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Racquetball
Lesson
The once-monthly Wednesday
Women's night at the health club. How I looked forward to it!
"You"re getting the
hang of it, Courtney," Megan told me. "Next time put a little more
wrist into it." She handed me another racquetball. I bounced it
a couple of times with my left hand, and gave it one final bounce.
I swung at it and caught a piece of it and sent it careening off
to the side to hit the wall on my right.
"You have to keep your
eye on the ball!" Megan said for what seemed to be the fifteenth
time. It was difficult to do. There was so much distraction. I heard
giggles from above me.
I looked up and saw
some of the other women from the club looking over the railing.
One of them gave me some encouragement, "Don't worry, girl, you"ll
get used to it. We've all had to learn the game at one time or another."
Megan continued her
lecture. "You have to hit the ball squarely. It's the only way to
control it and get some power behind it. Let me show you one more
time." She dropped the ball, and it all seemed like slow motion
to me when she did it as it sunk slowly to the floor and rebounded.
There was a horizontal blur, a loud "POOM!" and the blue rubber
sphere sizzled towards its target. "You see," she said, "I never
took my eyes off the ball until I felt it contact. Now you try it
again."
I concentrated intensely
at the place in space where I expected the ball to be when I was
ready to hit it. I tried to block out my surroundings. I wish I
had blinders. I was determined not to move my head until after I
heard it hit. I took a couple of practice swings just to get my
timing and space down. I dropped the ball. It hit the floor softly
and bounced back up to exactly where I wanted it. I could already
feel my arm moving forward. I could feel the power transfer as racquet
met ball. "POOM!" I knew in a split second that I had made good
contact.
Only then did I raise
my head to look down court ... just in time to see my ball hit the
rear end of the naked man kneeling in front of the wall. There were
round red marks on his behind from where Megan had made contact
previously, and now I added my mark to her score. The giggling above
me had stopped, and was now replaced with applause.
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