Given that several months have passed since my "beginner" angst arose, I am happy to report that one does develop a thick(er) skin for playing with/dealing with slammers. You begin to realize that it is not your personal lack of skill that is at issue, but more about the slammers need to dominate the court.
I am entirely comfortable now with Open Play (all levels) using this as an opportunity to face higher skilled players who mentor me and using my mid-range talents to help others.
I stay away from Intermediate Open Play -- where I don't belong...
