Group Lesson At Pharr with K. (10 of 10):
My Mojo: Above-Average At First, Fizzled At The End.
According to my previous posts, this should be 9 of 10 but I'll go ahead and count it as 10 of 10 since I am not sure if I forgot to record one day. Since I get a discount for paying for ten up front, I'm getting a good deal, and I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, just like I would give an opponent a line call that I am not sure about.
I felt like I was hitting pretty well for the first time today. I had a good deal of confidence, and not too many errors. We spent a good deal of the session playing two-court king-of-the-court, and I spent most of the time in the champion position on the top court, and never did drop to the second court. The instructor was playing in too, and of course, he was taking it somewhat easy on us, I'm sure. Every once in a while he walloped in some monster serves, but he looked like he was not putting in full effort. At the end of this, and as the class was at an end, I was in the champion position (we had moved to just one court because a player had left). The instructor said we would stay until somebody knocked me off, and if nobody knocked me off all day, we would stay all day. Well, I stayed there for about ten minutes, and nobody knocked me off, until the instructor stepped in and knocked me out. I think I lasted longer than he thought I would agaoinst the students, so he stepped in.
Afterwards, S. and I went across the street to the free courts to hit some more, as all the courts at Pharr were taken. I started out decent, but lost energy quickly. I had not brought water because there is usually a big water cooler at the Pharr lessons, but it was not there today. So I didn't drink any water until the end of the lesson, when I had to take a break to go into the clubhouse and get some water. So by the end of all this practice I was pretty parched and dehydrated, I was also hungry enough to be out of fuel, and I was not quite up to my usual (pre-injury) level of play. So three strikes were against me. Still, I played from 11 a.m. until about 1:30 in the afternoon with the lesson and the practice with S. afterwards, which was not too bad.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Is That The Light At The End Of The Tunnel?
Sets 142-144 (of 365):
Stuart vs. S. at His Apartments. Winner: S. 6-4, 6-2, 6-1.
My Mojo: Scattered and Haphazard
First, I'll start with the positive. I am glad that I have been able to play fourteen sets so far this month despite the injury that I had earlier this month. And the majority of those sets have been since I came back after my injury. Though I'm down on my monthly quota, I am still up on a yearly basis, and I thought this month and part of next month would be a total loss. But next week, I think I will be able to play just about every day again. Also, though I was not playing too great during this match, I definitely performed better than I did the last match, which was probably my all-time low in performance since I started this blog. So maybe I am easing out of my slump. Time will tell, but I think I am starting to see the glimmer of the light at the end of the tunnel.
In this match, I hit really well during the warm-up. When the shots were coming pretty much right to me, I hit them back with confidence, power and topspin, and managed to get most of them right inside the baseline where I wanted them to go. This probably reflected the work I had done on the ball machine. When I worked on the ball machine, though, I didn't oscillate it or randomize it to shoot to different places on the court, since I didn't yet have confidence in my leg. I probably should have done some work on running shots with the machine on at least the last day. Of course, I didn't know my leg would hold up as well as it had.
But I am still having some mechanical difficulties that are impeding my accuracy on the run. This match really highlighted that fact, and though I was terribly disappointed in my performance, I saw improvement from before. However, my performance decreased as the match went on. I think the combination of dealing with some muscular shifts and my progressive loss of confidence as the match continued helped dig my grave deeper as the match went on. Also, my opponent's shots were really on today. My anticipation was really bad, and I was hitting almost everything just a little too late, having to lean back to get shots instead of moving forward into them, and hitting too many shots outside the optimal strike zone, which made for a lot of shanks and misdirected shots.
The first set, I though I might have a chance. I was ahead for most of the match, until I got to 4-3, and then he won the next three games. It wasn't that I was hitting that well, I just was getting more back than I did in the last three games, and than I did in the next two sets. In the second set, my game was drooping, and I could not get a decent plan going. From then on, I was just reacting to his game, and he had the upper hand. I was losing track of the score, also, and that is definitely a sign of a scattered mental state.
He asked if I wanted to play a third set, and I felt ready to play physically (at least my endurance was OK), but I didn't think I would play much better. I went ahead and played, mostly for the workout and for the practice, and to try a little bit of variation that I thought had a ghost of a chance of helping my game. In the end, though, my balloon was deflating, and my game was falling apart. Throughout the third set, I was frustrated, cursing myself under my breath, and at one point, I was even throwing my racquet in my mind (fortunately enough, not actually doing it, though). I thought briefly about asking if he wanted to play a fourth set, but I decided not to (I probably would have played a fourth if he had asked). I decided to save further play for when I had a fresh mindset and let the lessons of this match sink in.
So I'm just going to start grinding it again next week (assuming I can find opponents). I may not win for a while, or I may get it back quickly; who knows. I am pretty sure I will eventually come out of this slump no later that in a week or two.
Stuart vs. S. at His Apartments. Winner: S. 6-4, 6-2, 6-1.
My Mojo: Scattered and Haphazard
First, I'll start with the positive. I am glad that I have been able to play fourteen sets so far this month despite the injury that I had earlier this month. And the majority of those sets have been since I came back after my injury. Though I'm down on my monthly quota, I am still up on a yearly basis, and I thought this month and part of next month would be a total loss. But next week, I think I will be able to play just about every day again. Also, though I was not playing too great during this match, I definitely performed better than I did the last match, which was probably my all-time low in performance since I started this blog. So maybe I am easing out of my slump. Time will tell, but I think I am starting to see the glimmer of the light at the end of the tunnel.
In this match, I hit really well during the warm-up. When the shots were coming pretty much right to me, I hit them back with confidence, power and topspin, and managed to get most of them right inside the baseline where I wanted them to go. This probably reflected the work I had done on the ball machine. When I worked on the ball machine, though, I didn't oscillate it or randomize it to shoot to different places on the court, since I didn't yet have confidence in my leg. I probably should have done some work on running shots with the machine on at least the last day. Of course, I didn't know my leg would hold up as well as it had.
But I am still having some mechanical difficulties that are impeding my accuracy on the run. This match really highlighted that fact, and though I was terribly disappointed in my performance, I saw improvement from before. However, my performance decreased as the match went on. I think the combination of dealing with some muscular shifts and my progressive loss of confidence as the match continued helped dig my grave deeper as the match went on. Also, my opponent's shots were really on today. My anticipation was really bad, and I was hitting almost everything just a little too late, having to lean back to get shots instead of moving forward into them, and hitting too many shots outside the optimal strike zone, which made for a lot of shanks and misdirected shots.
The first set, I though I might have a chance. I was ahead for most of the match, until I got to 4-3, and then he won the next three games. It wasn't that I was hitting that well, I just was getting more back than I did in the last three games, and than I did in the next two sets. In the second set, my game was drooping, and I could not get a decent plan going. From then on, I was just reacting to his game, and he had the upper hand. I was losing track of the score, also, and that is definitely a sign of a scattered mental state.
He asked if I wanted to play a third set, and I felt ready to play physically (at least my endurance was OK), but I didn't think I would play much better. I went ahead and played, mostly for the workout and for the practice, and to try a little bit of variation that I thought had a ghost of a chance of helping my game. In the end, though, my balloon was deflating, and my game was falling apart. Throughout the third set, I was frustrated, cursing myself under my breath, and at one point, I was even throwing my racquet in my mind (fortunately enough, not actually doing it, though). I thought briefly about asking if he wanted to play a fourth set, but I decided not to (I probably would have played a fourth if he had asked). I decided to save further play for when I had a fresh mindset and let the lessons of this match sink in.
So I'm just going to start grinding it again next week (assuming I can find opponents). I may not win for a while, or I may get it back quickly; who knows. I am pretty sure I will eventually come out of this slump no later that in a week or two.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Is This A Correction Or A Bear Market?
Sets 140-141 (of 365):
Stuart vs. S. at Northwest Park. Winner: S. 6-0, 6-1
Ladder Match #15
My Mojo: Dismal
I played probably the absolute worst that I have played since I started this blog. I definitely have to give my opponent credit for playing well. He was very consistent, and did not miss opportunities. One thing I was impressed with was that when I lobbed over his head in response to his net game, he got just about all of them with overheads hit with precision. In each of them, the ball landed powerfully and to his definite advantage. Many opponents that I have played don't get to those lobs, but he seemed to have no trouble.
Of course, many of my lobs were landing short, rather than just in front of the baseline as they usually have. This match I surely beat myself. My shots were not going where I wanted them to go. Usually I sustain rallies, but in this match, I couldn't count on anything that I hit. Everything was discombobulated from the beginning, and you name it, it didn't work for me. So I am in a definite slump. I don't know if it is a protracted thing or if I'll work my way out of it soon, but the injury I had combined with the three weeks off has cramped my style and my game. I was lucky to win the one game I did win; I managed to pull together enough focus to actually win a game in which my opponent did not get any points. This was only because my serve congealed for one game. But the rest of the time, I was toast.
Stuart vs. S. at Northwest Park. Winner: S. 6-0, 6-1
Ladder Match #15
My Mojo: Dismal
I played probably the absolute worst that I have played since I started this blog. I definitely have to give my opponent credit for playing well. He was very consistent, and did not miss opportunities. One thing I was impressed with was that when I lobbed over his head in response to his net game, he got just about all of them with overheads hit with precision. In each of them, the ball landed powerfully and to his definite advantage. Many opponents that I have played don't get to those lobs, but he seemed to have no trouble.
Of course, many of my lobs were landing short, rather than just in front of the baseline as they usually have. This match I surely beat myself. My shots were not going where I wanted them to go. Usually I sustain rallies, but in this match, I couldn't count on anything that I hit. Everything was discombobulated from the beginning, and you name it, it didn't work for me. So I am in a definite slump. I don't know if it is a protracted thing or if I'll work my way out of it soon, but the injury I had combined with the three weeks off has cramped my style and my game. I was lucky to win the one game I did win; I managed to pull together enough focus to actually win a game in which my opponent did not get any points. This was only because my serve congealed for one game. But the rest of the time, I was toast.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Overconfidence Plus Low Energy Is Not A Good Combination
Sets 137-139 (of 365):
Stuart vs. C. at Westlake High. Winner: C. 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Ladder Match #14
My Mojo: Below-Average, Deflated Rapidly.
Prior to this match, I had spent three days in a row on the ball machine and on practicing serves for about two hours each time. Since I had been rusty, my initial percentage of getting shots in was pretty low. But by the third day, I had gotten my shot percentage on just about every type of shot that I could hit in a stationary mode up pretty high. Also, I had been testing my leg through running, working out at the gym, and stretching, and I was not experiencing problems with mobility. So this made me think that I was ready for competition.
Unfortunately, when I got into actual play, I wasn't able to implement what I had done on the machine. When I was taking shots on the run, my form was terrible. My anticipation was dismal, and a high percentage of the shots I was hitting were just not going to where I wanted them to go.
In the first set, I played about the best that I would play during this match, and it wasn't very good. Probably the only reason I won this set was due to my opponent's errors. But he tightened up his play in the later sets and didn't make as many errors, and I made more errors as I went along. I think that although my leg was not giving me mobility problems, there were still some mechanical difficulties in the way my muscles worked together, and my body was not moving in ways that I expected. So this caused me to gauge how I was going to place my shot inaccurately.
In the third set, I felt a slight twinge in my back and experienced a slight injury. At first, I didn't know how bad it would be, but it turned out to be not too bad, just painful, and I was able to play through it with no problems (well, at least with no increase in the problems I was already having). I had been experiencing little compensation injuries throughout the match in my knee, achilles tendon, and my other leg, which let me know that my physical systems were still not functioning 100%. The good news was that the injured muscle itself seemed to hold up well, with no pain from use, no loss of mobility, and no re-injury. Later in the third set, I was down 4-1, and my opponent flinched and made a visible show of pain just as he was doing the exact same motion that I had done a few weeks ago that injured my calf muscle. He limped away for a second, stretched a little, and then got back to playing. It was obvious that his injury was nowhere near as bad as mine. I won the next game, but then he started blasting winners for the next few games that I could not return, and I lost the match.
Stuart vs. C. at Westlake High. Winner: C. 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Ladder Match #14
My Mojo: Below-Average, Deflated Rapidly.
Prior to this match, I had spent three days in a row on the ball machine and on practicing serves for about two hours each time. Since I had been rusty, my initial percentage of getting shots in was pretty low. But by the third day, I had gotten my shot percentage on just about every type of shot that I could hit in a stationary mode up pretty high. Also, I had been testing my leg through running, working out at the gym, and stretching, and I was not experiencing problems with mobility. So this made me think that I was ready for competition.
Unfortunately, when I got into actual play, I wasn't able to implement what I had done on the machine. When I was taking shots on the run, my form was terrible. My anticipation was dismal, and a high percentage of the shots I was hitting were just not going to where I wanted them to go.
In the first set, I played about the best that I would play during this match, and it wasn't very good. Probably the only reason I won this set was due to my opponent's errors. But he tightened up his play in the later sets and didn't make as many errors, and I made more errors as I went along. I think that although my leg was not giving me mobility problems, there were still some mechanical difficulties in the way my muscles worked together, and my body was not moving in ways that I expected. So this caused me to gauge how I was going to place my shot inaccurately.
In the third set, I felt a slight twinge in my back and experienced a slight injury. At first, I didn't know how bad it would be, but it turned out to be not too bad, just painful, and I was able to play through it with no problems (well, at least with no increase in the problems I was already having). I had been experiencing little compensation injuries throughout the match in my knee, achilles tendon, and my other leg, which let me know that my physical systems were still not functioning 100%. The good news was that the injured muscle itself seemed to hold up well, with no pain from use, no loss of mobility, and no re-injury. Later in the third set, I was down 4-1, and my opponent flinched and made a visible show of pain just as he was doing the exact same motion that I had done a few weeks ago that injured my calf muscle. He limped away for a second, stretched a little, and then got back to playing. It was obvious that his injury was nowhere near as bad as mine. I won the next game, but then he started blasting winners for the next few games that I could not return, and I lost the match.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Back In the Saddle, Hopefully (Soon)
I have been steadily improving. A week ago, I was at the point where I could walk without a limp. This was much earlier than I thought I would be on my feet and encouraging, because it meant I could start the gentle stretching and use of the leg that would help with healing and assist me in minimizing scar tissue. Last Wednesday I went to the gym and tried the elliptical machine. It was too early to be on there for long, I could tell. I did five minutes and moved to the rowing machine, whcih would mostly use the muscles from my hamstrings and quads on up. At that time, my muscles were still compensating around the injury; my lower calf, quads, and glutes were picking up some of the slack, as was my lower back. So I continued with the regimen of ice, hot baths, gentle stretching, and anti-inflammatories. I also added some systemic enzymes to keep my C-reactive proteins down, and steambaths at the gym. I swear by steambaths for just about everything that can go wrong. You really can work an injury back into shape with some effort. Of course, time is definitely necessary too.
On Thursday, I was able to do a half hour on the elliptical machine, and on Friday, I was able to do an hour. So I have been on the stair stepper, and have gone running a couple of times, and I am just about back to normal. I will give it until this weekend to be safe, and then I'll start playing tennis, but no more than a match a day and a maximum of three or four matches a week (if that, even) for a while. But the first match I play ought to let me know if I am ready.
For the next week, I'll move into longer runs, light weightlifting with my leg muscles, and stationary bikes as well. I think the stairstepper was the thing I was the most apprehensive about and I handled a half an hour of that with no problem. I still haven't walked to work yet, but that's only because I haven't awakened early enough (curse you, daylight savings time--*yawn*), and my kids haven't gotten ready early enough to take the school bus. Since I'm able to run with no difficulty, walking a long distance should be a breeze.
On Thursday, I was able to do a half hour on the elliptical machine, and on Friday, I was able to do an hour. So I have been on the stair stepper, and have gone running a couple of times, and I am just about back to normal. I will give it until this weekend to be safe, and then I'll start playing tennis, but no more than a match a day and a maximum of three or four matches a week (if that, even) for a while. But the first match I play ought to let me know if I am ready.
For the next week, I'll move into longer runs, light weightlifting with my leg muscles, and stationary bikes as well. I think the stairstepper was the thing I was the most apprehensive about and I handled a half an hour of that with no problem. I still haven't walked to work yet, but that's only because I haven't awakened early enough (curse you, daylight savings time--*yawn*), and my kids haven't gotten ready early enough to take the school bus. Since I'm able to run with no difficulty, walking a long distance should be a breeze.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Recovering Slowly But Surely
I was able to stop using crutches this weekend, which was much earlier than I thought I would be able to walk without assistance. I still have a noticeable limp, though I am working on that. This weekend I was able to almost completely eliminate the limp, but regressed back into it somewhat. I am hoping to be able to walk the four miles to work pretty soon; maybe this week but probably for sure by next week. I was able to speed up my healing faster than I thought by constantly icing, massaging, and gently stetching my leg and I am hoping to minimize scar tissue by constantly moving my leg gently while the injury heals (hopefully not enough to mess it up worse).
It will still be a while before I can play again. I am estimating at this point it will be at least two weeks before I can get on the courts; maybe I can go a little earlier with the ball machine if I shoot it to one spot and don't have to move around. I can definitely still feel some pain and it hurts pretty bad when I come down on my foot the wrong way. I will probably have to drop out of the next round of the ladder but I have a day or two to figure that out for sure. If there's any way I can play within a week and a half or so, I might be able to play in the next ladder round, but I don't have much hope of that working out, and I should probably be a litle conservative in my estimates to avoid messing it up worse.
It will still be a while before I can play again. I am estimating at this point it will be at least two weeks before I can get on the courts; maybe I can go a little earlier with the ball machine if I shoot it to one spot and don't have to move around. I can definitely still feel some pain and it hurts pretty bad when I come down on my foot the wrong way. I will probably have to drop out of the next round of the ladder but I have a day or two to figure that out for sure. If there's any way I can play within a week and a half or so, I might be able to play in the next ladder round, but I don't have much hope of that working out, and I should probably be a litle conservative in my estimates to avoid messing it up worse.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Eeb-A-Deeb-A-Dee, That's All, Folks (For A While)
Stuart vs. V. at Caswell. Winner: V. 2-2, forfeit.
My Mojo: Great, Until My Body Gives Out...
Crap. Crap. Crap. Did I mention, crap? Crap.
Four games into the match, and I felt the unmistakable wrench of pain in my leg as my calf muscle tore. I was coming down on my toes just a little too hard, with my leg bent just a little too far forward, and the match came to a halt as my leg gave out.
I know exactly what the injury is because it happened to me before. And my doctor told me that once it has occurred, it is easier to do it again. Last time this happened I was on crutches for a month. There's nothing that can be done for it except for resting the muscle, and starting gentle stretches maybe in about a week. I remember the last time thinking how much I take my mobility for granted; to be able to run, ride a bike, and dance like there's no tomorrow is an incredible gift and when that all grinds to a halt it is humbling.
I could barely hobble out of the courts with my opponent's assistance. I got some ice and sat in the stands at Caswell for a while icing it down. Then I slowly stumbled to my car, and drove home. The injury ws so bad that I couldn't even use my right leg to push the pedals on my car, and I had to use my left leg, which made for some jerky acceleration and braking. Right now I'm in unbelievable pain that cuts through me like a knife; there is no position I can get in that makes it go away. I got my daughters to fetch my crutches from the last time this happened out of storage. There's no sense going to the emergency room because I'm pretty sure there's nothing they can do, but I'll try to make an appointment with the doc tomorrow. Looks like I am definitely out of commission for a while. I'll be back. What does not kill us makes us stronger. But for now, crap.
It was looking to be an interesting match, too. V. was an accurate hitter with good spin control. I thought my anticipation was pretty good and I was doing decently so far, though most of my play was defense. I got the sense, though, that he was recalibrating and he would have picked up some serious steam coming into the next few games. I'm pretty sure he was ahead in the fifth game, but I can't remember exactly what the score was.
My Mojo: Great, Until My Body Gives Out...
Crap. Crap. Crap. Did I mention, crap? Crap.
Four games into the match, and I felt the unmistakable wrench of pain in my leg as my calf muscle tore. I was coming down on my toes just a little too hard, with my leg bent just a little too far forward, and the match came to a halt as my leg gave out.
I know exactly what the injury is because it happened to me before. And my doctor told me that once it has occurred, it is easier to do it again. Last time this happened I was on crutches for a month. There's nothing that can be done for it except for resting the muscle, and starting gentle stretches maybe in about a week. I remember the last time thinking how much I take my mobility for granted; to be able to run, ride a bike, and dance like there's no tomorrow is an incredible gift and when that all grinds to a halt it is humbling.
I could barely hobble out of the courts with my opponent's assistance. I got some ice and sat in the stands at Caswell for a while icing it down. Then I slowly stumbled to my car, and drove home. The injury ws so bad that I couldn't even use my right leg to push the pedals on my car, and I had to use my left leg, which made for some jerky acceleration and braking. Right now I'm in unbelievable pain that cuts through me like a knife; there is no position I can get in that makes it go away. I got my daughters to fetch my crutches from the last time this happened out of storage. There's no sense going to the emergency room because I'm pretty sure there's nothing they can do, but I'll try to make an appointment with the doc tomorrow. Looks like I am definitely out of commission for a while. I'll be back. What does not kill us makes us stronger. But for now, crap.
It was looking to be an interesting match, too. V. was an accurate hitter with good spin control. I thought my anticipation was pretty good and I was doing decently so far, though most of my play was defense. I got the sense, though, that he was recalibrating and he would have picked up some serious steam coming into the next few games. I'm pretty sure he was ahead in the fifth game, but I can't remember exactly what the score was.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Nobody's Home
Sets 135-136 (of 365):
Stuart vs. J. at Northwest Park. Winner: J. 6-1,6-2.
Alternate Ladder Match #3
My Mojo: Below-Average, Frustrated
I could not get anything going right today. I was anticipating in my head almost exactly where he would hit his shots and I was still not getting there in time. My physical responses to the shots he did were in the toilet. I was going for line shots that went over the line, and drop shots that went into the net. And I kept getting to my advantage over and over again just to flub it after that and have the game completely fall apart. By the middle of the second set I was angry enough to throw a racquet. but I mostly kept it inside, except for the cuss words I mouthed to myself under my breath. I really need to be more centered than I was for this match. My mental state was so poor, it affected my play immensely. J. was a big hitter, but I've dealt with players with powerful ground strokes before. I just wasn't there enough.
Stuart vs. J. at Northwest Park. Winner: J. 6-1,6-2.
Alternate Ladder Match #3
My Mojo: Below-Average, Frustrated
I could not get anything going right today. I was anticipating in my head almost exactly where he would hit his shots and I was still not getting there in time. My physical responses to the shots he did were in the toilet. I was going for line shots that went over the line, and drop shots that went into the net. And I kept getting to my advantage over and over again just to flub it after that and have the game completely fall apart. By the middle of the second set I was angry enough to throw a racquet. but I mostly kept it inside, except for the cuss words I mouthed to myself under my breath. I really need to be more centered than I was for this match. My mental state was so poor, it affected my play immensely. J. was a big hitter, but I've dealt with players with powerful ground strokes before. I just wasn't there enough.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
A Good Strategy Day For Me And A Laid-Back Weekend
Sets 133-134 (of 365):
Stuart vs. C. at Westlake High. Winner: Stuart 6-0, 6-1.
Ladder Match #13
My Mojo: Calm and Confident
It is amazing how my attitude can change from day to day. Last time I played, I was skittish and unable to concentrate. Today I was calm and assured. My anticipation was fantastic. I hardly missed hitting anything and placed my shots well. My strategic thinking was really on today. C. only got one game in in the first set, and just about everything I did seemed to be working. He tried to mix it up a little more and come to net aggressively much more in the second set, but I was ready for that and hit a lot of successful lobs. Toward the end of the second set, he started trying to serve-and-volley more, trying to get more by being more aggressive, but I responded well to that also, either lobbing offensively or hitting side winners. He simply could not break through at all during the match.
I had taken it easy, relatively, this weekend. For the past few weekends I have been cramming several matches in, but this weekend I only scheduled one on Saturday and one on Sunday. The guy I set up a match with on Saturday did not show up, which annoyed me a bit, especially since it was cold and windy. I was not crazy about waiting in that weather. I got home and found he had sent an email saying he would be fifteen minutes late, but he still had not showed up after half an hour, after which I left. In retrospect, I really don't mind missing that match. We did set up something for next weekend. I also chose not to go to the group lesson that I had been planning to go to later that morning. I guess it doesn't hurt to lay back a little every once in a while and not push myself constantly.
Stuart vs. C. at Westlake High. Winner: Stuart 6-0, 6-1.
Ladder Match #13
My Mojo: Calm and Confident
It is amazing how my attitude can change from day to day. Last time I played, I was skittish and unable to concentrate. Today I was calm and assured. My anticipation was fantastic. I hardly missed hitting anything and placed my shots well. My strategic thinking was really on today. C. only got one game in in the first set, and just about everything I did seemed to be working. He tried to mix it up a little more and come to net aggressively much more in the second set, but I was ready for that and hit a lot of successful lobs. Toward the end of the second set, he started trying to serve-and-volley more, trying to get more by being more aggressive, but I responded well to that also, either lobbing offensively or hitting side winners. He simply could not break through at all during the match.
I had taken it easy, relatively, this weekend. For the past few weekends I have been cramming several matches in, but this weekend I only scheduled one on Saturday and one on Sunday. The guy I set up a match with on Saturday did not show up, which annoyed me a bit, especially since it was cold and windy. I was not crazy about waiting in that weather. I got home and found he had sent an email saying he would be fifteen minutes late, but he still had not showed up after half an hour, after which I left. In retrospect, I really don't mind missing that match. We did set up something for next weekend. I also chose not to go to the group lesson that I had been planning to go to later that morning. I guess it doesn't hurt to lay back a little every once in a while and not push myself constantly.
Friday, March 2, 2007
Trapped In A Burlap Bag
Sets 131-132 (of 365):
Stuart vs. J. at Northwest Park. Winner: J. 6-2, 6-1.
Ladder Match #12
My Mojo: Below-Average to Average
I served the first game, and won all the points in that game. And then it was downhill from there. I could not get a foothold in at all after that. J. was not a very hard hitter, but had excellent placement. She was able to hit some really good angles that I had a hard time getting to and often just could not get there in time. Due to her excellent placement, she was able to dominate most of the points and I could not get any decent strategy happening. I was not placing anything well, was not anticipating worth beans, and was barely able to return most of the shots. This was one of the worse drubbings that I have taken in quite a while. It was like I was just trapped in a burlap bag and could not find the way to escape.
Stuart vs. J. at Northwest Park. Winner: J. 6-2, 6-1.
Ladder Match #12
My Mojo: Below-Average to Average
I served the first game, and won all the points in that game. And then it was downhill from there. I could not get a foothold in at all after that. J. was not a very hard hitter, but had excellent placement. She was able to hit some really good angles that I had a hard time getting to and often just could not get there in time. Due to her excellent placement, she was able to dominate most of the points and I could not get any decent strategy happening. I was not placing anything well, was not anticipating worth beans, and was barely able to return most of the shots. This was one of the worse drubbings that I have taken in quite a while. It was like I was just trapped in a burlap bag and could not find the way to escape.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
A Strange Game That Showed Up On The Ladder Standings
I was checking the ladder standings the other day, and looked at my win/loss statistics there, and I noticed that one of the extra matches that I had played that was not a ladder match had been reported there, apparently by my opponent. Of course, he would have an incentive to do that, since he beat me. But I didn't have any idea that you could even report such matches.
So I went to all the written material that I could find on the ladder (the rules, the FAQ file, etc.) and found nothing authorizing reporting matches played outside the ladder. Of course, I found nothing prohibiting it, either. And then I looked at all the pages I could find to see if there was any way to enter such matches, but I could not find any means to enter the results of matches that were not officially played on the ladder. Heck, I've played huge numbers of matches that I could report, and I've won most of them, even against some players that are a lot higher than me on the ladder.
I emailed the ladder coordinator and asked him how one reported extra matches, and told him I had a whole bunch of matches that I could report if extra matches were allowed. He told me that people were allowed to email him to enter extra matches, but didn't seem too happy about the prospect of entering all of the matches I had played. He said he might set up an extra page to enter them.
But then I started thinking about the effect on all of the people I played if I reported all of those matches. I had not made any arrangement beforehand to report those matches, and maybe some or all of those people would be upset that I did so. I felt kind of annoyed that the match that was reported in which I played was listed there without my prior knowledge or agreement that it would be reported. I confirmed with a couple of players that I talked to that, yes, they would be upset if a match that was not officially part of the ladder was reported, and both of them indicated that they probably would not play that person again.
Well, I am trying to play large numbers of matches, and I don't want to do anything that would upset people who might play me to the point that they would not want to play against me. And I don't really think it's fair to report matches outside the ladder when: 1) there is no statement in the rules that such matches will be reported, 2) there is no way immediately apparent to enter them other than contacting the person who runs the ladder, 3) both players have not assented and confirmed the score, and 4) some players may be playing those matches to try out new form or technique rather than strictly to compete.
Don't get me wrong; I'm not pissed off at the person who runs the ladder. I think he's doing a lot of work to make it so lots of us can play more tennis. Anything I can do to make his job easier is OK with me. I've probably already sent him enough emails about stuff to make him think I might be kind of high-maintenance, even though I'm trying to just be a cog in the wheel.
I did email him and tell him that I won't report those extra matches after all. That is really the only fair thing to do, since I made no agreement to do so with my opponents. So I'll just grit my teeth and live with one more loss listed on the ladder. It certainly doesn't do me any good, though, as I have a hard enough time convincing people at the top of the ladder to play me even though I've beaten a good number of players near the top. But they don't know that because those games aren't reported. Meanwhile, my ascent up the ladder is slowly progressing as I win the majority of my ladder matches.
So I went to all the written material that I could find on the ladder (the rules, the FAQ file, etc.) and found nothing authorizing reporting matches played outside the ladder. Of course, I found nothing prohibiting it, either. And then I looked at all the pages I could find to see if there was any way to enter such matches, but I could not find any means to enter the results of matches that were not officially played on the ladder. Heck, I've played huge numbers of matches that I could report, and I've won most of them, even against some players that are a lot higher than me on the ladder.
I emailed the ladder coordinator and asked him how one reported extra matches, and told him I had a whole bunch of matches that I could report if extra matches were allowed. He told me that people were allowed to email him to enter extra matches, but didn't seem too happy about the prospect of entering all of the matches I had played. He said he might set up an extra page to enter them.
But then I started thinking about the effect on all of the people I played if I reported all of those matches. I had not made any arrangement beforehand to report those matches, and maybe some or all of those people would be upset that I did so. I felt kind of annoyed that the match that was reported in which I played was listed there without my prior knowledge or agreement that it would be reported. I confirmed with a couple of players that I talked to that, yes, they would be upset if a match that was not officially part of the ladder was reported, and both of them indicated that they probably would not play that person again.
Well, I am trying to play large numbers of matches, and I don't want to do anything that would upset people who might play me to the point that they would not want to play against me. And I don't really think it's fair to report matches outside the ladder when: 1) there is no statement in the rules that such matches will be reported, 2) there is no way immediately apparent to enter them other than contacting the person who runs the ladder, 3) both players have not assented and confirmed the score, and 4) some players may be playing those matches to try out new form or technique rather than strictly to compete.
Don't get me wrong; I'm not pissed off at the person who runs the ladder. I think he's doing a lot of work to make it so lots of us can play more tennis. Anything I can do to make his job easier is OK with me. I've probably already sent him enough emails about stuff to make him think I might be kind of high-maintenance, even though I'm trying to just be a cog in the wheel.
I did email him and tell him that I won't report those extra matches after all. That is really the only fair thing to do, since I made no agreement to do so with my opponents. So I'll just grit my teeth and live with one more loss listed on the ladder. It certainly doesn't do me any good, though, as I have a hard enough time convincing people at the top of the ladder to play me even though I've beaten a good number of players near the top. But they don't know that because those games aren't reported. Meanwhile, my ascent up the ladder is slowly progressing as I win the majority of my ladder matches.
Bringing In March With A Bang
Sets 128-130 (of 365):
Stuart vs. S. at His Apartments. Winner: Stuart 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
My Mojo: Steadily Improving
Not only am I steadily improving in my attitude, technique and footwork from the last few matches, I mostly improved throughout this match, until I kind of fell apart at the end. More later on that. S. has beaten me twice before by edging me out in three sets, and this time I was the one who finessed the win.
The first two sets were similar in character. There were a lot of very close games that just fell one way or the other. In the first set, he won the set with a pretty lopsided score, but the play was closer than the score looked. The same was true in the second set, except that one fell in my lap. My footwork was outstanding and I was getting to a lot of the zingers that he was hitting that I could not get to the last two times I played him. Though I still was returning most of his shots with defensive play, I was able to play with offense more than I did the last two times I played him.
In the third set I took a definite lead for most of the set and was up 5-0. Then he started coming back and getting shots in that I just could not reach and that was frustrating me. I started having visions of not winning any more games and losing the third set 7-5, and my mental state just fell apart by the time he won two games and brought the score to 5-2. I regained some composure, though, when I realized that I probably had it in me to win another game before he won four in a row. That helped me relax a little, and though I still felt somewhat jittery, I was able to win a game after he had won three in a row to take the set 6-3, and I won the match.
I don't think I'll go to the group lesson tonight. I'm not totally spent, but I just don't have enough real recovery time before it starts, and I feel just a little more in a not-playing mood than in a playing mood. So I think I'll get friendly with some ice packs for a while and relax for the rest of the night.
"The serve was invented so that the net could play." --Bill Cosby
Stuart vs. S. at His Apartments. Winner: Stuart 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
My Mojo: Steadily Improving
Not only am I steadily improving in my attitude, technique and footwork from the last few matches, I mostly improved throughout this match, until I kind of fell apart at the end. More later on that. S. has beaten me twice before by edging me out in three sets, and this time I was the one who finessed the win.
The first two sets were similar in character. There were a lot of very close games that just fell one way or the other. In the first set, he won the set with a pretty lopsided score, but the play was closer than the score looked. The same was true in the second set, except that one fell in my lap. My footwork was outstanding and I was getting to a lot of the zingers that he was hitting that I could not get to the last two times I played him. Though I still was returning most of his shots with defensive play, I was able to play with offense more than I did the last two times I played him.
In the third set I took a definite lead for most of the set and was up 5-0. Then he started coming back and getting shots in that I just could not reach and that was frustrating me. I started having visions of not winning any more games and losing the third set 7-5, and my mental state just fell apart by the time he won two games and brought the score to 5-2. I regained some composure, though, when I realized that I probably had it in me to win another game before he won four in a row. That helped me relax a little, and though I still felt somewhat jittery, I was able to win a game after he had won three in a row to take the set 6-3, and I won the match.
I don't think I'll go to the group lesson tonight. I'm not totally spent, but I just don't have enough real recovery time before it starts, and I feel just a little more in a not-playing mood than in a playing mood. So I think I'll get friendly with some ice packs for a while and relax for the rest of the night.
"The serve was invented so that the net could play." --Bill Cosby
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