Left-handed Langhorst has an advantage
Imagine never hitting a backhanded shot in a tennis match.
But not doing it by always running past the ball to get in place for a forehand.
Instead, switching the racket from your right hand to your left depending on which side of your body the ball was on.
Until she was about 8 years old, that is how Fremd's Jenna Langhorst played tennis. Her coach at the time, though, put an end to it and made Langhorst play left-handed.
Left-handed players in tennis aren't that common, and Langhorst feels she can do some different things because of the hand she hits the ball with.
"Lefties have a lot different spin, so it's hard for righties to get used to it," Langhorst said.
Langhorst said there are some shots she can hit that other players can't because she uses her left hand.
"On the add side (the left side of the court), I can spin it off the court, but it's hard for a right-handed person to spin it because they are swinging the other way," Langhorst said.
Plus, she thinks it's just easier for left-handed players to create spin on the tennis ball.
Langhorst plays tennis and badminton left-handed, but does everyday tasks, such as eating and writing, with her right hand.
When asked what hand she would use if she were to shoot a basketball, she said it would be her right.
While her ambidextrousness is interesting, Langhorst's performances on the court are impressive.
The senior has qualified for the state tournament each of her first three years in high school and last year finished in the top 12. If she had won her quarterfinal match last year, she would have placed in the top six.
Langhorst has lost just one match this season, to Barrington sophomore Kristy Dodge, who last year was part of a doubles team that placed second in the state.
Fremd coach Ken Goettsche thinks Langhorst playing left-handed can be alarming for some of her opponents, which is scary considering how talented she is.
"Just because there are not a lot of left-handed players, I think a lot of the right-handed players don't understand as far as what a left-handed hitter can do," Goettsche said. "They're used to playing against right-handed hitters, so they aren't expecting certain things. It's a different game."
Langhorst's talents earned her a scholarship to play tennis at Iowa State.
Which didn't surprise Goettsche, because he knows Langhorst has all the tools necessary to be successful on the court.
"She definitely has a lot of power," Goettsche said. "But if she's coming in, she can put the touch on the ball and make a nice drop shot. She's fun to watch."
Langhorst said this year she wants to earn a state medal, something she hasn't been able to accomplish in her career. To earn that medal, she must place in the top six - meaning off last year's result it would be just one more win.
"I think I've gotten faster, and I've been working on mixing up my game more and getting stronger," Langhorst said of what she has done to try to accomplish her goal.
Goettsche said he has been working with her on every little aspect of her game.
"We've been working on second serves, approach shots, coming in, because she's so good at the net," Goettsche said. "And closing out a point when she has the opportunity to. As opposed to staying back on the baseline and maybe making a mis-hit or giving the other girl an opportunity to put it away."
Earning a scholarship can be a bit of a relief for high school athletes, and Langhorst fits in with that crowd.
"It's exciting, and I feel like there is not as much pressure," Langhorst said. "And I'm just really excited to be playing after high school."
Perhaps with some off the pressure off her shoulders, the improvements she made in the offseason, and a good draw in the state tournament, she can earn her first state medal.
Who knows? Maybe she will shock the tournament field be hitting only forehands - left- and right-handed, although that would be quite unlikely.