When I first started playing matches again last spring, I found myself struggling to get going in the first set. I would consistently play much better in the second set, often coming back to win it and the tie breaker. In a USTA singles match against Alpena last spring I lost the first set 6-3, and came back to win the second 6-0, finishing with a close 10-8 win in the tiebreaker. This seemed to happen more often than not for me. Don;t get me wrong, coming back to win is fun, it sometimes works, but who wants that stress of trying to catch up every match??
Since then, I've found ways to prepare myself, and seem to come out swinging in the first. Unfortunatly, I've gotten in a pattern where I now drop second set after second set. Keeping track, I only won 1 match between December and February where I won the first set. My partner and I almost lost a doubles match where we were up 6-1, 5-1... letting them all the way to 5-6. In the change I asked my partner about it, and he said he was feeling bored. We managed to get fired up and decided to win it 'right now' not in the 3rd set tb... we played smart tennis for the last game, got our returns back and went to the win the 7pt set tie breaker. But this match was the exception to my pattern of winning the first set easily and dogging in in #2. I played a singles match recently where my opponent and I are pretty evenly matched. I was just destroying him in almost every game by driving the ball deep, attacking his server and coming in on a short ball approach, moving him around and eventually putting the ball away. I think I won the first 6-2. But, as my typical pattern.. I dropped the second set and the Tie Breaker to him. Where did my game go?
I realize my opponent(s) may be doing exactly what I had been... getting warmed up more slowly, and mentally fired up after dropping the first set. Also, the bad news is that momentum in a 3rd point tiebreaker stays with the winner of the 2nd set. In singles especially, my serve tends to get sloppy in the second set.. maybe this is mental but maybe my arm is just tired as I tend to give it my all in the first. What's worse is I tend to set things up nicely, then miss the down the line winner that I was just nailing in the first set. For example after a great serve my opponent pops the ball up and I come in for an easy punch volley but miss it in the alley or worse take a dumb swing and put it in the tarp! Another common scenario.. I go from hitting a consistent return of serve deep in the court and even hitting winners off both first and second serves throughout the first set to where I start netting it or putting up 'fluffers' in the 2nd set.
So, I've got to get over this and continue to put away my opponent(s) when they are down. I'm trying to find ways to keep the momentum in the 2nd set. In one recent match, I decided before we even started to win the first game of the second set which worked out and led to a 3-1 lead in that set.. winning the doubles match in straight sets. Unfortunately, the very next doubles week we went back to the old pattern... and even worse started the 3rd set down 4-0 (coming back a bit only to lose it 6-4 in the 3rd). I'm not sure if I failed to get pumped up for those games or what.
A few things I'm going to try next:
-Starting out serving more steady, and save the big serves for the 2nd set
-Win the first two games of the second set.
-Move my feet MORE in the 2nd set than the first, to avoid lazy shots and letting them back in control of the match
-Start the 2nd set out to WIN instead of not lose.
Any other ideas or feedback are welcome!
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