Are you one of those players who has had improvement at the game faster than your peers/teammates?

Do you think you are too good to just play with any oh body?

You find yourself picking and choosing who you can and cannot play with.

And, do you find with your new improved tennis game/attitude, the picking of hitting partners are very slim to one or two players at best?

It can get real lonely out there on the tennis court while playing by yourself!

I hear a lot of players (the ones who are putting in the work effort) often say they can’t keep improving their game unless they practice or play with better players.

Of course, if that were true, better players would have a very tough time finding playing partners.

The fact is, you can learn a lot from playing with all types of players. Here’s how.

  • If you are playing someone at your level: Concentrate on your competitive skills, play percentage tennis, and try to relax even under pressure. This is the time to play your game and force your opponent to work for every point.
  • If you are playing a better player: Make sure you keep the ball in play, cut down on errors on serve and return of serve, and play to your strengths. The tendency against a better player is to hit shots you don’t really own and try to play up a level that you don’t really have. If you do that, you’ll only lose faster and your opponent won’t even get a good workout.
  • If you are playing someone below your level: Work on your weaknesses, try to move around your forehand and take the ball on the backhand side, I like to work on my two-handed backhand stroke when I play someone below my level of play, but I will play with any skill level anytime, any day.

Work your second serve, put more spin on the ball at 40- love or even at 30 – love.

Vary the types and levels of player you compete against and learn from each experience.

If you play with better players, before long you’ll have a complex about losing. Likewise, if you play only people who are less skilled, you may develop an inflated opinion of your abilities.