HOW MANY CHANCES DO YOU NEED?

I would have a very good chance of beating Roger Federer... if I was given multiple chances to take mistakes back again or replay any shots I didn’t like.

Here’s an example. If I was given multiple attempts at all first serves and was able to select the one serve that I liked the most amongst my many attempts, my service game against Roger Federer would probably be good enough to hold my own.

Expand that idea to include every shot I play during the point and this "second chance"  concept would allow me to (1) Prepare myself much better for the shot because I already know where the ball is going (2) Make accurate decisions on where and how I want the ball to go, and (3) Technically perform the shot perfectly. 

With multiple chances, I have a very good 

opportunity to beat Federer.

Now I know you are saying “but nobody has the luxury of taking shots again”, and you would be correct. But let’s look at why this “2^nd Chance” scenario is important to understand for both Coaches and players.

When Federer plays a match he almost never needs a second chance. His game and the games of all the other top players are almost 100% correct all the time. in terms of their decision-making and their execution of the shot, they're right all the time. 

And this is where every player trying to take their game to a higher level can learn from this second chance” concept. 

You may already have the technique and strategic thinking to be able to play amazing tennis and to be ranked well above your present position in the National or ITF rankings. But the speed at which your brain processes information during a match only allows you to operate at 50% of your optimum ability. The other 50%, which would allow you to have massively better results is absent because You don't think fast enough or clear enough!

I see this all the time when working with developing players. These young players, if given multiple opportunities to correct and improve their shots or decisions would perform overall much better. They know what they should have done and how they should have done it better, but they didn't process the information quickly enough.

So what are the lessons to be learned from the second chance concept?

Understand that most mistakes in a match are ultimately mental mistake

The top players think fast, sending their awareness to the key elements that make each specific shot work best. The key takeaway from the second chance concept is that you must train to think faster and more accurately in order to play at your optimum level in matches.

Training the brain to think faster, like most things in tennis, should happen on the practice court. 

You'll need to develop two mindsets. The first mindset is your attention to "The decision you make" in the various situations during the points and the second mindset is "The technique you employ" for each individual shot. 

It's not necessary to analyze every shot you play, just those times you make an error. Both player and coach can quickly decide which was the culprit, the decision, or the stroke. Once that decision has been made the player must work very hard to mentally retain this feedback during practice and over time, try to perform each situation better. 

Here's an example... 

Imagine the player has made a mistake on a running forehand. The error could be based on poor shot selection. Instead of playing the shot down the line, she should have played the higher percentage shot, crosscourt.  

But let's imagine the error is a technical one. The player decides to hit down the line but it goes too long. One reason for the mistake could be because the player did not give the ball enough spin to keep it in. By deciding the problem is a lack of spin and making a few technical adjustments, the shot begins to go in. 

In both examples, over a period of time, the player is practicing each day with the goal of making quicker and more accurate decisions. She is also learning to constantly send her focus to decision-making and technique. Eventually, her brain will be going there sooner than before, allowing her to execute better throughout the match.

Comment below... What do you do, either as a player or coach, to optimize the full potential of your game?