10/01/03 best out of five games match and at this point he
needed to Turn Up the Heat and Throw down the Hammer.
This was the key
moment where JW should be thinking, "Okay, I’m still in the thick of
things here champ, four more points and I’m home free, but one point at
a time, first thing first, get the serve back with a deep return, try
nothing fancy, once I get the serve, hit a deep serve, and play high
percentage racquetball." JW was not aware that the game score at 11-13
was a deciding moment in the game and he faltered with one skip and two
left up shots and allowed MM to mopped up to win 15-11.
MM recognized
that at 13-11 he was very close to winning and he was going to be super
aggressive and pin JW deep and on the run and shoot to kill in the front
and shoot to pass/kill in the back. MM still adheres to fundamentally
correct and high percentage racquetball, but he knows he has JW on the
defensive and he turned up the heat. MM finished with two running
forehand rolled outs from deep to take advantage of the game’s key
moment. Every game has its key moments and when these fleeting moments
dash by in a flash, the successful athletes grip the hammer confidently
and Brings Down the Hammer with more focus and more
intensity.
Turn up
the
heat