Sets 385-386:
Stuart v. W. at Pharr. Winner: Stuart 6-2, 6-0.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Tenacious S
Set 375:
My Mojo: Tentative.
Stuart v. A. at St. Edward's University. Winner: Stuart 6-3.
I played a lot more than just the one set of singles. I showed up for this meetup group, and first warmed up with one guy, and then played doubles with five players where we rotated out one person each game, and then played straight doubles (lost the first one, ended up tied in the second one), and then I played a set of singles with A.
My hitting was tentative and I felt sluggish and unresponsive. I was hitting defensively and catching many of my shots too close to my body for good direction. But toward the end of the singles set I was able to relax a little and get more out of my defensive posture. I also rushed the net a little more, but that didn't work out too great for me as I watched a lot of winners and lob winners fly by me. Still, I managed to bring in enough stuff to win the set, mostly through sheer tenacity.
My Mojo: Tentative.
Stuart v. A. at St. Edward's University. Winner: Stuart 6-3.
I played a lot more than just the one set of singles. I showed up for this meetup group, and first warmed up with one guy, and then played doubles with five players where we rotated out one person each game, and then played straight doubles (lost the first one, ended up tied in the second one), and then I played a set of singles with A.
My hitting was tentative and I felt sluggish and unresponsive. I was hitting defensively and catching many of my shots too close to my body for good direction. But toward the end of the singles set I was able to relax a little and get more out of my defensive posture. I also rushed the net a little more, but that didn't work out too great for me as I watched a lot of winners and lob winners fly by me. Still, I managed to bring in enough stuff to win the set, mostly through sheer tenacity.
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...
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