Week 12
Sept 1-6, 2025
This week was all about kitchen battles and taking balls out of the air. The breakthrough came when Coach Cam pointed out I was standing up during roll shots instead of staying down through contact. My footwork remains my biggest weakness, especially during baseline drills where my tennis inexperience shows. The raw truth? I'm seeing improvement in taking balls out of the air, but still taking too many risks when I should be playing what's in front of me.
Brad Douglas
September 8, 2025
Focus Areas
What I Worked On
This week was all about kitchen battles and taking balls out of the air. Monday through Thursday with Coach Cam focused heavily on cross-court backhand slices and controlling those out-of-air shots. The breakthrough came when Cam pointed out I was standing up during my roll shots instead of staying down through contact—that simple adjustment changed everything. Our 2-on-1 kit
My footwork remains a glaring weakness, especially during baseline directional drills where my tennis inexperience shows. Friday's games were a reality check—had moments but never felt comfortable. The raw truth? I'm seeing improvement in taking balls out of the air, but still taking too many risks when I should be playing what's in front of me rather than what I anticipated.
What I Learned
Kitchen Control & Backhand Slices
Taking balls out of the air is becoming a strength:
- The backhand slice out of the air feels a lot like a backhand slice drop when done right
- Key insight from Cam: stay down through the shot instead of standing up during contact
- When I'm patient and let the ball come to me with proper hand position, everything changes
- Goal is taking time away from opponents and not letting balls get behind me
Attacking with Purpose
I'm learning when to be aggressive vs. controlled:
- Monday's drills focused on taking two balls out of the air, then attacking the third with either a backhand flick or roll
- Still taking too many risks when I should adjust to what's actually coming at me
- The breakthrough came when I stopped standing up during roll shots—consistency immediately improved
- Cross-court dinks remain challenging, especially when pulled out of position
Footwork Reality Check
This is my biggest weakness right now:
- The Wardlaw Directionals drill exposed my terrible footwork (tennis players have a huge advantage here)
- Cam pointed out I'd hit and then just stand there instead of keeping feet moving
- Need to hit → keep moving → split step → move where needed
- Couldn't feel this mistake until Cam pointed it out—now it's glaringly obvious
2-on-1 Progress
Playing against Cam is humbling but productive:
- We're making him work harder with longer rallies and hands battles
- Better dink placement is preventing him from taking as many balls out of the air
- When he does attack, we're extending points instead of giving up quick winners
- Still not scoring better, but the quality of play feels improved
What Still Needs Work
- Footwork & Positioning: My footwork is a glaring weakness, especially during baseline directional drills. Cam pointed out I'd hit and then just stand there instead of keeping my feet moving through the split step. I need to develop the rhythm of hit → keep moving → split step → move where needed. This is costing me in transition zones and during faster exchanges.
- Anticipation vs. Adaptation: I'm still taking too many risks based on what I anticipate rather than adapting to what's actually coming at me. When I'm leaning in expecting a certain shot, I don't adjust well if something different comes my way. Need to play what's in front of me, not what I hoped would be there.
Win of the Week
During our 2v1 drill against Cam, there was this perfect moment where everything clicked. Cam loaded up for one of his signature speed-ups, but for once, I saw it coming. I slid into position, stayed low, and countered with perfect timing—sending the ball directly at his feet where he couldn't do anything with it. Point over. The look on his face said it all.
It wasn't just hitting a good shot—it was anticipating, positioning, executing under pressure, and finishing a point against a stronger player. For that brief moment, the gap between where I am and where I'm going felt a little smaller.
What's Next
Next week Cam's competing at a PPA tournament, so Dru and I are flying solo. We've mapped out two dedicated drill days and arranged competitive games for the other two. I'm honestly craving more real-game situations—theory is great, but there's nothing like match pressure to expose what actually works. Time to put these kitchen battles and footwork fixes to the test against live opponents.