We Must Play Tennis!
Brrrr, it’s cold out here in this cold winter tennis-less freeze! It’s a blizzard out, and all we want to do is go out and play some tennis! It’s imperative that we can find a way to get a match in even when Mother Nature decides to drop a foot or more of snow on your favorite tennis court, and we’re here to tell you there is a way, maybe even two or three!
Most major cities have at least one local indoor tennis club that is open to the public. This is only half the battle, however, as finding an opponent or just someone to hit with can be tricky when the snow has buried the city. If you can manage to get to the local club yourself, a great way to burn off the tennis itch is to rent a ball machine for a half hour or hour. Almost all tennis clubs carry at least one, so not all hope is lost for those in need of some good old fashioned hitting.
Ball machines are great if you just want to work on your own stroke, but what if you are looking for a little instruction?
Care to Hit a Few?
A snow storm can bring all kinds of winter tennis opportunities that normally wouldn’t come your way. Most matches end up getting canceled so the club is usually looking to fill empty courts. In addition, many lessons get canceled as well, so the opportunity to get a lesson in with a Pro that is difficult to schedule with just might come available to you in these conditions. Often, they will enjoy the chance to get a half hour lesson in and make the most of a lost day anyway.
This one on one time can become priceless, as the distractions that normally come with being a tennis pro are usually not as present on a snow day when most of the club employees (they demand time of the pros as well as members and the paying public) and the members are not around. It is a chance to really ask a few good questions and gain some true insight into your game, and the mind of the pro.
I’m Stuck Too!
Sometimes we all get stuck at home on a particularly bad snow day. Now what do we do? A snow day, the whole family is stuck inside, together, and you’ve already watched 3 movies and just can’t watch another Disney princess movie (cause the kids might catch on that you are singing the songs also. Wait, is that just me?), and the irritability of everyone is building slowly. You need to release some energy NOW!
Break out the video games!
Sometimes, if you are lucky enough to have a system like the Wii that has a tennis game that you can stand up and get your blood flowing, you can even get a game of winter tennis in on a snow day at home. Heck, even a ping pong table can keep you from losing your mind!
Get Ready for Busy Bookings
The downside of a great snow day? The push for booking matches, lessons, and ball machine rentals is HUGE after a snow storm. You can expect it to be difficult to reserve a court if you aren’t proactive in setting up your next scheduled time. People have a tendency to focus only on canceling the time they reserved a court, and tend to forget to reschedule, so if you call the day of or even the day before a snow storm, you usually will have a good chance at getting your next reservation in. If you wait until the day after, however, than look out! It’s usually a battle to get your time in for at least a week or two.
Next!
So, if you have to cancel appointment, do so while remembering to reschedule. But, if not, than take full advantage of having a tennis club almost all to yourself! The fun, freedom, and hopefully one on one time with the staff can really make for an enjoyable and memorable snow day at the tennis club!
