Love Tennis and Yumiko Miura

...This was probably Zhixian's purpose! Liumei suddenly had an idea. Zhixian had deliberately shown her the most boring part of tennis training. If she was truly determined to use this as a breakthrough, she would have to face this tedious training head-on. This was probably a test of her resolve. In fact, she didn't necessarily need to share Zhixian's goal of entering the professional arena.

This is why she fell into a misunderstanding after watching Zhixian's training. There are many people playing tennis in Japan, but the number of people who train as much as professional players is not that high. He is just teaching her to play tennis, not teaching her to become a professional player.

Liu Mei looked at the tennis ball tightly held in her hand, made up her mind, and walked towards the tennis court.

88.Tennis teaching

"You're here?" Zhixian paused as he caught sight of Rumi opening the tennis court door. Yumiko, on the other side, also stopped serving and approached with her racket in hand.

"Yes, I'm here." Liu Mei replied.

"Have you thought it through?" Zhixian asked again.

"Think it through."

"Very good." Zhixian showed a gentle smile, "Let me formally introduce myself. I am Tachibana Zhixian, and the sister over there is Miura Yumiko."

"Tsurumi Rumi."

"You can just call me Zhixian, or anything else."

"Just call me Yumiko." Yumiko also said.

"So Liumei, can I call you that?"

"Sure." Liu Mei nodded.

"Since you're here, I won't waste any more time talking." Zhixian picked up a tennis racket from the bench and handed it to Liumei, "Here."

Liumei took the racket and felt it a little. She felt that the racket was not as heavy as she had imagined, but quite light.

"Try this one again." Zhixian pointed at the racket in Youmeiko's hand.

Liu Mei took the racket as she was told and weighed it. She felt that it was heavier than the one she had just taken.

"Try this again." Zhixian handed the racket in his hand to Liumei, "How does it feel?"

"Each one is heavier than the other." Liu Mei answered truthfully.

"I brought the tennis ball I gave you, didn't I?"

"I brought it with me." Liu Mei took out the ball.

"Take this ball and compare it." Zhixian handed Liumei another tennis ball.

Liumei held a tennis ball in each hand. She squeezed each one and felt some difference, but she wasn't sure if it was her illusion - she felt that the ball Zhixian gave her was a little light.

"This tennis ball seems a little light." Liu Mei raised the tennis ball in her hand.

"That's right." Zhixian smiled. "This tennis ball is lighter, so the air pressure is lower. This kind of ball causes less vibration on the racket at the moment of impact, which improves control and makes it less likely to make mistakes during practice. Overseas, people use this kind of ball for 'ball feel training.'"

Liumei nodded, not quite understanding.

Zhixian then picked up the racket.

"A racket is arguably the most important thing for a tennis player. A suitable racket is like a weapon in hand, and the choice of racket varies depending on the player's style."

"The racket prepared for you is the lightest of the three. This is because you are a beginner, and your gender and age are also factors. Choosing a relatively light racket can reduce muscle fatigue and reduce the weight on your arms, making it easier to control the ball."

"So what do I need to do?" Liu Mei asked.

"Learn to swing the racket correctly," Zhixian replied. "Learning to play tennis starts with mastering the grip, which is especially important for beginners. The correct grip will lead to better learning results."

Zhixian picked up the racket and showed Liumei how to hold it.

"Basically, there are three types of grips: Eastern, Western, Continental, and two-handed." Zhixian explained while demonstrating different grips. "But you don't need to remember them all now. You'll understand them naturally as you become more proficient."

Then Zhixian gripped the racket and made an empty swing, which was a movement that Zhixian had practiced hundreds of times alone before Liumei entered the tennis court.

"Try swinging the racket," Zhixian said, "using this Eastern grip."

The Eastern grip is more advantageous when hitting the ball with the forehand and is more suitable for forehand swing practice.

Liu Mei held the racket, recalled the movements she had just seen, and swung it out in the same way.

After swinging it out, she herself felt a little out of place.

"When swinging the racket, use your upper arm to drive your forearm to swing to the opposite side. Be careful not to rotate or tilt your wrist when swinging the racket. The center of gravity of your body should move with the swinging movement." Zhixian did not make any comments on Liumei's swing just now, but demonstrated the method of swinging the racket again in slow motion with commentary.

After seeing it clearly, Liumei tried to swing the racket again.

"Youyouko, help her get used to swinging the racket," Zhixian said. "Hold her hand."

Youmiko was stunned. She thought she had nothing to do with the teaching session.

But he was relieved immediately. Liumei was a girl, so in order to avoid suspicion, Zhixian would not hold her hand personally to teach her how to swing the racket.

Still as attentive as ever, Yumiko thought.

"Rumi-chan, pay attention when you swing the racket..." Yumiko took hold of the racket with Rumi from behind, guiding her in the swing. "Remember this feeling, keep your back straight..."

"Swing the racket according to this feeling. Let's do five sets of 20 reps first." Zhixian considered the number and said, "Yumi, teach Rumi some warm-up exercises, and then we can start practicing."

"Come on, Rumi." Yumiko took Rumi to the sidelines and started doing warm-up exercises.

Before practicing swinging the racket, Yumiko took out a hairband and tied a ponytail for Rumi to prevent her hair from affecting her swing.

"Thank you... Yumiko."

"You're welcome." Yumiko smiled gently. "Then, Rumi-chan, go ahead and swing the racket. If you get tired, please let me know."

"Yeah." Liu Mei nodded and started practicing swinging the racket in groups of 20.

Because he didn't know Liumei's physical condition, Zhixian didn't pursue quantity too much, but chose to pursue quality. He required Liumei to swing the racket in place every time. The rest time between each set could be longer, but the swinging action must be correct.

By the way, the camera that I studied in the United States was already placed on a chair beside me before I swung it.

After obtaining Liumei's consent, Zhixian took photos of Liumei while she was warming up and swinging her racket. He probably guessed that Mrs. Tsurumi asked her daughter to bring a camera to the summer camp so that Liumei could take more photos to preserve those beautiful memories.

Although tennis practice was not very interesting, and the man who talked about teaching tennis to students studying in the United States was not very interesting either, it could at least be considered a memory, so Zhixian still took a photo.

Some people don't believe that if you change yourself, the world will change. But Zhixian doesn't think so. That is the motto of pessimists and the excuse for cowards not to change.

She was only an elementary school student studying in the United States. If she wanted to, she could do it. Even if it wasn't through tennis, then through something else.

If a person really wants to change, he will not care about some sarcasm. When the other party sees your determination and understands your intentions, the sarcasm will naturally subside.

Inherent impressions are not that solid.

8 9. Yumiko and Rumei

After Liumei completed 5 sets of 20 swings, she sat on the bench to rest. Although she said she could still practice a few more sets, Zhixian told her to rest first and practice later.

At this time, Uncle Honda, who had some free time, changed his clothes and ran to the tennis court with a racket, saying that he wanted to have a brief sparring match with Zhixian.

Honda said that although he has been playing tennis for quite some time, his level is still limited. But when he meets a good tennis player, he can't help but want to play a game to satisfy himself. It's like a gourmet who can't move when he encounters something delicious.

The rackets and the court were lent to him by Uncle Honda, so he would naturally not refuse the request to play a game of tennis. Although Uncle Honda has been playing tennis for quite a while, he only treats it as a form of physical exercise in his spare time. If they really play, the one who knows the strings will definitely win.

Therefore, the next stage of Liu Mei's training had to be postponed, and Youmiko sat on the sidelines with Liu Mei to watch the game, but it was still the warm-up stage for the time being.

By the way, Uncle Honda asked someone to act as a guest referee so Yumiko was able to sit on the sidelines with Rumi.

"Yumiko." Liu Mei became curious when she saw Zhixian, who was meticulous even in warming up on the court, so she decided to ask Yumiko who was sitting next to her.

"What's wrong Rumi-chan?"

"Have you and Zhixian known each other for a long time?"

"Well...it's been more than five years! We met in the sixth grade of elementary school." Yumiko roughly calculated the time from the sixth grade to the second year of high school.

"It's been that long!" Liu Mei was a little surprised. She'd assumed they'd known each other for two or three years, but it turned out to be much longer than she'd imagined. Liu Mei was a sixth-grader, and Zhixian and Youmiko had known each other for half her age.

"Indeed, I've known Zhixian for such a long time without realizing it." Yumiko couldn't help but smile when she thought of this.

"Is Yumiko also good at tennis?" asked Rumei.

"Well, I'm far behind Zhixian. I've only ever won the county tournament in singles."

"So you met because of tennis?"

"Yes, we were in the same tennis class in elementary school. We became acquainted during a mixed doubles match. We later attended the same junior high school and competed as mixed doubles partners."

"Platinum combination?" Liu Mei suddenly blurted out this word.

"Huh?!" Yumiko was surprised. She didn't expect Rumi to say this word. "Rumi-chan, how did you know about 'Platinum Combination'?"

“I stumbled upon it while searching on a search engine on my phone.”

"...'Platinum Combination' really refers to the two of us."

"So your best result is the national top four?"

"How do you know?" Youmiko smiled bitterly.

"This." Liu Mei turned the phone screen to You Youzi, who found that it was an article about Zhixian, talking about his transition from mixed doubles to singles.

"So you don't play mixed doubles anymore?"

"...Yes, because of some things, I stopped playing tennis after the third year of junior high school, and Zhixian also switched to singles."

"Is that so..." Liu Mei looked at the game that had already started on the court. At the request of Uncle Honda, Zhixian used close-angle shots in his serve. Four consecutive close-angle shots landed in the corner of the court, and 4 aces easily won the serve.

"He's very strong, isn't he?" Yumiko forced a smile. "I can't keep up with him anymore."

At this time, Zhixian on the court played his signature zero-style slice, leaving Uncle Honda who wanted to intercept the ball at the net empty-handed.

"It's worthy of being called a Zero Slice! This is the first time I've seen it!" Although he lost a point, Uncle Honda was even more excited than if he had scored. "Hit whatever balls you have!"

"Okay! No problem!" Zhixian smiled.

"Why is Mr. Honda so happy even though he lost points?" Liumei asked. She didn't quite understand.

"Because Uncle Honda is not obsessed with winning or losing, he just enjoys tennis," Yumiko replied.

"Is that so? But isn't the point of playing ball to decide the winner?"

"Isn't there a saying that participation is what matters? Being too obsessed with winning or losing will only make you lose yourself."

"Is it that exaggerated?" Liu Mei didn't quite believe it.

"Of course it's real." Yumiko looked at Chixian and Uncle Honda who were playing with great enthusiasm on the court. Chixian was in a good mood and even gave Uncle Honda a "tightrope walking". The tennis ball staggered on the net like a real tightrope walking, and finally fell in Uncle Honda's half of the court.

Because Zhixian and I are typical examples, Youmiko thought a little bitterly.

"Is playing tennis really fun?" Rumi looked at Yumiko. She felt that Yumiko didn't seem that happy because of tennis.

"It's still very happy to just play tennis." Youmiko couldn't help but raise the corners of her mouth a little as she recalled the years she spent with Zhixian.

"Really..." Liu Mei turned her gaze back to the tennis court. Uncle Honda's excellent smash was countered by Zhixian with a giant bear, which made Uncle Honda extremely regretful, but at the same time she sighed that the giant bear's counterattack was really exquisite.

"They both look really happy..." Liu Mei said.

"Rumei-chan, do you know? In the tennis world, there's a saying about the three gates to the state of selflessness." Yumiko decided to explain it to Rumei. "Among them, the ultimate perfection is the ultimate mystery and true meaning of tennis, and it's also the pinnacle that tennis players pursue throughout their lives. Enjoy the joy of tennis with the same feeling as if you're encountering it for the first time, unencumbered by the reality of scores, honors, and rankings."

"Has Zhixian reached that level?" Liu Mei asked curiously.

"No." Youmiko shook her head. Although Zhixian had grown to a level she could hardly imagine after becoming a singles player, he still had not reached the ultimate realm of perfection, especially since it had only been a year since the two of them disbanded. What happened in this year made it difficult for Zhixian to understand perfection.

Therefore, what emerges as a conventional means is the ultimate talent display - a level of intensity determined by the player's basketball IQ and skills.

"Not even Lian Zhixian?" Liumei felt that the top three high school students in the country were basically the top players in the country.

"In fact, I haven't seen the ultimate perfection with my own eyes." Youmiko said helplessly.

Moreover, Youmiko always felt that if Zhixian could not grasp the ultimate perfection, she would probably have to bear some of the blame.

"Then do you think Zhixian can comprehend the ultimate perfection?"

"...Maybe." Yumiko felt inexplicably guilty when she said this.

At this time, Zhixian on the court scored directly with a beautiful smash.

90. Test of Courage (I)

Before he knew it, Zhixian had already taken a 3:0 lead. Although Honda occasionally scored, he didn't win the game. Although he was having a lot of fun playing, he looked more like an elementary school student than Liumei.

If she had seen the boring side of tennis before when she was studying in the United States, what she saw now was undoubtedly the glamorous side.

Powerful and domineering smashes, delicate and clever giant bear returns, tricky angled near-corner drives, and magical zero-style slices.

Although Zhixian only took out less than half of the weapons in his arsenal, it was enough for Liu Mei to be overwhelmed and sigh.

Zhixian's skill and Honda's positive attitude despite being completely outmatched made her realize that playing tennis should be fun. Although training is tedious, it is a sport that truly brings joy. Think about it: whether it's academics or sports, you get nothing without putting in the effort. Only by studying hard can you pass exams, and only by exercising hard can you become strong.

The same goes for tennis; it's just a sport that takes a long time to show results in the early stages.

"Maybe I'll like playing tennis." Liu Mei suddenly said seriously.