Alright, so I wanted to share a bit about what I’ve been up to on the court lately. Stumbled across this player, L. Tararudee, saw some highlights online. Wasn’t really following her closely before, you know?
First Impressions
What caught my eye was how she moved, particularly around the baseline. Seemed really efficient, not a lot of wasted steps. And her forehand had this interesting whip to it. Looked pretty smooth. So, I thought, hey, maybe I can pick up a thing or two for my own game.
Hitting the Court
Next time I went out to play, which was Tuesday I think, I decided to focus on that footwork thing I noticed. Tried to be more conscious about my positioning after hitting a shot, getting ready for the next ball quicker, like I thought I saw her doing.
- Tried smaller adjustment steps getting ready.
- Focused on recovering to the center baseline faster after a wide ball.
- Attempted that whippier forehand motion I saw in the clips.
Well, let me tell you, it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. The footwork part felt… awkward at first. Found myself thinking way too much about my feet instead of just reacting naturally to the ball. Felt like I was tripping over myself sometimes. And that forehand? Trying to force that extra whip just made my timing go off. Sprayed quite a few balls long or wide. Felt pretty clumsy doing it, honestly.
Back to Basics (Sort Of)
Went back home later that day, pulled up a couple more short clips of her playing points. Tried to really watch her setup and swing path again. It looks so effortless on screen, but trying to actually do it is a whole different ball game. The timing, the body coordination… it’s all so ingrained for these professional players.
So, the next practice session, I decided not to try and copy everything exactly. Just focused on one small element: trying to get my body lower when I set up for the forehand, especially on lower balls. That felt a bit more achievable, something I could actually work on without messing everything else up. Didn’t magically make my forehand amazing or anything, but it felt like a more solid base.
Final Thoughts
Ended up realizing it’s one thing to watch these talented players like Tararudee compete, and quite another thing to try and replicate their technique. It definitely gives you a much bigger appreciation for the level of skill and the thousands of hours of practice they put in. For my own game, I think I’ll stick to enjoying watching her matches and maybe just focusing on improving my own fundamentals bit by bit. Trying to copy specific pro styles wholesale is probably not the way for me. It’s more about the enjoyment of playing and slowly getting better in my own way, right?
