funny lingo

My tennis team won 3 out of 4 matches today. It was great fun playing and watching everyone do their best. Tennis is a great outlet, among other things for me. There is friendship, which brings the social aspect into the sport. I love to socialize. There is exercise, which brings the health aspect into it. There is competition, which brings out the excitement in the sport.

Then there is the lingo. Tennis has one word that is really funny to me. Lob. You hit a lob to surprise your opponent or when you have no alternative defensively. A lob can be an offensive shot as well as a defensive one. If you can't hit a lob correctly, it could totally break your game. Watch the video for further explanation:


Tennis:How To Master The Lob Shot

At my level of play (which is a little more than recreation, but certainly not anything as serious as the professionals) the lob is a catch 22. My favorite shot in tennis is an overhead. But you only get an overhead if your opponent tries the lob shot.

Today, it was windy, and for some reason, I seem to play well in the wind. I think it makes me focus on the ball as it can spin in all different directions. You've all seen a tennis ball, and if you've ever held one, its considerably light. For those of you who can use and picture numbers in your head, here's he exactness: "A tennis ball is hollow and composed of inflated rubber covered with a fabric. It is between 2½"and 2 5/8"(6.35 and 6.67 cm) in diameter and weighs between 2 and 2 1/16 ounces (57.7 and 58.5 grams)." (united states olympic committee)

The wind can carry the ball long, or keep it in the court. It's actually quite marvelous to see your lob stay in, when you felt the ball hit your racket and you knew you put too much mustard on it. Taking advantage of the wind and knowing what side the wind is blowing from is crucial.

(By the way, this is my favorite racket: Wilson nCode)

My partner, (who is also my sister, Jen), was exceptional with her "lob shot" on the court today! Our game usually consists of a few lobs, but we like net play with a good volley ralley going. Of course, sometimes you have to strategize and mix things up a bit to conquer your opponents, which is another fun part of the game for me. Figuring out how to frustrate your opponent and take them out of their game didn't really come until I had played for a couple of years at league level. Before then, all I could really do was work on consistency and improving my all around game. And that only happens by getting out and playing.

But today, the "lob shot" became a turning point in one of our games. If it weren't for the wind holding the lobs in, it could have definitely gone the other way, and we could have lost our momentum. That's where tennis can be such a mind game, your shots are only as good as you think they are.

I love the lob...but its quite a funny term for such a crucial shot.