Topic: OSU Buckeye - Journal

[dmastous]

The thing that has really helped me with the serve is picturing the body as a bow. Bending at the waist and snapping back as you swing.

[ovg]

Thanks gentlemen. I tried your suggestions today in third set (after we'd already won 1 and 1) with some good results. I'll keep you posted.

[TheEternalCowboy]

Thanks gentlemen. I tried your suggestions today in third set (after we'd already won 1 and 1) with some good results. I'll keep you posted.

You should start your own journal as well!  It's pretty enlightening to keep track of your game regularly. 

[ovg]

One thing I have been doing this year (my New Year's Resolution) is keeping a note book of my matches. In it I'm recording who I played with, what league, what court, score, win/loss, duece/ad, etc. I've been writing notes about what we did wrong as well as what worked well against our opponents. In the leagues I play in, you tend to play the same gals more than once, and I've already used my book (just started at the end of Jan - little bit late on that resolution!) to remind myself how to play against certain people. It's been so helpful.

[TheEternalCowboy]

One thing I have been doing this year (my New Year's Resolution) is keeping a note book of my matches. In it I'm recording who I played with, what league, what court, score, win/loss, duece/ad, etc. I've been writing notes about what we did wrong as well as what worked well against our opponents. In the leagues I play in, you tend to play the same gals more than once, and I've already used my book (just started at the end of Jan - little bit late on that resolution!) to remind myself how to play against certain people. It's been so helpful.

Have you read Winning Ugly? 

[ovg]

Sure have. Love BG -always have.

[OSU Buckeye]

OVG, I would add to the others comments by saying to make sure your off arm stays up after the serve toss until you close to contact the serve.  This gets some real shoulder rotation involved which adds power.  I have been working on my serve motion and that and one other similar thing is what I am trying to clean up.  The other thing is just getting the hips along with the shoulders rotated so they can uncoil near serve impact to increase power.  These tips also help disguise your serve better so your opponents have more trouble reading your serve. 

[OSU Buckeye]

I just finished Winning Ugly recently.  It was very good..............makes you think alot more than you did before.  I need to read it again as I read the 1st half of the book 1-2 years ago and then finished it up within the last few months.  I want to read it altogether. 

[OSU Buckeye]

I have been so busy and playing tennis so much that I hardly have had time to post in here.  I believe my journal is missing about 3 playing updates.  Mediocre match with Jster last Sat., awesome singles win Mon. night, and dubs match with Scott Wed. night.  Ughhhhhh! 

[dmastous]

OVG, I would add to the others comments by saying to make sure your off arm stays up after the serve toss until you close to contact the serve.  This gets some real shoulder rotation involved which adds power.  I have been working on my serve motion and that and one other similar thing is what I am trying to clean up.  The other thing is just getting the hips along with the shoulders rotated so they can uncoil near serve impact to increase power.  These tips also help disguise your serve better so your opponents have more trouble reading your serve. 

I would add that the way to do this is to extend the toss. I was watching someone work on the toss the other night, and they were lifting the arm about 80%, letting the ball go and the arm came down prematurely. I told them to extend the toss arm when they tossed the ball, and let go at full extention, that helps keep the arm up longer.

[OSU Buckeye]

Played many a mediocre dubs matches recently.  The ones I can remember were Jster and I struggling to beat lesser players last Saturday, Jeffro and I playing not that great in a USTA league match last Sunday, Scott and I barely beat Jeffro and my buddy Joe M. on Wednesday night (though I was happy with my play in the 3rd set of this one), and myself and Tom W. losing to Mark M. and Bill P. 5-7, 6-4, 3-10 (I think) today.  The match worth more mention was the singles match from last Monday..........................

[OSU Buckeye]

So last Monday I subbed in the singles league.  I played the young high school dude Willie that Jster has mentioned about 4 times.  I broke out playing well and really frustrating his game.  I was up 5-2 with him serving and I had BP's (set points) in that game and in his remaining service games in the 1st set.  I also had game points (set points) in my remaining service games in this set.  In all I think I had about 8 set points that I could not convert on.  He got the 1st set 7-5.  Wow, I was calm but near boiling with losing all those important points.  And, I was near drained on energy. 

Early in the second set I was ready to give in as I didn't have much energy left to fight back.  He didn't put me away and we stayed on serve until 4-4.  I decided if he was going to let this go this way I should break him and then serve to even up the match.  Thats what I did, broke him at 4-4, then served for the 2cnd set to 6-4. 

3rd set super TB, and he was pretty fried at the way this match had gone I think so he gave me some points there.  I think I got the 3rd set Super TB at 10-4 or 10-6.? 

I played smart tennis and felt him out to see if he would hurt me aggressively or just keep the ball in play longer than me.  He didn't really do either of those things and I was able to scratch the win!  Pretty pumped about the singles play lately.  I am subbing this coming Monday also so more singles action to come. 

Funny part to this saga is that I was physically toasted after this match.  And, I got sick the next day as well.  The match caused my head to hurt for the next 2 days, my body to ache for about 3 days, and my sleeping was very rough due to general head and body aches.  This match broke my ass down for real! 

[Jamesdster]

This was a GREAT singles win !!!  Willie is a nice player.

[OSU Buckeye]

This was a GREAT singles win !!!  Willie is a nice player.

I would love to play him again so he can get another chance to beat me and so I can see how it would go a second time.  I, of course, think it could have been an easier match for me..............especially if I could have gotten that 1st set.  I also feel he can play much better than he did against me that night. 

[jeffrx]

So last Monday I subbed in the singles league.  I played the young high school dude Willie that Jster has mentioned about 4 times.  I broke out playing well and really frustrating his game.  I was up 5-2 with him serving and I had BP's (set points) in that game and in his remaining service games in the 1st set.  I also had game points (set points) in my remaining service games in this set.  In all I think I had about 8 set points that I could not convert on.  He got the 1st set 7-5.  Wow, I was calm but near boiling with losing all those important points.  And, I was near drained on energy. 

Early in the second set I was ready to give in as I didn't have much energy left to fight back.  He didn't put me away and we stayed on serve until 4-4.  I decided if he was going to let this go this way I should break him and then serve to even up the match.  Thats what I did, broke him at 4-4, then served for the 2cnd set to 6-4. 

3rd set super TB, and he was pretty fried at the way this match had gone I think so he gave me some points there.  I think I got the 3rd set Super TB at 10-4 or 10-6.? 

I played smart tennis and felt him out to see if he would hurt me aggressively or just keep the ball in play longer than me.  He didn't really do either of those things and I was able to scratch the win!  Pretty pumped about the singles play lately.  I am subbing this coming Monday also so more singles action to come. 

Funny part to this saga is that I was physically toasted after this match.  And, I got sick the next day as well.  The match caused my head to hurt for the next 2 days, my body to ache for about 3 days, and my sleeping was very rough due to general head and body aches.  This match broke my ass down for real! 

That's what I'm takling about!  You showed that young whippersnapper a few things.

[OSU Buckeye]

So last Monday I subbed in the singles league.  I played the young high school dude Willie that Jster has mentioned about 4 times.  I broke out playing well and really frustrating his game.  I was up 5-2 with him serving and I had BP's (set points) in that game and in his remaining service games in the 1st set.  I also had game points (set points) in my remaining service games in this set.  In all I think I had about 8 set points that I could not convert on.  He got the 1st set 7-5.  Wow, I was calm but near boiling with losing all those important points.  And, I was near drained on energy. 

Early in the second set I was ready to give in as I didn't have much energy left to fight back.  He didn't put me away and we stayed on serve until 4-4.  I decided if he was going to let this go this way I should break him and then serve to even up the match.  Thats what I did, broke him at 4-4, then served for the 2cnd set to 6-4. 

3rd set super TB, and he was pretty fried at the way this match had gone I think so he gave me some points there.  I think I got the 3rd set Super TB at 10-4 or 10-6.? 

I played smart tennis and felt him out to see if he would hurt me aggressively or just keep the ball in play longer than me.  He didn't really do either of those things and I was able to scratch the win!  Pretty pumped about the singles play lately.  I am subbing this coming Monday also so more singles action to come. 

Funny part to this saga is that I was physically toasted after this match.  And, I got sick the next day as well.  The match caused my head to hurt for the next 2 days, my body to ache for about 3 days, and my sleeping was very rough due to general head and body aches.  This match broke my ass down for real! 

That's what I'm takling about!  You showed that young whippersnapper a few things.

Ever so barely!   Funny thing though was that I was broke down for days while he wasn't even breathing heavy.  I really did show him!   

[OSU Buckeye]

Played a tough singles match last night against Mark B.  I won 6-4, 6-3.  I was happy he didn't break my serve until I was serving at 5-2 in the 2cnd set.  Then I broke him right back for the match.  He played quite well and had me really working for this one.  He also served very solid which had me hitting mediocre returns in the middle of the court.  He is pretty fast so it was taking some nice points with sweet shots strung together for me to get my points.  It would have been nice if I felt a bit more comfortable last night with my play but I was happy with the win for sure.  We had some really nice points both ways!   

[Jamesdster]

Played a tough singles match last night against Mark B.  I won 6-4, 6-3.  I was happy he didn't break my serve until I was serving at 5-2 in the 2cnd set.  Then I broke him right back for the match.  He played quite well and had me really working for this one.  He also served very solid which had me hitting mediocre returns in the middle of the court.  He is pretty fast so it was taking some nice points with sweet shots strung together for me to get my points.  It would have been nice if I felt a bit more comfortable last night with my play but I was happy with the win for sure.  We had some really nice points both ways!   

Look at you go.....you you singles specialist you.   

[OSU Buckeye]

Played a tough singles match last night against Mark B.  I won 6-4, 6-3.  I was happy he didn't break my serve until I was serving at 5-2 in the 2cnd set.  Then I broke him right back for the match.  He played quite well and had me really working for this one.  He also served very solid which had me hitting mediocre returns in the middle of the court.  He is pretty fast so it was taking some nice points with sweet shots strung together for me to get my points.  It would have been nice if I felt a bit more comfortable last night with my play but I was happy with the win for sure.  We had some really nice points both ways!   

Look at you go.....you you singles specialist you.   

Why didn't you play?   Nate said there were too many subs and yet there was an empty court on both sides of the club??????????????   

[Jamesdster]

Played a tough singles match last night against Mark B.  I won 6-4, 6-3.  I was happy he didn't break my serve until I was serving at 5-2 in the 2cnd set.  Then I broke him right back for the match.  He played quite well and had me really working for this one.  He also served very solid which had me hitting mediocre returns in the middle of the court.  He is pretty fast so it was taking some nice points with sweet shots strung together for me to get my points.  It would have been nice if I felt a bit more comfortable last night with my play but I was happy with the win for sure.  We had some really nice points both ways!   

Look at you go.....you you singles specialist you.   

Why didn't you play?   Nate said there were too many subs and yet there was an empty court on both sides of the club??????????????   

I was actually on ct 3 before you went to ct 4.  As I was getting my racket out of the bag, the lady at the desk came over and told me that some guy, who DC had said needed a sub, had shown up.  Being a "sometime" employee, I gave him my spot.  There WERE in fact 2 open courts, but there was no one to hit with so I left.