Hitting the Courts: Thinking About Dimitrov and Sharapova
Okay, so I was fiddling around, watching some old tennis clips the other day. You know how it goes, one video leads to another. Ended up seeing some highlights featuring both Grigor Dimitrov and Maria Sharapova. Got me thinking about their games, specifically a couple of things I rarely try myself.
So, I decided, next time I hit the courts, I’m gonna mess around with that. Didn’t have a grand plan, just wanted to feel it out myself. Grabbed my racket, usual bag of slightly worn balls, and headed down to the local park courts. Nobody around, perfect.
First up: That Dimitrov Slice
I warmed up a bit, just getting loose. Then, I started focusing on the backhand. My normal backhand is, well, functional for my level. But Dimitrov’s one-handed slice? That thing looks smooth as butter on TV. So, I started trying to replicate that.
- Fed myself some balls to the backhand side.
- Tried opening the racket face, cutting underneath the ball.
- First few? Flew everywhere. Net, fence, sideways… you name it.
- Getting the right amount of cut and forward motion? Tricky stuff. It’s way harder than it looks.
- Spent a good 20 minutes just on this. Sometimes I’d get one that floated nicely, low over the net. Felt good. But mostly? Clumsy. Requires way more touch than my usual sledgehammer approach.
Switching Gears: Sharapova’s Return Power
After getting slightly frustrated with the slice, I thought about Sharapova. Specifically, how she used to just crush returns. Standing right on the baseline, taking the ball super early, hitting flat and deep. My returns are usually more about just getting the ball back in play.
So, I practiced some serves – well, more like gentle feeds to myself over the net – and tried stepping in aggressively.
- Really focused on moving forward before the ball bounced too high.
- Tried to flatten out my swing. Less topspin, more drive.
- Timing was the big issue here. Hit the frame a lot. Sent quite a few straight into the bottom of the net.
- When I did connect well? Felt powerful. Like really stepping into the court. But man, the margin for error felt tiny.
- You need confidence to hit like that constantly, taking the ball that early on a real serve.
Wrapping Up the Session
Spent about an hour out there, just playing around with these ideas. Didn’t magically transform my game, obviously. But it was interesting. Trying Dimitrov’s slice really highlighted how much feel and practice goes into those kinds of shots. It’s not just about technique, it’s about hours and hours of repetition.
And the aggressive return practice? Showed me how much commitment and timing you need to take control of points right from the start like Sharapova often did. It’s a high-risk, high-reward thing. You gotta be brave, or maybe just really well-practiced.
Overall Thoughts?
It was a fun session. Good reminder that what the pros do is on another level entirely. But messing around like this, trying different things, even if you fail most of the time, it keeps things interesting. Might not add the Dimitrov slice to my regular arsenal anytime soon, but just trying it gives you a bit more appreciation for the skill involved. Worth the effort, I’d say.
