Okay, so I spent some time digging into this Paul vs Fognini thing the other day. Not just watching highlights, but really trying to break down a specific part of their game. It started kinda randomly, actually.
I was stuck indoors, nursing a stupid strained calf muscle – got way too ambitious trying to chase down a drop shot last week, classic weekend warrior move. Anyway, scrolling through old matches, I landed on one featuring Tommy Paul and Fabio Fognini. Two very different players, right?
Getting Down to It
So, I’m watching, mostly just killing time. But then Fognini hits this absolutely casual-looking backhand drop shot winner. Just flicks the wrist, barely looks like he’s trying. Made me mad, honestly, because I know how hard that actually is. Paul, on the other hand, is all energy, grinding from the baseline, athletic as heck. Got me thinking about the contrast.
My calf wasn’t that bad, just needed rest from running. So, I figured, why not practice something low-impact? I grabbed my racket and a bucket of old balls and headed to the garage. Didn’t even need a court, just the garage door as my backboard. My mission: try to replicate that lazy-looking Fognini drop shot.
The ‘Practice’ Part
- First, I just tried mimicking the motion I saw. Stand there, relaxed, little backswing, just guide the ball.
- Ball one: Thuds into the bottom of the garage door. Not even close to net height.
- Ball two: Sailed way too high, almost hit the ceiling light.
- Ball three: Actually decent trajectory, but zero backspin. Just floated.
Okay, this was harder than it looked. Fognini makes it seem like an afterthought. I spent probably a good 45 minutes just standing there, trying different grips, different levels of wrist action. Sweating buckets in the garage, mind you, trying to hit a shot that looks effortless.
I started focusing on the feel. Trying to ‘cut’ under the ball more. Tried opening the racket face just so. It’s a ridiculous amount of touch required. Out of maybe 100 attempts against the garage door, I think I got maybe 5 that felt remotely right – soft hands, nice low trajectory, decent spin (judging by how it died after hitting the concrete).
What I Figured Out
It really drove home the difference between raw athleticism like Paul’s (which is also hard, don’t get me wrong) and that pure, god-given talent and touch Fognini has. You can drill baseline consistency. You can improve fitness. But that kind of feathery touch? That’s something else entirely. My attempts felt clumsy and forced compared to what I saw on screen.
Ended up with a slightly sorer wrist than when I started, and a newfound respect for just how deceptive ‘easy’ tennis can look on TV. Also made me appreciate Paul’s game more – maybe his style is more achievable for us mere mortals, even if it requires peak physical condition. Trying Fognini’s magic? Yeah, maybe not for me. Back to working on my basic groundstrokes once this calf heals, I guess.
