Taking Weekend Tennis Seriously

Every day when I go into work, there’s an intersection right before I pull into the parking garage that makes my heart flutter a little.  You see, it’s the sort of intersection that splits into three possibilities, none of the possibilities being straight ahead.  Perhaps you have never seen one of these roadway designs.  Don’t worry; you aren’t alone.  Neither have any of my fellow drivers.

Crude drawing to follow: Read the rest of this entry »

For the last two years, I usually am the teammate that volunteers to organize the post season team get-together.  I say usually because I am going to stop ever, ever, ever, ever organizing such terrible things as of today.  Yesterday’s get-together was my last one.  Organizing such things is not fun.  People suck.  And I usually end up hating at least half, if not more than half, of my teammates because of the process.

Never, ever, ever again. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you know that USTA is very important.  Or, maybe you don’t.  Maybe I just think I’ve written that line in every blog post, when in reality, I’ve only thought it every time I write an entry.  I think a lot of things.  Luckily, I don’t always write them down.

…that’s frightening, actually, if you think about it…

Read the rest of this entry »

Pre-post digression: I should have known I was in trouble when my assigned doubles partner started the match asking if serving hard was okay.  “I mean, I think that’s why [the organizer of the practice] wanted me out here – to serve hard to help you guys practice.”  We were both recruited to help a tennis team prepare for their upcoming tournament.  After the opposition gave their okay, my partner proceeded to double fault at least once, if not twice, in nearly every service game.  This person might have hit a handful of aces or service winners in all three sets that we played.  I’m going to make a rough estimate and say my partner served about seven games.  7 to fourteen giveaways versus five winners.  Yeah, buddy, let’s worry about taking a little something off your serve after you’ve mastered hitting it in.  Let’s also be concerned about not overwhelming these “lesser” players with your oh-so-powerful groundstrokes after you’ve learned how to hit them over the net.

And then to begin blaming your poor play because you’re hungry?  At ten in the morning?  After a set and a half?  OF DOUBLES?!

Ahem.  I’m not bitter.

On to the actual blog post.

When people ask you, “What did you do this weekend?” you would never say you spent it watching weekend warrior tennis.  That would be ridiculous.  I certainly would never waste my weekends mesmerized by people who are just posing as athletes.  I mean, it’s hard enough explaining to people you played tennis all weekend long.  At least you’re being active.  But to merely watch it?  The shame!  THE SHAME. Read the rest of this entry »

With USTA play-offs starting this weekend, I thought we would talk about the silly people who don’t communicate well, who don’t take weekend tennis seriously, and who drive their captains and teammates nuts as a result.  I don’t see how the former spun off into the latter anymore than you do, but that’s my intro! Read the rest of this entry »

I’m not a good doubles player.  That’s why I write about doubles so often.  I didn’t play it when I was growing up and now the concept of volleying and hitting balls out of the air plague my mind to no end.  Doubles is a mystery I spend most of my working day trying to solve.  My boss should look at my pie charts more closely. Read the rest of this entry »

Two posts ago, I wrote, more-or-less, on what not to say to your doubles partner.  I figured I should do a follow-up and cover what to say.

…

Right.  Um… Read the rest of this entry »

I’m always intrigued when opposing doubles teams huddle up.  What are they saying?  Have they picked up on my weaknesses?  What are my weaknesses?  Can they share my weaknesses with me so I can get better?  Why are they still talking to each other when they’re down 6-0, 3-0?  What could they possibly be strategizing about when we all know who’s going to win this match?  Must they talk after every point?  How have they not run out of tennis things to say to each other?  Is it a bad thing that my partner and I don’t talk?  Is it all for show?  Is a team who talks after every point really that more in sync with each other than teams who don’t?

Do I lose in doubles because of my inability to play doubles or because I don’t talk to my partners?! Read the rest of this entry »

Tennis is a game played with four people on the court.  That’s how it started.  The court is divided naturally into four quadrants.  Each person mans a quadrant.  The goal is to protect your quadrant from the evil fluffy neon green/yellow ball.  This game is known as doubles. Read the rest of this entry »

Straight from my phone to you, dear reader:

Read the rest of this entry »