INVINCIBILITY LIES IN THE DEFENSE...



The three most important words to a player are preparation, preparation, and preparation.

Thorough preparation begins and ends on the practice court and means that you will be ready for whatever your opponent throws at you in the match. It means that you will enter each match knowing that you have prepared.

But what form should your preparation take? How should you structure your practice in the days, weeks, and months before your matches?

Preparation for matches begins on the practice court.

The ancient Chinese warlord Sun Tzu was highly sought after by many Chinese emperors because of his incredible knowledge of warfare. Back then, having a superior army meant the difference between an entire state living or dying, and Sun Tzu was the best. Based on his theories and observations, the book "The Art of War" is still a best seller worldwide even today, and his philosophies are still being followed. 

Sun Tzu said this about the topic of Offense and Defense: 

"INVINCIBILITY LIES IN THE DEFENSE, THE POSSIBILITY OF VICTORY IN THE ATTACK"

In this quote, Sun Tzu says that you, as a player or even as a coach, need to work equally on the two conditions of Offense and Defense. Often, players work offense training to increase the speed of their ball, the power of their forehand, and the effectiveness of their serve.

Tennis is warfare without the dire
consequences after a defeat

He's also saying that your defense has to be strong; otherwise, you'll never get the opportunity to attack. He once said

"MAKE YOURSELF UNBEATABLE FIRST"

I spend a lot of my time walking around watching matches at tournaments, I find myself watching some matches while ignoring others. The thing that quickly catches my attention at tournaments is when two players "change gears" during points. Changing gears means the ability to go from Offense to defense or Defense to Offense seamlessly and at the appropriate times. Whenever I see someone doing that, I know I'm watching a player for the future. 

Sun Tzu says that you must have weapons to attack your opponent, but he's also saying that you need to have the ability to defend equally as well; they're both critical. That means you need to devote equal time to developing your Offensive and Defensive abilities during your preparation. According to Sun Tzu, this is the surest way to avoid defeat and defeat your opponent.

So if this article has motivated you to start working on both your Offense and Defense in equal measure, you'll need to understand exactly when you are in Offense or Defense during a point. What are the properties that distinguish a situation that is either Offensive or Defensive?
Shot selection in tennis is much the same as changing gears in a car. 
You need to select the appropriate gear (stroke) for what you want to do.

Understanding whether you are in Offense, Defense, or Neutral during a point is at the essence of shot selection. Having a clear understanding of exactly which condition you are in for each ball during the rally means you will not be playing inappropriate strokes at the wrong times.

The system I have used for many years is called the DNO Theory, and it covers every situation that can occur during a match, and it's easy to understand. I explain the DNO Theory here in this video.

To better structure your practice sessions around developing your Offense and defense, read the article on THE DNO THEORY.


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Location: Bangkok, Thailand

Comments

  1. KnourjuaOctober 2, 2019 at 3:39 PM

    This is Very very nice article. Everyone should read. Totosite

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Paul DaleSeptember 16, 2021 at 2:26 AM

      Thank you so much for your comment. Much appreciated

      Delete

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