This week I finally acted on that nagging thought about picking up tennis – you know, that voice saying I sit at my computer too much? Grabbed my dusty old sneakers and headed to Spring Park courts Tuesday morning. Honestly felt kind of silly as a total newbie walking past those people whacking balls like pros, but hey, everyone starts somewhere, right?
Step 1: The Scavenger Hunt for Gear
First thing? Needed a racket. Didn’t wanna spend cash upfront, so I ransacked my buddy’s garage Sunday afternoon. Took me two hours to track down a decent one tangled in some garden tools behind his lawnmower – strings were loose, grip felt weirdly sticky, but it looked solid. Found two old tennis balls buried under pool noodles too! Score! Just chucked em in my gym bag with an old water bottle.
Step 2: Hunting Down the Park Court (Almost Gave Up!)
Spring Park’s bigger than I remembered. Wandered past the playground twice Thursday morning before spotting the green fences tucked behind those huge oak trees on the north side. Felt like finding hidden treasure. Gates were open, and only one court was occupied. Nervous? Heck yeah. Almost just walked straight back to my car pretending I forgot something.
Step 3: First Swing Felt Like a Baby Deer
Okay, deep breath. Stepped onto that weird blue surface – kinda spongy? Held the racket like it was some alien tool. Just started bouncing one ball with the racket face like a weird paddle. Dropped it constantly! Felt awkward like a newborn giraffe finding its legs. Then tried actually hitting the ball against the wall for practice. Whacked thin air more often than not. Made me laugh at myself – loud!
Step 4: Finally Hitting Something (Sort of…)
That lone guy playing nearby saw me struggling during his water break. Nice dude! Gave me a quick tip: “Keep your eye on the ball, not your feet!” Simple, but worked! Instead of staring at my sneakers waiting to trip, I watched that fuzzy yellow ball like it owed me money. Started connecting maybe 1 out of 5 wall hits. Sound of that satisfying “thwack”? Pure gold! Tried hitting the ball back and forth with myself across the net afterwards – kept overshooting wildly, but actually managed a few short back-and-forths near the end. Couldn’t tell a backhand from my forehead yet, but I was DOING IT!
Wrapping Up the Sweat Fest
Left after maybe 45 minutes soaked in sweat with a sore shoulder. Hands got slippery on that old racket grip. Need to solve that before next time! What did I learn?
- Finding stuff: Borrow gear first! Avoid the garage treasure hunt if possible.
- Getting there: Scout the park location beforehand online saves wandering.
- Awkward phase: Embrace the clumsy stage. Everyone looks silly starting out.
- That first hit: Eyes glued to the ball makes worlds of difference.
Felt exhausted but stupidly proud pushing myself outside the comfort zone. Didn’t become Roger Federer instantly, but actually had fun making contact with that ball. Already checked when those courts are usually quiet. Gonna try hitting that dang wall again next Tuesday morning!