June 12, 2023 • 62 mins
Chiropractor & USTA rated tennis player Tom Lee has a passion for tennis and life. His past health issues he faced would lead to such an incredible journey. Join us as Tom takes us through his high school varsity career and his experiences playing in USTA tennis leagues. We also focus a lot of time on his chiropractic practice and how stretching, strength training, and conditioning play a critical role in athletic performance. Listen to him explore common sports injuries and treatment options.
Tom's near-death experience and spiritual awakening are truly inspiring. After being placed in an induced coma for 10 days, he shares his vivid dreams and the powerful vision of being in God's presence that has deeply impacted his faith. We dive into how this experience has altered his perspective on life and how he continues to find strength in his beliefs.
Our heartfelt conversation delves into the intersection of tennis, spirituality, and personal growth. We learn more about Tom's spiritual healing journey and his devotion to Christianity, family, and work. As we wrap up, we exchange a few light-hearted stories about ping pong, and I couldn't resist asking Tom for a free tennis lesson and some advice on how to improve my own tennis game. Don't miss this engaging episode full of inspiration, resilience, and the power of faith.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
You are listening to Your League Tennis Podcast with
your host, anthony Radonia.
Anthony is an avid weekendwarrior tennis player, just like
you.
Every week, he'll beinterviewing new and exciting
guests that will not only differin experience and skill level,
but also in age and physicalability.
Your League Tennis Podcast isabout making you a better tennis
(00:26):
player, whether you're abeginner or have been playing
for years, in your 20s or inyour 60s.
Now here is your host, anthonyRadonia.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
All right, Tommy.
Hello, hello.
Wow, we got some good applausethere.
We did.
Crowd is really excited to seeyou today.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
Very nice.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
So what's up, Tommy?
How are you?
Speaker 4 (00:53):
I'm doing good.
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:55):
I'm doing good.
I appreciate this.
You've seen the podcast, tommy.
We're just going to keep itsimple.
Talk about tennis, talk aboutlife.
You just came from church, ithink, right, yep, cool.
So we'll talk about that too,because obviously one of the
photos that I put in the teaseon Instagram is one that you
(01:17):
gave me permission to put on,which is some of the health
issues you had in the past, andI want to talk about that
because that's obviously part ofyour story, but it's also like,
so interesting.
And then I'm very interested tohear your life afterwards, and
I know that thing was one of thebig moments in your life that
(01:38):
sort of drew you more intoChristianity I guess I want to
say more into, because you werealready a Christian prior to
that.
But I'm interested in that.
I want to talk about that.
But let's start out with sometennis first.
We know each other throughtennis.
Yes, we do.
Okay, So you're just theratings.
You're a 4.5 USTA rated player.
(01:58):
Yes.
And I always forget this Do youknow your UTR?
Speaker 4 (02:03):
I do not.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
You don't okay, Because I know you had a doubles
UTR rating.
I don't remember if you had asingles one.
Do you know?
Speaker 4 (02:13):
I don't think I have a singles one, just because I
don't play enough singles.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Yeah, because you haven't played tournaments.
You're usually playing justleague and you'll play in the
4.5 league with me or the 5.0.
Yeah, so I think you're right.
I think you need sometournament play to get a UTR
rating.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
Actually, i don't know That.
I don't know either.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
But you know what?
Even in league you only playdoubles.
That's right, so you haven'tplayed singles, so that's
probably the reason.
Let's just start with this then.
When did you start playingtennis in life?
Speaker 4 (02:48):
I started kind of late, i want to say probably
towards the end of my eighthgrade year.
Okay.
And one summer.
It was at eighth grade to ninthgrade summer where I received
some lessons and I pretty muchspent almost 12 to 13 hours a
(03:12):
day on the court.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Why did you start lessons at that time?
Did parents make you?
Speaker 4 (03:17):
So the parents didn't make me do anything.
I come from, i guess my parentswere blue collar workers.
We never had a lot of money,and so it's kind of embarrassing
, but at the same time Iattribute everything that I have
(03:39):
by the grace of God.
So I even learned tenniswatching people get lessons,
believe it or not?
Yeah, i grew up in HuntingtonBeach but I would go to the
nearby community centers andeven the nearby community
(04:01):
colleges.
And this one coach he saw mepracticing shadow swings and
everything like that, and hisname was Mario and he taught at
Golden West College And he sortof took me under his wing, had
me pick up some balls here andthere, and he would allow me to
(04:24):
take part in some classes.
And then my parents found outthat I really enjoyed tennis and
then they started payingnominal fee for not private
lessons but group lessons.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
And where was this?
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Golden West College.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Golden West College, and so you were there just
because sort of after school youneeded something to do, or I'm
trying to still figure that out.
Why were you there?
Speaker 4 (04:48):
No, I heard through the grapevine, I guess some
friends that there was this onecoach that was teaching tennis
over there, and so I would ridemy bike from Huntington Beach
all the way out there and justbe, there to learn.
It was either that, or go tothe nearby tennis courts and hit
(05:10):
by myself against the wall orhit in the garage.
We never had a separated garageso it was like a communal
garage.
So when all the cars were out Iwould be hitting up against the
wall.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
And why did you even start doing that at 12?
Any sports prior to that?
and was your dad playing at all?
Speaker 4 (05:31):
So, yeah, my father picked up tennis, so I just sort
of intrigued by it.
But I was playing oh my gosh,baseball, football, you name it
soccer.
I was a goalie too.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
I don't believe that one.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Believe it or not.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
You must have spurted , real young, and then stopped
somewhere along the way.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
You're right.
But yeah, i played baseball.
I was shortstop, believe it ornot really good hands, quick on
my feet.
But then my dad picked up aracket and he sort of started
swinging in front of me and I'mlike, what is that all about?
So I would follow him to histennis meetings and whatnot and
(06:21):
I would just sit there intriguedand just watching and then but
never really picked up a racketand started playing per, say,
until, yeah, after eighth grade.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
And then.
So you started going to GoldenWest College just more or less
to hang around, be around tennis.
And then you said this guy,mario, sort of saw you as a kid
who, what like, was interestedand saw you had potential, or
just a kid who would love tennis, or what was it.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
A kid that had potential, according to what he
was saying.
Oh okay, yeah, i didn't havethe most beautiful strokes back
then, but I could get every ballover.
Yeah.
I could run down every ball, soI I Call myself the giant
killer, because that's what Iwas known for.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Yeah, and high school I mean, i made you know varsity
and I was beating up on theseguys.
I would have formal lessons andeverything like that, and yeah
yeah, it was pretty fun.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Well, you still do that to this day.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
Yeah, I guess somewhat.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
We're gonna come back to that, so before we Obviously
, i want to, i want to.
well, let's let me ask youabout your family first.
Sure, you're married and youhave kids, yes, so what are?
what's your wife doing?
What's your kids doing rightnow?
Speaker 4 (07:43):
So my wife is a dental hygienist.
She loves her job somewhat.
My children my oldest he's ahe's in nursing school and he's
really enjoying that.
He's actually wow, doing well.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
So I'm going to San Marcos, or is that?
was that before?
Speaker 4 (08:04):
so he was going to San Marcos, and then he switched
over and got accepted to anursing program.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
What is that, west Coast?
Speaker 2 (08:11):
West Coast, and where is that located?
Speaker 4 (08:13):
Um, there's a campus in Ontario, i believe.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Oh yeah, that's right right off the freeway.
I think right, okay, And thenyour daughter is she's going to
San Marcos.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
She's a bio major, she wants to be CLS, so it is a
Lab scientist That works at thehospital.
They pretty much identify, youknow, like blood samples, what
Bacteria, viruses, tumors andthis and that.
(08:45):
So yeah, they get paid well,believe it or not interesting I
never, even heard of that.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
And then You're currently well I guess I don't
want to say currently, becauseyou've been doing for a while,
but you're a chiropractor rightnow.
How long you've been doing that?
Speaker 4 (09:00):
I've been doing that for about almost 21 years.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Well, yeah and you own your own practice now.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
I do.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Yeah, and you started out working with some people
and then eventually took over apractice and Doing that
full-time now.
That's correct a lot of hours,Yeah it's.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
It's a good, good gig .
Yeah, it's fine.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
And you love it.
I do.
What would you anything youwould rather be doing?
I don't even know what thatwould be, but is there anything
at all like?
I mean, you know, likesometimes I think like it'd be
cool to be a dentist, make somemoney easy hours.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
That's the one thing I don't want to be as a dentist,
don't want to be working inside, inside of a confined space,
you know, especially the mouth.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Yeah, your wife probably tells you some bad,
crazy stories about what theysee.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
At the, some of those stories are discussed.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Yeah, oh my gosh.
Well, let's stay on before wego into some tennis.
I mean, one of the main reasonswhy I wanted you here was I
Come to you for all my healthconcerns, like meaning, like all
my joint issues, my back issues, everything and And I don't say
(10:12):
this to be rude tochiropractors, but you're a
chiropractor, but I think Isometimes feel you're so much
more, hmm, and I don't again,i'm not saying that to be mean
towards Kyros, it's just myexperience with Kyros prior to
you Wasn't very good.
It was sort of like in and outcrack, this crack, that I never
really understood the point.
(10:32):
Sometimes it was helpful,sometimes, i'll be honest with
you It felt like it hurt meworse and I left just with a bad
taste in my mouth.
And after I started going to you, i really realized that there's
people out there you know sortof in every profession that are
very passionate about what theydo.
So it's easy for me to see thatyou're very passionate about
(10:54):
what you do because you sitthere and you really explain
stuff to me.
You know you really you knowthe anatomy, which is, to me,
very surprised.
I've never had one Kyro in mylife talked to me about anatomy
ever.
To be honest with you, and Youknow so tell me a little about
where that passion came from.
Or is that just you like?
(11:14):
would you be passionate aboutanything You're doing, or is it
specifically that?
Speaker 4 (11:18):
well, i guess I always had an affinity to, you
know, towards medicine andhelping people and whatnot.
But I got trained pretty wellfor 12 years under orthopedic
surgeon and It's interesting.
I do look at patients in adifferent viewpoint.
(11:41):
I believe I sort of mix andmarry the medical provider, you
know, the MD Its perspective,especially in orthopedic
surgeons.
I am viewpoint when I amexamining a patient and And I
love to you know, usedifferential diagnosis.
You know, on a daily basis andit just sort of Interesting to
(12:05):
me.
You know, if I can't, if Idon't understand what I'm seeing
, hearing, and Then I'm gonna doeverything that I can to try
and figure it out, you know, andI'll be honest with the patient
, if I don't know, i don't know,but then I just don't leave
them there.
I sort of try to figure it outand I think That has driven me
(12:26):
to my passion, which is caringfor people.
Ultimately, yeah, i mean I loveworking with athletes.
I have a long history andHelping injured workers and
people who get injured inautomobile accidents and whatnot
.
So yeah, i just get a joy outof helping people, i think.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
And yeah, and you're always training.
I mean it actually surprises me, because you're always going to
trainings, you're alwaysreading, and So that's actually
it's sort of inspiring, becauseit helps me Like realize too in
my own profession like I got tokeep up with my things.
But seeing you do that isactually pretty inspiring,
because you're I When we talkand we talk a lot through text
(13:14):
and phone, but you're alwaystraining, you're always learning
, so it's really inspiring.
Let's do this because, like Isaid, i come to you for help on
my health issues.
I Can never pronounce this, butwe're gonna do sort of a roar
Chalk test.
Do you know that ink blot test?
Is it roar chalk, right?
(13:34):
right, so how do you pronounceit?
That's a good question.
Okay, we don't, we both don'tknow.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Yeah, i can't pronounce it either, but I know
exactly what you mean okay.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
So it's that psychology test of it's a ink
blot and then the patient sortof spits out what they think it
is Right.
My version of this is the Cairoroar chalk test, And I'm gonna
say a word and then it's gonnabe your job to tell me how it's
gonna relate to tennis, Howyou're gonna anything you want.
Okay.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
So here we go stretching oh, one of the most
important things for a tennisplayer, for any athlete for that
matter, because stretching is athird variable in an equation
that, ultimately, everyone wants.
Everyone wants power.
(14:23):
So, yes, strength training, youhave conditioning and yes,
strength stretching, you cannotleave that out.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
We have strength training Okay.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
Conditioning and stretching Okay that's correct
and It's flexibility training.
That's what I call it.
Yeah, so if you can train allthree at the same level and
Intensity, then ultimately yourpower level will be maximized.
And remember, your body'salways changing too.
I mean, there's seasons whereyou're gonna be feeling strong,
(14:57):
some seasons You're gonna feellike you've plateaued.
Some seasons You're gonna feellike I Don't feel that great,
you know.
But again you have to Revaluateand see what, where you're
lacking.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
So, yeah, stretching is very important and you saying
your three Pillars, what werethey called?
so three variables, threevariables.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Yeah, in the equation to power.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Okay, oh, interesting , that's a good way to think of
it.
And when you say that, itreminds me of that hip injury I
had because I felt like I wasreally doing the first two a lot
That's correct Like I was doingnot crazy weights I've never
been into like lifting crazyweights, but I was.
You know, i would grabdumbbells and do like You know,
hamstrings, and then I would gorunning.
(15:41):
I do sprints and running uphills and I was doing the first
two Variables all the time andnever doing stretching.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
That's correct.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Then remember I called you sort of scared.
Actually I was like I need youto come over, something happen.
I can't move and I thought Itore something in my hip or who
knows what, because I don't knowanything.
And you told me literally and Iwas very surprised to hear it
was just tightness.
It was yeah okay, so talkedabout that a little.
(16:11):
how does the tightness ofWhatever thing I was going
through, how did that affect me?
Speaker 4 (16:16):
So you, you got to understand When you train
muscles Um so, muscles, the endpoints are tendons and they
anchor into the bone.
And the thing is, if you trainjust strength and conditioning,
without elasticity training,then what you're doing is you're
(16:37):
strengthening or you'rebuilding the girth and bulk of
that muscle, but then if younever stretch it out and you
don't lengthen it, it's not ausable muscle.
That's why you see guys in thegym and Gold's gym and they're
huge, they're massive, but thenyou can't use that type of
muscle to fight.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Hmm, interesting.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
Okay, so I mean when you're fighting, and I did a lot
of that too.
But the thing is, you needquick, you know, flexible,
usable muscle and tissue.
So you gotta train that.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
I wanna stay on the Roar chalk test, but just
because you said you werefighting, you did what Taekwondo
?
What do you remind me?
Speaker 4 (17:25):
I did Taekwondo, I did a Kimpo, I did some
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu when I wasstationed in Korea.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
And I was just gonna say that reminded me in you were
in the Air Force.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
I was in the Air Force.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
That's right, okay, so we'll try to find a way to
bring that in, because I aminterested more to hear about
that.
Let's keep going with the Roar,shock, chiro, test Heat and ice
.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
For me, i always lean on ice, especially if it's
acute.
People sit there and say, yeah,i look on the internet and
there's different phases ofhealing and this and that, but
you can have an acute flare upof a chronic condition.
So that means if it's painful,if it's swollen, always lean on
(18:15):
ice.
go to the ice Now once it'shealed, and you wanna, you know,
maybe warm up the area, bringblood flow to the area before
your activity or something.
then, yeah, you can use someheat, but then either Prior to
the activity.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
That's correct, okay.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
Or even in certain phases of healing too.
Let's say you're out of theacute pain phase but you just
have dull, achy whatever-ness.
Then you can use I use the fivefinger roll So you can go about
three minutes of ice, threeminutes of heat, three minutes
of ice heat and end with ice.
Reason being you're basicallyimplementing a pumping system to
(18:55):
bring the fluids in and tobring the fluids out, and it
helps with healing when thathappens.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Now I know what the word acute means.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
I've been called acute anytime in my life, Acute,
not acute Oh acute.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
What does acute mean?
Explain why you're saying acute.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
Just simple terms new ?
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Just yeah, okay, and then so I make it a habit to
turn the heater on in my caranytime I drive.
What do you think about that?
Is that-?
Speaker 4 (19:26):
That's okay.
Just beware of-.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
I mean, i'm sorry, the back heat.
Right, you know what I'm saying?
The seat heat.
Speaker 4 (19:34):
So the thing is, i mean that's short period of time
, but for older people they liketo lay on these heating pads
and whatnot, and they'll fallasleep and whatnot.
You don't wanna do that,Because if you dry out, it can
dry out the tissue.
So you can yeah, you can suffereven burns, believe it or not,
if you lay on a heating pad toolong.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
But how is?
is it not beneficial Like ifI'm hurting, I come home, let's
say, from tennis Is itbeneficial or is it hurtful if I
just lay on a heating pad foran hour or two?
Or should I lay on ice, orshould I do nothing?
Should I stretch?
What should I be doing after?
Speaker 4 (20:10):
So after a workout or I'm assuming you're referring
to the tennis workouts that?
Speaker 2 (20:15):
we do Yes.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
Or a match.
Yeah, come back.
Hydrate.
Hydration is huge.
Number two yes, you can soak inan ice tub if you'd like, you
know, or you can do localizedicing.
Heating is okay, but again, ilean on the ice.
After yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
Okay.
So before, heat is okay, like,let's say, i'm driving to a
match, right, we're not somehigh-paid athlete where we get
to go into a gym and do all thisstuff, but driving to a match,
it's okay to put some heat on myback with the chair.
After stretch hydrate I'massuming you mean water.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
Hydrate assuming water Mike Water.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
I'm like, and then ice after.
Okay, all right, Oh my gosh, ididn't even think of this word.
This is the Roar-Chak ChiroTest, and I didn't even talk
about cracking cracking.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
Okay, so cracking what is cracking.
So here's the thing.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Is that the right way to say it?
by the way, Do chiro's call itcracking?
Speaker 4 (21:20):
Well, nowadays you look on, what is it?
TikTok and stuff like that.
Everything's about cracking,you know.
But here's the thing when youadjust someone, you're usually
let's stick to the spine.
When you're adjusting the spine, what you're doing is you're
causing motion in the motionsegments that are not moving.
well, That's all you're doing.
(21:41):
You're not taking bones out ofplace, placing them back into
place.
That noise, the cavitation thatyou're hearing, is coming from
the smaller joints.
They're called the facet joints.
Each joint in your body isencapsulated in a synovial sack
(22:03):
of some sort, And when you gapthat joint, oh that synovial
sack, that joint is vacuumsealed.
So when you gap that joint ormove that joint, then you're
gonna get a cavitation, which isan equalization and pressure.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
And that's all you're hearing.
So I'm hearing a pop of what.
Then the vacuum?
Speaker 4 (22:27):
So basically it's like a suction cup on a tabletop
.
If you pop that suction cup offthe table, you're a.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
So I am not being cracked.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
That's correct.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Ah, interesting.
Unless you wanna be cracked upto that This is already worth
the money, because I thought Iwas being cracked.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
No, yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Actually I knew I wasn't.
You told me one time Yes, sir,All right, what about TENS unit?
Speaker 4 (22:55):
So there is a place for that TENS transcutaneous.
It's only this deep into thetissue.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
And the home ones, by the way, the ones you buy from
CVS.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
Yeah, i mean they're okay again.
They're all usually TENS, but Ido prefer the electric stim
that I use in my office.
I have different mode settings.
I have I usually utilizeinterferential, because it goes
about an inch and a half deepAnd you can cross the wave
(23:27):
patterns to go deeper.
And then there's somethingcalled Russian stim, which the
Russians came up with.
Believe it or not, theirOlympic team athletes all used
it while so they would put it ontheir muscle that they were
training and then do theirlifting and their exercises, and
they believe that things thosemuscles, tendons and ligaments
(23:51):
got stronger because of that.
And thus came Russian stim.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
And that reminds me of that remake of Enter the
Dragon.
There was this one part in themovie where the guy who was
playing Bruce Lee was wearingthis electric stim on his
stomach And he claimed it waslike doing 500 pushups.
Is that true?
Speaker 4 (24:12):
So it's no, No, No.
So you can.
Let's say you have a strokevictim.
Then you can utilize that typeof muscle stim to get a basal
line level of tonality.
So beyond that you're not gonnaget any more benefits.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Yeah, as far as muscle building, Okay, so that's
really the question I washaving.
So you're not gonna be able tobuild muscle by putting that on.
press on and sit back and watchTV.
Sure, eat some ice cream.
He he, he.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
For $49.99.
Yeah, i'll just get it.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Oh, and then going back to the, so the CVS ones,
they are beneficial to a certainextent.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
Yeah, i mean they can help deal with some pain and
whatnot.
It's official, absolutelyPalliative measures.
They come, they're useful forthat.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Then I don't even know if you have experience with
this, and it's okay if youdon't, but it just made me start
thinking of the other junkyitems I buy from CVS, like salon
paws, and is that stuff?
That stuff seems like a waste.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
I mean you can't take away the topical effects Like
you.
recently when I tore myhamstring, i for the first time
I tried some bio freeze that Iwas given.
And I mean, yeah, it gave mesome relief.
I guess Superficially it sortof masked the pain, but then
(25:41):
deep inside I still felt thepain.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
Yeah yeah.
Okay, what about MRI and X-rays?
How important are those, iguess, with prior to diagnosing
a patient, or do we need to evenget those?
Speaker 4 (26:00):
So because I work for a orthopedic surgeon, i do like
to have at least an X-raybefore I adjust you If, given
the history okay, let's sayyou're, if someone comes to me,
they have no pain, they come infor maintenance care, whatnot
(26:21):
yeah, i'll still do myorthopedic exams and everything.
but then if I find somethingthat's sort of you know a red
flag issue, i'll minimally getan X-ray and then probe them
with more questions about theirhistory and whatnot.
But then if I get that red flagagain in my head, then I'll
request an MRI.
Hmm, yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
How about this?
is I think I'll call it outsidethe scope of chiropractic?
Is that a word, chiropractic,chiropractic?
But we talk about it all thetime, so here's another roar
shock.
chiro test diet.
Speaker 4 (27:02):
Yeah, I'm not the greatest poster child for diet.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
But we talk about it.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
Oh yeah, we do.
Diet is huge, obviously BecauseI'm a diabetic.
Now I have to practice a acertain dietary plan or follow a
dietary plan, and It'sbeneficial to me, you know, as
an individual.
So Am I for a low carb?
you know high fat diet?
(27:28):
for myself I am.
I do get my blood drawn everythree to four months, so I'm
monitoring my level.
You know levels of triglycerideand cholesterol and everything
like that.
So I guess it's okay for me todo that.
For others I would say unlessyou're doing that and you're
(27:49):
getting your blood drawn, don'ttake, don't assume anything.
Okay, at least go get a checkup, get your blood drawn.
At least you know the bloodpanel and You know where you are
, and then you can start thatdietary plan.
Yeah and Yeah, and monitor itdoes insurance cover that?
Speaker 2 (28:08):
or you go pay out of pocket, you know, or do you
don't want to get into financesand insurance on HMO on YouTube.
Speaker 4 (28:15):
Yeah, man, okay, that's not talking about it.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
I don't want to get you arrested.
Speaker 4 (28:19):
Yeah, but you're my attorney, right.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
Okay, so let's stay on this topic a little more, but
now let's relate it to what aresome common tennis injuries
that you see, and then,obviously, let's talk about the,
the preventative way to keeppeople from getting those, and
then what we can do to help themif they're already experiencing
it.
So it's some common tennisinjuries.
Sure.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
Recently I've had a couple patients come into my
office with tennis elbow.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Yeah, I mean what you know I have to season players.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
You know we get it for one reason or another.
You know, for the lower levelpeople players I'd say it's bad
technique, you know bad habitsand whatnot.
I mean higher levels.
Obviously it could be stringtension.
It could be the racket itself,a club that weighs five pounds.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Yeah, like your little.
too much weight on my racket,yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
Yeah, you do.
The other common injuries wouldbe like plantar fasciitis.
You know people playing tennisand having foot pain, killy
tendonitis, calf strains,hamstring, you know strains.
Yeah, i mean even low backissues.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
So I don't know if you remember, but I got a shot
in my elbow.
What was that again?
Was that a steroid or was it abelieve?
it was a steroid The first timedidn't do much for me, and then
I felt like I needed anotherone, and I went back and
actually got another one.
Then they suggested look Thisis probably the last one, i
don't remember why.
They said to sort of your limit, but the second one really
(29:59):
fixed everything.
And so are you a proponent ofsteroid shots or do you like?
you know, what do you like?
Speaker 4 (30:06):
I mean steroid has a place and it helped me with my
lungs and everything.
It helped you with your elbow.
The only issue with steroidsand muscles and tendons is that
if you do it too much it canweaken the fibers.
So even though it can help withthe inflammatory process, it
(30:27):
weakens the muscle fibers.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
So that's what the steroid injection is doing It's
helping reduce the inflammation.
Speaker 4 (30:34):
That's correct.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Okay, but it's it will weaken it if you get.
It'll weaken the fibers if youget too many.
That's correct, interesting,and and so is to the magic
number.
Or is that just what doctorstell you like, do you know?
Speaker 4 (30:46):
Some doctors, can you know, they may even do three,
up to three, i've even heardyeah.
But that means the same spot,meaning that's okay, so I can do
multiple shots in a differentspot well again, you got to be
careful in saying that, becauseif you do it too much, you can
increase These sugar levelsinside of you too.
(31:08):
So, cortisol and you know allthat other stuff.
So you can cause metabolicissues in your system.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Okay, so let's go back to the planter fasciitis,
then, because that was an issuefor me too, and I ended up
buying those Special inserts orinsoles, which really changed my
life.
No joke, because before that Iwas in constant pain, my feet
always felt like they werecramping, i had to come home and
put my foot like on an ice ballor a tennis ball or whatever I
(31:39):
can do, and The insoles changedmy life.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
I Agree, i wear them every single day Myself.
That's one of the things that Ido in my clinic.
I don't push or I don'trecommend anything that doesn't
benefit me first.
Hmm, here's the thing as we age, even at a young age, if you're
not supporting the the archProperly, you're gonna grow into
(32:08):
Some issues.
It can arise from your feet,affect your ankles, it can
affect your knees, it can affectyour hips to your low back, i
mean.
It can even go up all the wayto your shoulders and neck.
Yeah, i so.
I think there's a place fororthotics, not just for some,
(32:31):
but everyone actually, becauseeveryone needs it.
You know they need the supportin their, in their arch as you
get older.
Can you walk around withoutarches?
obviously you can.
But again, athletes likeyourself, when you're putting
all that pressure on your feetand they keep on collapsing
(32:52):
every time you pivot to run andmove oh, meaning this, the
center of your foot.
So the so you hear people sayingI have an a high arch, some
people say I have a medium arch,some people say I have a low
arch.
And if you buy shoes, you'lllook and it'll say high arch,
yeah, medium arch, low arch.
(33:12):
Again, they're making theseshoes to to cater to the
physical.
You know physical needs thatyou may have and You're buying
these shoes.
But the thing is, if youcontinue to do that sport or
continue to do your activity andyour arches continue to fall
(33:33):
and fall and fall, yeah, you'regonna end up with foot pain.
Hmm, yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
Interesting.
How am I okay so insolesPrevent am I?
is that right in souls, my orin?
Speaker 4 (33:47):
I would say the There orthotics orthotics.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Orthotics help prevent planter fasciitis.
What helps prevent tennis elbow?
Speaker 4 (33:59):
Again, good, good warm-up, constant stretching,
good technique, and then theTool that you're using.
So, whether it be a golf club,you know they get golfers elbow.
Yeah, i know golfers that havetennis elbow, you know.
But again, it's it's the toolthat you're using, you know, is
that the same thing?
Speaker 2 (34:20):
We're just calling it two different things because
it's different sports or thedifferent parts of your elbow.
Speaker 4 (34:24):
They're different parts of the other they are so
okay ladder up.
A kind of lightest is on thelateral side, medial or the
golfers elbow is on the medialside.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
Ah yeah, So golfers don't really get that outside
injury much.
Speaker 4 (34:38):
They do actually believe it or not, but I think
They just name it that way.
Hmm.
Whatever?
Speaker 2 (34:45):
reason except never felt inside pain, only outside
so I remember getting thatinside pain where.
Speaker 4 (34:53):
I was learning to serve and As you go over and you
hear about people sayingpronate, yeah, so I would take
my racket and I would bepronating, but that would you
know when it's a bad technique.
Yeah.
It puts a lot of pressure andload on that medial side.
So I was developing that myselfInteresting way early in my
(35:17):
tennis career.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
I Wrote down.
I was gonna make a joke aboutspaghetti elbows, but I can't
think of how to include thathere, cuz I was trying to elbow
golf elbow, a tennis elbow.
It didn't work.
Yeah, let's talk about the, thepitchers you gave me, and I, to
tell you the truth, i, i knowI've talked to you about this.
(35:38):
I Don't want to say at length,because I've only talked to you
about this really Surface level,about what you went through
with your health a few years ago, so I Don't even know how to
ask it where to start, but tellme about what you went through,
what happened, and Obviously, iwant to talk about what happened
after, which is your life andeverything sure?
Speaker 4 (36:00):
so Yeah, 2017 was a 2017.
June 12th was a hard day in mylife.
Apparently, i was taken intothe hospital by my, my wife and
my son, and by that time, fivedays had passed since I started
(36:22):
getting sick and By the timethey took me to the emergency
room, i was in complete organfailure.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
So five days prior You already started feeling sick
.
That's correct.
Speaker 4 (36:32):
Okay, so I left her work early and everything, so by
that I think it was like Friday, or it's vague right now, but
it was five days, according tomy wife, and So when they took
me to the emergency room, i wasin complete organ failure,
didn't even know it.
I don't even remember beingtaken to the emergency room.
All I remember is Awakening inthe ICU After being in an
(36:59):
induced coma for 10 days.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
Yeah, so you have no memory of going to the hospital.
I don't and obviously no memoryduring the coma, and so 12 days
of your life went by, and thenyou just woke up in a hospital.
Speaker 4 (37:13):
That's correct.
Well, it's interesting.
When they put you under usingpurple fall, they say that you
can hear and you can respond.
Okay according to my wife andthe doctors, i was hearing and I
was responding, apparently.
But what I do remember ishaving these vivid Dreams you do
(37:36):
Yeah.
They were yes, and the thing isit was.
It was interesting.
Interesting because in one ofthe visions that I had and I
call it a vision, let me justdescribe it It was really weird.
When you hear it this way, butI this is the only way I can
(37:57):
tell it It's like in in my dream.
I felt like I was in a hospitalsomewhere.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
Okay, believe it or not?
Speaker 4 (38:05):
No, and it was weird, but I felt like I was in Las
Vegas because the last thing Idid before I Was placed in this
coma, i guess at home I was onthe computer and I was making
reservations for Luxor my buddy,the orthopedic surgeon, was
gonna get married.
Okay and I booked a roomApparently, and then I don't
(38:29):
remember anything after, butanyways, in my dream I felt like
I was in a hospital in Vegas.
Okay and these crazy dreams Imean in In one moment I remember
like I'm talking about myinsurance for whatever reason,
and then in the next moment Iremember them ripping things out
(38:50):
of my chest, going he doesn'thave enough insurance, or
something like that.
And then in the next moment Iremember being pushed down.
They said he needs to go downbelow And I was being pushed
down these ramps And-.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
Do we want to talk about what's below?
Speaker 4 (39:07):
Let me tell you Okay, yeah, it was-, no, no, no, no,
it was crazy.
In the stream.
I looked around and I can smelljust putrid, rotting flesh.
I look around and I'm like am Iin the morgue?
Oh my gosh, Because it was deadbodies all over me, All around
(39:28):
me Yeah yeah, yeah, but I waslike what in the world, where am
I?
But anyways, the next thing thatI do remember is I'm running
from whatever was chasing me.
It's kind of weird, but I'mrunning and I get to this open
field and it's like a valley, iwould imagine, because it was
(39:49):
like an outline of mountains toone side and I can see the stars
above and everything.
And I'm just like, oh my gosh,whatever's coming is getting
closer.
I'm going to get eaten orkilled or whatever.
And then I remember it's weirdthat this thought came to my
(40:10):
mind I look to the mountains.
Where does my help come from?
It comes from God, the maker ofheaven and earth.
And I looked up and I go, lord,i need your help.
And all of a sudden the darknessfaded away and then, all of a
sudden, it was all light And thecraziest thing I see this lion
(40:34):
paw come over the mountain andthen I see this lion head, the
head of a lion, and the eyes are, oh my gosh.
Even to this day I can't evendescribe the colors that I was
seeing in the eyes, you know,and I knew I was in the presence
of God, believe it or not.
It was weird And all I said toGod was Lord, am I coming home?
(40:58):
I just, you know, in my mind Ithought I was dead.
You know, i was like I guessthis is it.
Speaker 2 (41:08):
So you're a Christian ?
Were you a Christian prior tothis incident?
Speaker 4 (41:14):
So, yes, I would say I was a Christian And I had
faith.
but was it practiced?
Was it even where it is today?
I would say probably not.
Speaker 2 (41:32):
Well, obviously not.
I mean that experience has todraw you closer to something,
and in your life it drew youcloser to God, obviously.
Speaker 4 (41:43):
It did because you know, i asked him am I coming
home?
And basically God said no, i'mgoing to heal you.
And I didn't know what thatmeant because I didn't know.
you know, i was out in an openfield, i was standing there and
I'm like hmm, so these are sorry.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
I don't go ahead if I don't want to interrupt you.
Speaker 4 (42:03):
So, and then I woke up, that's when I found myself
intubated.
I didn't even know that at thatmoment, really.
I just knew I had a tube in mymouth And I was super confused.
I didn't know where I was.
All I knew was these doctorswere running into the room where
I was and my wife came over andshe's crying.
Speaker 2 (42:24):
She was there, oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (42:26):
And the doctors are like Dr Lee, can you hear me,
can you see this?
I you know.
That's all I remember at thatmoment, And it was weird.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
And were you supposed to die during this time?
Like what?
like later on did they tell youlook, we figured we're going to
pull the plug at one point?
Like what were they telling youlater?
Speaker 4 (42:48):
So yeah.
So here's what I had I had.
Apparently I suffered from aviral infection and then it
became a bacterial infection.
I got bilobar pneumonia It wasKlebsiella bacteria, basically
(43:09):
bacterial pneumonia And then Igot sepsis.
I got DKA, diabetes,ketoacidosis, and then all my
organs failed.
So liver failed, kidneys failed, my legs according to my wife
and my son, they were all likeblue and like there was no
circulation.
Wow, and so the doctors, at onepoint early on, they were
(43:33):
talking about cutting off mylegs, oh my gosh.
And they were like I'm going tobe alive.
But then at another point mypastor even was there to hear it
My wife was told get ready tobury him?
Speaker 2 (43:49):
Oh wow, because he has 0% chance of living.
Do you know how long?
Speaker 4 (43:57):
into the coma.
This was told to your wife.
Do you know?
I couldn't even tell you, inever really asked.
Yeah, and that was said to mywife and my pastor was even
there to hear it.
And yeah, it was confirmedlater on, when I was talking to
them as my liver came back And Ikept on telling them you know
(44:22):
what God said he's going to healme, and they would all sort of
laugh and humor me.
You know, yeah, yeah, yeah,your liver may come back, your
kidneys they're going to takeabout a year to start
functioning again.
But as soon as my liver cameback, What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (44:42):
come back.
I don't understand what thatmeans.
So the liver failed.
Speaker 4 (44:44):
So your liver pretty much metabolizes everything that
you eat, i mean everything thatyou drink, and you introduce
them to your body.
So let's say it's a medicationand metabolizes that If you
drink alcohol and metabolizesalcohol.
So it's like a filtering system, but that system you only have
one liver.
Without it you die.
(45:05):
So if you've I mean there areliver transplants that you can
receive, but again you have tobe a candidate for it.
But yeah.
Speaker 2 (45:15):
So coming back means it started working again.
They didn't really see that asa possibility.
Speaker 4 (45:20):
That's correct.
At that moment they said yeah,wow, yeah, wow.
Speaker 2 (45:25):
That's crazy.
And then so how we joke withyou when we play tennis and we
say you make excuses now, buthow much of this are you still
experiencing?
Like is it?
I know you talk about yourlungs still having issues, like
what are you still experiencingfrom them?
Speaker 4 (45:44):
So lungs obviously scarred from the pneumonia and
everything, my legs as much, theamount of stretching that I do
and everything.
If I sit for any period of time15 to 20, 30 minutes it becomes
stiff.
I can barely like start.
Once I start moving, it'll getyou know what's the term elastic
(46:09):
again, you know, and the painsort of goes away.
But that first couple of steps,oh my gosh, it's still painful
And it's been seven, almostseven years now.
Speaker 2 (46:20):
So this is probably never going to go away.
You're going to be dealing withthis likely.
Speaker 4 (46:23):
It may get better.
I may have to deal with it.
You know, like you said, theremainder of my life, but the
thing is all I know.
When God said I'm going to healyou, he didn't just mean my
physical.
Speaker 1 (46:40):
It's interesting.
Speaker 4 (46:42):
It has a whole new meaning to me.
It's because the faith that Ihave in God number one.
It was confirmed to me throughthis experience that God is real
.
God loves us so much.
You know, you hear the gospelall the time but you sort of
yeah, it's not for me, but yougot to understand that God is
(47:06):
real.
I mean, he loves us so much Hesent his own son to die for us,
you know, and he says whoeverbelieves in Jesus, you'll be
saved.
If you call upon his name,you'll be saved.
You know, it's such an amazingthing that has been revealed to
me in a new, fresh way throughthis experience, and I'm humbled
(47:32):
every single day as I see and Ibear a mark here.
I call it my God mark.
It's a scar from gettingdialysis and everything.
And it's like a three-pointedscar And I'm reminded of God's
mercy every day.
because of that, because I knowwhat I've been through what.
(47:55):
God's taken me through.
And here's the thing I stilldeal with my breathing issues,
which you joke, you know we jokeabout, but and often you hear
me say, yeah, my legs justaren't in it.
It's the truth, i just don'thave the strength that I used to
.
And you say, well, you look atthe.
(48:16):
You know I don't want to makemy head too big, but you've
mentioned, hey, look at themuscle mass in your, in your
calves and your thigh.
Speaker 2 (48:24):
Oh, I say that You said that to me.
I've never said that once.
You're such a liar, not oncamera.
I've never commented on yourcalves, no, but no, i get you
Like you have.
You have strong legs, butthere's still something missing.
Yeah, obviously.
Yeah.
Absolutely Okay.
(48:44):
So you're talking.
Let's just stay on this for asecond because I am interested
for a.
It's rare to talk to a personthat's been in a coma and you
told us right now aboutinsurance and dreams.
God, the, the, the smell ofputrid whatever it was and dead
(49:06):
bodies.
How real was that?
Or is it when you came out?
was it comparable to waking upfrom a dream or was it something
more?
I guess I'm trying to figureout.
Speaker 4 (49:19):
I.
So it was sort of so.
Everything was like a dream tome, obviously, because I knew
that I was in a coma, that atthat, after I came out of it.
But when I was going through it, tony, it was real.
I mean, it couldn't be morereal.
You know the smell, i mean, thejust being bound to that bed,
(49:46):
it was, it was all real, youknow.
Speaker 2 (49:49):
And Well see, because that's that's actually my
question.
I know we're probably goingtotally off tennis topic, but
I'm interested because in thedream you don't know you're
dreaming.
When you come out of the dreamyou realize it's a dream.
My question for you is becauseyou experienced something
totally different being in acoma and then you're giving me a
story.
that's something totallydifferent.
(50:11):
I don't dream about this stuff,so I'm trying to figure out if,
do you, do you compare it?
Is it like unequal ground to adream or is it something totally
different?
Obviously, your, how youreflect on it, it's changed your
life.
I don't mean that that it's notdifferent, but how different it
was the feeling of experiencingthat.
Speaker 4 (50:34):
So I think I understand It was life changing.
I mean, it was.
It seems so real to me and itwas real to me coming face to
face with God.
You know now that I know it'sinsane If you think about it.
(50:55):
We all say yeah, there's a Godwho's distant and he doesn't
care, and this and that, but tobe in that situation, to be face
to face and to be able to seewhat I saw and to hear what I
heard, it was, it's lifechanging.
(51:16):
It's like.
So here's the thing Everyonesays Christianity is a religion.
I'm going to tell you it's nota religion.
It's not something that I do togo to God.
What it is is actually and thisis why it's so different it's
God who came to me.
(51:37):
You know who found me in thatplace and he's the one that met
me and he told me that he wouldheal me.
So, as I mentioned before, it'smore of a physical healing.
I believe it's a spiritualhealing.
You know, it's like.
Speaker 2 (51:55):
More than a physical healing.
Speaker 4 (51:58):
That's correct And that's the thing It's like
Christianity.
Everyone says it.
It's a relationship with God.
Every Christian says it.
Religion is something that wedo to go to God.
You know it's not a religion,because God is the one that
found us first.
He's the one that's given hisson for us.
(52:21):
Simply put, we're sinners,We've sinned, We broke God's
laws.
God had to do something.
He didn't have to do it, but hedid it.
He sent his son to die on thecross to pay for that sin, so
that we could be with him.
You know it's So.
All I can say is it's lifechanging.
Speaker 2 (52:46):
Yeah, well, i mean, it's interesting just to hear
you talk about it, and this is atennis podcast, right.
But I think the whole point ofwhy I even started this was I
realized that everyone has astory, and so I think it's easy
(53:06):
for me to get on and talk aboutwhat happened at the French Open
.
Right, that's easy.
I can sit here and go.
Jokovic is going to beat Rootin the final.
You know all this stuff.
But I just found it sointeresting that every person I
talk to, if you actually sitdown and speak to them, they
have a very interesting story totell.
So, truthfully, even before Ithought of this tennis podcast,
(53:27):
i thought maybe I'll do apodcast of just talking to
random people and like hearingwhat they have to say, because
everyone will have somethinginteresting, right.
And so that's why I appreciateyou telling me this, because I'm
not, you know, i hope peoplearen't turned off by it, like,
but I don't want this podcast tobe political or even religious,
to be honest.
But it's you, it's you and it'syour story, and it's just
(53:50):
exciting to hear someone who'spassionate about anything.
I don't know how you feel, butI don't care if they're talking
about plain pool or something.
If they're passionate about it,it's inspiring, and so I see
how passionate you are aboutChristianity, about your family
and about your work, so I justI'm glad I got to talk to you
about it.
Let's talk about something alittle funny.
(54:11):
I beat you at ping pong prettyregularly.
Speaker 4 (54:17):
Whoa.
Speaker 2 (54:18):
Can we discuss that a little?
Speaker 4 (54:21):
Can we restate what you just?
Speaker 2 (54:23):
said On the record who has beaten who more.
First of all, right here.
Come on, tom, on the record.
You just talked about being aChristian.
Speaker 4 (54:34):
Tony.
Speaker 2 (54:37):
Do you think we're close seriously?
Speaker 4 (54:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (54:42):
Take a guess How many ?
what?
10 to 10?
Speaker 4 (54:44):
I don't know how many games we played, but who's
better?
Speaker 2 (54:52):
Who has the better ping pong?
Speaker 4 (54:53):
paddle You do, I do Yeah exactly, exactly, and
that's you know.
Speaker 2 (54:59):
It's funny that that is obviously comparable to
tennis too, because justrecently my wife got a better
racket.
She was using the real I forgetwhat she was using before, but
I think a real cheapy from likeWalmart or I don't even know
what and she switched to areally nice technifier that the
club got her And it's beenhelping her a lot.
Right now in your tennis life,like what are you?
(55:20):
I don't know what's your plan.
Is it just continue just tohave fun, meet people?
Do you have any plans withtennis going forward?
Speaker 4 (55:29):
Well, you know, obviously I'd like to support
you in your quest.
You know, and I believe you cando it.
If anyone can do it, i know youcan do it.
You have the strokes, you havethe, you have the discipline,
you have, you know technique.
Oh my gosh, you have it all.
So you have the youth still,really Yeah, 44.
(55:53):
Dude 54.
Speaker 2 (55:55):
I forgot to ask you that.
About that at the beginning.
Speaker 4 (55:57):
You're 54?
Well, i'll be 54 in a couplecouple days.
Speaker 2 (56:01):
A couple years.
Speaker 4 (56:02):
A couple days, about nine days, really.
Speaker 2 (56:05):
Yeah, i swear.
for some reason I thoughtyou're 51.
I'm not joking, no.
Ah, wow, you're 53.
What an old curmudgeon.
So, man, 54.
I think you really have to tryto play a 55 coming up, because
you'll be starting in December.
I think you'll be allowed toplay 55s and ups.
Speaker 4 (56:28):
That'll be a good tournament for you, i may do
that, yeah, yeah, it'll be fun.
It'll be fun, yeah, but yeah,going back to you, you can do it
.
I believe you can win an open.
Speaker 2 (56:38):
Well, that's like I did with Joe Jr when he was on.
I was like, hey, this is a freetennis lesson for me.
But diagnose me then, Whyaren't I winning more often?
if you say I'm, my strokes areso beautiful and I'm so youthful
at 45, which I'm not, notyouthful, I mean, I am 45.
But why aren't I winning?
And, by the way, we're tapingthis on Sunday and I got to
(57:01):
watch I don't know if you knowhow much of you saw it because I
know you're at church but I gotto watch Joe Kovic's Rude
Highlights and watching Rude wassuch a to me.
It was sad because it did sortof remind me of myself, because
not that I'm close to his level,That's not the point.
But the point is he got alittle timid when he didn't need
(57:25):
to be timid.
When he swung out he was on JoeKovic's level And even at the
beginning, right, I think helost 7-6 first set And he should
have actually won that set, inmy opinion.
watching it, I agree.
And once things got a littletight he got timid, he didn't
hit the same strokes And Istarted like looking at myself
(57:45):
in the mirror, most like I thinkthat's me, Like what he does.
What he did today is what I do,I think, and matches.
Speaker 4 (57:53):
I agree, if anything for you I'm not the greatest
critique or anything like that,but again, it's mental.
I think I already touched uponthat.
You do add the strokes.
You have the, you know youdefinitely have the tenacity,
you have the ability, you knowyou have all that.
(58:13):
However, i think where you loseit is in the mind.
It's like, instead of pressingon that gas pedal, like you said
, you sort of lift up and youare a little timid.
And the thing is, i don't know,it could be your condition that
day, it could be.
Speaker 2 (58:35):
You know what you've eaten, what you did need to,
what But if you're saying yousaid gas pedal, Yeah, Because I
really would fight back with youif you said when you said
mental, I think it could havewent a bunch of different ways
And weak minded is one of theroads you could have went down.
And I don't consider myselfweak minded at all.
Speaker 4 (58:57):
No, you definitely not weak minded.
Speaker 2 (58:58):
So how is?
how can I fix gas pedal?
then, Like, that's just me.
What am I doing?
Speaker 4 (59:05):
Like I think there's a fine balance between
confidence and and just beingtimid you know just so you need
to have a good amount ofconfidence, well balanced
confidence, going into a matchand keep that as much as you can
.
Speaker 2 (59:26):
You're right, because I think the issue sometimes is
I equate cockiness withconfidence and they're not the
same thing, No Yeah.
Speaker 4 (59:34):
Definitely not.
Speaker 2 (59:35):
Yeah, i got to find that right amount of confidence
out there, sort of having funthinking I'm the better player,
but without being cocky, becauseI always feel that's something
I 100% don't want to be And Ithink it messes me up a little.
Speaker 4 (59:49):
And I think sometimes you you want to have a little
too much fun than actually justget the job done too.
Yeah.
Because when you do get angryand I can pull your strings and
I have, oh, you pull out someamazing shots, oh, that's
interesting You step forward,you're hitting that ball out in
(01:00:12):
front.
I mean clean hits withconfidence.
Speaker 2 (01:00:16):
So yeah, so I got to do the whole Jordan thing where
I got to make up something thatgets me upset prior to the match
, maybe.
Speaker 4 (01:00:25):
I totally agree.
Really, or something of thattype of a mindset where, once
you step out on that court, it'sall business.
I don't care who you're playing, it has to be all business.
Speaker 2 (01:00:37):
Okay, now, i agree, i appreciate that.
Let me give you something.
This is actually very hard forme to give you because I really
like this card.
So you know, i've been givingeveryone a little present to say
thank you, because everyonecomes to my house and we'd sit
here and it's, you know, timeout of your family life.
(01:00:58):
So you remind me of JimmyConnors.
So I have a cool card herethat's rated and all this good
stuff.
It's not crazy expensive.
I don't remember how much Ibought it for Maybe 70, 80 bucks
But it's a good card And I likeit a lot because I love Jimmy
Connors.
(01:01:18):
But the reason he reminds me ofyou is he's sort of a hole on
the court, sort of reminds me ofyou in a weird way.
But he's also so amazing andpassionate to watch and you just
see how much he loves what he'sdoing.
And going back to what you justtold me a second ago, how you
got to be confident and stuff,and I think if I played more
(01:01:40):
like you, the mentality, or morelike Jimmy Connors, then I
would be a lot better.
So, anyways, i'm joking withyou by calling you an A hole,
obviously, but obviously, but no, i just hope you enjoy that.
Keep that, because that's justa reminder of you know who you
are on the court.
It's big Jimmy.
Speaker 4 (01:01:58):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:01:59):
So all right, my friend.
Well, let's just end it therethen, because that was good.
You know, i'm glad I think Ihit everything I wanted to hit
with you and I'm really happy wefocused on, like, the health
questions, because obviously Idon't get to do that with
everyone.
But I appreciate you, tommy.
And we got to play tomorrow andmaybe play some pong very soon.
Speaker 4 (01:02:20):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (01:02:21):
All right, my friend, let me do a little outro music
and we'll talk.
Thanks, tommy.
You are listening to Your League Tennis Podcast with
your host, anthony Radonia.
Anthony is an avid weekendwarrior tennis player, just like
you.
Every week, he'll beinterviewing new and exciting
guests that will not only differin experience and skill level,
but also in age and physicalability.
Your League Tennis Podcast isabout making you a better tennis
(00:26):
player, whether you're abeginner or have been playing
for years, in your 20s or inyour 60s.
Now here is your host, anthonyRadonia.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
All right, Tommy.
Hello, hello.
Wow, we got some good applausethere.
We did.
Crowd is really excited to seeyou today.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
Very nice.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
So what's up, Tommy?
How are you?
Speaker 4 (00:53):
I'm doing good.
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:55):
I'm doing good.
I appreciate this.
You've seen the podcast, tommy.
We're just going to keep itsimple.
Talk about tennis, talk aboutlife.
You just came from church, ithink, right, yep, cool.
So we'll talk about that too,because obviously one of the
photos that I put in the teaseon Instagram is one that you
(01:17):
gave me permission to put on,which is some of the health
issues you had in the past, andI want to talk about that
because that's obviously part ofyour story, but it's also like,
so interesting.
And then I'm very interested tohear your life afterwards, and
I know that thing was one of thebig moments in your life that
(01:38):
sort of drew you more intoChristianity I guess I want to
say more into, because you werealready a Christian prior to
that.
But I'm interested in that.
I want to talk about that.
But let's start out with sometennis first.
We know each other throughtennis.
Yes, we do.
Okay, So you're just theratings.
You're a 4.5 USTA rated player.
(01:58):
Yes.
And I always forget this Do youknow your UTR?
Speaker 4 (02:03):
I do not.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
You don't okay, Because I know you had a doubles
UTR rating.
I don't remember if you had asingles one.
Do you know?
Speaker 4 (02:13):
I don't think I have a singles one, just because I
don't play enough singles.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Yeah, because you haven't played tournaments.
You're usually playing justleague and you'll play in the
4.5 league with me or the 5.0.
Yeah, so I think you're right.
I think you need sometournament play to get a UTR
rating.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
Actually, i don't know That.
I don't know either.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
But you know what?
Even in league you only playdoubles.
That's right, so you haven'tplayed singles, so that's
probably the reason.
Let's just start with this then.
When did you start playingtennis in life?
Speaker 4 (02:48):
I started kind of late, i want to say probably
towards the end of my eighthgrade year.
Okay.
And one summer.
It was at eighth grade to ninthgrade summer where I received
some lessons and I pretty muchspent almost 12 to 13 hours a
(03:12):
day on the court.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Why did you start lessons at that time?
Did parents make you?
Speaker 4 (03:17):
So the parents didn't make me do anything.
I come from, i guess my parentswere blue collar workers.
We never had a lot of money,and so it's kind of embarrassing
, but at the same time Iattribute everything that I have
(03:39):
by the grace of God.
So I even learned tenniswatching people get lessons,
believe it or not?
Yeah, i grew up in HuntingtonBeach but I would go to the
nearby community centers andeven the nearby community
(04:01):
colleges.
And this one coach he saw mepracticing shadow swings and
everything like that, and hisname was Mario and he taught at
Golden West College And he sortof took me under his wing, had
me pick up some balls here andthere, and he would allow me to
(04:24):
take part in some classes.
And then my parents found outthat I really enjoyed tennis and
then they started payingnominal fee for not private
lessons but group lessons.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
And where was this?
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Golden West College.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Golden West College, and so you were there just
because sort of after school youneeded something to do, or I'm
trying to still figure that out.
Why were you there?
Speaker 4 (04:48):
No, I heard through the grapevine, I guess some
friends that there was this onecoach that was teaching tennis
over there, and so I would ridemy bike from Huntington Beach
all the way out there and justbe, there to learn.
It was either that, or go tothe nearby tennis courts and hit
(05:10):
by myself against the wall orhit in the garage.
We never had a separated garageso it was like a communal
garage.
So when all the cars were out Iwould be hitting up against the
wall.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
And why did you even start doing that at 12?
Any sports prior to that?
and was your dad playing at all?
Speaker 4 (05:31):
So, yeah, my father picked up tennis, so I just sort
of intrigued by it.
But I was playing oh my gosh,baseball, football, you name it
soccer.
I was a goalie too.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
I don't believe that one.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Believe it or not.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
You must have spurted , real young, and then stopped
somewhere along the way.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
You're right.
But yeah, i played baseball.
I was shortstop, believe it ornot really good hands, quick on
my feet.
But then my dad picked up aracket and he sort of started
swinging in front of me and I'mlike, what is that all about?
So I would follow him to histennis meetings and whatnot and
(06:21):
I would just sit there intriguedand just watching and then but
never really picked up a racketand started playing per, say,
until, yeah, after eighth grade.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
And then.
So you started going to GoldenWest College just more or less
to hang around, be around tennis.
And then you said this guy,mario, sort of saw you as a kid
who, what like, was interestedand saw you had potential, or
just a kid who would love tennis, or what was it.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
A kid that had potential, according to what he
was saying.
Oh okay, yeah, i didn't havethe most beautiful strokes back
then, but I could get every ballover.
Yeah.
I could run down every ball, soI I Call myself the giant
killer, because that's what Iwas known for.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Yeah, and high school I mean, i made you know varsity
and I was beating up on theseguys.
I would have formal lessons andeverything like that, and yeah
yeah, it was pretty fun.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Well, you still do that to this day.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
Yeah, I guess somewhat.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
We're gonna come back to that, so before we Obviously
, i want to, i want to.
well, let's let me ask youabout your family first.
Sure, you're married and youhave kids, yes, so what are?
what's your wife doing?
What's your kids doing rightnow?
Speaker 4 (07:43):
So my wife is a dental hygienist.
She loves her job somewhat.
My children my oldest he's ahe's in nursing school and he's
really enjoying that.
He's actually wow, doing well.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
So I'm going to San Marcos, or is that?
was that before?
Speaker 4 (08:04):
so he was going to San Marcos, and then he switched
over and got accepted to anursing program.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
What is that, west Coast?
Speaker 2 (08:11):
West Coast, and where is that located?
Speaker 4 (08:13):
Um, there's a campus in Ontario, i believe.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Oh yeah, that's right right off the freeway.
I think right, okay, And thenyour daughter is she's going to
San Marcos.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
She's a bio major, she wants to be CLS, so it is a
Lab scientist That works at thehospital.
They pretty much identify, youknow, like blood samples, what
Bacteria, viruses, tumors andthis and that.
(08:45):
So yeah, they get paid well,believe it or not interesting I
never, even heard of that.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
And then You're currently well I guess I don't
want to say currently, becauseyou've been doing for a while,
but you're a chiropractor rightnow.
How long you've been doing that?
Speaker 4 (09:00):
I've been doing that for about almost 21 years.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Well, yeah and you own your own practice now.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
I do.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Yeah, and you started out working with some people
and then eventually took over apractice and Doing that
full-time now.
That's correct a lot of hours,Yeah it's.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
It's a good, good gig .
Yeah, it's fine.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
And you love it.
I do.
What would you anything youwould rather be doing?
I don't even know what thatwould be, but is there anything
at all like?
I mean, you know, likesometimes I think like it'd be
cool to be a dentist, make somemoney easy hours.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
That's the one thing I don't want to be as a dentist,
don't want to be working inside, inside of a confined space,
you know, especially the mouth.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Yeah, your wife probably tells you some bad,
crazy stories about what theysee.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
At the, some of those stories are discussed.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Yeah, oh my gosh.
Well, let's stay on before wego into some tennis.
I mean, one of the main reasonswhy I wanted you here was I
Come to you for all my healthconcerns, like meaning, like all
my joint issues, my back issues, everything and And I don't say
(10:12):
this to be rude tochiropractors, but you're a
chiropractor, but I think Isometimes feel you're so much
more, hmm, and I don't again,i'm not saying that to be mean
towards Kyros, it's just myexperience with Kyros prior to
you Wasn't very good.
It was sort of like in and outcrack, this crack, that I never
really understood the point.
(10:32):
Sometimes it was helpful,sometimes, i'll be honest with
you It felt like it hurt meworse and I left just with a bad
taste in my mouth.
And after I started going to you, i really realized that there's
people out there you know sortof in every profession that are
very passionate about what theydo.
So it's easy for me to see thatyou're very passionate about
(10:54):
what you do because you sitthere and you really explain
stuff to me.
You know you really you knowthe anatomy, which is, to me,
very surprised.
I've never had one Kyro in mylife talked to me about anatomy
ever.
To be honest with you, and Youknow so tell me a little about
where that passion came from.
Or is that just you like?
(11:14):
would you be passionate aboutanything You're doing, or is it
specifically that?
Speaker 4 (11:18):
well, i guess I always had an affinity to, you
know, towards medicine andhelping people and whatnot.
But I got trained pretty wellfor 12 years under orthopedic
surgeon and It's interesting.
I do look at patients in adifferent viewpoint.
(11:41):
I believe I sort of mix andmarry the medical provider, you
know, the MD Its perspective,especially in orthopedic
surgeons.
I am viewpoint when I amexamining a patient and And I
love to you know, usedifferential diagnosis.
You know, on a daily basis andit just sort of Interesting to
(12:05):
me.
You know, if I can't, if Idon't understand what I'm seeing
, hearing, and Then I'm gonna doeverything that I can to try
and figure it out, you know, andI'll be honest with the patient
, if I don't know, i don't know,but then I just don't leave
them there.
I sort of try to figure it outand I think That has driven me
(12:26):
to my passion, which is caringfor people.
Ultimately, yeah, i mean I loveworking with athletes.
I have a long history andHelping injured workers and
people who get injured inautomobile accidents and whatnot
.
So yeah, i just get a joy outof helping people, i think.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
And yeah, and you're always training.
I mean it actually surprises me, because you're always going to
trainings, you're alwaysreading, and So that's actually
it's sort of inspiring, becauseit helps me Like realize too in
my own profession like I got tokeep up with my things.
But seeing you do that isactually pretty inspiring,
because you're I When we talkand we talk a lot through text
(13:14):
and phone, but you're alwaystraining, you're always learning
, so it's really inspiring.
Let's do this because, like Isaid, i come to you for help on
my health issues.
I Can never pronounce this, butwe're gonna do sort of a roar
Chalk test.
Do you know that ink blot test?
Is it roar chalk, right?
(13:34):
right, so how do you pronounceit?
That's a good question.
Okay, we don't, we both don'tknow.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Yeah, i can't pronounce it either, but I know
exactly what you mean okay.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
So it's that psychology test of it's a ink
blot and then the patient sortof spits out what they think it
is Right.
My version of this is the Cairoroar chalk test, And I'm gonna
say a word and then it's gonnabe your job to tell me how it's
gonna relate to tennis, Howyou're gonna anything you want.
Okay.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
So here we go stretching oh, one of the most
important things for a tennisplayer, for any athlete for that
matter, because stretching is athird variable in an equation
that, ultimately, everyone wants.
Everyone wants power.
(14:23):
So, yes, strength training, youhave conditioning and yes,
strength stretching, you cannotleave that out.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
We have strength training Okay.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
Conditioning and stretching Okay that's correct
and It's flexibility training.
That's what I call it.
Yeah, so if you can train allthree at the same level and
Intensity, then ultimately yourpower level will be maximized.
And remember, your body'salways changing too.
I mean, there's seasons whereyou're gonna be feeling strong,
(14:57):
some seasons You're gonna feellike you've plateaued.
Some seasons You're gonna feellike I Don't feel that great,
you know.
But again you have to Revaluateand see what, where you're
lacking.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
So, yeah, stretching is very important and you saying
your three Pillars, what werethey called?
so three variables, threevariables.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Yeah, in the equation to power.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Okay, oh, interesting , that's a good way to think of
it.
And when you say that, itreminds me of that hip injury I
had because I felt like I wasreally doing the first two a lot
That's correct Like I was doingnot crazy weights I've never
been into like lifting crazyweights, but I was.
You know, i would grabdumbbells and do like You know,
hamstrings, and then I would gorunning.
(15:41):
I do sprints and running uphills and I was doing the first
two Variables all the time andnever doing stretching.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
That's correct.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Then remember I called you sort of scared.
Actually I was like I need youto come over, something happen.
I can't move and I thought Itore something in my hip or who
knows what, because I don't knowanything.
And you told me literally and Iwas very surprised to hear it
was just tightness.
It was yeah okay, so talkedabout that a little.
(16:11):
how does the tightness ofWhatever thing I was going
through, how did that affect me?
Speaker 4 (16:16):
So you, you got to understand When you train
muscles Um so, muscles, the endpoints are tendons and they
anchor into the bone.
And the thing is, if you trainjust strength and conditioning,
without elasticity training,then what you're doing is you're
(16:37):
strengthening or you'rebuilding the girth and bulk of
that muscle, but then if younever stretch it out and you
don't lengthen it, it's not ausable muscle.
That's why you see guys in thegym and Gold's gym and they're
huge, they're massive, but thenyou can't use that type of
muscle to fight.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Hmm, interesting.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
Okay, so I mean when you're fighting, and I did a lot
of that too.
But the thing is, you needquick, you know, flexible,
usable muscle and tissue.
So you gotta train that.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
I wanna stay on the Roar chalk test, but just
because you said you werefighting, you did what Taekwondo
?
What do you remind me?
Speaker 4 (17:25):
I did Taekwondo, I did a Kimpo, I did some
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu when I wasstationed in Korea.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
And I was just gonna say that reminded me in you were
in the Air Force.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
I was in the Air Force.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
That's right, okay, so we'll try to find a way to
bring that in, because I aminterested more to hear about
that.
Let's keep going with the Roar,shock, chiro, test Heat and ice
.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
For me, i always lean on ice, especially if it's
acute.
People sit there and say, yeah,i look on the internet and
there's different phases ofhealing and this and that, but
you can have an acute flare upof a chronic condition.
So that means if it's painful,if it's swollen, always lean on
(18:15):
ice.
go to the ice Now once it'shealed, and you wanna, you know,
maybe warm up the area, bringblood flow to the area before
your activity or something.
then, yeah, you can use someheat, but then either Prior to
the activity.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
That's correct, okay.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
Or even in certain phases of healing too.
Let's say you're out of theacute pain phase but you just
have dull, achy whatever-ness.
Then you can use I use the fivefinger roll So you can go about
three minutes of ice, threeminutes of heat, three minutes
of ice heat and end with ice.
Reason being you're basicallyimplementing a pumping system to
(18:55):
bring the fluids in and tobring the fluids out, and it
helps with healing when thathappens.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Now I know what the word acute means.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
I've been called acute anytime in my life, Acute,
not acute Oh acute.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
What does acute mean?
Explain why you're saying acute.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
Just simple terms new ?
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Just yeah, okay, and then so I make it a habit to
turn the heater on in my caranytime I drive.
What do you think about that?
Is that-?
Speaker 4 (19:26):
That's okay.
Just beware of-.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
I mean, i'm sorry, the back heat.
Right, you know what I'm saying?
The seat heat.
Speaker 4 (19:34):
So the thing is, i mean that's short period of time
, but for older people they liketo lay on these heating pads
and whatnot, and they'll fallasleep and whatnot.
You don't wanna do that,Because if you dry out, it can
dry out the tissue.
So you can yeah, you can suffereven burns, believe it or not,
if you lay on a heating pad toolong.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
But how is?
is it not beneficial Like ifI'm hurting, I come home, let's
say, from tennis Is itbeneficial or is it hurtful if I
just lay on a heating pad foran hour or two?
Or should I lay on ice, orshould I do nothing?
Should I stretch?
What should I be doing after?
Speaker 4 (20:10):
So after a workout or I'm assuming you're referring
to the tennis workouts that?
Speaker 2 (20:15):
we do Yes.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
Or a match.
Yeah, come back.
Hydrate.
Hydration is huge.
Number two yes, you can soak inan ice tub if you'd like, you
know, or you can do localizedicing.
Heating is okay, but again, ilean on the ice.
After yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
Okay.
So before, heat is okay, like,let's say, i'm driving to a
match, right, we're not somehigh-paid athlete where we get
to go into a gym and do all thisstuff, but driving to a match,
it's okay to put some heat on myback with the chair.
After stretch hydrate I'massuming you mean water.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
Hydrate assuming water Mike Water.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
I'm like, and then ice after.
Okay, all right, Oh my gosh, ididn't even think of this word.
This is the Roar-Chak ChiroTest, and I didn't even talk
about cracking cracking.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
Okay, so cracking what is cracking.
So here's the thing.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Is that the right way to say it?
by the way, Do chiro's call itcracking?
Speaker 4 (21:20):
Well, nowadays you look on, what is it?
TikTok and stuff like that.
Everything's about cracking,you know.
But here's the thing when youadjust someone, you're usually
let's stick to the spine.
When you're adjusting the spine, what you're doing is you're
causing motion in the motionsegments that are not moving.
well, That's all you're doing.
(21:41):
You're not taking bones out ofplace, placing them back into
place.
That noise, the cavitation thatyou're hearing, is coming from
the smaller joints.
They're called the facet joints.
Each joint in your body isencapsulated in a synovial sack
(22:03):
of some sort, And when you gapthat joint, oh that synovial
sack, that joint is vacuumsealed.
So when you gap that joint ormove that joint, then you're
gonna get a cavitation, which isan equalization and pressure.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
And that's all you're hearing.
So I'm hearing a pop of what.
Then the vacuum?
Speaker 4 (22:27):
So basically it's like a suction cup on a tabletop
.
If you pop that suction cup offthe table, you're a.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
So I am not being cracked.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
That's correct.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Ah, interesting.
Unless you wanna be cracked upto that This is already worth
the money, because I thought Iwas being cracked.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
No, yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Actually I knew I wasn't.
You told me one time Yes, sir,All right, what about TENS unit?
Speaker 4 (22:55):
So there is a place for that TENS transcutaneous.
It's only this deep into thetissue.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
And the home ones, by the way, the ones you buy from
CVS.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
Yeah, i mean they're okay again.
They're all usually TENS, but Ido prefer the electric stim
that I use in my office.
I have different mode settings.
I have I usually utilizeinterferential, because it goes
about an inch and a half deepAnd you can cross the wave
(23:27):
patterns to go deeper.
And then there's somethingcalled Russian stim, which the
Russians came up with.
Believe it or not, theirOlympic team athletes all used
it while so they would put it ontheir muscle that they were
training and then do theirlifting and their exercises, and
they believe that things thosemuscles, tendons and ligaments
(23:51):
got stronger because of that.
And thus came Russian stim.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
And that reminds me of that remake of Enter the
Dragon.
There was this one part in themovie where the guy who was
playing Bruce Lee was wearingthis electric stim on his
stomach And he claimed it waslike doing 500 pushups.
Is that true?
Speaker 4 (24:12):
So it's no, No, No.
So you can.
Let's say you have a strokevictim.
Then you can utilize that typeof muscle stim to get a basal
line level of tonality.
So beyond that you're not gonnaget any more benefits.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Yeah, as far as muscle building, Okay, so that's
really the question I washaving.
So you're not gonna be able tobuild muscle by putting that on.
press on and sit back and watchTV.
Sure, eat some ice cream.
He he, he.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
For $49.99.
Yeah, i'll just get it.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Oh, and then going back to the, so the CVS ones,
they are beneficial to a certainextent.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
Yeah, i mean they can help deal with some pain and
whatnot.
It's official, absolutelyPalliative measures.
They come, they're useful forthat.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Then I don't even know if you have experience with
this, and it's okay if youdon't, but it just made me start
thinking of the other junkyitems I buy from CVS, like salon
paws, and is that stuff?
That stuff seems like a waste.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
I mean you can't take away the topical effects Like
you.
recently when I tore myhamstring, i for the first time
I tried some bio freeze that Iwas given.
And I mean, yeah, it gave mesome relief.
I guess Superficially it sortof masked the pain, but then
(25:41):
deep inside I still felt thepain.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
Yeah yeah.
Okay, what about MRI and X-rays?
How important are those, iguess, with prior to diagnosing
a patient, or do we need to evenget those?
Speaker 4 (26:00):
So because I work for a orthopedic surgeon, i do like
to have at least an X-raybefore I adjust you If, given
the history okay, let's sayyou're, if someone comes to me,
they have no pain, they come infor maintenance care, whatnot
(26:21):
yeah, i'll still do myorthopedic exams and everything.
but then if I find somethingthat's sort of you know a red
flag issue, i'll minimally getan X-ray and then probe them
with more questions about theirhistory and whatnot.
But then if I get that red flagagain in my head, then I'll
request an MRI.
Hmm, yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
How about this?
is I think I'll call it outsidethe scope of chiropractic?
Is that a word, chiropractic,chiropractic?
But we talk about it all thetime, so here's another roar
shock.
chiro test diet.
Speaker 4 (27:02):
Yeah, I'm not the greatest poster child for diet.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
But we talk about it.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
Oh yeah, we do.
Diet is huge, obviously BecauseI'm a diabetic.
Now I have to practice a acertain dietary plan or follow a
dietary plan, and It'sbeneficial to me, you know, as
an individual.
So Am I for a low carb?
you know high fat diet?
(27:28):
for myself I am.
I do get my blood drawn everythree to four months, so I'm
monitoring my level.
You know levels of triglycerideand cholesterol and everything
like that.
So I guess it's okay for me todo that.
For others I would say unlessyou're doing that and you're
(27:49):
getting your blood drawn, don'ttake, don't assume anything.
Okay, at least go get a checkup, get your blood drawn.
At least you know the bloodpanel and You know where you are
, and then you can start thatdietary plan.
Yeah and Yeah, and monitor itdoes insurance cover that?
Speaker 2 (28:08):
or you go pay out of pocket, you know, or do you
don't want to get into financesand insurance on HMO on YouTube.
Speaker 4 (28:15):
Yeah, man, okay, that's not talking about it.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
I don't want to get you arrested.
Speaker 4 (28:19):
Yeah, but you're my attorney, right.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
Okay, so let's stay on this topic a little more, but
now let's relate it to what aresome common tennis injuries
that you see, and then,obviously, let's talk about the,
the preventative way to keeppeople from getting those, and
then what we can do to help themif they're already experiencing
it.
So it's some common tennisinjuries.
Sure.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
Recently I've had a couple patients come into my
office with tennis elbow.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Yeah, I mean what you know I have to season players.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
You know we get it for one reason or another.
You know, for the lower levelpeople players I'd say it's bad
technique, you know bad habitsand whatnot.
I mean higher levels.
Obviously it could be stringtension.
It could be the racket itself,a club that weighs five pounds.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Yeah, like your little.
too much weight on my racket,yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
Yeah, you do.
The other common injuries wouldbe like plantar fasciitis.
You know people playing tennisand having foot pain, killy
tendonitis, calf strains,hamstring, you know strains.
Yeah, i mean even low backissues.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
So I don't know if you remember, but I got a shot
in my elbow.
What was that again?
Was that a steroid or was it abelieve?
it was a steroid The first timedidn't do much for me, and then
I felt like I needed anotherone, and I went back and
actually got another one.
Then they suggested look Thisis probably the last one, i
don't remember why.
They said to sort of your limit, but the second one really
(29:59):
fixed everything.
And so are you a proponent ofsteroid shots or do you like?
you know, what do you like?
Speaker 4 (30:06):
I mean steroid has a place and it helped me with my
lungs and everything.
It helped you with your elbow.
The only issue with steroidsand muscles and tendons is that
if you do it too much it canweaken the fibers.
So even though it can help withthe inflammatory process, it
(30:27):
weakens the muscle fibers.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
So that's what the steroid injection is doing It's
helping reduce the inflammation.
Speaker 4 (30:34):
That's correct.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Okay, but it's it will weaken it if you get.
It'll weaken the fibers if youget too many.
That's correct, interesting,and and so is to the magic
number.
Or is that just what doctorstell you like, do you know?
Speaker 4 (30:46):
Some doctors, can you know, they may even do three,
up to three, i've even heardyeah.
But that means the same spot,meaning that's okay, so I can do
multiple shots in a differentspot well again, you got to be
careful in saying that, becauseif you do it too much, you can
increase These sugar levelsinside of you too.
(31:08):
So, cortisol and you know allthat other stuff.
So you can cause metabolicissues in your system.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Okay, so let's go back to the planter fasciitis,
then, because that was an issuefor me too, and I ended up
buying those Special inserts orinsoles, which really changed my
life.
No joke, because before that Iwas in constant pain, my feet
always felt like they werecramping, i had to come home and
put my foot like on an ice ballor a tennis ball or whatever I
(31:39):
can do, and The insoles changedmy life.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
I Agree, i wear them every single day Myself.
That's one of the things that Ido in my clinic.
I don't push or I don'trecommend anything that doesn't
benefit me first.
Hmm, here's the thing as we age, even at a young age, if you're
not supporting the the archProperly, you're gonna grow into
(32:08):
Some issues.
It can arise from your feet,affect your ankles, it can
affect your knees, it can affectyour hips to your low back, i
mean.
It can even go up all the wayto your shoulders and neck.
Yeah, i so.
I think there's a place fororthotics, not just for some,
(32:31):
but everyone actually, becauseeveryone needs it.
You know they need the supportin their, in their arch as you
get older.
Can you walk around withoutarches?
obviously you can.
But again, athletes likeyourself, when you're putting
all that pressure on your feetand they keep on collapsing
(32:52):
every time you pivot to run andmove oh, meaning this, the
center of your foot.
So the so you hear people sayingI have an a high arch, some
people say I have a medium arch,some people say I have a low
arch.
And if you buy shoes, you'lllook and it'll say high arch,
yeah, medium arch, low arch.
(33:12):
Again, they're making theseshoes to to cater to the
physical.
You know physical needs thatyou may have and You're buying
these shoes.
But the thing is, if youcontinue to do that sport or
continue to do your activity andyour arches continue to fall
(33:33):
and fall and fall, yeah, you'regonna end up with foot pain.
Hmm, yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
Interesting.
How am I okay so insolesPrevent am I?
is that right in souls, my orin?
Speaker 4 (33:47):
I would say the There orthotics orthotics.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Orthotics help prevent planter fasciitis.
What helps prevent tennis elbow?
Speaker 4 (33:59):
Again, good, good warm-up, constant stretching,
good technique, and then theTool that you're using.
So, whether it be a golf club,you know they get golfers elbow.
Yeah, i know golfers that havetennis elbow, you know.
But again, it's it's the toolthat you're using, you know, is
that the same thing?
Speaker 2 (34:20):
We're just calling it two different things because
it's different sports or thedifferent parts of your elbow.
Speaker 4 (34:24):
They're different parts of the other they are so
okay ladder up.
A kind of lightest is on thelateral side, medial or the
golfers elbow is on the medialside.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
Ah yeah, So golfers don't really get that outside
injury much.
Speaker 4 (34:38):
They do actually believe it or not, but I think
They just name it that way.
Hmm.
Whatever?
Speaker 2 (34:45):
reason except never felt inside pain, only outside
so I remember getting thatinside pain where.
Speaker 4 (34:53):
I was learning to serve and As you go over and you
hear about people sayingpronate, yeah, so I would take
my racket and I would bepronating, but that would you
know when it's a bad technique.
Yeah.
It puts a lot of pressure andload on that medial side.
So I was developing that myselfInteresting way early in my
(35:17):
tennis career.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
I Wrote down.
I was gonna make a joke aboutspaghetti elbows, but I can't
think of how to include thathere, cuz I was trying to elbow
golf elbow, a tennis elbow.
It didn't work.
Yeah, let's talk about the, thepitchers you gave me, and I, to
tell you the truth, i, i knowI've talked to you about this.
(35:38):
I Don't want to say at length,because I've only talked to you
about this really Surface level,about what you went through
with your health a few years ago, so I Don't even know how to
ask it where to start, but tellme about what you went through,
what happened, and Obviously, iwant to talk about what happened
after, which is your life andeverything sure?
Speaker 4 (36:00):
so Yeah, 2017 was a 2017.
June 12th was a hard day in mylife.
Apparently, i was taken intothe hospital by my, my wife and
my son, and by that time, fivedays had passed since I started
(36:22):
getting sick and By the timethey took me to the emergency
room, i was in complete organfailure.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
So five days prior You already started feeling sick
.
That's correct.
Speaker 4 (36:32):
Okay, so I left her work early and everything, so by
that I think it was like Friday, or it's vague right now, but
it was five days, according tomy wife, and So when they took
me to the emergency room, i wasin complete organ failure,
didn't even know it.
I don't even remember beingtaken to the emergency room.
All I remember is Awakening inthe ICU After being in an
(36:59):
induced coma for 10 days.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
Yeah, so you have no memory of going to the hospital.
I don't and obviously no memoryduring the coma, and so 12 days
of your life went by, and thenyou just woke up in a hospital.
Speaker 4 (37:13):
That's correct.
Well, it's interesting.
When they put you under usingpurple fall, they say that you
can hear and you can respond.
Okay according to my wife andthe doctors, i was hearing and I
was responding, apparently.
But what I do remember ishaving these vivid Dreams you do
(37:36):
Yeah.
They were yes, and the thing isit was.
It was interesting.
Interesting because in one ofthe visions that I had and I
call it a vision, let me justdescribe it It was really weird.
When you hear it this way, butI this is the only way I can
(37:57):
tell it It's like in in my dream.
I felt like I was in a hospitalsomewhere.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
Okay, believe it or not?
Speaker 4 (38:05):
No, and it was weird, but I felt like I was in Las
Vegas because the last thing Idid before I Was placed in this
coma, i guess at home I was onthe computer and I was making
reservations for Luxor my buddy,the orthopedic surgeon, was
gonna get married.
Okay and I booked a roomApparently, and then I don't
(38:29):
remember anything after, butanyways, in my dream I felt like
I was in a hospital in Vegas.
Okay and these crazy dreams Imean in In one moment I remember
like I'm talking about myinsurance for whatever reason,
and then in the next moment Iremember them ripping things out
(38:50):
of my chest, going he doesn'thave enough insurance, or
something like that.
And then in the next moment Iremember being pushed down.
They said he needs to go downbelow And I was being pushed
down these ramps And-.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
Do we want to talk about what's below?
Speaker 4 (39:07):
Let me tell you Okay, yeah, it was-, no, no, no, no,
it was crazy.
In the stream.
I looked around and I can smelljust putrid, rotting flesh.
I look around and I'm like am Iin the morgue?
Oh my gosh, Because it was deadbodies all over me, All around
(39:28):
me Yeah yeah, yeah, but I waslike what in the world, where am
I?
But anyways, the next thing thatI do remember is I'm running
from whatever was chasing me.
It's kind of weird, but I'mrunning and I get to this open
field and it's like a valley, iwould imagine, because it was
(39:49):
like an outline of mountains toone side and I can see the stars
above and everything.
And I'm just like, oh my gosh,whatever's coming is getting
closer.
I'm going to get eaten orkilled or whatever.
And then I remember it's weirdthat this thought came to my
(40:10):
mind I look to the mountains.
Where does my help come from?
It comes from God, the maker ofheaven and earth.
And I looked up and I go, lord,i need your help.
And all of a sudden the darknessfaded away and then, all of a
sudden, it was all light And thecraziest thing I see this lion
(40:34):
paw come over the mountain andthen I see this lion head, the
head of a lion, and the eyes are, oh my gosh.
Even to this day I can't evendescribe the colors that I was
seeing in the eyes, you know,and I knew I was in the presence
of God, believe it or not.
It was weird And all I said toGod was Lord, am I coming home?
(40:58):
I just, you know, in my mind Ithought I was dead.
You know, i was like I guessthis is it.
Speaker 2 (41:08):
So you're a Christian ?
Were you a Christian prior tothis incident?
Speaker 4 (41:14):
So, yes, I would say I was a Christian And I had
faith.
but was it practiced?
Was it even where it is today?
I would say probably not.
Speaker 2 (41:32):
Well, obviously not.
I mean that experience has todraw you closer to something,
and in your life it drew youcloser to God, obviously.
Speaker 4 (41:43):
It did because you know, i asked him am I coming
home?
And basically God said no, i'mgoing to heal you.
And I didn't know what thatmeant because I didn't know.
you know, i was out in an openfield, i was standing there and
I'm like hmm, so these are sorry.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
I don't go ahead if I don't want to interrupt you.
Speaker 4 (42:03):
So, and then I woke up, that's when I found myself
intubated.
I didn't even know that at thatmoment, really.
I just knew I had a tube in mymouth And I was super confused.
I didn't know where I was.
All I knew was these doctorswere running into the room where
I was and my wife came over andshe's crying.
Speaker 2 (42:24):
She was there, oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (42:26):
And the doctors are like Dr Lee, can you hear me,
can you see this?
I you know.
That's all I remember at thatmoment, And it was weird.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
And were you supposed to die during this time?
Like what?
like later on did they tell youlook, we figured we're going to
pull the plug at one point?
Like what were they telling youlater?
Speaker 4 (42:48):
So yeah.
So here's what I had I had.
Apparently I suffered from aviral infection and then it
became a bacterial infection.
I got bilobar pneumonia It wasKlebsiella bacteria, basically
(43:09):
bacterial pneumonia And then Igot sepsis.
I got DKA, diabetes,ketoacidosis, and then all my
organs failed.
So liver failed, kidneys failed, my legs according to my wife
and my son, they were all likeblue and like there was no
circulation.
Wow, and so the doctors, at onepoint early on, they were
(43:33):
talking about cutting off mylegs, oh my gosh.
And they were like I'm going tobe alive.
But then at another point mypastor even was there to hear it
My wife was told get ready tobury him?
Speaker 2 (43:49):
Oh wow, because he has 0% chance of living.
Do you know how long?
Speaker 4 (43:57):
into the coma.
This was told to your wife.
Do you know?
I couldn't even tell you, inever really asked.
Yeah, and that was said to mywife and my pastor was even
there to hear it.
And yeah, it was confirmedlater on, when I was talking to
them as my liver came back And Ikept on telling them you know
(44:22):
what God said he's going to healme, and they would all sort of
laugh and humor me.
You know, yeah, yeah, yeah,your liver may come back, your
kidneys they're going to takeabout a year to start
functioning again.
But as soon as my liver cameback, What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (44:42):
come back.
I don't understand what thatmeans.
So the liver failed.
Speaker 4 (44:44):
So your liver pretty much metabolizes everything that
you eat, i mean everything thatyou drink, and you introduce
them to your body.
So let's say it's a medicationand metabolizes that If you
drink alcohol and metabolizesalcohol.
So it's like a filtering system, but that system you only have
one liver.
Without it you die.
(45:05):
So if you've I mean there areliver transplants that you can
receive, but again you have tobe a candidate for it.
But yeah.
Speaker 2 (45:15):
So coming back means it started working again.
They didn't really see that asa possibility.
Speaker 4 (45:20):
That's correct.
At that moment they said yeah,wow, yeah, wow.
Speaker 2 (45:25):
That's crazy.
And then so how we joke withyou when we play tennis and we
say you make excuses now, buthow much of this are you still
experiencing?
Like is it?
I know you talk about yourlungs still having issues, like
what are you still experiencingfrom them?
Speaker 4 (45:44):
So lungs obviously scarred from the pneumonia and
everything, my legs as much, theamount of stretching that I do
and everything.
If I sit for any period of time15 to 20, 30 minutes it becomes
stiff.
I can barely like start.
Once I start moving, it'll getyou know what's the term elastic
(46:09):
again, you know, and the painsort of goes away.
But that first couple of steps,oh my gosh, it's still painful
And it's been seven, almostseven years now.
Speaker 2 (46:20):
So this is probably never going to go away.
You're going to be dealing withthis likely.
Speaker 4 (46:23):
It may get better.
I may have to deal with it.
You know, like you said, theremainder of my life, but the
thing is all I know.
When God said I'm going to healyou, he didn't just mean my
physical.
Speaker 1 (46:40):
It's interesting.
Speaker 4 (46:42):
It has a whole new meaning to me.
It's because the faith that Ihave in God number one.
It was confirmed to me throughthis experience that God is real
.
God loves us so much.
You know, you hear the gospelall the time but you sort of
yeah, it's not for me, but yougot to understand that God is
(47:06):
real.
I mean, he loves us so much Hesent his own son to die for us,
you know, and he says whoeverbelieves in Jesus, you'll be
saved.
If you call upon his name,you'll be saved.
You know, it's such an amazingthing that has been revealed to
me in a new, fresh way throughthis experience, and I'm humbled
(47:32):
every single day as I see and Ibear a mark here.
I call it my God mark.
It's a scar from gettingdialysis and everything.
And it's like a three-pointedscar And I'm reminded of God's
mercy every day.
because of that, because I knowwhat I've been through what.
(47:55):
God's taken me through.
And here's the thing I stilldeal with my breathing issues,
which you joke, you know we jokeabout, but and often you hear
me say, yeah, my legs justaren't in it.
It's the truth, i just don'thave the strength that I used to
.
And you say, well, you look atthe.
(48:16):
You know I don't want to makemy head too big, but you've
mentioned, hey, look at themuscle mass in your, in your
calves and your thigh.
Speaker 2 (48:24):
Oh, I say that You said that to me.
I've never said that once.
You're such a liar, not oncamera.
I've never commented on yourcalves, no, but no, i get you
Like you have.
You have strong legs, butthere's still something missing.
Yeah, obviously.
Yeah.
Absolutely Okay.
(48:44):
So you're talking.
Let's just stay on this for asecond because I am interested
for a.
It's rare to talk to a personthat's been in a coma and you
told us right now aboutinsurance and dreams.
God, the, the, the smell ofputrid whatever it was and dead
(49:06):
bodies.
How real was that?
Or is it when you came out?
was it comparable to waking upfrom a dream or was it something
more?
I guess I'm trying to figureout.
Speaker 4 (49:19):
I.
So it was sort of so.
Everything was like a dream tome, obviously, because I knew
that I was in a coma, that atthat, after I came out of it.
But when I was going through it, tony, it was real.
I mean, it couldn't be morereal.
You know the smell, i mean, thejust being bound to that bed,
(49:46):
it was, it was all real, youknow.
Speaker 2 (49:49):
And Well see, because that's that's actually my
question.
I know we're probably goingtotally off tennis topic, but
I'm interested because in thedream you don't know you're
dreaming.
When you come out of the dreamyou realize it's a dream.
My question for you is becauseyou experienced something
totally different being in acoma and then you're giving me a
story.
that's something totallydifferent.
(50:11):
I don't dream about this stuff,so I'm trying to figure out if,
do you, do you compare it?
Is it like unequal ground to adream or is it something totally
different?
Obviously, your, how youreflect on it, it's changed your
life.
I don't mean that that it's notdifferent, but how different it
was the feeling of experiencingthat.
Speaker 4 (50:34):
So I think I understand It was life changing.
I mean, it was.
It seems so real to me and itwas real to me coming face to
face with God.
You know now that I know it'sinsane If you think about it.
(50:55):
We all say yeah, there's a Godwho's distant and he doesn't
care, and this and that, but tobe in that situation, to be face
to face and to be able to seewhat I saw and to hear what I
heard, it was, it's lifechanging.
(51:16):
It's like.
So here's the thing Everyonesays Christianity is a religion.
I'm going to tell you it's nota religion.
It's not something that I do togo to God.
What it is is actually and thisis why it's so different it's
God who came to me.
(51:37):
You know who found me in thatplace and he's the one that met
me and he told me that he wouldheal me.
So, as I mentioned before, it'smore of a physical healing.
I believe it's a spiritualhealing.
You know, it's like.
Speaker 2 (51:55):
More than a physical healing.
Speaker 4 (51:58):
That's correct And that's the thing It's like
Christianity.
Everyone says it.
It's a relationship with God.
Every Christian says it.
Religion is something that wedo to go to God.
You know it's not a religion,because God is the one that
found us first.
He's the one that's given hisson for us.
(52:21):
Simply put, we're sinners,We've sinned, We broke God's
laws.
God had to do something.
He didn't have to do it, but hedid it.
He sent his son to die on thecross to pay for that sin, so
that we could be with him.
You know it's So.
All I can say is it's lifechanging.
Speaker 2 (52:46):
Yeah, well, i mean, it's interesting just to hear
you talk about it, and this is atennis podcast, right.
But I think the whole point ofwhy I even started this was I
realized that everyone has astory, and so I think it's easy
(53:06):
for me to get on and talk aboutwhat happened at the French Open
.
Right, that's easy.
I can sit here and go.
Jokovic is going to beat Rootin the final.
You know all this stuff.
But I just found it sointeresting that every person I
talk to, if you actually sitdown and speak to them, they
have a very interesting story totell.
So, truthfully, even before Ithought of this tennis podcast,
(53:27):
i thought maybe I'll do apodcast of just talking to
random people and like hearingwhat they have to say, because
everyone will have somethinginteresting, right.
And so that's why I appreciateyou telling me this, because I'm
not, you know, i hope peoplearen't turned off by it, like,
but I don't want this podcast tobe political or even religious,
to be honest.
But it's you, it's you and it'syour story, and it's just
(53:50):
exciting to hear someone who'spassionate about anything.
I don't know how you feel, butI don't care if they're talking
about plain pool or something.
If they're passionate about it,it's inspiring, and so I see
how passionate you are aboutChristianity, about your family
and about your work, so I justI'm glad I got to talk to you
about it.
Let's talk about something alittle funny.
(54:11):
I beat you at ping pong prettyregularly.
Speaker 4 (54:17):
Whoa.
Speaker 2 (54:18):
Can we discuss that a little?
Speaker 4 (54:21):
Can we restate what you just?
Speaker 2 (54:23):
said On the record who has beaten who more.
First of all, right here.
Come on, tom, on the record.
You just talked about being aChristian.
Speaker 4 (54:34):
Tony.
Speaker 2 (54:37):
Do you think we're close seriously?
Speaker 4 (54:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (54:42):
Take a guess How many ?
what?
10 to 10?
Speaker 4 (54:44):
I don't know how many games we played, but who's
better?
Speaker 2 (54:52):
Who has the better ping pong?
Speaker 4 (54:53):
paddle You do, I do Yeah exactly, exactly, and
that's you know.
Speaker 2 (54:59):
It's funny that that is obviously comparable to
tennis too, because justrecently my wife got a better
racket.
She was using the real I forgetwhat she was using before, but
I think a real cheapy from likeWalmart or I don't even know
what and she switched to areally nice technifier that the
club got her And it's beenhelping her a lot.
Right now in your tennis life,like what are you?
(55:20):
I don't know what's your plan.
Is it just continue just tohave fun, meet people?
Do you have any plans withtennis going forward?
Speaker 4 (55:29):
Well, you know, obviously I'd like to support
you in your quest.
You know, and I believe you cando it.
If anyone can do it, i know youcan do it.
You have the strokes, you havethe, you have the discipline,
you have, you know technique.
Oh my gosh, you have it all.
So you have the youth still,really Yeah, 44.
(55:53):
Dude 54.
Speaker 2 (55:55):
I forgot to ask you that.
About that at the beginning.
Speaker 4 (55:57):
You're 54?
Well, i'll be 54 in a couplecouple days.
Speaker 2 (56:01):
A couple years.
Speaker 4 (56:02):
A couple days, about nine days, really.
Speaker 2 (56:05):
Yeah, i swear.
for some reason I thoughtyou're 51.
I'm not joking, no.
Ah, wow, you're 53.
What an old curmudgeon.
So, man, 54.
I think you really have to tryto play a 55 coming up, because
you'll be starting in December.
I think you'll be allowed toplay 55s and ups.
Speaker 4 (56:28):
That'll be a good tournament for you, i may do
that, yeah, yeah, it'll be fun.
It'll be fun, yeah, but yeah,going back to you, you can do it
.
I believe you can win an open.
Speaker 2 (56:38):
Well, that's like I did with Joe Jr when he was on.
I was like, hey, this is a freetennis lesson for me.
But diagnose me then, Whyaren't I winning more often?
if you say I'm, my strokes areso beautiful and I'm so youthful
at 45, which I'm not, notyouthful, I mean, I am 45.
But why aren't I winning?
And, by the way, we're tapingthis on Sunday and I got to
(57:01):
watch I don't know if you knowhow much of you saw it because I
know you're at church but I gotto watch Joe Kovic's Rude
Highlights and watching Rude wassuch a to me.
It was sad because it did sortof remind me of myself, because
not that I'm close to his level,That's not the point.
But the point is he got alittle timid when he didn't need
(57:25):
to be timid.
When he swung out he was on JoeKovic's level And even at the
beginning, right, I think helost 7-6 first set And he should
have actually won that set, inmy opinion.
watching it, I agree.
And once things got a littletight he got timid, he didn't
hit the same strokes And Istarted like looking at myself
(57:45):
in the mirror, most like I thinkthat's me, Like what he does.
What he did today is what I do,I think, and matches.
Speaker 4 (57:53):
I agree, if anything for you I'm not the greatest
critique or anything like that,but again, it's mental.
I think I already touched uponthat.
You do add the strokes.
You have the, you know youdefinitely have the tenacity,
you have the ability, you knowyou have all that.
(58:13):
However, i think where you loseit is in the mind.
It's like, instead of pressingon that gas pedal, like you said
, you sort of lift up and youare a little timid.
And the thing is, i don't know,it could be your condition that
day, it could be.
Speaker 2 (58:35):
You know what you've eaten, what you did need to,
what But if you're saying yousaid gas pedal, Yeah, Because I
really would fight back with youif you said when you said
mental, I think it could havewent a bunch of different ways
And weak minded is one of theroads you could have went down.
And I don't consider myselfweak minded at all.
Speaker 4 (58:57):
No, you definitely not weak minded.
Speaker 2 (58:58):
So how is?
how can I fix gas pedal?
then, Like, that's just me.
What am I doing?
Speaker 4 (59:05):
Like I think there's a fine balance between
confidence and and just beingtimid you know just so you need
to have a good amount ofconfidence, well balanced
confidence, going into a matchand keep that as much as you can
.
Speaker 2 (59:26):
You're right, because I think the issue sometimes is
I equate cockiness withconfidence and they're not the
same thing, No Yeah.
Speaker 4 (59:34):
Definitely not.
Speaker 2 (59:35):
Yeah, i got to find that right amount of confidence
out there, sort of having funthinking I'm the better player,
but without being cocky, becauseI always feel that's something
I 100% don't want to be And Ithink it messes me up a little.
Speaker 4 (59:49):
And I think sometimes you you want to have a little
too much fun than actually justget the job done too.
Yeah.
Because when you do get angryand I can pull your strings and
I have, oh, you pull out someamazing shots, oh, that's
interesting You step forward,you're hitting that ball out in
(01:00:12):
front.
I mean clean hits withconfidence.
Speaker 2 (01:00:16):
So yeah, so I got to do the whole Jordan thing where
I got to make up something thatgets me upset prior to the match
, maybe.
Speaker 4 (01:00:25):
I totally agree.
Really, or something of thattype of a mindset where, once
you step out on that court, it'sall business.
I don't care who you're playing, it has to be all business.
Speaker 2 (01:00:37):
Okay, now, i agree, i appreciate that.
Let me give you something.
This is actually very hard forme to give you because I really
like this card.
So you know, i've been givingeveryone a little present to say
thank you, because everyonecomes to my house and we'd sit
here and it's, you know, timeout of your family life.
(01:00:58):
So you remind me of JimmyConnors.
So I have a cool card herethat's rated and all this good
stuff.
It's not crazy expensive.
I don't remember how much Ibought it for Maybe 70, 80 bucks
But it's a good card And I likeit a lot because I love Jimmy
Connors.
(01:01:18):
But the reason he reminds me ofyou is he's sort of a hole on
the court, sort of reminds me ofyou in a weird way.
But he's also so amazing andpassionate to watch and you just
see how much he loves what he'sdoing.
And going back to what you justtold me a second ago, how you
got to be confident and stuff,and I think if I played more
(01:01:40):
like you, the mentality, or morelike Jimmy Connors, then I
would be a lot better.
So, anyways, i'm joking withyou by calling you an A hole,
obviously, but obviously, but no, i just hope you enjoy that.
Keep that, because that's justa reminder of you know who you
are on the court.
It's big Jimmy.
Speaker 4 (01:01:58):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:01:59):
So all right, my friend.
Well, let's just end it therethen, because that was good.
You know, i'm glad I think Ihit everything I wanted to hit
with you and I'm really happy wefocused on, like, the health
questions, because obviously Idon't get to do that with
everyone.
But I appreciate you, tommy.
And we got to play tomorrow andmaybe play some pong very soon.
Speaker 4 (01:02:20):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (01:02:21):
All right, my friend, let me do a little outro music
and we'll talk.
Thanks, tommy.
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