I am not as old as Paul Newman was when The Color of Money was being Filmed, but Tennis Requires more running than pool

I played tennis in a competitive setting last evening for the first time in over 2 years.  On one hand, there were some positives from the two sets of doubles I played.  I volleyed reasonably well.  My forehand was much improved from its poor form during my Louisville Hit for Puerto Rico (the Cincinnati hit is still in the works as my partner heals from a neck injury).  My slice backhand was not bad even if my top spin backhand is still adjusting to a new racquet.

Agassi Pissed Me Off when he did this, but after my tosses last evening maybe I can understand how Agassi felt

The negatives were as follows:

1. My service toss was at the level of a hacker version of Karol Kucera’s toss 
2. My anticipation was awful
3. My movement was awful
4. My aerobic recovery from any taxing points was not good
5. My flexibility was bad

My Skills are Somewhere in a Bundle of Mess

The good news is that enough of my old acumen remains that an attempt at salvaging my game could be worthwhile.  The question is how in the world to chisel away years of rust?  Normally when I have taken breaks from tennis, they have been shorter.  The  combination of age (I am almost 42) and parental responsibilities that necesitated a break from tennis has wrecked my game.

Tennis after 40 … uncharted waters for me

Options for Moving Forward

1. Embracing Old Man Tennis – Maybe I can chip and drop shot and feign running for lobs well enough to fool people.  I don’t like this option, but if I don’t play any more often it may be all I have.  Probability – Low if I Have Anything to Say About It
2. Find a Wall and Knock Rust Off – This almost certainly has to be a piece to the larger puzzle.  Even if tennis only requires one other person for practicing and playing, my schedule doesn’t always permit this.  Probability – Moderate 
3. Yoga/DDPYoga/Tai Chi – I cannot play tennis every day, but my flexibility can improve and I can lose weight through other methods.  Probability – Moderately High – Like the Wall this is Something I can do on my own, but unlike the wall, I don’t even have to travel
4. Hitting Once Per Week (or More) –  I can now do this from a scheduling standpoint.  I am not sure if I can do this during winter months as indoor court time is expensive.   Hitting once per week has to be better for my game than hitting twice in 24 months.  Probability – High to Moderate Depending on the Season #GoFundMeToKnockRustOffMyTennisGameByPayingForIndoorCourtFees (doesn’t have a good ring to it)
5. Losing Weight – I need to do this anyway, but it cannot hurt my movement or recovery from taxing points.  Probability – High – What do I have to lose?

If I do some or all of the above steps, maybe I too will be back