Olginate.
A tiny club tucked between the hills and the lake, with quick courts that feel like they demand answers you’re not always ready to give.
Another tournament, another step.
And yet, this one shook me a little.
Let’s get this straight:
If you’re not a pro and you’re not doing anything to adapt, every new surface makes you a different player.
The courts at Olginate were fast. Much faster than I’m used to.
And the first thing that disappeared?
My topspin. Especially on the backhand.
I felt stripped of all weapons, (except my service), like being in a boxing match with one glove tied behind my back.
So I adjusted. I had to.
I traded aggression for calculation.
Topspin for flat shots.
Confidence for control.
And above all: I became a counterpuncher.
And… it worked.
Finalist in a Cat. 3 tournament.
Eighty points more in the race.
A tightly fought final, lost in a hard first set and a clean second.
So what’s the takeaway from Olginate?
Quid Pro Quo.
Those shortcuts, the defensive habits, the “dirty” solutions, they don’t just disappear when the tournament ends.
They stay with you, hidden in the muscle memory, ready to show up again when pressure returns.
The proof came quickly.
After Olginate, my timing with topspin was off.
My consistency vanished.
Precision felt like it had been shaken out of my hands.
It’s like my body learned something I didn’t actually want to learn.
The discovery?
Adapting too much can cost me my game.
The early lesson?
Maybe it’s not such a good idea to bend myself this way in the future.
Better preparation on quick courts, better anticipation of bounce and speed, that’s the way forward.
Winning ugly isn’t a real growth path for the long term.
One more tournament. One more lesson.
The surface may change. The opponent may change.
But the mission stays the same.
Still chasing the version of me that plays bold, plays free, and plays true.
Immer geradeaus.
The Underdog race continues.
