We all know that a little spring cleaning can go a long way. 

We can get rid of the old, make way for the new or simply make way for a little more space. 

It can help to give us a fresh start, be less predictable and maybe even encourage us to try something new.  All valid reasons for a good old spring clean.

I decided that my tennis game, in fact all things tennis for me would benefit from a spring clean.  I decided that I would go through and refresh my rather tired assortment of tennis clothes, clean out my tennis equipment closet, unmask hidden gems in my tennis bag and maybe even take a new look at my attitude and my game.

I started with the easy stuff.  My drawer of tennis clothes was stuffed to overflowing.  Inside were articles of clothing that have not seen the light of day and probably shouldn’t either, for many years.  Old t-shirts from past events and my children’s tournaments, skirts with worn out elastic that probably would not last a match and honestly some things that should not have even made their way into my collection.  So out the old and unwearable went.  What was left was space for one thing and some skirts and shirts that look pretty good and will make a nice little comeback.  I gave away some things, threw out plenty and felt a sense of achievement and renewed excitement about getting ready for my next match.

Now on to the equipment closet.  When you have to be careful opening the door it is a pretty good sign that this project should have been tackled perhaps last spring even.  No doubt many of you can appreciate that it is hard to throw away old balls.  You never know when you might need them and so the piles start to take over.  I have balls in my tennis bag, another two bags for serving practice and another full bag ready to donate to the local kids’ clinics.  I started the closet spring clean by putting all of the used balls into one big bag, throwing them into the car and delivering them to my local club for the kids.  Amazingly the closet opened up to reveal more unnecessary tennis paraphernalia.  Rackets and tennis bags that have taken up shelf space for too long without being used for years.  These were all taken out to be donated along with my daughter’s many trophies that can be relabeled and handed out to young kids who are starting out on their tennis journeys.  Places like the Barnes Center in San Diego do so much for Youth Tennis San Diego and they will make good use of my contribution to encourage kids to get into the game.

I also took a good look at the equipment I do use.  Time for a refresh.  I have needed a new grip for over a month, done.  My back up racket needed restringing, done. This of course led me to my tennis bag.  Amazing what you can find at the bottom of these bags.  I took the bag outside and emptied it onto the grass.  I found money, sunscreen, a pair of long-lost sun glasses and an earring that I thought was lost for good.  That is the good stuff.  There was not surprisingly quite a few Kleenex, some old Tic Tacs, old tape, notes, pencils, and no shortage of discarded bar wrappers.  Thankfully no old food or scary stuff.  Just stuff and too much of it.  No wonder the bag felt heavy. Now it is clean and light and ready for its second life.

Now onto the more difficult parts of my tennis spring clean, my attitude for one.  I love tennis and have been playing the game for well over 30 years but quite honestly I don’t have the same sense of excitement around the game that I had even five years ago.  I decided to switch it up.  The reason I feel complacent is that I do much the same thing, at the same place, with the same people in the same way almost every time I play.  While I really enjoy the company of the ladies, now my friends for years and enjoy our club very much I was feeling like it was all too predictable and my game was becoming stale.  So I decided to add something to it.  I am now playing on Sundays at another club’s social tennis afternoon.  I have signed up for clinics with a different pro and I have set some goals to compete in a couple of tournaments over the summer.  With this renewed energy and some goals, my game became the last piece of my spring clean project.

Not much has changed in my game over the last ten years, except that I have become slower.  I still rely heavily on my consistent fast serve and know I can win or at least hold my own in a baseline rally against most of the people I compete with.  I have never mastered a spin serve, have little confidence in my drop shot and know I’d be more effective if I came to the net more, a lot more. So these three things are on my list of skills to develop and add to my game.  So far the results have been mixed but I can tell you that I am having fun learning and trying them out in my matches.

This spring clean stuff has served my tennis life very well.  I feel refreshed, less burdened and energized again to play and be better.  Now on to other things like the garage because it always needs a spring clean.

By Lisa Thomas