So, I got really into watching Hsieh Su-wei play tennis for a while. Not just watching, but trying to figure out how she does what she does. It’s wild, right? Double-handed shots on both sides, looks almost like she’s just pushing the ball sometimes, but then it lands exactly where nobody expects it.
My Little Project: Understanding the Magic
I started this little project for myself. First step was just watching tons of her matches. Not just highlights, but full matches. I tried to:
- Track her shot placement: Where does she actually aim? It seemed so random at first.
- Watch her footwork: How does she get into position for those weird shots?
- Analyze opponent reactions: They always look so confused, scrambling. What exactly is she doing that throws them off so much?
Honestly, it was harder than I thought. You watch it, you see it happen, but replicating it or even explaining the core logic felt impossible. It’s not textbook tennis. It’s like she sees geometry on the court that nobody else does. I even tried mimicking some grips and swings in my backyard – felt completely unnatural and weak. Gave that up pretty quick.
Why I Got So Obsessed
It probably sounds a bit strange, spending time dissecting a tennis player’s style like that. But it reminded me of something from way back. When I first started my old job, there was this older guy, quiet, kind of kept to himself. His methods seemed slow, old-fashioned compared to us younger guys trying all the new stuff. We all kinda thought he was coasting, not really pulling his weight.
Management loved him though. We couldn’t figure out why. He wasn’t hitting the obvious targets, wasn’t flashy. Took me months, maybe even a year, working near him to finally get it. He wasn’t slow, he was deliberate. He solved problems before they became huge messes. While we were running around putting out fires, he was quietly preventing them. His approach wasn’t in any company manual, it was just… his own unique, effective way.
Seeing Hsieh play kind of clicked with that memory. It’s that unconventional effectiveness. It doesn’t look like how you’re taught to do things, but damn, it works. You can’t just copy it because it comes from a different way of thinking, a different understanding of the game, or in my old colleague’s case, the job.
So yeah, I never figured out how to play like Hsieh Su-wei. Wasn’t really the point, I guess. It just became this interesting rabbit hole to go down, thinking about how different kinds of smarts and skills show up in the world, often in ways you don’t expect. Sometimes the stuff that looks weirdest is actually the most brilliant.
