Okay, so today was one of those days. I dragged myself out of bed, thinking about getting some good hits in. You know, trying to iron out those kinks in my game. The court was a bit damp, early morning dew, that sort of thing. Always adds a little something extra to worry about, doesn’t it?
Warming Up the Old Engine
Started off just knocking the ball around. Forehands, backhands, just trying to feel the ball on the strings. My shoulder felt a bit tight, not gonna lie. Spent a good ten minutes just on stretches and some really light rallying. You gotta listen to your body, right? Especially when you’re not 20 anymore. I kept thinking about that fluid motion I’m aiming for, that effortless power I’d seen. Yeah, “effortless” is the key word I’m still searching for in my dictionary when it comes to my own playing.
Tackling the Forehand Beast
Then, I really got into it. Decided to focus heavily on my forehand. It’s been my problem child lately. I set up a target, just a cone, nothing fancy. My goal: consistency. Sounds simple, huh? Well, the first dozen balls? Let’s just say the birds in the nearby trees were safer than that cone.
- Some went long. Way long.
- Some found the net like it was a magnet.
- A few actually hit the cone, more by luck than skill, I reckon.
I kept telling myself, “Relax your grip, watch the ball, follow through.” Slowly, very slowly, a few started landing where I wanted. It’s a grind, this tennis thing. You think you’ve got it, and then poof, it’s gone again. I was trying to get that smooth kind of whip, but mostly it felt like I was wrestling a bear.
Backhand Surprises and Serving Woes
Switched over to backhands after a while. Surprisingly, they felt a bit better today. Maybe all that frustration from the forehand side somehow channeled into a more focused backhand. Or maybe it was just a fluke. Who knows? I’ll take it, though. A small win is still a win, and I needed one at that point.
Then came the serves. Oh, the serves. This is my Everest. I was trying to get more kick on my second serve, something I’ve been working on for ages. Tossed the ball a bit differently, tried to brush up on it more. Some were okay, some were… well, let’s just say they wouldn’t have troubled a sleeping baby. I swear, I must have hit more serves into the bottom of the net than over it for a stretch there. But I kept at it. Gotta keep plugging away. One or two actually had some decent spin, felt good. That’s what keeps you coming back, those little moments of “Aha!”.
Wrapping It Up
By the end, I was pretty beat. Sweaty, tired, but you know, that good kind of tired. Packed up my gear, took one last look at the court. It’s a love-hate thing sometimes, this game. Today was a bit of both. Still a long way to go to get that smooth, reliable game I’m picturing in my head, trying to emulate that kind of flow. But hey, every session is a step. Or at least, that’s what I tell myself to keep going. Another day, another attempt to get it right.
