[Mikal]

Originally Posted by austintorn@aol.com

The Tennis Ball

The bright yellow (the easiest color to see) ball with fuzz may often rotate as it travels, in a forward ‘topspin’ direction if brushed upwards with the racquet; this pushes it down during flight and so it can but rarely go out past the baseline; when it hits the ground it bites and bounces extra high. Some might need a ladder to reach it. Bjorn Borg used extreme versions of topspin. Austin, too.

If, on other hand, which is really the same hand, it is undercut as a ‘slice’, it floats with this underspin as a thing of beauty that dies when it lands, skidding and staying extra low; on grass it is devastating. One would like to dig underground for a place to stand to get a swing at it. Ken Rosewall was a master of slicing.

I once witnessed the holy grail of tennis, the severe slice, performed by a friend at IBM who escaped from Vietnam. This severe slice landed and never came up but just squiggled sideways. The top pro at our club, now, Carol, maybe 70 now, who once played Chris Evert and was first on the men’s team at college, said such a slice was impossible, but, I saw it performed against me many times, although never seen again.

Flat shots with no spin are risky since they barely clear the net, but Jimmy Connors was a master at this and this ball comes the fastest of them all.

In serving, the same effects can be accomplished.

When hitting a ball still in flight, or ‘volleying’, one sometimes has to counter the spin with the opposite spin.

Tips:

'Tis better to serve than to receive.

Watch the ball hit the racquet.
(Often we think we are looking but are really not.)

Watch how the opponent hits the ball.
(What else is there to do.)

Become the ball.
(Zen)

See the ball in flight as an arc.

If the ball hits the top of the net and wavers there, try to blow it across or cause an earthquake by stomping on the ground.

Stay sideways when hitting.

Take racquet back early.

Catch a bad toss when serving.
(The only play you can take back.)

Play the ball machine to refine your shots.

Push the volley with a locked wrist.

Use all the parts of your racauet, even the edges, for you paid for the whole thing.

Have a ball!

Don’t think much at all during play except when learning something for the first time.


TOE
=
Ball of Energy Moving through Space







(Father Anthony)

Gee Austie....could not help but notice those two little insignificant bugs in the one pic....would that be a subliminal plant by any chance...?????? they just kind of stick right out from the context....smiles


Mikal