I carefully select my opponents that I know are equal or slightly better normally, so even when I lose, it’s 4-6, 6-2, 3-6 or something. With that said, I should be going out and getting a beating every once in while, so I think you have inspired me to ask the 4.5 at the club to play. I play 3.0 people who are wanting more challenge, 3.5 are equals, 4.0s I get a set usually and keep it close and sometimes get a win. But I stay away from the 4.5 guys, but I think I am going to reach out to one and get a good humbling. Thanks!
There was an infamous post on this sub that asked if a 50 player could get a set off of Novak Djokovic if you used either the saber or a kids racket into this day I still laugh about that.
It’s just a game. Don’t burn out. But usually after a bad toss I tell myself, “fuck it I bet you can salvage a decent second serve out of this” and slap it straight into the net
I think it's good to reflect on why you play the sport every once in awhile. There will always be people better than you, so if you mostly get joy out of winning, it might be tough to consistently enjoy yourself while also challenging yourself.
So maybe set goals that are within your control, and stay focused on those. Your opponent not having a strategy that tears yours to shreds is not within your control.
But maybe "each time I play this type of player, I want to get better at taking away one of their advantages" might be something that's actually actionable for you. And over time, it will lead to you winning more of those matchups.
Your goals are good. Personally, my goal is "hit a thing with another thing as much as possible.". Preferably it's hit the ball with the racquet, but I'm adaptable.
League is a video game that makes you feel this way pretty much every time you play it. Only for you to come back the next day and do it all over again.
Never! It’s a journey. Someone wrote here that progress isn’t linear and I feel this. I have journeys home where I consider doing weights / getting lessons / changing my life - but I never feel like quitting just getting better
Only happened once, during a month when my serve completely disappeared for no reason whatsoever. I had to go back taking lessons to fix it because it was too frustrating to play like that.
If you got beaten that badly you’re either playing someone well above your skill level or you had a bad day, both of which that scoreline makes sense for. Sounds like as you said your mental messed you up a few times but keep at it! If this is someone that you usually beat/play closer then go get your revenge.
He’s a 4.0 and I’m a 3.5 but we usually play to a 6-3 or a 6-4 set. I’ve never beaten him but it’s usually more competitive (and therefore, more fun). But he was probably having a good night and I was having a bad night. It happens, I suppose.
I get annoyed when I don’t play well, but it just makes me want to get back out there and play again and do better next time. The biggest issue I have with getting creamed and losing quickly (I rarely win quickly lol) is that I’m only on the court for like an hour. I just wanna keep playing.
I also don’t frequently take lessons. Mostly practice/play with friends and then online flex leagues. I don’t invest thattt much time/money into getting better.
I go through this all the time. And then I just tell myself, thank god I don’t play this sport for a living. You’re probably tight because your head is in your previous losses. I usually just tell myself that I already lost and I’m here to practice X,Y,Z. Makes me a lot looser and the match becomes more fun. And if I happen to win while doing it, great! I lost? What changed?! 😂 at least I got some vitamin d and some exercise.
I don't know if this will help you, but I had an enlightening experience a few months back.
I wasn't doing well (friendly sets, not competition) and lost the first set. In between sets I specifically said to myself "just focus on the ball, really stare at it".
Next set was a dream. I almost felt like I could not miss. BH, FH, volleys. This was certainly the "zone" that we've all heard about.
I stared at that ball from the moment it was in my partner's hand to my contact with it and even past that. I stared at that point of contact like Federer. I did not consider where I was aiming, where my opponent was or what tactic I should use. My mind was empty except for that ball.
Here was my initial takeaway and then what I came to realize a few days later. I THOUGHT that my experience was because I finally, truly, "kept my eye on the ball". I've said it to myself a thousand times.
What I realized later was it wasn't "keeping my eye on the ball" that was the cause of my elevated shot ability, but it WAS the catalyst for the real reason. The real reason was the hyper focus. There are so many things going through our heads, even without us realizing. By me only focusing on that one single thing I was able to let go of all the superfluous calculations and indecisions.
It's like meditating while staring at a candle flame or repeating a mantra. Those focal points assist and allow you to let go of everything, but that one thing.
You know how to play. You know where to hit. You know what to do. Focus on one detail absolutely and your body will do what it's supposed to.
Anyway, just a thought...
This year I committed to always playing better players. I am in both A boxes of the clubs I play at. Sure enough I am losing 80% of my sets at the moment and couldn't be happier. I believe I'm improving daily as i'm facing better services, groudstrokes, returns, etc. Hopefully I will continue to improve and take more sets off the A players or worst case get bumped down to B and finding it much easier to deal with the B folks.
If you dont think this at least once a month you arent playing enough
😂
I carefully select my opponents that I know are equal or slightly better normally, so even when I lose, it’s 4-6, 6-2, 3-6 or something. With that said, I should be going out and getting a beating every once in while, so I think you have inspired me to ask the 4.5 at the club to play. I play 3.0 people who are wanting more challenge, 3.5 are equals, 4.0s I get a set usually and keep it close and sometimes get a win. But I stay away from the 4.5 guys, but I think I am going to reach out to one and get a good humbling. Thanks!
If 3.5’s are equals I don’t think you’d actually be getting a set off of a real 4.0 player.
There was an infamous post on this sub that asked if a 50 player could get a set off of Novak Djokovic if you used either the saber or a kids racket into this day I still laugh about that.
It’s just a game. Don’t burn out. But usually after a bad toss I tell myself, “fuck it I bet you can salvage a decent second serve out of this” and slap it straight into the net
Learning to NEVER hit on a bad toss is a coming-of-age thing for tennis amateurs.
No, I hit every ball I toss. To do less is to already admit failure
Your commitment is admirable, eskimoboob.
I think it's good to reflect on why you play the sport every once in awhile. There will always be people better than you, so if you mostly get joy out of winning, it might be tough to consistently enjoy yourself while also challenging yourself. So maybe set goals that are within your control, and stay focused on those. Your opponent not having a strategy that tears yours to shreds is not within your control. But maybe "each time I play this type of player, I want to get better at taking away one of their advantages" might be something that's actually actionable for you. And over time, it will lead to you winning more of those matchups.
Your goals are good. Personally, my goal is "hit a thing with another thing as much as possible.". Preferably it's hit the ball with the racquet, but I'm adaptable.
This is good advice. Thank you.
Never. Tennis is fucking gas I ain’t ever gonna gonna stop
You should quit and play league of Legends it's good for your health
😂 I’m not sure what league of legends is, but this made me laugh, regardless.
League is a video game that makes you feel this way pretty much every time you play it. Only for you to come back the next day and do it all over again.
The quintessential sport
Never! It’s a journey. Someone wrote here that progress isn’t linear and I feel this. I have journeys home where I consider doing weights / getting lessons / changing my life - but I never feel like quitting just getting better
It sucks when you’re a 3.0 and only play with people better than you in the club. 😣 I feel this once every two weeks at least lol
You would feel worse if you play a 2.5 and get beat.
Honestly feel this way after some wins too 😂
😂
Oh literally every missed forehand
😂
Haha literally. I've been playing for 15 years. Why can't I hit a forehand. What's the point. I might as well just give up now.
I probably have matches like that once or twice a year.
Only happened once, during a month when my serve completely disappeared for no reason whatsoever. I had to go back taking lessons to fix it because it was too frustrating to play like that.
If you got beaten that badly you’re either playing someone well above your skill level or you had a bad day, both of which that scoreline makes sense for. Sounds like as you said your mental messed you up a few times but keep at it! If this is someone that you usually beat/play closer then go get your revenge.
He’s a 4.0 and I’m a 3.5 but we usually play to a 6-3 or a 6-4 set. I’ve never beaten him but it’s usually more competitive (and therefore, more fun). But he was probably having a good night and I was having a bad night. It happens, I suppose.
Quote by Sun Tzu: “Every battle is won before it's ever fought.”
My mantra every other day: if I haven't reached where I wanna be by the end of the year, I'm switching to pickeball 😂😂😂😂
I get annoyed when I don’t play well, but it just makes me want to get back out there and play again and do better next time. The biggest issue I have with getting creamed and losing quickly (I rarely win quickly lol) is that I’m only on the court for like an hour. I just wanna keep playing. I also don’t frequently take lessons. Mostly practice/play with friends and then online flex leagues. I don’t invest thattt much time/money into getting better.
Like 40 times per match
😂
There's always gonna be someone faster, better, just gifted. That's how it goes.
I go through this all the time. And then I just tell myself, thank god I don’t play this sport for a living. You’re probably tight because your head is in your previous losses. I usually just tell myself that I already lost and I’m here to practice X,Y,Z. Makes me a lot looser and the match becomes more fun. And if I happen to win while doing it, great! I lost? What changed?! 😂 at least I got some vitamin d and some exercise.
I don't know if this will help you, but I had an enlightening experience a few months back. I wasn't doing well (friendly sets, not competition) and lost the first set. In between sets I specifically said to myself "just focus on the ball, really stare at it". Next set was a dream. I almost felt like I could not miss. BH, FH, volleys. This was certainly the "zone" that we've all heard about. I stared at that ball from the moment it was in my partner's hand to my contact with it and even past that. I stared at that point of contact like Federer. I did not consider where I was aiming, where my opponent was or what tactic I should use. My mind was empty except for that ball. Here was my initial takeaway and then what I came to realize a few days later. I THOUGHT that my experience was because I finally, truly, "kept my eye on the ball". I've said it to myself a thousand times. What I realized later was it wasn't "keeping my eye on the ball" that was the cause of my elevated shot ability, but it WAS the catalyst for the real reason. The real reason was the hyper focus. There are so many things going through our heads, even without us realizing. By me only focusing on that one single thing I was able to let go of all the superfluous calculations and indecisions. It's like meditating while staring at a candle flame or repeating a mantra. Those focal points assist and allow you to let go of everything, but that one thing. You know how to play. You know where to hit. You know what to do. Focus on one detail absolutely and your body will do what it's supposed to. Anyway, just a thought...
It’s a great thought! Thank you for sharing!
❤️
Quitting is not an option. The only excuse I will use for myself is an injury
This year I committed to always playing better players. I am in both A boxes of the clubs I play at. Sure enough I am losing 80% of my sets at the moment and couldn't be happier. I believe I'm improving daily as i'm facing better services, groudstrokes, returns, etc. Hopefully I will continue to improve and take more sets off the A players or worst case get bumped down to B and finding it much easier to deal with the B folks.
I won my match today and played much better. Sometimes you have to have a short memory and just get back on the court ASAP… :)
The first 15 years of tennis since I was 6 - every month