To anyone/everyone reading this blog, I figured it would be a good idea for me to set a baseline for my improvement. While I’ve improved quite a bit over the last few years going from a very low-end 4.0 to a decent 4.5, I think it’s a good idea to actually have something to measure success by. There isn’t an exact science to determining your level or showing improvement in tennis so we’ll want to look at things over a pretty extended timeline. The metrics I want to look at in relation to tennis are 12 month rolling USTA singles and doubles rankings in Texas (not exact in some ways because the more tournaments you play, the better chance to have an easy draw and earn points), Tennis League Stats rating which is has limitations as well, and overall win-loss record. Below are my current metrics as of 5/15/17:
12 mo rolling standings singles: #17 with 860 pts
12 mo rolling standings doubles: #10 with 1205 pts
TLS: 4.10
Overall singles win-loss record: 18-16
I’ll also be tracking my health/diet as I believe this is a crucial part of playing at a high level for a long time as an adult. To improve, you have to avoid injury and extended time off the court so I want to detail exactly what I do for fitness, diet, rehab, etc. I’ll make a guess here as to what my body fat % is which I can almost guarantee is wrong but I’ll be getting a DEXA scan soon and sharing those results with you guys afterward.
Current morning weight: 178lbs
Current body fat % estimated: 15%
Current diet protocol: low carb/high fat a la Slow Carb/Tim Ferriss (I’ve been on this diet for about 2 months and have dropped approx 13lbs in that time)
I’ll post a video of me hitting this week and we can get a very rudimentary look at my strokes, footwork, consistency, etc.