Keep Away

I wanted to write an article about eye-hand coordination and then I decided not.

I don't know that I needed to be told this, but perhaps I was told so.

I have only been taught by a few pros, not that I didn't need nor still need some professional (psychiatric) help.

I do, but this one pro who taught me all of one lesson back in the 80's said, "You just like being athletic. Quit hitting the ball back to me."

I had been playing tennis since my pre-teens and played other sports when I knew to go for the score or the win.

Tennis was fun for me and at times, competitive, but I soon realized that Tennis is purely a game of keep-away, it is. 

Ever since then all I wanted to do is make it as difficult as possible for my opponent to return the ball in play and this can be accomplished more easily by placing shots rather than powering shots at my opponent. It's a lot more fun.

I have hit only three overhead power smashes in the last year, not because I couldn't, 'cause I didn't need to.

Even playing 4.0s and some 4.5s, I can still put the heat on a serve or ground stroke, but why, when I can simply make the ball more difficult to return.

I still love and enjoy the athletic aspects of tennis and will never retire from staying as fit as I can, but I will never feel the need to exhibit such excursion on court again unless necessary.

In the words of Barry White...Sorry, I forgot the words.