Hi,
last weekend I had my first playing / training session since lockdown started at the end of March in the UK
Weather in the UK especially the south and London has been very hot (as far as us Brits are concerned) 30 to 36 degrees and humid with it.
COVID protocols were use of hand sanitiser before, during and at end of session, 2m rule (social distancing) no changing ends, each player was given a sanitised ball with a number on it, you weren’t allowed to pick up another players ball !!! Took a bit of getting used to at first, just remembering not to pick up the ball unless it was yours!! Table and barriers were pre set up sanitised, and left up at end of session for the cleaners to sanitise again.
in typical British manner, the session was set for Sunday 13.45 to 15.55, talk about mad dogs and Englishmen going out in the midday sun!!!!
my partner was Colm, a young lad just about to go off to Uni so 18ish yrs old, better standard player than me, but rusty after the lockdown stoppage. I filled in a couple of times in the league side he plays for which is 2 divisions higher than the team I play for.
Given some really good routines to go through, then we played 7 rubbers, I lost 5-2 but 3 of the 5 lost games were close 11-9 12-10 etc 2 were white washes game 4/5. We managed to last until 15.40, then had to stop, both had nothing left in the tank! (Especially me!!!!)
My Back held up ok, but later in the evening the sciatica kicked in !!! Seeing the Physio tomorrow so hopefully in a week or so the issue should be sorted out.
it was great to be able to actually play again with other people.
Things look like league play may start again in September, but the ‘R’ rate is starting to rise again and is now just under 1, if it keeps rising then there’s a chance that league play may be put back.
Anyway, tying in with Takkyu’s post, I watched a tutorial with subtitles about the YG (reverse FH pendulum serve) Think it’s WRM-TV, this was a really good video, the skill involved when Hamakawa-san did a special topspin version, when he contacts the ball on the way back, was awesome!!!! He does a standard topspin version as well.
really enjoyed this video!!!!
I would really like to watch more of their videos with English subtitles as they seem very informative but I can’t find many with subtitles.