Kurt Vile-Never Run Away

When I was a kid, I would always get pumped up watching sporting events. After Dwight Gooden baffled hitters for eight innings, I would go play catch with my Dad, successfully imitating Gooden's wind-up while completely failing to imitate any actual pitch in his repertoire. After Jordan went for 52 against *insert helpless team*, I would instantly run out to our hoop and pretend I was him. Granted, I had a 30% shooting percentage and sank awkward layups instead of thunderous dunks, but it was close enough for me. While watching the Dolphins, I would pretend I was Dan Marino and Mark Clayton, lobbing the ball and running under it for a jaw dropping 1/2 yard touchdown reception.

Then came tennis. I started playing way too late to become a successful tournament player, but I love the sport. I started playing during summers in New York, somehow developing strokes resembling the taxi driver mutant from Total Recall whose arms unfold from being halfway tucked under his elbows. Thinking back on it, it makes a bit of sense that I learned/picked up on my forehand style during that time, as players like Sergi Bruguera were very successful using that stroke. I found a slow-motion example of it, and no, it doesn't break my wrist to hit like that.



The rest of my game is pretty flawed. My backhand is erratic due to disuse and lack of confidence, my serve is about as graceful as an obese woman wearing six-inch heels, and my volleying game-while I enjoy it-is only pretty good. If I played tennis-especially singles-more often, I think I could improve all of these things except for my serve. I need surgery or a time machine to improve that.

But this is tennis for me: After a day or week of being inside working and for the most part existing entirely inside my brain, I get to release everything. Cool, refreshing air, green courts with clear demarcations for in and out, and the ability to almost subconsciously use the skills acquired through the years to simply hit. the. ball. It's a great feeling, and even though there is obviously competition involved, there is an almost instant camaraderie built between two or four people hitting tennis balls. The longer rallies go, the more everyone builds off each other. A clear winner down the baseline, a tough half-volley picked up on the way to the net, or a clean ace down the T. These moments are enough to sustain me throughout even the most disheartening of matches. Maybe that's one of the reasons I never got that good. I'm from the Sportscenter generation. As long as get on the Top 10 plays, who even cares if I win!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go watch the end of the Wimbledon final, then pretend all of Great Britain is cheering for me as I dump groundstrokes into the bottom of the net.

Kurt Vile recently came out with a new album. I love his vocals. Looking forward to seeing him live soon.