1512 The Racquetball Chronicles XI

My second time playing TA. This time he knew my growing talent. He came ready, if a bit sore...and I proceeded to step my game up.

My first serves were strong...they were low, fast, and right to the backhand corner. But i was also doing a good job of mixing them up...a little slower and higher, faster and higher, slower and low...mix in an occasional blast to the forehand, the occasional lob serve.

The thing is, I was moving the ball location, speed, and height so he could not just sit on one serve.

My shots during volleys were good, too. My passing shot was sizzling but not going long, my pinch shots were hitting correctly more often.

Quick 15-1, 15-3 games followed.

Then he got a bit of a serve down, my volleys climbed a foot or so and started missing easy returns, trying to hit them too fine. He responded with his best game of the night. When it was 13-10 I consciously thought, "Do not tense up. Relax, play your game and put the ball where you want to. You are, at this point, still better."

And with my game relaxed, I ran it out for the 15-10 win.

We were resting 4 or 5 minutes between games as he works his way back into shape. But it also gave me time to think about what I was doing. So I was consciously working on my footwork and correct racket position.

We had a couple really good volleys. I had about a dozen roll out shots tonight to go with 20 missed kill shots. He still does not have his shot back so he struggles to score, but I can see the skeleton of a really strong game and when he starts hitting it properly and reducing the mis-hits, I foresee some pretty close games.

Even as it is he is forcing a slight reassessment to my beloved fore court game as several times he hit beautiful passing shots I simply could not get to. But I still think giving him that slim margin for error is advantageous so I Will keep playing there. Maybe a step back.

Tonight, however, i closed out the last two games something like 15-6 and 15-8 or so.

Good time, good exercise.