Okay, so I decided to get out and hit some tennis balls today. Had Roberto Bautista Agut on my mind, actually. Watched a bit of one of his matches the other night. The guy is just relentless, isn’t he? Gets everything back, super solid. Made me think I should really try and focus on just being steady myself.
So, I dug out my racket. Probably needs new strings, feels a bit dead, but it’s what I’ve got. Found some slightly flat balls, good enough for practice, and headed over to the local courts. Luckily, one was free. Sometimes you get there and it’s packed, reminds me of trying to get a seat at that popular breakfast place on a Sunday morning, just gotta time it right or wait forever.
Getting Started
First things first, I just started hitting against the backboard. Didn’t even try to hit hard, just wanted to feel the ball on the strings. Pop, pop, pop. Focused on watching the ball right onto the racket. Trying to hit it flatter, less loopy, you know? More like Bautista does. It’s harder than it looks. My body naturally wants to put spin on it.
Did some jogging around the court, side shuffles, butt kicks, the usual stuff to get the blood flowing. Felt a bit stiff at first. Definitely not getting any younger, that’s for sure. Remembered when I could just run out and start smacking winners. Now it takes a good ten minutes just to feel loose.
Working on Consistency
My main goal today was just keeping the ball in play. I set up some targets, well, just spots on the court really, and tried to hit crosscourt forehands. Over and over.
- Focus on depth: Tried to get the ball deep, near the baseline.
- Keep it simple: No crazy angles, just solid shots back and forth (well, back and forth with myself, hitting against the wall or just rallying solo).
- Footwork: Really tried to move my feet for every shot. Get set, hit, recover. Bautista’s footwork is incredible, always balanced. Mine felt more like scrambling sometimes.
Then I switched to the backhand side. Same thing. Just trying to groove the shots. Hit a lot of balls into the net, shanked a few wide. It happens. You just gotta pick up the next ball and go again. It’s funny, sometimes I get more frustrated playing tennis than dealing with actual problems at work. Different kind of challenge I guess.
Serve Practice – A Quick Attempt
Spent maybe ten minutes on serves. Honestly, my serve is usually all over the place. Today wasn’t much different. Tried to focus on a smooth motion, not forcing it. Got a few in, but nothing like Bautista’s pinpoint accuracy. It’s something I really need to dedicate more time to, but usually I just want to hit groundstrokes.
Wrapping Up
Finished off just hitting some easy volleys near the net, then did a few stretches. Packed up my stuff. Felt good to sweat and be outside. Didn’t magically turn into Roberto Bautista Agut, obviously, but I felt like I got some decent reps in. Focused on the basics, tried to be consistent. That’s the takeaway, I think. Just keep showing up, keep hitting balls. Maybe next time those flat shots will feel a bit more natural.
