Played from the age of 12 till 50. Wasn't ever coached, taught myself, and picked up bad habits that I never got out of my game. Wasn't a bad player, but I relied a lot on haring round the court, rather than dominating the T and disguising my shots.
At 50 I thought it was really time to hang up the racket. Unless you're a genuinely good player, it's a young man's game, by and large. I was starting to play against opponents who were fully twenty years younger than me, or more. One great year in my early thirties when my main opponent was a lad of nineteen who was French junior cross country vice-champion. Oh but we had some ding dong battles. You'd put in a boast shot that was dying perfectly off the front wall, and you'd think "Come on, mate, there's no way you can get that, just give me the point already!" and fuck me, he'd hare up to the front and dig it out. And on the rally would go. Sometimes I won, sometimes he did, but either way, we knew we'd been in a game in which every point was fought for between two savage dogs.
It's a great sport, when you come off that court dripping in sweat, knowing you've given it your best. Still miss it. Love hiking, but that doesn't quite do it…
Edit: sorry, just realised I posted very much the same thing one year ago, here. Ah well.
