Bailey learns to play tennis

Tennis--how tough could it be?

Pretty tough.

I had lesson #2 today. That backhand--man. I used to think--during the years that I played against my former teammate, the garage door--that I had a pretty good backhand. I would hear people say things (not to me, but about professional athletes) like, "Nice backhand" and so I thought it was this thing that was really impressive.

And it is. But it's more complicated than simply being able to turn your racquet to the non-dominate side of your body and hit the ball from an opposite angle. So as a kid the fact that I could hit a ball "backwards" against the garage door was, so I thought, a very impressive feat. And maybe it was for an 11 year old. But it wasn't, and isn't, mastered by any means.

Eventually we took a break from the backhand practice today and went back to primarily forehand shots.

The good news is I have a strong forehand (says Coach).

The bad news is I get tired after some time on the court. I am no spring chicken anymore, folks, smacking the ball against the garage door over and over.

The more I tried to improve my form today--making my swing more parallel to the ground, getting the racquet further behind the ball before hitting it--the worse it felt I was becoming. And that very well may have been. Oftentimes when you're mastering something I think you have to get bad--even if your beginner ability is impressive for a beginner--before you can get good. Like muscles tearing down and growing back.

My feet hurt. I expect to be sore tomorrow. And to be maybe better, maybe worse, at my next lesson. But I'll do my best to whack the crap out of that ball. Keeping low to the ground when I need to, firm footing, run to the ball but stop to get in position, eyes on the seams. Bounce, hit.