here comes amateur tennis

[michigancat]

I saw MiR talking about his serve in the pro tennis thread and want to talk tennis

here is my journey. I started a little with tennis lessons a little less than a year ago, fell in love with it, and am infuriated my parents for not encouraging me to play when I was younger. It's so fun!

-I'd hit a few balls but only took like a single lesson when I was 9 and had a terrible coach and hated it
-dropped off oldest at college a year ago, wife and I realize we're gonna be empty nesters, we need crap to do!
-we took intro lessons at a local for-profit place. What? there's a way to hold the racket? duh, I had no idea
-took more group lessons through the year, really enjoyed the Prospect Park bubble. They have clay courts! Got tennis elbow from bad serve form though. still got good enough serving that I thought let's rough ridin' sign up to play some matches
-signed up for USTA flex and a local park's 2.0-3.0 ladder
-took another class at the for-profit place, told the teacher about joining a league and a ladder, and she said "ha that's cute!" 
-Did a USTA flex league, my first ever match was against a grandpa who had been playing EIGHT YEARS. I didn't double fault and I could return all his serves and he never hit the ball hard but I got SMOKED. I had no idea what was happening but I was exhausted. But had a blast!
-Won my next USTA flex league match! Got beat in the others but never bageled
-self-rated in 2.0 in the ladder (which is great) so I got challenged a lot by lower level folks, and won quite a few! Lost 6-1 a couple times but haven't been bageled (or bageled anyone)
-Currently sitting at 7-15 in the ladder. Only played one guy twice. Love it!
-I saw one of the coaches I took a group lesson giving a private at a local park and hit him up for a few hitting sessions. I actually like it because I can just hit a shitload of forehands and backhands  make adjustments in real time.
-I play whenever I can now!

I'd say I'm still probably a 2.5, maybe a 3.0. At least in how people rate themselves in this league. A few people I've talked to have said good things about lessons at the Billie Jean King Center (where they play the US Open) so I might try that this fall/winter.

[michigancat]

what about tennis in NYC??? well, overall it's great, at least in Brooklyn.

-I have only played in NYC parks. One guy proposed playing at Billie Jean King but he ghosted me
-everyone that plays in an NYC parks needs a pass for the outdoor season that costs $100
-you only get an hour of court time. everywhere I play it's either strictly enforced or people are cool about only playing an hour. But like, every court has it's own system and vibe and you just have to show up and act dumb and figure it out. some of the court rules change day-to-day. Some places have signup sheets, some have a parks department attendant, some have a combination of paid and first come first serve, some are a free for all
-the ladder I play on is based at Fort Greene Park, but the signup is stupid and I don't play there unless someone else will sign us up.. This is what the signup is like (I think a lot of people get off on the whole early morning signup):

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLgMxJLvSZp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D


Overall, courts are crowded and take some figuring out, but you can always find someone your level to play with. plus no pickelball taking over courts.

[chum1]

I'll probably join a league in a couple of years when I'm closer to being an empty nester. For now, I (do my best to) rally with my kid around three times per week. Been at it for the past 2-3 years. We join an indoor club during winter and use super nice suburbian public courts in the summer. They're never full. If we arrive at a public court and the courts aren't empty enough for our liking, we'll likely go to a different one.

I had no idea that it takes a couple of years to get proficient at hitting the ball well. I'm just now feeling like I'm not a total beginner.

I only recently discovered that overgrips are a thing.