Double Down For Mental Toughness

In tennis, as in all sports, it helps to be a bit of a gambler. Do you serve and volley or chip-and-charge on a big point? Do you risk hitting to the opponent's weapon in order to expose the weakness? Do you hit a drop-shot - a shot that you might not hit too often in match or in practice - at 4:4 30-30? If you're a "thinking" player, you know that there are risks and rewards associated with every on-court decision. Like a professional gambler, you will learn how to weigh all the factors in the split second necessary to make a decision. 

However, this is not the gamble that we're talking about. Specifically, we're talking about making sure that the player plays with more intensity as the game and match goes on. Here's why this is important: have you ever played a match (or, if you're a parent or coach, witness a match) where you win a point, then you lose a point, then you win a point, then you lose two points, then you win a point, then you lose a point, then you win two points, then you lose two points? I already know the answer. Every player has run into a scenario where the points see-saw back and forth until one player decides to mentally check out of the Oh Hell Motel by going for 2-3 slap-shots directly into the back fence. Why does this happen? Well, one reason may be because the player fails to realize the significance of the previous point for the other player. If the opponent has lost the previous point, he will kick and claw to get back to even-Steven, while the player who has initially won the point relaxes and drops his guard for a point or two. Now the tables turn and the roles get reversed. 

One way to fix this is by learning to "double down" on the next point. That is, treat the second point as if it were worth TWO points. Win this point, treat the third consecutive point as if it were worth FOUR points. If it helps you, attribute something of value to the point...maybe $1/first point; $2/second point; $4/third point. Etc. Run an internal tab of the score. Do this in practice as well. For example, play a game against your practice partner or coach where the second point won counts as two, the third point in a row counts as three, and so on until one player gets to Blackjack (21). You let your guard down for 2-3 points, and all of a sudden you may find yourself in an insurmountable position. Therefore, learn to fight for every point and, specifically, for stringing more points won in a row v. points lost in a row. This is one reason why match statistics are sometimes deceiving. You can have a match charted by an outsider but some important information may be missing (that's why the videocamera doesn't lie). Thus, it's helpful for a player to develop an internal card-counting method for when she's on the court. Learn the worth of every point - both to you and the opponent so that you can better anticipate what the opponent may throw your way next. 

Today Has No Bearing On Tomorrow

The day before the tournament:
Player: "Can you feed me one more ball?"
Coach: "Sure."

One more ball turns into 50 more balls. With each extra shot, the stress starts to build, striving for perfection. With the tournament just around the corner, everything has to be perfect. Any innocnent bystander can recognize the player is starting to overthink things, needing things to fall in place exactly how they imagined. The player hits 4 fantastic shots, then misses by one by a foot, "one more, one more." The missed shots were no big deal a week ago, but today, those irky "feeling" shots start to irratate the player.

Everyone starts to feel a little insecure the day before the tournament. Doubts start to creep in and its only natural. Don't give it any value, just be aware of it. The rookie player will keep asking for "one more coach, one more." The veteran player pays no attention to any poor play because they understand today has no bearing on tomorrow. A great practice doesn't guarantee a great tournament. Often times, it can be negative if one has the best week of practice leading up to the tournament (it doesn't have to be negative, unless you let expectations build).

Sometimes the best tournaments are the ones where players have had a lot of adversity leading up to the event. Why? Low expectations and not needing things to be perfect. Tennis is a game about fighting, clawing, scratching to get your points- so just taking things as they come can really help a player relax and let their game come out.

The winning and losing in tennis is not controllable (if it were, you would win every match). This is why stress builds because one can never be certain of the outcome. If the match is a 50/50 match in your favor, the stress level is high. The player who needs things to be perfect is often times the player who loses- they overplay, berate themselves, and make poor decisions throughout the match. Emotions are flying out of control because they want to escape the stress. They want to get off the court (ie: tanking).

The next time you ask for "one more ball," please catch yourself. If you miss the last ball, call it a day. The sooner you can make peace with this type of reaction to a miss, the better off you will be.

Why Are you Hitting Yourself? Huh? Why Are you Hitting Yourself?

Why Are you Hitting Yourself? Huh? Why Are you Hitting Yourself?

- if you've grown up with older siblings, the questions above are likely to send shivers down your spine. If only I was bigger, she wouldn't grab my hands and make me slap myself with them.

Let-chords, lines, bad calls (http://parentingaces.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/99-out-is-still-100-in/), wind, sun, cold/hot weather, loud noise, frames, balls rolling on your court from other courts (especially on "big" points), etc., sometimes all combined....at some point, a player will run into some of these "unfairness" factors at critical points in the match. Heck, if you've played long enough I'm sure that you will remember when the opponent framed the ball that ended up clipping the tape and dropping on the line for a winner. You may have actually lost the match because of this "unfairness." Is there a way to win in spite of such luck - good on the opponent's part; bad on your part?!

Well, if you're like me, you will have heard numerous times that tennis is a lot like life. As a matter of fact, all sports are a metaphor for life. For example, if you're a lawyer you can make the best possible arguments - apply the law to the facts as best you can and communicate the argument, in writing or orally to judge/jury - and still lose the case. It happens ALL THE TIME! It happens all the time to the best lawyers! Sometimes, the judge will rule for the exception as opposed to the general rule. Some other times, the jury will simply decide based on sympathy (regardless of instructions). Is that "FAIR"?! If you're a doctor, you can prescribe the best possible treatment and the patient will not respond to it resulting in death. Is THAT fair?! How about getting into a car accident due to no fault of your own and getting sued for damages that you didn't cause?! That's fair, right?! Wait a second, I know: no good person has ever contracted a terminal disease, right?!

Well, the fact is that life is full of unfairness...some people win the lottery; others are better looking; some may be born into wealth; some may get straight A's without studying; some may be naturally bigger/faster/stronger; etc. Unless you're either very young or very dense, you should know this. However, when the same person steps on the court, s/he often forgets this concept (i.e., that unfairness happens) and does not know how to handle an unfair situation that is not favorable to her.

If you're the type of player who's prone to mentally breaking down when things don't go your way and allow matches to slip away, you have three choices: (1) quit ("Bye-bye! Thanks for playing. This sport's too tough for you"); (2) keep doing the same thing and hope that things will magically go your and that all of your opponents will have discovered religious enlighterment (good luck with that); or (3) accept that unfairness happens and prepare your mind to deal with these situations and bounce back. Hopefully, you will have chosen what's behind door #3. 

For example, one way you can mentally prepare to deal with unfairness is by setting up the court to contain certain zones which results in automatic points FOR your practice partner if s/he happens to hit them. They don't have to be in specific locations - they can be anywhere (middle of the court, close the baseline or off-center). The purpose is to practice tempering your mind to unexpected consequences favoring the other side. After all, adversity builds character and it's your character under pressure or unfair situations that counts.

This drill can be performed where only one person plays with the handicap or both players play with the handicap. Another drill is threading a broom-stick (or plastic tube) through the net a playing points. Sometimes, a player will hit the broom-stick/tube and the ball will ricochet for a winner; other times, it will bounce back on your own side. All these outcomes are unfair but they will turn you into a more mentally-tough opponent. It is particularly important, for purposes of this drill, that the slightly weaker player is handicapped - after all, isn't it amazing how, sometimes, the best players have all the luck?! With two even players, both can take turns handicapping themselves.

Another way to toughen yourself up is for one player to grant the a other a couple of "bisque" points. These handicaps can be used on big points (or any points) - where the "hooks" tend to happen. How about playing tennis points with distractions? Ilie Nastase used to practice - when he actually used to practice - with stereo blasting. He said it reminded him of crowd noise. Maybe he just liked the music but he certainly had the advantage when the fans got rowdy at a big match. When was the last time you played a practice matchwith a leaf-blower blaring?

You think that this is crazy or unnecessary? How about this: go talk to someone who's served in the military and has gone through basic training. Ask him/her about his/her uniform or bed-check experience. How many times did s/he have to redo the bed or re-polish his/her boots despite being perfectly in order the first time around? Or, how about the push-ups that he had to do because of someone else's screw-ups? On the one hand, these punishments are intended to build team unity. But they are also intended to teach the soldiers how to stomach unfairness because (1) sometimes bad things happen to good people, and (2) sometimes good people have to follow orders that lead to unfair consequences. So if practicing for unfairness is good enough for the military (and ours is the best), it should certainly be good enough for someone playing with a yellow ball over the net.

What's WRONG with YOU?!

How many times have you, as a parent or coach, asked your child or student this question? Instead of focusing on the player, it may be becoming for the inquirer to look at himself first. When it comes to relationships, we've often heard the importance of chemistry. Chemistry is the ingredient that attracts two people to each other. Although chemistry can take many forms, from a tennis point of view, it's the ability to complement and supplement each other's qualities and characteristics that is significant. And here is where an understanding of various personalities comes into play. But rather that starting with the student, it may be important for the teacher to look at him/herself first in order to figure out his/her strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, motivations as well as emotional and logical characteristics. We all see ourselves as certain people, with specific characteristics. However, the way we perceive ourselves is not always the same as we come across to other people. Often times, on-court clashes can be avoided by understanding the personality conflicts of the various parties. 

In this regard, I recommend that both pros and players (and perhaps parents as well) take a basic Jung-Myers Briggs personality test and summarize each other's specifications. I recommend the test and analysis on www.humanmetrics.com although many other online tests may be of similar quality. After taking the test, the coach will have a better understanding of who s/he is as a person and how the coach comes across to his/her students. Thereafter, it is important for the coach to understand the game of tennis from the player's point of view by looking at the player's personality profile. For example, is the player more rational than emotional? Is the player the type who can stay focused for long periods of time on specific tasks? Is the player a natural leader? Is the player rigid v. flexible? Does the player like to be the center of attention? Does the player have the tendency to get bogged down by stress? Is the player sensitive to other people's feelings? Is the player energetic? Does the player have an adventurous spirit (i.e., action oriented)? Does the player live in the world of ideas and strategic planning? Is the player interested more in the theoretical concepts of endeavors v. the practical application? 

In other words, in order to teach a player you must understand the player. And in order to achieve this objective the coach must first understand himself and his own personality portrait. Too many coaches (and parents) think that there's one way to teach a student - "come h$#@ or high water"; "my way or the highway" - and cannot understand why the player doesn't see things their way. As any good educator will tell you, not every student thinks the same or can be taught the same (but, then again, the vast majority of pros - certified or certifiable - have no background in education). For example, some players view the game of tennis as a battle of wits...a strategic affair; others see it more as a personal, gladiatorial contest; others still see it as a scientific experiment. And then there are those who see the tennis court as a canvas and the game as art. They are all right since tennis is all these things (and more). In addition, it is important to note that some players (like students) thrive in a group setting; others, may become disoriented with too many people around and lose focus. Furthermore, some players may be interested in the theoretical aspects of the game; other players are more interested in the practical approach (perhaps, these latter players are the "competitive" types). Lastly, there are those who need to be on center court in order to perform their best (i.e., be the center of attention) while there are others who like to grind their practices on the back-courts...away from public scrutiny. 

As a good coach, it's important to either (a) modify (if only slightly) your method to fit the student; or (b) if unable to do so, advise the player to seek assistance somewhere else. Anything less is a great disservice to either the player or the parents and will result in frustration and dissatisfaction on all sides. Of course, some coaches and players will have a natural fit due to their personality match. That's great when it happens. But if that aspect isn't present, don't be too quick to blame the player. Understand her and yourself and work together towards a workable solution or guide her towards someone who may be a better fit. 

NOTE: FOR ADDITIONAL REFERENCE, SEE ALSO http://parentingaces.com/2011/12/02/energize-your-childs-tennis-game/

Diminishing Returns

CAtennis.com is a big fan of the 10,000 hour rule.  When one starts to think of kids who win at a young age, they are exposed to more matches, and invariably, stiffer competition.  They are getting ahead of their lesser known peers at an early age, all because they are competing more.  Without hard evidence to back up the claim, when looking at football quarterbacks for example, one could argue there are not that many gifted quarterbacks in college football.  Why is that?  

Simply, the kids who throw the most accurate at 10 years old in Pop Warner Football are the ones who are deemed quarterbacks.  Everyone else is supposedly not skilled enough (more like, not strong enough) and is relegated to playing other positions such as wide receiver, running back, offensive line, etc.  The kid who was a stud at 10, simply gets more reps, more touches, and has more game time experience.  As the years pass, only a handful kids out of 50 get to be quarterback on any given team and develop as a quarterback, greatly decreasing the pool of applicants.  So by the time high school and college rolls around, the GREAT ones are hard to come by. People start to scratch their heads when watching ESPN highlights how a quarterback can be so emotionally weak, make poor decisions, and not see the entire field.  My point is 10,000 hours is not enough- it's only part of the equation.  

There comes a point where an athlete hits the point of diminishing returns.  Every hour on the court doesn't create the same value as it once did.  Increases in performance are extremely hard to come by, sometimes even having the feeling of going nowhere or backwards.  Sure you are putting in the time, but you aren't improving! 

The reality is not everyone has the mojo upstairs (mind) to compete with the precision, consistency, and clutch-ness of a winner.  Not everyone is wired to handle adversity (sure they might know all the proper technique, strategy, 10,000 hour rule, etc) and it doesn't quite work out the way you wished.  The only thing the 10,000 hour rule guarantees is potentially a higher probability of getting the results you want.  It doesn't guarantee winning because think of how many tennis players (literally hundreds to thousands) who spent 10,000 hours on the court.  

What most lacked was the knack to win.  

Once you reach this plateau in your tennis career (I'm talking to high level tennis players who have reached their technical capacity), this is the time to be smart about how you approach the game.  Instead of slaving away at crosscourts for 5 hours in a row focusing on your technique, try to wrap your head around why are you losing.  

• Are you getting too emotional at 2-1 down in the first set?  
• Are you a rollercoaster mentally, getting too jacked up and too angry?
• Is your head in a pressure cooker about to explode everytime you make an error?  You justify winning just because you put in the court-time?

Most people equate heavy training = more winning.  Not necessarily.  It doesn't guarantee anything and this can cause major issues when you face someone you feel you work harder than.  Tennis nor life doesn't work that way.  Until you grasp this concept, you will always be frustrated on the court and expecting more of yourself.  Too high of expectations can make you insane the moment things don't work out as they should. Just be weary of the tricks your mind may play on you.  Balance off the court can be a healthy thing (Nadal likes to fish)- downplaying high expectations.  

10,000 hours only increases your probability of success (that might even be a stretch), but it doesn't guarantee success.