Just in case you were wondering what happened to my tennis exploits, dear reader, I can now reveal that one long held ambition has been achieved. On Sunday, I went for a hit with a friend in the local park. It was the first time that he has seen anyone attempt wheelchair tennis, and I knew that he was a little puzzled about how it could possibly work, as well as the two bounce rule (see previous entry).
I arrived to find him playing with two other people, and I quickly joined in for a spot of doubles. Although I should certainly have warmed up first, I held my own, and it worked surprisingly well, considering I hadn't played doubles with an able-bodied partner before.
The tricky bit is net coverage, as people tend to expect their partner to go in to the net, especially on serves. If I go into the net, the chance that I will be lobbed is extremely high, whereas if I'm at the back of court, then the two bounce rule means that I can get to most stuff. Not necessarily hit the damn thing when I get there, but at least I'm near.
Anyway, the best thing was just taking to a busy court in the park on a Sunday lunchtime, and give a reasonable account of myself.
That said, my game is falling apart, especially as I have adjusted my tennis chair to sit two inches higher. I must stress that this was on the instruction of my coach, and nothing to do with an inferiority complex that I have developed. Yes, I am still six foot two, but now that I am folded, I feel a teensy bit small, especially when the tennis ball flies over my head.
Still, the best thing about tennis in a wheelchair is that suddenly I have an abundance of new excuses for why I can't hit the sodding ball. Not only the racket or shoes, but there's the waist strap, the footplate position, the height, the position of the axle, the tyres, etc.
It could be that I'm just a bit crap, but let's not jump to conclusions...
I arrived to find him playing with two other people, and I quickly joined in for a spot of doubles. Although I should certainly have warmed up first, I held my own, and it worked surprisingly well, considering I hadn't played doubles with an able-bodied partner before.
The tricky bit is net coverage, as people tend to expect their partner to go in to the net, especially on serves. If I go into the net, the chance that I will be lobbed is extremely high, whereas if I'm at the back of court, then the two bounce rule means that I can get to most stuff. Not necessarily hit the damn thing when I get there, but at least I'm near.
Anyway, the best thing was just taking to a busy court in the park on a Sunday lunchtime, and give a reasonable account of myself.
That said, my game is falling apart, especially as I have adjusted my tennis chair to sit two inches higher. I must stress that this was on the instruction of my coach, and nothing to do with an inferiority complex that I have developed. Yes, I am still six foot two, but now that I am folded, I feel a teensy bit small, especially when the tennis ball flies over my head.
Still, the best thing about tennis in a wheelchair is that suddenly I have an abundance of new excuses for why I can't hit the sodding ball. Not only the racket or shoes, but there's the waist strap, the footplate position, the height, the position of the axle, the tyres, etc.
It could be that I'm just a bit crap, but let's not jump to conclusions...
Leave a comment