IN MEDIA RES

Forehand:

• Looking at some ideas in this analysis of Diego Schwartzman’s  forehand, working on the high five preparation to the side with the off-racket hand.
• Still puzzling over the lag concept – not really sure that I have it right yet. I seem to grip too tight and constrict the wrist flex. Working on it.
• Had some success with a sort of flat take back, racket face parallel with the ground and then collapsing the wrist down to the ground first ahead of the frame –  I got some lag – still too new to say
• The big takeaway is the timing of the split jump on their hit – I had been landing on their hit – this is better, especially on serves.

Backhand – still working on the two hander. Theres’s progress, but it’s still tentative.

Serve – I’ve been using a Roddick-like truncated serve prep for a long time, but I’m trying to rebuild with a full first back upswing, dropping into trophy position, timing the drop with the knee bend.

Photo by Steven Pisano

Used by permission, Creative Commons license 2.0

Match report

Aron, 8:30-10  – 6-4, 10-8 tie break

• Very humid today, Aron is a major schvitzer and had a lot of trouble with his grip
• I worked on the new split but tended to forget as points progressed
• New serve inconsistent, finally gave up and went with the old one
• Forehand return a topspin block, backhand a two hander with a slice if forehand side
• It’s a rarity that I end up at Aron at the end, and it’s usually due to some breakdown on his side. Like today.