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28 | Four Seasons Hemet Herald | JULY 2019 | Tennis Friends An avid tennis player for almost 50 years, Dennis Uhlken hasn't let a ruptured tendon in his left shoulder stop him from playing the sport he loves. Noting that he "enjoys a challenge," Dennis made it his goal to get back on the court as soon as possible after his injury last year. Although he was told that he could regain 80% of his strength back in his left shoulder, Dennis was leery of re-injuring it. So instead of giving up tennis, he decided .to truly make it a "sport for a lifetime" by becoming a switch hitter and learning to play with his right hand. He acknowledged it wasn't easy to make the change. "It's frustrating at times," he admitted. "The hardest thing is getting my serve back to where I can hit with more power, placement and spin." The dedicated player believes having the basic tennis fundamentals, gained from playing competitively for many years, helped in making the transition from playing left to right handed. "It was just a matter of coordinating my brain to hit with my right hand. It was quite awkward at first, but now I feel pretty comfortable," he said. Dennis started competing in 1972 while living in San Diego. He incorporated his love for the game into his work place at General Dynamics. He became the commissioner of the tennis club, where he organized an array of tennis events such as challenge ladders and tournaments. He enjoyed playing corporate doubles and won several tournaments, including a mixed doubles match where he won the San Diego division and earned a spot in the Southwest competition. His love for tennis netted him a doubles partner for life; his wife, Sharon. In November of 2016, the couple exchanged wedding vows in a ceremony on the tennis courts! Dennis is on the tennis courts several times a week learning to master playing with his right hand. Whether you're a right or left handed player, Tennis Friends welcomes everyone to the courts. Schedule times: Women's begin at 9 am, Monday and Friday; Men's begin at 8 am, Tuesday and Thursday; Mixed-up doubles begins at 8 am, Saturday. Come join the fun! We play on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays from 7:30 am to noon. We invite anyone that would like to learn how to play Pickleball to come on down the fourth Saturday of the month at 8 am for lessons. We know you will have as much fun as we do. Players of all skill levels welcome! Pickleball Dennis, (kneeling, left) and Sharon, (standing behind him), pause to take a picture with a group of their tennis friends before resuming play during the mixed-doubles matches held on Saturday. Dennis Uhlken needed a doubles partner for life when he wed his wife, Sharon, on the tennis courts in November of 2016.