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Showing posts with the label Bigger Better Tennis

CURE MISTAKES

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MISTAKES IN TRAINING During matches, all players face repercussions for their errors from the first point. There's no "play it again" or "continue the rally" in real match-play so don't allow for it into your practice session. Players must face repercussions for any mistakes they make in  practice , otherwise, they'll get lazy. I detest when players want to continue playing if the ball goes a little out during practice drills or points. Their reasoning is that continuing the rally or the point makes for a better practice. That's the wrong way to look at it. An important goal of any practice session should also be to create a stronger mentality for upcoming matches. That means adding pressure, decision-making, and unpredictability to your sessions. Look for any way you can to achieve this, it's really important! Reproducing the mentality of real match-play during practice sessions is one of the most important ingredients of my training   I like

LEARN TENNIS FROM A CHESS GRANDMASTER

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All advanced tournament-level players have reached a high degree of technical proficiency, which has played a significant role in getting them to where they are now.  However, as an advanced tournament-level player, it's important for you to constantly look for other ways to refine and improve your game. There will be areas where slight enhancements or adjustments can lead to further improvements in performance. One such area, and my favorite recommendation for most players, is the mental and strategic side of our game. It's there that you will make the most dramatic improvement in your tournament results. Try to stay open-minded. While the Mental and strategic side of the game can seem daunting, confusing, and even scary to some players, this is where the real opportunities for growth exist.  LOOK AT SIMILAR SPORTS I often compare tennis to boxing. The two sports are very similar. Both involve offense and defense. Both are one on one (except in tennis Doubles) encounters that

ADDING STRATEGY TO YOUR TENNIS PROGRAM

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I've always taught strategy to players early in their development. For me, strategy is an integral part of a competitive player's toolkit along with stroke technique, fitness, and movement.   When teaching strategy to beginners, you'll need to tailor your instructions to suit the age and level of the player(s), but the teaching of strategy should be done early and not left to later.  I have recently been involved with college tennis in the US and have seen firsthand the lack of any prior introduction players receive on the topic of strategy.   Most of the players I have watched competing at college level have had difficulty implementing even elementary strategy in their matches.  The problem starts when, early in a players career, coaches believe that if a player has perfected their stroke technique, that will naturally transfer into savvy match-play. That certainly is not the case.  The fact is that college coaches are left to deal with this neglected part of a players de

6 WAYS TO PLAY WITH MORE COURAGE AND CONFIDENCE

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Playing with confidence is crucial for all tennis players. Any lack of confidence can affect not only your ball-striking but also your decision-making. Additionally, facing an opponent who is determined to create difficulties for you on the court can contribute to feelings of fear and self-doubt regarding your strokes. However, there are strategies and mindset shifts that can help players overcome these challenges and regain their confidence. Here are 6 ways to develop a more courageous and confident you. #1 REMOVE THE DOUBT Regaining confidence in your game starts with believing in your ability to hit the ball well. If you start striking the ball better, your confidence will grow.  During practice, remove the doubt in your mind and begin striking the ball confidently; after all, it's only a practice session!  Trust your technique and focus on executing your shots with conviction.   What you are doing is treating Doubt as an inconvenient habit that has been affecting your strok

THE SECRET JUICE FOR PLAYING BETTER TENNIS

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If you feel like your tennis is not going anywhere, but you practice super hard every day, here are my suggestions to get you out of your tennis slump.  PUT THESE THINGS IN YOUR PRACTICE IMMEDIATELY! Mental pressure... Whatever you do during practice put pressure on yourself to do it as best you can.  Take the warm-up as an example. It's easy to arrive at practice and begin your warm-up slightly unfocused. You've warmed up a thousand times before and you probably think you don't need to focus much anyway, you think the warm-up can be performed in automatic mode.  But you're wrong. By focusing more during the warm-up you are awakening your brain and preparing it to work at a higher level when you do start hitting balls. It's also important to focus any time you're in the gym, because you'll get more benefits from a focused gym session than an unfocused one. Another time to increase the mental pressure on yourself is when you're drilling or playing points.

3 WAYS TO TAKE MAXIMUM ADVANTAGE OF COVID-19

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Are you looking for a way to improve your tennis in a big way? I mean making huge fundamental improvements to your game almost overnight? Sounds too good to be true but it's possible, particularly in light of the global epidemic we are all feeling the effects of now.  It seems that something called Post Trauma Growth may be the solution in your quest to become better at anything, significantly better!   As the term suggests, it's a  period of growth that occurs after you experience a significant trauma in your life. We're all feeling the effects of COVID-19. Some are affected more than others financially, while many are also affected physically. Some have lost friends or family to the virus, and literally, millions of people have lost their jobs and are out of work, uncertain about their future job prospects and in providing for their loved ones.  Make no mistake, these are traumatic times for many millions of people across the globe. The world has faced trauma's on