Bigger Better Tennis - Paul Dale

Why Tennis Players Fail in Matches Despite Perfect Practice (The Hidden Transfer Problem Every Coach Will Face) By Paul Dale | The 3AM Method How the 3AM Method solves the practice-to-match performance gap that affects most competitive tennis players I was watching a junior tennis tournament last month. A young player was hitting absolute rockets  during the warm-up,  perfect tennis technique, incredible power, shots landing exactly where intended. Her practice partner could barely keep up. Then the match started. Within three games, this same tennis player was struggling to keep balls in the court. The powerful groundstrokes that looked so impressive ten minutes earlier were now sailing long or finding the net. Her confidence was gone entirely; she looked like a different player. This scenario unfolds in courts worldwide every day, revealing a crucial aspect that many tennis players and coaches overlook about the relationship between tennis practice and competitive perfo...

  The Mental Trap That Stops Good Tennis Players From Succeeding Talent and hard work are not always enough in competitive tennis. Many players—some of them highly skilled—never reach their full potential because they struggle with  stress and pressure  during matches.  It’s not just nerves before a big point. It’s a mental pattern that builds up and slowly takes over: frustration after mistakes, fear of losing, negative self-talk, and panic when things go wrong. This article combines two powerful ideas that can help  coaches and players develop a healthier, more successful mindset for dealing with competition stress. 1. Tennis Is a Sport Where You Lose… A Lot Here’s a fact that surprises most people: In Novak Djokovic’s best season—when he was the number one player in the world—he  lost 46% of all the points  he played. That’s right. Nearly half the time, even the best player in the world didn’t win the point. Tennis scoring is unique. ...