Did you play today?

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Deuce Canada
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Re: Did you play today?

#46

Post by Deuce »

And sometimes in tennis, the winner is actually the loser, and vice-versa. The loser of the match can win more points than than the winner of the match.
In those matches, it comes down to who wins the most important points - which is a psychological battle.

The matches where you're not playing well at all, but come out with the win are often even more satisfying than the matches won when you're playing well - because, as you said, you 'gut it out' - you overcome the physical deficiencies and win almost solely on your psychological strength.
(It is best, though, to not think about what's for lunch until after the match is done :) )
R.I.P. Amal...

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Re: Did you play today?

#47

Post by ponchi101 »

I don't care what other athletes say about THEIR sport. Tennis is the toughest sport in the world.
Very, very satisfying session today. The FH was under control, with good depth, power and spin. Whipped at least 4 past my trainer, which he could only watch.
The BH was not as sharp was still solid. The volleys were also firm, and we did the famous "3 volleys, then go for the winner" drill, and all my final volleys (5 good minutes) went for winners.
But the thing was the serve. One of the 1,000 differences between the pros and us (other than they are real players, we are just doing a pantomime) is that their service toss is consistent. They can place the ball, repeatedly, in a fixed spot over and over again. My toss was a ruin, so last time I switched my grip on the ball: I was palming it too much, so now I decided to hold it with the tip of my fingers. Gave me better control, and, together with locking my service wrist and keeping the racquet up from the beginning, I was able to regain consistency. A good 20-25 serves went it, and I was able to slice a few, and kick some others. I still don't want to stress the elbow too much as that was what out me out for 2 years, but it is getting there.
Good sign that I am getting a workout on court: got on the bus back home and started cramping. Yeah, good workout, but still in not good enough shape.
Looking forward to Friday.
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Re: Did you play today?

#48

Post by meganfernandez »

Deuce wrote: Mon Oct 10, 2022 11:10 pm And sometimes in tennis, the winner is actually the loser, and vice-versa. The loser of the match can win more points than than the winner of the match.
In those matches, it comes down to who wins the most important points - which is a psychological battle.

The matches where you're not playing well at all, but come out with the win are often even more satisfying than the matches won when you're playing well - because, as you said, you 'gut it out' - you overcome the physical deficiencies and win almost solely on your psychological strength.
(It is best, though, to not think about what's for lunch until after the match is done :) )
Having to win the last point is an underrated difficulty in tennis. Mental victories are so satisfying... just as satisfying as smoking a ball down the line or flowing around the court while constructing a perfect point. If I compete well and fight, I'm usually happy with the outcome, win or lose.

Regarding lunch, I lose concentration a lot. It's one of my biggest weaknesses (along with over-hitting short balls... just can't get enough spin or control). I've improved a lot, though, and now in my mid-40s, I have learned to compete well. It's very satisfying. Now I appreciate a battle.

Ponchi, nice to see some progress! People take the serve toss for granted. I do... I've never had trouble with it and don't catch very many. But you're probably right. And it's something people can practice alone if they are dedicated enough.
Last edited by meganfernandez on Tue Oct 11, 2022 9:03 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Did you play today?

#49

Post by ponchi101 »

Problem for us the plebes: we have to keep track of the score, so we always have those numbers in mind.
My trick for concentration: only think about the structure of the next point. "Serve wide, if short return, go cross court, if deep, go down the line". Something like that. Just don't think of the score.
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Re: Did you play today?

#50

Post by meganfernandez »

ponchi101 wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 9:00 pm Problem for us the plebes: we have to keep track of the score, so we always have those numbers in mind.
My trick for concentration: only think about the structure of the next point. "Serve wide, if short return, go cross court, if deep, go down the line". Something like that. Just don't think of the score.
I'm much better about not dwelling on the score or the outcome of the match than I used to be. I used to ALWAYS think about whether I could or would win or lose, starting in the warm-up. Now I think about what I need to do, although my mind still wanders a lot. Often I don't know what I need to do (or rather what I need to do that I CAN do/execute), and the lack of clarity drives me nuts. Mental stamina throughout a whole match is tough - although some are more natural competitors than others. I've had to learn it.

You'd go down the line off a deep return? :) I'd go cross court. Trying to be more disciplined about playing rally balls cross court or down the middle.
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Re: Did you play today?

#51

Post by ponchi101 »

Only because my FH down the line is better than my cross court. I was picturing serving into the deuce court.
If I serve into the ad court and I get a deep return TO MY BH, I will also go cross court. My BH is still my favorite shot and I can put somebody there and go BH2BH. If that happens and I eventually get a short ball, I can come in behind my slice.
But, you see? Thinking too much :D
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Re: Did you play today?

#52

Post by meganfernandez »

Had two incredible wins over the weekend! One in 8.5 combo doubles, playing the best doubles of my life (I play more singles). Won 12-10 in the match tiebreak. I hit the winning shot, a reflex lob volley from the service line, defending an aggressie volley from the opponents. Held my ground and popped it over their heads. A bit of a lucky shot, but I was in the right spot and had my racket ready. This came after I flubbed a high backhand volley on our previous match point, so I was glad to make up for it. And it was the winning court of a 3-court match, and an upset. This is a super tough league and we have struggled to get any wins at all in four seasons. I captain this team and had to make a tough call on the lineup, choosing to go with the lineup that had the best chance of winning versus making sure everyone had an equally good partner. (One of our courts lost 0 and 0, and I felt bad about feeding those players to the wolves, but we couldn't have won otherwise.)

The next day in singles, I won 7-5, 5-0 (timed match, so we had to call it). I was down 0-3 pretty fast, even though I was playing well, getting lots of chances, and dictating points, exactly what I want. It was all unforced errors. I didn't panic and simply focused on the biggest thing that was going wrong - forehand in the net. Made a small adjustment, bending my knees and dropping my racket head a little bit, made sure to concentrate more, and clawed my way back. Won 10 of the next 12 games. It's a match I would have lost a year ago or so, just mentally. I would have pouted about playing well and still not winning even a single game, proof that I am a cursed loser in tennis. :) I would have let the frustration get to me until I was down 5-0 and then had a lot of pressure in the second set. I played it perfectly mentally, stayed calm, and made the right adjustment. Team won 3-0.

I'm usually 40-60 or 50-50 in matches, so winning three tight ones in a row feels good. I had a heartbreaking 20-match losing streak last year while playing really well, so I'm a little skittish about going on another losing streak. With these wins, I can relax a bit for the season knowing I've already bagged a few good ones. And that will help me play freely.
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Re: Did you play today?

#53

Post by ponchi101 »

:clap: :clap: :clap:
About lucky shots. Sure, sometimes. But YOU hustled there, you stuck your arm out, you hit the shot. A lot of effort always goes into every shot, so, sure, a bit of luck.
But don't underestimate the effort. You made it.
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Re: Did you play today?

#54

Post by meganfernandez »

ponchi101 wrote: Tue Oct 18, 2022 2:09 am :clap: :clap: :clap:
About lucky shots. Sure, sometimes. But YOU hustled there, you stuck your arm out, you hit the shot. A lot of effort always goes into every shot, so, sure, a bit of luck.
But don't underestimate the effort. You made it.
Yeah, for sure, and thanks! :) There are lucky net cord and shanks, but for this one, I was in the right spot, ready, and then a little lucky. Felt great.

I had a puzzling loss last year, up 6-0, 3-0, something like that. This opponent was at least a full level below me, but she had legs. I said later that she just kept running and thrusting her racket toward the ball, and got about 100 lucky shots. That's what it felt like. She couldn't hit a winner on her own (she passed me on match point, maybe her first offensive shot of the match) but she hustled and didn't give up. Sometimes that's all it takes.
Last edited by meganfernandez on Tue Oct 18, 2022 2:43 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Did you play today?

#55

Post by Deuce »

I played on the weekend for the first time in 3 weeks, as I've been sick (rapid test showed positive for COVID 12 days ago, temperature was up to 104 degrees one night). Played against a guy I'd only played once before - about a month and a half ago, and he beat me that first time.
This past weekend, I won the 2 sets we played, though - which pleasantly surprised me, as I was coughing throughout the match. And I didn't feel exhausted or anything close to that at any point during the 90 minutes, or afterward.
It was just an arranged match - no league or tournament or anything.

A few days before that, I played 3 hours of pickleball (doubles) with no issues except for the coughing.
Both of these were done after isolating for 10 days after the symptoms first appeared.
R.I.P. Amal...

“The opposite of courage is not cowardice - it’s conformity. Even a dead fish can go with the flow.”- Jim Hightower
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Re: Did you play today?

#56

Post by meganfernandez »

Deuce wrote: Tue Oct 18, 2022 2:38 am I played on the weekend for the first time in 3 weeks, as I've been sick (rapid test showed positive for COVID 12 days ago, temperature was up to 104 degrees one night). Played against a guy I'd only played once before - about a month and a half ago, and he beat me that first time.
This past weekend, I won the 2 sets we played, though - which pleasantly surprised me, as I was coughing throughout the match. And I didn't feel exhausted or anything close to that at any point during the 90 minutes, or afterward.
It was just an arranged match - no league or tournament or anything.

A few days before that, I played 3 hours of pickleball (doubles) with no issues except for the coughing.
Both of these were done after isolating for 10 days after the symptoms first appeared.
Nice rebound from illness. Maybe you were well-rested? :) Sorry you were so sick and hope you're feeling better.
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Re: Did you play today?

#57

Post by Deuce »

Thanks, Megan.
I feel about 85% now, and improving every day or two. The cough will probably remain for another week or two, because that's how it goes with me - the tickling/irritation in the throat always remains for a while after I feel ok otherwise.
I was never close to going to the hospital or anything. I even question whether it was really COVID, as those rapid tests are not 100% accurate/reliable (though a positive result is more often accurate than a negative one).
R.I.P. Amal...

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Re: Did you play today?

#58

Post by ponchi101 »

Good training session today. At least two monster BH's that my trainer just saw fly by (he reciprocated later on) and good control and pace on the rallies. I would say I am hitting at 80% of my pace with consistency.

Serving. A total mess last Friday, so today I just relaxed a bit and focused on tossing the ball consistently. IF you put the ball in the same place all the time, you CAN hit better serves, dummy.
Time to buy new balls. My tretorns are shredded by now.
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Re: Did you play today?

#59

Post by meganfernandez »

ponchi101 wrote: Tue Oct 18, 2022 7:56 pm Good training session today. At least two monster BH's that my trainer just saw fly by (he reciprocated later on) and good control and pace on the rallies. I would say I am hitting at 80% of my pace with consistency.

Serving. A total mess last Friday, so today I just relaxed a bit and focused on tossing the ball consistently. IF you put the ball in the same place all the time, you CAN hit better serves, dummy.
Time to buy new balls. My tretorns are shredded by now.
Are you playing on clay, or hard court indoors?

How long do you hit during a training session? I haven't played since Sunday. Playing for a few hours tomorrow - ball machine and then a clinic, and maybe another evening clinic. My favorite clinics just happen to be on the same day right now. Looking forward to it. Have a league doubles match Saturday and a singles match Sunday.
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Re: Did you play today?

#60

Post by ponchi101 »

meganfernandez wrote: Wed Oct 19, 2022 4:24 pm ...

Are you playing on clay, or hard court indoors?

How long do you hit during a training session? I haven't played since Sunday. Playing for a few hours tomorrow - ball machine and then a clinic, and maybe another evening clinic. My favorite clinics just happen to be on the same day right now. Looking forward to it. Have a league doubles match Saturday and a singles match Sunday.
Outdoor clay. The place I go to has reasonably good court, with infrequent bad bounces. The lines/strips are not too pronounced, so they only skid faster, they don't jump anywhere. Plus, it is on the north side of the city so we have a very nice view of some mountains. The shot below is a drone view of some the courts at that place. The very first court, the one you can barely see, is where I usually play because it is the closest to the main building, and it gets protected a bit from the wind.
I hit for one hour. Although I am getting back in shape, my legs are still not completely here (and at my age, they won't be). I am getting to the point in which I can slide forcefully, so 1 hour is enough. And I can't afford more at the moment.
You have your day set for tomorrow. :thumbsup:
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