Clinic was GREAT today! I think it was pivotal point in my tennis game.
We got there and hour early to warm up, and after about 30 minutes, Andrew showed up and of course we let him hit with us. He succeed in goofing off and wasting our time, but after a while, hunter and John showed up and he left us to warm up with them.
Once clinic tecnically started, we moved up from the clay to the hard courts. I hit with Lisa. We were both hitting much better than we did when Andrew was goofign off, so we were glad.
John had us play sets. I played John...
It started out as usual, with John moving me around and taking advantage of my fairly moderate balls. He won the 1st game. When it was my serve though, I really focused on going after my toss, and got some cheap points, winning the game.
We kept winning our serves until I 3 all, then the next game, John suggested that I move back to return his serve, since I was stroking it back and not attacking it. It worked and I was able to get more balls back and also hit more penetrating shots that were not as much in his "zone." I was ahead 4-3.
After that, John got frustrated that I was getting more balls back and deep, and he started to go for too much and commmit errors. I had really raised my level and wasn't letting him take advantage of me. I focused on getting ready early and driving the ball to a deeper, wider target, forcing errors from my opponent. I continued to serve well.
I broke his serve every time after that, and won the set 6-4 on a beautiful point. I served and he got it back, but it was a short ball, I came up and hit a shortball down the line to his backhand side. He tried to lob it over my head, but I anticipated it, and hit a great overhead behind him (he was heading to the the forehand side.).
that was the 1st time out of probably 4 or 5 where I kept the score close againt Johne, and definitely the 1st time I beat him. John was proud, and the John I played was frustrated.
I think this proved to John that I had it in me to follow through on every thing I have learned this summer. I definitely feel like now, I have the mental edge over John, and can put up a fight when we play in the future.
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