Week 1
June 9-13, 2025
This week was a mix of feel, footwork, and finesse. I spent a lot of time in the trenches — dialing in the backhand flick, refining my dinks, and grinding out reps in the transition zone. Cam kept hammering one point: prep is everything — and I felt that truth hard in every session.
Brad Douglas
June 16, 2025
Focus Areas
What I Worked On
This week was a mix of feel, footwork, and finesse. I spent a lot of time in the trenches — dialing in the backhand flick, refining my dinks, and grinding out reps in the transition zone. Cam kept hammering one point: prep is everything — and I felt that truth hard in every session.
What I Learned
Backhand Flick
This one is finally starting to click.
- Focusing pressure through the bottom two fingers gave me way more control.
- The frisbee-style setup helped frame the shot naturally.
- Punching with the wrist gave it the pop I needed — and if the ball sat lower than net height, I leaned into more of a brushing motion.
It’s still raw, but I’m feeling the foundation.
Dinks
They’re feeling better overall — softer touch, more consistency. But:
- I’m still struggling with offensive dinks — especially the ones I should be attacking but play too passively.
- I’m letting too many balls bounce when I should be taking them out of the air, and when I do let them bounce, I sometimes “mush” them into the net.
- Cam drilled this into me: It’s not about power — it’s about placement. That’s starting to shift how I choose to attack.
Transition Zone
This felt like the biggest improvement of the week.
- I’m staying lower (most of the time), and my resets are getting more consistent.
- Still have a habit of lifting up too early instead of staying down and stable.
- Using two hands on backhand resets has been a game-changer — especially when I’m under pressure.
- The more touches I get in the TZ, the more confident I feel. This is a repetition game.
What Still Needs Work
- Prep Work: I’m often late preparing — and I know it. I’m hitting too many balls off my back foot, especially when the pace picks up. I need to move quicker and position earlier to give myself a chance to choose the right shot, not just react to it.
- Decision-Making on Dinks: Still second-guessing when to attack vs. reset. I’m starting to see opportunities — now I need to execute them with intention.
Win of the Week
Had a moment during a live point where I moved through the transition zone with control, stayed down, reset three in a row, then flicked a winner from midcourt. It was the first time that combo of concepts actually clicked together in a real point.
Felt like a 5.0 for half a second. I’ll take it.
What's Next
Next week is all about footwork + resets on the run, and starting to build the speed-up/counter game. Cam’s cooking up some pressure drills and I’m ready for the heat.