Okay, so today I decided to get back on the court and work on my tennis game, specifically trying to channel my inner Milos Raonic. You know, big serve, aggressive forehand – that kind of thing. It’s been a while since I really focused on that style, so I figured I’d give it a shot and see how it goes.
Warming Up
First things first, I started with a good warm-up. Lots of dynamic stretching – arm circles, leg swings, torso twists. You gotta get the blood flowing, especially if you’re planning on trying to blast serves like Raonic.
I did some light jogging around the court, then some shadow swings, really focusing on getting my body loose and ready. I didn’t want to pull anything trying to go for a huge serve right off the bat.
Serve Practice
Then came the main event: the serve. I spent a good chunk of time just working on my toss. It’s gotta be consistent, right? Up in front, a little to the right (I’m a righty). I practiced tossing the ball over and over, not even hitting it, just getting the feel for that perfect toss.
Once I felt like my toss was decent, I started working on the actual serve. I focused on a few key things:
- Using my legs: Really driving up, getting that power from the ground.
- Snapping my wrist: That’s where a lot of the pace comes from.
- Reaching up high: Trying to make contact with the ball at the highest point possible.
I started slow, just getting the feel for the motion. Gradually, I started adding more power, trying to find that balance between speed and control. Honestly, my first few serves were… rough. A lot went into the net, a few sailed long. But hey, that’s practice, right?
I kept at it, making small adjustments, trying to find that sweet spot. After a while, I started to get into a rhythm. More serves were landing in, and I could feel myself generating some decent pace. Not quite Raonic-level, but definitely an improvement!
Forehand Focus
After the serve, I moved on to forehands. The idea here was to be aggressive, to dictate points. I worked on hitting the ball early, taking it on the rise, and really trying to drive through the shot.
I practiced hitting cross-court, down the line, and even a few inside-out forehands. Again, consistency was a struggle at first. But as I kept going, I started to find a better groove. I focused on keeping my feet moving, getting into position early, and really exploding through the ball.
Cooling Down and Wrap-up
Finally, I finished up with a cool-down. Some static stretches, holding each one for a good 30 seconds. It’s important to let your muscles recover, especially after a session like this.
Overall, it was a good workout. I definitely felt like I channeled some of that Raonic power, even if I wasn’t quite hitting 140 mph serves. It’s something I’ll keep working on. Maybe next time, I’ll even break out the radar gun and see what kind of speed I’m actually generating!
