Did you play today?

[ponchi101]

Had my usual training session yesterday.
Both my trainer and I could not get any rhythm. We were long, we were short, we were wide, we could not keep it down the middle. It was messy.
Then I warmed up and started practicing some serves. And I felt a little twinge in my left hip and stopped that practice. So, with nothing to do, I decided just to hit out for the final last five minutes.
We crushed the ball for those five minutes. We played one point in which we went full power (I mean, MY full power, but still) and kept it going for a good 14, 16 strokes. We played three such point, going at full speed and getting a lot of pace on the ball.

Out of nowhere.
After a lousy session, it ended on a very high note.
An entire lifetime of playing this sport, and it still makes no sense to me.

[ponchi101]

Another session.
Today the strokes were there. But, my beloved BH has been a bit lame as of late. It is not biting.
On Sunday I watched Dimitrov. His BH is a bit different from the other one handers (the few left) in that after impact, he lets the arm continue and the racquet head snaps up and out. It rotates a lot and he generates a lot of power that way.
I tried it today, and it worked. Making sure that I would snap after impact. I was able to at least rope 5 shots that my trainer could only see fly by. They felt really good.
The hip flared up again when serving.

[ashkor87]

Good tip, will try it too
Will have to be next week, hurt my knee last week, not recovered yet...maybe a couple more days rest. It is raining here every day anyway

[ashkor87]

Single hander of course..when I was learning the game (60 years ago!) only Drysdale had a double-hander , people used to make fun of him! I don't think I ever even SAW a double-hander till I was 21 or so ..

[ponchi101]

Drysdale and Pancho Segura, who actually hit all shots double handed. They were the odd guys.
I can't recall of a single woman with a two hander until Chrissie.

[ponchi101]

Last Friday I played my last match of my training season. I am scheduled to return to work so it is very likely I will not play another match for the year. I am scheduled to go on board and, if my luck holds, I will be joining another project after that.
It took me three months to regain any sort of decent game. My last session was a good one, with my strokes being consistent and with some pace. I was unable to completely recover my legs as I am playing only twice a week (no money for three) but I was moving better. The end result was simple: I left the court wanting to play more. I am missing my game already.
This has got to be the cruelest sports of all. How fast your level drops is an amazing thing. I can tell already because I am in Buenos Aires and was invited to play a mixed doubles, and in just a few days, my level has dropped by a lot (these people also did the terrible "hit three balls and start playing" routine, which I hate). You can see how quickly your arm speed drops and how easily your eye-hand coordination goes away. Sure, I am an old guy but you can see that even for the pros, being a few days away from the court costs them a lot.
Still. My last sessions were fruitful. I really enjoyed them. So there lies the dichotomy: it is the cruelest sport, but when you are playing, the feeling is one of happiness.
At least for me.
I guess next year I will need to start almost from zero again.

[ponchi101]

Almost two months without playing.
So, as I will be home for 4 days, I went to play today. And, to my surprise, I played exceptionally well (for my level). No glaring weaknesses, the shots were landing with enough depth, and my rules of "hitting two good shots of each kind" was accomplished to make the session a good one. Missed three volleys that were a bit low but should have been made, but I hit them with force (they clipped the let cord).
And I hit one slam dunk (yes, ala Pete) and another solidly hit smash.
It is surprising that at my age, this silly sport still makes me so happy, when I am on court.