Archive for April 18, 2008

Reaching for the gold

Wah corrected my backhand one more time today: reach out, hit deep.  Simon’s been saying this too. 

“Don’t you feel tired?  Hitting so hard but the balls don’t go far, landing short.. .. ”  Simon’s been saying this too.  My balls land around the service line.  They need to be near the baseline to qualify as a modestly decent shot, don’t even dream lethal.

He said there are four points to connect as one hits a backhand.  The first is the starting point, second is the mid way prior to the contact, third the actual contact and the last is follow through. 

“Most people would omit the second point, they don’t reach out far enough.  Think curve of physics .. ” 

We practiced a while, he commented, “see you haven’t net a single one.”  Reach out on the third point makes the ball travels high and ends up near the baseline, without too much hard hitting.  This is the right way.  Obviuosly I’ve been doing it wrong. 

For some reason, Wah seems can get the point across clearly.  When he plays, there is a bit of delibrate pause in every shot right before the contact and he looks very relaxed.  He’s been saying, ‘you have plenty time to set up a shot ..’  I never thought of that.  Just rush to hit and rush to the net (to claim that candy)!

Simon and I won both sets agianst him and Irene.  Yes, Irene’s ok and been playing!!!  – Welcome back GIRL!!!  Her forehand is lethal, so you know she’s back.

 

 

 

 

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屡教不改

is for 屡教不改:).  I have been trying a slight different strategy on court lately: Simon has been preaching stay behind base line.  Simple enough?  Stand behind the base line.  Not me.  I have memory lapse, can’t help but rush to the net.  And caught dead in no man zone.  I have a permanent sofa in no man zone, that’s why I always linger there.

“Why did you have to come in all the time?”  Simon asked.  Deflected.  Thousand times.  “You’ll have more time to return the shot, and in a more relaxed manner.. ..”

Honestly I don’t know.  Seriously, I have no idea.  Perhaps I thought there is a candy hanging on the net.  Seriously I don’t know why can’t I remember the simple rule, not to come in, stand behind the base line!!

“It’s a piece of cake when you play behind the base line ..”  Simon would demonstrate.  Ever heard 劳碌命?  That’s me.  I’m so sick of myself too, 🙂 and the grunt is just getting louder – I only have backhand at the moment.  Haven’t been serving for a while.  Simon’s lips are thinning (or fattening from over use?) from repeating himself so often. “Stay behind the baseline.” Then next game I positioned myself grandly by the net – can’t correct my bad habit.  Oh lord, that’s embarrassing!

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