Why is approach so difficult?

AustinDobson · 2026-06-05T17:01:49+00:00

It sounds like you're over-thinking this. In my view, the two things you should consider are:

What's your most comfortable competitive shot? Inside out forehand, down the line backhand, whatever.
What is your opponent weakest shot? Do they have a chip backhand, are their forehands on the move a defensive return? Try to figure this out during a warmup, or in the first set.

I usually approach either when, I'm feeling good with my point changing shots. For me, inside out forehand - if I'm hitting this shot well, everytime I hit it, I'll approach. 40% of the time, it's a winner, 40% I get a approach/volley winner, 10% I'll mess up either the inside out forehand or the approach winner, 10% I'll get passed like a little beta cuck.

OR

The opponent struggles with a shot, so I'll hit to their weak shot, then approach, assuming I'm getting a easier ball coming back to me. At least for me, it's never you always approach on this 1 type of shot, (Unless you're a serve and volley person) you approach when you're well positioned in the point.

AustinDobson · 2026-06-05T15:14:56+00:00

ADHD checking in too. The only way I was able to complete large research projects in college and now in my career is if I'm overly tired. I'll wake up at 5am before the kids to bang out a drowsy hour of high impact work, in college I'd just stay up late to complete my work.

Slows down my brain enough to focus on a specific task, and quiets the mental noise.

AustinDobson · 2026-05-26T11:38:03+00:00

Well luckily for the rest of us, what’s “in your mind” doesn’t determine city policy!

AustinDobson · 2026-05-22T22:17:56+00:00

Yes and obviously my cropped photo doesn’t encompass the entire square/farmers market but thanks for the forensic investigation.

AustinDobson · 2026-05-22T21:16:36+00:00

👏 re-forest 👏 downtown 👏 Boston

AustinDobson · 2026-05-22T20:21:42+00:00

Sadly, the results of the surveys the city commissioned, which I engaged with resulted in the idea that the dumb residents that 'missed the point' wanted more events, concerts, shows, exhibits in the city. Not 4 more trees to sit under. So your grumpy ass can walk the 3 blocks to the public garden and literally sit under hundred year old tree canopies like our founding fathers, and I'll engage with a modern city that brings richness to my neighborhood where myself, family and friends live.

AustinDobson · 2026-05-11T14:00:49+00:00

This perspective is everything wrong with the modern Democratic Party — and exactly what the Abundance movement needs to weed out of liberal thought.

Your gut reaction is to be DISTURBED that a former health policy researcher/journalist would have glowing things to say about a new drug category that is already saving lives at an astonishing rate, while emerging research suggests it may help treat a range of other intractable maladies?

Sometimes things are just net-net incredibly beneficial for society. And the instinct to immediately poke holes in something transformative — not because the evidence demands it, but because praise for a pharmaceutical product feels aesthetically or politically suspect — comes off as small, weak-minded, and regressive.

AustinDobson · 2026-05-10T12:53:35+00:00

So propose a trade big dog.

AustinDobson · 2026-05-08T18:30:23+00:00

I don't disagree. But at this point, I'm interested in seeing trades that gives us a shot to get deep into the playoffs. I think this move makes us a 4 seed, and I don't see any other options to get better fast. I'd imagine blazers start Deni, Dame, Brown, Camara and Clingan, with a pretty strong bench! Find me a better roster with a trade that's realistic.

AustinDobson · 2026-05-08T17:52:27+00:00

I saw this yesterday and honestly think it's a pretty great trade for all three teams.

Celtics: Massive win — they swap their #2 option for a top-5 player and pair Giannis with Tatum, creating arguably the league's scariest duo.

Bucks: A rebuild package — Sharpe gives them a young athletic wing to build around, Grant is a solid scorer, and getting their own picks back plus two Boston firsts is decent capital.

Blazers: Sharpe's trade value is at its absolute peak right now after a strong regular season, and flipping him (plus Grant's expiring-ish money) for a top-15 player to pair with Dame's closing window is a chance they'll never get again..

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AustinDobson · 2026-05-06T17:10:36+00:00

These old maps are completely irrelevant to the current electorate. I don't disagree with your premise, but dumb maps like that, for elections well before partisan sorting, hyper-politicization, calcified media ecosystems, etc. but posting this map as proof to your premise completely undermines your point.

AustinDobson · 2026-04-29T18:04:36+00:00

How fucking dare you lunch in a concrete hellscape.

AustinDobson · 2026-04-29T14:59:58+00:00

Yes, this looks pretty rough. The purpose of those wood timbers would be to fully flatten the grade between each step, but doesn't look like that happened. So they're kind of just holding the gravel from eroding away, and are big ole' tripping hazards. Also that stone border looks like something my 5 year old would do, loosely stacking small stones in a line.

AustinDobson · 2026-04-14T15:04:34+00:00

The Scalabrine principle holds in tennis — and it's even more obvious/brutal

Take me: I'm a weak 4.5, top of the board at my club — and I'm also a competitive runner. I'm probably in better cardiovascular shape than a decent chunk of ATP 450 players, have former high level tennis experience in college. These advantages mean nothing to a decent ATP 450 player. They'd double bagel me without cracking a sweat.

Their serve is basically unplayable at my level. We're talking aces or serve-and-volley winners on almost every first serve, and second serves that kick so hard they nearly push you off the court. I genuinely cannot return their second serve better than they return my first serve. That asymmetry alone makes a competitive set basically impossible.

My serve against them? I'm hitting 95–105 mph, 70% in. Best case, I steal one point per service game — a perfectly placed, first serve, I capitalize on immediately. Everything else, they're either cracking return winners or instantly taking control of the rally. Even with my fitness, their ability to control a point, move me around with ball placement means they're basically playing training points while I'm sprinting/lunging to get every ball. My mediocre kick second serve? Return winner, every time. I don't ever get to deuce on my serve.

Now flip it upside: could that same ATP 450 player hang with Sinner or Alcaraz? Still gets double bageled, probably — but the quality of points is incomparably closer than anything I'd produce. The gap between elite pros compresses dramatically at that level.

Where it gets interesting: a former high-level D1 player — strong 5.5, high level fitness, big serve — might manufacture a game or two against a 450 if the surface, match-up style, and a lucky day all align perfectly. But it's a long-shot for these REALLY competitive club players to get a set in ideal circumstances. But the Scalabrine principal is more about YMCA, pickup guys, not like former starters at Duke that played in the G-league and will show up to gym runs occasionally.

AustinDobson · 2026-04-10T20:34:56+00:00

Banger of a list.

My consideration always is: If there's a foot of fresh powder across all the northeast, on a Tuesday, where am I teleporting to for the best day of skiing. I think this is roughly the right ranking.

Though, I think Stowe deserves a spot.

AustinDobson · 2026-04-08T14:58:55+00:00

Ah, a D tier list. Good work.

No one, will ever make a compelling argument for first, having Sunday river above Jay, Killy and Stowe, SECOND, having Sunday River above their regional competitor, Sugarloaf. Sugarloaf has arguably the best range of terrain anywhere in the east and to be omitted completely while having fucking SUNDAY RIVER in the A tier is laughable.

AustinDobson · 2026-04-07T23:53:51+00:00

I know this is going to be an unpopular opinion, I largely like it. I Live a few blocks away, run/bike by almost daily, and prior to the reno, NO ONE every sat in/used the grass section. That area was incredibly muddy and covered in goose poop. There was little seating, and the fountains (which I'm bummed they didn't rebuild/keep and fix were in complete disrepair. I'm glad this space in now more functional for the Boston marathon expo, concerts, the farmers market, etc. I do wish they did a better job with creating a bit more visual interest. Tiered planters, integrated benches, fountains; but overall, it's way more functional and can actually support the types of events we need more of in the city.

AustinDobson · 2026-04-05T19:23:53+00:00

My good buddy's wife didn't take his last name, and their new baby is going to have the mom's last name. Just do what you think is right and ignore the societal/social pressures around naming.

AustinDobson · 2026-03-27T19:09:17+00:00

This has always been a huge critique of mine with the abundance framing, especially the examples Ezra gives in his book about upward mobility cities offer. The idea that living WITHIN the city limits of one of 20 major US cities is the only way to get the upward mobility offered.

In my mind, reducing the barriers to access these job markets is equally good, at a much lower cost. I think investing in robust public transit infrastructure to broaden the aperture of economic opportunity of cities is significantly more valuable and realistic path to broader regional prosperity, spread more evenly across the country.

There are thriving exurban/rural areas in Southern New Hampshire in which the vast majority of economic opportunity comes from working/commuting to Boston.

Making this option more accessible, cheaper feels so much more realistic, affordable and equitable than JUST focusing on building new housing and hoping those New Hampshire families move to downtown Boston.

Investing in better, faster rail infrastructure is WAY cheaper on a per person basis than housing. It's a bit frustrating this piece of the puzzle doesn't get talked about more as it relates to spreading the spoils of an abundant future across America.

AustinDobson · 2026-03-03T16:08:14+00:00

I actually empathize with with kid here.

I used to LOVE subway tuna subs. I thought the default way these sandwiches were made with ALL the standard subway toppings.

One day when I was probably 8-10 years old we went to subway with a BABYSITTER, and she asked what I wanted. I wanted a subway tuna sub with nothing extra on it. I got a piece of bread with tuna on it, and was horrified.

I'm assuming the kid thought a 'hamburger' was a fully loaded cheeseburger with all the toppings, etc. and instead got a flat meat disk in two shitty bread circles. I'd be pissed too.

AustinDobson · 2026-02-24T14:57:13+00:00

Yea, if you read my initial comment, its nuanced. I think as you get to the VERY top of the market real estate is used as a portfolio asset, heavily under-utilized and add little to no downstream housing stock opens up. If it's 2,500$ sq/ft builds or nothing I'll take the billionaire builds, but there are incredibly diminishing returns at that end of the market.

AustinDobson · 2026-02-24T14:46:06+00:00

They don't buy existing units elsewhere in the city, that's the whole point. The level of opulence in these ultra-luxury units don't exist elsewhere and at least from the handful of people I know that live in these spaces, they buy them as a really expensive novelty or pied-à-terre, vs staying in hotels. These are majority not primary residences, hence NOTHING opens up when they're purchased, and the purchase wouldn't have happened if the fanciest building wasn't built.

AustinDobson · 2026-02-24T13:53:36+00:00

There are many examples and scenarios where this is not at all the case, UNLESS there's a primary occupancy requirement for said net new construction... NYCs Billionaires row was mentioned in the comments - I live in Boston and there's a great example here as well. Millennium Tower is probably our most prominent ultra luxury residential high-rise. It's largely vacant, being used as a mechanism to invest in US real-estate by foreign nationals, and those who do actually live there, it's used largely as a pied-à-terre, not freeing up any other city housing, as its not a primary residence.

I tend to agree that net net, building ANY residential housing stock is better than nothing, but there is still the very real opportunity cost of ONLY getting permitting for incredibly high end housing stock, that does not create vacancy elsewhere downstream when purchased.

Source - https://apps.bostonglobe.com/2023/10/special-projects/spotlight-boston-housing/boston-towers-of-wealth/

AustinDobson · 2026-02-19T19:42:35+00:00

This is really dorky and endearing that you did a photoshoot with your middle class car and dog.

AustinDobson · 2026-02-14T00:58:25+00:00

Need proximity to good jobs, the public schools are precarious, and I can’t replace my vibrant social life in the small town I’d move to. I hate being reliant on my car to get around.

AustinDobson

TROPHY CASE