When I have time after my morning run, I try to walk to the nearby park with my basketball, tennis racket, and balls. Most mornings, I play alone, shooting hoops or hitting a tennis ball against a backboard. Twice this week, however, I played tennis on the actual court. One day, I was volleying with someone way better than me. The other day, I was the more experienced player. My week’s experiences reinforced that whether alone or against someone better or worse than me, I can enjoy myself, relax, and feel good while playing tennis.
Here are some benefits of being on my own, hitting against someone better than me, and hitting against a beginner.
Nature Is Healthy
Research consistently suggests that being in nature is good for mental and physical health. It helps clear the mind and improve mood. Getting some daytime sunshine supports your circadian rhythm for better alertness during the day, and better sleep at night. Being outdoors to exercise also tends to encourage longer bouts of activity, leading to benefits for weight control, blood sugar management, and other improvements in chronic condition risk.
“Nature” can be a beach, forest, field, or desolate mountain, but it doesn’t have to be. A few trees or bushes in an urban area can provide benefits, especially if the sky is visible. The important things are to get fresh air in an open or green area.
Playing Alone Is Therapeutic
Most days, I play alone. I shoot a basketball on an empty court, or I hit a tennis ball against a backboard. Repetitive? Yes. Boring? No.
Here’s what I like about playing by myself.
- I can practice specific skills. I can work on forehands, backhands, serves, or anything else against a backboard. I can catch the ball each time and set up my next drill. You can’t do that type of repetitive and controlled practice when you’re on a court and volleying with someone.
- I can play left-handed. I like to play half left-handed, half right-handed. That gives both sides an equal workout, and hopefully it improves my coordination on both sides instead of just my dominant [right] side. It feels disrespectful to play left-handed when I’m playing against someone because it’s not giving them my best.
- I can listen. With my bluetooth ear buds, I can listen to anything on my phone. Recently, I’ve been listening to videos on YouTube for learning Turkish. I’m a kinetic learner, and I concentrate best when I’m moving. A mindless activity like hitting a ball against a wall is perfect for me to listen carefully.
- I can socialize. I use my ear buds to talk on the phone. Playing tennis or basketball at the park often doubles up as my social hour.
Playing alone is great, but playing with a partner has different benefits.
Benefits of Playing Tennis with a Hitting Partner
Playing tennis with a partner is a different experience than playing alone. It’s less predictable – I can stand around more, and I might end up running more to chase balls. I can’t specifically practice certain skills. But there are many benefits.
- I learn to react faster. Against a wall, I’m in control. I know where the ball’s going and how fast, and how I’m going to hit it. Against a person, nothing is predictable. It can come to my forehand or backhand, fast or slow, with top spin or back spin. Learning to respond is something you can’t learn while playing against a backboard. You improve quickly when playing against someone.
- It’s heart-warming. Silly as this is, it is nice to be doing an activity with someone, even if you can’t hold much of a conversation from opposite sides of a net. I feel like I belong, and share the love of playing a fun game with other people.
- It’s motivating. As comforting as it is to see the same players out there day after day, it’s even nicer to be one of them. They’re welcoming and warm, accepting of my poor play, and happy to offer encouragement and advice.
Whether better than more or worse, playing with a partner has benefits.
Learning from Superiors
I’m grateful to play with people better than me, as happened earlier this week. He and I played for nearly an hour. Here is some of what I gained.
- Humility. Every so often, my hitting partner didn’t go easy on me, and smashed a ball past me. It reminded me to be grateful he was even playing with me!
- Technique. I gathered a few pointers from my hitting partner, including why I wasn’t hitting my forehand very well, and how to hold the racket more properly.
- Patience. It’s tough to be the bad one. It’s tempting to get upset and frustrated, but that’s not helpful. It doesn’t help my own game, and it doesn’t make it more pleasant for my opponent. So, I try to smile when I mess up, and to show that I’m trying my best, even if I’m not able to return the ball all the time.
I can learn from beginners, too!
Playing with a Beginner
I also had the privilege of playing with a beginner. It wasn’t painful; it was actually motivating, and it helped my own game. Here’s why.
- I practiced control. When you’re playing with someone who can’t hit very well, it’s best to hit the ball to them and at a certain speed. That takes control, which is a skill in itself. Learning to aim and control force is applicable when you’re trying to win games, too.
- I learned technique. While my hitting partner had less lifetime practice than I do, she’s taking lessons, and is learning techniques. I noticed that she had a good ability to hit forehands that she had to reach for; that’s tough for me, so I asked for an explanation.
Balancing Solo and Partner Play for Consistency and Growth
They say that “mixing it up” is good for your exercise routine. While “they” may be recommending more variety than the difference between playing tennis alone versus against someone, “they’re” right. Allowing my sessions at the park to be slightly different, unpredictable, and always positive makes me eager to come back each day. I let myself be obsessive about running, counting each mile and minute, but loosening up for sports at the park is a fun contrast.
How do you stay active and keep it fun?
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