The acolytes were having an afternoon game. Yes, trying to be diligent and play their best as a Master might wander past at any time. Fall had arrived to the monastery. The air was cool, just right for extended pickleball play.
And indeed, the Master did drop in to see an eight shot rally.
"Po, may I have word," asked the Master.
Po hurried over to the side of the court and bowed to the Master. "How can serve, Master?"
"I wish that you remember the last point you played. Is it memorable enough, Po?"
Po thought about the point and was able to remember it all as he had been on the server side and had hit most of the shots. "Yes, Master, I remember it well."
"Good, Po, see me in my study at four o'clock and we will discuss it."
"As you wish Master."
The Master swirled his robes and seemed to vanish as he entered the building. The acolytes shrugged as the point had seemed routine and then returned to their game.
At four O'clock Po arrived at the Master's study door and knocked.
"Come in Po, thank you for being prompt."
Po enter the study and sat on a cushion across the low table in front of the Master. He was sitting upright and graceful as a man does who controlled his body at the highest levels.
"I have tea, Po, would you like a cup?"
"Thank you Master, that would be welcome as the day is a bit cool."
The Master gestured to a plate with a stack of delicate cookies on it. "Help yourself to an almond cookie, Po."
The Master readied the cup of tea and slid it in front of Po. Po helped himself to a cookie and placed it on the saucer with the cup of tea. He tasted the tea and smiled with its quality and taste. It was just the proper temperature, too hot to drink quickly, warm enough to sip.
"Thank you Master, the tea is splendid."
"Try the cookie, Po."
Po picked up the cookie and took a bite. Po had a sweet tooth and found cookies to be a high art form.
"Is it good Po?"
"Very nice, Master."
"How is it nice, Po. We are here for some analysis, so please be specific. What are the characteristics of the cookie that caused you to call it "nice?"
Po reflected a bit. He had done six months in the bakery as all young monks did. He had baked a lot and found it fulfilling and challenging.
"Master, with a cookie, I start with the aroma. Clearly this cookie was baked today and it smells of cinnamon, almonds and vanilla. Then there is the taste and now I sense the sugar, cinnamon again, and the almonds, which are stronger as I am chewing through some of the nut meat. Then there is texture. The outer crust has a nice toughness to it, followed by a softer and moist inner texture. The cookie has been warmed slightly and its temperature probably helps with the aroma and deepens the flavors on the tongue. It is a very nice cookie Master, may I have another?"
The Master chuckled and waved his hand towards the cookie plate.
"What ingredients are in this nice cookie?"
"There is a flour and sugar base, a pinch of salt, cinnamon, almond extract, vanilla extract, and almond nuts and butter."
"Po, if we wanted to, what ingredients could we leave out?"
"Master, I don't understand. All the parts are what makes this a wonderful cookie. If we remove any we make it worse. And if we change the amounts or ratios of the parts, we will cause damage and it will not be as successful."
"So the cookie was at some point constructed and balanced and eventually created to provide harmony and inner happiness to the eater, yes?"
"Exactly Master."
"So, Po, now we must talk of pickleball and the point I saw you play this afternoon. Do you still remember it?"
"I do, Master."
"Tell me the shots, most of which you hit."
"I served, a routine top spin serve. I sought to hit to the backhand of my opponent and it was fairly deep. I was satisfied with the shot on placement and speed and spin."
"I agree, Po, a very satisfactory beginning to the point. What was the second shot?"
"The service return as in the middle of the court and fairly deep. I moved to return it and noticed that there was not exceptional spin on the ball and it was short enough to be aggressive with it."
"So, the third shot was a drive?"
"Yes, Master. As was the fifth. I was hoping to get a shot past Jo, but he is pretty good at the net."
"You eventually drove a shot out of bounds?"
"Yes, Jo, ducked after several more drives and the final drive had insufficient spin and too much power to stay in play."
"If, Po, we call the serve flour, and the drives, sugar, what kind of cookie were you making?"
"Er, it would not make a good cookie."
"Yes, Po, it lacks the little things that make a cookie successful. Such is a pickleball game. A good serve and a drive are enough for the players in the village, but here we require more texture. You need to add the cinnamon and pinch of salt! What will you do the next time playing against Jo?"
"Well, the serve was good and I think a third shot drive is practical and on occasion effective."
"Yes, all true, tell me more."
"So I think that the fifth shot and beyond were lacking texture."
"Yes, so how do you introduce the trace ingredients?"
"All shots have the fundamental parts. They have speed and trajectory, spin and location."
"Yes, so how do you use these parts to create something that Jo will struggle with?"
"If I don't slow down the shot, I'll hit it out, So I must hit a slower shot. And then maybe more spin or a higher trajectory. A drop shot is the opposite of a drive."
"Yes, it is. What is the understanding of the effectiveness and power of a drop shot?"
"A good drop shot is more powerful than a drive."
"And why is this?"
"An opponent can't attack a good drop shot, so it allows my side to approach the kitchen. We would be able to hit the fifth shot from a closer position. If the opponents hit a poor response to the drop, then we might be able to drive the ball down into the court."
"While it might be very important where you hit a drive, where do you seek to hit a good drop shot?"
"Master, it is my experience that its location is not very important. I'm happy to drop into the middle of the court or to a sideline. It truly is not important. What is important is that we move to the net when the drop is hit."
"Excellent, Po, so we will have no more rallies where it is drive followed by drive?"
"I agree, Master, build a good cookie, not just some flavorless dough."
"That is all Po, feel free to take a couple of cookies with you."
"Thank you, Master!"
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