Alright, so I decided to actually sit down and do some focused practice watching the Brandon Nakashima versus Ugo Humbert match the other day. Wasn’t just about enjoying the game, more about working on my own observation process.
First thing I did was get set up. Didn’t want anything fancy. Just grabbed a plain notebook and a pen. Found a decent stream of the match, made sure the connection was stable enough so I wouldn’t get interrupted too much. My main goal for this session was simple: practice tracking unforced errors specifically during crucial points, like break points or game points. Wanted to see if I could spot any patterns just by manually noting them down.
So, I started the stream. Match begins. I tried to really lock in. Every time a point reached 30-30, 40-40, or involved a break point, my focus sharpened. I’d watch the rally, and if an unforced error happened, I’d quickly jot down who made it and maybe a super brief note like ‘forehand long’ or ‘backhand net’.
It got tricky fast. Keeping up with the pace of play while scribbling notes wasn’t easy. Sometimes I’d miss the exact reason for the error because I was still writing down the last one. My notes started looking like chicken scratch pretty quickly. Had to remind myself this was practice in tracking, not about creating a perfect record.
- Tried to note the player (BN or UH).
- Tried to note the situation (BP save, GP won/lost).
- Tried noting the type of error (FH, BH, Net, Long).
Found myself getting drawn into the match itself a few times, just watching as a fan. Had to consciously pull my attention back to the task. That was part of the practice too, maintaining focus. Noticed Humbert seemed to make a few more errors off his backhand side during those pressure moments early on, but Nakashima had his share too, especially on serves later.
After the match finished, I looked over my messy notes. Honestly, it wasn’t super scientific. But the act of doing it was the point. I practiced the discipline of watching with intent, trying to capture specific data points live. It definitely made me watch the match differently, more actively.
My main takeaway from this practice? Manual tracking during key moments is tough but forces you to pay attention. It also showed me I need a better shorthand system if I want to capture more detail without falling behind the action. Good exercise, though. Felt productive, like I actually worked on something specific instead of just passively watching.
