Seniors lounge (over 50) come on in.
- Thread starter Vanhalen
- Start date
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
Congratulations... old enough for geezer thread.
We have a token 40 something Finn ex-fighter pilot here ... other than that geezer thread. We talk failed body parts and we will all be moving to Florida soon.
happyandbob
Legend
Not for blisters but superglue works wonders to keep you playing through cuts and skin cracks. Loctite superglue works best.
Sudacafan
Bionic Poster
This is breaking new ground
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
I guess you better pick continental before you glue it.
happyandbob
Legend
haha, indeed. That’s why loctite is so important. It’ll dry before you pick up the racquet. Other superglues cure much slower...
superglue is basically the same chemical as dermabond which hospitals use to glue wounds.
3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
Never considered that before. My DIY skills are legendary bad so no doubt I would need to have the racket surgically removed.
happyandbob
Legend
I try to keep it shaved down, but the callous on my thumb dries out and splits open when I play in the winter. It's painful and I bleed all over my grip. So I carry this https://www.lowes.com/pd/LOCTITE-Pr...r-Glue-Clear-Multipurpose-Adhesive/1000085779 and a few wooden toothpicks in my bag to seal them as soon as they split open.
Sudacafan
Bionic Poster
Playing tennis makes you bleed profusely? I think there may be better distractions for the masochistic types out there.
happyandbob
Legend
haha. You can't avoid suffering, you just have to pick what you're willing to suffer for I guess!
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
Which one did you get ... Moderna or Pfizer?
Fintft
G.O.A.T.
Good for you!
I only have access to AstraZeneca in Canada, but I might refrain (at least for now), b/c, as it happens I just had a low platelets count in my last anual test (two years ago), so that's already a concern.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
Did you look into recommendations regarding blood counts and the vaccine? My wife's white blood count is lower than average, but vaccine was still a go.
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
not sure a pre-existing low platelet count would make you more prone to a very rare autoimmune reaction to the vaccine. Might actually protect you from clotting.
Everyone in my 55+ crew have got their AZ vaccine. 1/200000 is exceedingly rare. Oral contraceptives have a 1/3000 risk of blood clots. Pregnancy is 1/300.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
Sure ... give fellow Canadian free doctor stuff ... but not the poor American dying from Norovirus.
ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
I am a big supporter of super glue for cuts and blisters. For blisters you have to build it up a bit. Works better than liquid skin. I have super glue in my med kit on court.
happyandbob
Legend
Never tried it on blisters, but will give it a go next time I get one!
For sure super glue works better than that liquid skin, which is well nigh worthless as a product.
ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
I have never found a way that stays in place on the hand that can cushion a blisters, so that is still the best option I think. If you layer it, it will at least keep it from rubbing even more raw, but there is still discomfort and pain from the spot. It has got me through some matches though.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
.
Oh hell no ... I am so glad I had a 40+ year long-term relationship with the blue grip that did not slip. I don't ever remember a blister from tennis. Shovels ... yes.
Oh hell no ... I am so glad I had a 40+ year long-term relationship with the blue grip that did not slip. I don't ever remember a blister from tennis. Shovels ... yes.
3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
Did a little blister research and found some interesting treatments. Bathing the blister in warm water with a little Epsom-Salts helps sooth and reduces pain - if you can bear it a couple of drops of tea tree oil as well. One I hadn't considered was Aloe Vera - it has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that help it heal. I have a little left over from a trip to Fuerta Ventura where they grow it - that stuff does so much for so many different ailments.
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ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
Maybe Tucks with Witch Hazel would shrink the blister
. @Sudacafan was right ... we are breaking new ground here. Finally something in the geezer thread that the young players might find useful. I hope they don't get confused and use the Loctite on their hemroids.
Sudacafan
Bionic Poster
If the remedy consists in permanently blocking the bodily function that causes pain, we may be making a great discovery here.
3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
Loctite on Hemorrhoids should of been the name for a Norwegian metal albumMaybe Tucks with Witch Hazel would shrink the blister
. Very happy to be included with the geezers.
3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
Drainage companies would be able to write their own cheques - lol.
Fintft
G.O.A.T.
Just got scheduled for either Pfizer or Moderna, second shot after almost 4 months (3 months and 20 days)..
Fintft
G.O.A.T.
I got used practicing with a glove for a couple of days, until it healed...
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
From your video ... looks like you have good touch/hands. I just rember your 2hbh (looked good) ... do you hit a 1hbh slice. If you hit 1hbh slice with cont you are good to go ... will transition to drop shots easily.
Answered my own question ... 2:28 in your video was a good 1hbh slice from the back. You are drop shot good to go ... expect the video in a week.
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ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
This video is pretty good. Brady says he hits square and then opens/fans. I hit open on both slice and drop shot, more open on drop shot. The drop shot in particular is a touch shot with swing path and rh control. It won't be a mechanical swing thought ... feel and touch. JMO ... but I would not spend much time (at least early) trying to get big backspin (I never do even now ... slice or drop shot). Get your trajectory and touch down first.
Also ... pick a trajectory you want to start with. The "flashy" drop shot is higher with back spin just past net. My go to drop shot is less height ... less spin ... doesn't bounce as high as "flashy". My goal is second bounce at least short of service line ... shorter even better. I hit cc toward side line ... goal is 2nd bounce as soon as possible. I can hit the higher shorter one ... but not my preference.
3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
This is a good example of the flashy drop shot. The maestro could probably do this with his eyes closed but trying to copy at Rec level is very hard. I only really use the dropper when inside the court and always put a little backspin on it to stop it quicker. It’s also Dependent on your opponents court position to, any deep base liners are well worth a try. If I play the clay use heavy TS to push them back and create the opportunity for a dropper. Old legs do find it harder to scramble.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
S&V-not_dead_yet
Talk Tennis Guru
How is your BH slice? If it's dodgy, I'd start there.
Assuming it's good, I'd do a progression.
- Take the incoming and slice it to yourself: hit it ever so slightly so that it bounces a few feet up and a few feet in front of you. Backspin will cause the ball to draw back towards you. Most people I know use this maneuver when the opponent is serving during warmup and you want to keep the balls so you can serve next.
- After you get comfortable, start extending the shot so it lands further and further away. Eventually, you'll be hitting it over the net.
Obviously, you want some arc on the ball, not a flat, horizontal shot [think pitching wedge vs 3 wood].
You have to play with grip strength and racquet face angle as well as swing speed.
You could also start closer to the net rather than on the BL.
I typically DS at least twice per set but my opponents are pretty quick so they'd better be good.
After you get good at the shot itself, you can work on disguising it.
Here are 3 examples [the last one was a desperation move, not a calm choice like the first two]:
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ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
I almost said the same thing about starting with slice if @atatu didn't hit it ... or even if he didn't it much. He does hit the 1hbh slice ... @2:28 a good example in his video he posted in Chael's "playoff observation" thread. I liked your progression idea.
It would be a judgement call to work a little on his slice first or not. @atatu ... one thing you might consider is experimenting with the racquet a bit higher behind your head. Compare your backswing @2:28 vs your opponent's @3:57. I hit a good accurate slice from about the same height backswing you did @2:28. I was not interested in huge backspin (still not) ... just used low accurate slice to move opponent around. Iowaguy suggested I try higher and behind my head. I thought ... don't think so ... reliable shot for me and surely it would hose my timing on the stroke. I could not have been more wrong ... no timing issue or learning curve ... everything just became more effortless. I also gained some pace ... which really wasn't a goal but came along for free. It also allows you to hit a more descending blow for biting slice if that is a goal.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I'm now playing the 60's and the drop shot is more important than ever.
Since I'm an attacking player with my forehand, and with many age group players I get into a pattern where I'm hitting heavy inside out topspin forehands to their backhand that they underspin back crosscourt, I felt like I had to develop a forehand drop shot. I typically have hands of concrete so this was never a good shot for me, but a couple of players told me I always telegraphed it because I minimized my spacing to the ball whenever I was going to try a dropper. This led to my drop shot getting even worse, by trying to maintain my normal spacing and hitting a touch shot with my arm way out to the side. Because I tended to mis-hit a drop shot attempt, I also tried to keep my head as still as possible, which then made an unpredictable bounce something I couldn't easily compensate for because my feet were rooted.
Since then, I've pretty much fully changed my technique. I'll still try to maintain my spacing to the ball as long as I can, but I now take a step towards the ball and keep my hands inside my shoulders, like I would on a volley. This has helped a lot - I'm still trying to figure out all the nuances but it's both more consistent and better disguised.
I haven't figured out the backhand side yet. If I'm hitting slice after slice, I can pull off a pretty good drop shot. I still am having problems trying to have a takeback anything like that I'm going to hit a topspin backhand, and then transition over to a continental for a dropper. The flip side is that I hit more backspin with my backhand so the drop shot is a better one and my opponent has a tougher time reaching it even if they get a quicker jump.
The other area where the top age groupers are way better than me is lobbing. It's what I'm working on now.
onehandbh
G.O.A.T.
IMO, it is hard to hit a forehand drop shot off a slice shot. Easier with the backhand.
I disguise my forehand dropshot by changing to continental at the unit turn, and then pronating my forearm slightly to make it look like I am still using a semi-western grip. I also take a much bigger swing than you.
I generally don't like hitting forehand dropshots off slice shots because it is harder to get as much spin for me.
Inside-in FH dropshots are hard for me b/c I cannot spin it away into the doubles alley. With a backhand DTL dropshot I can. (as a right handed player.)
From the forehand side, the dropshots I hit the most often are 1) crosscourt dropshot off of a short ball. 2) inside-out dropshot when I am positioned in the backhand corner.
S&V-not_dead_yet
Talk Tennis Guru
Some observations on disguise:
Your body language is very different when prepping for a drive vs a DS. For one thing, load up on your legs much more before a drive.
On your BH, your racquet face is pointing upward when you're about to DS; it's pointing more towards the side when you're about to drive.
On your FH, you take a full backswing for a drive but stop less than halfway through before a DS.
Rule of thumb is that a good DS bounces twice before it reaches the SL; a very good one bounces 3x. But it's opponent-dependent. No sense trying for higher risk DSs if your opponent can't even get an average one. You hit some very good ones; you just need to practice them so they are more reliable.
And even if the opponent gets to it, you still can win the point. And if he hits a winner, at least you've made him expend a lot of energy. That might pay off late in the match.
It might be better to set up the ball machine closer to the net at a slower speed.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I am mentally challenged. Probably partially due to the fact that I don't take the racquet back on my forehand with my off-hand, if I try to replicate the takeback holding a continental grip, I just can't do it. It feels so wrong and my brain just can't overcome that. I can, however, get better at changing grips right before I drop shot and that's one of the main things I'm working on.
So this inside-out forehand/crosscourt underspin backhand pattern is a really common one for me - it probably happens on 30% of all points, and possibly more against a couple of specific players. I already can hit the inside-in forehand pretty well but I need something to prevent guys from camping six to ten feet behind the baseline during a pattern like this.
And just in general, I don't drop shot often enough. A lot of that is because I do it poorly, but until I started working on this shot, it never entered my mind that I should do it. I'm hoping that if I get decent enough at doing it here, that it will become a more regular part of what I do.
Any other suggestions for what I should do in a pattern like this? I feel like I win a majority of shots when it happens, probably close to 60%, so I'm inclined to get into this pattern as often as I can.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
Let me get a session against a ball machine and svideo how I'm hitting it at the moment. It's quite a bit different than in the video, and hopefully it is an improvement.
I've kind of given up on trying to get disguise on my backhand side. I figure that if I make my forehand strong enough and start shading over to my backhand side to hit it, that I squeeze the court down for my opponent and can draw either errors or weak shots from them trying to get it off my forehand. I'm pretty uncoordinated trying to hit a well disguised backhand drop shot off of anything but a slice preparation.
I've also been advised that in the 60's and older, it's better to give the shot a little more air and land it shorter than to keep a lower trajectory and have it bounce deeper, because it's harder for older guys to have to stop quickly if they are close to the net and it opens them up for a lob. I've tried incorporating that into my drop shot as well.
I know there are times I should drop shot if I get a short ball, but I've never done anything other than to try to put that ball away if it's on my forehand. Learning new stuff is hard because I don't have a deep tennis pedigree. I'm pretty much self-taught and didn't play for nearly two decades in my early adult life, and so I've gotten to where I am in a fairly short time frame and repeatedly doing a few specific things that I do well. I just don't have real good tennis instincts at times when an alternative to what I've always done is possible, and even then executing a different shot is hard for me.
But basically, what I'm trying to do is to just get my opponent to play closer to the baseline, where I feel if I don't change any of my shots, they will still be more effective because they will get to him faster and he'll have to take them on the rise. That's kind of been my sole focus. Should I be thinking about this in a different way?
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
By the way, I shot this video right before I decided to give the Aero 112 a long demo. Here, I've tried to change my backhand by flattening it out a bit from how I was hitting it before, but also slightly tightening up my spacing which seemed to allow me to hit an inside out backhand more consistently.
But the reason for posting this is that at about the 1:15 mark, I hit a couple of the drop shots like I'm trying to do now, with much more air and landing them short. My question is, is this better than the drop shots in my "inept drop shots" video I posted earlier?
But the reason for posting this is that at about the 1:15 mark, I hit a couple of the drop shots like I'm trying to do now, with much more air and landing them short. My question is, is this better than the drop shots in my "inept drop shots" video I posted earlier?
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
Pfizer. Afterwards, I found out that some places have Pfizer and some have Moderna. I would have preferred Moderna but am happy with Pfizer.
What was annoying is that the places we went to don't schedule second shots so we had to find our own appointments in the database. The first I found was a week after three weeks. My daughter was six weeks from her first dose. I just camped on the appointment website and kept moving my appointments up and closer as other people cancelled or rescheduled their appointments and now we all have appointments three weeks after the first dose.
I suspect that the suspending of the J&J is going to result in supply issues and I'm worried that some of the appointments for Pfizer/Moderna won't be honored if that happens.
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
Nice video. I love your forehand and backhand.
The modern approach is the takeback with the racquethead up high so that the preparation for drive or dropshot is the same.
It's a bit surprising that your fh/bh is so effective compared to your dropshot.
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ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
Yes ... I was lucky they scheduled my 2nd automatically. It wasn’t that way at all locations. I was in a fairly long line for the 1st (1 hour in and out including 15 minute observation) ... but worth it not to worry about chasing the 2nd.
Why did you prefer Moderna over Pfizer?
Fintft
G.O.A.T.
How come?
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
I think you struggled in that first video with fh drop shot because you attempted it more as a bunt than a stroke. I think good repeatable slices and the drop shots, including variation if that is a goal ... is from strokes with rh speed and follow through.
A couple of thoughts, and context:
I think one of the first things I would decide which both you and @S&V-not_dead_yet mentioned is 1) just an occasional shot ... or 2) regular part of your point construction.
I am in the #2 camp ... have been seen I started playing singles tournaments in my 20s. I had success hitting to targets making opponents hit on the move/run ... and my 1hbh drop shot almost always cc toward the alley was just another available target during a point. It didn't have anything to do with a goal of keeping them closer to the baseline. I seldom use the fh drop shot ... no real reason because I can hit it ... just wasn't part of my pattern.
So in my case using the bh drop shot regularly in point construction and not a couple of times a set, "least UE and good enough" came into play. Hypothetically say I can hit 9/10 bounced twice before service line lower flight drop shots (not to be confused with no arch ... all drop shots need some air). Also assume that is working for me ... winning points moving opponent around. Now assume I can hit a nice high barely over the net with good backspin drop shot ... but I either hit to deep or don't clear the net 4 out of 10. That is no big deal if it's one of your twice a set "keeping them honest" drop shots, but a very big deal if it shows up as high UE in your games and set. My drop shots was such an automatic thing I never thought about it for decades until ttw. I read some comments here ... noted the flashy Fed drop shot ... and tried it with the ball machine. First thought was that was fun ... I can hit this ... did you squirrels see how tight that stayed to the net with all that height and backspin. The problem was just enough variation in depth ... some would have been short of the net, and others just a little to deep allowing the opponent to get there in time for easy shot. Even on my worse lower flight drop shot ... they are almost always hitting a ball very near the court surface.
On disguise ... my opinion that is rated way too high in rec tennis ... particularly when we get to senior tennis. In fairness, I hit every bh (1hbh drive, 1hbh slice, 1hbh drive, 2hbh drive) with a continental ... so I never faced the grip change issue. I also only hit the bh drop shot with a game built around A LOT of 1hbh slice drives ... so the disguise pretty much was built in. When I hit an occasional fh drop shot ... I just prep with racquet high (like S&V @6:28 in his first video above) ... and just hold until last second and hit drop shot.
IMO ... including the entire court as a target area, not just side to side, but front to back is always good in rec tennis ... but WAY GOOD in older guys tennis.
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movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
Slightly higher effectiveness I recall.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
Talking to my buddy with two scientists in the house ... they were good to go with either mRNA vaccines. He said this technology was 30 years in the making ... and might end up being key in other areas like cancer. The husband and wife both had both doses of Pfizer ... and son had Moderna. Both wife and son had two tough days after (fever, chills, aches/pain) ... husband just sore arm for a day. I heard Moderna rash was a thing ... but my wife had no issues other than slight headache and very low fever. I had nothing with both doses of Pfizer ... although I think national guard gal on 2nd dose was more "enthusiastic" with the poke than the nurse on the first one.
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
Talking to my buddy with two scientists in the house ... they were good to go with either mRNA vaccines. He said this technology was 30 years in the making ... and might end up being key in other areas like cancer. The husband and wife both had both doses of Pfizer ... and son had Moderna. Both wife and son had two tough days after (fever, chills, aches/pain) ... husband just sore arm for a day. I heard Moderna rash was a thing ... but my wife had no issues other than slight headache and very low fever. I had nothing with both doses of Pfizer ... although I think national guard gal on 2nd dose was more "enthusiastic" with the poke than the nurse on the first one.
I'm fine with Pfizer. The preference for me was slight.
There has been far more availability with Pfizer and Pfizer is also the only one approved for 16 and 17 year olds. That's because they did the clinical trials.
I expect that we'll have to take another one of these this fall.
The sooner we get everyone vaccinated, the better.
