44 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | APRIL 2015
Tactics of the Play…The weather has been beautiful the last
few months and the Paddle Tennis Players are taking advantage
of it. We are reminded almost daily how lucky we are to live
here in Southern California to play with all the active beautiful
people.
Last month I told you about the rules of Paddle Tennis, but I
wanted to mention the skill of the game as well. Paddle Tennis
is all about angles. Skilled players can make their opponents
run well beyond the doubles sidelines to retrieve the ball. An
exceptional angle shot may win a point outright, but more
often, one angle is used to set up the next. You can have great
fun running a speedy opponent back and forth a few times and
then hitting behind (wrong-footing) him, but he may also turn
the tables on you by using his wide position on reaching one of
your angle shots to hit an even more severe angle against you.
Topspin will help you land the ball within the sidelines on your
angle shots and within the service lines on power shots, but
the paddles, the ball, and the shortness of the court all prevent
hitting with the kind of pace you can produce in tennis, and
it's almost impossible to make the ball kick enough to bother
your opponent with height. Even though, as in tennis, a slice
will help you keep the ball low, the stage two ball will stay even
lower than a tennis ball. Low, skidding approach shots work
nicely, and despite the shortness of the court, it's worth turning
some of your slices into drop shots. I know many strong players
at Four Seasons that have real skill in performing these shots.
There are many improving their skill, so all I can say is 'Watch
Out'! Yes, there is a lot of competition on the courts, but don't
let that intimidate you, all the players here are here to have fun
and ready and willing to share what they know.
But for now, as always… good play, good times, and good
exercise. ~ Diana Johnson Ali
Paddle Tennis
Connie Cordero, Four Seasons Resident
Independent Beauty Consultant
(562) 677-4763 • (951) 769-6817
1486 Signal Peak, Beaumont
ccordero220@marykay.com • marykay.com/ccordero220
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All signs point to Paddle Tennis!
