A New Year's Serve

[bottle]

Relaxation and Firmness, Circular and Linear

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QC0lAHptR8

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/1653e84a39abb5f7

[bottle]

Fumigation Leading to Centrifugation

I always wanted to apply the word "centrifugation" to my ground strokes even though the definition never seemed quite right (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LDxOSz80pI), and I didn't have the tennis knowledge necessary for that purpose either.

Well, Tomaz Mencinger, a Slovenian operating in a second language, handles both explanations with ease.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeElHXkCG7g).

What a discovery this guy is whether I'm late in joining the parade of testimonials or not. He has a Conradian mastery of English, it seems to me. A word man, definitely. And how much verbal facility does tennis instruction require along with the more commonly known and celebrated virtues? A lot. Moreover, Tomaz Mencinger is fine illustration that all YouTube teaching professionals were not created equal.

Now, thanks to the Feel Tennis videos, I finally know why my McEnrueful is a great shot on some days and horrid on others. It is a straight wrist shot. I therefore must tighten my grip for contact, a virtuoso effort which can be tough on a day when one doesn't feel as virtuoso as John McEnroeso.

So much higher percentage to lay back the wrist and do so late but not too late and with edge rather than face gravity-dropped down. Bio-mechanical stability then replaces virtuoso effort and frees you up to lighten your grip practically to the point of taking your fingers off the handle.

[bottle]

Stotty, Tomaz Mencinger and Stefanos Tsitsipas-- all on the Cusp of Simplifying Huge Forehands

Stotty would like to see "fewer moving parts." It is a phrase he has used more than once.

Tomaz (https://www.feeltennis.net/about-me/) meanwhile suggests that a slower oncoming ball is the time to add the full bells and whistles of maximum topspin-- if that is what you think you want.

On a faster oncoming ball he wants his students to keep their wipers on their cars and maybe replace the rubbers.

And then there is Stefanos Tsitsipas-- a young guy on the tour who has actually taken on Roger Federer. I don't refer to court time spent together but rather to stroke design. The Greeks used to be known for elegant ideas-- is Tsitsipas a throwback? Instead of imitating Roger's forehand he wants to edit it.

To return to Tomaz Mencinger now, Tomaz has a video at "Feel Tennis" where he accuses tennis students of thinking in two dimensions rather than three.

The subject is the forehand loop when seen from a right hander's right side.

If the player were Andre Agassi, you wouldn't see the racket start out for the right fence then come back into Andre's bod.

Enough! It's time to do self-feed. Semi-straight-arm forehands today that start toward right fence then come back at same depth a small amount toward the bod.

At first I thought of adding the sideway components to existing loops that slightly lower the racket.

But if one returns the racket "at same depth" it will lower by itself.

[bottle]

Thanks

Thanks, Bottle. I was really curious how you went about applying that thought.

It certainly sounds like you made some progress.

don Friendship SMS

What you have done in creating these two new websites is incredible. But don't forget the poem with the line in it, "till a the seas gang dry."

[bottle]

What do you do if you have Good Volleys but see Volleys that are Smarter than yours?

Keep the volleys you have but admit they are dumb?

Start changing to the new volleys immediately?

This is the conundrum I face when my attention-- inadvertently-- is brought to the cache of Patrick Rafter volleys at TennisPlayer.

(https://www.tennisplayer.net/members...evelFront1.pct)

(https://www.tennisplayer.net/members...PRBHVFront.pct)

I heard, in person, Vic Braden say to finish volleys high.

I heard, in person, Luke Jensen say the exact same thing.

But Welby Van Horn in SECRETS OF A TRUE TENNIS MASTER, says to hit down a little. As did Dave Smith at the old Tennis One website.

And Billie Jean said in one of her books to volley level.

And John McEnroe, to my eyes, volleys level on his forehand side and with a huge chop way down low on his backhand side.

Is this the time to re-study the volleys of Cash, Edberg, and Navratilova?

I have a feeling I'll stay level and dumb with Billie Jean King since that has worked best for me.

All I had to do, however, was take one quick look at Rafter's volleys and I incurred immediate disaster.

Both in surprise invitation doubles on Saturday and in the geezers' regular round robin today the forehand volley was all right but the backhand volley had gone sour and was in need of dour rehabilitation.

[bottle]

Thanks

Thanks, Bottle. I was really curious how you went about applying that thought.

It certainly sounds like you made some progress.

don Friendship SMS

Well, what they usually say is, "Nice shot." But sometimes they say more. As in the case of a soft, high passing shot down the line. "You're not going to tell me that's what you intended, are you?" No, I'm not. But since the shot was exactly what I intended, I will be more apt to remember the unique mechanics I used, not just from the positive reinforcement of having made the shot but from the unsolicited comment, too. Will try it again. Will tie a bow around my pinkie to remind myself. Definitely a counter-intuitive shot. Do it wrong or to the wrong person and you will lose the point in a hurry.

[explorequotes]

Thanks

Thanks, Bottle. I was really curious how you went about applying that thought.

It certainly sounds like you made some progress.

don Friendship SMS

[explorequotes]

See how the ball is hit way out front. So the strings fly downward only a little to put themselves on the ball. The chop part is in how the strings come off of the ball-- down and sideways and backward! Contact then is at the prow of the shot.

Does anything else happen at the prow? Some wrist action perhaps? Backward for absorption? Forward to generate extra spin? Is there a pulled punch effect? Are these questions bad?

Only if you believe in the loftiness of Roger's genius over the hard work he put in, work which is available to anyone.

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[explorequotes]

Welcome back

I'm trying to figure out the mindset of the head fish. First he sends out the little 12 lb guy, then he sends the 14 lb. guy. It's looking serious with those black thingies so he jumps a class up to the 18 lb guy. Man, what was he thinking when he finally went all in with the 26 lb head of the household?!

Sounds like it was a successful vacation!

don explorequotes

[explorequotes]

The Homunculus Hogan may be hit with weak grip (more forward roll of arm before contact) or strong grip (less or no forward roll).

WHIHTTY: Warning however; I haven't tried this yet.

Last Wednesday, I had three Synvisc One jabs in the side of my knee and am forbidden tennis until next Wednesday.

explorequotes

[bottle]

Should we Care about What Other People Say about our Tennis Strokes?

Most of the comments are positive, so yes, we should. Another pair of eyes went to work. We might have learned something.

[bottle]

A Conversation for Seniors

First senior: I like returning serve.

Second senior: Who doesn't?

[bottle]

Edge Edge Edge-Edge: A Great Formula

When combined with certain knowledge, some of which may be personal, i.e., may only work for you (me).

I agree, Stotty, that the Abel interview is long.

But I'm not running an essay contest, an interview contest or even an English expression contest.

My only goal here is a higher hop on my serve.

So I hope to find knowledgeable people in natural discussion that is full enough so that I can find and steal the item I need.

Don't even need to be there or be one of the submitters of questions, just have to listen.

If you persist in going to the court enough but never serve more than 50 serves per session, as Brent Abel says, you will succeed in developing the higher hop. I have to believe that.

While-- without beating up on myself-- remaining relentlessly critical of my own efforts.

If the margin between serves that buzz with sidespin and those that have a bit of hot top mixed in is as small as I understand, I'll have to sacrifice "ulnar deviation" and will.

And if using Mencinger's "edge edge edge-edge" mantra, must have already mastered the coded items that go along with each of the "edge" commands.

And finally must stop using the racket as a careful hand tool developed for precise little acts but rather as a slung weight while even wishing it was heavier.

Can someone lend me some lead tape? Don't have any extra right now? Shipping it across the ocean might take too long? Okay, I'll just lighten my grip more this morning.

[stotty]

Too Much Enthusiasm

There are no quick fixes. Everything is evolution. You're either getting slowly better or slowly worse.

Now it's back to the manufacture of a higher bounce, for which purpose here is some more Brent Abel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA_ZoEBuUyw

Strange video this one, for no other reason than there is a microwave in the background of the interviewer. For some reason I found it hard to take things seriously because of that. Nevertheless Abel is correct that Roger and Pete have the best second serves yet both throw the ball more or less directly above their head and not so much to the left.

We have a guy at the club, a very good player, who delivers a relatively a slow second serve, with little reverse kick, yet gets it in deep and with a high bounce every time. None of the other good players can truly get hold of it to do anything with other than to play it back in.

That was one long discussion they had about the second serve.

[bottle]

Next President, Headline

The President today Abolished all American Professions except for Caregiver and Tennis Teacher.