Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve just noticed that my game's success varies during the year. While I’ve detailed the differences in Atlanta’s weather and what it does to the playing conditions in the Winter, Summer and Fall, I’d never noticed that my own personal performance varies by season until last night.
I recalled that in the fall of 2010, my various ALTA partners and I lost all but one match and, though my USTA partner and I lost but one match that fall, it was a particularly ugly one (in the playoffs). Again, this fall, my game has suffered as has my record. I was 2-3 in men’s ALTA and though my USTA partner and I are undefeated, my former USTA partner and I – we’re playing Ultimate Tennis together – are 1-3. This contrasts with how I started the year. Last winter, I was 5-2 in ALTA mixed doubles – with a variety of partners – and 5-1 in men’s doubles during the spring. Also last spring, I played and won with three different USTA partners and was undefeated. During the summer, while I was only 2-3 in mixed doubles my Ultimate Tennis partner and I went undefeated 4-0. Counting the 2-2 record I compiled last winter during the senior ALTA season, my record (including playoffs etc.) over the past 14+ months is 35-23 (60%), but it’s 23-8 (74%) if you leave out fall play.
What accounts for this 14% different in my (and my partner’s) winning percentage in the fall vs. the rest of the year? Should I give up playing tennis in the fall? I'll get a chance at some redemption tomorrow night; my undefeated USTA partner and I get to play in our first playoff match together since we won at the Georgia State Mixed Doubles Tournament this summer.
Wish us luck!
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