Going for my second tournament victory in a row this weekend. Wish me luck!

[GeoffWilliams]

Weaknesses are holding serve (cannot Samprasize it yet.) And forehand consistency on returns/groundies. (Still learning that shot but have not given up yet.) I still believe. Still make too many ues, off contact point and unit turns. Changed equipment to babolat pro stock gt+ with msv 1.10mm/poly star energy for max. spin/power ratio, and am using unusual stringing techniques: Vicious powerful spin. Sticks are leaded and siliconed up to 360g each. Handle heavy/head light. (When a stick is said to be 8 points head light, they mean, it's heavier towards the handle: measure mid point of frame, and the balance point is taken. Each 1/8" is called a point, so 8pts. head light would be one inches towards the handle from the mid point towards the balance point.)

[tennis_chiro]

A Point is an 1/8th of an inch?!

Weaknesses are holding serve (cannot Samprasize it yet.) And forehand consistency on returns/groundies. (Still learning that shot but have not given up yet.) I still believe. Still make too many ues, off contact point and unit turns. Changed equipment to babolat pro stock gt+ with msv 1.10mm/poly star energy for max. spin/power ratio, and am using unusual stringing techniques: Vicious powerful spin. Sticks are leaded and siliconed up to 360g each. Handle heavy/head light. (When a stick is said to be 8 points head light, they mean, it's heavier towards the handle: measure mid point of frame, and the balance point is taken. Each 1/8" is called a point, so 8pts. head light would be two inches towards the handle from the mid point towards the balance point.)

Again, Geoff, you've shown me something I didn't know. Great. But if a point is an eighth of an inch, why do you say 8 points head light moves the balance point 2 inches? Shouldn't it be 8 x 1/8" = 1 inch? Seems obvious, but I'm just wondering if I'm missing something.

And good luck in your match today. Just remember to play somewhat within yourself until you get to the point where you can reach beyond!

don

[GeoffWilliams]

You are right. That was a typo on my part. Thanks for pointing it out!

[johnyandell]

Geoff,

Best of luck!!

John

[stotty]

Geoff,

Even more best of luck!!!

[GeoffWilliams]

Ok. I won my semi final 0 and 2 today. Guy had a Rosewall game. Old school fh chip/charge. Could not handle my spin game. Hit some great volleys, but missed too many easy shots. He adjusted and I adjusted to his attack, and neutralized it. Hate 9 am sunday matches, but that's the deal. Frost on the ground. Put us on a court with concrete patches, that were 9" wide, and when the ball hit those, it skidded, or kicked way up. I started aiming for them and got a few whiff aces! Ha, ha.

[GeoffWilliams]

Lost today 7-6 6-4, but hurt my left foot and then my left hamstring protecting the foot. Ouch. Another loss due to injury and only served well for one or two games. Broke him 5 times though. Just couldn't hold. But had one good game, where the serve was unreturnable. Went out for a dog walk, with limp. Oh well, win some you lose some. The important thing is the one good game I had, with hope for the future serve consistency. I still would have won without the leg/foot injuries.

I always comes back to the same two things for me in matches: serving and returning. First strike quality. Those games that have high first strike quality I win easily, and those I don't, I lose.

Leg is killing me today. There was ice on the steps going down to the court in the am, as I got there at 8am to warm up, and I slipped on them. I think that's what initially hurt my hamstring. Those courts also have drainage issues, so that water is causing cracks under the foundation, and they have zig zag cracks patched with bubbly, cracking cement, which is not like the rest of the court surface. And any time a ball hits those crazy patches, the bounce is extreme, often kicking and speeding up. Dangerous place to play. One guy quit, and the ref threatened to call the police on him, if he didn't leave. He said, "You should come down to San leandro, to my public courts, and I will show you how much better they are than these." He was playing the tournament director, who claimed the courts were fine. (Doesn't have money to fix them.) That guy had every right to insist that play be stopped. Crazy bounces like that can really hurt you.