Play smart, protect the joints, let them make the mistakes. A field guide from a guy who won't stop playing.
The score doesn't really matter (it just tells me who's serving). I put this site together to help you warm up without wrecking your knees (like I did), move so the court does the work instead of your body, keep your head right (aka keep your mental game sharp), and maybe pick up something that helps your game.
Things I say on the court
“The brain just got out of battle. It didn't store the score.”
All of them, and why I actually believe them →
“Never static-stretch a cold knee.”
Dynamic Warm-Up →
The standard pro/tennis warm-up, with a knee-friendly path that hides the moves a cranky knee should skip.
“Bottom-to-top, slow-to-fast.”
Knee & Foot Routine →
The daily + pre-game work that keeps cranky knees on the court. Tables, not fluff.
“Two up beats one-up-one-back.”
Positioning Basics →
The six fundamentals: get to the kitchen together, move as a team, own the middle, and reset.
“Don't let the rope snap.”
The Rope →
The one mental model that makes doubles click. Deep dive.
“Just get it over one more time and let them make the mistake.”
The Reset →
The attrition shot. Get it over one more time and let them lose it.
“Before the snap, a quarterback reads the defense. Before the serve, I read the court.”
The Pre-Snap Read →
Returning serve like a quarterback: the formation, the ball off the paddle, the call, and the wind.
“If you see empty court on your side, so does your opponent.”
Who Gets the Lob →
Usually, the opposite side calls it and gets it and the player lobbed over switches. Exceptions included.
“I got your side. Switch. Whatever works.”
Talk to Your Partner →
The one-word calls: Mine, Yours, Switch, Stay, Out, Bounce, and when to use them.
“If you think it was out, it was in.”
Line Calls →
In is the default, out takes certainty, and nobody ever argues an in call.
“If you're losing, lose like a winner.”
Lose Like a Winner →
Don't slam it just because you can, keep your head up when you lose, and don't take it out on the other side of the net.
“I let the swing rotate the grip around to what I think is western.”
Grips →
Where your hand goes on the handle, and which grip goes with which shot: the serve, the kitchen, the ball over your shoulder.
“The best paddle is the one you feel works for you.”
Finding Your Paddle →
Why the pros' paddle probably isn't yours, and how to try a few before you buy.
“Even my paddle has a kit.”
Weighting →
Where to add weight and what it changes. Take the quiz to find your spot.
“Tap the paddle. Let it go. Come back next week.”
Why You Play →
Not how to win — why you're out here, how you treat people, and the one rule you never break.
“Nothing exists but the sound of the ball hitting the paddle.”
The Mental Game →
Your serve routine, your reset, and the silent place you go between points. The in-match head game.
“Picking up the ball is a lesson in humility you never expected to learn from this game.”
The Game Within the Game →
Fumble it, kick it, chase it, hear “BALL ON!” Even the pros play it; they just have more reps.
Skills you probably won't use at crew or rec play, but you'll see them.