Holy Spirit High School
500 S New Rd
Absecon, NJ 08201-2599
(609) 646-7082
See Our NJSIAA Girls Tennis, Non-Public South A Tournament's first round matches and seedings at very bottom.
I am excited for tomorrow, we had a good practice today with those who were able to attend on a fine Columbus Day at PVI. Holy Spirit is a good program with a tradition, but this is a bit of a down year for them. This will be a fun test. I think you will all surprise each other with your play tomorrow. I have a really good feeling. Remember we are leaving at 115 for a 3pm start at Holy Spirit and we should be back to PVI by no latter than 645.
Listen to PA for weather related changes.
Its an hour from PVI to Absecon, NJ. They have 6 courts ... so all who can come bring their racquets as there maybe opportunity to hit and cheer on our fellow tennis eaglets. I understand if JV members can't make it due to school or travel concerns. Any parent who can come, here's the address and it would be great to have your support.
I'd love for all the JV to come as you've earned such a playoff journey with the rest of your tennis travelin sisterhood ya-ya pants. The picture below is a tennis artifact that the ya-yas' once used, probably the 1920's. It was used to clean tennis balls. Tennis balls and the material used to make them used to be VERY expensive and the felt wasn't as tough as what you see and play with now.
Part of our practice routine is a simple lob drill. A lob is another tool in our tool box of tennis skills that we've worked on in practice this year. Today was no exception as we performed our self feed lob drill with the cones as targets on the opposite side of the court.
We'll use all our tennis tools, which we've polished in practices, to play a consistent and thoughtful tennis match tomorrow. We'll get our first serve in and place it where we want to. We'll focus real hard to not make errors on our return of serve. We'll stay out there as long as it takes to win a point and try to win the next one.
Please remember tomorrow to add a dash of discipline with a sprinkle of intentness when we feel were getting frustrated, so our emotions don't lose points. We refocus and try again, to get one more ball back. We'll use that lob tomorrow, maybe a little more than we normally do
The lob is used often in doubles as a change of pace or to force our opponents to adjust their court positions, wherein we make them uncomfortable. We can use it in singles as a change of pace and height our opponent receives. Giving your opponent balls at different heights is an important strategic tactic to use. A lob maybe a defensive shot, to buy time for you to prepare for your opponent's next shot ... AND to catch your breath.
The two pages below(just click on and enlarge them) describe in further detail the idea of the need for a proper follow through and a sense of feel and touch when executing the shot. Remember feel and touch are vital for all your shots. These tips from this great book by Bob Harman(see below) are some of the points I've made to you during our practices.
As with all the instructional points I've made here I used the blog to reinforce the learning and instruction I give you from practice. Upon watching a few of you today during our lobbing drill I saw some follow-thrus' that are good but actually got better when we repeated the 'lob target drill.'
We performed the 'lob drill' while also using 'target drills' to work on our ground strokes ... forehand and backhand sides. We did another target drill with our approach shot, volley and overhead. We worked on our return of serve and we played three games using each of our cross court ground strokes and a net game with approach shots, volleys and overheads. We started today's session, after the flexibility exercises, with a 'target drill' for our serves.
Read this short piece on the lob ... a tool in your tennis tool box. I underlined the necessary information which isn't more than 4 sentences, so read it and remember it when we practice and or play again.
Oct. 12th, 3 p.m. - Red Bank
Preview | Box Score
(8) Msgr. Donovan ---
(1) Red Bank Catholic ---
Oct. 12th, 3 p.m. - Holmdel
Preview | Box Score
(5) Notre Dame ---
(4) St. John Vianney ---
Oct. 12th, 2 p.m. - Pennsauken
Preview | Box Score
(6) Bishop Ahr ---
(3) Bishop Eustace ---
Oct. 12th, 3 p.m. - Absecon
Preview | Box Score
(7) Paul VI ---
(2) Holy Spirit ---
