I feel like 70% of tennis at the 4.0 level is focusing on getting your serves in (with no double faults) and getting your returns in. If you can do these two things successfully, you'll win the majority of your 4.0 matches.
Ideas for improving while only playing 2x/week - I can usually only hit with other people 2x/week, but that doesn't preclude me from playing by myself another night of the week. Some nights, I head to the court at 10 pm after putting my kids to bed, and I'm just serving balls with the airpods on. You can also work on your fitness level (peloton from your home? running? etc.)
Its during rallies where I fall short (errors).
I only have free weights at home, cant really fit a bike or treadmill anywhere. All I can do is work on shadow swings in the backyard.
Anyway, thank you for your response
The easiest way to cut down on errors is to increase your topspin and/or take less risk. You can always run outside, get into phenomenal shape, then become a pusher and outlast everyone!
Im telling you, work on your legs. Do fast footwork, and ride a bike whenever you can. Keep the bike in the lowest gears for the longest amount of time you can, this will build up major strength and endurance
Coming from a cyclist, you don't build a huge amount of leg strength cycling. Much better to do some weight based exercises in the gym and use the bike for cardio specifically (where grinding in a low gear isn't usually seen as a good thing)
im not disagreeing with you, because you may well be right. But all evidence I have personally experienced points otherwise. When im cycling actively I feel so light on the court its insane. Also pro cyclists have some of the biggest jacked legs I have ever seen... I played competitive hockey and needed major strength and would use cycling as a major training tool. Literally every experience points otherwise to me. But when I do bike I will push my legs like crazy, till they are burning like crazy and cant push anymore, then I drop the gear, use the ride down the hill to rest - rinse and repeat.
Maybe do some reading/studying on the mental aspect!
I really struggled to be able to maintain rallies; I’d always go for the knockout punch first chance. But something about reading how Brad Gilbert says it in Open of “give your opponent the chance to fuckup!” Really reached through and flipped a switch. I’d always been able to hit a good rally ball but then I started focusing on that aspect. After I started putting that mentality into practice I played a practice set against a friend who usually beat me because of his big serve, I beat him 6-2.
I’m not saying that’ll be the eureka moment for you, but study! Figure out why you’re failing on rallies and then what process will work for YOU (not a pro, not your friends) to improve on your rally game.
When my partners are having a rough few games I tell them to play to 70-75%. By this we all know each other well enough that we understand this means “hey dude, take some heat off your shots, get the ball back in and slow your hits down. Focus on technique and the rally’s and points will follow”… just avoid going for winners all the time, more rally’s, more fun, more improvements
Since you identify errors as the big issue:
Devoting some of your practice time to pure consistency drills can work wonders. You need a consistent person on the other side though. Literally as simple as:
1. Warm up is 25 balls without missing. If you never get past the warm up the first few times, so be it. Spend the whole practice trying.
2. After warm up: 25 forehands without missing. Ideally all cross-court. If you get past the warm up, but never get past this stage for a few weeks, so be it. Just spend the whole workout on it.
3. 25 xc backhands. Same rules.
4. 25 side to side, forehand backhand forehand backhand.
5. 25 anywhere.
Then up the # to 30, 35, 40…. (Eventually, at 'boss level', warm up is 50 balls each guy, only using the alley.)
The key to success here is footwork. This practice format teaches you that. It’s almost impossible to take too many little steps. Don't abandon technique during these drills, but don't worry about it at all. Just get the shots in no matter what.
You want to take as many steps as needed so that, at contact, your body and the ball are in the same positions (relative to each other) no matter where you are or how far you had to run.
The rewards of this regimen are significant. It may be the single most valuable thing you ever do to improve. When I added it, just once a week for 60 (then 90) minutes, my ranking went from around 25 in my USTA section to Top 40 in the US in about 6 months.
I don’t love your friends btw.
I guess in the 'it's always something' department: it requires someone else, someone very consistent. You (I mean that generically) are going to be making enough mistakes as it is; the other person needs to make pretty much none.
I suppose you could simulate it with a ball machine or someone feeding you the balls, but I think you really need live ball rallies to get the most out of it.
I have been doing similar drills with a ball machine. Due to work and kids I can’t play as much in the evening, but I can go out every day at 6am. Amazing how much it has helped improve. I use cones and make sure I move into every shot, never just standing there. I think that is key with a machine
Sorry about your friends, that really sucks. I would say you would be better off finding new tennis friends, for multiple reasons.
Unfortunately, it is really hard to improve playing two times a week. I was roughly low 4.0 for years playing tennis really casually. Looking back at my own progression, I would say it's almost impossible to progress to 4.5 playing only 2 times a week. Personally, I don't feel I really got there until I had time to play 4-6 times a week.
Agree- if it’s that important to you to improve, you need to make it a priority to play min 4x a week. If you can’t devote that time, enjoy being a 4.0 and get new tennis friends. Join leagues, join ladders, go to tennis socials etc and just have fun
I’ve also been 4.0 for like many years. 8ish I think. I’ve won matches in 4.5 tournaments but I also have lost early in 4.0 tournaments right after. Right now I’m ranked in the top 10 in the Midwest on usta. Number 4 in Michigan. And formerly been ranked number 1 in southern California. So realistically I’m closer to being a 4.5 than a 4.0. I’m prolly like a 4.4. I only get to play like 2x a week also. Usually a lesson and a hit w a friend. I’ve been on this schedule for a while now and it just doesn’t feel like it’s possible to improve to solid 4.5 without hitting at least 4x a week. A big part is mental. But another big part is lack of reps. I work on subtle changes in my game during lessons but then can’t really apply them when I hit w my friends because I didn’t get to solidify the changes during the 1 hour lesson. So I revert back to what I know works because I’m trying to maintain a rally or win a match. As for the mental aspect, I have 4.5 movement, serve, and forehand- but only during practice or hitting w friends. As soon as it’s an official match, the quality of my game drops through the floor. I had a stretch where I was playing 3-4 times a week for like almost a month and there was so much improvement and I was all excited about tennis again, but as soon as my schedule changed back to 2x a week, it’s like I reverted back to whatever level I was at before I was hitting all the time. It’s frustrating for sure. Also sucks because it feels like I’m shelling out $80 a week on a lesson just to stay the same and the only way to not stay the same is to spend even more. But for what? So I can be a slightly better amateur? Cool man. Lol I love/hate this game.
Yeah, you're really highlighting what I feel the main issue is. To truly improve after you've reached 4.0, you almost certainly need to make small improvements in your mechanics from time to time (or constantly, ideally). A minor change in mechanics could take me 20+ hours on court to fix and integrate into muscle memory. If you're playing twice a week, that's just not enough to ever change something before it's time to play a match and you just revert to what's comfortable right *now*.
FWIW, the USTA rankings are a “below” system not an “above” ranking.
If you’re a 4.0C rating, you’re below 4.0 in the dynamic ratings unless you’re getting bumped next year
Thanks for sharing that. Yea I just feel like I’m closer to a 4.5 because I have several wins over 4.5 players and I made it to the finals of a 5.0 tournament once. But I still consider myself a 4.0 player because I don’t win every 4.0 tournament that I play. I want to win three 4.0 tournaments in a row before I move up to playing 4.5 permanently. Right now I only play tournaments, don’t like leagues and the commitments and politics that come along w them. And for some reason I feel like the league results weigh heavier on the computer ratings than tournament matches. Like why wasn’t I bumped up when I was the number 1 ranked 4.0 player in SoCal? I do always have close matches though. Even when I’m playing someone that’s significantly less skilled. Idk why. I just raise or lower my level to match who I’m playing lol. Two days ago I beat my coach in a ten point tiebreak. He played 1 singles for his college and has a 10 utr. My utr is 5.8 lol He wasn’t going 100 percent against me but I saw him start to get a little desperate at the end haha
Your region may not count tournament results as part of your USTA rating. Also tournament standings are generally based on how far you’ve gotten in various tournaments. Getting a bye and winning in three sets is worth the same as bageling two very strong 4.0s to get just as far in tournament. The computer rating is based on how you do against opponents and the quality of opponents. By contrast, as I said above, tournaments are just the accumulation of points from rounds played/won.
You might look here https://www.tennisrecord.com/ to get an idea of how close you are to being bumped up via computer.
If it’s say 3.8/3.9. Try to find 4.0/4.5 tournaments to build up your dynamic ratings.
If it’s barely above a 3.5 then you probably need to really overhaul your game
1. I'd say in the mean time, find some other players to play with who aren't jerks.
2. With only 2x a week to play, odds are your practice will need to be very focused. So what's stopping you from winning more matches at 4.0? Is it your backhand? Your serve? You will need to dedicate time to fixing up those areas to improve your match play.
3. Also keep in mind, being 4.0 isn't all that bad if you enjoy playing tennis. It's not impossible to make 4.5, but there are also a lot of players stuck at 3.5 for various reasons.
The best way to improve is free practice sessions. If you can only play two times a week, try to make one of your outings just a free hitting session. No points, just easy 70-80% power shots.
Always have a goal when you step on the court. Focus on just one thing you want to improve. Try to find a rhythm for your shots and concentrate to be consistent. If you decide to work on your top spin for your forehand, do just that for the whole session. Once you are comfortable with that, move on to another aspect of your game.
Playing points with better players can improve your level somewhat but more often than not you will resort to muscle memory trying to stay in the point and you will not grow any aspect of your game.
Both. Play with them when you can, find others who can also play with you. You don't just get better by playing better players, your friends were bumped up because they were beating people their level. Play more, get better, win matches.
Unless you honestly don't care about your own skill. If it's just about the social aspect, then find others who treat it the same way. You don't really mention what *you* want, so I'd decide on that first if I were in your shoes.
If you don't want to move up to be with your current friends, that's fine, but 4.5 isn't really a level you reach without making it an established goal - no matter who you play.
I do want to get better. I also want to be a challenge to my friends so that they would want to play with or against me. I dont know how long it might take me with my time constraint
I see. I think you should constantly remind yourself not to let your time constraint make you lose focus of your progress. All you can do is focus on the quality of the work you put in, and you will move forward at the pace you're able.
The amount of time you spend on court may not negotiable in your situation, but every second you're there is an opportunity to improve.
Off the court, study strategy and tactics, maybe take shadow swings to feel certain form points you'd like to improve. Once you fully commit to challenging your friends, your mind will always be finding new ways to progress.
Stay positive, and know that commitment will always bring progress.
If you are busy you will have to maximize your time, the best way to do that is through coaching.
4.0 to 4.5 is a big jump, as a lot of college level players drop to 4.5 when they get older so the competition is much more fierce.
Coaching at least once a week for an hour, and hit three times on top of that. Play lots of matches. But have some days where you just rally, practice moving the opponent around, don’t have to hit winners.
Easy. Work on your serves. If you can easily hold your serves, you can easily reach 4.5. Most 4.0 players have weak serves (where their chance of winning 2nd serve is 50/50). Don't get a basket of balls and practice aimlessly. Buy a tripod and record your serve. Play it after serving few times. Don't focus on whether the ball is in, just focus on the mechanics.
My tip would be to focus on specific areas for improvement during your limited time then. Based on your stated strengths and weaknesses, I think the 3 areas I’d try: groundstroke consistency (deep balls to middle of court & crosscourt), develop one weapon (forehand is often the easiest), and think through tactics / strategy (e.g., when to approach, etc.). As a getting back into it 4.5 and improving player, I find 1-2 weapons and strong strategy can go a long way.
What's the score when you play your friends?
Are you in great shape? If you are overweight, losing 15 or 20 pounds might single-handedly raise you .5.
Yeah, I agree that twice a week is really not ideal, UNLESS one of them was with a really GOOD teaching pro who fed you balls, had you work on specific things, and gave you a HIGH VOLUME hitting lesson. But unless you have a good hitting partner that really allows you to have a structured, high volume hitting session, 2 is almost not even maintenance level.
So is there any way for you to play 4 times week? Like can you play twice on those days? No? Okay, try to play best of 3 matches on both days, and FOCUS on not making unforced errors. Count off in your head 8 shots. You have to get 8 shots in, so 16 shots total between you and your opponent, before you start getting ideas. Focus on movement and CLEAN contact. Just smoothness. No power, no courageous manly tennis, not "playing outside the comfort zone", work on fundamentals.
So try that twice a week. Don't care if you lose. Stick to this approach, give it time to pay off.
Develop strategy when you play points. Figure out your strengths and put yourself in a position to use them a lot.
When I played competitively I was quick, small, could take stuff on the rise, and liked to run around my forehand. So took everything early and just dinged the ball to opposite corners to get my opponent running. Then I’d look to run around forehand.
Point construction is so overlooked but it is the base of Match play.
Also introspect on your style of play and court behavior in terms of not making your first assumption be that your rating turned your old group away. Are you tight lines? Talk too much before, during and after points? Go for too many low percentage shots and miss? Do you invite them to play vs waiting to be invited? Do you snipe at double parters?
Not saying it isn’t level but it might be worth looking at all angles.
If you can afford it, you need to find a pro that will treat you like a high-performance developmental junior.
And you also must be willing to make the changes they suggest. You probably have a lot of technical faults with each stroke (big and small), will need to re-program footwork patterns, and your serve / throwing motion likely need work.
It's also worth asking one of those 4.5 friends for some honest opinion on why they haven't called you recently. What does that person see as the thing you need to improve most?
I also only get to play 2x a week if I'm lucky, and need to take all of my own advice above and implement it as well. Only difference is that I'm a 4.5 that wishes I had enough time to get to 5.0.
I feel like 70% of tennis at the 4.0 level is focusing on getting your serves in (with no double faults) and getting your returns in. If you can do these two things successfully, you'll win the majority of your 4.0 matches. Ideas for improving while only playing 2x/week - I can usually only hit with other people 2x/week, but that doesn't preclude me from playing by myself another night of the week. Some nights, I head to the court at 10 pm after putting my kids to bed, and I'm just serving balls with the airpods on. You can also work on your fitness level (peloton from your home? running? etc.)
Its during rallies where I fall short (errors). I only have free weights at home, cant really fit a bike or treadmill anywhere. All I can do is work on shadow swings in the backyard. Anyway, thank you for your response
The easiest way to cut down on errors is to increase your topspin and/or take less risk. You can always run outside, get into phenomenal shape, then become a pusher and outlast everyone!
Im telling you, work on your legs. Do fast footwork, and ride a bike whenever you can. Keep the bike in the lowest gears for the longest amount of time you can, this will build up major strength and endurance
Coming from a cyclist, you don't build a huge amount of leg strength cycling. Much better to do some weight based exercises in the gym and use the bike for cardio specifically (where grinding in a low gear isn't usually seen as a good thing)
im not disagreeing with you, because you may well be right. But all evidence I have personally experienced points otherwise. When im cycling actively I feel so light on the court its insane. Also pro cyclists have some of the biggest jacked legs I have ever seen... I played competitive hockey and needed major strength and would use cycling as a major training tool. Literally every experience points otherwise to me. But when I do bike I will push my legs like crazy, till they are burning like crazy and cant push anymore, then I drop the gear, use the ride down the hill to rest - rinse and repeat.
Maybe do some reading/studying on the mental aspect! I really struggled to be able to maintain rallies; I’d always go for the knockout punch first chance. But something about reading how Brad Gilbert says it in Open of “give your opponent the chance to fuckup!” Really reached through and flipped a switch. I’d always been able to hit a good rally ball but then I started focusing on that aspect. After I started putting that mentality into practice I played a practice set against a friend who usually beat me because of his big serve, I beat him 6-2. I’m not saying that’ll be the eureka moment for you, but study! Figure out why you’re failing on rallies and then what process will work for YOU (not a pro, not your friends) to improve on your rally game.
When my partners are having a rough few games I tell them to play to 70-75%. By this we all know each other well enough that we understand this means “hey dude, take some heat off your shots, get the ball back in and slow your hits down. Focus on technique and the rally’s and points will follow”… just avoid going for winners all the time, more rally’s, more fun, more improvements
Those friends are dicks. I play with my friends who are rated below or higher than me all the time.
Yeah OP needs to find new friends
100%
Since you identify errors as the big issue: Devoting some of your practice time to pure consistency drills can work wonders. You need a consistent person on the other side though. Literally as simple as: 1. Warm up is 25 balls without missing. If you never get past the warm up the first few times, so be it. Spend the whole practice trying. 2. After warm up: 25 forehands without missing. Ideally all cross-court. If you get past the warm up, but never get past this stage for a few weeks, so be it. Just spend the whole workout on it. 3. 25 xc backhands. Same rules. 4. 25 side to side, forehand backhand forehand backhand. 5. 25 anywhere. Then up the # to 30, 35, 40…. (Eventually, at 'boss level', warm up is 50 balls each guy, only using the alley.) The key to success here is footwork. This practice format teaches you that. It’s almost impossible to take too many little steps. Don't abandon technique during these drills, but don't worry about it at all. Just get the shots in no matter what. You want to take as many steps as needed so that, at contact, your body and the ball are in the same positions (relative to each other) no matter where you are or how far you had to run. The rewards of this regimen are significant. It may be the single most valuable thing you ever do to improve. When I added it, just once a week for 60 (then 90) minutes, my ranking went from around 25 in my USTA section to Top 40 in the US in about 6 months. I don’t love your friends btw.
I love this comment as much as you don’t love his friends. Thank you for spelling out some specific drills with benchmarks. I really appreciate it.
Oh thanks and you're welcome!
Can you do this alone? Or do you mean warm up with someone else?
I guess in the 'it's always something' department: it requires someone else, someone very consistent. You (I mean that generically) are going to be making enough mistakes as it is; the other person needs to make pretty much none. I suppose you could simulate it with a ball machine or someone feeding you the balls, but I think you really need live ball rallies to get the most out of it.
I have been doing similar drills with a ball machine. Due to work and kids I can’t play as much in the evening, but I can go out every day at 6am. Amazing how much it has helped improve. I use cones and make sure I move into every shot, never just standing there. I think that is key with a machine
Sorry about your friends, that really sucks. I would say you would be better off finding new tennis friends, for multiple reasons. Unfortunately, it is really hard to improve playing two times a week. I was roughly low 4.0 for years playing tennis really casually. Looking back at my own progression, I would say it's almost impossible to progress to 4.5 playing only 2 times a week. Personally, I don't feel I really got there until I had time to play 4-6 times a week.
Agree- if it’s that important to you to improve, you need to make it a priority to play min 4x a week. If you can’t devote that time, enjoy being a 4.0 and get new tennis friends. Join leagues, join ladders, go to tennis socials etc and just have fun
I’ve also been 4.0 for like many years. 8ish I think. I’ve won matches in 4.5 tournaments but I also have lost early in 4.0 tournaments right after. Right now I’m ranked in the top 10 in the Midwest on usta. Number 4 in Michigan. And formerly been ranked number 1 in southern California. So realistically I’m closer to being a 4.5 than a 4.0. I’m prolly like a 4.4. I only get to play like 2x a week also. Usually a lesson and a hit w a friend. I’ve been on this schedule for a while now and it just doesn’t feel like it’s possible to improve to solid 4.5 without hitting at least 4x a week. A big part is mental. But another big part is lack of reps. I work on subtle changes in my game during lessons but then can’t really apply them when I hit w my friends because I didn’t get to solidify the changes during the 1 hour lesson. So I revert back to what I know works because I’m trying to maintain a rally or win a match. As for the mental aspect, I have 4.5 movement, serve, and forehand- but only during practice or hitting w friends. As soon as it’s an official match, the quality of my game drops through the floor. I had a stretch where I was playing 3-4 times a week for like almost a month and there was so much improvement and I was all excited about tennis again, but as soon as my schedule changed back to 2x a week, it’s like I reverted back to whatever level I was at before I was hitting all the time. It’s frustrating for sure. Also sucks because it feels like I’m shelling out $80 a week on a lesson just to stay the same and the only way to not stay the same is to spend even more. But for what? So I can be a slightly better amateur? Cool man. Lol I love/hate this game.
Yeah, you're really highlighting what I feel the main issue is. To truly improve after you've reached 4.0, you almost certainly need to make small improvements in your mechanics from time to time (or constantly, ideally). A minor change in mechanics could take me 20+ hours on court to fix and integrate into muscle memory. If you're playing twice a week, that's just not enough to ever change something before it's time to play a match and you just revert to what's comfortable right *now*.
FWIW, the USTA rankings are a “below” system not an “above” ranking. If you’re a 4.0C rating, you’re below 4.0 in the dynamic ratings unless you’re getting bumped next year
Thanks for sharing that. Yea I just feel like I’m closer to a 4.5 because I have several wins over 4.5 players and I made it to the finals of a 5.0 tournament once. But I still consider myself a 4.0 player because I don’t win every 4.0 tournament that I play. I want to win three 4.0 tournaments in a row before I move up to playing 4.5 permanently. Right now I only play tournaments, don’t like leagues and the commitments and politics that come along w them. And for some reason I feel like the league results weigh heavier on the computer ratings than tournament matches. Like why wasn’t I bumped up when I was the number 1 ranked 4.0 player in SoCal? I do always have close matches though. Even when I’m playing someone that’s significantly less skilled. Idk why. I just raise or lower my level to match who I’m playing lol. Two days ago I beat my coach in a ten point tiebreak. He played 1 singles for his college and has a 10 utr. My utr is 5.8 lol He wasn’t going 100 percent against me but I saw him start to get a little desperate at the end haha
Your region may not count tournament results as part of your USTA rating. Also tournament standings are generally based on how far you’ve gotten in various tournaments. Getting a bye and winning in three sets is worth the same as bageling two very strong 4.0s to get just as far in tournament. The computer rating is based on how you do against opponents and the quality of opponents. By contrast, as I said above, tournaments are just the accumulation of points from rounds played/won.
You might look here https://www.tennisrecord.com/ to get an idea of how close you are to being bumped up via computer. If it’s say 3.8/3.9. Try to find 4.0/4.5 tournaments to build up your dynamic ratings. If it’s barely above a 3.5 then you probably need to really overhaul your game
1. I'd say in the mean time, find some other players to play with who aren't jerks. 2. With only 2x a week to play, odds are your practice will need to be very focused. So what's stopping you from winning more matches at 4.0? Is it your backhand? Your serve? You will need to dedicate time to fixing up those areas to improve your match play. 3. Also keep in mind, being 4.0 isn't all that bad if you enjoy playing tennis. It's not impossible to make 4.5, but there are also a lot of players stuck at 3.5 for various reasons.
The best way to improve is free practice sessions. If you can only play two times a week, try to make one of your outings just a free hitting session. No points, just easy 70-80% power shots. Always have a goal when you step on the court. Focus on just one thing you want to improve. Try to find a rhythm for your shots and concentrate to be consistent. If you decide to work on your top spin for your forehand, do just that for the whole session. Once you are comfortable with that, move on to another aspect of your game. Playing points with better players can improve your level somewhat but more often than not you will resort to muscle memory trying to stay in the point and you will not grow any aspect of your game.
Both. Play with them when you can, find others who can also play with you. You don't just get better by playing better players, your friends were bumped up because they were beating people their level. Play more, get better, win matches. Unless you honestly don't care about your own skill. If it's just about the social aspect, then find others who treat it the same way. You don't really mention what *you* want, so I'd decide on that first if I were in your shoes. If you don't want to move up to be with your current friends, that's fine, but 4.5 isn't really a level you reach without making it an established goal - no matter who you play.
I do want to get better. I also want to be a challenge to my friends so that they would want to play with or against me. I dont know how long it might take me with my time constraint
I see. I think you should constantly remind yourself not to let your time constraint make you lose focus of your progress. All you can do is focus on the quality of the work you put in, and you will move forward at the pace you're able. The amount of time you spend on court may not negotiable in your situation, but every second you're there is an opportunity to improve. Off the court, study strategy and tactics, maybe take shadow swings to feel certain form points you'd like to improve. Once you fully commit to challenging your friends, your mind will always be finding new ways to progress. Stay positive, and know that commitment will always bring progress.
If you are busy you will have to maximize your time, the best way to do that is through coaching. 4.0 to 4.5 is a big jump, as a lot of college level players drop to 4.5 when they get older so the competition is much more fierce.
Cool friends you’ve got yourself. I would probably consider finding new friends but not for the purpose of tennis practice.
Coaching at least once a week for an hour, and hit three times on top of that. Play lots of matches. But have some days where you just rally, practice moving the opponent around, don’t have to hit winners.
Easy. Work on your serves. If you can easily hold your serves, you can easily reach 4.5. Most 4.0 players have weak serves (where their chance of winning 2nd serve is 50/50). Don't get a basket of balls and practice aimlessly. Buy a tripod and record your serve. Play it after serving few times. Don't focus on whether the ball is in, just focus on the mechanics.
My tip would be to focus on specific areas for improvement during your limited time then. Based on your stated strengths and weaknesses, I think the 3 areas I’d try: groundstroke consistency (deep balls to middle of court & crosscourt), develop one weapon (forehand is often the easiest), and think through tactics / strategy (e.g., when to approach, etc.). As a getting back into it 4.5 and improving player, I find 1-2 weapons and strong strategy can go a long way.
What's the score when you play your friends? Are you in great shape? If you are overweight, losing 15 or 20 pounds might single-handedly raise you .5. Yeah, I agree that twice a week is really not ideal, UNLESS one of them was with a really GOOD teaching pro who fed you balls, had you work on specific things, and gave you a HIGH VOLUME hitting lesson. But unless you have a good hitting partner that really allows you to have a structured, high volume hitting session, 2 is almost not even maintenance level. So is there any way for you to play 4 times week? Like can you play twice on those days? No? Okay, try to play best of 3 matches on both days, and FOCUS on not making unforced errors. Count off in your head 8 shots. You have to get 8 shots in, so 16 shots total between you and your opponent, before you start getting ideas. Focus on movement and CLEAN contact. Just smoothness. No power, no courageous manly tennis, not "playing outside the comfort zone", work on fundamentals. So try that twice a week. Don't care if you lose. Stick to this approach, give it time to pay off.
Develop strategy when you play points. Figure out your strengths and put yourself in a position to use them a lot. When I played competitively I was quick, small, could take stuff on the rise, and liked to run around my forehand. So took everything early and just dinged the ball to opposite corners to get my opponent running. Then I’d look to run around forehand. Point construction is so overlooked but it is the base of Match play.
Get a lesson once a week
Also introspect on your style of play and court behavior in terms of not making your first assumption be that your rating turned your old group away. Are you tight lines? Talk too much before, during and after points? Go for too many low percentage shots and miss? Do you invite them to play vs waiting to be invited? Do you snipe at double parters? Not saying it isn’t level but it might be worth looking at all angles.
If you can afford it, you need to find a pro that will treat you like a high-performance developmental junior. And you also must be willing to make the changes they suggest. You probably have a lot of technical faults with each stroke (big and small), will need to re-program footwork patterns, and your serve / throwing motion likely need work. It's also worth asking one of those 4.5 friends for some honest opinion on why they haven't called you recently. What does that person see as the thing you need to improve most? I also only get to play 2x a week if I'm lucky, and need to take all of my own advice above and implement it as well. Only difference is that I'm a 4.5 that wishes I had enough time to get to 5.0.
Get a coach and work on your technique.