Finally Back to Square One

Published: 10 Aug 2006 - 09:56 by raystrach

Updated: 10 Aug 2006 - 09:56

Subscribers: Log in to subscribe to this post.

There is always a feeling of frustration when you are not able to perform at your best, but it is nothing in comparison to the frustration of having to restrict your goals to an artificially low level. That is what I have been doing over the last couple of weeks when playing with an injury.

Thankfully, that appears to be over now, and I can concentrate on getting back to full fitness. This fitness aspect is the biggest hangover from injury - can't really play or train with an injury so that the aerobic and anaerobic capacity goes down - it is almost like you are still injured. At least now, I can aim high, even though it will take a while to reach that level.

This was brought home to me last night in my finals match with Peter Taylor, who proved to be too good and too fast. Although I was somewhat competitive in the first game, due to a combination of his nervousness and my freshness, reality set in after that when he picked up the pace and I was not able to respond. It was like I was moving in slow motion and he was moving in fast forward.

I keep talking to my coaching students about hitting the ball early to keep pressure on the opponent. This was a good example where his speed of movement and time between hits forced me into error or a poor shot. Someone told me I was not getting enough length - it was all happening too quickly ! I was just a fraction behind the play almost all of the time.

Having said that, there is hope that I will pick up some speed as at least now I can go flat out. I was able to get enough points to give us a chance in the final, but it was not to be. Our number 2 player, who had a great chance of a 3- 0 win took ill the night before and was taken to hospital.

This severely dented our chances of winning. His replacement went close, but could not quite clinch it. The number4 player had the chance to get us a win, but could not quite summon up the self confidence to do so, even though he gave it a good shot. That left only our number 3 player, Shane as a winner and we had to let the title go.

There is always next season!