I need help in tennis....?

Question

I'm a sophomore in high school and am wondering about the usta. I'm nowhere near good enough to play in college but would like to continue playing after high school and even join during the summer. What are the tournaments like? How should I start off if I start in the summer? How do I pick the tournaments?
On a completely different note, I was playing a match the other day and my opponent served a let on her 2nd serve. She served again and it landed out. I thought it was a double fault and walked to the other side thinking I won the point. She claimed that the let rule allowed her for her 1st serve and 2nd. I always thought if it was a let on the 2nd serve you only and a 2nd serve and if it's a let on the 1st serve then you get 1st and 2nd. We called our coach and he said she's allowed both serves. Is he right? Thanks!

peter · Accepted Answer

I played a couple usta tournaments when I was in high school. I can't fully remember but I'm sure you have to become a usta member. You can find and register for tournaments on their website! They are a lot of fun and you definitely improve your skills and mental game. 

As far as the let situation, you are right. If you serve a let, you are only allowed to redo that serve. If they served a let on their 1st serve, they redo their 1st and if they let on their 2nd, they redo their 2nd. Your coach should know that :/ 

Good luck with your tournaments and have fun!

Chuck · Answer

***I was playing a match the other day and my opponent served a let on her 2nd serve. She served again and it landed out. I thought it was a double fault and walked to the other side thinking I won the point.***

If a server misses the first serve [fault], and then hits a let, followed by second fault, that's a double-fault!!!  A service let does not entitle the server to two more serves unless it happens on the *first* serve.  You were right, the coach was mistaken, for some reason.

"Rule 22. THE LET DURING A SERVE
......
In the case of a service let, that particular service shall not count, and the server shall serve again, but a service let does not cancel a previous fault."

Sometimes you get an interruption and start the whole point over [two serves], but that's not what happened, according to what you wrote here.

***I'm a sophomore in high school and am wondering about the usta. I'm nowhere near good enough to play in college but would like to continue playing after high school and even join during the summer. What are the tournaments like? How should I start off if I start in the summer? How do I pick the tournaments?***

I would find a good teacher in your area, take a few lessons, and ask him/her what skill level of USTA junior tournaments you should sign up for, if any.

Some strong coaches around the world actually forbid their new players from tournaments until they've trained for two or three years.  They do this so that the player will not have to compete and try to learn how to hit the ball at the same time.

Much better to have your strokes learned up to an automatic level of proficiency BEFORE going into serious competition! [pounds the table] You can read about this in "The Talent Code" by Daniel Coyle.

Joshua · Answer

I play USTA tournaments in Florida and will hopefully be getting more offers for college scholarships next year. USTA is a great oppertunity to hone your skills and get a glimpse of a higher level of play. Sign up at the USTA website and you will be ready to enter tournaments.  I would recommend starting with a level 6 tournament or a "Local."

As for your other question you did win the point. If you get a let on the serve you get to redo only that serve.

? · Answer

I'm in the same exact boat you are with the USTA question so I hope you get some good answers with that :)   But you're right about the serving, if you get a let on your 2nd serve you only redo your 2nd serve not 1st and 2nd.

Trending News

I need help in tennis....?

4 Answers