Over this weekend (…in between touching up TMCSS 101, getting ready for one of my best friend’s wedding), I had a few extra minutes. So I  thought I’d do something a little different and a little fun.

What I did was, I recently bugged (…tapped into)  the practices of nearly every highly competitive tennis player known to man. It was tricky at first, but it finally worked.

Now, since I couldn’t type out everything from all 1,659,756 players and coaches word for word. I summarized what I saw the most frequently and that was having the most impact.

Check it out…

Sound familiar? Thought it was just you? Not at all. This sort of coach to player difference in opinion happens ALL the time.

This alone, is one of the things that tends to cause some of the biggest snags in a workout and can even cause a potentially great career to come to a screaming halt. It just wastes too much time.

Clearly, the coach has the better view in this situation. But that doesn’t seem to clear things up – obviously. So, why does this happen? Where does this come from? Why do us players have such a problem with it?

Well, we as players tend to hold one or both of the following beliefs :

1. The Invincible Desire: Think that we can do no wrong. Believe it or not, this many times stems from the intense desire to get better – seeing any type of correction as a weakness and possible delay in our progress.   Either that, or… we’re just plain old stubborn haha.

OR…

2. Super-Human (Double) Vision: We have the idea that we’re some kind of superhuman that has eyes that are double-sided – as if we could look outwards towards the ball and our opponent while simultaneously looking backward towards ourselves. Yes, IMPOSSIBLE. But, we still subconsciously believe that.

Whether you have 1 or both of these beliefs, it will simply do you no good.  So what’s the answer? What can be the “be all” and “end all” to solve this once and FOR ALL?

VIDEO! Bring a video camera out to your next practice. A lot of the big time pros use this strategy. Now, in case you we’re wondering… No, it doesn’t need to be some $3,000 Sony Super HD Camera with a zoom so strong, you can see the moon.  A simple, mini-recorder from your local elctronic store (…like the Mustek DV 526L Camcorder with digital player/voice recorder) will more than do that job.

You can either use a tripod for and extra steady view. Or ask your hitting partner to to lend a hand if you’re looking to get a more mobile type of shot (…great for hard angles).

By doing this, you’re taking the guesswork out of the entire equation. No more arguing. No more going back and forth with your coach. You get all the right answers with indisputable evidence.

If you’re not getting down, the cam will show you – plain and simple. If you tend to get a little flat-footed or sloppy on some shots, it’ll show you. And if you’re doing a phenomenal job on everything, you’ll be able to see that as well.

Bottom line, this will save you a ton of time and make your practice session 10 times as productive. You’ll know exactly what parts of your game that are weak and need tweaking and what parts are solid enough to do some real damage as they are.

They’re will be no OPINION, only FACT. You know what they say, the camera never lies!

Have a great week and an even better game!

Brian Hall, Founder
TennisMindCamp

P.S. For those curious, no I didn’t magically tap into or spy on anyone haha. I thought it’d be a clever way to make the strategy tip pop a little bit.

P.P.S But, FACT. I was polishing up TMC STrategy Secrets 101. And FACT, the Andrew Bynum and the Lakers Did Silence the Thunder!

Now, when you have your opponent on the ropes and you see an opening (… a good amount of open court space), you don’t want to baby the shot over the net and let your opponent back in the point after you’ve done all that “hard” (…or should I say smart haha) work.

You’ll want to increase the pace some and close the point out.  Right? Of course, you want to put your opponent out of their misery and win that point, set, game, or match.

But here’s the issue that many players struggle with, and probably you yourself at times as well. Can you CONTROL it? Can you still get the ball to land in the court, when the pace picks up? Or does it sail to the back fence?

I mean, yea we all “know” how important it is to control your shot.  But “knowing” and actually  “doing” are two totally different animals.  I mean nobody says, “Watch me hit this one 5 feet out and into the stands.” It just happens. And as a result, the point is lost and your frustration  starts to build.

The unfortunate truth is, a large number of players are able to hit pretty well and obtain a good level of control when applying a low to moderate level of pace.

But when they attempt to pick it up and add some extra fire to their shots, the balls go everywhere EXCEPT to their specified target. Then, of course, they try using good old topspin per their coaches instructions. And sure, at times, that will work.

Or should I say, it SHOULD work haha. Other times, players can possibly see no difference at all or complain about the ball losing its “bite” in the process. Does this sound like you too?

If so, then the “tennis gods” may have just answered your prayers. Yes, now there is a way you can finally be able to enjoy the same beautiful blend of power and safety as the big-time pros without having to change a thing about your mechanics.

And no,  it’s not some completely new concept you have to learn to  add to your game.  It’s much simpler than that. The answer lies in your equipment – more specifically your string.

What string? Luxilon is the name, and helping players control their explosive strokes is their game.  That’s right, this new stuff by Luxilon has been specifically engineered to combat the “control” problem that so many tennis players are suffering from head on.

At first, it was only known among the inner circles and the elite players, but now the secret is no longer a hush-hush thing.   Now, it’s the string that players of all levels can’t wait to get their hands on.  And for that reason, it’s really taking the game by storm.

I mean, it’s turning around the games of so many players.  You know what, you don’t have to take my word for it.  The numbers speak for themselves.  Just last year, Luxilon distributed more than 3,000,000 (…3 M-I-L-L-I-O-N) feet of this stuff just to the Miami area alone!

Yikes, I know! And the reason why so many players are so hungry for this stuff isn’t  because they like the color. And it’s certainly not because of the high-power spokesman or tons of commercials and promotional ads. You barely see this stuff mentioned in the mainstream media. It’s because IT WORKS! 

It’s actually doing what it’s supposed to. It gives players more control. It’s helping players like you quickly erase a horrible problem in their game and unlock the shackles that have been keeping them from so many potential wins in the past.

How does it work? Well, the #1 factor lies in its polyester base. Yea, the polyester is what allows the big boys who use it like Marin Cilic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Leyton Hewitt etc…

(…and the big girls who also use it) like Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic, and Dinara Safina  etc. to literally plaster the ball with  pace and power without the fear of it sailing onto the next court or into the 3rd row of the stands.

So yea, if it can handle the pace applied  by those players, I’m sure you shouldn’t have anything to worry about either.  Oh, and the best part is, your shot won’t lose much of its velocity or impact. In other words, you won’t have to give up something to get something in return, which is great!

Now you might be saying, “Hey, this ‘poly’ stuff is nothing new.”  True, the polyester string isn’t a brand new invention or concept. But, in order to formulate this one-of-a-kind material, they’ve taken it a giant step further by combining it with their own special ingredients and revolutionary polymer fibers to create some pretty insane results.

What are they? What are the mysterious elements that they mix the “poly” with? Who knows? I certainly don’t haha.

That stuff is top secret! Yea, if that information we’re to get out, too many copycats could emerge. And the owner/founder would sound like the queen from Johnny Depp’s Alice in Wonder Land, screaming “Off with their heads!” haha.

Now with Luxilon, there are two primary ways to lace your racket:

1. Luxilon in the mains as well as the crosses.

2. A mixture of Luxilon and pure gut (…used for just a little bit more punch and power).

You can try both, and see what works for you the best.  Now, of the many options Luxilon provides, the one that is the most popular goes by the name of Big Banger Alu. So, if you’re not sure which one to try first, that might not be a bad pick.

Now, this all sounds great, right? It sure does! But… Yea, there’s always a but, isn’t there? Some players have experienced some stiffness feeling in their arms and some soreness in their wrists when using this string.

But per a statement by the company, a new version, known as (… Luxilon M2) will be offered shortly. The Luxilon M2 will have a more gentle feel, and there shouldn’t be as much pressure  on your arm. Problem solved.

So yea, a few months ago, we briefly talked about how important equipment can be to a tennis player’s success, and that idea has only intensified here.  So, try some out and see if they work for ya. This could mean the difference between a big win and a “I’ll get ‘em next time.”  For more info on Luxlion string, click here.

Have a great week guys, and an even BETTER game!

Brian, TennisMindCamp

P.S. I recommend that you also take a look at other “polys” like: Babolat Pro Hurricane, Tecnifibre Pro Red Code, or Isospeed Hybrid spin.  Those are all great alternatives that can give your level of control a sizable boost without taking much from the bite on your shots.

P.P.S: Just a couple more weeks until TMC Strategy Secrets 101 will be released. Promise! Again, thanks for all your emails and concerns .

Now if you’re a player who’s just starting out, the very idea of having a close bond or connection with your tennis racket is absurd and perhaps disturbing.

You might think anyone who does that has completely gone to the crazy side of the court… if you know what I mean. After all, the racket is simply a brainless tool to be used and discarded at a whim, entirely dependent on its owner’s commands, right?

Yes, that’s true, you have total and complete control over where your racket goes when attempting to hit the ball. But your racket has quite a bit of say in how well your shot will be executed and the level of additional impact your balls may have during the course of a match.

The problem is not enough players understand the amount of influence the racket actually has. This mental error usually stems from ignorance, being naive or plain out cocky.  Inside, some players are thinking that there’s no possibility that they could be getting any outside help apart from their hard work and willingness to win. Honestly, I feel sorry for those players, because they’re greatly limiting themselves and their possibility of success.

Just ask around, and you’ll find plenty of tennis players who have tremendous skill and ability that will graciously tell you that it’s not their skill alone that wins them matches. I can speak from personal experience on this one too. When I first started, I was using a Wilson pro staff, the same model Sampras used. I only started with that, because that’s what my dad handed to me when I had my first lesson.

Well, I wasn’t hitting the ball like Sampras as you would imagine haha. I felt like I couldn’t get any power at all, and it seemed like I was using twice as much energy as I should’ve been. That led to frustration. But when I made a switch to one made by the Head Company, it was a 360 degree turn around.

I was hitting the balls better. I felt more fluid on every shot, and I was getting a much better balance of power and control. And the coolest part was, I didn’t change a thing about my mechanics and how I hit the ball.  That’s when I really saw the light of how important having the proper “thunder stick” is to a player’s performance. And that’s why I really want to stress this to you guys early, so you’re not wasting precious time, when you could be seeing results at a much faster rate.

I mean, just as a craftsman needs the right tools to carry out a particular job in a competent and proficient manner, so must the tennis player, regardless of skill or ability. So, you must choose carefully.

A common rookie mistake is to assume that all tennis rackets are created equally. Now, to the inexperienced eye, upon a casual glance, yes they are pretty identical. However,  there’s much more involved than what meets the eye.

The reality is that tennis rackets have ALL been uniquely designed for different kinds of players and playing styles. Each particular model has been created by using different materials and these materials can and will greatly affect the overall feeling the racket has when it’s in your hand. And as you and I both know, feel makes a world of difference out there.

Picking the right one can make your life so much easier while out there on the court. But on the other hand, if you pick the wrong one, you could be in store for an uphill battle and a lot of unnecessary frustration.  That’s why big-time pros like Raphael Nadal, James Blake, Venus Williams, and Andy Murray make sure every racket they use is uniquely tailored to very precise specifications – specs so personal that no racket available in your local tennis shop would mass produce and even offer it to the public. They know it makes that big of a difference.

Now, I don’t expect you to know which one suits you the best right off the bat.  I’d recommend the good old “trial and error” method to help you make a decision. If you go to any sports store that sells rackets, it’s highly likely that they’ll have a process where you can demo their rackets for a small fee. Test them out, and see which one gives you the best results before you go reaching for that credit card.

Though trial and error is great, I know you don’t have time to blindly try out every single racket in the shop until you find the right one. That could be a lifetime in itself –  not to mention the expense in gasoline having to drive back and forth multiple times.  So, to save you some time, I’ve created a TennisMindCamp Cheat-Sheet for racket selection.

(Check it out below)

Racket Selection Cheat-Sheet:

Head Size: When it comes to the head size of your tennis racket, size really does matter, but bigger is not always better. In most cases, if you opt for a larger head size then you’ll get more power and thrust to your serves and ground strokes, but you will lose some of your control. The reverse is true should you opt for smaller head sizes.

However, while you may favor one particular style over another, your personal strategy will dictate your head size choice. For example, if you like staying close to the net, then you’ll need a higher level of control over your shots and so the smaller headsize is ideal for you.

Balance: Again, just as with the head size, balance falls into one of two extremes and so it comes down to the player making a tactical choice as to which one they favor more. If there is more mass centralized in the head of the racket as opposed to the handle, then this means that you’ll be able to hit the ball with a higher level of velocity. But remember, you’ll have to deal with a reduction in direction control at the same time.

Stiffness: This is really more a matter of personal preference. While stiff rackets will generate more power for a shot, they require a higher amount of energy to be expended in order to finish the shot.  This means that you will tire out much sooner.

Weight: The weight of the racket will effect the amount of racket speed you get on your shot. The less the racket weighs, the quicker your racket can fly. The heavier the weight, the more effort it’ll take to get it around to execute the shot.

In short, if it’s comfortable and you feel good playing and winning with it, use it! Ignore the labels and marketing, and play with the racket that best suits your game and gives you the highest level of comfort.

So, think smart, and  use the criteria above.  If you’re in doubt after using the cheet-sheet, make sure that you speak to an expert or someone who has played tennis for sometime so that they can better advise you as to what would be your best choice.  You’ll be glad you did, and so will your wallet.

Have a great day and an even better game,

Brian Hall, Head Coach
TennisMindCamp
webmaster@tennismindcamp. com