the Steeply–Poutrincourt colloquy: the two strengths that cancel each other
Volleys’re an offensive shot. A lob’s a baseliner’s weapon, counterpuncher. You can’t lob from the net or volley from the baseline. [...] Pemulis’s strengths cancel each other out.
Context
The gestalt principle shown by counterexample. Pemulis has "great, great volleys" and "the best lob in East Coast juniors," but they pull opposite ways — "you can't lob from the net or volley from the baseline" — so "Pemulis's strengths cancel each other out." Two elite weapons that can't be fired from the same position add up to no complete game, which is why lesser-built players beat him. The body's gifts have to be geometrically compatible or they nullify.