It is just normal to fascinate and cherish as and when we come across a new experience - something we haven't experienced before - be it a roller coaster ride or a dive in the swimming pool or a free fall.
Yesterday was one such day.
One such activity entered into my book of 'First Time Experiences'.
Yesterday was the day when I 'played' tennis for the first time. I had the opportunity to have a go at the tennis court with a racket in my hand. It was a new sense of feeling to hold a tennis racket. It was much lighter than I expected.
There were four of us who entered the court - my brother being one among them. On a scale of 1 to 10, I was at 0. My brother and one of his fellow persons were at 4. And then, there was a 'Champion' at 8.
The champion was so ‘gentleman-ish’ that he intentionally reduced his level to 5 and played all along (except at few instances wherein he wasn't able to hide his talents) so that we could atleast cope up. The streaking sound of the shoes against the flat floor filled the air continuously.
My first shot - you can also call it as a 'serve' - somehow landed within the court. Lots of relief and joy. It’s a king's-rule kind of feeling when the ball emerges from your racket and the opponent runs behind it. However, to be honest, I was the servant (while my opponent was the king) for most part of the game.
As time moved, I tried all possible shots which I had seen, till then, only across TV channels. Many of them landed outside the court's ruling borders. Some even landed beyond the court premises (call them as 'six'es). In the one hour play I suppose I had hit around ten to fifteen sixes.
By the end of first ten mins of play, I realized tennis involved two things:
1) Reflex skills - as required in Table tennis.
2) Stamina and powerful strokes - as required in Cricket.
By common sense, I know, I had to combine both. Though I had some idea of both, the co-ordination of my brain and hands didn't permit to merge both of them at first instance. I was able to clear only very few of the returns. They either didn't cross the net or landed way outside the boundary.
The very memory of one of the returns from the 'Champion' still stuns me. His aggressive movement of physique for that particular shot clearly indicated that his return was intended to be a 'powerful' one. I made myself ready to handle it. But of no use. They call it as a normal 'forehand return' in tennis. But to me, it was a Shatabdi Express heading at thrice its normal speed. I very well knew two things of that particular shot - one: when and where it was hit and the other: where it ended. Nothing in between. With the velocity it was hit, I was only able to guess the line of the ball - didn't have time and knowledge to find where it pitched and bounced. Luckily I wasn't in that line and it zipped past me in a flash.
May be, this is the first instance I was negotiating a component at such a pace.
Few minutes then, came one another competitor for the racket. He was one of my brother's colleagues. Soon I was given the referee position. Having played for thirty mins, I started to observe how tennis should actually be played. Learnt a few things.
During the process of my observation came one 'quick' serve from the champion. Infact, he clearly informed that he was going to serve a bit quickly. Performing only the duty of an observer, I sharpened my concentration skills to atleast find the trajectory of the ball. I managed to be successful only to some extent. All I can say is that it was damn fast. Given the grade of excellency of the players, naturally, it ended up as an ace.
They played a game and after that I took the racket for the second time. Played for another fifteen mins. Only then I realized, whatever I had observed few mins back couldn't be transformed to my hands straight away. The results were the same. May be, I should play for another one or two months to keep the ball inside the court. Lets see how far this goes.
Yesterday was one such day.
One such activity entered into my book of 'First Time Experiences'.
Yesterday was the day when I 'played' tennis for the first time. I had the opportunity to have a go at the tennis court with a racket in my hand. It was a new sense of feeling to hold a tennis racket. It was much lighter than I expected.
The court was painted lush-green. Walls were pitch-black. Lighting was ample.
There were four of us who entered the court - my brother being one among them. On a scale of 1 to 10, I was at 0. My brother and one of his fellow persons were at 4. And then, there was a 'Champion' at 8.
The champion was so ‘gentleman-ish’ that he intentionally reduced his level to 5 and played all along (except at few instances wherein he wasn't able to hide his talents) so that we could atleast cope up. The streaking sound of the shoes against the flat floor filled the air continuously.
My first shot - you can also call it as a 'serve' - somehow landed within the court. Lots of relief and joy. It’s a king's-rule kind of feeling when the ball emerges from your racket and the opponent runs behind it. However, to be honest, I was the servant (while my opponent was the king) for most part of the game.
As time moved, I tried all possible shots which I had seen, till then, only across TV channels. Many of them landed outside the court's ruling borders. Some even landed beyond the court premises (call them as 'six'es). In the one hour play I suppose I had hit around ten to fifteen sixes.
By the end of first ten mins of play, I realized tennis involved two things:
1) Reflex skills - as required in Table tennis.
2) Stamina and powerful strokes - as required in Cricket.
By common sense, I know, I had to combine both. Though I had some idea of both, the co-ordination of my brain and hands didn't permit to merge both of them at first instance. I was able to clear only very few of the returns. They either didn't cross the net or landed way outside the boundary.
The very memory of one of the returns from the 'Champion' still stuns me. His aggressive movement of physique for that particular shot clearly indicated that his return was intended to be a 'powerful' one. I made myself ready to handle it. But of no use. They call it as a normal 'forehand return' in tennis. But to me, it was a Shatabdi Express heading at thrice its normal speed. I very well knew two things of that particular shot - one: when and where it was hit and the other: where it ended. Nothing in between. With the velocity it was hit, I was only able to guess the line of the ball - didn't have time and knowledge to find where it pitched and bounced. Luckily I wasn't in that line and it zipped past me in a flash.
May be, this is the first instance I was negotiating a component at such a pace.
Few minutes then, came one another competitor for the racket. He was one of my brother's colleagues. Soon I was given the referee position. Having played for thirty mins, I started to observe how tennis should actually be played. Learnt a few things.
During the process of my observation came one 'quick' serve from the champion. Infact, he clearly informed that he was going to serve a bit quickly. Performing only the duty of an observer, I sharpened my concentration skills to atleast find the trajectory of the ball. I managed to be successful only to some extent. All I can say is that it was damn fast. Given the grade of excellency of the players, naturally, it ended up as an ace.
They played a game and after that I took the racket for the second time. Played for another fifteen mins. Only then I realized, whatever I had observed few mins back couldn't be transformed to my hands straight away. The results were the same. May be, I should play for another one or two months to keep the ball inside the court. Lets see how far this goes.
