A tennis community for the recreational player
I’m a sucker for a good quote.
Athletes who’ve reached the pinnacle of their field have insights applicable beyond the confines of sports. A good quote offers a glimpse into the champion’s psyche, a peek at the steeliness that helped propel the athlete to the top.
But here’s a quote that kind of stumps me. Continue reading “A Fear of Winning?”
One day during the summer, a bird got trapped in my outdoor light fixture. At least, in his mind he was trapped. All he needed to do to escape was fly down through the open bottom, but he couldn’t see it. Instead, he kept trying to head straight out through the glass. With each blocked attempt, he grew increasingly agitated, fluttering and squawking madly.
It’s possible he wasn’t the brightest of his species. Maybe his buddies were all perched in the nearby maple tree, rolling their eyes and shaking their feathered heads sadly.
But more likely he was just an average-intelligence bird caught in a moment of panic. I recognized the symptoms. Continue reading “Bird Panic”
Here’s something interesting I noticed during this year’s U.S. Open. When the younger pros walk down the stadium corridor and stop for the pre-match interview, they listen to the question and respond appropriately. The more experienced player? Not so much. Continue reading “The Art of the Non-Answer”
When I think back to my first year playing league tennis, one thing stands out to me more than any other–my nerves. Every match morning would be the same. My brain would be buzzing. My breathing would be shallow. My arms and legs would feel heavy and uncoordinated. Worst of all, my stomach would churn, and I’d make an alarming number of trips to the bathroom.
Not only did I struggle with nerves, I struggled with embarrassment over being so nervous. This was just recreational tennis. All the women in the league have careers, families, bigger issues in their lives. But telling myself that nothing was actually at stake made no difference. Neither my brain nor my gut believed me. Continue reading “Taming Butterflies”
Bring up a mental image of Maria Sharapova when she’s in between points. What’s she doing? If you watch enough professional tennis, you know she has her back turned to the court and she’s fiddling with her racquet strings.
And Rafael Nadal before he serves? Even casual tennis fans are familiar with his elaborate pre-serve choreography–a tug on the shorts followed by an unvarying sequence of touches (left shoulder, right shoulder, nose, left ear, nose, right ear.)
What’s the point of these quirks? Are they just silly superstition? Continue reading “Ritual and Superstition”
I love reading the comments on this blog. We have such an insightful, supportive, curious, and witty online community! And sometimes someone posts an idea or question that makes me think, “Hmm. That would make an excellent blog post.”
That happened last week in the comment section to the Losing with Class article. Karla asked what you can do when you have a partner who apologizes every time she misses a shot. Here, lightly edited, was my response: Continue reading “Playing with Sorry Sally**”
One thing I’ve noticed in my years of league play is the different levels of tolerance for chit-chat.
In principle, we probably all agree on three match-day goals: We’re here to have fun. We want the visiting team to feel welcome. We want to be able to focus on our game.
Yet how these principles play out in practice can vary tremendously.
At one extreme, I’ve played against people who don’t introduce themselves and who stare stonily at me if I say “good shot.” These people often turn out to be perfectly sociable when the match is over. Continue reading “Changeover Chit-Chat”
I’m at best a fair-weather friend when it comes to basketball. Something about the sport doesn’t fully appeal to me. Too much scoring? Too many fouls? Maybe it’s just that I never played it myself.
The weather is exceedingly fair right now, with the Celtics tied up with the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals. I tried to watch Game 4, but I kept losing focus. It doesn’t help that I don’t know who the players are. The last time I watched the Celtics, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were leading the team. Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown? They could be in a boy band, for all I know.
So I can’t share any basketball expertise with you today. But that’s okay because A) this is a tennis blog, and B) I have something better than basketball expertise to share. I have this epic Michael Jordan quote: Continue reading “Embracing Failure”
“You never want to point fingers in doubles. It doesn’t end well.” –Mark Knowles
A doubles partner has to wear many hats. He has to be a strategist, a poacher, and a baseline anchor. He has to set you up at net with a serve up the T and chase down the lobs that go over your head.
And sometimes he has to be the sports psychologist. When you’re missing your returns, or netting your volleys, or double-faulting away service games, a good doubles partner has to pull you back from the brink of total collapse. Continue reading “Supporting Your Partner”
A few weeks ago I was at my tennis club, waiting for the start of my match. On Court 1, two singles players from a higher division were competing. It was a fierce match with excellent shot-making. Ten or fifteen of us gathered by the court, enjoying the show.
At the end of one point, the visiting player called out “Stupid b—!” The home team captain sitting by my side stared at me slack-jawed for a moment. After a laugh, we decided the player was probably berating herself for losing that point. Continue reading “What’s Your Tennis Temperament?”