Playing Your Best(ie)

As an athlete participating in an individual sport, one of the most difficult things to handle growing up is playing against your best friend or doubles partner. The opportunities to practice against your peers are fairly limited - what with everyone having their own private coach and development that is heavily reliant on lessons.

Few things are as traumatic for a young player as finding out that they have drawn their best friend, doubles partner or practice partner in the first round of the tournament. Knowing that one of you will go home and the other will go on can be quite nerve-wracking. However, as with bad line calls, rain delays, lack of warm-ups at a myriad other tennis issues, this one of those things that a player will have to learn to deal with in his/her life. After all, if you want tennis to be easy, trying playing against the ball machine with the net down. That's as easy as it gets. Master your nerves and you may just learn to utilize these skills later in life (e.g. attorneys who have graduated from the same class facing each other in court). 

Here are some skills to assist you in dealing with the overwhelming emotions:

1. Does your best friend pay your bills? In other words, do you owe him anything? No?! Good. Then there's no reason to give him any more deference than any other opponent. 

2. Regardless of who is on the other side of the net remember that,  in tennis, you are really only playing the ball; ot the opponent (Bobby Knight: "You don't play against opponents, you play against the game of basketball)". Think of your best-friend opponent as an amalgamation of strokes: top-spin forehand; two handed backhand; kick-serve; weak volley; etc. Ignore the face and focus on his strokes and game-style. Figure out how to beat the game-style and stop worrying about the fact that you're about to beat your best friend. If you need help figuring things out, write a couple things about your friend's game-style (likes/dislikes) and read it over a couple of times.

3. The day before the encounter tell yourself: "I'm going to play the match tomorrow; I'll let her play the match tonight." In other words, don't lose the match before you've had the chance to spin for serve. Without a doubt, your opponent is as uncomfortable about the situation as you are. Let her sweat the match the night before. Take your mind off the match by focusing on other things that need attention (maybe cleaning up your room or reading a good book). Since you've played this person many times before, getting a good night's sleep is superior to fretting about the strategies. You know (or should know) what works and what doesn't (see #2 above). 

4. To relieve some tension, you can try calling (or texting) your opponent and tell him something along the lines of "whatever happens tomorrow, you mean a lot to me and I have a great deal of respect for you. Any c'mons or les'gos are nothing personal." This will releave a great deal of tension during the match and you are likely to have a more positive experience. 

5. Similar to #4, there's nothing wrong with applauding your friend's efforts during the match. The better he plays, the higher your own level. By laying well, he is actually doing you a favor by pushing you outside of your comfort zone. In the end, regardless of who loses, both of you will walk off the court better players. Playing against your BFF is also a great opportunity to practice sportmanship (which will make you a better person). As stated by Heywood Broun: "Sports do not build character. They reveal it." 

6. Remember that, whatever happens, this will not be the end of the world. You will have many opportunities to compete against your friend so it might as well happen tomorrow. If you stick with this game for long enough you may even room with your friend in college and drive with her to tournaments where you may end up playing each other again. Learn to enjoy it. It will make you a better person. 

Who Am I?

A sense of inadequacy often compels us to ask ourselves "who am I?" This is as true when it comes to tennis as it is with "real" life. When faced with a tough or unknown opponent we are often forced into a corner where we have to question our identity. This is particularly true at the higher levels of the game where opponents are not easily labeled into neat and manageable categories. For example, it may be tempting to generalize a player like Nadal as a baseliner but give him a mid-court shot and watch him follow the approach to the net for a put-away volley. Similarly, players like Isner and Karlovic can defend like the best of 'em. 

Therefore, when facing an opponent without glaring weaknesses or weapons, it is often advisable to focus your analytical energies inwards. Don't worry so much about who they are; try to figure out who YOU are. How do you like to win points? What kind of points make you comfortable? Close your eyes and go to your "happy place" where you're playing your best tennis. What types of shots are you hitting? Do you see yourself scraping more? Putting volleys away? Blasting shots from inside the baseline? Etc.

Once you figure out who you are as a player, imagine your game as a tree. The best game that you can possibly play is the tree trunk. The various branches are off-shoots of your main game... slight variations on your various game. Imagine, for example, that you're an attacking player who is facing a solid opponent. You try your "main game" - perhaps serve and volleying - but it doesn't pay the dividends that you desire. Does this mean that you are going to discard your "game style" and completely switch tracks? That may be a good play once in a while. However, a better play would surely be to figure out all the other ways in which you can continue your attack. Maybe a straight serve-and-volley play is not effective because the adversary nails her returns at the service line. Great! How about serving, stepping into the baseline as if you're going to come in, then taking the short ball from the opponent with an approach shot and following THAT ball to the net (3-shot play)? Can you imagine other ways in which you can attack? How about one of Henri Leconte's favorite plays which was to hit a drop-shot and follow the ball and punch the volley past the opponent to just managed to scramble to the ball? Or how about hitting a heavy topspin lob and sneaking in when the opponent backs up to the fence (the "ten and under play")? Alternatively, work the opponent around 5-6 shots before you capitalize on the opening (don't get discouraged just because the routine 2-3 shot combination is not working)? So the lesson is: 1. figure out who you are and what you like to do with the ball; and 2. imagine all the slight variations on the game that you can implement against this particular opponent. Rather than thinking in terms of "changing your game", think "refining" or making "slight adjustments" to fit the particular situation. You will be more effective when sticking to the proximity of your bread-and-butter play than trying a game style that is diametrically opposed to your comfort level. 

Put Some Vinegar in Their Cocoa

CAtennis.com has had the opportunity to watch a couple of mid-level professional women's events being played in Southern California. At first blush, every one of these players seems like a world-beater. The ball explodes off the string bed like a missile being launched from the battleship and, from the sound of the ball, it appears that they have fire-crackers in their strings. However, if you open your eyes and get past the intimidation factor, you realize how one-dimensional a lot of these players are. They are amazing at every shot that bounces between the knees and the chest. When such a ball comes in the middle of the court...well, fuggedaboutit. They can crank it like the best of them. However, looks can be deceiving. When the ball is high/low and away, things take a whole new dimension. Therefore, it is perplexing to see that certain strategies are not being implemented in the match by someone who is hungry to win. 

As a player, if you want to slug it out and take your chances, then so be it. Ultimately, the best ball striker that day will come out on top and there's no reason to be upset if you end up on the wrong side of the score-card. However, if you want to win, it's important to analyze your opponent's matches as well as practices in order to devise a game-plan. It is really in practices when you can pick up sublte clues about your opponent's game. For example, does she spend an inordinate amount of time crushing cross-courts? Does she rally mindlessly from the middle of the court? Well, then your mentality should be: "I don't care how good you are from that spot because the LAST thing I'm going to hit is going to be in your wheelhouse." Or "you like your forehand?! Great! Hit it a 1000 times in practice 'cause you ain't gonna be seeing any in the match". Or "you like THAT?! I'm going to give you the exact OPPOSITE of what you like; Now drink up." Remember that, for a lot of the players, practices are like safety blankets. They practice one way and they play matches the same way. Take them out of their comfort zone - be it with sharp angles, heavy topspins, deft slices or attacking plays - and they will be dumbfounbded. Why?! The answer is because a lot of players are simply too lazy to do the dirty work in practice. They are comfortable hitting certain shots and continue to work on them long after they mastered them. A good, smart player will always look to expand his/her dimensions and expand his/her mental, technical and tactical horizons. In the long-run, the "same-old, same-old" is a losing strategy. A smart player WILL find a way to punch through your defenses or to neutralize your offense. THEN WHAT?! Are you going to keep hitting harder? Try plays/strokes that you haven't practiced? Give up? 

So next time you see your opponent crushing ground-strokes from a stationary position, don't despair. See how good s/he is while on the run. If your opponent is adept at covering the court side-to-side (the sign of someone with some degree of intelligence), see how good she is at covering diagonals, up-and-back and behind her (i.e., wrong-foot, or contre-pied). Some players do cover the baseline fairly well. At first, these players can be intimidating. However, get them out of this comfort zone (which for them = being on the run "coast to coast") and their games will break down. Very few players will make the effort of performing drills where they cover the deep corner (e.g. BH), the other deep corner (i.e., FH), short FH corner, deep BH corner, short BH corner, rinse-and repeat. When they are faced with situations like this in the match, they will often take the coward's way out and slap a low percentage show just to get rid of the ball. THAT's when you know that you got them! Learn to take your opponent out of the comfort zone, leae them with a bad taste in their mouths from the first point to the last, and you will win more matches and beat "better" opponents. 

Training the Body's 3 Energy Systems

I would like to thank Ray Brown (Director of EASI Academy, Houston, TX; contributor to MidAtlantic Match Point, TennisONE, Procompare tennis and Tennis World USA) for piquing our interest in this topic. On an unrelated forum, Mr. Brown challenged contributors to (1) identify the three energy systems of the human body; (2) determine how each system is best suited for a particular tennis strategy; and (3) outline how to efficiently develop each system.

From our research - and bearing in mind that we discarded our lab coats, protractors and test tubes exactly 0.34 seconds after receiving our respective college diplomas - it appears that the three types of energy systems are as follows: ATP-PC; Glycolytic; and Oxidative.

1. ATP-PC: anaerobic energy system that utilizes ATP (as in Adenosine Triphosphate - a nucleotide that performs many essential roles in the cell including providing energy for cellular activities) to create energy. When this process takes place, ATP is broken down into ADP (Adenosine Diphosphate). The body then has to add phosphocreatine (PC) to the ADP in order to form ATP. This chemical energy source is used by living things almost like a battery - for short bursts of high-intensity work lasting approximately 10 seconds or less; think "maxing" in the weight room. In terms of tennis, this is the system that would support your body's energy needs in high intensity points of short duration: e.g., serve and volleys.

2. Glycolytic (Lactic Acid System): this system utilizes glucose (or carbohydrates stored in the muscle) to create ATP for energy. In this system, six-carbon sugars are split to three-carbon compounds with subsequent release of energy. Glycolysis can happen under anaerobic and aerobic conditions. However, because of the duration needed to break down glucose to form lactic or pyruvic acid (10 separate reactions), it is the system used for relatively short periods of high-intensity work lasting only a few minutes - think a set of circuit training. After a few minutes of work, the body accumulates lactic acid to the point where pain and fatigue (accumulation of acid breaks down the muscle) will begin to affect performance. For tennis players, this is the main source of eneregy. Most points are won and lost in bursts lasting anywhere between 30 seconds to 1 minute (more than ATP-PC but less than Oxidative). With a short rest break, the work will have to be repeated.

3. Oxidative (Aerobic System): this is an aerobic energy system where the body utilizes carbohydrates, fats and proteins to generate ATP for energy. This a complex system which relies on the circulatory system to supply oxygen. Although slow to kick in, it is the primary system used for long-term, low-to-moderate-intensity work lasting more than just a few minutes - think marathon runners. Although it's unlikely that tennis players will be called to rely on this system as a primary source of energy, it is foreseeable that under some circumstances - extremely long matches which rely mostly on endurance (extremely long points) rather than power - it may be a factor. However, we are "endurance animals" and, therefore, we should focus more on things at which we do not excel than building up the support system that we already master, The limits of endurance exercise, Basic Res. Cardiol. 2006 Sep. ("A skeletal design which favours running and walking, including the greatest ratio of leg length to body weight of any mammal; the ability to sweat and so to exercise vigorously in the heat; and greater endurance than all land mammals other than the Alaskan Husky, indicates that humans evolved as endurance animals").

A good training system will focus on developing each energy system. The first system is trained by including lots of short but high intensity drills into the practice. Think, for example, serving at 95%-100% of your speed and bolting towards the net in a quick sprint. Or, alternatively, perform 2-3 shot combos at maximum power and intensity. The player performs a lot of these sets but is given adequate time to recover. Some nutritionists would advise the post-workout ingestion of creatine (natural or supplement) along with simple sugars to rebuild the body's PC storages. The second system would be trained by performing repetitive, medium-intensity drills, lasting anywhere from 1 minute to 3 minutes. Utilize figure-8s, corners or side-to-sides (now you know why pros favor this drill). Again, adequate rest is given between sets in order to allow the body to recover. You rebuild this system by ingesting protein (amino acid leucine), glutamine, Vitamin C and water. To train the third system, you want to include drills that last anywhere from 20-40 minutes (depending on the level of the player). Although these drills would be of relatively low physical intensity (e.g. cross-courts, down-the-lines), the players should "suck in" sufficient oxygen in order for the oxidative process to commence. Players should look for slightly elevated but rhythmic breathing to ensure that enough oxygen is being ingested. If possible, coaches should develop training regimens where the boundaries of all three systems are being pushed beyond the player's comfort zones.

Nevertheless, since most points are played within the ATP-PC and Glycolytic range, a competitive player who has mastered the basics of the various strokes should spend the majority of his practices trying to improve those 2 systems. Unfortunately, a lot of players spend an inordinate amount of time working on stationary drills (which may kickstart the aerobic energy system) that have no effect on increasing the threshold of the two main energy systems for this type of an activity.

Whatever Problems You May Have, They Have Their Own Problems Too

Whatever problems you may have, just remember they have their own problems too. This is very practical advice that is very easy to forget in the heat of the battle. Reading this article, unemotional and clear headed, this makes perfect logical sense. Only problem is it is very hard to remember when you need it. Everyone needs to be reminded from time to time that it is easy to forget the task at hand (to win the match) instead of intensifying all your time and energy on your own problems (technique, feeling the ball, dogmatic strategies, etc). Tennis is never static, the elements are always changing. Your opponent is confronting their own demons as the match unfolds, you may not know exactly what those issues are, but they are lurking underneath the surface. If you are paying attention, good things can happen.

The most efficient players mentally play tennis from a 3rd person point of view as if they are observing the match from the stands. As the match unfolds, they take notes on all the jabs and body blows delivered and recieved. They see with clarity how their opponent is boiling inside, frosting at the mouth when things don't go their way. They see with crystal vision how their opponent plays 30-all points. They see how their opponent can't keep their cookies together when they get a break of serve. Sometimes these little cues and nuances can tip the match in your favor and increase your odds of winning.

Imagine the following scenario. You are down 2-0 to an evenly matched player who you have never played before. I say evenly matched because you have done your research and you notice you have similar wins and losses in comparison. The stakes are high and pride is on the line, you both desperately want to win. Your opponent serves at 2-0 and easily holds for a 3-0 lead.

FREEZE

Most players confronted with a 3-0 deficit hit the panic button. Uh oh, change strategy. Go for broke. Serve and volley. Pace around the court in-between points. Panic, panic, panic. Drastic measures have to be taken.

REWIND

It is only one break of serve. You were nervous to start the match giving them a handful of unforced errors. Lets settle down and make them hit some balls. "Aha, whatever problems you have, they have their own problems too!" This wonderful piece of practical advice pops into your head and your blood pressure goes down. You realize the match is not slipping out of your hands, but it is closely within reach. You buckle down and get back to work.

OTHER SIDE OF NET

Your opponent who just held for the 3-0 lead is overthinking it. "What a great start! Shoot, I don't know if I can keep this up. I'm playing awfully good, almost too good to be true. What if he starts to make some returns? He doesn't realize I don't like long rallies. I hope he keeps missing."

So if you remain calm and practical, just remember, whatever problems you may have, they have their own problems too. Sometimes your opponent is willing to lose the match if you give him a chance to choke. Better players don't crack til deeper in the match, your job is to hang around and find their breaking point. You got nothing better to do, so just keep hanging around.