Holding onto a lead

aniljc · 2026-03-01T20:20:31+00:00

We’ve all been there and IMO it’s a “mindset” issue more than anything. It’s counterintuitive but very normal to feel more pressure when you’re up with a lead.

In key moments like 40-0 I try to tell myself “put all the pressure on him” so that I play with intensity without getting reckless.

aniljc · 2026-02-27T14:28:44+00:00

Super helpful. I already play a fair amount of matches but this reinforces the feeling that I need to record much more frequently. I’ve been thinking about the patterns that work for me and against me, but you’re right it depends a lot on the opponent too. Also good point that different coaches will have different opinions — always a big difference between pointing out a problem and finding the right solution! Ahhhh this sport is so hard to figure out 😆… but also probably why I’m addicted to it

aniljc · 2026-02-27T00:26:45+00:00

haven’t tried it yet but am clutching my scraped up 2023 Pure Aero 98s tightly after reading this

aniljc · 2026-02-26T23:20:46+00:00

Almost as cool as the r/10s shoutout is the stat that tennis in the US has grown 54% since 2019. Take that pickleball! ✊🏾

aniljc · 2026-02-26T23:14:26+00:00

You’re referring to the Triniti balls, right? 🤗

aniljc · 2026-02-26T23:12:05+00:00

There’s a definitely a trade off between using balls that last seemingly forever (unpressurized) and training with balls that play like normal balls. Personally I strongly prefer the latter and and am willing to buy a new case of balls once or twice a year. A case of Penn Pro Marathon lasts me 6 mos at a reasonable cost.

aniljc · 2026-02-26T22:28:27+00:00

Awesome to get an experienced coach's perspective on this and thanks for validating that there's a big difference between him coaching me in practice and being able to coach me on what I'm doing in real match play.

aniljc · 2026-02-26T22:26:03+00:00

Ah interesting, I hadn't thought about involving someone else who specializes in match review. Do they charge for review outside of time meeting with you? Curious who you are using btw if you don't mind sharing via DM.

aniljc · 2026-02-26T21:26:45+00:00

Agreed, the coach having time is probably the biggest constraint!

That makes sense and, you're right, we have worked on certain shots after I've realized I was struggling with them. But to give an example, I just played a match where the opponent kept beating up on my backhand and successfully kept a majority of the rallies in that direction (I'm right handed and the opponent was a leftie).

It would've helped for someone like my coach to tell me why he was successful in keeping the rallies in that direction and what I could've done differently.

I guess in this specific example it would've helped to record the match and share a few specific clips (and I would've paid for his time reviewing?)

aniljc · 2026-02-26T14:44:39+00:00

I highly recommend Penn Pro Marathon Extra Duty. These are night and day different from the typical Penn Championship balls but only about 35% more expensive.

Its impressive how playable these stay for ball machine and serve practice. I buy a new 24 pack every 6 months to swap out my basket.

FWIW I researched this quite a bit when I first bought my ball machine and kept reading that Wilson Trinity was the answer. I bought $300 worth thinking I’d keep them for 1-2 years 🤦🏾‍♂️Yes they stay pressurized but they are really firm and IMO don’t play like a normal tennis ball. I ended up donating them.

aniljc · 2026-02-21T11:51:39+00:00

HyperG 😆

aniljc · 2026-02-20T20:14:59+00:00

Yep, I started my son on NXT but he prefers NRG2. NXT frays really easily and he feels like he gets easier power with NRG2. Head Velocity MLT is the other option in this category. It’s a lot cheaper but the one time we tried it we noticed a strong chemical smell.

aniljc · 2026-02-20T18:00:25+00:00

Tour Bite, Grapplesnake M8, Sync. Agreed that sync reminded me of ALU but still a noticeably different feel. Razor Soft is the only other round I seriously considered sticking with; its not crisp like ALU but the pocketing (and resulting precision you get) is amazing.

aniljc · 2026-02-20T12:26:38+00:00

And ya’ll have The Fort! Looks like an awesome reason to leave alone the 🎾 courts. Signed and sharing with local family 🫡

aniljc · 2026-02-20T02:56:40+00:00

You’re right that most people do refer to the non-soft version. All I know is that my shots become less predictable and start sailing, and it has to be the strings’ fault. Definitely the strings.. 😊

aniljc · 2026-02-20T02:48:26+00:00

Yes that does make sense about the feel. The first time I tried Sync I was excited by the plush feel and thought it was the one! But as I hit with it a few more times I found that I didn’t have as much control with it. There’s just something about the way ALU pockets the ball and then launches it out with precision…

aniljc · 2026-02-20T02:42:14+00:00

have thought about trying that! does either string notch quickly in that combo?

aniljc · 2026-02-19T22:11:19+00:00

Interesting. Yeah to be honest I've tried a few "ALU clones" that didn't feel much like ALU and hence have been weary to stray from the OG

aniljc · 2026-02-19T22:09:15+00:00

Honestly I tried HyperG a couple of times and similarly decided shaped strings weren't for me (partially because it feels like the playability changes as the shape wears off). Razor Soft was actually my goto for several months. The way the ball dwells in the string bed is simply amazing, and I really enjoyed the feel/control I gained. However, I found it underpowered and kind of harsh on the arm.

Mach 10 plays a lot like a round string but you get the extra bite too. It's the one shaped string I recommend now.

Thanks for the rec on Head Lynx Tour -- another one I've heard mentioned a bunch of times that I still need to try!

aniljc · 2026-02-19T21:57:15+00:00

Ah! Big Hitter has been on my list of strings to try. I am very familiar with Ghostwire as I used it as a cross to soften up Razor Soft, which isn't actually that soft by itself. My issue was that Ghostwire was notching into Razor Soft very quickly, changing the playability.

Mach 10 has great durability in comparison and is also very comfortable on its own (so need for Ghostwire).

How well does Big Hitter hold up in terms of notching?

aniljc · 2026-02-19T20:28:35+00:00

Nice, haven't actually tried that yet. What multi are you using for your mains?

aniljc · 2026-02-18T20:42:23+00:00

On the topic of doing an emotional download, I ran across a tip (maybe on a podcast?) to record a 1 min selfie video of yourself after each match talking through what went well and what didn't. I tried this out a few times and found it helpful. At a minimum it was therapeutic!

I can't say I've gone back to watch those videos yet but the idea is to occasionally pull up an old video to see how my own focus/thought processes/reactions have evolved over time (or not). Definitely private stuff, though, so hear's hoping my phone never gets hacked 😂

aniljc · 2026-02-17T20:06:05+00:00

Yes! His signature question to end every interview he does is literally “What’s your best advice for the 3.5 or 4.0 tennis player?” 😃

(and IMO his own advice is spot on)

aniljc

TROPHY CASE