I didn't play tennis in High School...

so I'm envious of you both.. and impressed.

In my very early 30's, perhaps late 20's, I took up the game. No lessons... just access to tennis courts and a couple friends who wanted another sports activity like me. Without question we did it ALL wrong... but that said, we got pretty good. I once played our local High School's #1 player and won. I like to brag about that but just between you and I he wasn't very good.

So anyway... I had not struck a tennis ball with a racket in maybe.... 30 years, until last night. My granddaughter, as I mentioned, took up the sport this year so I bought a racket and said I'd go down with her and practice with her... (fully intending to take it easy on her). Wellllll, I may have taken it easy on her, but not by much. My game was..... gone.

My serve was actually still pretty good, which surprised me because I thought for sure that would be the one thing I'd lost without doubt. My backhand was embarrassing. My forehand only slightly better.

We used to smash the ball back and forth... low, hard shots (because we had never learned top spin). Well, no more. After a while, a very short while, I quit trying and began to just attempt returning the ball... little soft lobs back.... and even then I was long often.

The end result being... I need a LOT more practice than my granddaughter. I was humbled. And not just her - I also played one of my grandson's, he's 10, and quickly found myself struggling. As I said.. my serve was not bad.... I hit one that was almost 'like the old days'... just a crushing smash that caught the very back corner of the service line.... I was grinning from ear to ear... still grinning, actually, when my grandson returned it with an equally smashing forehand dead on the line and leaving me flatfooted looking the fool. At which time I stopped grinning. - JamesJM