Tennis anyone?

[Bill Douglas]

A few months ago I started playing tennis. I hadn't played since I had a couple of games at high school.

But, I really like it. I aspire to be social grade, meaning I could go to a tennis club and have a game with the worst players. I think I've had about 30 games now. My buddy from gun club is very good about coaching me so I'm getting better at it. Some hits I do are excellent and others just go sailing over the fence. I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out the scoring so I'm just concentrating on hitting the ball at this stage.

What's your tennis like?

[KFC911]

My tennis is like Cream...

"Anyone for tennis... now wouldn't that be nice?"

Thanks for my headsong for today Bill !

[porsche tech]

I used to play almost every day…now I find it so much easier to watch it on TV…don’t have to run around and sweat and stuff.

[stevej37]

I'm not bad at table tennis.....does that count?

[Tim Hancock]

I enjoyed playing tennis when in college.... After that it was hard to find anyone to play with so I quit playing.

Last year at this time I got hooked on pickleball. Always lots of people to play with at both locations I play at. Much easier to learn.

[Norm K]

I play 2-3 times a week and I'm not particularly good, but neither am I horrible for the average Joe.

It's mostly doubles these days because most guys in my group aren't up for singles: we're all aged from the early 60s to mid 70s, so I guess I get it. Still, there's no shortage of 3.5s among us and I tend to hold my own, and can even out perform them some days.

I know a dozen or so people at the club who are still playing in their 80s, two of whom are 88. They might not move like they once did, but their soft hands and shot placement is impressive.

At 67, I'm hoping I have another 15+ years in me.

Keep plugging away and enjoy the game you can play pretty much your entire life!

_

[mjohnson]

4y varsity at a stereotypical midwestern US suburban school 30-some years ago - I basically quit because college got in the way (and in no way was I playing NCAA, I was barely third doubles all four years in HS) and it was clear that it didn't suit my mindset or coping skills. How some others love/hate golf? The irrational anger, occasional near-violence and inevitable despair? All of that led this Mr Hyde to wisely hang it up.

(funny, as I am the most zen 18 hcp hacker because - duh, it's just a game)

Our little burgh usually has postings for super casual groups at our public courts. If you're working around levels - I'm not going to immediately go with the word that rhymes with "sandbagging" but it does seem like many very realistically assess their skills to ensure that they're not in the bottom 80%ile of their grouping/ranking. Ahem...

To take it up I think it's probably best to do as I did, be a teenager in a co-ed summer program where every Friday comp usually terminated at the beach. Or nowadays pickleball, which looks like nearly the same thing for the slower +50 crowd but with the same hopes of getting lucky...

[Deschodt]

Used to be pretty good... Now managing what's left ;-) It left me with increasingly annoying foot damage (neuropathy in the ball of the foot), constant tennis elbow, but hey, it's fun and all is forgiven when you hit that one handed backhand passing shot down the line... It's getting harder to find courts that are not invaded by that pickleball infestation though (blue tape allover the court, game is so loud). Sorry pickleballers, I hate your invasion passionately, get your own courts for your oversized ping pong or at least get a quieter ball/paddle ;-(

[Bill Douglas]

Good to hear there are some tennis players here, and a few ex-tennis players too. I'm 65 but I can fair move it around the court, I just need to improve my consistency.

Yep, the guy who go me into tennis is a bit of a champ at table tennis and has played pickleball. Pickleball is popular around here with a big indoor stadium nearby that has it. So I may go there sometime. At the moment I'm just enjoying tennis and finding it's giving my ankles knees hips back neck shoulders a good loosen up. Plus gets the heart rate up. A few people around here are playing tennis into thier 80's.

[john70t]

Recently played pickelball for the first time with older people. Less running and easier on the joints for sure.

[Norm K]

Originally Posted by john70t

Recently played pickelball for the first time with older people. Less running and easier on the joints for sure.

ERs have seen a notable uptick in injuries from pickelball. Lots of older people engaging in sport (or even exercise) for the first time in years (or even decades) will do that.

The rate at which these little courts are being installed will, I suspect, lead to a massive overage of them over the next several years.

_

[porsche tech]

My wife says pickle ball was invented by orthopedic surgeons.

[Tim Hancock]

Originally Posted by porsche tech

My wife says pickle ball was invented by orthopedic surgeons.

I am 58 and have played pickleball twice a week starting about this time last year. I have not been injured yet. It is great exercise that is also very fun and scratches my competitive itch. It is much safer than racing vet class motocross and dirt track car racing.

[Tobra]

I only played tennis once. The wife decided we needed to get in shape. I was already running a few miles every morning at the time. She bought tennis rackets for us at a yard sale, courts and a pool where we lived. She was a good athlete in her youth. State champion in gymnastics and mixed doubles tennis, partner was individual champ. Iwas athletic as a kid. Low 4 minute mile and jumped 20 feet. We just hit it back and forth then she wants to play a game. I hit it by her at will. I always hit a baseball better left handed, which apparrently translates into a wicked backhand in tennis. She never got a point unless I let her. Told my grandson that story and he started talking trash to a young lady he knows who was number two high school player in California at the time. She handed him his ass

[wdfifteen]

I never got into playing tennis. My friend was one of the organizers of the Cincinnati Masters tournament and was a photographer for Sports Illustrated for the event. In 2008 he got me a press pass and I got to shoot the Nadia Petrova/Nathalie Dechy match.

This is NOT my photo (but it could have been, I think it was his). Anyway, I had fun photographing a couple of cute, sweaty girls in short skirts.



I'm looking for a pickleball league around here. It sounds like something I would enjoy.