YES, IN NORTH CAR0LINA!
But not always. North Carolina weather can be strange. As a tennis player, I could expect to play outdoors in February consistently in some years, never at other times and usually intermittently.
February was often the month when we tennis players would “come out of the woodwork” and begin playing. We needed to practice for Spring tournaments – and to say hello to people we may have missed in the past several months.
Indoor tennis was better than nothing, but I preferred the fresh air. I also liked singles better than doubles. I wanted to be responsible for my own mistakes or winners.
I played tennis for 6 decades and only regret the skin damage, for which I can only blame myself. PLEASE wear sunblock and a hat!
I was not a great player – at best, a good amateur. Here are the highlights of my tennis carteer:
- ACC player for Wake Forest, usually # 3 in singles
- Winner of several over – 35 and over – 45 tournaments in Greensboro
- At age 38, ranking of #10 in North Carolina for 35 and over participants
- Tennis teacher part-time in Greensboro
- Played doubles against Tony Trabert in 1979
Tony Trabert was once the #1 ranked player in the world, so I was pleased to meet him. He was Davis Cup captain at the time. He was exceedingly friendly and inspiring. He shared lots of Davis Cup incidents with me and was very candid.
Reflecting on my college experience with the great Wake Forest coach, Jim Leighton, I vividly remember his words:
“Bend your knees!”
“Racquet back early!”
“Eyes on the ball!”
“Step in as you make contact!”
“Punch your volleys, don’t swing at them!”
“Move your feet. Take little steps!”
“When running to get to a ball, take your racquet back as you run. Don’t get there and then take your racquet back”.
“When playing someone with a good forehand and average backhand (or vice versa), hit wide to his strength to open up the court to his weakness”. “But don’t let this become predictable”.
It was important to think of one thing at a time until it became automatic. Thus, we practiced every day. When playing matches, we didn’t want to have lots of swing thoughts. Tennis players aspire to be on “automatic pilot”. Of course, we need to get there through practice. I remember having one swing thought in mind when I played, never two.
THE GREAT PLAYERS
In my opinion, Roger Federer was the most elegant player to ever play. His strokes were beautiful and there was economy of motion. He is shown below.
To me, Rafael Nadal was the most athletic of all tennis players. Novak Djokovic has earned the G.O.A.T. title by his accomplishments. He is still able to win tournaments, even today.
I am not sure why the one-handed backhand has become almost obsolete with today’s players. Roger Federer is the last top (as in Mt. Rushmore) player to hit one-handed backhands.
Maybe the two-handed backhand allows us to construct a quicker stroke. I know we can be closer to the incoming ball with the two-hander. In my era, hardly anyone hit the two-hander, though it gradually became popular with the women.
Here are a few of my prior posts on the fitness habits of tennis players. Some of these go back a few years:
TENNIS EQUIPMENT
I always considered Dick’s Sporting Goods for my tennis racquets, accessories, shoes, strings, clothing or whatever I needed to play tennis. I started with wood racquets in the ealy 1960s (the Jack Kramer Autograph). Later, I went to the Wilson Steel racquet used by Jimmy Connors. I tried Yonex racquets, with very favorable results.
Looking at my racquet bag now, I have two Wilson racquets of the contemporary large head size. I have not played in at least 15 years.
As an affiliate marketer, I can use links to associated equipment sources and provide discount prices and commissions for myself. See my upper menu – BECOME AN AFFILIATE MARKETER – for complete information on this.
At the side of my website, I have a link to Dick’s Sporting Goods. Click on the red link and then:
- You will see the question “What are you looking for?”
- Proceed from there and look for discounts.
Dick’s Sporting Goods is well known for their service to pro athletes, amateurs, beginners and those who are shopping for others. I have always been a customer and now enjoy being an associate.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There are significant health benefits available to those who play tennis. Here are some of them:
- Cardiovascular health – the aerobic aspect lowers our heart rate and blood pressure, while boosting our endurance
- Muscle development – the different movements in tennis will build strength throughout our bodies
- Bone health – the impact of tennis stimulates bone growth and density
- Flexibility and agility – these are improved by the need in tennis for quick changes in direction
- Mental well-being – the need for focus and the physical exertion will reduce stress and improve our moods
- Social interaction – this was big for me, whether in tournament matches or mixed doubles for fun
- Weight management – personally, I never thought of tennis as a means to burn calories. It was fun! But the weight came off!
So, the slightly warmer weather in the last few days inspired me to think of my experience playing tennis. It was an important period of my life.
Please leave me any comments or questions in the “Comments” section below.
Get out on the courts, by all means!
HI Richard,
Thanks for the trip through your memories of playing tennis. I enjoyed reading about some of your favorite tennis players!
I just turned 68 and thinking of my health and staying in shape is important. I try to walk a lot and work out at a local Planet Fitness. I hadn’t thought of tennis as being a good way to stay in shape. I played a little in high school and in my twenties, but never considered myself more than a beginner. Perhaps checking out a local senior tennis club would be a good idea for me.
– Scott
Thanks, Scott!
Tennis for me was almost an obsession, so any health benefits were incidental. I played because I enjoyed the competition. Tennis skills are difficult to describe in meaningful terms unless both parties have rankings or at least have played the same competition.
For enjoyment and exercise, the important thing is to find a partner of somewhat similar experience. I taught classes of beginners, intermediates and some experienced players. The classes were usually of about 8 people of similar skill levels. They seemed to have fun and made plans to play with each other.
Skill levels are not too important if both players or doubles teams are not grossly unmatched.
Thanks for your input!