Starting My Tennis Journey
So, I decided to finally take tennis seriously this year. I mean, I’ve always whacked the ball around for fun, but never tracked anything or set real goals. Just felt like messing about wasn’t cutting it anymore. So, I grabbed my old racket, found some decent local courts – free ones, of course, not wasting cash yet – and just started hitting.
The Reality Check Phase
Right away, realized I sucked more than I thought. Consistency? Forget it. One decent shot, then three straight into the net or way out. Got winded after like 15 minutes of rallying. My serve? Pathetic. Wrist hurt too. Started watching YouTube videos – just basic stuff, like how to actually hold the racket properly and move your feet. Started recording myself on my phone, painful as that was. Seeing how stiff I looked? Awful. Made a point to hit the wall every single morning before work, even just 30 minutes. Focused only on clean contact. That wall became my best friend, man.
Joining the Local Grind
After a few weeks of wall bashing, felt brave enough to join this local social league thing. Just a ladder for amateurs. My first match? Got destroyed 6-0, 6-1 by this retired dude who barely moved. It was brutal. But it showed me where I was at. Started playing practice matches constantly – like 3 or 4 times a week after work. Lost most of them early on. Biggest problem? My brain switched off during points. For example:
- Choked on easy volleys near the net.
- Kept forgetting what worked against certain opponents.
- Served double faults constantly under pressure.
Started forcing myself to have a tiny plan before each point: “Attack his backhand,” or “Get every serve in.” Slowed things down deliberately. Didn’t always work, but helped.
The Ranking Climb (Sort Of)
Playing all these matches paid off. My local club runs an internal points system. Started near the bottom. Felt stuck forever. But sticking to the basic focus stuff:
- Hit every second serve deep in the box.
- Run for every single ball, no matter how hopeless.
- Never miss an easy shot. Force the opponent to beat me.
Eventually, started winning more than losing. Felt good seeing my internal club ranking move up month by month:
April: #52 out of ~60 active players (Embarrassing)
July: Broke into the top 40 (#38)
September: Just cracked top 30 (#29)
Hitting a Wall (Again)
Top 30 felt good, then boom – plateau. Guys in the 20s had proper weapons. Big serves I couldn’t read. Fierce forehands I just handed back weakly. Lost something like 4 matches in a row. Felt depressing. Needed a new approach. Borrowed a friend’s ball machine – spent hours just drilling returns against big topspin and practicing blocking back heavy shots. Focused solely on footwork for a whole week. Started deliberately seeking out players ranked higher than me, even if it meant guaranteed losses, just to feel that pressure.
Where I Am Now & What’s Next
Currently sitting at #26 on the internal list. Managed to beat a #21 guy recently in a practice set – huge win for me! Got lucky a bit, but still. Main goal now is consistency under pressure.
Short Term Goal (Next 2 Months):
- Firmly establish myself in the Top 25.
- Get my serve percentage over 65% in matches.
- Win one tournament match (any size!).
Long Term Goal (End of Season):
- Reach Top 20 internally.
- Play an actual tournament outside the club without embarrassing myself.
- Fix the damn backhand slice so it stops floating!
The journey’s way harder than I thought. Progress feels slow, then suddenly you leap a tiny bit. Seeing that ranking number creep up, even slowly? That’s the fuel. Just gotta keep grinding away. Maybe next year, I’ll actually beat that retired dude!