Playing in the Wind

Playing in the wind is a pain in the ass.  If you’ve ever agreed to the blustery gusts, and not left the courts in frustration, then you’ve suffered through just as much frustration trying to hit the damn ball semi accurately.  The only thing worse than playing in the wind is not playing at all, but that often sounds more appealing when you are faced with the decision to fight through the wind, or just play another day when it isn’t so windy.

Playing in the snow or rain is preferable to the wind, if you ask me.  In the rain the court becomes wet and slick but you tailor your movement to the surface and this extra caution keeps you upright - I’ve had three rain sessions and never eaten it. I slide out from under my shoes semi regularly when its dry.  We all assume we cannot overpower the traction on the bottom of our shoes when it is dry - but we can.  The wet conditions should not hinder you, nor install fear in the back of your mind.  If you are athletic you can definitely play in the rain.  Just prepare for heavy rain soaked balls that feel like brick walls every time you try to unload on a forehand approach.

Back to the wind though.  The wind is by far the most evil condition to play in.  It enters  your mind when you are serving and literally blows you over.  You whiff pretty much every first serve you actually go for.  Rolling in your seconds isn’t much easier.  You dial up doubles faults uncontrollably and sometimes out of sheer frustration and surrender.  And your mind festers and festers and begs for you to get off of the court so you can be happy again.  Persist though.

Like your mental woes, the wind fluctuates so frequently and comes and goes in intervals (not always, but usually), and even the if the wind is steady you should try to fight through it.  It will make you feel invincible in terms of shot placement the next time you find yourself playing in peaceful windless conditions.   It will build great mental fortitude too, and we could all use more of this.  That strength that digs you out of triple break point service games - or fails to ninety percent of the time.

Andy Murray won his first grand slam at the US Open in conditions that were windy.  Somehow he fought and won the fifth set after Djokovic clawed his way back into the match.  Murray’s mind must have been a living nightmare between the wind and the reality that Djokovic was on the brink of an historic comeback after losing the first two sets.  Somehow Murray battled on and won the fifth set.  I was fully confident Djokovic had the match after taking the fourth set.  This victory gave Murray the confidence to win tough matches and got him through a five set epic comeback in his semi final against an on fire Verdasco in Wimbledon the year he finally won the championships.

Play in the wind every chance you get.  Don’t walk away.  It will improve your game as much as hitting with a bigger hitter than yourself or taking lessons.  Playing in the wind has nothing to do with technique and everything to do with mental toughness.  Nobody can teach you to be mentally tough.  The wind can.