Ever Learn Your Lesson The Hard Way?

[Cindysphinx]

For years, coaches have implored me to stop playing "Just In Time" tennis. You know, where you have plenty of time to reach the ball and set up but instead you are lazy and get there Just In Time?

This weekend, I learned my lesson the hard way.

I was playing doubles against a teammate who is an expert slicer. Wicked underspin on every shot. I had fair warning.

I was near the service line when The Slicer popped a ball up near the net. "Ha!" I thought. "Easy point for me." As I contemplated my good fortune, I calmly moved forward as the ball bounced.

It bounced high, and the underspin yanked it back over the net before I could reach it. Now, it must have bounced a good five feet in the air, so I would have had plenty of time to reach over the net and tap it into the alley. But my Just In Time stroll to the ball cost me that opportunity because I was too far away from the net to touch the ball.

I have learned my lesson. No more sauntering, strolling, moseying, lumbering, shambling, ambling or meandering to the ball. From now on, I am going to *move.*

 

[josofo]

this was my problem for years. i would go after short balls like i was like a pro player and could just put it away easy. i have to constantly remind my self to run up there and get in position to hit a good shot on a short ball.

 

[dizzlmcwizzl]

Yea ... I always find it amazing how much better I play when I am committed to getting in position early. It is even more amazing to me that I still fail to do this every time.

Sometimes, I am just not smart enough.

 

[mmk]

Yea ... I always find it amazing how much better I play when I am committed to getting in position early. It is even more amazing to me that I still fail to do this every time.

Sometimes, I am just not smart enough.

Not quite the same thing, but I tell myself many times during a match to watch the ball, not where I want it to go. I've been telling myself that for years, I just don't listen often enough.

 

[Maui19]

Nothing wrong with a good mosey.

 

[ian2]

It bounced high, and the underspin yanked it back over the net before I could reach it.

Well that sounds like a hell of a shot... I'm glad you weren't able to spoil it by getting there in time, Cindy As for Just In Time, I think there is a fine line there: for me personally, when I'm not in the right position to hit the ball it's more often because I get too close rather than not close enough. Maybe: "anticipate/react immediately, move there Just in Time"?

 

[Topaz]

I was playing doubles against a teammate who is an expert slicer. Wicked underspin on every shot.

Sounds familiar....

 

[user92626]

Man,..you must be really good by now if you learned a lesson after every mistake.

 

[Brian11785]

I have a puffball serve. I have only recently began practicing it. At my level (3.5) my groundstrokes are better than 90% of the people I play, but my serve is probably in the lowest 10th percentile. Unlike myself, the vast majority of the people I play don't really go for too much on returns, so my serves aren't really punished. Occasionally though, I'll play someone who rips winners off of returns. And, as I am picking up the ball from the back corner fence, all I can defeatedly say is "Yep, that's what you do to those" under my breath.

It needs to happen more frequently to knock me out of complacency.

 

[AtomicForehand]

The lesson I never seem to learn is COMMIT TO YOUR SHOT. At least once a match I will set up to hit a ball a certain way, then change my mind and decide to hit another shot.

This may have worked once or twice...but it has failed about 991 times.

DON'T CHANGE YOUR MIND. Hit the shot you intended to hit.

 

[Cindysphinx]

The lesson I never seem to learn is COMMIT TO YOUR SHOT. At least once a match I will set up to hit a ball a certain way, then change my mind and decide to hit another shot.

This may have worked once or twice...but it has failed about 991 times.

DON'T CHANGE YOUR MIND. Hit the shot you intended to hit.

On a related note . . .

Don't try to make shot better just because the opponent seems to have read it.

I'll learn that lesson next week.

 

[stapletonj]

AS time has gone by, I have become the master of
"serve and mosey" tennis. heh heh heh

 

[Topaz]

Mine that I don't seem to learn...

Don't try to outhit a big hitter.

Use variety.

Use strategy!

 

[NLBwell]

As we say at work:
"Is that a lesson learned, or just a lesson experienced?"

 

[Gut4Tennis]

For years, coaches have implored me to stop playing "Just In Time" tennis. You know, where you have plenty of time to reach the ball and set up but instead you are lazy and get there Just In Time?

This weekend, I learned my lesson the hard way.

I was playing doubles against a teammate who is an expert slicer. Wicked underspin on every shot. I had fair warning.

I was near the service line when The Slicer popped a ball up near the net. "Ha!" I thought. "Easy point for me." As I contemplated my good fortune, I calmly moved forward as the ball bounced.

It bounced high, and the underspin yanked it back over the net before I could reach it. Now, it must have bounced a good five feet in the air, so I would have had plenty of time to reach over the net and tap it into the alley. But my Just In Time stroll to the ball cost me that opportunity because I was too far away from the net to touch the ball.

I have learned my lesson. No more sauntering, strolling, moseying, lumbering, shambling, ambling or meandering to the ball. From now on, I am going to *move.*

get there early which gives you plenty of time do gyrate your hips and grunt really loud

 

[jswinf]

For years, coaches have implored me to stop playing

I have a short attention span, but this seems very harsh advice from your coaches. Hang in there.

 

[hammer]

Another thing that more players should learn (in terms of better positioning) is closing in on the net.

So many times that I see in the 3.5 and 4.0 levels where players would position themselves 3-4 ft from the net and they see a soft floater coming at them. But they would just stand there and let the ball come to them, and by the time it does, the ball would drop below net level making it a tougher a volley than it should be.

If they were to take a couple of steps forward once they see a floater and close in they would meet the ball at chest high for a much easier volley. Not only that, being closer at the net gives you better angles for a better chance of a put away (or an opportunity to slam it away).

I especially see it more from the women's side, but both men and women are guilty of it. I've trained myself to close in whenever I can a few years ago, and I think I've become a much better volleyer because of it.

 

[RogueFLIP]

The lesson I never seem to learn is COMMIT TO YOUR SHOT. At least once a match I will set up to hit a ball a certain way, then change my mind and decide to hit another shot.

This may have worked once or twice...but it has failed about 991 times.

DON'T CHANGE YOUR MIND. Hit the shot you intended to hit.

I've been very guilty of this lately. As my footwork and technique/variety has improved, I'm getting to balls with plenty of time...but then I'll wind up changing my mind at the last second and then blow the shot bc I'm changing shots and/or grips.

Then I berate myself bc I know what I've done. Then I'll just wind up doing it again.

 

[sureshs]

That bounce back rarely happens. I would not change your lazy habits for such exceptions.

 

[Cindysphinx]

That bounce back rarely happens. I would not change your lazy habits for such exceptions.

I had another incident happen the other night.

Opponents popped up a ball very high and close to the net, right by the ad side net post. I scurried up there, determined not to be out of position this time if it spun back over.

I got there in plenty of time. And that's where my problems began.

Should I bounce it in case it lands out? Should I take it in the air? DTL? Xcourt? Middle? Feet of net player? Swing volley? Conventional volley? Drop volley?

The great thing about Just In Time tennis is that getting there later eliminates a lot of options so I'm not quite so confused!

Cindy -- who won the point with a timid swing volley at the feet of the net player at service line

 

[AtomicForehand]

Cindy--this post of yours (#20) sounds like it might be related to the points RogueFlip and I were making in #18...

 

[Cindysphinx]

Cindy--this post of yours (#20) sounds like it might be related to the points RogueFlip and I were making in #18...

Oh, yes. It does.

As I think on this issue of Just In Time tennis more, I think I see what part of my problem is: I am not used to running/moving aggressively and then *stopping.* I don't mean "stop dead in my tracks." I mean, "Get there, and use the extra time to keep adjusting your position until the ball is in the perfect spot to crush."

As a result, if I do move aggressively to the ball, I tend to want to smack it the nanosecond I arrive. Nothing on the planet will get me take even one step backward/away from the ball to get it in my strike zone. Nope, if I'm near that ball I am going to hit it *right now.*

I, uh, need to work on this.

 

[sureshs]

The great thing about Just In Time tennis is that getting there later eliminates a lot of options so I'm not quite so confused!

Lots of people lead their lives that way and are far more happier than the intellectuals who brood over everything

 

[storypeddler]

Yea ... I always find it amazing how much better I play when I am committed to getting in position early. It is even more amazing to me that I still fail to do this every time.

Sometimes, I am just not smart enough.

Ditto. LOL.

 

[storypeddler]

You know, I really believe (and this isn't tongue-in-cheek or anything like it), that most rec players would be a lot better at NOT doing all these kinds of things if we had a coach. LOL. And I mean not to give instruction about shot production, but to ride you to move your feet, yell at you to get your butt in gear, tell you over and over and over to watch the ball all the way through the stroke, etc. I think the main reason pros are so good at the strokes they attempt is because they practice them endlessly with someone standing there and telling them to do it. If you are repeatedly hearing something, it probably starts to sink in and become a habit after a bit.

We all just need coaches to stand on the sideline and yell at us to hit our shots the right way. Again. And again. And again. And again...

 

[OrangePower]

You know, I really believe (and this isn't tongue-in-cheek or anything like it), that most rec players would be a lot better at NOT doing all these kinds of things if we had a coach. LOL. And I mean not to give instruction about shot production, but to ride you to move your feet, yell at you to get your butt in gear, tell you over and over and over to watch the ball all the way through the stroke, etc. I think the main reason pros are so good at the strokes they attempt is because they practice them endlessly with someone standing there and telling them to do it. If you are repeatedly hearing something, it probably starts to sink in and become a habit after a bit.

We all just need coaches to stand on the sideline and yell at us to hit our shots the right way. Again. And again. And again. And again...

Pros are in amazing physical shape. Rec players are not. When you get tired, you get lazy. When you get lazy, your footwork goes south. When your footwork goes south, your strokes break down.

Having a coach shout at me to move my feet when it's late in a match and I'm tired is not going to help. It's not telling me anything I don't already know. Unless said coach has found a way to help me magically shed 20 years and 20 pounds.