Tennis

“I just wanted to share a quick experience with you. Today was the first time ever I played tennis — and wow, it was harder than I expected, but also super fun! I’ve always loved watching tennis, especially the Grand Slams and the big matches, but this was my first time actually picking up a racket. I played for 2 hours with my cousin and brother (we plan to do this weekly just for fun), and here’s how it went: Serving was really tough — I tried to serve like the pros do, tossing the ball up and hitting it with full motion, but the ball was always out of the service box. I had better luck serving by holding the racket down and kind of tapping it in. Backhands… oh man, a complete nightmare . Either I miss the ball entirely, or I hit it and it flies way out. So for now, I just try to run around and take as many shots as I can on the forehand side. Movement and footwork felt surprisingly okay! I could reach most balls, but I struggle a lot when the shot is behind me — I tend to stay too far up in the court and then can’t recover. Predicting shots is hard too. I still react late, but I guess that comes with time.”

“Just wrapped up my first dY at a new tennis social club, and let me tell you, it was a humbling experience...in the best way possible! Out of maybe 20 people there, I'm pretty sure I landed somewhere around second-to-last in terms of skill. There were some serious powerhouses out there! But seriously, it was an absolute blast. Everyone was super welcoming and encouraging, even when I was shanking shots into the next court. It's clear they all started somewhere, and it's refreshing to be around a group where having fun is the prioriy Now, I don't plan on staying the "slightly less terrible" player forever. This experience definitely lit a fire under me to improve! [...] What stood out to me was how different peoples serves were, and some people really made it work. Doubles is also now to me, still trying to get my head around it.”