Okay, so today’s session. All about trying to figure out this F. Gill tennis, or more like, how to deal with his game. That guy, let me tell ya.
Getting Started on Court
Dragged myself to the courts earlier than usual. You know how it is, some days you’re buzzing, others you gotta push yourself. Today was a push day. Did my usual warm-up, stretching out these old limbs. My shoulder’s been a bit creaky, so spent extra time on that. Can’t afford another injury, not with the club tournament coming up.
The main mission today: Gill’s ridiculous forehand. It’s not even that powerful, but it’s got this weird spin, and he places it so damn well. Always catches me off balance. So, I got Mark, my usual hitting partner, to try and mimic it. Not easy, ’cause Gill’s style is… unique. Let’s just say Mark’s impression was, uh, enthusiastic.
Drilling Down the Problem
We spent a good hour just on that. Mark feeding me those loopy, awkward balls to my backhand side, ’cause that’s where Gill loves to aim. My practice went something like this:
- First few: Sliced them back, just trying to get them in. Too passive. Gill would eat that for breakfast.
- Next batch: Tried to hit through them. Half went into the net, the other half sailed out. So frustrating!
- Then I tried stepping in, taking it on the rise. Better, but still inconsistent. My timing was all over the place.
Felt like I was hitting a brick wall. You know that feeling? Like you’re putting in the effort but getting nowhere fast. It’s like trying to teach a cat to fetch. Pointless, most of the time.
Then I remembered something my first coach, old Man Hemlock, used to yell at me. “Watch the ball, son! Watch it onto the strings!” Sounds simple, right? But in the heat of it, you forget the basics. So, I really, really focused. Stopped trying to kill the ball and just focused on clean contact. And wouldn’t you know it, things started to click a tiny bit. The balls weren’t perfect, but at least they were going in, and with a bit more purpose.
Other Bits and Pieces
After that, we did some serve practice. My serve has been a bit wobbly lately. Not enough pop. So, just rhythm and placement. Trying to get that consistent toss again. It’s amazing how one small thing, like the toss, can throw your whole serve off. It’s like that one loose screw in an old chair, makes the whole thing unstable.
I guess that’s tennis for you. Or any skill, really. You think you’ve got something nailed, then it just vanishes. Poof! Like my motivation on a Monday morning. Had a similar thing happen when I was trying to fix my leaky tap last month. Watched a dozen videos, thought I knew it all. Ended up flooding half the kitchen. Had to call a plumber in the end. Sometimes you just gotta admit you need to go back to basics, or get some help.
Wrapped up after about two hours. Feeling it in my legs, that’s for sure. But mentally, a bit better. Still a long way to go before I can say I’ve got Gill’s number, but at least I don’t feel completely clueless against that forehand anymore. We’ll see what happens next time we play. Fingers crossed, eh?
