Tennis and Golf: The Same Sport?

I have been playing tennis for almost 57 years. It is still a baffling sport. I never really played golf as a kid but started attempting to in my 20s, and I’m here to tell you, it is even crazier than tennis. Why is it so difficult to hit a golf ball that is just sitting there? It never moves and you don’t have to run. Even on the 18 shots when you can tee the ball up, it is only total uncertainty that awaits.

Tennis and golf are basically the same sport. You practice numerous hours to try and repeat the same swing each time. Even when you master the swings, the pressure of actually doing it in a match or on the golf course totally disrupts your ability to execute. A great shot in either sport makes you want to play again. A poor shot makes you feel like you have never even played the game before.

Then there is the strategy aspect. Is it better to be aggressive or consistent? It seems that consistency should be the choice for most players but it is much more fun to swing extremely hard and either hit a 130 mile-per-hour serve or a 300-yard drive. Of course, neither of those ever happen unless you become a professional player. Should I come in to the net or stay back? Should I try for the green in two or lay up? These are the same strategy issues. When I stay back, my opponent hits a winner on the second shot; and when I lay up, I slice or hook it out of play.

Then there is putting. How difficult can it possibly be? Rory McIlroy’s four-year-old daughter sunk a long one at the Masters and she could barely hold the club. I hit a great drive, on the green in regulation, and then three putt. The same goes for returning most player’s second serves when you have a break point. The ball is usually coming right where you want it and you have the whole court to use on the return. How can it possibly go in the net, wide or long? The same feeling shines through: have I ever really played this game before?

Driving a golf ball and serving a first serve have a lot in common as well. Do I go for the ace or hit 75 percent with spin into their body? Do I rip the drive and try to draw it so I get a lot of roll, or do I break out the wood and hit it shorter and somewhere on the fairway. I think you know what most of us would do.

The bottom line is, these are both great sports. They will give you a lot of joy as well as a huge portion of disappointment. Both are character builders. You learn how to deal with adversity, you overcome your uncertainty and learn to make decisions, and you are out in the fresh air doing something that you can continue to do for a very long time. I strongly recommend either sport, but based on medical research, tennis players live an average of ten years longer than non tennis players. Choosing tennis will give you a little more time to enjoy.