Which
Player
are You?
BY TOM KENDRICK
ike and Tom are mid-level
3.5 players. Joan is of similar
ability, but Bill is a strong 4.5.
The two men ask Bill and Joan
if they’d like a game.
“We like playing against
better players,” says Tom. “OK,” says Bill. “but
this is a friendly game; let’s keep it light.”
The “friendly” game turns out to be a lopsided
affair, with Mike and Tom winning 11-4. The four
players tap paddles and exit the court. In parting,
Tom says, “4.5, huh? Better luck next time!” Bill
smiles politely. He’s heard it before, but he’s too
nice to say anything. But Joan does: “What? You
guys only hit three balls to him the entire game!
It was Mike and Tom against Joan!” The two
winners chuckle and leave.
This scenario happens every day. The better
player on the court never sees a ball. But here’s
the bad news for Mike and Tom—by “picking” on
Joan, they missed out on an opportunity to learn.
If they had not been so intent on winning the
76
(recreational) game, they most likely could have
seen some shots and strategies used by the
higher level player. In fact, in this case, since
Bill is such a nice guy, he might have given
them some valuable tips.
Bruce was recently moved up to 4.0. He’s
a dedicated player and works hard on his
game. At his club is a 5.0 player, Debbie, who
sometimes plays mixed with Bruce. Bruce cares
about the score and wants to win, but he forces
himself to hit 80 percent of his shots to Debbie.
He wants to see that higher level; he wants to
improve his game. Debbie understands this, and
appreciates his desire to get better as well as
his good sportsmanship. (In the first scenario,
Bill could have taken a nap!)
Which players most resemble your game and
your philosophy? Mike and Tom, who will focus
solely on the weaker player in order to win, even
in a recreational game? Or Bruce, who wants to
challenge himself and improve his game? •
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