Looking Good During The Game

My daughter has awesome legs. Amazing legs, to be honest. I assure you she did not inherit them from me, and since her father isn’t terribly svelte I doubt she got them from him, either. She got her gorgeous gams the hard way: by working on them.

In addition to volleyball, she’s an avid tennis buff to which the abundance of tennis equipment in her room attests. Somehow, this child of mine who used to trip over her own feet, has become an all-out athlete whose prowess on the courts is truly inspiring. She’s such a die-hard fan that while other girls her age ask for cars (or at least new iPods or cell phones) for their birthdays, her wish list is filled with various tennis racquets.

Apparently, one racquet alone is not enough. There are racquets for indoor play and racquets for outdoor courts. Some are for beginner players while others are for those with skill. Some companies, offer specific racquets based on a player’s typical swing speed and style. Some are for those with swift swings while others are for those who swing hard but slow.

On top of it, some companies like the one that makes Babolat racquets have engineered their racquets to reduce impact and ease vibration, on top of which they offer various string patterns that affect spin and determine the sweet spot.

I had no idea, and I think my daughter was counting on that when she suggested that I take up tennis as a way to get some additional exercise. Standing there, faced with so many different options and styles in the tennis shop, I quickly sniffed that I couldn’t possibly play without first buying myself a real tennis bracelet. (No real players wear those, she tells me.)

But meanwhile, she’d found a new pair of shoes and a visor she just couldn’t live without. Naturally, I bought them for her and pretended that at some point I’d continue shopping for basic tennis equipment so I could learn how to play. She, meanwhile, pretended to believe me. We were halfway to the car when I realized she’d known all along how that shopping trip would turn out.

Love, set, match. Dang, she’s good.