I had my first tennis lesson today. This is new for me, because although I volley with my husband for exercise on occasion during the summer, I’ve never officially played the game. And though I’ve managed to get by with athleticism and my junior high school PE class knowledge, I thought it would be nice to step up my game (and get a good workout in the process).
Originally I was thinking about signing up for road races, but I’ve been fighting false sciatica for almost a year and have a hard time running. So I landed on tennis as a good option. It would be competitive (which I like) and since I’ve got a lot to learn, I have room to grow, to get better. Do I remember how to score? Kind of. Love,15, 30, 40, Duce, add in/add out, game? Something like that. Do I know how to correctly hold the racket? Not exactly. Did I know what my instructor was talking about during the lesson? Some of the time. But when she asked me to go to the service line, I went to the baseline thinking that’s were you serve the ball. Right? Wrong. But even though I looked a little lost and more like a basketball player, not a tennis player, I held my own.
My racquet is another story. It was given to me by my boyfriend over twenty-five years ago. The instructor checked it out and then loaned me a different one, but the new racquet was so light I kept missing the ball. I went back to my weighted Pro Kennex and, with relief, was able to hit. Although now I’m typing with ice on my shoulder (maybe the lighter racquet would have been better).
The good news is, I left the court (not my usual basketball court, but a court), sweaty and with a smile on my face. Not only did I learn a few new things about tennis, I’m excited to go back, to learn more and to challenge myself in a new way.
Don’t be afraid to try something new. Push yourself. Take a class. Go to a seminar. Or arrange some time just for you.
WRITING PROMPT #1: Write about a time that you have stepped outside your box and tried something new.
WRITING PROMPT #2: Kathryn tossed a tennis ball high then…
