Okay so yesterday I actually tried this russ tennis thing everyone’s whispering about. Looked up some “beginner fast start” tips online and figured, why not? Here’s exactly what went down.
First, Total Confusion Mode
Honestly, had zero clue what “russ tennis” even meant. Thought maybe it involved vodka shots between serves? But nah, seems like it’s just trying to play tennis quicker, no fancy warm-up stuff. Sounds good to me – patience ain’t my strong suit.
Grabbed my dusty old racket from the closet. Found three old balls, one looking suspiciously chewed by the dog last summer. Headed to the local park court. Already sweating just walking there.
The “Fast Start” Experiment
Remembered one tip said skip the lengthy rally practice drill. Just start playing points immediately. Okay then! Found Joe from next door who kinda knows tennis. No chit-chat, just tossed a ball up whacked a serve… straight into the net. Embarrassing.
Tried another tip: stand closer to the net. Figured less running means faster points, right? Whacked Joe’s return… sent it flying way over the fence into Mrs. Peterson’s prize roses. Yelled sorry, felt bad. Maybe don’t stand so close?
Third tip promised quick results: swing the racket like you mean it. No soft taps. Full power every hit. Tried it.
My attempts:
- First ball: whack! Flew sideways into the park bench. Missed court entirely.
- Second ball: whack! Landed almost in the service box… then bounced twice over the baseline?
- Third ball: whack! Connected! But uh… it went backwards? Hit the fence behind me. Joe laughed so hard he choked.
My shoulder started screaming at me. Note to self: arms need to remember what swinging feels like.
Did Anything Actually Stick?
Gotta admit, skipping the warm-up drills kinda helped. Got straight into the chaotic fun instead of endless bouncing drills. Standing maybe a little closer felt less scary after ruining Mrs. Peterson’s roses – but still kept a few feet back. My coordination is worse than a newborn deer’s.
The “swing hard” thing? Total disaster. Tore something in my shoulder probably. Maybe don’t try to murder the ball on day one. Focused instead on just hitting the dang thing over the net. Didn’t matter where. Just get it across. Lost every point to Joe, but at least we kept some rallies going. Felt way more like playing tennis than chasing rogue balls.
So What Actually Helps Beginners?
Based on faceplanting into the russ thing yesterday:
- Start points right away. Feels less boring.
- Don’t stand too close. Unless you enjoy giving neighbors free flowers.
- Forget hard swings. Just focus on making contact and keeping the ball in play. Your shoulder thanks you later.
- Embrace losing the ball. Happens constantly. Have a dozen cheap balls ready.
- Find another beginner. Joe was terrible too, which made it fun instead of humiliating.
It was messy, frustrating, I still suck, but… it was actually fun? Ended up laughing more than groaning. Shoulder’s sore today though. Gonna ice it while looking for better tips.
