When did you start winning matches?

[HolyMountain]

I realize this is an incredibly vague question - in fact, I am not looking for an answer but more other folks experiences. I played my whole life, took a break until my mid 30s then got back into it. For the last 2 years I have been taking lessons almost daily spring/summer/fall. I regularly play with guys that are 4.0/high 3.5, and can play quiet well. They win but with 7-5/6-4 scores. When I play in ladders I do well but still lose. BUT when I play tournaments - phew! I suddenly don't know how to play. Part of this I realized is in my area all the tournaments (during the season) are on clay. I am athletic enough to play on clay but don't practice on it, hate the longer slower points and suddenly my desire to serve and volley and end points quickly vanishes. I often find I lose to balls with no pace, accidentally get sucked into the net, suddenly get really shy about hitting aggressively on my forehand. Just more timid overall. My matches are getting better and "slowing down" - as in I feel the points aren't rushing me and I am able to make decisions in the moment. To be fair, I have probably only played 4-6 tournaments, but at what point does practice level tennis correlate to competing? I talk with most of the guys I play and they pretty much reflect the same sentiment.

 

[OnTheLine]

If you are like me it sounds like your focus during the match is on the outcome rather than your shot. E.G. you are playing "safe" to "not lose" rather than playing your shots with a game plan.

The key phrase for me was your stating being shy or timid. That sound like playing not-to-lose rather than playing to win or hit your shots.

Went through the same when I first started leagues and must admit going through a bit of a spell of it the past week or so as well.

Alter your focus. Make each shot a quality clean execution, just like in practice. Each ball, each point ... the games will come, the sets will come and the matches will come. And if it is still a loss, at least you played your own game not the shy timid stuff.

Doctor heal thyself.

 

[HolyMountain]

I think that is part of it 100% - the other part, I kind of tone down the competitiveness as these aren't people I know and lets be real, its just for fun. With my regular guys, I am far more intense and aggressive. I think with strangers I am afraid of being "that guy" hehehe. I tend to be more social and chatty, keep it really light. Maybe I need to be a little more focused.

 

[Cindysphinx]

It's a vague question, but a good one.

I think it is important to play occasionally with people who are weaker than you. That teaches you how to play against no pace and wonky spins, of course.

But it also teaches you how to win. How to close out a match. How to play with a lead without getting conservative. How not to choke.

It's a little harder with tournaments, as you get whom you get. But if you can work in some practice matches against weaker players, it might be good for your mental game. You can learn to stay aggressive and maybe that will help you?

 

[shamaho]

but at what point does practice level tennis correlate to competing?

open to more nuanced answers but.... I'll tend towards never...

no easy way to recreate the tournament pressure. it's one we put on ourselves... but nonetheless....

 

[Cashman]

I started to win when I started to hold serve consistently

 

[HolyMountain]

It has been many years since I posted this, I have taken some time off due to tennis elbow and came back to it with a clear head. For me, it is all about mental toughness. I will get down 1 break and instantly I start planning what's for dinner. There are so many subtle ebbs and flows in a match, I have gotten much better at noticing them and riding them out. Previously I really only had one weapon - a big serve. Now I have really good forehand to back it up more years of playing, developing pattern play. I also think it has helped to know what my game is. At the lower level there are always going to be those guys who just want to win, no matter how ugly. I approach the game differently, I want to develop skills and habits that will allow me to continue to compete at higher and higher levels, that has resulted in me losing in the short term. As I play better and better players, fitness is huge. If you are tired, you start making poor choices and that just cascades into problems. I still lose to people I "shouldn't " but that is just part of it. It is still for fun, no need to suck the joy out of it.

 

[HolyMountain]

I will also back up Cashman, holding serve is CRUCIAL! It is a must.

 

[cks]

but at what point does practice level tennis correlate to competing?

I'm currently struggling with this today. I take weekly private lessons, where there is little to no stress, and where I tend to hit better rally balls. We are still working on my ground stokes, with a focus on footwork and shifting weight.

Like most players, during match play I start to slowly get tight, tense up and overthink shots/forms with all of the down time between points. I still find it difficult to really "focus" in the point.

Right now, I just keep telling myself to grind it out: stick with my weekly privates, matches, and hitting sessions. I will still have my bad days where nothing seems to be working, but usually I have some things working while I still generate my unforced errors.

 

[HolyMountain]

It really has to just be done so much that the correct shot selection as well as form is just muscle memory, then the game starts to slow down. You don't think about all the insane amount of detail involved in typing these messages, much less driving a car. Same thing, it just has to be done over and over and over and over and over and over .

 

[zaskar1]

I realize this is an incredibly vague question - in fact, I am not looking for an answer but more other folks experiences. I played my whole life, took a break until my mid 30s then got back into it. For the last 2 years I have been taking lessons almost daily spring/summer/fall. I regularly play with guys that are 4.0/high 3.5, and can play quiet well. They win but with 7-5/6-4 scores. When I play in ladders I do well but still lose. BUT when I play tournaments - phew! I suddenly don't know how to play. Part of this I realized is in my area all the tournaments (during the season) are on clay. I am athletic enough to play on clay but don't practice on it, hate the longer slower points and suddenly my desire to serve and volley and end points quickly vanishes. I often find I lose to balls with no pace, accidentally get sucked into the net, suddenly get really shy about hitting aggressively on my forehand. Just more timid overall. My matches are getting better and "slowing down" - as in I feel the points aren't rushing me and I am able to make decisions in the moment. To be fair, I have probably only played 4-6 tournaments, but at what point does practice level tennis correlate to competing? I talk with most of the guys I play and they pretty much reflect the same sentiment.

HM

playing on clay is a lot different than hard courts. the ball bounce high, and the fact you can get to everything on clay makes you
makes you adjust your game transitioning from hardcourt tennis.
serve and volley is definitely less effective against most clay court guys
that being said, you probably need to practice on clay a bit before engaging in a tournament.
tournament level tennis is a lot more "stressful" than social tennis, even if you play with people a level or two above.
usually players with little tournament experience exhibit a drop in the level until they get use to playing tournaments.
the mental part of the game can also be a contributing factor.

sounds like you need to train and practice a bit on "clay" and play more tournaments with "no expectations"
as you need to adapt to the "clay tournament" environment.
you need to get your practive level tennis to the same level as your competitive level (ie tournaments)

z

 

[Pass750]

It has been many years since I posted this, I have taken some time off due to tennis elbow and came back to it with a clear head. For me, it is all about mental toughness. I will get down 1 break and instantly I start planning what's for dinner. There are so many subtle ebbs and flows in a match, I have gotten much better at noticing them and riding them out. Previously I really only had one weapon - a big serve. Now I have really good forehand to back it up more years of playing, developing pattern play. I also think it has helped to know what my game is. At the lower level there are always going to be those guys who just want to win, no matter how ugly. I approach the game differently, I want to develop skills and habits that will allow me to continue to compete at higher and higher levels, that has resulted in me losing in the short term. As I play better and better players, fitness is huge. If you are tired, you start making poor choices and that just cascades into problems. I still lose to people I "shouldn't " but that is just part of it. It is still for fun, no need to suck the joy out of it.

At 4.0/3.5, holding serve is not usually achieved because of the quality of the serve, the player just happens to win the game and if they were serving they held, if they weren't they broke. Unlike professional tennis where they hold because of the serve, at 4.0/3.5 it is happenstance.

 

[am1899]

Actually, right away. First tournament I played I won. It was a little over 30 years ago, and I remember it like it was yesterday. Fond memories.

My winning success was short lived, though. I switched to a OHBH around 12 years old. Had some success in regional tournaments, but largely took my lumps in sectional tournaments for the next 4-5 years. Wasnt until I had a growth spurt around 16 or so that I started having more consistent success. Eventually won my high school sectional tournament a couple times and made it to states 3 years in a row. Later got a scholarship to a D1 college.

I’ve always been a “go for it” kind of player. Sometimes at my own peril. But more often than not, taking risk has helped get me over the finish line.

Nowadays, my junior, high school, and collegiate careers are long over. I play some USTA league and an adult tournament or two throughout each year. I’m not nearly as “sharp” as I was in my younger years - I make a lot more mistakes, don’t move as well, and I don’t do as well with pressure. But tactically I’m a smarter player.

I agree with what had already been mentioned: gotta play with a mix of players - some better than you, some weaker, and your peers of course. It also helps to put yourself in pressure situations as often as possible - whether it’s league play, tournaments, ladder league, whatever. Anything to make matches meaningful. Can’t practice pressure.

Another thing I’ll point out is fitness. The fitter I am, the better tennis I play. Which may seem captain obvious. But it can’t be understated how much clearer I think and how much better choices I make when I am fit. When I’m heavy and out of shape, generally I go for too much and litter up the stat sheet.

Finally, like anything else, it’s process. Be patient, keep at it, and the results will come.

 

[HolyMountain]

At 4.0/3.5, holding serve is not usually achieved because of the quality of the serve, the player just happens to win the game and if they were serving they held, if they weren't they broke. Unlike professional tennis where they hold because of the serve, at 4.0/3.5 it is happenstance.

Wait, you are saying that 4.0/3.5 players do NOT have good serves?

 

[Pass750]

Wait, you are saying that 4.0/3.5 players do NOT have good serves?

Yes. And for some people the serve is a disadvantage at those levels.

 

[SeeItHitIt]

Start?

 

[davced1]

I started winning matches right away when I started competing. Not because I was a good player but more because I thought I was better than I was so my confidence was high.

 

[socallefty]

A couple of my brothers and I started tennis at the same time as kids. I was more talented than them in sports in general even though I am the youngest and so, I started winning against them quickly when we played matches in between our lessons.

 

[jz000]

4.0s have good serves. Just get tired 2nd set, -10mph. Or long deuce games.
Yup, practice patterns over and over, just like rallying over and over. Gotta groove it to be 2nd nature.

 

[Jono123]

Winning matches is about improving as a player. I would suggest playing people who are better than you, say a 4.0 to a 3.5.

Then play matches against the 3.5 cohort and you should win quite comfortably as you will have so much more time on the ball.

 

[Enginb]

Playing against better opponents is tough, but one other thing you can do to improve your game is to make this Mental Strength Test

Tennis Mental Strength Test - Bali The Trade Guru

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