Sets 372-374:
Stuart v. S. at Bowie High. Winner: S. 6-0, 7-5, 6-3.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
It Takes A Couple Of Sets For Me To Reach A Comfort Zone
Sets 369-371:
Stuart v. E. at The Courtyard Winner: E. (Continuation of last match) Third Set 7-5.
Two more sets: A Tie. 6-1 (E), 2-6 (S).
My Mojo: Constricted, Then Suddenly Free.
The beginning of our play was finishing up the previous match that we had started. I won the first game with some great serves and most of them were not returned. After that my serve got tentative and my whole game became kind of imbalanced. I got down by 5-2, and then I managed to pull together enough game and focus to win the next three games and tie it up at 5-5.
Then my opponent really pulled together his game. He played better than he has probably ever played agaoinst me. He won the next two games decisively to win the set 7-5. Then in the whole second set (technically, it was the first set of a new match, I guess, or just an independent set, since the last set was finishing up the third set of a previous match) I felt like I was completely unable to respond to his game. His shots were almost flawless and error-free and I was mostly completely on the defensive.
It also didn't help that around this time I felt a very slight pull in my lower back; it wasn't enough to keep me from playing, but was just enough to change my balance a little. It wasn't really bad enough for me to consider it an injury, but I can tell it has created a susceptibility to an injury. As I write this, I still feel a slight weakness in my back and I wouldn't be surprised if some little movement at some point injures it a little, or a lot, more. Fingers crossed, and I need to do some strengthening exercises to head this off.
I continued my theme from the match with Y. about not being able to convert advantages in the games, as I got up 40-15 or 40-love and then watched the games evaporate away. Once again, this affected my mental state a great deal, and I started making more errors, especially on shots that should have been sure winners. This was driving me nuts, and the score quickly got to 5-0 in his favor. I did manage to serve one game toward the end in which my serves were focused again and powerful enough to win the game easily. So at least I didn't get bageled. But he took the next game pretty easily and won the set 6-1. To my credit, I was getting to shots that seemed almost impossible even though the ball was just coming off the tip of my racquet. I even remember seeing one serve thatI thought there was no way I would get to, saying "Good shot" as I thought it would be an ace, and expressing a cry of surprise as it actually got returned by my racquet as I got there just in the nick of time. But he managed to hit too many great shots to diverse places on the court, and eventually I would miss one and lose the point. The problem for me was once I barely got there, I was not able to direct the ball well, and I was just returning it into the court weakly, allowing him to take command. He was really getting good strategic direction on his shots and my defensive game was tried to the limit.
In the next set, I managed to get some focus back. I was catching more shots in front of my body instead of at the side or behind, and following through better. This was allowing me to be more aggressive and also close in to the net more. For the first four games we kept pace with each other, though I felt more confident in my play. Then I won the next four games to take the set 6-2. Some of these games were pretty easy, and some were tough. I asked him if he wanted to play another set as I felt pretty good physically (even though we had been playing some long rallies; this last set had probably the best rallies of the match). But he cited other commitments and could not play.
Stuart v. E. at The Courtyard Winner: E. (Continuation of last match) Third Set 7-5.
Two more sets: A Tie. 6-1 (E), 2-6 (S).
My Mojo: Constricted, Then Suddenly Free.
The beginning of our play was finishing up the previous match that we had started. I won the first game with some great serves and most of them were not returned. After that my serve got tentative and my whole game became kind of imbalanced. I got down by 5-2, and then I managed to pull together enough game and focus to win the next three games and tie it up at 5-5.
Then my opponent really pulled together his game. He played better than he has probably ever played agaoinst me. He won the next two games decisively to win the set 7-5. Then in the whole second set (technically, it was the first set of a new match, I guess, or just an independent set, since the last set was finishing up the third set of a previous match) I felt like I was completely unable to respond to his game. His shots were almost flawless and error-free and I was mostly completely on the defensive.
It also didn't help that around this time I felt a very slight pull in my lower back; it wasn't enough to keep me from playing, but was just enough to change my balance a little. It wasn't really bad enough for me to consider it an injury, but I can tell it has created a susceptibility to an injury. As I write this, I still feel a slight weakness in my back and I wouldn't be surprised if some little movement at some point injures it a little, or a lot, more. Fingers crossed, and I need to do some strengthening exercises to head this off.
I continued my theme from the match with Y. about not being able to convert advantages in the games, as I got up 40-15 or 40-love and then watched the games evaporate away. Once again, this affected my mental state a great deal, and I started making more errors, especially on shots that should have been sure winners. This was driving me nuts, and the score quickly got to 5-0 in his favor. I did manage to serve one game toward the end in which my serves were focused again and powerful enough to win the game easily. So at least I didn't get bageled. But he took the next game pretty easily and won the set 6-1. To my credit, I was getting to shots that seemed almost impossible even though the ball was just coming off the tip of my racquet. I even remember seeing one serve thatI thought there was no way I would get to, saying "Good shot" as I thought it would be an ace, and expressing a cry of surprise as it actually got returned by my racquet as I got there just in the nick of time. But he managed to hit too many great shots to diverse places on the court, and eventually I would miss one and lose the point. The problem for me was once I barely got there, I was not able to direct the ball well, and I was just returning it into the court weakly, allowing him to take command. He was really getting good strategic direction on his shots and my defensive game was tried to the limit.
In the next set, I managed to get some focus back. I was catching more shots in front of my body instead of at the side or behind, and following through better. This was allowing me to be more aggressive and also close in to the net more. For the first four games we kept pace with each other, though I felt more confident in my play. Then I won the next four games to take the set 6-2. Some of these games were pretty easy, and some were tough. I asked him if he wanted to play another set as I felt pretty good physically (even though we had been playing some long rallies; this last set had probably the best rallies of the match). But he cited other commitments and could not play.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Just A Little Off
Sets 366-368:
Stuart v. Y. at Avery Ranch. Winner: Y. 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
My Mojo: Uncalibrated But Determined.
Sometimes you play a match where everything falls into place; your shots go right where you want them to, the stuff you aim at the line hits right on, your net bounces go right over the net, etc. This was not one of those times. My line shots were all going long, lots of my shots crashed into the tape on the net instead of going over, and I had to struggle for any kind of strategy. Still, what I did have in my favor for most of the match was perseverance and grind.
In the first set, I struggled to maintain parity, and crumbled at the end. I got a little behind, then caught up, then could not win any more games. It was frustrating me that my "edge" shots were not working, for the most part. I was also just a little bit slow on response, and that hurt me as I was catching too much stuff late. Another thing that was really frustrating me and affecting my mental state was that I was failing to convert advantages. There were many games in which I was up 40-15 or 40-love that he came back to win as I scattered when I needed to consolidate. My opponent seemed to be closing in more than I was, though I did manage to close in more toward the end of the match. My serves were decent but not spectacular. They were getting in the box, and where I wanted them to go for the most part, but didn't have a lot of oomph.
In the second set, I had a little more concentration but still was a smidge off on the money shots. My mental attitude was a little better, and my opponent seemed a little diminshed from what he had been in the last set, which allowed me to step up a little. Though we were neck-and-neck throughout most of the set, I broke out at the end, which improved my confidence (at least for a short time). The games were much more competitive in this set, and the fifth game of the set, which I won to get ahead 3-2, was very long, with Herculean rallies and many changes of deuce and ad points. I think winning this game gave me an edge in the set that I managed to hold on to.
I felt good going into the third set. I dominated the first game, but after that, I seemed to just about immediately deteriorate for a few games, and then again at the end of the set. Before I knew it, I was down 4-1, but I managed to win the next couple of games to take it to 4-3. I didn't win any more games, though, as my general malaise and lack of focus returned and scattered my play once again. Despite my inability to coalesce my game skills for most of the match, I felt that for the most part it was a very close match.
Stuart v. Y. at Avery Ranch. Winner: Y. 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
My Mojo: Uncalibrated But Determined.
Sometimes you play a match where everything falls into place; your shots go right where you want them to, the stuff you aim at the line hits right on, your net bounces go right over the net, etc. This was not one of those times. My line shots were all going long, lots of my shots crashed into the tape on the net instead of going over, and I had to struggle for any kind of strategy. Still, what I did have in my favor for most of the match was perseverance and grind.
In the first set, I struggled to maintain parity, and crumbled at the end. I got a little behind, then caught up, then could not win any more games. It was frustrating me that my "edge" shots were not working, for the most part. I was also just a little bit slow on response, and that hurt me as I was catching too much stuff late. Another thing that was really frustrating me and affecting my mental state was that I was failing to convert advantages. There were many games in which I was up 40-15 or 40-love that he came back to win as I scattered when I needed to consolidate. My opponent seemed to be closing in more than I was, though I did manage to close in more toward the end of the match. My serves were decent but not spectacular. They were getting in the box, and where I wanted them to go for the most part, but didn't have a lot of oomph.
In the second set, I had a little more concentration but still was a smidge off on the money shots. My mental attitude was a little better, and my opponent seemed a little diminshed from what he had been in the last set, which allowed me to step up a little. Though we were neck-and-neck throughout most of the set, I broke out at the end, which improved my confidence (at least for a short time). The games were much more competitive in this set, and the fifth game of the set, which I won to get ahead 3-2, was very long, with Herculean rallies and many changes of deuce and ad points. I think winning this game gave me an edge in the set that I managed to hold on to.
I felt good going into the third set. I dominated the first game, but after that, I seemed to just about immediately deteriorate for a few games, and then again at the end of the set. Before I knew it, I was down 4-1, but I managed to win the next couple of games to take it to 4-3. I didn't win any more games, though, as my general malaise and lack of focus returned and scattered my play once again. Despite my inability to coalesce my game skills for most of the match, I felt that for the most part it was a very close match.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
365 Sets, Or The Big Kahuna Shows Its Ugly Face!
Sets 363- 365!!!!!!:
Stuart v. S. at His Apts. Winner: Stuart 7-6(4), 6-2, 7-6(6)
My Mojo: Not Bad.
Well, I did it. I reached 365 sets in less than 365 days time. I thought that this would be a huge milestone for me, and that it would be an occasion to ding the bells and toot on the whistles. Fireworks in the living room, and all that. That's all I need, to terrify my family. But actually it is kind of anti-climactic. No parades for me down Main Street. I just go to work tomorrow an put on my shoes and shirt just like I do every day. Oh, and I'd better not forget my pants, or I might get fired.
But I'm not going to stop. First of all, I'm going to keep playing anyway. Maybe after the end of the year I won't play as intensely (or who knows, maybe I will?). I think soon I'll start incorporating more drills and lessons--the kind of stuff I've neglected while I played straight sets. And maybe I'll play some doubles for a change of pace. Second of all, recall that I "cheated" by starting in mid-November of 2006. Though I did get to 365 sets in less than a year from that time, I think I'll keep playing to get 365 sets during 2007, so it will actually be a New Year's resolution fulfilled. Which means I still have 34 sets left to go. I'll probably try to overshoot it; I'm just that over-the-top kinda guy.
Third of all, is there anyone who actually reads this crap I write? Actually, I know there are some folks who do drop by, because I hear about it, and sometimes from the most unexpected sources.
But I guess I should talk about the actual match, instead of sucking on a popsicle of nostalgia and reflection. Geez, it was windy. I knew the wind would be blowing, but it was whipping around every which way, and rising ferociously and then dying down, and doing all kindsa deceptive stuff. But I felt like I was reading it well, and getting into my wind-vector mode, where I try to figure out on the fly what kind of arc I need to put on the ball, what spin I need to use, and how far I need to correct to get the ball where I want it to go. I'm pretty good at that if I can remain calm and not lose my cool buzz.
I think one of my actual disadvantages today was that it wasn't hot as hell, it was cool and temperate, and the wind made just about any sweat that came out evaporate pretty quickly. For some strange reason, I do well under seriously adverse conditions. I shine when it's so hot that everybody else is passing out, or when I'm just on the verge of a serious hurl, or when I'm just injured enough that I can keep playing, but not too bad to need hospitalization. Really. Read my previous entries if you don't believe that.
A couple of things helped me, I think, in today's play (and have also helped me in the last few sets I played). One thing was having a coach show me how I tend to move sideways on a shot instead of lurching into it. I've been moving forward a lot more, and I think it's added some power as well as control to my stroke. The next thing is having soft hands on the volleys. That has improved my directionality at the net immensely.
During the first set, I got behind at first by 4-2, but then caught up to 4-4. We both played very tough for the next four games to tie it up at 6-6 and play a tiebreaker. I was trying to hit hard and deep as much as possible so as to avoid getting weak shots over that S. could take advantage of, which he does well. At first, he was able to move in on the net to advantage, but I tried my best to neutralize that by being a little more aggressive toward the end of the set. In the tiebreak, I took a lead, then he crept up a little, then I was able to take the win.
S. was getting a little more frustrated about the wind than I was, and I think this affected his confidence in the second set. I never felt seriously challenged in this set, and I think i not only had some of my best strategy, but also my best ability to second-guess where his shots would go, and my best use of the wind.
His frustration went away, for the most part, in the third set. He told me that he relaxed because he had already lost the match and had nothing to lose. This was probably his toughest play, as he once again began closing in well and also breaking out winners when necessary. But I still think he wasn't reading the wind as well as I was (with the exception of about three games where he really broke out and seemed really in sync,while I briefly got scattered). I pulled it back together toward the end enough to keep pace, and the tiebreak could have gone either way. He was up at first, then I eked out a point ahead, and at 7-6, he hit a topspin hotshot that the wind just caught the wrong way an put about an inch and a half outside the line. Which was probably just blind luck for me, because I don't think there was any way I would have gotten that shot, and if the wind had not been gusting, it probably would have been in. So instead of tying up the tiebreak at 7-7, I squeaked out a win at 8-6.
All in all, my play was not bad. It was much better than my average match a year ago, for sure. I definitely see improvement in my game. My power and directionality have increased a lot, as well as my ability to anticipate. My recovery is much smoother, on the whole, and I don't get intimidated by power games.
Stuart v. S. at His Apts. Winner: Stuart 7-6(4), 6-2, 7-6(6)
My Mojo: Not Bad.
Well, I did it. I reached 365 sets in less than 365 days time. I thought that this would be a huge milestone for me, and that it would be an occasion to ding the bells and toot on the whistles. Fireworks in the living room, and all that. That's all I need, to terrify my family. But actually it is kind of anti-climactic. No parades for me down Main Street. I just go to work tomorrow an put on my shoes and shirt just like I do every day. Oh, and I'd better not forget my pants, or I might get fired.
But I'm not going to stop. First of all, I'm going to keep playing anyway. Maybe after the end of the year I won't play as intensely (or who knows, maybe I will?). I think soon I'll start incorporating more drills and lessons--the kind of stuff I've neglected while I played straight sets. And maybe I'll play some doubles for a change of pace. Second of all, recall that I "cheated" by starting in mid-November of 2006. Though I did get to 365 sets in less than a year from that time, I think I'll keep playing to get 365 sets during 2007, so it will actually be a New Year's resolution fulfilled. Which means I still have 34 sets left to go. I'll probably try to overshoot it; I'm just that over-the-top kinda guy.
Third of all, is there anyone who actually reads this crap I write? Actually, I know there are some folks who do drop by, because I hear about it, and sometimes from the most unexpected sources.
But I guess I should talk about the actual match, instead of sucking on a popsicle of nostalgia and reflection. Geez, it was windy. I knew the wind would be blowing, but it was whipping around every which way, and rising ferociously and then dying down, and doing all kindsa deceptive stuff. But I felt like I was reading it well, and getting into my wind-vector mode, where I try to figure out on the fly what kind of arc I need to put on the ball, what spin I need to use, and how far I need to correct to get the ball where I want it to go. I'm pretty good at that if I can remain calm and not lose my cool buzz.
I think one of my actual disadvantages today was that it wasn't hot as hell, it was cool and temperate, and the wind made just about any sweat that came out evaporate pretty quickly. For some strange reason, I do well under seriously adverse conditions. I shine when it's so hot that everybody else is passing out, or when I'm just on the verge of a serious hurl, or when I'm just injured enough that I can keep playing, but not too bad to need hospitalization. Really. Read my previous entries if you don't believe that.
A couple of things helped me, I think, in today's play (and have also helped me in the last few sets I played). One thing was having a coach show me how I tend to move sideways on a shot instead of lurching into it. I've been moving forward a lot more, and I think it's added some power as well as control to my stroke. The next thing is having soft hands on the volleys. That has improved my directionality at the net immensely.
During the first set, I got behind at first by 4-2, but then caught up to 4-4. We both played very tough for the next four games to tie it up at 6-6 and play a tiebreaker. I was trying to hit hard and deep as much as possible so as to avoid getting weak shots over that S. could take advantage of, which he does well. At first, he was able to move in on the net to advantage, but I tried my best to neutralize that by being a little more aggressive toward the end of the set. In the tiebreak, I took a lead, then he crept up a little, then I was able to take the win.
S. was getting a little more frustrated about the wind than I was, and I think this affected his confidence in the second set. I never felt seriously challenged in this set, and I think i not only had some of my best strategy, but also my best ability to second-guess where his shots would go, and my best use of the wind.
His frustration went away, for the most part, in the third set. He told me that he relaxed because he had already lost the match and had nothing to lose. This was probably his toughest play, as he once again began closing in well and also breaking out winners when necessary. But I still think he wasn't reading the wind as well as I was (with the exception of about three games where he really broke out and seemed really in sync,while I briefly got scattered). I pulled it back together toward the end enough to keep pace, and the tiebreak could have gone either way. He was up at first, then I eked out a point ahead, and at 7-6, he hit a topspin hotshot that the wind just caught the wrong way an put about an inch and a half outside the line. Which was probably just blind luck for me, because I don't think there was any way I would have gotten that shot, and if the wind had not been gusting, it probably would have been in. So instead of tying up the tiebreak at 7-7, I squeaked out a win at 8-6.
All in all, my play was not bad. It was much better than my average match a year ago, for sure. I definitely see improvement in my game. My power and directionality have increased a lot, as well as my ability to anticipate. My recovery is much smoother, on the whole, and I don't get intimidated by power games.
Friday, October 19, 2007
It Hurts!!! The Story Of How The Groundhog Almost Saw His Shadow
Sets 361-362:
Stuart v. M. at The Quarries. Winner: Stuart 7-6(3), 6-3.
My Mojo: OK Once I "Went."
The first set was ugly. I knew that before I started, I, um, needed to eliminate some of my earlier meals. But I tried to summon the demons before the match, and the love was just in the wrong place in my tubular bells to come out to party. So I had a feeling it would come to what it came to.
I'll spare you grisly details for the most part, except what is integral to the tale. Suffice it to say I've been on a huge fiber kick and have been gulping down at least fifty grams of all manners of sawdusty grit every day. And that's in addition to the huge amount of fruits and veggies (mostly raw) that I eat. It's all well and good, but when judgment day comes, it is immediate and swift, and there is no room for mercy.
And come it did. Around the second game of the match. I felt the sickening gurgle rear its ugly head and communicate to me unequivocally that the groundhog was trying to see its shadow. Actually, it was amazing that I hung on for the whole first set after that. I was in a huge amount of pain, which expanded exponentially as time went on. Try to imagine inserting an uninflated basketball where the sun will (hopefully) never shine, and then pumping it full of jello. That will give you a mental picture of exactly where I was right then (though that may be something you really don't want to picture). I just concentrated on blocking it out, and converted my close-to-rupture moment into intense focus on the tennis ball. I guess that gives Freud's whole trip a new meaning.
It definitely didn't help that there is no bathroom at these courts. I managed to stay with it enough to shimmy up a win in the first set (by a nose), and then I knew that drastic, immediate action was called for. I begged off to take a "bathroom" break. Of course, since there was no bathroom, I went off to an abandoned wooded patch, traipsing through poison ivy and beggar's lice, to eliminate my bad energy (matter converts into energy, right?).
Now, I thought that after I gave unholy birth to Satan's little brother I would immediately feel better. But my insides were still roiling. For the next three games or so, things felt like they were seriously "adjusting" to get back to normal. But after that, my man-womb calmed down, and I was able to concentrate on my play. I just tried to outlast the rallies, and break out for winners when I could, and make less errors than the other guy. And it worked, for the most part.
Stuart v. M. at The Quarries. Winner: Stuart 7-6(3), 6-3.
My Mojo: OK Once I "Went."
The first set was ugly. I knew that before I started, I, um, needed to eliminate some of my earlier meals. But I tried to summon the demons before the match, and the love was just in the wrong place in my tubular bells to come out to party. So I had a feeling it would come to what it came to.
I'll spare you grisly details for the most part, except what is integral to the tale. Suffice it to say I've been on a huge fiber kick and have been gulping down at least fifty grams of all manners of sawdusty grit every day. And that's in addition to the huge amount of fruits and veggies (mostly raw) that I eat. It's all well and good, but when judgment day comes, it is immediate and swift, and there is no room for mercy.
And come it did. Around the second game of the match. I felt the sickening gurgle rear its ugly head and communicate to me unequivocally that the groundhog was trying to see its shadow. Actually, it was amazing that I hung on for the whole first set after that. I was in a huge amount of pain, which expanded exponentially as time went on. Try to imagine inserting an uninflated basketball where the sun will (hopefully) never shine, and then pumping it full of jello. That will give you a mental picture of exactly where I was right then (though that may be something you really don't want to picture). I just concentrated on blocking it out, and converted my close-to-rupture moment into intense focus on the tennis ball. I guess that gives Freud's whole trip a new meaning.
It definitely didn't help that there is no bathroom at these courts. I managed to stay with it enough to shimmy up a win in the first set (by a nose), and then I knew that drastic, immediate action was called for. I begged off to take a "bathroom" break. Of course, since there was no bathroom, I went off to an abandoned wooded patch, traipsing through poison ivy and beggar's lice, to eliminate my bad energy (matter converts into energy, right?).
Now, I thought that after I gave unholy birth to Satan's little brother I would immediately feel better. But my insides were still roiling. For the next three games or so, things felt like they were seriously "adjusting" to get back to normal. But after that, my man-womb calmed down, and I was able to concentrate on my play. I just tried to outlast the rallies, and break out for winners when I could, and make less errors than the other guy. And it worked, for the most part.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Game, Interrupted
Sets 359-360:
Stuart v. E. at The Courtyard. Winner: To Be Determined. 6-3 (E), 5-7 (S), 2-1 (E), S to serve.
My Mojo: Off, Then On, Then Tennis Interruptus.
The last time we played, it was very tight and intense. There was a lot of intensity to this match as well, but I felt like I was flowing a little smoother, and not as tight through the whole thing. My serves were working decently, and his were doing what they needed to do as well. It was another closely matched group of games. In the first set, I dropped my pace a little at the end of the set, and he picked up the slack to put the set in his pocket.
In the second set, I played with more assertiveness and aggressiveness and moved away from my usual defensive game to take the initiative a little more. It seemed to do the trick toward the end. We kept tying it up repeatedly, and I was up the odd game for a while. Then we traded leads around game nine, but I won the next game to tie again at 5-5. The next two games were very close and had some of the longest rallies of the match (so far, of course we haven't finished), but I squeegled it out for both games to win 7-5.
Shortly after that, we ran out of time on the court. I hate these places where you can only reserve and hour and a half of time; so often my matches just don't finish in that short of a period of time as I'm just a born grinder. I'm not proud of it, but there it is. So we tried to get on whatever empty courts we could to attempt to finish up the match. We kept getting repeatedly booted after just a few points and it was jarring my mojo big wild. We played the next three games on three different courts before I finally said it was enough. I have to get into a groove, and this was not doing it for me. So we'll just have to finish up some other time.
Stuart v. E. at The Courtyard. Winner: To Be Determined. 6-3 (E), 5-7 (S), 2-1 (E), S to serve.
My Mojo: Off, Then On, Then Tennis Interruptus.
The last time we played, it was very tight and intense. There was a lot of intensity to this match as well, but I felt like I was flowing a little smoother, and not as tight through the whole thing. My serves were working decently, and his were doing what they needed to do as well. It was another closely matched group of games. In the first set, I dropped my pace a little at the end of the set, and he picked up the slack to put the set in his pocket.
In the second set, I played with more assertiveness and aggressiveness and moved away from my usual defensive game to take the initiative a little more. It seemed to do the trick toward the end. We kept tying it up repeatedly, and I was up the odd game for a while. Then we traded leads around game nine, but I won the next game to tie again at 5-5. The next two games were very close and had some of the longest rallies of the match (so far, of course we haven't finished), but I squeegled it out for both games to win 7-5.
Shortly after that, we ran out of time on the court. I hate these places where you can only reserve and hour and a half of time; so often my matches just don't finish in that short of a period of time as I'm just a born grinder. I'm not proud of it, but there it is. So we tried to get on whatever empty courts we could to attempt to finish up the match. We kept getting repeatedly booted after just a few points and it was jarring my mojo big wild. We played the next three games on three different courts before I finally said it was enough. I have to get into a groove, and this was not doing it for me. So we'll just have to finish up some other time.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
The Wizard Of Oz Shows Up For A Game
Sets 357-358:
Stuart v. S. at Caswell. Winner: Stuart 6-0, 6-1.
My Mojo: Decent.
I almost hate to play someone when it's this mismatched. But I figure if it was me getting the short send of the stick here, and somebody was whomping me this badly, that I'd not only want to squeeze every drop of juice out of the match, but I'd be wanting to play four or five sets. But I'm just a "Thank you, sir, may I have another?" kinda guy.
And I always get something out of a match. If I'm the higher ranked player, and I'm not in danger, then I try new stuff. Here I was mostly trying out some extremely weird serves to see if they worked. Most of them kinda did. And I figure unless I'm winning every single shot (or the other player is), then there is still room for improvement. My opponent did win one game. She told me to talk about that one in my blog. So here it is.
I had won the first set fairly easily, with no real flashy shots, but just trying for solid stuff that got across the net. In the second set, I was up by quite a bit; I think it was 4-0. Then S. just came back and started hitting really solidly. She started returning everything and for some reason I was on the defensive through the whole game. It was as if my play just melted away for one game--the Wizard of Oz in his full glory came to threaten me with his intimidating bluster before I discovered the man behind the curtain. I was really trying hard, too, and before I knew it, I was down 40-15. I thought I had a chance to catch up, even if it meant winning four points in a row, but NOOO... I lost the next point and lost the game. I know that kind of thing would provide a moral victory for me if I was being outplayed that badly, and I bet it did for my opponent.
Anyway, she said she would sic her husband on me, as he is really good. I'm waiting for the email...
Stuart v. S. at Caswell. Winner: Stuart 6-0, 6-1.
My Mojo: Decent.
I almost hate to play someone when it's this mismatched. But I figure if it was me getting the short send of the stick here, and somebody was whomping me this badly, that I'd not only want to squeeze every drop of juice out of the match, but I'd be wanting to play four or five sets. But I'm just a "Thank you, sir, may I have another?" kinda guy.
And I always get something out of a match. If I'm the higher ranked player, and I'm not in danger, then I try new stuff. Here I was mostly trying out some extremely weird serves to see if they worked. Most of them kinda did. And I figure unless I'm winning every single shot (or the other player is), then there is still room for improvement. My opponent did win one game. She told me to talk about that one in my blog. So here it is.
I had won the first set fairly easily, with no real flashy shots, but just trying for solid stuff that got across the net. In the second set, I was up by quite a bit; I think it was 4-0. Then S. just came back and started hitting really solidly. She started returning everything and for some reason I was on the defensive through the whole game. It was as if my play just melted away for one game--the Wizard of Oz in his full glory came to threaten me with his intimidating bluster before I discovered the man behind the curtain. I was really trying hard, too, and before I knew it, I was down 40-15. I thought I had a chance to catch up, even if it meant winning four points in a row, but NOOO... I lost the next point and lost the game. I know that kind of thing would provide a moral victory for me if I was being outplayed that badly, and I bet it did for my opponent.
Anyway, she said she would sic her husband on me, as he is really good. I'm waiting for the email...
Friday, October 12, 2007
I Finally Hit Stride In The Third Set
Sets 354-356:
Stuart v. D. at IBM. Winner: Stuart 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-1.
My Mojo: Shaky At First, Then A Gradual Crescendo, Then A Surge At The End.
All day, I had felt terrible. I felt not quite sick, but at the very least, super-dehydrated. i had been to a group lesson the night before where I was really fatigued for most of the night and couldn't even grasp the rules of the drills we were doing. I actually got in an argument (not really heated, just a dispute) about something that I was totally in the wrong about, and it took a long time to sink in because my mind was just not grasping anything; that's how tired I was. I never quite recovered and felt cruddy the next day, but I spent all day drinking a LOT of water. I almost canceled the match, but about a half an hour after I got off work, I suddenly felt better. I guess that I really just was dehydrated and the water worked.
Starting out this match, I felt like I was having a difficult time getting my bearings. My serve was complete crap. This was strange, because during the warmup, my serve was dead-on. But it just keeled over dead as soon as the first game started. At least my second serves were getting in (even though they had virtually no power at all) and I only double-faulted a few times. My ground strokes were not that great either, and I was hitting my backhands with slice just to get them to the point where they were fairly accurate. This was probably the high point of my game--the fact that my unusually sliced backhands were going just about right where I wanted them to. My service problems were really frustrating me. The first set was really lackluster, and I dropped the last half of it with an inability to get anything decent happening. My opponent was really moving in well, also, and was deadly accurate when he got to the net.
The second set started out much like the first, and before I knew it, I was down 4-1. I thought it was pretty much over, but I just took some relaxing breaths on the changeover and determined to try to be a little more aggressive and play for position. I squeezed back by my fingernails in a couple of games, but won the next three to bring it to 4-4. Then he won the next game. I simply steadied myself, prepared for everything as early as possible, and I managed to win the next game just by making less errors than my opponent did. We had a lot of long rallies in this game.
So it was 5-5 at this point, and then he surged back and won the next game. Now it was 6-5. My serve was still failing me. I resolved not to let that get me, and just decided to play a game that started with groundstrokes instead of serve. Once again I won another game to take it into the tiebreak.
Suddenly, in the tiebreak, my serve came back. I walloped off a few decent serves when I had the serve, and got advantageous positions off of them. I also managed to break his serve enough to get ahead. Though he started catching up for a couple of points, I kept the edge, and won the tiebreak.
So we were in a third set. I felt like my game was just starting to warm up at this point. My serve got a little better and I managed to pop off a few good ones, but it didn't completely get solid; it just faded in and out. But I was able to get advantages in most of the rallies and I won more easily that I had won the second set. Plus, my physical condition felt better than it had the whole match, and I had no problem sustaining long rallies and running like crazy to get to far-away shots.
Stuart v. D. at IBM. Winner: Stuart 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-1.
My Mojo: Shaky At First, Then A Gradual Crescendo, Then A Surge At The End.
All day, I had felt terrible. I felt not quite sick, but at the very least, super-dehydrated. i had been to a group lesson the night before where I was really fatigued for most of the night and couldn't even grasp the rules of the drills we were doing. I actually got in an argument (not really heated, just a dispute) about something that I was totally in the wrong about, and it took a long time to sink in because my mind was just not grasping anything; that's how tired I was. I never quite recovered and felt cruddy the next day, but I spent all day drinking a LOT of water. I almost canceled the match, but about a half an hour after I got off work, I suddenly felt better. I guess that I really just was dehydrated and the water worked.
Starting out this match, I felt like I was having a difficult time getting my bearings. My serve was complete crap. This was strange, because during the warmup, my serve was dead-on. But it just keeled over dead as soon as the first game started. At least my second serves were getting in (even though they had virtually no power at all) and I only double-faulted a few times. My ground strokes were not that great either, and I was hitting my backhands with slice just to get them to the point where they were fairly accurate. This was probably the high point of my game--the fact that my unusually sliced backhands were going just about right where I wanted them to. My service problems were really frustrating me. The first set was really lackluster, and I dropped the last half of it with an inability to get anything decent happening. My opponent was really moving in well, also, and was deadly accurate when he got to the net.
The second set started out much like the first, and before I knew it, I was down 4-1. I thought it was pretty much over, but I just took some relaxing breaths on the changeover and determined to try to be a little more aggressive and play for position. I squeezed back by my fingernails in a couple of games, but won the next three to bring it to 4-4. Then he won the next game. I simply steadied myself, prepared for everything as early as possible, and I managed to win the next game just by making less errors than my opponent did. We had a lot of long rallies in this game.
So it was 5-5 at this point, and then he surged back and won the next game. Now it was 6-5. My serve was still failing me. I resolved not to let that get me, and just decided to play a game that started with groundstrokes instead of serve. Once again I won another game to take it into the tiebreak.
Suddenly, in the tiebreak, my serve came back. I walloped off a few decent serves when I had the serve, and got advantageous positions off of them. I also managed to break his serve enough to get ahead. Though he started catching up for a couple of points, I kept the edge, and won the tiebreak.
So we were in a third set. I felt like my game was just starting to warm up at this point. My serve got a little better and I managed to pop off a few good ones, but it didn't completely get solid; it just faded in and out. But I was able to get advantages in most of the rallies and I won more easily that I had won the second set. Plus, my physical condition felt better than it had the whole match, and I had no problem sustaining long rallies and running like crazy to get to far-away shots.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
A Tough, Close Match
Sets 352-353:
Stuart v. T. at Pharr. Winner: T. 7-6(3), 7-5
My Mojo: Steady But Outfinessed.
We had a very close match all the way down. He got ahead by 3-1 in both sets, then I caught up to 3-3, and then he got ahead by 5-3 in both sets, then I caught up in both to bring it to 5-5. It was kind of strange that both sets followed that same pattern. He was really good at closing in for the point, and when he got to net, or whenever I put across a weak shot, he managed to usually put away the point. The last few times I played him I felt like I was right on the cusp of my reaction time in responding to his shots, but I didn't feel like that this time as I tried to play a little more aggressively. I didn't think that the match would be able to be finished as we were running out of time at the tennis center, but nobody came to take the courts when our time ran out, so we were able to play for about fifteen more minutes. This worked to my detriment as I was late to a meeting and I was trying to rush it, so I lost the last two games of the second set to make the set 7-5.
Wow, i am coming down to the wire now. I've gotten to 352 sets out of the 365 that I amtrying to play. I am pretty sure, barring something really unexpected, that I will make my goal of 365 sets in a year. As I get to the end, I have been slowing down on the number of matches I play. It's not that I mind playing; I'd probably play just about every day if I could just show up for matches. It's taking all the time and energy to set up matches that I am burning out on. Also, less people are responding as I move along. Well, I plod on, and as a guy in a wheelbarrow in a Monty Python movie once said, "I'm not dead yet!" A noble sentiment...
Stuart v. T. at Pharr. Winner: T. 7-6(3), 7-5
My Mojo: Steady But Outfinessed.
We had a very close match all the way down. He got ahead by 3-1 in both sets, then I caught up to 3-3, and then he got ahead by 5-3 in both sets, then I caught up in both to bring it to 5-5. It was kind of strange that both sets followed that same pattern. He was really good at closing in for the point, and when he got to net, or whenever I put across a weak shot, he managed to usually put away the point. The last few times I played him I felt like I was right on the cusp of my reaction time in responding to his shots, but I didn't feel like that this time as I tried to play a little more aggressively. I didn't think that the match would be able to be finished as we were running out of time at the tennis center, but nobody came to take the courts when our time ran out, so we were able to play for about fifteen more minutes. This worked to my detriment as I was late to a meeting and I was trying to rush it, so I lost the last two games of the second set to make the set 7-5.
Wow, i am coming down to the wire now. I've gotten to 352 sets out of the 365 that I amtrying to play. I am pretty sure, barring something really unexpected, that I will make my goal of 365 sets in a year. As I get to the end, I have been slowing down on the number of matches I play. It's not that I mind playing; I'd probably play just about every day if I could just show up for matches. It's taking all the time and energy to set up matches that I am burning out on. Also, less people are responding as I move along. Well, I plod on, and as a guy in a wheelbarrow in a Monty Python movie once said, "I'm not dead yet!" A noble sentiment...
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Five Sets Taking It From Light To Dark
Sets 347-351:
Stuart v. P. at Perry Park. Winner: Stuart 6-1, 6-0, 6-2, 6-0, 6-1.
My Mojo: Pretty Solid, But Wavering A Little.
This was kind of along night as we decided to try to get in five sets. I don't think we set out to play five sets, but it just turned out that way as we kept trying to squeeze in another one. In the first three sets I played well and most of the points I lost were aggressive plays that I got overzealous on. In the third set, I decided to play even more aggressively. I hit a good number of my second serves really hard, but I didn't double-fault any more than usual. That was a good sign. I also rushed the net a lot more, and it usually paid off. But right nesr the end of the set he picked up a couple of games. It was getting dusky, and the lights were not too great. There was also a light that was right in my eyes when I served from deuce court on the north side--it was right behind my opponent's head on the building south of the court.
In the fourth set, I was playing more solidly than aggressively, and I won all of the games fairly decisively. For the fifth set, darkness definitely settled in, and the lights were really crappy. Still, I took most of the games, even though I couldn't see too well. But when I was up 5-0, he suddenly surged back and smoked me out for one game where I didn't win any points and it was over faster than I knew what was happening. It seemed to be just a surge, and I won the next game fairly easily.
Stuart v. P. at Perry Park. Winner: Stuart 6-1, 6-0, 6-2, 6-0, 6-1.
My Mojo: Pretty Solid, But Wavering A Little.
This was kind of along night as we decided to try to get in five sets. I don't think we set out to play five sets, but it just turned out that way as we kept trying to squeeze in another one. In the first three sets I played well and most of the points I lost were aggressive plays that I got overzealous on. In the third set, I decided to play even more aggressively. I hit a good number of my second serves really hard, but I didn't double-fault any more than usual. That was a good sign. I also rushed the net a lot more, and it usually paid off. But right nesr the end of the set he picked up a couple of games. It was getting dusky, and the lights were not too great. There was also a light that was right in my eyes when I served from deuce court on the north side--it was right behind my opponent's head on the building south of the court.
In the fourth set, I was playing more solidly than aggressively, and I won all of the games fairly decisively. For the fifth set, darkness definitely settled in, and the lights were really crappy. Still, I took most of the games, even though I couldn't see too well. But when I was up 5-0, he suddenly surged back and smoked me out for one game where I didn't win any points and it was over faster than I knew what was happening. It seemed to be just a surge, and I won the next game fairly easily.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Big Time At The Meetup
Sets 345-346:
Stuart v. ? at Westlake. Winner: Stuart 6-2, 6-3.
My Mojo: Increasingly Strong.
I just cannot remember this guy's name. I wish I could. This was the first time I had gone to this tennis meetup group online, and there were a whole bunch of people there. The first thing I did was play a singles match with this guy. He seemed like a decent hitter, but just could not get behind the ball as much as I did, so I felt like I mostly had the advantage. He had good serves, but not a lot of accuracy behind them. When they did get in, though, they were formidable. Mine were only working for me when I put spin on them, for the most part. I could spin my serves every which way, side to side, up and down, and they would get in the box with some goombah, but most of my flat serves were not diddly.
I was pretty steady through the second set as well, and even felt like I had a little more control in it even though I lost one more game. Such is life on the laykold.
Afterwards, he and I played a doubles set against two guys who kicked everybody's butt that night, and we were no exception. I felt like I was getting some good shots in, and it seemed like I was even playing better than I had when I played singles, but 'twasn't good enough. I think we lost 6-2. But doubles doesn't count here (on my long-winded blog); I might as well have been playing mah-jongg.
Stuart v. ? at Westlake. Winner: Stuart 6-2, 6-3.
My Mojo: Increasingly Strong.
I just cannot remember this guy's name. I wish I could. This was the first time I had gone to this tennis meetup group online, and there were a whole bunch of people there. The first thing I did was play a singles match with this guy. He seemed like a decent hitter, but just could not get behind the ball as much as I did, so I felt like I mostly had the advantage. He had good serves, but not a lot of accuracy behind them. When they did get in, though, they were formidable. Mine were only working for me when I put spin on them, for the most part. I could spin my serves every which way, side to side, up and down, and they would get in the box with some goombah, but most of my flat serves were not diddly.
I was pretty steady through the second set as well, and even felt like I had a little more control in it even though I lost one more game. Such is life on the laykold.
Afterwards, he and I played a doubles set against two guys who kicked everybody's butt that night, and we were no exception. I felt like I was getting some good shots in, and it seemed like I was even playing better than I had when I played singles, but 'twasn't good enough. I think we lost 6-2. But doubles doesn't count here (on my long-winded blog); I might as well have been playing mah-jongg.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
My Opponent Surges Toward The End
Set 344:
Stuart v. P. at Caswell. Winner: To Be Determined? 6-2 (Stuart), 5-5.
My Mojo: The Reverse Alchemist: Gold At First, Then Lead.
OK, so I have been somewhat of a slug about blogging lately. But I have had some unexpected stuff come up that has taken up all my time. You know what they say about life being something that happens while you are busy making other plans. Right now that seems to be an understatement, and right now it seems to be just about all I can do to carve out the time to just play the darn things. Plus, it seems that playing tennis all the time is putting me behind on about a year's worth of chores and errands, which I am slowly starting to catch up on. At this moment, I have about fifteen minutes of time to blog. Then I look forward to launching into another busy day where I work all day, play some tennis, deal with the matter that is taking up more of my time and life energy than I would like right now, and hopefully sit down to blog again. But I digress.
P. was a hard hitter who put a lot of arm into his stroke. I am fairly used to playing people who play with that style, and so my methodical play of getting it all back and watching closely for the tough shots so I could get to them served me well for most of the match. Though he had a blistering first serve that, when it got in, gave me some trouble in returning a little more than half of the time, I felt like the first set and (I thought) the second set were going my way fairly easily.
In the second set, I was up 5-1, and we were about to run out of time on the court we had reserved. Then I made two critical mistakes. The first mistake was to try to rush things to get the match over with. That probably led me to make more errors that I would have liked to have made, when previously I had not been making a lot of errors. The second mistake was to fail to notice and respond to his change in strategy fast enough. Previously, he had been playing to try to cut off the points quickly. Now he was going for longer rallies, and my rushed play and greater error rate was making those rallies work in his favor. By the time I realized what was going on, he had evened it back up at 5-5, and I had no chance to respond, because we were out of time. Hopefully we will get to finish later.
Stuart v. P. at Caswell. Winner: To Be Determined? 6-2 (Stuart), 5-5.
My Mojo: The Reverse Alchemist: Gold At First, Then Lead.
OK, so I have been somewhat of a slug about blogging lately. But I have had some unexpected stuff come up that has taken up all my time. You know what they say about life being something that happens while you are busy making other plans. Right now that seems to be an understatement, and right now it seems to be just about all I can do to carve out the time to just play the darn things. Plus, it seems that playing tennis all the time is putting me behind on about a year's worth of chores and errands, which I am slowly starting to catch up on. At this moment, I have about fifteen minutes of time to blog. Then I look forward to launching into another busy day where I work all day, play some tennis, deal with the matter that is taking up more of my time and life energy than I would like right now, and hopefully sit down to blog again. But I digress.
P. was a hard hitter who put a lot of arm into his stroke. I am fairly used to playing people who play with that style, and so my methodical play of getting it all back and watching closely for the tough shots so I could get to them served me well for most of the match. Though he had a blistering first serve that, when it got in, gave me some trouble in returning a little more than half of the time, I felt like the first set and (I thought) the second set were going my way fairly easily.
In the second set, I was up 5-1, and we were about to run out of time on the court we had reserved. Then I made two critical mistakes. The first mistake was to try to rush things to get the match over with. That probably led me to make more errors that I would have liked to have made, when previously I had not been making a lot of errors. The second mistake was to fail to notice and respond to his change in strategy fast enough. Previously, he had been playing to try to cut off the points quickly. Now he was going for longer rallies, and my rushed play and greater error rate was making those rallies work in his favor. By the time I realized what was going on, he had evened it back up at 5-5, and I had no chance to respond, because we were out of time. Hopefully we will get to finish later.
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