Okay, so I got this idea the other day, probably after watching some highlights from the tournament. Just felt that itch, you know? Needed to get out and hit some balls myself. Decided to call this little session “wimbledon 15”. Not super creative, I know, but it stuck in my head.
First thing, I grabbed my old racket, found a few decent tennis balls – some newer, some definitely seen better days. Filled up my water bottle. Essential. Then I just walked over to the courts nearby. Luckily, one was free. Didn’t need anything fancy, just a wall or an empty court.
Before really starting, I did a bit of stretching. Just the basics:
- Arm circles, both ways.
- Some leg swings, front and back, side to side.
- Twisted my torso a bit.
- Jogged lightly for a couple of minutes just to get the blood flowing.
Didn’t want to pull anything. Getting older means warm-ups are non-negotiable.
The Main Event: Hitting Those Forehands
So, the “15” in “wimbledon 15” was my target. I decided to focus purely on my cross-court forehand. The goal wasn’t just hitting 15 balls, nah. It was about hitting 15 consecutive, solid cross-court forehands that landed in bounds, past the service line. Sounds simple, maybe, but doing it consistently is another story.
I started feeding balls to myself, trying to get into a rhythm. First few shots were all over the place. One smacked the net cord, another sailed long. Ugh. I had to remind myself to bend my knees, watch the ball hit the strings, follow through properly. Simple stuff, but easy to forget.
Got to maybe 5 or 6 in a row a couple of times, then shanked one. Had to restart the count. It was a bit frustrating, honestly. Just me, the wall (I ended up using the practice wall mostly), and my inconsistent forehand. Took a quick water break, took a breath. Told myself to just relax the arm.
Went back at it. This time, I really focused on my footwork, getting set early. And bam! Started connecting better. One, two, three… kept counting in my head. Got past ten. Felt smoother. Eleven, twelve… getting closer. My arm felt good, the rhythm was there. Thirteen, fourteen… deep breath… and fifteen! Nailed it. Landed deep in the corner, just like I pictured.
Felt pretty good, I gotta say. Just achieving that small, specific goal I set for myself. It wasn’t world-class tennis, far from it, but it was progress. Spent a few more minutes just hitting casually, then did a quick cool down, mostly stretching the shoulders and legs again.
Packed up my stuff, feeling that nice kind of tired. Practice done. “wimbledon 15” complete. Simple session, but definitely worth it.
