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Tuesday, June 9, 2015

tennis and spires

In the tennis season I find myself comparing a perfect bow stroke to the beautiful one-handed backhand of Federer. The way the ball pings off the middle of the racquet in the middle of the curving flow of the arm not only gives maximum momentum to the ball with minimum effort, but also is is a thing of beauty. The bow and string can have the same relationship and the same result if played this way, the tone carried through the air like a tennis ball in free flight.

From the top of a flyover on the North Circular today I glanced sideways and saw in the distance the city skyscrapers dominated by The Shard. What is it about spires? The triangular shape, magic threes?  The medieval cathedral builders knew the power of that magic and now it's Mammon that gets the honour. Is it a coincidence that the word spire appears in the word inspiring?

1 comment:

  1. I've had very similar thoughts when watching Federer. His movement is always so much of a piece, and the parallels you draw between contact with ball and racquet and bow and string ring so true. I reckon a fortnights viewing of Wimbledon should get all my bowing technique sorted don't you? : - )

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