Archive for October, 2025

Lululemon


140 University Town Center Dr Unit 275,
Sarasota, FL 34243

… more pix on Google Maps, Yelp,

An average Lululemon store. It looks less crowded than their Hyde Park location.

They haven’t been doing great for a while. Reasons may be many, but adding men’s part might have diluted their brand power.

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Another lesson @ sunrise

This lesson concetrates on my forehand and backhand.

The full western gripunder

The western grip is an extreme forehand grip where the hand is positioned under the handle, with the palm’s heel and index finger’s first knuckle placed on the fifth bevel for a full-western grip.

 

… four forehands: which one is correct?

preparation to backhand

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Still tray serve

6-1, 6-0, Matt, Hope & Betty

It has been 17 months since I set out to get rid of my tray serve, with youtube learn-how (birthday hat … and all), mimicking the motion, and lessons. Here is what I think I’m doing

  1. holding the handle like holding a hammer
  2. index finger is slitghtly separated
  3. pronate

… but in reality, I’m only doing #2. Any good remedy to correct? I’m sick of myself too.

 

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2 & 1, and a quick serve

“I’m not ready,” Graham said on my second serve, at 40-30, 5-2. I served another underhandedly, and he returned but was killed by my partner. Game and set.

We won the second set easily, 6-1.

I value fairness, so I told them. And I just don’t quick serve.

In the pool, I thought about it: underhand serve, perhaps, is easily read as quick serve because it doesn’t have the tossing, pulling back, and smacking down motions. (???)

A 5-minute warm up: I’ve been trying to imporve my forehand, without lefting my left leg.

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OWS: 1 miler

A gorgeous day for open water swim at Pass a Grill Beach @ Hurley Park, by 8 am the air temperture is 72° and water 77°@ Pass-A-Grille Beach.

The swim is alone the shoreline. Some swimmers do time, while others do distance. I did 1 mile, in less than an hour.

Pass a Grill Beach is a 4-mile long beach. 

 

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Slinger day: volley

Another morning working with Slinger:

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Volley 截击

I seldom practice volley and overhead because I’m bad at it.

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Who’s the baby?

Who’s the baby here: I heard a ‘ball on court’ call so I stopped. Our oppenonts offered no replay of the point. Two games later in the second set, another ‘ball on court’ occured and they wanted a replay. I said no because of the last one. So the tall oppenont called me a baby, “that’s 15 minutes ago.”

  • Who’s the baby here?
  • Why calling me name, when I merely follow YOUR rule?
  • And what does time have to do with this matter?
  • …is conscious gnawing at you?

This is the most illogial and ontificative act I’ve enoucnted on a tennis court. Shame on you.

.. the warm up and a game

I lost all my serves in the set. At 4-4 and 30-40, the tall opponent hit a short ball to my right. I was about to chase it down, I heard ‘ball on court’ and saw the two next door neighbors were standing. So I stopped and looked back. Their ball was on the baseline. After I retrieved the ball, did I realize the game and set was over and we lost.

the first set, I served first

  • 0-1
  • 0-2
  • 1-2
  • 1-4
  • 4-4, 30-40… ball on court. Game set.

The second set, B served first; one serve landed on the middle line or near the line. I didn’t call: ‘99% out still 100% in’ is my motto (seriously, when player or players circling the ball mark, is he or are they considering the mark itself or fighting the moral guilit of their conscious?) I was the next serve. Ball on court. They expected me to replay the point. I stood on the ad court, and said no. Mr. Tall said, “oh you’re a baby, that was 15 minutes ago.”

Al and Bob left. So VJ and I played 5 games of singles, stopped at 4-1.

This morning at 4-4, 30-40 (coming back from 1-4), I’ve a “ball on court” call from the neighbors and stopped. Our opponents decided that meant game and set.
Then, second game of the next set, another “ball on court”—and they wanted a replay. I said no.

Mr. Tall didn’t like that. “That was 15 minutes ago,” he snapped, calling me a baby.

Excuse me? You make the rule, I follow it, and now I’m the baby?

Sounds like someone’s memory — and conscience (gnawing?) — are lost.

This was the most illogical, unsportsmanlike act I’ve ever seen on a court.

That game was 8 hours ago and long forgotten by everyone who played this morning. No one cares, except you and including the entire group in this text requires me to respond so everyone knows what type of person you are.

Just to clarify what happened today. No one on our side heard ball on the court. Your partner came to the net and said nice game or something like that.
( actually he said we won)
As we started to play the next game together, Bob asked up or down and we were to serve. I gave you the balls and you hit them back to them. I said we are serving do you want to serve you said no, so I served. After each point, if the ball was near you, you just kicked it to the side. Never picking it up and giving it back to me. This went on for two games with you not speaking to me. You continued to just kick the ball into the corner. Bob complained but you just continued to sulked. When they served to me I asked you if the ball was in and you answered you were not looking.
During the next point I called ball on the court behind them. You started yelling now you call ball on the court. Yes I called it because I didn’t want anyone getting hurt.
I play tennis for fun and exercise. I enjoy my fellow players and you were a big baby complaining because you lost a tennis game. You are a terrific tennis player and I have enjoyed playing with you in the past. I hope to never play with you again.

Oh baby, is it my Chinglish – don’t twist the subject – It’s about replay of the point, not when/if someone calls it.
I wouldn’t have said a word when (IF?) you called “ball on court.” It was when you wanted to replay the point that I said no. Your memory here? Let’s say it’s got a few unforced errors.

That first “ball on court” – it was sitting pretty right on the baseline of the deuce court, across the alley from the pickleball courts.
Might be time for an eye exam. And FYI — lying isn’t sexy, no matter how tall you are.

I went to pick up the ball, so I missed the net-side summit. Whatever was decided, the point wasn’t replayed — no dispute there, right? How I behaved on court is in the eyes of the beholders.

As for your heroic “I didn’t want anyone getting hurt” — here is my little promotional ad: I always
offer a replay when ‘ball on court’.
remind opponents when it rolls back.
let go of close calls: 99% out is still 100% in.
and smile when I lose = the group’s got game = there’s room to improve.

Guess I’m just more of a man than you are 🤣😜😇

 

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Took away his ace

Taking away Jim’s ace: I won the point when he hit my short return (high and short – I barely got it) out by a yard.

#nevergiveup

Jim 小哥的发球好厉害
大妈拼命挽救 居然成功 … 短高
小哥失望 奋力猛杀
结果出界好几尺

#nevergiveup

3 serves

a few forehands

… and the first point of the first game

 

 

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My forehand is improving

The sunrise, and decent forehand won 2-1:

  • w/ Ken, 5-3
  • w/ Zag, 0-5
  • w/ Breet 5-2

… but my serve is still work in progress – scratch back!

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