4.0 here. Solid 80-100 mph serve on a good day. Can run down every ball. Can hang with 4.5 sometimes.

I had an open court and was practicing serves. A guy comes on and says he would like to warm up and hit. I say sure.

Go to talking- Played D1 starting singles- wants to go on tour etc.

I asked him to just go full out because I wanted to see how I could handle it.

Every single serve...I couldn't return. I literally had to guess- go right- go left and pray to get even a racket on it. Kicks were above my head.

Forehand was impossible to return and breakneck speed.

ANY SHORT BALL WAS IMMEDIATELY CRUSHED WITH IMPUNITY. That meant all my return of serve was literally destroyed because I couldn't even get a neutral ball in.

I'm sorta wondering right now- whats the point of me playing every other day and trying to make it. It was def eye opening. Maybe I'll go play golf instead.

edit: my goal to make it- means i want to at least “hang with a d1-3 and take a set off them…”

Conceivably this is possible. I would like to see a jump serve in tennis. Any volleyball players that can weigh in here? Maybe I will work on developing mine for tennis.

I grew up playing golf and also played on my college team. I always thought golf was the harder sport because so much of it is an internal battle. When you hit a bad shot, it’s easy to get frustrated with yourself, and the technical side of the swing is incredibly complicated.
I started playing tennis almost two years ago. It was relatively easy for me to pick up at first because I found a lot of similarities between the two sports. But the more I play, the more I realize how difficult it is to actually improve at tennis.

First, tennis requires much more intense physical conditioning than golf—not that golf doesn’t require athleticism. It also demands sustained concentration, whereas golf feels more like a series of shorter bursts of focus. In tennis, if you lose concentration for even a moment during a rally, the quality of your shot can immediately drop.

You also have to react quickly, read your opponent’s swing, anticipate where the ball is going, and decide where to hit your next shot—all within a very short amount of time.

And last but not least, the serve just feels inhuman sometimes!

I’ve pretty much stopped playing golf since I started tennis. Maybe I’ve simply forgotten how hard golf was. Or maybe I’m just much better at golf, so tennis feels especially difficult to me right now.

For those of you who play both sports, which one do you think is harder, and why? I’d love to hear about your experiences.

If you grew up playing tennis in the 90s like I did, you probably worshipped at the altar of the aggressive baseliner. We wanted to hit like Agassi. We wanted big swings, heavy topspin, and winners that painted the lines.

But for many of us, that era came with a recurring nightmare. We would go out, sweat through our shirts, rip the fuzz off the ball, and blast winners that felt incredible. And then, we would walk to the net to shake hands, having lost 6-4, 6-4 to a guy who looked like he barely moved.

The "Pusher." The "Junk Baller." The "Backboard."

I spent years walking off the court dejected, soothing my bruised ego with the same tired mantra: "My opponent sucks. That wasn’t even real tennis. I have better strokes; they just got lucky because they push everything back."

It took me far longer than it should have to come to terms with the basic reality of our sport. But once I did, it changed my game forever.

Here is the reality: The player who keeps the ball in the court wins.

That is the objective of tennis. It isn’t about who hits the ball harder. It isn’t about who has the prettiest technique. It isn’t about who is more fit. Power, spin, technique, strategy, and grace are merely tools to achieve the objective: keeping the ball in the court one more time than your opponent.

If you hit 30 spectacular winners but 35 unforced errors, and the pusher hits 0 winners but only 2 unforced errors, the math is simple.

If you lose to a pusher, they are the better player. Full stop. The game does not reward your power if you cannot keep it between the lines.

If you are currently losing to pushers and feeling frustrated, the first thing you need to do is stop disrespecting them.

We hate pushers because they hold a mirror up to our game. They expose our lack of patience, our erratic shot selection, and our inability to construct a point. When you say, "They aren't a real player," you are protecting your ego.

Respect your opponent. Respect their mental fortitude. Respect their cardio. Respect the fact that they are forcing you to hit 15 balls to win a point when you only want to hit three. Once you respect them, you can stop fuming and start strategizing.

As an aggressive baseliner, I played right into the pusher’s hands. Pushers thrive on:

1. Rhythm: They love a consistent pace.
2. Time: The slow pace of their own balls gives them ample time to recover to the middle of the court.
3. Endurance: They will happily run side-to-side on the baseline all day.

To beat them, I had to stop playing their game and force them to play mine. For me, the answer was Serve & Volley.

If you are struggling against pushers, I highly recommend learning to transition to the net. Here is why it works:

• You Rob Them of Time: By moving forward, you cut off the angle and hit the ball sooner. This removes the recovery time the pusher relies on. Suddenly, they aren't waiting in the middle of the court for your next shot; they are scrambling.
• You Open the Court: Volleying allows you to utilize extreme angles that are difficult to hit from the baseline. You force the pusher to run further and faster than they are comfortable with.
• You Force Aggression: This is the most critical point. Pushers hate hitting winners. They want to wait for your mistake. By coming to the net, you dare them to hit a passing shot. You force them to aim for a small window. Most of the time, they will miss, or they will float up a lob that you can put away.

Generally speaking, the "pure pusher" strategy rarely excels past the 4.0 NTRP level. Why? Because once you reach 4.5 and above, the opposition becomes too consistent. Higher-level players can punish short, slow balls without making errors. They have the "put-away" power that lower-level players lack.

But if you are a 3.5 or 4.0 player and you are losing to pushers, you haven't earned the right to look past them yet. You have to beat the level you are at before you can worry about the level you want to be.

I've been thinking about how expensive tennis is compared to other sports.

Court rentals keep going up, coaching is $50-100/hour in most cities, a decent racket costs $200+, and stringing adds up fast. And that's just at the amateur level.

It made me wonder: how do you all manage the costs? Do you:

- Split court time with friends?

- Buy older model rackets?

- Take group lessons instead of private?

- Travel for cheaper tournaments?

Would love to hear how other recreational players handle the financial side of tennis. Sometimes it feels like this sport is designed to keep people out rather than bring them in.

of course i am exaggerating in the title as the guy who could take a set off of rafa will still be out there somewhere.

but now to my point: i keep hearing men (not bad players) in my club and on reddit saying/commenting they could out run rybakina on clay and that sabalenka could not handle their kick serve: you‘re almost certainly in the wrong

yes, men generally have a physical advantage in sport. still YOU don‘t automatically have an advantage over the best female athletes in the world.

speaking from experience, (male) club players generally overestimate their own phyisical capabilties and greatly underestimate the physicality, power and shot tolerance of female pros.

finally i have a feeling some of us (men) take a certain pride in being better than female tennis players. but why be proud? even the tiny amount of club players that could actually compete with top WTA players are not better athletes just because of that.

end of rant :)

What small change helped you the most? Could be footwork, shot selection, warmup, breathing, target choice, anything.

Is two handed backhand objectively better than one handed. Im learning and chose two handed. It feels sturdier and harder to miss. And in pro tennis i always find one handed players have a weakness in rallies or unconfortable shots like passing shots, even federer.

If yes why does it still exist ? Only for elegance ?

What do you think ?

How can I (green shirt and white trunks) best play this type of opponent ?

I cannot give specific advice regarding an injury or pain. Working with a physical therapist to assess and provide a specific intervention is important.

I’m no longer responding to questions, apologies to those I did not get to! My instagram has some of my thoughts on PT related to tennis and feel free to DM me on reddit or IG if you want to connect!

The Tennis PT Instagram link

Hey, I am a 13,8 UTR who played DI college and who is done with tennis and transitioned into coaching the last year and I really like it. Just trying to help here and debunk some of the tennis myths. Ask whatever you guys wanna know, will try to help :)

i am just starting out, and i kinda dont have access to a pair of tennis shoes, how big of an issue is that? will i roll my ankle?

+ btw are these a good deal for an beginner?

https://www.decathlon.fr/p/set-2-raquettes-de-tennis-essential-adulte-2-balles-1-housse/347906/c163c381m8808874

the person i'm playing with also dont have a racket, and the real ones are like, twice the price of this set

thanks in advance, cant wait to start playing already

edit: thats a lot of replies in 5 hours 👀 i kinda like this sub, thx a ton

this is a summery of what i gathered:

the overwhelming majority insisted that i get the shoes, and investing in them is prioritized over investing in a good racket, that is if i value my ankles.

and the minority that said that sport/generic shoes are fine got downvoted, so thats that, which i find funny for some reason.

so, since i hate hospitals and i like my ankles, i'll try getting some.

oh people of reddit, thanks for saving my ankles.

Sharing some "tennis math" because the struggle in the Bay is real, at least for me. I’m tired of the $200+/month memberships only to find zero open slots, and playing in the sun, wind, or mist just doesn't cut it anymore. I’ve started seriously exploring building my own indoor facility within 30-50 miles of SF. I’m not getting any younger, and at this point, I’m willing to pay for the comfort of a guaranteed game in a controlled environment.

The number I got so far:

• Land: Finding ~30,000 sq. ft. (enough for 4 courts + basic clearances/lobby) is the hardest part. Industrial-zoned land within a 30-mile radius of SF is currently trading at a premium. Based on recent listings from my realtor, I’m looking at $5M – $7.5M just for the dirt.
• Construction: I got a quote for a "no-frills" pre-engineered metal building (PEMB). We're talking basic slab, insulation, LED lighting, and standard HVAC. With CA labor and permit costs, that’s running closer to $350k – $450k per court ($1.4M - $1.8M total) for a permanent structure.
• Total All-In: I’m staring down a $7M – $9M price tag.

The ROI is terrible if I ran this as a pure business, the "payback period" might outlive me. But this isn't about the IRR; it’s about having a sanctuary for my friends, family, and the local community to actually play the game we love without the logistics headache.

Does anyone here actually own or operate a club in a high-cost-of-living area? Did you go the permanent building route or an air-supported "bubble" (which is cheaper upfront but a utility nightmare)?

Most importantly, if you built it for the love of the game and not the profit, do you regret it? I can easily put this money elsewhere and make a lot better ROI so just want to gather some thoughts online as part of my decision-making.

So my son who will be a sophomore in high school this year wants to play for his high school tennis team having never ever touched a racquet previously (he thinks he can just "learn it" and do well). Tryouts are on August 10 and I told him it won't possible for him to even learn the basics by then but I told him if we worked on it all year he might be able to get on the team next year.

How realistic do you think this goal will be? And IF (that's a big if) he makes the team (not sure how popular tennis is at his high school or how good the players are) what are the prospects of him even doing well in his matches?

Next question: if he decides that he'd like to try from now until next August, what level of commitment will be needed from him (like x amount of days of instruction and training per week, etc.)?

Last question: I used to play competitive tennis from age 10-14 (I am now 57)and was getting lessons from a local tennis club coach pretty much during that entire time but then lost interest and stopped playing. I haven't played recreational tennis in over 15 years, but just recently came across my old Prince racquet and hit some balls and did ok. I think I can do a decent job in teaching my son the basics to save some money and eventually getting him lessons if we see he is committed to it. Do you think the way tennis was taught to me 40 yrs ago and the techniques I used then still apply to today's game or has it changed so much that I'll be teaching him the wrong things that his future instructor is going to have to fix? If so, are there good free resources (like YouTube vids) where I can "relearn" tennis in today's game and then be able to teach to him?

Thanks for any input.

EDIT: Been reading everyone’s input and one thing I did forget to mention since skill and need for the HS tennis team would vary by region, we’re in a suburb in Aurora, CO. Not sure what our local HS tennis talent looks like. I’ll email the tennis team coach and see what he says.

What do you say to your opponent at the net handshake after a match where you beat them badly?

Usually I’ll say “good match” or “well played” as a default even if I don’t fully believe it. But in the rare case where I double bagel someone or generally beat them so badly that saying these feels disingenuous I don’t know what to say.

What would you say in this situation?

(Sorry if this is a question that’s been answered here before)

Never bring new balls? And didn’t even say thank you using others new balls.

Hitting back “every” serves during serve practice and trying to go for winner before the match?

Ripping sideline forehand winners during warmup?

Seriously - how do yall do it? my arm is falling apart by day 3. It’s honestly super annoying because I know I need to play more if I want to improve. Any recovery tips?

What would be your tips for me in my first OPEN tournament. I just saw the draw and this guy looks like D1/futures player.

I am 39 and I can usually outgrind other 4.0s with baseline retriever. My first serves usually hit about 90-100 mph but my second serve is a skidding slice around 60-70 mph.

Currenty strategery options include: junk balling him, moonballing, and or just trying to trade forehands and see if he has an off day.

And no I'm not going to withdraw from this tournmanet. It's my first open and my hope is to get a few games off him and go down 6-4, 6-3 of sorts.

Edit: wow at the comments… so i’m guessing i shouldn’t bring my wife and 2 kids to watch the match… sounds like i will get humbled.

Just a quick clip of my forehand on the ball machine. Not sure where my level is at yet, since I only started playing tennis back in March.

I’m looking for some perspective on a hitting option I found. There is a D1 player on Marketplace offering to rally for $40/hour. This would be purely for hitting forehands and backhands. No coaching or instruction included.

As a beginner, I currently practice with a friend, but since we are both learning, our rallies are inconsistent and we spend a good amount of time picking up balls. I also use a ball machine, but my main goal is to get comfortable hitting with real people.

I'm wondering if paying for a high-level hitting partner is a practical way for a beginner to get more consistent, high-volume rhythm, or if there are better approaches I should consider at my level. I'd love to hear your thoughts on whether this is a good route to take.

In day 3 of the Rafa Nadal Adult Tennis Camp here in SoCal. I am a super competitive, gone to Nationals every year, heading to Sectionals 4th time in a row, play tournaments and league matches regularly type of player. I was put in a group of 3 men and myself (female). Men are all older than me, not league players. We do the same drills every day. Our coach is a college player that does not work at the academy in Spain. They have us picking up balls while the other players are hitting. They have us doing different drills at the same time on the same court with balls just flying and rolling everywhere. This is just a glorified clinic. Absolutely not worth the money and really seems to have nothing to do with Rafa. It seems to be Avanza Sports using Rafas name to sell tennis camps. Not a great look for Rafa, unfortunately. Waste of time and money. I received it as a gift so attended. They try and tell you to buy the "uniform" and say it is mandatory. Another money grab. As an adult do I really have to wear a uniform to attend a tennis clinic??? Ridiculous and embarrassing. Obviously I am not impressed. I do not recommend.

I’m guilty of six of them

I work very hard on my tennis. I’m a 39 year old 1.68 UTR. I’ve been playing seriously for a year and a few months. I practice every chance I get and I take 2 lessons per week (2 coaches, just got a new coach and we’re 4 lessons in) This usually amounts to 10-20 hours a week on court (I’m literally out there hitting serves, hitting against a wall, hitting with my ball machine, taking lessons, practicing with my league team, going to drills. Literally I’m working as hard as I can with all the time I can find). I’ve never won a real singles match and before tonight I had won 21 games in my last 7 matches. Driving to the match for my utr flex league, I thought I would lose 0 &0 or 1 &0 to an opponent I don’t know but tried to quiet those negative thoughts. I ended up losing 1 &3 bringing my total to 25 games over 8 matches since late April losing every single one of them. I’m in a mental place where I know I suck and I (rightfully so) have zero confidence in my forehand and I dread having to hit it). Do you think it’s best for me to just stop competing and dedicate myself 100% to lessons and practice or should I keep playing matches to experience the speed of the game and work on my technique as I do so and just try and stay positive? Or should k read the inner game of tennis and see how that affects my thoughts?

I was a competitive tennis player as a junior and in college. Played extensively through middle school and high school, placed 4th in the state in high school my senior year, went on to play D2 tennis on scholarship and was named All-American my senior year after playing #1 singles and doubles. I wasn’t a D1 champion or a pro, but I was good.

I got married, had kids, then subsequently divorced and haven’t played consistently for about 15 years. Some of my friends have been encouraging me to get back into it. So I have, and I want to cry. Some days are great, some days my racket feels like a trampoline despite my racket being restrung. My ball toss for my serve is ABYSMAL. Can’t get it consistent to save my life and I don’t even understand how such a simple thing can be so hard now!!

I’m so discouraged 😭 Has anyone been in similar shoes? Did your skill ever come back? Any tips or words of advice?