2017 Adult Tournament Season Begins…… Tournaments Can Help You Improve Your Game!

Have you been wondering what tournaments are all about? Why people play them?  Is there a benefit?

The 2017 tournament season is upon us and whether you are a novice or seasoned player, there is a tournament for you.

You may be wondering why you would want to play a tournament.  Tournaments allow us to evaluate our game against similar ability players – both from a stroke perspective and a mental perspective. Many players can play casually or meet a friend and “hit” for an hour or 2 and think they are at the top of their game. Nothing is on the line and a missed shot here or there is easily forgotten. Are you really improving or just think you are?

Playing a tournament match against a player you do not know can be a wake up call to your game. It may show you that you are competitive and can make your shots under pressure – or not.  Most of us want to make the shots, win the points and confirm what we feel we know – that we are as good as we think! That we can win the match!

The 2017 tournament season offers tournaments for every level – whether you want to play a local NTRP event, an Adult age-based event or for those who are advanced players, National tournaments.

If you enjoy the competition of USTA leagues, you may want to test yourself in a tournament. Many players use tournaments to sharpen their game. They play against opponents that they are not familiar with which forces them to be keenly aware of the strokes and tactics of their opponent and make decisions and adjustments while playing.

Too busy to give up an entire weekend for a tournament? Tournament Directors are continuing to introduce new, alternative formats to accommodate the changing lifestyles of players. These may include round robin flights with multiple play opportunities during a 1 day event.  Each tournament listing will describe the format and the Tournament Director can be contacted for additional information.

The USTA Southern California provides a consistent tournament structure that ensures fair competition. To find a tournament in your area and ability, check out the Tennis Link website:  Http://www.tennislink.usta.com/tournaments.  

If you are new to tournaments , have questions or need help in navigating the tournament pages, please contact the SCTA office at 310-208-3838 and ask for either Linda, Jackie or Madeline. They will be happy to help.