Sunday, July 22, 2018 (Court Day #172)
When I got to Derby Park at 8:50, Brennan and Wayne were already there. “You boys are anxious!”
Today, was pleasant. Another breezy day under partly cloudy days. Though not quite as much wind as the previous Sunday.
My artsy shot of the day!
There were fewer players there today. About 30. We had over 50 last Sunday. There was very little waiting between games. Karen Long came and stayed for about an hour, but I didn’t get a chance to play with her.
It was a day of mixed competition. An early game included David Black. There was one shot when I thought “winner!” only to have the ball come back over the net! That’s one of the reasons that it’s so important to get games with strong players—it keeps you on your toes. When in a game with weak players, one can get sloppy, or at least I do.
I may have shared it in this blog before, but there’s a saying that applies in music, including bagpipes, but it applies in pickleball too:
”Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.”
Focus is important. I sometimes find myself letting my mind wander. Particularly while waiting for a serve. But focus I said key for good performance. That’s one of the things that makes tournaments so draining. Intense concentration for extended periods of time.
I made some dumb shots today. But also some excellent shots. One of my biggest issues is hitting balls that would otherwise fly out. When was playing with George, he called me on it a number of times in one game. George, while he admit that he’s not fast (or super quick hands at the net), has very consistent shots and placement. “If I have time to set up,” he said. But I think that’s with a lot of people. Including myself. I’ve been making a concerted effort to not move through my shots, but set up. Generally, there are better results.
Was I happy with my play today? Eh. Not really. Too many mistakes. Taking too much off a drive and not getting it back over the net. A few dinks that I didn’t get back over. Some returns that sailed long. A drive from Eric from his NVZ line that I wasn’t ready enough to properly return.
Touurnament Coming
Next Sunday will be the Concord tournament with Rob. I need to have someone open and close Derby that day. Dave Allenbaugh, Tom Sherwood, and I will all be gone. I checked pickleballtournaments.com to see if John P. would be there too. No. I emailed him first. While there, I saw that they had the groups figured some. Rob and I will be in 3.5 35+ group of 9 teams.
We’re listed, that’s good news. Interesting. We’ll have three 60+ men and even one 72-year-old in our 35+ group. Katrina Briones emailed on Thursday saying the schedule would be emailed out on Monday. That will determine where I’ll be sleeping Saturday night. Home? Or in a firehouse in the South Bay on Rob’s invitation?
Number of days on a court: 172
Number of total hours: 478
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