Alright, so I got out on the court today. Was thinking about some of the consistency I see in college players, you know, guys coached by people like Chris Brandi over at LSU. Just solid, relentless hitting. Figured I’d try and channel a bit of that.
Started off just getting loose. Hitting against the wall for about 15 minutes. Just feeling the ball on the strings, trying to get the rhythm going. Didn’t want to jump straight into blasting serves or anything. Gotta warm up these old bones first, right?
Getting into the Groove
After the wall, I moved onto some basic groundstroke drills. My main goal today wasn’t power, it was just keeping the ball in play, deep and steady. I set up a target area near the baseline on the other side. Just tried to hit ten forehands in a row into that zone, then ten backhands. Sounds simple, but man, maintaining focus for that long is tough.
- Forehands: Started okay, felt pretty smooth. Lost concentration around shot 6 or 7 a few times. Really had to tell myself to watch the ball all the way onto the strings.
- Backhands: Still my weaker side. Lots of mishits early on. Had to slow down my swing, really focus on the preparation and getting my feet set. Didn’t quite hit ten in a row consistently, but got closer by the end.
I kept thinking about the footwork. You see those college guys, they’re always moving, always adjusting. Tried to make a conscious effort to take small steps, stay light on my feet, even when I was just rallying with myself using a ball machine I dragged out there. It’s tiring work!
Serve Practice – Keeping it Simple
Moved onto serves next. Again, not trying to hit aces. Just wanted to get a high percentage of first serves in. Picked a spot – aiming for the ‘T’ on the deuce side, and wide on the ad side. Didn’t count numbers obsessively, just focused on a smooth motion and hitting my target zones.
It’s funny how some days the serve just clicks, and other days it feels like you’ve never done it before. Today was somewhere in the middle. Had some good streaks, then would lose the toss or the timing for a bit. Consistency, that’s the keyword I kept repeating in my head. Something I imagine Brandi drills into his players day in, day out.
Wrapping Up
Finished off with some volleys against the wall again, just quick reaction shots. Then a proper cool-down stretch. Felt pretty good afterwards, nice and tired. Didn’t magically transform into a top college player, obviously, but felt like I made some small gains on just staying focused and hitting my spots.
It’s all about putting in the time, I guess. Every session adds up. Need to keep working on that backhand side and definitely maintain that focus on footwork for next time. Solid day overall.
