Alright, so I’ve been trying to get out and play a bit more tennis lately. You know how it is, trying to stay active and all that. But man, the gear situation can be a pain, right? Especially what to wear on top when you’re running around like a headless chicken chasing a fuzzy yellow ball.
For ages, I just threw on any old t-shirt. But honestly, most of them just get soaked with sweat and feel kinda heavy and clingy. Not the best feeling when you’re trying to focus on not hitting the ball into the next county. So, I got this idea: why not properly try out singlets? Like, dedicate a session or two to see if they’re actually any good for playing tennis. My own little “singlet tennis” experiment, you could call it.
My Big Singlet Test Run
So, the other day, I decided to actually do it. I rummaged through my drawers and found a couple of different singlets. One was that slick, shiny, sporty material – you know, the kind that’s supposed to be all fancy and wick away sweat. The other was just a plain old cotton one, the comfy kind I’d usually just lounge around in. I figured, hey, let’s give ’em both a proper go on the court.
I headed down to the local courts, armed with my rackets, balls, and my two test-subject singlets. My plan was simple: play some tennis, hit some balls, and really pay attention to how these things felt. No distractions, just pure, unadulterated singlet performance analysis. Okay, maybe not that serious, but you get the idea.
First up was the sporty one. Slipped it on, felt pretty light. Started warming up, hitting a few balls. The first thing I noticed? The freedom of movement. Seriously, my arms felt so much freer. Serves, forehands, backhands – everything just felt a bit less restricted without sleeves bunching up or pulling. That was a definite thumbs up.
Then the sweat started. And yeah, the sporty singlet got damp, no doubt about it. But it didn’t feel like I was wearing a wet blanket. It seemed to dry out reasonably quick when there was a bit of a breeze, and it didn’t get super heavy. So far, so good.
After a while, I swapped over to the cotton singlet. Oh boy. That was a different story. It felt comfy at first, sure. But once I started moving and sweating properly? Disaster. That thing just soaked up every single drop of sweat like a sponge. A very inefficient, heavy sponge. It got heavy, it clung to me, and it just felt… well, gross. By the end of one set, I felt like I was wearing a damp dishrag. Not a good look, and definitely not a good feel.
- Sporty singlet: Light, good movement, handled sweat okay.
- Cotton singlet: Became a heavy, wet mess. Bad. Very bad.
And there was another thing I completely forgot about. The sun. My shoulders, man. My poor shoulders. With t-shirts, they’re usually covered. With a singlet? Nope. Fully exposed. I was out there for a good couple of hours, just enjoying the game, not really thinking. Later that evening, I looked in the mirror. Classic farmer’s tan, but singlet style. More like a bright red “you idiot, you forgot sunscreen” style. Lesson learned, I guess. If I’m going the singlet route, sunscreen on the shoulders is non-negotiable.
So, What’s the Verdict on Singlet Tennis?
After my little experiment, I’ve gotta say, I’m kind of sold on the idea of “singlet tennis,” but with some big caveats. That sporty, quick-dry material? That’s the ticket. No doubt about it. It made a real difference in comfort. As for the cotton singlet? Never again. Not for tennis, anyway. That thing is strictly for chilling on the couch now, far away from any strenuous activity.
And yeah, the sunscreen thing. Definitely gotta remember that. Don’t want to be looking like a stripy lobster every time I play.
It’s not like wearing a singlet suddenly turned me into Roger Federer or anything. Let’s be real. But just feeling a bit more comfortable, a bit less like a sweaty, bogged-down mess? That actually makes playing a bit more enjoyable. So yeah, I think I’ll be investing in a few more of those sporty singlets. This whole “singlet tennis” thing might just stick for me. It’s a small change, but hey, sometimes the small things make a difference, right?
