Okay, so today I got out on the court for what I call my ‘Blanchet tennis’ session. It’s not really official, just kinda what I call my routine when I really want to grind out some specifics. Woke up feeling pretty decent, not too sore from yesterday’s workout, which was a good start.
Got my gear together, filled up the water bottle, and headed out. The courts were pretty empty when I arrived, which is always nice. Gives me space to just focus without feeling watched or rushed. Spent a good fifteen minutes just warming up. Jogged a few laps around the court, did some dynamic stretches – arm circles, leg swings, torso twists. Gotta get the old muscles moving before trying anything fancy.
Hitting the Wall
First thing I did was head over to the practice wall. I find it’s super useful for just getting my eye in and finding rhythm. Today, the focus was consistency on my backhand. It’s been letting me down in matches lately. So, just stood there, maybe ten feet back, and hit backhand after backhand.
- Started slow, just focusing on form.
- Tried to keep the ball hitting the same target area on the wall.
- Gradually increased the pace.
Honestly, the first ten minutes were rough. Lots of shots flying off weirdly or dumping into the base of the wall. But I just kept at it. Told myself, “Just watch the ball, smooth swing.” Eventually, it started to click a bit better. Found a decent groove.
Serve Practice
After maybe 30 minutes against the wall, I moved on to serves. Grabbed my basket of balls. This is another area I really wanted to work on. Not going for power, just placement and getting that first serve in reliably.
I picked targets in the service box. Tried hitting some out wide, some down the T. Again, mixed results. Some felt great, landed right where I wanted. Others… well, let’s just say the net caught its fair share, and a few probably scared the birds in the trees nearby. It’s a process, right? You just gotta keep putting in the reps.
Spent about an hour just serving. Basket after basket. My shoulder started feeling it towards the end, so I knew it was time to wrap that part up. Didn’t want to push it too hard and injure myself.
Cool Down and Thoughts
Finished up with some light hitting, just forehands and backhands, moving around the court a bit to cool down. Then did some proper stretching. Felt pretty wiped, but in a good way. Sweaty, tired, but satisfied I put the work in.
The backhand felt a bit better by the end compared to the start. Still needs a ton of work, obviously, but progress is progress. The serve is still inconsistent, but hitting targets felt slightly more achievable today. Overall, a solid ‘Blanchet’ session. Just gotta keep showing up and doing it. That’s the main thing.
