Topic: Tennis4you - Tennis Journal

[Tennis4you]

I will go ahead and start things off in here.

I played yet another 4.5 USTA league match last night.  I went into the match with a 4-3 record so far this season.  A loss puts me at 50/50 which I obviously wanted to avoid.  I was encouraged (to say the least) when I found out that Jeffro was my doubles partner last night.  Both Jeff and I served really well.  I volleyed well, Jeff will say he did not volley well, but I would disagree.  I returned well, I got paoched a handful of times and hit winners down the line off of the backhand side.  But I guess that was neutralized by the ones I missed outwide, not hard ones either, they were bad misses.

We both only got broke once last night and it was when we were both serving for the first set.   We should of won the first set 6-3, but ended up going to a tie-breaker.  We tore it up in the tie-breaker.  It was a 9 point tie-breaker, we won 5-0.

We tore it up proper in the second set.  I was down break points on my serve serving at 4-2 and held on.  I had to hit some tough shots to do it, but it paid off.  We won the second set 6-3.  I do not think I have ever won 50% of my matches in one season at 4.5.  I feel like I am playing well.  I have won some nice matches this season, and the ones I have lost have been very close.

[Arcforce]

Your stories make my mouth water for some doubles. I really wanna get out there and start playing some competitive doubles but the field is so weak for doubles ni the juniors.

Sounds like things are improving tho, Scotty.

[Tennis4you]

If the doubles are weak, find yourself a doubles partner and get into some qualifying tournaments and get qualify for some bigger tournaments.  I really enjoyed playing in the doubles tournaments last year or two.  Jeffro and I played in some 2 years ago.  We played in one last year and got mopped up hard core, the dude played out of his mind, Jeffro and I could only laugh.  I hope to play in some doubles tournaments this summer along with the USTA matches.

[wilsonboy]

If I have to play another doubles match, I'm gonna stab myself in the eye with a powerdrill...

[wilsonboy]

so scott, when am I gonna see u on the pro circuit?

[thephoenixforce]

If I have to play another doubles match, I'm gonna stab myself in the eye with a powerdrill...

you may want to go to some therapy haha

[Tennis4you]

I played soem 4.5 doubles tonight.  I played pretty well all around.  It was just me and 3 other guys from our league.  Our two opponent's did not play very well at all and we mopped up 6-2, 6-3.  It is rare that any of us beat each other so easily, they were just off, one was having some back problems I guess.  I have been serving really well indoors, and not too good outdoors.  I hope I can turn that around.

[cgw]

I played soem 4.5 doubles tonight.  I played pretty well all around.  It was just me and 3 other guys from our league.  Our two opponent's did not play very well at all and we mopped up 6-2, 6-3.  It is rare that any of us beat each other so easily, they were just off, one was having some back problems I guess.  I have been serving really well indoors, and not too good outdoors.  I hope I can turn that around.

Do y'all play only outdoors in the summer or do you play indoors some, too?

[Tennis4you]

In the summer we are mainly outdoors.  For some reason or another we may get inside maybe 2-3 times in the entire summer.

[Jamesdster]

I won't see an indoor court from the end of the indoor leagues (end of may) till the start of the indoor league (around labor day).

[Chris1987]

Wish I could say I don't see an indoor court because I love playing outdoor and dealing with various conditions.

[Tennis4you]

I got another good 90 minutes in of practice today.  This guy and I are very competitive, so our practice rallies become competitive points.  He is a better singles player than I am, he wins most of them.  But it felt good to get out and hit.  I tried moving a little bit more to a semi-western grip, right now I am extreme western.  I hit the ball fairly clean with a semi-western.  I need to dedicate myself and make the switch, but I doubt I will...

[Chris1987]

How often do you play Scott? and are you always able to play outdoor? on a hardcourt?

[Tennis4you]

How often do you play Scott? and are you always able to play outdoor? on a hardcourt?

In the winter I play 3 times a week, summer probably 4 times a week (5 if I am lucky)  Outdoors only in summer, 98% hardcourt, 2% clay.

[Chris1987]

How often do you play Scott? and are you always able to play outdoor? on a hardcourt?

In the winter I play 3 times a week, summer probably 4 times a week (5 if I am lucky)  Outdoors only in summer, 98% hardcourt, 2% clay.

How do you feel about playing on clay, is it bad for your game or do you quite enjoy the challenge? Is it green clay or red clay? and have you ever played on grass? If not I seriously recommend you to try to find a grass court before you even think about giving tennis up, because it's a brilliant surface to play on and is where the game started after all.

[Tennis4you]

I will never give tennis up...

Clay is not the best for me.  Being so short my advantage is to be able to stop on a dime, turn and go full speed in 1 step.  But on clay I slide too much to do that.  My split step on the way to the net after a serve can slide 4' and that just losses control on my part.  I also slice a decent amount of backhands, and the clay helps those to sit up.  I hit with a lot of topspin on the forehand and a lot of kick on the serve, so that is good for clay.  I also serve and volley a lot, and on clay that is troublesome...

Grass would suit me very well, I have never hit on a grass court.

[Chris1987]

I will never give tennis up...

Clay is not the best for me.  Being so short my advantage is to be able to stop on a dime, turn and go full speed in 1 step.  But on clay I slide too much to do that.  My split step on the way to the net after a serve can slide 4' and that just losses control on my part.  I also slice a decent amount of backhands, and the clay helps those to sit up.  I hit with a lot of topspin on the forehand and a lot of kick on the serve, so that is good for clay.  I also serve and volley a lot, and on clay that is troublesome...

Grass would suit me very well, I have never hit on a grass court.

You never know, one day you may have no option but to give tennis up, I'm sure it's a few decades away though so no need to worry.

Having just heard you say about getting to the net quite a lot for the volley that would suggest you would have quite a lot of problems when you play on clay, so it's pretty good for you that you play on hardcourts 98% of the time. Like you say you use a lot of topspin so that would certainly be efeective on clay, but I have a feeling that although you're a very good mover, you're not great when it comes to the clay because ideally to be a good mover on the dirt you would play on it regularly early on in your life.

The idea of you getting to the net and using the volley sounds really good for grass and I think you would give a lot of good players problems with that and a lot of players today wouldn't be sure how to deal with that tactic, as it's a dying art, so that is a huge positive in your game, which can be used to change it up a little from the continuous running at the back of the court.

[Tennis4you]

I could adapt back to a baseliner in singles for clay courts if I had to, and then I feel I would be better on clay.  I am good on defense and I do slide well and I hit well when sliding.  But I like the net and the sliding up there kills me on clay.

I have stepped onto a grass court but there was no net on it, but it was the thought that counts, or something like that right?  I hope to play on grass soon!

[Chris1987]

I could adapt back to a baseliner in singles for clay courts if I had to, and then I feel I would be better on clay.  I am good on defense and I do slide well and I hit well when sliding.  But I like the net and the sliding up there kills me on clay.

I have stepped onto a grass court but there was no net on it, but it was the thought that counts, or something like that right?  I hope to play on grass soon!

Yeah do try to play on grass, you've had a taste of it by being on one, now you need to play on one, I think it will really help your game playing on grass and it may possibly be your favoured surface.

[Tennis4you]

I got out and played some more doubles tonight.  It was the set up where you get a partner for 35 minutes and then rotate.  I won the court but it was sloppy tennis.  The worst part of it all was in the beginning of the 3rd set I poached a return of serve, got a little too close to the ball, and the ball hit the frame of my racquet.  That was bad enough, but then the spinning ball decided to slam into my open eye and spin away.  Ouch, that sheeeeeet hurt.  I sat down immediately and covered my eye.  It hurt to open my eye for the next 5 minutes, but I played on.  After that it felt good enough to keep open more than a 2 second period and I decided to turn it up and lay some smack down which I did.  

We played inside, it was cooler outside, it was hotter than hell inside.  For the first time in a while I drank my entire water jug playing indoor tennis.  

I volleyed well, I served like crap the first set but pulled it together after that.  I hit 2 double faults in my first service game, I barely ever double fault.  2 doubles in a match maybe, but not in one game.  And it would need to be a 3 set match for me to gather 2 doubles...

I did not return particually great.  They were slower serves and those drive me nuts.  I framed my fair share which pissed me off, but what can ya do.