Archive for September 3, 2008

Open shoulder

 

This slow motion shows Nadal’s muscles during a serve.  It’s unbelievable. 

I often heard that to get a better serve you need to open up your shoulder more.  I think I know what does it mean.  I don’t always open up my shoulder when I serve.  It is a hard work.  Playing a better game requires more mental and physical efforts.

I know how to play a lazy game (or swim lazily) or a hard fought game.  It’s hard to put up a fierce fight every time when I get out on the court.  Because my mood is different, my opponent/partner could be different.  The weather affects me .. many factors.  For a pro, those shouldn’t be a factor.

Doesn’t it sound like in life, no one could go on high strung for ever.  So you pick you battle and choose your war.  Sometimes you go all the way and others you only spend 80% or 90% of your energy for task.  110% effort doesn’t guarantee you the result – still came up short.  Timing and luck do play a roll.

I’m trying to get to the 3.5 or 4.0 level, but haven’t.  I didn’t try harder.  My mental toughness isn’t always there.

One day waking up on the cruise, I found my left shoulder was in pain.  Though it would go away in a few hours.  But it stayed.  I have no problem to swim but have trouble to serve and play double hand backhand.  Actually we got back home on an over night flight and I went to play tennis as soon as I got home.  I forgot totally about my painful shoulder.  On my first backhand, it hurt so much I almost screamed.  Now I’m making do with single hand bh.  Passable but without the power.

I was quite happy at yesterday’s win at badminton.  Can’t play with the girls with my left hand for the time being.

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