“An action committed in anger, is an action doomed to failure.” — Genghis Khan
“When nature has work to be done, she creates a genius to do it.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“We may not be able to get certainty, but we can get probability, and half a loaf is better than no bread.” — Clive Staples Lewis
Sign on a restaurant tip jar: “If you fear change, leave it here.”
An almost unbelievable story of a blue-eyed, shepherd-type dog, Luna, who was lost at sea for five weeks and given up for dead. And then…
Read the Washington Post article about this remarkable story to get more details!
“Don’t be eye candy, be soul food.” — Unknown
“Trifles make perfection, but perfection is no trifle.” — Michelangelo
“Making one person smile can change the world; maybe not the whole world, but their world.” — Pravinee Hurbungs
“Temptation is an irresistible force at work on a movable body.” — H.L. Mencken
When I first started playing pickleball, the rule of the serve back then was to “just put the ball in play” and “don’t miss a serve.” The mantra was hit the ball high and deep; or some variation on that theme. Indeed this does work at the beginning levels of play. The emphasis on keeping the ball in play is a solid one because your team can only win points on the serve.
Since that time, I have seen a shift in attitude regarding the serve. New players entering the pickleball court are bringing skills from other sports like racquetball, ping pong, tennis, etc. There seems to be a bit more openness to trying something different on the serve and taking risks.
I too have adopted the more open philosophy in that I will take some chances during a game such as trying to serve the ball close to the line if it is to the backhand of the receiving player. I will also try to spin the ball once in a while just to keep the opposing team off balance a bit.
Here is my rationale. I don’t have a killer serve and most 3.5 and better players can get my serve back without a problem so the point needs to be won during a rally or volley.
There are times, however, if I take a risk and try one of the trickier shots mentioned above, I can often win one or two points a game on my serve by hitting an outright winner or forcing a weak return shot.
Because of this, I figure I can take a chance with my serve until I miss one or two and then I scale back a bit. This makes the game more fun for me and I hope more challenging for my opponents.
Mark Renneson of Third Shot Sports, who has been featured on JBRish many times, has a video addressing the serve. Interestingly enough, I recently had a pickleball coach watch me serve and he made the same points as Mark does. One key element I wasn’t getting quite right, was that I was not hitting the ball low enough on my serve. I was told it should be just above the height of my knee. Keeping this in mind has helped my serve.
Watch the video below and pay attention to the key points Mark makes about hitting the serve.
In Summary, I think these are the take-aways:
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Thanks to Mark and Third Shot Sports for allowing this to be presented on JBRish.com
“Rest is the sweet sauce of labor.” — Plutarch
“If you don’t stick to your values when they’re being tested, they’re not values, they’re hobbies.” — Jon Stewart
“It is easy to love people in memory; the hard thing is to love them when they are there in front of you.” — John Updike
“A married couple that plays cards together is just a fight that hasn’t started yet.” — George Burns
“An intellectual is someone whose mind watches itself.” — Albert Camus
“Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.” — Book of Proverbs
“A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life.” — William Arthur Ward
“Thinking here goes nothing could be the start of everything.” — Drew Wagner
After our lunch stop and being a bit refreshed, we once again boarded the bus heading for the Hakone area of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshū and Lake Ashinoko (Ashi). The lake apparently lies in a crater of a volcano that hasn’t erupted since approximately 1170 CE. More than just a boat ride on a lake, little did we know of the surprises that were in store for our band of travelers.
In preparation for our trip, some research disclosed that Japan is the number one, per capita vending machine country in the world and our experience seemed to prove this fact. We found many, many different commodities for sale via vending machines. Here is one bank of machines at the lake and there were others!
We boarded the ferry and began our cruise on the lake.
The mountain fingers jutted into the lake and were framed by the dramatic sky.
In the distance we could see a building on top of one of the peaks. We couldn’t immediately tell what it was.
As we continued in that direction, we passed a pirate ship. Who would have anticipated pirate ships like this in Japan?
The mountain top with the structure was looming larger as we approached and the clouds continued rolling in adding to the drama.
It now became obvious that this was a ropeway and there would be a ride to the top of the mountain in our immediate future!
The view from the top was awesome!
Behind the mechanical housing were two more traditional-looking structures
This was more akin to the tori we saw in the Meiji Shrine.
And of course, the pay off was the promise of a view of Mt. Fuji which was poking out from behind the mountains and clouds.
From time-to-time more of the clouds would give way to a glimpse of the majestic peak through the haze.
Mount Fuji proved mystical from this vantage point and these vistas left us satisfied.*
On the boat ride back to the dock. we passed a different pirate ship on lake Ashi.
The next stop was the anticipated ride on the bullet train. Our wonderful guide, Marie, escorted us to the platform to patiently await the arrival of our train.
The train was sleek…
and interestingly enough, while seated inside did not feel as speedy as it actually was.
Lastly, we navigated the crowded commuter trains back to our hotel and we were proud of our companions who were able to figure out the correct route with little difficulty.
This was one of the best ever travel days. We were tired, but content!
*For JBRish readers who would like to see a picture of Lake Ashi and Mt. Fuji during a different season, the picture below from Japan-guide.com might be of interest.
Read more about our trip to Japan in 2015:
Tokyo (2015) Day 1 – Meiji Shrine
Tokyo (2015) Day 1 – Imperial Palace East Gardens
Tokyo (2015) Day 1 – Sensoji (Asakusa Kannon) Buddhist Temple
Tokyo (2015) Day 1 – Wrapping Up
Tokyo (2015) Day 2 – Off To Mount Fuji And…
“My friends are my estate.” — Emily Dickinson
“Passion is what keeps you pushing on when the rewards of your effort are not that great or disappointing.” — Scott Robert Lim
“Just as a cautious businessman avoids tying up all his capital in one concern, so, perhaps, worldly wisdom will advise us not to look for the whole of our satisfaction from a single aspiration.” — Sigmund Freud
“There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life.” — Frank Zappa
