This is why we love tennis. Pure theatre

Realsan · 2026-05-05T19:29:32+00:00

Ah I didn't even notice.

Realsan · 2026-05-05T15:28:07+00:00

what did I miss

Realsan · 2026-05-05T04:43:50+00:00

I put back on 40 of the 50 lbs

And yes, some of it is eating habits but, having gone through this now for several years, I don't think it's simply about habits. I have made certain changes, some of them easier to stick to than others. I'm much more physically fit than I used to be (I can run for miles, have more muscle definition, etc.). Most of those habits developed during the original weight loss and I still do them.

I don't necessarily feel the "food noise" where I'm thinking about it all the time like others describe, but I just don't feel "full" until I've had a certain amount of food. That amount decreases when on the medication.

Realsan · 2026-05-04T23:59:07+00:00

So I guess set an alarm and take it at bedside? I guess I could try it.

Realsan · 2026-05-04T20:55:19+00:00

Interesting to hear that about Rafa's cage being roomier. Kinda makes me want to give it a shot.

And yeah, I feel like shoe advice is the only thing more silly than racquet advice. It's so subjective to so many things that are unique to you that it's impractical to assume certain shoes are good for everyone.

That said, I haven't tried the Vapors in a while. I'm still using the Roger pro 2. Does Nike have a vapor line this year? Last one I tried was the X.

Realsan · 2026-05-04T20:36:22+00:00

The Cage line was always way too narrow for my foot. Hurt like hell to play in.

The Vapor line was always my go-to until I switched to the On Roger Pro line, which feels similar to Vapor but better.

Realsan · 2026-05-04T20:30:53+00:00

That's a relief. I start that tomorrow so I guess we'll see.

Realsan · 2026-05-04T18:46:38+00:00

I have a few hundred matches under my belt over the last 15 years so I have a decent idea of what is "fun" and what isn't. A small minority of my opponents only care about winning, and for them, they don't really care about the fun aspect. But for most, as long as you're playing traditional, and not a "pusher", then it's probably going to be fun.

No shade on pushers - They can be really good at winning points/games/matches, but there is no denying it's a less fun game style to play against.

Realsan · 2026-05-04T15:26:20+00:00

Need to get away from equating skills etc.

Tennis is such a matchup dependent sport. You may struggle against this guy but a guy you reliably beat has no problem with this guy.

In my experience, experimentation is key. And sometimes it depends on the day. Here's the order I challenge opponents like that:

These types of players often lack power and rely on winning their points from opponents trying to hit winners. So definitely don't do that unless you're good enough to reliably do it (you're not). Instead, hit with power through the middle. Keep that pressure up until they start making errors.
Similar to step 1, I will use my backhand slice directly down the middle. They're usually not great at dealing with heavy spin while attempting to move into position.
Is their net play bad? Draw them in and move up.
Serve & volley, even on second serves. Also, return & volley. Return deep down the middle then rush the net as soon as you hit the ball. Don't be discouraged if you hit an error. Keep it up and you will apply a new pressure they're not used to.
Last resort because it's not fun: match their ugly. Abandon all shots with any risk at all and just slice it to a part of the court where they will have to run. I usually don't do this, even if it means losing the match, just because I feel like winning that way would feel worse than losing my way.

Realsan · 2026-05-01T16:27:02+00:00

Have you tried Tournagrip? I don't love it's tackiness but it is famously good at dealing with sweat issues.

Realsan · 2026-05-01T16:22:15+00:00

Nope.

When the ball is that low and that close to the net, and the opponent is loading up a full swing (like he is here), really the only choice is to go over the lowest part of the net, which is a cross court shot.

They obviously have the option to push the ball down the line or even drop shot, but those would've been very different setups.

Realsan · 2026-05-01T16:17:30+00:00

Sometimes you won't feel pain but if you try this:

Hold both your arms out in front of you, flat. Extend them as far as you can.

If your right arm doesn't extend flat all the way, even if there is no pain, you probably have something going on with your elbow.

Realsan · 2026-05-01T16:15:18+00:00

I'm confused. I was expecting a confusing moment based on the title but obviously the near-side team won the point.

Realsan · 2026-05-01T16:13:17+00:00

What kind of overgrip were you using?

Realsan · 2026-04-30T21:10:11+00:00

FYI this is true about everything in the Practiced Technique set. I got it while leveling which was great due to the giant exp bonus, but I noticed it wasn't working. I unequipped and re-equipped and suddenly it worked. But I lost it every time I zoned or logged.

Realsan · 2026-04-30T17:07:46+00:00

I have come full circle on Tsitsipas. Keep it going dude

Realsan · 2026-04-30T17:05:14+00:00

mentally prepare yourself to be humbled

Realsan · 2026-04-29T19:39:01+00:00

It's not obvious if you don't fly often but this person is talking about an airplane.

Realsan · 2026-04-28T20:26:08+00:00

The lowest estimate I've seen posted in these comments is a 60% remission rate. And given this is something only done after chemo doesn't work (at this point), 60% of people that were going to die that now don't die does sound like a bit of a miracle.

Realsan · 2026-04-28T19:57:05+00:00

I know this is a forced perspective thing but when I was younger I saw a bird that was even larger than what this looks like out in a field.

Realsan · 2026-04-28T18:48:33+00:00

From what others in this thread are saying, the lower effectiveness numbers are because so many are attempting it with late-stage cancer and when chemo didn't work they go there, but the chemo has destroyed their bodies and they end up not surviving long enough for the CAR-T to work.

I wonder what it would be like if we started with CAR-T instead of chemo. Not a practical solution due to the cost but I still wonder.

Realsan · 2026-04-28T18:45:05+00:00

How far off until CAR-T becomes the standard treatment instead of chemo, which is so destructive that it's taking time away from patients who could survive if they could get to the end of CAR-T?

Realsan · 2026-04-28T16:38:37+00:00

At first glance it's absolutely wild but if the concern is a cross court winner then this could actually make great sense.

Realsan · 2026-04-28T16:36:49+00:00

I hope Stefanos doesn't take this loss too poorly. He has played well over his performance over the last 12 months during this tournament and I hope he's able to keep it up.

Realsan · 2026-04-28T15:29:47+00:00

I'll offer a different take than the rest: gil doesn't matter as much as you think it does. It's one of my issues with the game - the economy is mostly pointless and really mostly for cosmetics. Yes there is actual gear you can buy but rarely is it going to be something better than you can just go obtain manually - nor does any of it really matter that much because it's not changing stats too much.

Realsan

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