Teach younger opponents a lesson they won’t forget.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found one strategy that guarantees victory: Don’t play anybody good, especially if they’re young. Sadly, I’m only partially joking. Losing puts a damper on the rest of my day, and since I’m not about to return to the professional tour, I see no point in pitting myself against anyone too strenuous. I carefully select opponents who can give me exercise and a bit of competition, but studiously avoid players who stress me so violently that I risk getting injured or, worse, beaten. My first advice to older players is, therefore, to choose your opponents wisely.
But if you insist on testing your aging body against hotshot sluggers, be sure to take the proper approach. First things first: Don’t be intimidated by how hard your opponent hits the ball or how good he or she looks doing it. Looks can be deceiving. Even the smoothest players have weaknesses that experienced eyes can uncover and exploit. You’ve seen a lot of players in your day, so there’s no need to be worried about this young hitting machine if you have the proper plan.
Next, be patient. Tennis is a game of percentages and controlled risk. Whacking the ball near the lines may maximize a young player’s probability of hitting a winner, but it also increases his or her chances of making an error and is rarely an ideal tactic. If your young opponent hits a few blinding winners, don’t give in to the temptation to show that you, too, are fit and still capable of murdering the ball. Stick with your normal high-percentage style. In fact, shots with little sting will trouble your opponent even more. Many young players are used to pace and mindless ball-bashing, so you should throw in slices and crafty shots that disrupt their rhythm and drive them nuts. As you get older, beating younger players is often about getting them to implode, rather than hitting them off the court. But a win’s a win, and a sweet one if your opponent asks, “How am I losing to this old-timer?”
Finally, don’t compare your young opponent with your younger self. You can’t hit shots as hard or run as fast as you once did. So what if you would have blown this guy off the court 20 years ago? Live in the now. You can’t play like a 30-year-old anymore, and you must accept this fact without qualm or regret. Don’t let this disastrous thought enter your mind: “I used to be able to . . . ” Understand that as much as you might like to, you can’t fly, either. Whining about what could be or what used to be is a fool’s errand.
Of course, these strategies for beating a younger opponent can only go so far. Eventually, we all reach an age where nothing we do can make up for declining physical skills. At this stage we must modify the rules. Here are a few of my favorite ways to handicap matches against younger opponents: no drop shots; no going for winners on serve returns; and, in extreme cases, allow your opponent to hit into just half the court (either to the deuce or ad side). If you try that one and still can’t win, maybe it’s time to take up golf.
Former Wimbledon quarterfinalist Allen Fox, Ph.D., wrote The Winner’s Mind: A Competitor’s Guide to Sports and Business Success.
Originally published in the October 2009 issue of TENNIS magazine.