Topic: Euroka's Tennis Journal

[OSU Buckeye]

Have been perversely enjoying reading about Monstertruck's life and hard times  .  My life is more placid but I have been playing.
Had a good low-key game indoors on dirt yesterday.
This morning was my Wednesday hit with the instructor (frost on the ground and car but not on the court! ). Did various things but the thing I learned most was his advice on the serve toss, better called (as I've been told many times) the lift. He emphasized that it was most important not to hurry this. The place for the pace is later in the stroke. I have been rushing the toss for as long as I remember which is probably why it has been so inconsistent. My groundstrokes were good this morning. This hour a week has been doing a lot for my game. Unfortunately it is only for two more weeks as the holidays are coming and he has surgery in early January  . Hopefully we will resume later in that month.

I'm glad somebody is enjoying it!

RE: 'The Lift'
I try to take a couple minutes of tossing practice prior to actually hitting the ball.  I then use an abbreviated motion ala Todd Martin's current serve.  I then incorporate the full racquet drop.  Breaking it down helps me to review key elements such as 'The Lift' which are crucial to serving success when I'm playing so infrequently.

With what shall you substitue that missing hour of instruction come 2009?
MT says serving practice yields the highest return.  Service returns coming in a close second!

Will be sure and keep you updated on my trials and tribulations here as I attempt to return to competitive play.

I love how you use Todd Martin's current serve as though any of us have seen it lately!?   

I hope your new house has a picture box.
You know, one of those new fangled contraptions called a Telemavision?  Then you can get hooked up with TTC (The Tennis Channel) and
watch a bit.  !

Git wid de programme OSB!

b**ch!   I am lucky to have any cable............I don't even know what TTC is!       I don't have time for any of that s**t anyway!   

[euroka1]

I hope your new house has a picture box.
You know, one of those new fangled contraptions called a Telemavision?  Then you can get hooked up with TTC (The Tennis Channel) and
watch a bit.  !

Git wid de programme OSB!

b**ch!   I am lucky to have any cable............I don't even know what TTC is!       I don't have time for any of that s**t anyway!   

Chicago talk, OSU !

People are too busy. I like TTC in small doses; large ones when they relay major matches live. Tonight I watched Djokovic - Wawrinka in the Rome final for a while. I learned that Stanislas calls himself Stan when advertising the Tennis Channel and that got me wondering how Scott is going to introduce himself     when we get into their commercial breaks. An instructive evening, it was.

[jeffrx]

No TTC on my cable either. 

Euroka, it's supposed to be about 32 degrees this w/e.  does outdoor tennis seem "reasonable" to you?   

[euroka1]

Euroka, it's supposed to be about 32 degrees this w/e.  does outdoor tennis seem "reasonable" to you?   

A  balmy 40 outside now but the courts were wet this morning. No outdoor tennis Monday, either.  It's the rain and the ice that eventually get you  . With holidays and January coming, general feeling is the outdoor tennis is probably out until the days get longer. I still have opportunities indoors on Tuesday and Thursdays and expect to be playing tomorrow night.

TTC had Nadal beating Federer at Monte Carlo on show last night. It was late but opportune as I'd just been woken up by a holiday greeting phone call from an old girlfriend in Australia. She claims she just got the time difference wrong but one is always suspicious.    However, watching the tennis restored mental equilibrium.

[monstertruck]

Euroka, it's supposed to be about 32 degrees this w/e.  does outdoor tennis seem "reasonable" to you?   

A  balmy 40 outside now but the courts were wet this morning. No outdoor tennis Monday, either.  It's the rain and the ice that eventually get you  . With holidays and January coming, general feeling is the outdoor tennis is probably out until the days get longer. I still have opportunities indoors on Tuesday and Thursdays and expect to be playing tomorrow night.

TTC had Nadal beating Federer at Monte Carlo on show last night. It was late but opportune as I'd just been woken up by a holiday greeting phone call from an old girlfriend in Australia. She claims she just got the time difference wrong but one is always suspicious.    However, watching the tennis restored mental equilibrium.

Days begin to get longer in less than a week!!!

Maybe you should consider a trip to Australia beginning on Jan. 19th!

I could easily assist in lodging arrangements.

[euroka1]

It's a temptation!

[euroka1]

No outdoor tennis today   ! It's beautifully sunny but the temperature 15 degrees    and the wind is gusting up to 30 mph   . Plans abandoned by common consent .  Besides a lot of people are out for the holidays.

It's not even easy to play indoors. Last Thursday night was an administrative disaster. One member of the 4 turned up 45 minutes late for the 2 hours of indoor court time (holiday traffic was blamed) and another member sprained her ankle during the warm up. We two remaining hit for a while but it was all pretty disruptive with an ongoing debate "get ice, should she go to the emergency room, should she leave while she can still drive...."  Never really got into the game,  but it wasn’t much fun for her either!

I do get to play a soft indoor game tomorrow and that is something to look forward to      but on the whole I'm suffering from tennis withdrawal   .

Needless to say, looking forward to warmer weather!

[monstertruck]

No outdoor tennis today   ! It's beautifully sunny but the temperature 15 degrees    and the wind is gusting up to 30 mph   . Plans abandoned by common consent .  Besides a lot of people are out for the holidays.

It's not even easy to play indoors. Last Thursday night was an administrative disaster. One member of the 4 turned up 45 minutes late for the 2 hours of indoor court time (holiday traffic was blamed) and another member sprained her ankle during the warm up. We two remaining hit for a while but it was all pretty disruptive with an ongoing debate "get ice, should she go to the emergency room, should she leave while she can still drive...."  Never really got into the game,  but it wasn’t much fun for her either!

I do get to play a soft indoor game tomorrow and that is something to look forward to      but on the whole I'm suffering from tennis withdrawal   .

Needless to say, looking forward to warmer weather!

The wind chill must be very low there.
Perhaps you should consider a trip to one of the Carolinas this Jan/Feb to help get you through the winter!
Or you can head up here to NH and I'll hook you up with virtually unlimited court time and opponents!

[euroka1]

I won't be coming to NH  with all that snow. But I'm looking forward to seeing pictures! I like viewing snow from a distance. It comes from growing up in Sydney, Australia where it hasn't snowed since the 1800s and the locals have never learned to cope with the stuff.

So I'll winter out here. As you mentioned above, MT, the days are now going to start getting longer if not immediately warmer.

[monstertruck]

Hot off the press!

Just got back from snow shoein'!

The descent....      





Fields of white.       





1800 farmhouse we painted 6+ years ago.      





Shadow of Sasquatch!      

[dmastous]

I won't be coming to NH  with all that snow. But I'm looking forward to seeing pictures! I like viewing snow from a distance. It comes from growing up in Sydney, Australia where it hasn't snowed since the 1800s and the locals have never learned to cope with the stuff.

So I'll winter out here. As you mentioned above, MT, the days are now going to start getting longer if not immediately warmer.

I took some pictures on my way to work to day. I'll post a couple when I get back and get them on my computer.

[dmastous]

Shadow of Sasquatch!      

I gotta ask... what is Sasquatch doing there  ?

[OSU Buckeye]

Dang MT, those pics are sweet!   Nice job on the old farmhouse.   I can't believe you saw a sasquatch!?   

[monstertruck]

Shadow of Sasquatch!      

I gotta ask... what is Sasquatch doing there  ?

He's taking a picture silly!

[euroka1]

Looks beautiful FROM HERE! 

[monstertruck]

Dang MT, those pics are sweet!   Nice job on the old farmhouse.   I can't believe you saw a sasquatch!?   

Funny you should mention that, I actually treeed a black bear Sunday night!
Came within 20' of the bugger.  He shot up a tree about 15' then backed down and took off before I could get closer.

[euroka1]

Dang MT, those pics are sweet!   Nice job on the old farmhouse.   I can't believe you saw a sasquatch!?   

Funny you should mention that, I actually treeed a black bear Sunday night!
Came within 20' of the bugger.  He shot up a tree about 15' then backed down and took off before I could get closer.

Another reason for keeping my distance  .

[monstertruck]

Dang MT, those pics are sweet!   Nice job on the old farmhouse.   I can't believe you saw a sasquatch!?   

Funny you should mention that, I actually treeed a black bear Sunday night!
Came within 20' of the bugger.  He shot up a tree about 15' then backed down and took off before I could get closer.

Another reason for keeping my distance  .

I certainly do plenty of looking over the shoulder while out in the woods!

[OSU Buckeye]

Dang MT, those pics are sweet!   Nice job on the old farmhouse.   I can't believe you saw a sasquatch!?   

Funny you should mention that, I actually treeed a black bear Sunday night!
Came within 20' of the bugger.  He shot up a tree about 15' then backed down and took off before I could get closer.

Are you serious?  That is crazy!    MT scared the bear..........not the other way around!   

[euroka1]

Dang MT, those pics are sweet!   Nice job on the old farmhouse.   I can't believe you saw a sasquatch!?   

Funny you should mention that, I actually treeed a black bear Sunday night!
Came within 20' of the bugger.  He shot up a tree about 15' then backed down and took off before I could get closer.

Are you serious?  That is crazy!    MT scared the bear..........not the other way around!   

That was his well-tried tennis technique  !

No outdoor tennis today   ! It's beautifully sunny but the temperature 15 degrees    and the wind is gusting up to 30 mph   . Plans abandoned by common consent .  Besides a lot of people are out for the holidays.

It's not even easy to play indoors. Last Thursday night was an administrative disaster. One member of the 4 turned up 45 minutes late for the 2 hours of indoor court time (holiday traffic was blamed) and another member sprained her ankle during the warm up. We two remaining hit for a while but it was all pretty disruptive with an ongoing debate "get ice, should she go to the emergency room, should she leave while she can still drive...."  Never really got into the game,  but it wasn’t much fun for her either!

I had a good low-key game yesterday indoors. Not much action on my part or my fellow players but it was nice to be hitting in a non-crisis mode (unlike last week ; see above) . I'm finding it hard to get people together because of the holidays, for one thing, and the weather, for another. I'll be glad for the New Year when things get back to normal.