ZACH'S TENNIS DIARY

Roger was late for his lesson this morning. He was up late with a "tired wife and two crying babies. " He also looked ragged.

"Did you see that Isner match?" he asked.

"Another record-breaker."

Roger sighed, "That's what I need: the desire to go past the exhaustion."

"Now I know what we're working on today," I baited.

"My backhand sucks," he focused us.

"It's tired and doesn't want to play."

We rallied for a while as he showed me his backhand. He especially pointed out and whined about the weak and "unparticipating" ones. I thought: What's important? He stayed up most of the night with attention on his children's vocal expressions.

"Last night, were the babies crying over nothing?"

He laughed and spoke between shots, "Who knows. They may have just wanted to sleep."

"So they cried real loud?"

"Very."

"They didn't whine?"

"No whining from my kids; when they want, they scream."

I nodded a knowing nod. "You want something."

"And your point?" he snarked.

"Cry for your backhand," I suggested. "Scream for what you want. Don't whine. Your lesson was last night - this is just hitting tennis balls with what you learned."

"You mean hit like a one-year-old?"

"No. Hit like the voice that got your attention most of the night."

He went back to the baseline awaiting the feed. He wound up his backswing, let out a yell and whacked the ball 70mph sizzling past me landing two feet inside the baseline.

"Now that's a scream a poppa can be proud of."

You see a record broken on TV and your attention gets piqued. Instead of getting caught up in the outer number or "otherness" of the event, bring it home. Become the player who has the willingness to keep playing, even if it's not perfect, vulnerable or shows your opponent some hidden weaknesses. You get to see them too.Then go out and expand your screaming shots.

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