Wintergreen Tennis
Last weekend we went to Wintergreen Resort for a tennis clinic. Since we had two couples and our mixed doubles season starts tomorrow, the pro worked with us on doubles strategy. The instruction was excellent and we all learned some new things that we can use in our matches.
My favorite drill was a planned poach. The net person moves across to poach while the person at the baseline moves to the opposite side. Mr. SP and I tried this move a few times and I think we can win some points doing it.
The pro also worked with us on being more active at the net. I’m still not clear on exactly how to do this, but instead of standing in the middle of the square, he had us move diagonally back toward the service line toward the middle. What I’ve got to get straight in my head is WHEN to move. It made sense last weekend, but I’ll have to get Mr. SP to re-explain it to me so that I can actually do it. He also worked with us on moving to follow the ball. I should already know to do that, but I don’t always think about it.
I loved our pro and hope that we can go back to Wintergreen soon for another clinic. I’d also love to go with a group of ladies for a weekend. There was a group two courts down from us who were there from Richmond. They were having so much fun together. After tennis, they had spa appointments for massages. That sounds great!
Wintergreen is in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Here are some views from one of the overlooks:
You can see the Rockfish Valley in this picture. I grew up on farm there. I may be biased, but I think that this is one of the most beautiful areas in Virginia. If you watched The Waltons, you may remember them talking about going to Rockfish. The Waltons was set in Schyler, which isn’t too far from Wintergreen.
You can see the Eagles Swoop ski slope in this shot. Our condo was on this slope. It was a good spot to stay because we could walk to and from dinner.
I love poaching! With my height, I’ve been designated the net person 🙂 and we do this drill all the time! the surroundings though look magnificent.