Okay so yesterday I was scrolling through clips, right? Saw Dylan Comerford absolutely smashing dudes in this regional tournament. His shots… wow. Looked effortless. Felt like I needed to understand how he did that, maybe steal a trick or two for my Sunday league chaos. So yeah, spent this morning trying to copy his style, messing around on the local courts.
First Step: Watching Him Murder Balls
Obviously, couldn’t just walk out and play like him blind. Grabbed my phone, found some shaky fan recordings (no fancy broadcast angles here!). Watched him hit maybe fifty forehands? Focused purely on how he did stuff, not some fancy theory:
- That backswing is TINY. Seriously, barely takes the racket back at all before whipping it forward. Looks super compact, no big looping windup.
- It’s all in the wrist, man. Snap! That’s the sound he makes, or at least what I imagined. He flicks that wrist like cracking a whip, just before contact. Adds crazy spin and pace.
- Stands WELL inside the baseline. Dude doesn’t back off. Even on big serves coming back, he’s right there, stealing time. Makes opponents feel rushed constantly.
- Goes down the line like it’s personal. Especially on the backhand? If he gets a short ball, it’s laser beam down the line. Doesn’t mess around cross-court much for winners.
Trying (and Failing) the Comerford Flick
Armed with these genius observations, I hit the court. Felt confident. Hah.
Started with the forehand. Tried that compact swing. First few balls? Fell embarrassingly short. Like, barely cleared the net. Okay, needed more oomph. Tried rotating my core harder. Ball went long. Very long. Like, “sorry folks on the next court” long.
Remembered the wrist snap. Tried exaggerating it. Ball took off sideways, bounced in the next county. Ouch. That sucked.
Persevered. Kinda. Hit bucket serves to myself. Forced myself to stand right on the baseline, almost touching it. Felt vulnerable. Weird. Hit some decent returns off slow “serves,” but anything with pace? Panicked and backed up. Old habits die screaming.
Tried the backhand down-the-line murderer shot. Got a short ball… went for glory… racket face open… ball soared majestically… over the fence. Whoops.
Finally Getting a Glimmer (Maybe?)
After maybe an hour of feeling like a total beginner? Something clicked. Maybe. Sorta.
Stopped forcing the huge wrist snap, just focused on keeping the swing really compact and turning my hips/shoulders faster into the ball. Used the idea of the wrist snap as a timing trigger, not a violent twist. Started meeting the ball out front much more aggressively.
Actually made myself stay inside the baseline during mini rallies. Just committed. Felt faster. Less time for doubt to creep in. Opponent (well, the wall) felt closer.
Got another short ball. Backhand. Didn’t try to pulverize it. Just kept it simple: compact takeback, focus on hitting through the ball towards the far corner, firm wrist. It went… actually, really well? Low, fast, clipped the line (in my head, anyway). Felt like the wall flinched.
My Takeaway After Face-Planting
Trying to copy Dylan Comerford cold turkey? Yeah, no. Guy’s got insane timing and hand skills I clearly lack.
BUT! Taking pieces of what makes him dangerous actually helps.
- Being compact = way faster reaction. You can hit balls you’d normally be late for.
- Hitting out front & taking time away feels scary at first, but super disruptive.
- Intention matters. Just the idea of hitting down the line made me commit to the shot more, even if I wasn’t perfect.
It ain’t pretty mastering someone else’s style in a session. My shots felt super weird half the time. Lost all feel on my normal topspin. Was totally winded trying to constantly play so aggressively close up. Messed up my serve rhythm.
Still, that backhand winner attempt? It felt different. Solid. Fast. That’s what I’m stealing. Gonna keep grinding that compact thing. Maybe next Sunday the wall will be truly terrified. Or my poor opponent. Wish me luck.
