29 Tennis
Basingstoke Waverley Tennis Club, Hampshire
Enjoyment - 70%
Success - 50%
Will try again - Yes
First timer’s recommendation – get some gear from the eternal Sports Direct, find your local courts and have a knock about with a mate, but get some basic coaching, as bad habits can quickly develop, as the video clearly shows.
On the back of a successful Wimbledon for Andy Murray, and so by default the LTA I guess, the Great British Tennis Weekend took place across the country, trying to get more people playing what is often seen as a more elitist sport. It is true the court was in the more affluent part of town, close to the Conservative Club and within earshot of an lbw shout from the local cricket club, but there was a good turnout for the taster session, and club fees here are not too steep. The perceived exclusivity is one of the reasons I think that tennis doesn’t have the depth of talent that other sports in the UK does. Andy Murray aside, the next highest ranked British men are positioned 67, 68 and 73. A glance at the variation in the world top-10 shows that this isn’t necessarily just a problem in the UK, but France and Spain seem to be more successful, with four players in the top 20 each.
It’s not the most efficient use of a PE lesson with a class of 30 kids, and probably uses more family time and money than other sports, meaning there are only a small number who are lucky enough to have the talent and commitment needed to make it to the top. It also doesn’t have the social element of team sports or golf, or the ease of ranking yourself and others that individual sports such as running, swimming or cycling have. Saying all that, it is one of the best spectator sports around, and has a combination of fitness, technique and mental toughness that I think is unmatched in any other sport. I will definitely play again, but I think I prefer the table and Real varieties.