How To Convince Yr Lazy Mates To Have A Hit Of Tennis If You’re Itching For Some Court Action

Itching for a bit of court action? There’s nothing quite like a hit of tennis to make you feel alive again if that good old existential dread seems to have settled into your bones. You get the sun on your face, a muscle working in your back that you haven’t felt since your peak 14-year-old fitness phase and the adrenaline of some high-stakes competition with your mates. Bloody priceless.

But are your lazy mates stifling the tennis dream? How dare they. I’ve been in that exact position before but with pub trivia. My now-dead-to-me friends repeatedly refused to go and the more they did it, the more funny they found it. (A-plus comedy, hey.) It took a lot of hard work on my part to convince ‘em but we have now been and HAD A GREAT TIME. So, I’m doing the work for you this time and slinging you five reasons you can hit your mates with when you want company on the tennis court. You’re welcome.

A court is close

So Close GIF by Australian Survivor

Tennis is popular, fam. There are so many more courts around than you’d expect. You should be able to find one any day of the week, in a really close radius and super early or late, too. Just pop a postcode and the day you’re looking to go into the play.tennis.com.au site and a stack of options will come up. Choose the closest one to your laziest mate – how can they argue with that?

They need to wean off screens

Swipe Up Pop Tv GIF by Schitt's Creek

Look, it’s a bit cheeky but it will work because there’s nothin’ like a bit of guilt to get us moving! If your lazy mates are refusing to leave the house, ask ‘em how their weekly screen time is looking. Betting it’s more hours than they’d like to admit, hey? That alone should scare all your friends into having a racquet of a time.

You get your friend fix

Madison Keys Hug GIF by WTA

Now, I’m not saying to hold your friends’ time with you hostage, but…if they wanna hang out, why not on the court?! That’s how they can get the honour of your company this week. Everyone’s busy so it’s a good way to cram friend-time plus something productive into one session. How efficient are you?!

It’s one ‘uge workout

Happy Homer Simpson GIF

Playing tennis with mates is, like, the same as a round robin of beer pong – the sledging, the strategies, the swift moves – only it’s really good for you instead of terrible for you.  

According to Vic Gov, an hour-long game of singles tennis burns around 600 calories for men and 420 calories for women. Huge workout. 

Get your lazy mates to switch beer pong for the healthy alternative.

Tell ‘em it’ll be chill

Season 4 Episode 22 GIF by Parks and Recreation

Broach the topic with your pals in a really low-stakes way. If someone wanted to play a game of basketball with me, I would refuse ‘cos I hate to run. But just shooting a hoop while standing still for a game of Horse? That I’ll get around and inevitably run a bit while there.

I suggest you lie through your teeth with a simple, “We can just muck around for half an hour, hit it back and forth a little.” It’s non-committal but I guarantee once you get there and have a hit, the ol’ competitive kiddies in you will come out to play. 

At the end of the day, we’re all just dainty humans who need our regular sun, food, water, social time and exercise. Tennis covers most of that essential jazz, so once you convince your lazy mates to get onto the court, they’ll be thanking you by the time you leave.

More Stuff From PEDESTRIAN.TV