Off Season Work & Play

May 8, 2019 | by Matthew Dellavedova

After a tough finish to the season, I’m happy to report that I’m back to normal and feeling 100 percent! I’ve gotten back into training so that’s a positive because it was a very tough way to finish the year, to not be on the court with the guys. I was especially sad to not be able to play in the last couple of Channing’s games, but it was awesome to see the reception he got and just the respect he has from all of us – his teammates, the Cavs organization and the fan base – that was really special to see.

Since the season finished, I’ve gone back to California and have really enjoyed the time I’ve spent with family and friends. Anna and I made a quick trip to Maui with my best mate and his girlfriend which was really awesome. We woke up early to watch the sunrise, worked out in the mornings, played a little golf, snorkeled and paddle boarded, and saw some turtles in the water, which was really cool.

We also made a trip down the coast of California to Carmel and Big Sur to see it’s amazing scenery. I hadn’t been down to Big Sur before and really enjoyed that. We were also lucky enough to get a last -minute tee time at Pebble Beach Golf Course. I haven’t played a ton of rounds in the past – just 9 holes here or there on full length courses, so having the opportunity to play Pebble was incredible, but I was also a bit nervous at first. In the past, I spent a lot of time at Lake Park Golf Course in Milwaukee, and it really paid off on my short game. The views were awesome and it was my first time ever having a caddie. Mike (our caddie) was unreal and made it such a special experience. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at how I played: I shot a 107 and only lost 3 balls, all on the 10th hole. I think that was around the time I needed a snack because I was starting to get hungry…

Since then, I’ve gotten back into some really solid training in California. My focus over the next couple of months is strengthening up my legs, so I’ve been trying to smash my leg weights, as you can follow along on my Twitter and Instagram. I’m also working on quickening up my shot release, to make it easier and take less effort. So those are the two big focuses for me right now. This summer I have one of my college teammates, Paul McCoy, training me for the offseason to get ready for the World Cup and next season.

I’m looking forward to a couple months of summer in California, enjoying the sunshine, family and friends over here and crushing workouts before heading back to Australia in July for more of the same and to get ready for the Boomers and our World Cup Campaign in China.