Topic: grasshopper_nam's Journal

[grasshopper_nam]

Hi, haven't been on the boars in a while, but since i'm back, I might as well start a blog thingo.

Background:
I'm from Australia and started playing when i was about 12-13 years old (people tell me thats late 2 start, I don't see how...). I started comp about 3 years ago. I'm not too bad a player but im not winning all my matches either. I generally win about 80% of my matches when playing comp, which is pretty good.

Playing Status:
I have not idea about the NRPT rating system or whatever it is so ill jus explain my playing style. All my shots are fairly consistent. I'm a strong baseliner but i can volley well if needed (prefer not too though). My forehands are strong when online but my backhand, which is a one-hander, is pretty weak and can get very inconsistent when i get tired. My first serve is really powerful and fairly consistent but my second serve is and wussy as it gets. I tried kicking it but its not working at the moment. I always put too much spin and it goes straight into the ground below the net on my side lol. My best asset would have to be my speed and reflex. I dont really see it but people i play with say I'm the fastest player they've ever seen   . I can respond to a hit really quickly too.

Stature:
Weight: 147 lbs
Height: 5'11
Age: 16 atm
Racquet: Wilson Hammer Tour usually

Well, thats it. I have no idea y i just wrote all this but now its done, might as well post it  

[Tennis4you]

Nice to be fast, it can get in peoples head's and make them go for too much on their shots.  

12-13 years old is perfectly fine to start playing tennis.  I have seen some really good players get started far past that age.

I will say that if you do not prefer to be hitting volleys then you need to practice them more.  Get to the point you are equally comfortable anywhere you are on the court.

[thejackal]

I second what Scott said, since I started at 12 also.  I used to have the same problems on the backhand.  You just gonna keep wokring hard on it and dont try to hit it hard, but make a smooth swing.  One thing I found that helps is to swing outwards (towards the left fence if you're a righty) instead of towards your opponent.  That way you're making contact at full extension.

[grasshopper_nam]

Oh man, had my first training session since last comp. I was surprised that i actually played really well even though i hadn't played for a while. My comp starts next week and im hoping i can get a good result. I've only lost 2 matches this year and hope to keep it that way.

My coach actually challenged my to a match during practice. Even though i got completely hammered, i think i played pretty well. Volleys still need work though and backhands a bit rusty.

Hopefully i can end the year well

[Tennis4you]

Always nice to play well when you are not playing much.  I am not good at that.  

I use to play my coach matches.  Once I got to be a senior in high school I started winning.  Luckily for me he had a bum knee.  

[wilsonboy]

YOu're actually very similar to me. The only thing is that I have a strong/consistent backhand... I always find that if u grunt when u start to get tired, your shots don't fall apart.

[Jamesdster]

I hate playing against you "FAST" people.  It aint fair I tell ya.

[Tennis4you]

I hate playing against you "FAST" people.  It aint fair I tell ya.

Ummm...  I am going to take that with a grain of salt since last time we played tennis on a Monday night in singles this is what happened.  I throw Jamesdster way out wide on his backhand side (Duece court, damn lefties).  He runs over and hits it back short.  I then come in with a sweet slice with side spin to the opposite corner.  The ball hits the ground and skids away from Jamesdster.  Out of no where Jamesdster comes running from the other side of the court.  I sware he was maybe 1-2 feet from the next court when he got to the ball.  He then rips a forehand down the line that maybe went around the post (but above it) and it drops in 1 foot inside each line.  Um yeah, and that was break point for Jamesdster...

THEN!

We hit outside not too long ago and played two tie-breakers for fun.  I lost both, but this is how I lost the last point fo the second set tie-breaker...

I serve outwide to Jamesdster's backhand and pull him wide off of the court.  I come in with my typical serve and volley style.  I thought he was well off of the court so I just stuck the volley into the open court.  Yet again, here comes Jamesdster like a bat out of hell.  See, you have to respect Jamesdster's mad ability to take the forehand down the line nicely, but even worse, his cross court dipper, it is insane.  So as I am in the middle of the net frozen like a banana popsicle, he gets to the ball and rips a cross court dipper for a winner.  Even if I predicted it, I would not have gotten to it.

So...  The next time you mention fast people I am going to start serving the ball at your head.  

[Jamesdster]

I hate playing against you "FAST" people.  It aint fair I tell ya.

Ummm...  I am going to take that with a grain of salt since last time we played tennis on a Monday night in singles this is what happened.  I throw Jamesdster way out wide on his backhand side (Duece court, damn lefties).  He runs over and hits it back short.  I then come in with a sweet slice with side spin to the opposite corner.  The ball hits the ground and skids away from Jamesdster.  Out of no where Jamesdster comes running from the other side of the court.  I sware he was maybe 1-2 feet from the next court when he got to the ball.  He then rips a forehand down the line that maybe went around the post (but above it) and it drops in 1 foot inside each line.  Um yeah, and that was break point for Jamesdster...

THEN!

We hit outside not too long ago and played two tie-breakers for fun.  I lost both, but this is how I lost the last point fo the second set tie-breaker...

I serve outwide to Jamesdster's backhand and pull him wide off of the court.  I come in with my typical serve and volley style.  I thought he was well off of the court so I just stuck the volley into the open court.  Yet again, here comes Jamesdster like a bat out of hell.  See, you have to respect Jamesdster's mad ability to take the forehand down the line nicely, but even worse, his cross court dipper, it is insane.  So as I am in the middle of the net frozen like a banana popsicle, he gets to the ball and rips a cross court dipper for a winner.  Even if I predicted it, I would not have gotten to it.

So...  The next time you mention fast people I am going to start serving the ball at your head.  

     funny stuff.  To make up for lack of speed I GUESS like crazy!

[wilsonboy]

but i thought u were old?

[Jamesdster]

but i thought u were old?

Watch it youngster!  I may be 48 but if you didn't know that, and then watched me play, you'd swear I was 47.

[wilsonboy]

but i thought u were old?

Watch it youngster!  I may be 48 but if you didn't know that, and then watched me play, you'd swear I was 47.

lmao

[grasshopper_nam]

Alrite!!!!

 I played my first proper match in about a month. I was kinda worried goin into the match since i only got about 2hrs sleep the night before and from past experience, I know that not getting enough sleep can really mess up your game. Luckily, i came out on top 6-4 6-0 and i won my doubles match (my teamate is my cousin, which is pretty cool). My groundstrokes were going really well. I tried to set the standard at the start of the comp by trying to get myself to go in and volley but my opponent kept firing really good passing shots at me so I stayed back and ran him around the court until he was basically dead. Love it when you have control over the match although my opponent did have a deadly forehand which caused me a fair bit of trouble.  Well,hopefully i can keep this form for the rest of my matches.

Also, i played this really cool shot which got me to match point. My opponent framed the ball and it only made it to about half-court. He moved back to the baseline, thinking i was going to hit it down the line since i did that the last 2 points. i surprised him with a very weird drop shot. It went higher than i wanted it to go but as it came down it actually BALANCED on top of the net for about 3 seconds before dropping over to his side. He was shocked, i was stunned. Then we just started laughing and i noticed people on the other courts also laighing and clapping at my once in a lifetime shot. Luckily my opponent didn't get full angry at something like that like some of my past opponents.

[grasshopper_nam]

Todays was a weird day. I went to play my match and it looked like it was going 2 rain. I was playing a pretty young guy, maybe 4 yrs younger than me, and beat him 6-0 6-0 but that was soon overshadowed. noticed my partner was playin a guy called Michael Baghdati. It had me wondering if there was any connection to Marcos Baghdatis, and i was going arounf for like half an hour askin people. They thought i was crazy but no one knew. After the match, i went over and asked him and he was actually Marcos Baghdatis' COUSIN. That is soooo mad. I was shocked. I though without the s in his name, it was just coincidence but he goes he forgot the s when filling out a form  

Well, anyways, my partner was killed 6-0 6-1 but we came back and took the doubles 7-6. But who cares about that. I cant believe i face Baghdatis' cousin in doubles. It was a cool feeling.

[Tennis4you]

Todays was a weird day. I went to play my match and it looked like it was going 2 rain. I was playing a pretty young guy, maybe 4 yrs younger than me, and beat him 6-0 6-0 but that was soon overshadowed. noticed my partner was playin a guy called Michael Baghdati. It had me wondering if there was any connection to Marcos Baghdatis, and i was going arounf for like half an hour askin people. They thought i was crazy but no one knew. After the match, i went over and asked him and he was actually Marcos Baghdatis' COUSIN. That is soooo mad. I was shocked. I though without the s in his name, it was just coincidence but he goes he forgot the s when filling out a form  

Well, anyways, my partner was killed 6-0 6-1 but we came back and took the doubles 7-6. But who cares about that. I cant believe i face Baghdatis' cousin in doubles. It was a cool feeling.

Really his cousin eh?  That is wild.  Too bad Baghdatis didn't come and spectate, that would be super sweet.  I wouldn't be able to focus.  

[grasshopper_nam]

Well, comps ended and my team came runner up.    OH WELL, that isn't TOO bad. Better than coming second last like i did last time. Sad thing is NO MORE TENNIS TILL NEXT YEAR!!!!!! Man, I'm going to be bored this summer. I can't play at the moment because im in terrible pain due to the removal of my wisdom teeth but hopefully I can play some good tennis over the holidays.

[Tennis4you]

Nice job coming in second place!  No tennis this summer?

[grasshopper_nam]

Well, coming from Australia, Christmas and New Years all strike around the start of the summer holidays so the tennis centres and organisers all take summer breaks so theres almost nothing going on tennis wise. SO SAD . The only good thing about it is my tennis place leaves the gate open so people can play for free whenever they want so thats about all i can do really.