I always admired those who played tennis. The look of tan skin and tennis whites has a chic and preppy vibe that has a nostalgia that is timeless. It is a sport you can play well into your sunset years and as I found out you are never too old to learn. Not only is it physically taxing, but it is a great escape as it requires concentration, strategy and in my case a little luck.
My best friend started lessons with the onsite pro at our local Yacht and Tennis club. He is amazing, German, great energy and a funny sense of humor. I visited one of their lessons and watched in envy. I have no eye had coordination so watching her dash from side to side and make contact with the ball made me completely feel insecure but curious. I arranged with Rainer for a lesson and as I was not a member, he agreed to host the lessons offsite at Emerald Bay. I warned him my ability in eye and hand coordinated sports was poor and to think of me as one of those tic Tok videos of golden retrievers that have a treat thrown at them instead of catching the snack, it hits them in the face and falls to the floor. He laughed and although warned, he agreed to teach me.
My first Lesson I was like a babe before Christmas, so excited I barely slept the night before. Before the lesson I went to our local tennis shop and bought a pair of Head all court shoes in white and teal (rookie mistake) and a Head tennis racket. I wore and Athleta ruffled skirt with a baby blue Lululemon tank and my baby blue hat from Ussepa Island.
I arrived and walked on the court and without saying a word, Rainer whipped a ball right for my face and to my own surprise I caught it! He said in his accent “ok I will be able to teach you.”
The first hour was focused on where to position your body, and how to hold the racket. He explained different types of grips: forehand like picking up a pot from the stove and backhand more like holding a hammer. He started serving me the balls slow and directly to me and I was averaging a less than 5% strike rate. I felt defeated but I would not give up. I have learned over time I can learn difficult things and this little fuzzy ball was not going to get the best of me.