Week 11

This week was a short one with the holiday weekend, but we packed in some critical work. I focused heavily on defensive dinks, learning to recognize when I need to just push the ball back over instead of trying to do too much. We worked on backhand and forehand slice dinks for those balls that get behind me—staying low, getting under the ball, and minimizing my swing.

We also drilled 3rd shot drops, particularly the slice variety as an alternative to my usual topspin drop. The backhand slice felt natural right away, while the forehand is still a work in progress (swinging too much and causing the ball to float). Cam pointed out these shots can be more reliable in tournament pressure when topspin drops abandon you.

Finally, we put in serious time on hands battles—working volleys both inside and outside the kitchen, then speeding things up with attack/counter drills. I'm still finding these harder in drills than in actual gameplay, probably because I overthink when I know the attack is coming versus just reading and reacting naturally.

• Defensive Dinks: I'm still trying to do too much with balls I should just push over. When my opponent hits a good aggressive dink, I need to recognize it, reset the point, and be patient. Not every ball is one I can attack—it's okay to just get it back over, reset my feet, and live to see another dink.
• Forehand Slice Drop: While my backhand slice drop feels natural, my forehand version is still a work in progress. I'm swinging too much at times, causing the ball to float and making it attackable. Need to focus on minimizing my swing and getting under the ball properly.
• Hands Battle Consistency: For some reason, I struggle more with countering during drills than in actual gameplay. I think I'm overthinking when I know the attack is coming instead of just reading and reacting naturally. Need to bring that game-day confidence into practice sessions.

Even with the shortened holiday week, I made real progress on fundamentals I've been struggling with. The defensive dink work was exactly what I needed—finally accepting that not every ball needs to be attacked. And those slice drops? They're starting to feel natural, especially on the backhand side.

No flashy points to highlight, but sometimes the biggest wins aren't the spectacular shots—they're the quiet breakthroughs in practice that build your foundation. This week was full of those moments where technique started clicking into muscle memory. The game is slowing down for me mentally, and that's worth celebrating.

Next week we're diving into doubles movement and coordination — Cam wants us focusing on how to flow as a team during points. I'm looking forward to developing that sixth sense of where my partner is and how we can cover the court more effectively together. Time to level up the partnership aspect of my game.