Topic: Euroka's Tennis Journal

[euroka1]

I agree.  There is something about tennis friends....you don't even really have to talk to them, do anything with them, or anything else.  It's just a mutual understanding.  Tennis is great like that.  Tennis is a great expression of life.

Yes, that is curious. Of all of mine, I don't know very much about them and, when we do, we mostly talk generalities but, if ever I needed help, they are the first I would call upon. It's the mutual understanding.

[OSU Buckeye]

I agree.  There is something about tennis friends....you don't even really have to talk to them, do anything with them, or anything else.  It's just a mutual understanding.  Tennis is great like that.  Tennis is a great expression of life.

There is that and there also the people that are good enough friends to sit down with after playing to share a beer or maybe some pizza with!   

[euroka1]

It seems that the Columbus humidity worked its way over here for a Saturday morning outdoor mixed dubs match I had.  My partner and I had a terribly hard job to get on the rails as the final score 0-6, 5-1, 4-4 indicates. I felt terribly lethargic compared to two nights ago when I felt so very alive. Fortunately my partner did most of the running today.

[OSU Buckeye]

Humidity and sun can sure take it out of you!   

[Pacer]

Cool Euroka, you started a journal!

[euroka1]

Cool Euroka, you started a journal!

Hi Pacer.
Yes, I felt encouraged to do that after meeting some of the crowd at the tennis4you get-together in Columbus, late July.
Dig out the relevant thread! We all had a great time there.

[euroka1]

I had a very good hit with the tennis instructor this morning at 8am in wonderfully cool fall weather.
I can be a lazy player and he worked on proper preparation, especially turning, and then follow through, for ground strokes but perhaps the best lesson was the art of returning to the ready position for volleys at the net. I tend to be lax in this and try to get away with windscreen wiper backhands which is not a good thing  . Coming back quickly to the ready position helps  a lot. 

But perhaps the best part of it is that he is of course a very good ball feeder and as a result I get to hit more balls in that one hour than I would do elsewhere in three or four. Since hitting tennis balls is so good for the soul, this in itself makes it worthwhile.

[Pacer]

Cool, I'm going to look for the thread.

Do you have a 1 hbh? Sounds like it.

[euroka1]

Cool, I'm going to look for the thread.

Do you have a 1 hbh? Sounds like it.

Yup. That was the way when I was bundled off to tennis classes in the old wood racquet days 50+ years ago and I never got around to changing. 

[Pacer]

Cool, I'm going to look for the thread.

Do you have a 1 hbh? Sounds like it.

Yup. That was the way when I was bundled off to tennis classes in the old wood racquet days 50+ years ago and I never got around to changing. 

50+ years! You sound like an expert.

[euroka1]

Cool, I'm going to look for the thread.

Do you have a 1 hbh? Sounds like it.

Yup. That was the way when I was bundled off to tennis classes in the old wood racquet days 50+ years ago and I never got around to changing. 

50+ years! You sound like an expert.

Decidedly not! My first teacher was one, Vic Edwards, who subsequently went on to "discover" Evonne Goolagong. I was one of his unsuccessful efforts. My tennis instructor disagrees. He said "You're not unsuccessful; you're still playing!"  I'm  indeed grateful for that, even if it won't last forever  .

[Jamesdster]

I had a very good hit with the tennis instructor this morning at 8am in wonderfully cool fall weather.
I can be a lazy player and he worked on proper preparation, especially turning, and then follow through, for ground strokes but perhaps the best lesson was the art of returning to the ready position for volleys at the net. I tend to be lax in this and try to get away with windscreen wiper backhands which is not a good thing  . Coming back quickly to the ready position helps  a lot. 

But perhaps the best part of it is that he is of course a very good ball feeder and as a result I get to hit more balls in that one hour than I would do elsewhere in three or four. Since hitting tennis balls is so good for the soul, this in itself makes it worthwhile.

It’s a good thing Scott or I don’t feed you balls, otherwise you’d have a back like Pacer for all the lunging you’d be doing  .  We are absolutely the 2 worst feeders on the planet.  Sometimes it takes us 12 minutes to get a ball going. 

[euroka1]

I had a very good hit with the tennis instructor this morning at 8am in wonderfully cool fall weather.
I can be a lazy player and he worked on proper preparation, especially turning, and then follow through, for ground strokes but perhaps the best lesson was the art of returning to the ready position for volleys at the net. I tend to be lax in this and try to get away with windscreen wiper backhands which is not a good thing  . Coming back quickly to the ready position helps  a lot. 

But perhaps the best part of it is that he is of course a very good ball feeder and as a result I get to hit more balls in that one hour than I would do elsewhere in three or four. Since hitting tennis balls is so good for the soul, this in itself makes it worthwhile.

It’s a good thing Scott or I don’t feed you balls, otherwise you’d have a back like Pacer for all the lunging you’d be doing  .  We are absolutely the 2 worst feeders on the planet.  Sometimes it takes us 12 minutes to get a ball going. 

I'm worse. People hate me for it.

[monstertruck]

I had a very good hit with the tennis instructor this morning at 8am in wonderfully cool fall weather.
I can be a lazy player and he worked on proper preparation, especially turning, and then follow through, for ground strokes but perhaps the best lesson was the art of returning to the ready position for volleys at the net. I tend to be lax in this and try to get away with windscreen wiper backhands which is not a good thing  . Coming back quickly to the ready position helps  a lot. 

But perhaps the best part of it is that he is of course a very good ball feeder and as a result I get to hit more balls in that one hour than I would do elsewhere in three or four. Since hitting tennis balls is so good for the soul, this in itself makes it worthwhile.

Brother!

I sometimes get so caught up in the 'hitting' aspect of tennis that I often forget it is a game of movement and balance first!

[Pacer]

Cool, I'm going to look for the thread.

Do you have a 1 hbh? Sounds like it.

Yup. That was the way when I was bundled off to tennis classes in the old wood racquet days 50+ years ago and I never got around to changing. 

50+ years! You sound like an expert.

Decidedly not! My first teacher was one, Vic Edwards, who subsequently went on to "discover" Evonne Goolagong. I was one of his unsuccessful efforts. My tennis instructor disagrees. He said "You're not unsuccessful; you're still playing!"  I'm  indeed grateful for that, even if it won't last forever  .

"You're not unsuccessful; you're still playing!" 

I like that line and it's so true. Hopefully, I'll have the opportunity to play as long as you have.
I'm assuming you're Australian?

[euroka1]

That's right, Pacer.
Today is a beautiful fall day and I can't find anyone to play or hit with. They're all elsewhere. 
At the least, I can go for a good walk and shall do just that.

Watched some  DC tennis but was annoyed by the noisy crowds both in Madrid and Buenos Aires. They're as bad as the New Yorkers  .

Next week looks a lot more promising.

[Tennis4you]

I had a very good hit with the tennis instructor this morning at 8am in wonderfully cool fall weather.
I can be a lazy player and he worked on proper preparation, especially turning, and then follow through, for ground strokes but perhaps the best lesson was the art of returning to the ready position for volleys at the net. I tend to be lax in this and try to get away with windscreen wiper backhands which is not a good thing  . Coming back quickly to the ready position helps  a lot. 

But perhaps the best part of it is that he is of course a very good ball feeder and as a result I get to hit more balls in that one hour than I would do elsewhere in three or four. Since hitting tennis balls is so good for the soul, this in itself makes it worthwhile.

It’s a good thing Scott or I don’t feed you balls, otherwise you’d have a back like Pacer for all the lunging you’d be doing  .  We are absolutely the 2 worst feeders on the planet.  Sometimes it takes us 12 minutes to get a ball going. 

Aww man, you know that aint true!  It takes 13 minutes!!!

[monstertruck]

That's right, Pacer.
Today is a beautiful fall day and I can't find anyone to play or hit with. They're all elsewhere. 
At the least, I can go for a good walk and shall do just that.

Watched some  DC tennis but was annoyed by the noisy crowds both in Madrid and Buenos Aires. They're as bad as the New Yorkers  .

Next week looks a lot more promising.

I used to dislike that as well, but the more Davis Cup matches I watch, the more I like the fact that the crowd is soooo involved.  It certainly looks like they're having more fun than most spectators at regular tourneys.
Aside from intentionally disrupting play, I'm all for being boisterous!!!

[euroka1]

That's right, Pacer.
Today is a beautiful fall day and I can't find anyone to play or hit with. They're all elsewhere. 
At the least, I can go for a good walk and shall do just that.

Watched some  DC tennis but was annoyed by the noisy crowds both in Madrid and Buenos Aires. They're as bad as the New Yorkers  .

Next week looks a lot more promising.

I used to dislike that as well, but the more Davis Cup matches I watch, the more I like the fact that the crowd is soooo involved.  It certainly looks like they're having more fun than most spectators at regular tourneys.
Aside from intentionally disrupting play, I'm all for being boisterous!!!

  We probably shouldn't sit together, monstertruck. 
I have lots of fun and get very involved in my own quiet way and don't enjoy all that noise in my ear. It's a matter of personal taste, I guess.    I had some exposure to the noisy side when I went to World Team Tennis here.

Back to tennis, I've only had a couple of mild hits with people this week  . No good matches and the weather here is terrible for the weekend. Hoping for better starting Monday. With all the politics and economics around  , I need to hit a tennis ball.

[monstertruck]

That's right, Pacer.
Today is a beautiful fall day and I can't find anyone to play or hit with. They're all elsewhere. 
At the least, I can go for a good walk and shall do just that.

Watched some  DC tennis but was annoyed by the noisy crowds both in Madrid and Buenos Aires. They're as bad as the New Yorkers  .

Next week looks a lot more promising.

I used to dislike that as well, but the more Davis Cup matches I watch, the more I like the fact that the crowd is soooo involved.  It certainly looks like they're having more fun than most spectators at regular tourneys.
Aside from intentionally disrupting play, I'm all for being boisterous!!!

  We probably shouldn't sit together, monstertruck. 
I have lots of fun and get very involved in my own quiet way and don't enjoy all that noise in my ear. It's a matter of personal taste, I guess.    I had some exposure to the noisy side when I went to World Team Tennis here.

Back to tennis, I've only had a couple of mild hits with people this week  . No good matches and the weather here is terrible for the weekend. Hoping for better starting Monday. With all the politics and economics around  , I need to hit a tennis ball.

Can we at least meet somewhere after the match for refreshments and post-match analysis?
I'll buy!!!