Why do you play tennis?

B

Becker

New User
Just curious. I've heard a lot of different responses. For some people I've asked, it's the satisfaction of taking everything your opponent gives you and eventually coming out on top at the end, when nobody thought you would.

For others, it's just doing the unexpected, as in getting one or two of those impossible gets in a match.

Then for some people, it's even just making a certain shot. A drop volley for instance, it's like drugs to them. Or for others it's just how you pass somebody, even. As in somebody else is at the net, you blast one at them, come in, and volley the ball yourself to the side of your opponent.

And for a lot of people, it's just hitting winners, no matter what kind.

Personally, it's just getting into an all out battle of...power. The ball gets faster and faster as everything escalates, and then one person comes out on top. I've had a few points like that every now and then, and I live for those. It doesn't matter if I lose the point. Of course, you have to be consistent with the power, otherwise the point will never..."escalate". I started playing tennis after I watched two college players whacking the hell out of the ball. I started actually enjoying it when I got into a point like it myself (although, of course on a lower level) but wasn't able to repeat it for a while due to not being good or consistent enough.

Now I get more of them, and come out on top of those points more. It's almost like you're proving to yourself what you can do.

Of course, I'm weird. Some people even just play tennis because other friends do or their parents wanted them to.

So for all of you...why? What makes your good matches "good"?
 
I play for fun and the aerobic as well as the anaerobic exercise one gets from tennis. I like the improvement that comes up with each passing year and if there is no improvement, you know something's wrong.
 
Becker said:
Just curious. I've heard a lot of different responses. For some people I've asked, it's the satisfaction of taking everything your opponent gives you and eventually coming out on top at the end, when nobody thought you would.

Of course, I'm weird. Some people even just play tennis because other friends do or their parents wanted them to.

So for all of you...why? What makes your good matches "good"?
Click to expand...

At my age, for what I do now, and for where I spend the majority of my time, it keeps me from weighing over 500 lbs. :(
 
Desk job, Bill? Accountant, programmer, something like that?

Sorry, I had to add on the second part to meet the 10 word requirement. About the shortest post I've made.
 
I have always loved the combination of grace & strength in tennis. The clean lines and beauty of it.
There's very little about the sport that I don't like.
I see a court and want to play.
It's been like that for 20 years.
 
dmastous said:
I have always loved the combination of grace & strength in tennis. The clean lines and beauty of it.
There's very little about the sport that I don't like.
I see a court and want to play.
It's been like that for 20 years.
Click to expand...

And let the hyperbole FLOW, baby...!!!
 
it's not a team sport... it's just me. i'm in charge, i can use whatever strategies or tactics i want. when i put time into practice, i can see the results right away. it's like a duel. i love how there are so many different styles of playing, and how everyone's strokes are different aesthetically. being able to develop into whatever kind of player i want is so cool. (although i think i'm destined to be a counterpuncher cause i'm so short =[ ) plus it's a lifelong sport. and yeah, tennis is a good combination of grace and strength... except for women grunting all day long...

i've actually been thinking about this question... there's just something that draws me to the court. i don't think it's quite the reasons i've listed above, but those are sure some of the things that appeal to me in tennis.
 
Making good shots is the reason why I play. I guess the pleasure of tennis for me comes more from the relation between the ball and me.
 
Free, cold beer after conclusion of weekly doubles drop-in.

But . . . if you don't drink, like I don't . . . for the comradery, exercise benefits, lifetime journey trying to master a difficult activity, friendships formed, competition, and other intangibles. Knocking the snot out of a ball as hard as possible or "winning" has nothing to do with why I play and enjoy tennis.
 
I play to win trophies (have tons of), plaques (tons), medals (have tons more), matches and most of all to get better so I can make it to the SEA-Games and win Gold medals. Biggest goal would probably make it to the olympics some day and play for my home country.

The thing I'm focused on now is to participate in the SEA games. Danai Udomchoke was in the last SEA Games, Paradorn Srichiphan could not make it because of his Monk stuff. I hope I get to play either one down the road a year or two from now.

Nothing beats the feeling of winning a trophy, plaque, medal or such. It's a good feeling.
 
For me it is the combination of skills tennis (maybe uniquely) requires:

- technique
- physical conditioning
- mental prowess

You cannot be good without all three being in place and that's tough to achieve on any given day (at least for me). But that's what makes it an allround sport for me. The only downside is that it is not a team sport. I do also empathise with the "primal" poster who said "I love hitting things with a stick"... That's a classic!
 
simi said:
Free, cold beer after conclusion of weekly doubles drop-in.

But . . . if you don't drink, like I don't . . . for the comradery, exercise benefits, lifetime journey trying to master a difficult activity, friendships formed, competition, and other intangibles. Knocking the snot out of a ball as hard as possible or "winning" has nothing to do with why I play and enjoy tennis.
Click to expand...

simi,

That is me all the way.. and I also love to teach the game to pass it on to others. Yes.. it all about the journey..........................

Steve
 
Well, winning is fun, but I also get a lot of satisfaction just playing, even when I lose, as long as I'm playing reasonably well. I do get a kick out of particular shots (aces, smashes, passing shots, drop shots), which stick in my mind much more than my many errors. I also like getting exercise that doesn't feel like exercise.
 
i'd have to agree with ta11geese(3?).. i have friends who love team sports and choose to stray away from solo situations (such as tennis) purely for that reason. gotta say it's one of the main factors that draw me to the game, that everything rides on you... the outcome of the shot, that being. not to say i'm not much of a team player ;) i just like having that freedom to choose

getting to hit a little yellow ball really hard also helps. :)
 
I used to play team sports like basketball (where my vertical declined along with my game) and then soccer where I was improving but it's hard to prove. Tennis is a sport you can play often needing just one partner and you can see slow and steady improvement and motivate you to keep working to learn how to beat even more players. You can meet many good people through tennis and its a good activity to get you out and stay in shape. Tennis has a large variety of shots and things to learn (grips, strings, frames, techniques, strategies, etc) so I find it more interesting than a sport like racquetball and you can watch it on TV too and the girls wear cute skirts.
 
I used to play competitive cricket for 14 yrs and after my arrival in the US, I found very few people interested in it and tennis does not need the gathering of 22 people to play, so I took it up. I must also mention that I seemed to be really good as a beginner, so I took it seriously..
 
location???

SteveI said:
simi,
That is me all the way.. and I also love to teach the game to pass it on to others. Yes.. it all about the journey..........................
Click to expand...

Where you located, Steve? I'm thinking about taking lessons again, (if I can fit it into my schedule). Right now, I work full time, teach part time at the junior college, and am finishing up my masters thesis. Hardly any time to play tennis, much less keep the wife happy. Still want to see if I can fit in some instructional time on the courts. There are some definite "flaws" in my game that need some work. Heck, the only thing I can do good is walk to my bag for a water bottle during changovers and shake hands at the net at the conclusion of a match.
 
For me, it's all about testing and pushing your limits. It's all about learning new things and learning how to execute things.

It's also curiousity; trying out different things physically, tactically, strategically, conscientiously, consciously, intuitively and instinctively.

Good day now. 8)
 
jasonbourne said:
To meet and befriend like-minded athletes who want to improve and win in a sport where the privilege play.
Click to expand...

Is that aish on your avatar? There are a lot better/more beautiful looking Indian women than that. And they certainly have better taste in men than she does :)
 
I bet the mods are going to move this thread over to odds and ends. I vote to keep it here in Tips/Instructions. It seems to be relevant to have it here.
 
I used to play to enjoy the fight, to beat someone, to prove to myself that I can play. This "era" lasted 10 years. Then I realized that I play such a good game (at least in my opinion) that I don't have to prove it or beat anyone.

No one can take that away from me. It's my reality, my view on the game and even if one beats me it has nothing to do with me or my tennis.

This may sound strange but I'm completely detached from outcomes of tennis matches (or points).

In reality they are just neutral events. We give them meaning, we make the stories around them. I lost the stories a while ago.

Now I play because I enjoy immensely to move in harmony and have my mind occupied with a ball and nothing else. I enjoy the feeling of the ball hitting exactly in the middle of the racquet. I enjoy hearing the sound of the ball leaving the strings.

I enjoy running fast, accelerating, stopping and changing directions on the court and at the same time keeping my thinking completely cool and not in anyway connected with the dynamic movements of my body.

I feel like am observing myself and using a superfast computer to calculate what my best tactics and shots are going to be. Then I focus only on the ball and experience that short moment of impact as something very special - an extraordinary event which in reality lasts 0,005 s but it expands in my mind for at least a second.

I play to give the partner on the other side one of the best experiences that they ever had on the tennis court. I play to show them the way - that tennis can be a joyous, fun and relaxing moment of your day.

Most people go on tennis courts to express their frustrations and anger and tennis doesn't look so great when they do that. I show them that tennis has nothing to do with your personality if you decide so.
 
Phil said:
And let the hyperbole FLOW, baby...!!!
Click to expand...

It's not hyperbole. It's just what it is.
Want more?
Tennis is poetry in action.
The scoring, the fashion, the sun, the stars.....:rolleyes:
Ah forget it. I just love tennis.
 
The competitiveness. That's pretty much it. I like playing other sports just as much, but the only one that I am fairly good at is tennis because I have concentrated on it.
 
tykrum said:
The competitiveness. That's pretty much it. I like playing other sports just as much, but the only one that I am fairly good at is tennis because I have concentrated on it.
Click to expand...
Yes. I like competition as well; competing with others and challenging myself.

I think tennis is the most difficult sport to be able to learn to play at a high level, and so that's why I chose this game as my main sport to focus on (as far as for choosing a sport to research and learn, nonstop).

I enjoy being able to do the most challenging things. For instance, as far as my choice when it comes to the arts, my pick is music. I chose to play an instrument, the most difficult instrument to play and master, the guitar.

Tennis is very diverse. Like some had already stated before, different people have different ways of playing the game with their different strokes. I like how it's possible in the sport of tennis that people who primarily utilize fine motor skills are able to compete against people who primarily utilize gross motor skills, with both being on a level playing field. (You don't really see that in other sports.) Of course to me the ultimate player would be one who has both althleticism and fine skills combined.

This a game whereas pure aggression can carry you on to a victory and at the same time pure patience and persitance could do the same.

Some of these views are what fuels my desire to continue playing tennis.

Good day now. 8)™
 
TennisAsAlways said:
LMAO. Playing tennis does help to keep me calm. It's a good way to vent some steam, release tension and unleash any accumulated frustrations.

Good day. 8)
Click to expand...

I too find I have a very short fuse if I don't get out to smack a ball around :mad: . Very good therapy.
 
dmastous said:
I too find I have a very short fuse if I don't get out to smack a ball around :mad: . Very good therapy.
Click to expand...
Mr Dmastous, I think tomorrow-this weekend would be good days to head on down to the courts with snow shovels in hand. :D

Good day now. 8)
 
bcaz said:
The feel of the ball on the strings. Hitting the ball.
Click to expand...

Yes, this is why I hit tennis balls over and over and over again.
This is why I sometimes find myself hitting against wall
when no player is available. I think this is why young Sampras
kept hitting against the garage door when he was little.
I want this continuously and I think this is love.
Just like the kid robot in the movie AI(by Spielberg) who
wants his mother's love desperately and forever...
 
ta11geese3 said:
it's not a team sport... it's just me. i'm in charge, i can use whatever strategies or tactics i want. when i put time into practice, i can see the results right away. it's like a duel. i love how there are so many different styles of playing, and how everyone's strokes are different aesthetically. being able to develop into whatever kind of player i want is so cool. (although i think i'm destined to be a counterpuncher cause i'm so short =[ ) plus it's a lifelong sport. and yeah, tennis is a good combination of grace and strength... except for women grunting all day long...

i've actually been thinking about this question... there's just something that draws me to the court. i don't think it's quite the reasons i've listed above, but those are sure some of the things that appeal to me in tennis.
Click to expand...

Tennis is exactly that, a self-sport where you can blame no one but yourself, unless you are talking about doubles.

I've also come to play b.c I think this is my best sport and I can be the best, BUT it doesn't always show on the court b.c I can literally stink it up at times. Despite that and the frequent loses, ppl tell me that I look good doing whatever it is I do. I guess time will only tell when I actually practice and quit the habit of losing.
 
I'm not an athletic type..I don't like team sports and I'm not a talent for any sport in particular (tennis included), but tennis is the only sport I enjoy. Can't really explain why.
 
Bungalo Bill said:
At my age, for what I do now, and for where I spend the majority of my time, it keeps me from weighing over 500 lbs. :(
Click to expand...
Mr Bungalo Bill, since you are a certified instructor, why aren't you working at a club or school. From what I hear, club instructors make pretty decent dough minus the travelling that school intructors/couches have to deal with. Just curious.

Good day now. 8)
 
In the US, we play football (American football, not soccer) to feel like men and to prove that we are men. Then we (excluding me) call the male tennis players "sissies".

Hmmm......why else is the market for tennis so weak in America?

Good day now. 8)
 
I'm mid forties and have played various sports my whole life. My long lost love is volleyball. I was a decent RT side lefty hitter and at a hair over 6 feet tall still had enough vertical to play middle blocker on occasion. I switched to primarily beach doubles as that game is easier on the joints, but eventually had to give that up too. My only other option with volleyball is to play setter or backrow specialist for indoor six man-- and I dont have the urge to redo my whole skill set at this point.

After leaving and greiving Volleyball I found my earlier chilhood sport of tennis again. Moving vertically is not really in my bag of tricks these days but found I could still move side to side and forward-backward well enough to compete against to college kids.

I'll probably continue with doubles from here on out, but my days of playing open level tournament will be coming to a close soon. The 45's are starting too look like the the best option for me.

-Jack
 
bcaz said:
Does anything else really matter?
Click to expand...

I read a book called "Why people play tennis" which is
basically a PhD thesis of some sport science major.

One of the observations the book made is about the
personality types of people who plays tennis.
They like the sport because it's the most human
conflict-free. Everything is well defined (well except
line-callings). Lots of them are intellectuals who
does not like human-conflict and ambiguities in rules...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

donnyz89
What do you play tennis for?
Replies
35
Views
2K
SteveI
SteveI
1
why do you watch tennis?
Replies
46
Views
481
Bartelby
Bartelby
Steady Eddy
Why Honest Opponents Make Bad Calls
Replies
2
Views
625
r2473
r2473
THSBOI
Why do you play tennis?
Replies
40
Views
3K
richw76
R
C
Do you only play with new balls?
2
Replies
51
Views
7K
TTMR
TTMR
Back
Top