there.

Get a book by Dr. John E. Sarno, he's written four. A good one is "HEALING BACK PAIN". It will help your back, guaranteed! I can play everyday after having read his stuff.

Good Luck, good thread, cheers.

 

[tennis tom]

How do you delete duplicate posts?--help, I'm a Luddite.

 

[tennis tom]

For the t-shirt or hat and to participate.

 

[polski]

I've never played one w/ the mindset going in that I won't be able to win. Does anyone in a similar situation still enjoy tournaments as much w/ the knowledge that they won't be competitive in the later rounds? I just don't know if it's worth the time/money to continue to play them.

Tournaments are a great way for me to stay motivated to stay in shape. If I play a tournament every month, I usually can find the extra motivation to go to the gym and get out to practice.

 

[tennis tom]

So anyway, I still want to play, but I've never played one w/ the mindset going in that I won't be able to win. Does anyone in a similar situation still enjoy tournaments as much w/ the knowledge that they won't be competitive in the later rounds? I just don't know if it's worth the time/money to continue to play them.

Yes, but knowing you have NO chance in singles and can maybe play one great set in the dubs, can put a damper on the enthusiasm. I'm in that situation now, gotten lame and fat. But, after about a year of being off the Senior Tournament scene, I'm itching to return. It's such a refuge of sanity in what's increasingly becoming an insane world.

There are players who have been competing in the Seniors for decades and have never won a match, and probably never will, but they enjoy the atmosphere and commraderie so much they keep returning never the less.

I have won matches and been in finals but I know that, unless I travel to somewhere remote, I don't have a chance, at the moment to win. In the off-time, I work on everything else but blazing speed, and look forward to testing the results against the best at tournament competition.

It's tough to toil in the club scene, (see and be seen), trying to play with the clueless who aren't clear on what they are doing there accept that there's a bar at the end of a mediocre match. The pain of trying to get through the BS at ye ol' club is probably worse than the pain from my butt.

The travel part of the Senior Tournament scene is one of my favorite aspects. Driving through beautiful scenery, to and from the events, does a lot more for the psyche than seeing a shrink, that's for sure--but the ride home is a lot more fun when you win.

 

[Sherlock]

I like to compete and right now I'm improving so it's fun to see results, and see everything come together for a few matches and get a win. But I also really enjoy other parts of the tournament. I enjoy having the goal and something to work for. Maybe you're drive to win a tournament is not pushing you enough (or maybe too much) outside of tournaments to work hard for them. I enjoy playing with some of the same guys and being able to talk with them here and there. A lot of tennis players are just really easy to get along with.