17th Match with Marty
7/21/09 Monday 5P.M.
Chico Racquet Club
Score: 5-7, 2-6

I went into this match with something of a game plan. I was going to hit down the middle for four games to get myself into rhythm and to see if my opponent could handle shots hit at him.

I won the racquet spin and chose the side I had warmed up on. Marty chose to receive. I learned something about the rules here. I really didn’t want to serve, but had to since my opponent chose to receive. I should have chosen to receive because I really didn’t want to serve first.

I had warmed up very well serving, putting my warms up in the serving boxes with ease. Then as the match began I proceeded to serve three double-faults in a row. I can’t remember when I have ever done that. I proceeded to lose that game at 40-15. That was an auspicious start to my game plan of hitting down the middle.

To compensate for losing the first game so quickly with so many double-faults I then played the next four games returning everything back down the middle of the court. I made some unforced errors here while Marty seemed to do okay returning balls hit back to him. After the fifth game, I began to change my strategy and hit down-the-line and crosscourt into the corners. I fell behind 2-5, but then came back to even the score at 5-5. The next two games went to deuce, but Marty won them both to finish out the set.

I went through the 2nd set never really getting into it very competitively. This is where I need to remember that after losing a close 1st set I have to start strong in the 2nd set to counteract a let down.

Basically, I left this match very disappointed, not so much in the loss, but the way I lost. I became very tentative in hitting my strokes, especially my forehand. I was telling myself towards the end of the match to hit through it and not worry about the outcome, but it was too late. I ran out of games before I really let go to hit through my forehand. My concern for the outcome was way too much. The way I felt in losing this match was so different from the previous match that I had just lost.

Furthermore, I realize now that the last few matches I have played, I have played with way too much concern for my mechanics in stroke production. Consequently, I missed many opportunities to utilize my strategy of moving forward when hitting deep balls, moving up on short balls and just plain moving forward into the court whenever possible. I have been way too complacent back on the baseline always thinking about stroke mechanics. I need to get back to focusing on strategy, on moving forward to end points in a match. I need to leave the mechanics for the practice court.