Author: andrewlenz (Page 159 of 329)

Tuesday, April 26, 2022 (Court Day #488)

I took my Rogue 2 paddle to work with the intention of shipping it out to get the edging strip repaired.

I was able to get my brother to close at work so I was a Skypark a few minutes after 6 PM. A car left right before I arrived and I slid my car into that open parking spot, refilling the lot.

There were no tennis players as I walked in, but five courts were in use for pickleball.

I realized that I’d left my Rogue 2 paddle in my office at work. Drat. My older ProKennex paddle would have to do instead.

Games

My first game of the night I was partnered with Scott against firefighter Matt, and Casey’s dad Tim. A more challenging game. Scott and I lost the game in definitive fashion. We switched sides and played again with the same teams with the same lopsided results. When we play the third game at my insistence, we also lost that game as well. Video of that last game:

I played a fairly clean game making only five errors most during most of it . . . though I made three in the final few minutes, including the losing point! I’m including the error as mine where Scott and I went for the same ball in the middle and I hit it into the net—Scott should have left that one for my forehand—but nonetheless, I hit it into the net.

Next!

We played another game, changing it up so it was Matt and me against Scott and Tim. This time around, I was on the winning side. Video:

My errors, in chronological order:

• Hit a ball high, but Scott slammed it into the net. (Dodged a bullet.)

• Low backhand drive into the net.

• Took a forehand that should have gone to Matt and popped it up as an easy winner for Tim.

• Hit a high ball into the net. (I should have dropped the shot.)

• Returned Scott’s drop shot too deep past the baseline.

• Returned an easy serve into the net.

Compared to my compatriots, I played a fairly clean game. But am I happy with it? No. I missed some easy shots.

Taking it Easy

I played a game with Carolyn, firefighter Matt’s wife, against Sharyl and Scott. Carolyn and I won the game although it was very close. I was kind of surprised. Carolyn played better than I was expecting . . . and after the game she said she was disappointed with how she played.

Tougher Games

Paul’s friend Aaron arrived and Aaron and I ended up in a game against TK and his friend David. TK has a killer fast—if not 100% reliable—serve. We lost the first game but won a second. (Aaron has only been playing four months, but is really starting to come along.)

TK got me on two “low to the backhand” serves. Low backhands still continue to be an issue after my shoulder surgery. I need to do the exercises that Casey recommended for that more often. It’s easy to forget.

Next up, TK asked his friend Chandler—she said she played with her husband at Brommer recently—to play against Aaron and me, that we were “pretty good”. Aaron and I won that one. David is farther along than Chandler, but Chandler is reasonably solid. I’d never met either of them before.

The lights clicked off at 9:30 p.m., a few minutes after our game ended and it was time to head out.

Connections

Chandler is from southern Oregon but has lots of family up in Yreka—near where my grandparents lived—less than an hour from the Oregon border. She figured that her grandfather was in my dad’s graduating class at Yreka High School in 1960. Small world!

Health

What I haven’t been mentioning is my shoulder continues to be sore. I’m about 18 months now past rotator cuff surgery, but it’s still worse off than before surgery. My PT Casey said that it can take up to two years of healing, so I’m still hopeful.

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Wednesday, April 27, 2022 (No Play)

I finally got my paddle shipped off to Players. Hopefully, I’ll get it back before my trip out of town that’s coming up.

My right forearm is sorer than normal. As a matter of fact, typing hurts a bit. Not a ton, but slightly uncomfortable. Maybe that’s me using my ProKennex paddle instead of the Rogue 2. Time will indicate…

Number of days on a court: 488
Number of total hours: 2,297

To start at the beginning of this blog click on “1st Post” in the menu above.

Sunday, April 24, 2022 (Court Day #487)

This week, Leslie, the Santa Cruz pickleball club venue coordinator, texted Rick A. and myself, the two Derby Park site coordinators, and told us that the grouchy neighbor with the questionable driveway had contacted the City of Santa Cruz—and maybe the police—again about someone parking in front of his driveway. He came over to the courts a few months ago and yelled a lot until a woman moved her car. The problem is that his driveway is very much overgrown, is not fully paved, and is partially blocked by a couch as well as piles of leaves and other obstructions. It makes it difficult to tell it’s a real driveway. Given the sidewalk cut out for the driveway, I would never personally park there, but I can also see where someone who is desperate for a parking spot might consider it fair game. The signs that I had made and now regularly hang up next to the court reservation board warning people to not to park in front of his house seem to not be having as much positive affect as I had hoped. The funny thing is, this neighbor often illegally parks his truck perpendicularly to the sidewalk instead of parallel. A little of calling the kettle black, as they say.

Beautiful Day

I’ve never been a morning person, and that manifested itself today as I was at Derby Park only five minutes before opening time of 9 a.m. (I try to get there at least 10-15 minutes early.) Two people were already there—long-time player Maria and another person whom I can’t remember. I got about to blowing off the courts and all the other opening duties, but fortunately I had other people helping set up all the nets and I didn’t even have to set up even one, which was fantastic. I think that’s a first!

Today turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous day. The temperature was wonderful and it was sunny and not breezy which it sometimes gets to be by early afternoon.

I was in a number of fairly uneventful games of mixed skill level where I was obviously the strongest player of each game.

There was a player there who is visiting, I can’t remember his name, but we played in a game or two together. Shortly thereafter he wisely asked me what skill level he should sign up in and I told him “intermediate”. Surprisingly, and unfortunately, players rarely ask me for my opinion as to where they should sign up.

When 10 o’clock rolled around, and it was time for skilled play, I ended up in a game of myself and Ted B. against Ms. J (she requested a while back to not be specifically named) and Sandra. I played very well in that game, and we won 11-2 or maybe was 11-4, but regardless it was a pretty lopsided game.

New Players Again

We had a number brand-new players today and Eric S. was kind enough to take on a group of four himself and let me play some stronger games.

Midmorning, Ray stopped me and said, “You are an ambassador…” (meaning my role for USA Pickleball) “…how long have you been one?” I told him a few months. “You are perfect for that.” A nice compliment! Ray told me he’s on the grant committee for USA Pickleball and once he’d taken on more duties like that, he couldn’t be ambassador too so he’d stepped down as the local one, leaving only Karen Long at the time.

Rick, Rick, René

There are three games where Rick A. and I played against Rick and his girlfriend René. They were fairly close and fun games. I noticed in one game that very few balls are getting hit to me. It was shot to Rick A. Shot to Rick A. Shot to Rick A. Shot to Rick A. Though I did get some balls hit me now and then but it was obvious that they felt Rick was the weaker of the two of us and they wanted to win.

The last game of the day was Eric S. and me playing against Rick and his girlfriend René. That was a fun game. Eric and I went up something like 8-2, but then Rick and René started to come back. I know that Renee and I were both dead on our feet by that point—it had been four hours of playing time!

It was 1:15 when play was done and it was time to go home. Charles kindly helped take down nets so that when I was done a bit later, there was less to do.

Tennis Elbow

My tennis elbow is flaring up a little bit, with the outside of my elbow as well as my inside, and also a little bit of my forearm bothering me in a slightly noticeable fashion. However, it’s far from significant. I hope it stays that way.

Paddle Woes

My Players Rogue 2 paddle has its edging getting loose. A bit of it broke off along one side fairly recently. I really need to send it in and take them up on their offer to have it re-done then sent back to me for free. The paddle has occasionally been making some strange sounds on certain hits. With the edge loose it can create a little bit of an abnormal dampening effect. My hesitation is that I simply do not want to be without my paddle! Maybe I should buy a second one, my understanding is Players came out with a newer model of the paddle.

Number of days on a court: 487
Number of total hours: 2,293.5

To start at the beginning of this blog click on “1st Post” in the menu above.

Tuesday, April 19, 2022 (Court Day #486)

This morning I was pretty tired and still may be a little bit sore from Sunday’s pickleball outing, so I wasn’t all too eager to go play tonight. However when I came home for lunch though I was feeling the same way, I grabbed my shoes and my pickleball gear just in case. As it was, I thought to myself, “if I really want to get better, I need to play“ plus I also need to exercise.

Work wrapped up quickly, and while the cashiers were counting out, I went ahead and changed. It was just about 6:30 p.m. when I arrived at Skypark and I took the next to last parking place. Both  tennis courts were full and there were two portable pickleball nets set up.

I got into a game fairly quickly. In my first game I was partnered with Sharyl. After I hit her with the ball and she wasn’t happy about it years ago, I prefer to play with her rather than against her! We played against Mark Dettle and Wendy.

Rob A., Tim, Sam, and Adrian were playing on a court adjacent to my game. I was looking at that game longingly, hoping I would be able to get in with them after a game or maybe two.

Sharyl and I won the game in a fairly lopsided fashion. During the game Wendy made a comment to Mark after one of my shots about how I was hitting hard as well as down. The ball hadn’t really been that high, but I put a lot of topspin on my drive and the ball landed near Mark’s feet and the rally was over.

Matt W. arrived around 7:30 PM, when I asked him whether his friend Paul was coming or not, Matt said that Paul was working and would not be making it tonight.

I did end up playing a game against Rob, which is always great. Rob makes for great competition. After that game, we ended up stepping out to let others play and so he and I drilled for about 15 minutes. Rob asked what I wanted to work on and I told him backhand crosscourt dinks, which is what we did.

Rob and I got back into a game, as partners this time. Not a surprise that we won that game.

Once 9 o’clock rolled around, my play started to deteriorate. It had been a long day.

I ended up talking with Matt W., Aaron, and Marvin on the courts after the lights went out, then with Marvin for another 15 minutes in the parking lot. Marvin works about a block from me in downtown Santa Cruz and we know a number of people in common.

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Friday, April 22, 2022 (No Play)

It was a bit rainy and cleared, but play was still questionable last night. I opted to stay home. Tonight, I drove to Big 5 Sporting Goods to pick up some new everyday shoes. Anytime that I’m there, I check out their selection of pickleball gear. They had a portable net and an assortment of lower-end paddles . . . most in the $50 range. There was one paddle that I strongly suspect was “illegal”—that is, not approved by the association for tournament play. This Gamma Quest paddle. The face of the paddle was like sandpaper. I’ve never felt a paddle like this. The texture has got to be beyond what is allowed by USA Pickleball . . . but maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it’s legal but the grit doesn’t hold up. No idea.

No, I didn’t buy it. I just got my shoes and headed home for dinner!

Number of days on a court: 486
Number of total hours: 2,289.5

To start at the beginning of this blog click on “1st Post” in the menu above.