Friday, September 21, 2018 (Court Day #201)
I left my house wearing my barely used pair of Kirkland athletic shoes. I figure my old pair is now shot. I had worn a hole through the insole with the bone on the outside of the ball of my left foot and it was uncomfortable. Also, all the tread is completely worn off. For whatever reason, my left shoe consistently wears down faster than my right shoe.
Brommer
I got to Brommer Park a few minutes after 9. It was misty and overcast. The weather was like my play today—that is, nothing you’d want to write home about. Today was one of the days when thoughts of giving up pickleball pop up in your head. A year ago, I would have been happy with my level of play today, so I guess that’s a positive way to look at it. The negative is that today was a definite slip from my play last week.
Failed dropshots. Dinks into the net. Popping balls up too high for an opponent’s easy winner. Serves too shallow. Misjudging lobs. Hitting balls that were heading out. Sloppy.
Had a first. I had a ball bounce off my paddle and hit me in the chin. It was a drive shot from Grita . . . who has a strong forehand! It hurt. What hurt more was when it happened a second time. Off my paddle and into my chin! In true dramatic fashion, I sought sympathy by dropping the ground and holding my chin. Stuart, who was my partner at the time, laughed and yelled, “Medic!” Beth Black, playing a game in the next court, a nurse, immediately stopped and asked if I was ok . . . me laying on the ground and all. When it was determined that nothing remotely serious had taken place, Kevin, disgusted with the frivolous interruption asked to reply their point. Sorry, Kevin! (Still, it did hurt!)
One thing that occurred to me is my back is sore. My upper right arm is also sore. I think that I may be not bending and getting low or otherwise playing as I should due to back pain and tightness. I was noticing it later, as I crouched down to receive a serve in a game with Grita against Beth and Ted/Theo and I even shared, “The Advil is wearing off!” My back was letting itself be known. It’s not skeletal, it’s muscular. I suppose that I need to work on my core.
Eric said he is going to be making more of an effort to play at Brommer than at Derby. That’s a shame, but Brommer continues to be where the better players show up. Unfortunately for me, Brommer days are weekdays and it’s harder for me to get away.
Saturday, September 22, 2018 (No Play)
This week, the USAPA and the Pickleball Channel released a new video on how to referee. It’s a good one.
Number of days on a court: 201
Number of total hours: 556
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