A second opportunity

So…just last week I wrote about making my first ATP shot in pickleball. I also said that the opportunity didn’t come very often.

And this week (yesterday) I managed another one. This time, it was in similar conditions, except that I was running to the shot from further back in the court. My partner even saw the ATP coming, because before I hit the shot, he was already saying “ATP ah”. Guess there really was no other way. :P 

Friends in Lotuss

The other day I was in Lotuss, and I suddenly spotted a cute plush donkey. So I went over to say hi.

It did look like Eeyore, but the colour wasn’t exactly the same, so I didn’t realize it was a Winnie the Pooh collection until I went near. 

If not mistaken, they had run out of all Poohs. There were Tiggers and hunny pots left.

I feel the smaller Eeyore looks better…

And then, as I walked around doing my shopping, I spotted two small Tiggers lying about.

You poor things…were you abandoned? 🥹

ATP unlocked!

I think I hit my first ATP today. “Think”, because it was definitely an ATP, but I am not sure whether I have done it before without noticing. But that’s unlikely…I don’t play a lot of games where there is a chance to do an ATP!

For the uninitiated, an ATP (“around the post”) is a pickleball shot that goes around the net post onto the opponent’s court. So basically this can only happen if the opponent hits a shot that bounces wide out the side of the court, then you chase it down and hit it back onto the opponent’s court before the second bounce. In this case, since the ball is already beside the court, most likely the ball will not go over the net, but beside it.

For me today, it was a cross-court dink from the opponent, a very shallow one that was going right out the side of the kitchen. So I ran for it, and returned it around the net post. No other way to keep the rally going…

Right after hitting the shot, my mind briefly registered that it was an ATP, but then I had to get back into the court and continue the rally, and then the rest of the game. I can’t even recall whether we won that point.

It wasn’t until I was back home that I recalled it and decided to write about it. Who knows when the next opportunity will be? Anyway, I guess we could say that it is an achievement unlocked!