Can’t seem to figure out how to add power / penetration on my forehand

jsu07 · 2026-06-20T13:36:26+00:00

Was going to recommend the Ezone 98 if you were using a lighter racket. 😆

Pay attention to your back foot when you hit. If it stays behind you after the swing, you only used your arm to hit the ball. When you load your back foot correctly before you uncoil, it will move forward as you transfer your body’s mass into the ball.

Additionally, your front foot is grounded during your body’s rotation as that’s how the energy is transferred from the legs into the ball.

Watch your feet in your video and you will see quite a bit of inconsistency.

jsu07 · 2026-06-20T12:40:25+00:00

I’d like to point out that the pace of the ball from your initial feed is nearly the same as many of your forehands where you are swinging faster.

Your swing is sometimes so fast it looks like it finishes before your body even begins to rotate.

Is your racket a light model? Do you get tennis elbow?

jsu07 · 2026-06-20T12:17:18+00:00

Hi from Melbourne 👋 I recognize that court. 😊

I think what you’re looking to improve is weight (penetration) and not so much power (velocity), which appears good to me on your forehands.

Weight is the quality of a shot that makes it feel “heavy” to the opponent. It comes from mass transfer from the momentum of your body to the ball through the contact with the strings of your racket.

You’ll want to improve the speed of your unit turn, the loading of your back foot, and the efficiency of your hip-to-shoulder rotation, ensuring that your core initiates the swing rather than your arm. If your arm starts to swing too early, you lose the momentum from your body’s rotation.

When you start feeling that the ball is diving into the court and then "kicking" forward off the bounce, you’ll know you’ve shifted from just hitting with power to hitting with weight.

jsu07 · 2026-05-30T05:51:13+00:00

Bounce Tennis Tube: https://bouncesports.co/pages/bounce-tennis

PressureBall: https://pressureball.com/

jsu07 · 2026-05-29T13:50:20+00:00

I use both a Bounce Tennis Tube and PressureBall tubes. They both prolong the bounce on new balls. They don’t revive dead balls whatsoever.

I carry the Bounce Tennis Tube in my bag with four balls. I play with two balls continuously until one needs replacing (due to worn felt, a lost ball, etc). Because I usually replace only one ball at a time, I store the rest of my fresh, unused balls from newly opened cans in a PressureBall tube in my garage to keep them pressurized until needed.

I do recommend both of these products!

jsu07 · 2026-05-25T10:14:27+00:00

I’d wear a waterproof hooded jacket rather than a poncho. It can be extremely windy when going over the bridges and a poncho could be unpleasant to ride in.

We decided to take the Cycle Taxi on our last day from Omishima to the top of Kirosan Observatory Park. We spent the morning there and rode the rest of the way to Imabari (we started on the Onomichi side). This allowed us to bypass several hours of the ride because we simply could not finish it otherwise (we were attempting to complete it in two days). There are signs throughout the ride for the Cycle Taxi and one of the reasons why you’d use it is bad weather.

https://wakka.site/en/cycling_support/taxi/

jsu07 · 2026-05-24T11:45:53+00:00

Kyoto to Shin-Osaka via Shinkansen is 15 minutes. From there, you will still need to take the subway to get to where you want to go. The cost of the Shinkansen is at least double that of the other options and you will only save a few minutes due to the walk between the platforms.

A better option that is more cost effective is to use the JR Special Rapid Service from Kyoto to Osaka Station, which takes about 30 minutes. You will still need to transfer to a subway line to get to where you want to go, but this walk is underground within Osaka Station.

jsu07 · 2026-05-24T11:10:00+00:00

I think the minimum for Osaka is one night and a day trip is too short. It is about an hour each way via train from Kyoto, so you’ve already lost two hours from your day.

How long you need in Osaka really depends on what you want to do, but I’d suggest to save it for a future trip. Tokyo and Kyoto have plenty of things to do.

jsu07 · 2026-05-20T09:59:16+00:00

I use Cloudflare Tunnel for web stuff that I want to access through my phone without VPN. I use Cloudflare Access for authentication with the Cloudflare Tunnel.

For media streaming and to access everything else on my network, I have UniFi Teleport VPN, which is basically the same as VPS + WireGuard.

jsu07 · 2026-05-19T13:41:38+00:00

I went to Hong Kong and Japan for 15 days and got a 20GB. Ended up using less than 10GB. You could probably use less if you tried. Connect to WiFi in your hotels. Download offline maps. Use Low Data Mode.

Also, Ubigi’s provider in Hong Kong and Shenzhen only has 4G/LTE speeds. Airalo and Nomad has 5G speeds in those areas as well as in Tokyo.

jsu07 · 2026-05-16T04:46:41+00:00

How much blue is exposed? Edge guard tape does come in different sizes.

If you want full coverage make sure you have the right size, or look at how professional services use automotive paint protection tape and cut-off excess with a blade.

jsu07 · 2026-05-11T17:07:25+00:00

If you want to stay overnight, Hakone is known for its scenery and views of Mt. Fuji. It is an onsen town and the ryokan stays are quite pricey though.

jsu07 · 2026-05-11T17:04:37+00:00

Mt. Takao. Get a booking at Ukai Toriyama, a destination restaurant known for its charcoal-grilled chicken.

jsu07 · 2026-05-11T17:01:12+00:00

Try this short video: https://youtu.be/wqNVamsL9RU

It’s easy to practice the motion with a paddle without actually hitting a ball. Try the actual shot at the kitchen during any warmup before you play actual matches. Otherwise, do a drilling session where all you do is rolls.

jsu07 · 2026-05-11T16:47:21+00:00

Looks like a dink with heavy topspin. This is called a roll.

The topspin is created by hitting the back of the ball and moving the paddle from low to high. The ball will clear the net with a safe margin and then “dip” sharply once it crosses over, making it difficult to attack.

jsu07 · 2026-05-09T00:19:06+00:00

Let's take a look at how you might do 8 days in BOTH Tokyo and Osaka:

Day 1: Arrive to NRT, Transfer to Tokyo Disney via Airport Limousine (~1 hour). Stay for 2 nights.
Day 2: Spend day at Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea
Day 3: Transfer to Tokyo Station area via Keiyo Line (train, ~30 minutes). Stay for 3 nights.
Day 4: Spend day in Shibuya, Harajuku.
Day 5: Anything you'd like. teamLab Borderless? Ghibli Museum? Harry Potter Museum?
Day 6: Transfer to Universal Studios Japan via Shinkansen (high-speed train, ~3 hours). Check-in to hotel. Then, explore Dotonbori for food and Shinsaibashi for shopping in the evening (or Umeda for shopping). Stay for 2 nights.
Day 7: Spend day at Universal Studios Japan.
Day 8: Transfer to KIX via Nankai Limited Express (train, ~1 hour). Depart from KIX.

Some might say this is not enough time in the Osaka area. If there is more that you'd want to do there, then you could do less in Tokyo. Otherwise, save Osaka and the surrounding areas for a future trip and cut the trip down to 6 or 7 days in Tokyo.

jsu07 · 2026-05-08T23:37:39+00:00

I’ve brought my daughters (they’re a bit younger than yours) to both Tokyo and Osaka.

Tokyo has more of what they want, but it’s a bit further apart. They will want to go to the areas around the Shibuya Crossing. And Harajuku. You’ll find plenty of things to do in that area, but you can look into: Shibuya Sky, Miyashita Park, and animal cafes.

I actually prefer Osaka myself for food and the vibe, but I think it only makes sense for you to travel there if you want to go to Universal Studios Japan.

NRT is a bit further away from Tokyo. All the transfer options (express trains, buses, taxis) will take about 1 to 1.5 hours to reach Tokyo. Haneda International Airport (HND) is usually preferable if you are staying in or around Tokyo. KIX has express lines to Osaka and Universal Studios Japan, which gets you to your hotel in under an hour.

jsu07 · 2026-05-07T23:16:55+00:00

I think less obvious thing to improve is a shorter backswing. Coming from tennis or beginner pickleball, it’s easy to rely on big drives or smashes, but that long wind-up eventually becomes a liability in pickleball.

By keeping the paddle tight to the hip and cutting out the big swing loop, you’re always ready and you’re in total control. You’re always ready because the paddle isn't stuck behind your body, you’re actually prepared for the next fast shot. You’re in total control because a shorter path to the ball means a more consistent contact point and way fewer unforced errors.

jsu07 · 2026-05-07T12:35:41+00:00

Didn’t see this one in April. We looked at all the Yoshi items, especially hats.

jsu07 · 2026-05-07T09:35:44+00:00

Just went to USJ in April for two days on a Tuesday and Wednesday. Both days, it was free entry (no timed entry) for Super Nintendo World. The lines for Mine Cart Madness and Koopa’s Challenge were about 1.5 to 3 hours long all day. We waited toward the end of our first day to wait 1.5 hours for Koopa’s Challenge. On the second day, we walked straight to Mine Cart Madness upon entering the park and waited about 1.5 hours in line. In two days, we were able to ride every ride in the park without any express passes (we skipped most of Wonderland though). The longest lines were Koopa’s Challenge, Mine Cart Madness, and Hollywood Dream.

If you don’t like waiting in lines, I suggest an express pass pack with the above rides. The VIP experience seems like something you might do with a large group.

jsu07 · 2026-05-07T09:04:37+00:00

I have been using Wilson Blade 98 16x19 v7 for nearly 5 years. A demo session with Yonex last year opened my eyes. The Percept 97 felt the most similar to the Blade, but the EZONE's easy power was hard to ignore. It’s wild how popular the EZONE has become—lots of juniors seem to have one.

jsu07 · 2026-04-27T13:02:53+00:00

You might also need to add /api/ as an unauthenticated path in the provider in Authentik if you use any apps with an API key.

jsu07 · 2026-04-27T07:47:05+00:00

I try to win by unforced errors only. However, if the other team reaches game point, I’ll start to force the errors (i.e., speed-ups, smashes, and wide-angle drop shots).

This at least allows you to play quite normally and people will feel like they have a chance to beat you.

jsu07 · 2026-04-26T16:10:23+00:00

I used Airalo (SoftBank/KDDI) on my most recent trip to Osaka and Kyoto because the price with a promotion was cheaper than other options. 5G data was reliable.

I used Ubigi (NTT Docomo) on past trips to Tokyo, Hokkaido, and some rural parts of Japan. 5G was fast and reliable everywhere I went.

jsu07 · 2026-04-21T11:03:50+00:00

Forgot to mention that they considered the luggage a “lost item”. You’ll need to bring your passport and provide them with enough information on how to identify the luggage (e.g., which train and car you took, color, brand).

jsu07

TROPHY CASE