You can train in the wind if you know the right tennis tactic (…or tactics) to use.

You can train in the extreme heat and even in really cold outside temperatures, right? …Again, if you have the right tennis tactic (…or tactics) .

Now, of course, you should make it a point, to use some of your tennis practice sessions to work through those conditions, so you’re not caught off guard if confronted with something similar come match day.

But hey, here’s a thought. What about in the rain?

Many players think that rain is another word for “tennis stop sign.” You know, all improvement of your game must stop just because it gets a little damp out.

Well, not true. You may very well not be able to run around the court smacking tennis balls, but your tennis training doesn’t have to be put on hold when it starts to pour.

See below for 3 surefire ways to work out and keep your game on the up and up, even through the eye of the storm.

Tennis Tactic(s) To Use When Playing In The Rain, Heat, And Snow:

Weather Tennis Tactic #1. Your Ball Toss

You see, the serve is one of the most important shots in the entire game. It enables you to instantly gain momentum, knock your opponent on the defense, and many times, take control of the pace and tempo of the match – all pretty powerful stuff.

Now that said, let me ask you something. How’s your toss? The reason I ask is, one of the biggest (…and most common) problems that keep players from having an awesome serving game is an untamed or inconsistent toss.

…Meaning, every time they toss it in the air, it seems to end up some place different (…or at least somewhere that was unexpected). And that’s no good.

So, if you believe your toss could use some improvement, do this.

When the rain is pouring outside on the tennis court, stay inside. Grab a tennis ball, and find a comfortable place in your house (…or even at the gym). Then simply setup in your serving stance and practice tossing the ball.

But don’t just toss it anywhere. Alter your tennis tactic a bit.  You always want to have a specific target in mind. You want to be able to execute the same height and placement, every time it goes up (…without even having to think about it).

It doesn’t matter if you use different tosses for your different serving weapons (…flat, side spin, topspin or kick), they all need to be on target and precise.

Now, you don’t have to go through the entire swinging motion – just the toss and the cock-back. Oh, and really believe that you’re serving.

Take it seriously. That way, you’ll be conditioning your mind (…as well as your body) to operate as close to match-like battle mode as possible.

So, by you putting the necessary work into your pre-match prep and using the right tennis tactic (…even in the rain), you and your serve game will be shining, match after match after match.

Weather Tennis Tactic #2: Strength & Conditioning Tennis Training

Though many tennis players ignore this element of their game, the tennis tactic of making your body stronger is a major essential in becoming a dominant tennis athlete.

This not only is great for preventing a tennis injury, you’ll be able to hit harder shots, and your tennis endurance will increase. So, when you used to be huffing and puffing, you’ll be saying “Next Please.”

Now don’t misunderstand me, you don’t have to (…and really shouldn’t) use this to gain big car-crushing muscles like a football athlete in the NFL or the iron Mike Tyson of old. You want strength, not bulk.

HUGE muscles are just going to make you slower – not to mention decrease your racket head speed.

Now, a good place to start your strength and conditioning tennis training is on your core. Sure, good arms and legs are important, but your mid-section (…or your core) is what’s going to make a world of difference for you.

And if you’re not sure what makes up your core. The “core” is comprised of your abs (…upper and lower obliques) and your back muscles.

Examples of good core exercises include: push-ups and/or bench press and sit-ups. Again, you can train at home or at the gym. Rain won’t get in the way.

Weather Tennis Tactic #3. Run Your Practice

Use this time for pure cardio tennis training. Lace up your running shoes or cross-trainers, hit the pavement (…or the treadmill and elliptical machine) go! Building up your wind and your endurance is an absolute must if you plan on becoming a player who is difficult to beat.

Because you see, not all of your tennis matches are going to be short and sweet. You’re going to run into a few long ones, and you’ve got to last if you want to get the victory.

Let me tell you, there isn’t a worse feeling than not getting to the next round because you just physically couldn’t hang.

So, don’t let, not having the perfect tennis weather, stop you from getting the dominating results you dream of. Try these 3 examples the next time it rains, and keep your game going upwards.

Now, you have to go through the entire swinging motion – just the toss and the cock-back. And really believe that you’re serving. Take it seriously. That way, you’ll be conditioning your mind (…as well as your body) to operate as close to match-like battle mode as possible.

NOTE: Only 1 Day Left To Gain Special Pricing On The New TennisMindCamp Strategy Secrets 101 Physical Edition. If You’re Interested, Click Here Before The Price Goes Back Up.

For more tennis tips, tennis lessons, and strategies, click here.

Gain access to over 19 hours of Kick-butt instruction and see success like the big boys, visit this page.

Have a great week and an even better game!

Brian, Head Coach
TennisMindCamp

When you’re out on the tennis court, you’re always going to be doing one of two things (… while also exerting mental toughness of course):

1. Going Deep: Grooving something (…that already works well) deeper into your game,  so it becomes more second nature to you (…whether it be from an exhibition match, scrimmage and/or drills).

OR…

2. Going Wide: Expanding your game by adding something new that you hope will enhance or strengthen it (… i.e a new concept your coach told you or a new strategy you may have picked up on from watching some of the pros on tour).

Now with option one, there is rarely a problem. Most of the time, it’s when you’re operating under the second category where we as players can make a very detrimental mistake.

And what’s that? We give in too soon.

Let me explain…

When attempting something new (…like an alteration in the tennis grip we use or the way we’re holding the racket on a particular shot), we tend to be in a very anxious mental state.

We’re excited about potentially adding a new threat (…a stronger weapon) to our in-game arsenal.  The endorphins are rushing. Adrenaline is pumping, because we’re thinking about how many more easy wins we’re going to accumulate as a result.

Then, we begin to try it out, but what happens? You guessed it.  The balls start to fly everywhere.

Either they’re shooting 5 feet long and hitting the back fence, flying sky high and landing on the neighboring side courts, or we end up playing MLB (…striking out at the mound, whiffing the ball completely).

So, now what?

Now you’re probably feeling royally embarrassed because you think that everyone now sees you as this awful “newbie” who can’t even hit one ball or one serve straight.

Then you’ll probably want to stop those negative feelings immediately.  And to do that, you’ll revert back to what you were doing before. Right?

STOP! Don’t go back to the dark side just yet. Stay strong. Use your mental toughness.  You might be killing your chance at a major tennis breakthrough. Why?

The whole reason why you decided to do something different was because you weren’t satisfied with where your old methods were taking you.  Remember?

Whether it be in the form of comfort, execution or the bottom line, wins and losses, you wanted something better.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’ve probably formulated the idea that turning back to those old ways will somehow give you substantially better results.

Well, sure.  Maybe for the time being, so you can finish that drill. But those are short term goals.  But what about in the long run – the big picture?

Mental Toughness: The Big Picture (…Give It Some Time)

You want your winning ways to last beyond that one match or tennis practice session.  You want your winning results to last a lifetime – your entire career.

But if you turn back now, your long term goals will be cut short, and you’re going to be in the same spot you were before – searching for more ways (…more clues) that could possibly fix the same problem you had initially.

Don’t sabotage what could be an unbelievable playing career (… one filled with concrete tennis confidence, on-court domination, and extreme excitement). Don’t throw away something that incredible behind a few minutes of discomfort.

That’s where your mental toughness comes in. Give it a little more time.  Before you do a complete 360, try to push through it.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a slight grip alteration or a drastic difference in serving motion, everything new requires time to adjust.

Mental Toughness: How Pete Sampras and Rafael Nadal Push Through It

I mean, how do you think Pete Sampras’ serve got so good? Mental toughness.   He kept tweaking it and refining it until he got as close to perfect as he could get, then he kept going.

Yeah, he fought through the angst with his coaches and the immense performance pressure, and he produced incredible results (…becoming one of the greatest this sport has ever seen) .

Example number 2. Rafael Nadal is the second example of a world class player using mental toughness to achieve some major success.

Just this year, Rafael Nadal proved how change (…even abrupt change) can lead to overwhelming success.  And he did it in the most crucial of circumstances.

Right before he took the court in Flushing Meadows, less than 3 days (…yes 3 DAYS!) before the US Open, Rafa and his coach changed from the continental to a more eastern grip to flatten out his serve and generate more power.  This was done so he could take advantage of the faster slicker court surface there.

By all means,  it wasn’t the easiest transition in the world.  Of course he had a bit of difficulty in his first session. But he kept at it with his professional level of mental toughness.

And we all know how the rest of his US Open opponents feel about his serve during the final week of the tournament.

And what’s more incredible is he did it when the pressure for output was at its peak – all while the critics, analysts, and fans from all over the world were saying that this could be a real “make or break” tournament that could determine which way the rest of his career leads.

Not only that, this was the only two-week title chase that he hadn’t yet captured.  But he did it, and it worked!

Who knows what would have happened if Rafa thought it was too big a risk -  and to avoid the national stage disappointment, served the way he was serving before?

So you see, overwhelmingly positive results aren’t always going to reveal themselves right off the bat.

Now don’t get me wrong,  I’m not saying that they’ll always happen with given time either.   What I’m saying is, don’t sell yourself short and let the pressure of short-term discomfort discourage you.

Give it at least a week with your new strategy or technique before you “toss it” out of the window and say it’s no good. It very well may be just growing pains on the way to tremendous improvement.

But hey, you’ll never know unless you give it a chance.  Oh, and you know what they say, good things come to those who “work hard” while they wait.

Let me know what you think of this tip, I’d love to get your feedback . For more on professional mental toughness,  kick-butt (…opponent-crushing) tennis tips, tricks, and strategies,  click here.

Have a great day and an even better game.

All the best,

Brian
Tennis Mind Camp

It’s common sense that as a match progresses and more energy is used, you’re going to tire. Right?  As you hit more shots, and as you’re forced to run more balls down…

Your technique will start to decline… Your tennis footwork will begin to go and your focus will begin to fade as well.

Yeah, it really is frustrating when you’ve got a grade A game and can only show it a fraction of the time (..before the match really gets going) because of player fatigue.

And here’s the kicker, it doesn’t matter how good a player you are… We all have to deal with it.  That’s just mother nature for ya.

But listen…

How would you like to defy nature?

How would you like to go through an entire match without showing any sign of wear and tear, forcing your opponent to deal with your best stuff from racket spin to handshake?

Well, the findings of a new scientific study could be an answer to your prayers.  This study says you can eliminate that awful fatigue by adding something that you’ve seen in your bathroom or under your kitchen sink for years.

I’m Talking About Baking Soda!

Dr. Chen-Kang Chang from the National Taiwan College of Physical Education recently conducted a study that suggests that by adding a little sodium bicarbonate ( baking soda) to your pre-match beverage, your engine will be running like that of a formula 1 racer, all the way until the last point has been completed.

He says that if taken on the morning of a tennis match, it’ll enable you and other tennis players alike to eliminate many of the side-effects that we endure when fatigue sets in (…dry mouth, weak knees, fading technique, etc), allowing them to play at an optimum level throughout.

How’d they figure this out?

A group of 9 tennis players in the study was selected and given a drink. Of those nine, some included a small sample of baking soda while others were given a placebo.

Next, all were asked to go through a series of activities that would analyze and test their playing ability (…control on ground strokes, serve accuracy and consistency, and court movement etc.)

They did this once before and another immediately after participating in simulated match play.

Then, they checked out the results!

Conclusion:
What exactly did Dr. Chang and his team find?

“We found that sodium bicarbonate supplementation can prevent the fatigue-induced decline in skilled tennis performance seen during matches,” Chang said.

What does this mean?

Scientifically speaking, baking soda positively changed the acid-base ratio in the blood by decreasing lactic acid levels, which are commonly attributed to fatigue.

And in regular terms… “The service and forehand ground stroke consistency was maintained after a simulated match in the bicarbonate trial. On the other hand, these consistency scores were decreased after the match in the placebo trial,” he said.

So there you have it. It’s pretty simple.  Dabbling in your household box of baking soda before you take the court may really improve your tennis game, your athletic performance and your ability to consistently perform over long stretches.

But be careful, you want to make sure you don’t take too much of this stuff, because it can also cause your potassium levels (…which help fight against dehydration) to dip.  If that happens, it can cause abdominal cramping, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Now hey, if you’re a little weary about your “arm&hammer,” go ahead and break out the Ovaltine next time you’re in for an intense tennis training session.  Drinking chocolate milk also has been proven to refuel fatigued muscles (… and increase athletic performance in tennis) – without any possible side effects.

Have a great day and an even better game!

And for more ways to fight the onset of fatigue and to make sure you have great energy throughout every match you play, click here.

Brian
TennisMindCamp

Tennis Fitness Tip…

The 2011 US Open has finally arrived and it’s already starting to turn into one wild ride, with top-seeded players like Li Na,  Shahar Peer, and Gael Monfils getting ousted so much earlier than expected.

That’s what’s so great about this tournament – anything can truly happen when you’ve got some sizzling (…high octane) action from the best players this world competing against one another.

And I mean that literally. Their tennis fitness has been incredible.  That said,  they’ve been letting it all hang out, despite being in the middle of a severe heatwave.  Oh yeah, this is without a doubt my favorite grand slam of them all.  Why?

First, the atmosphere here in NY is like no other. And secondly, it’s on a hard (…fast and slick) court.  That means the game is sped up – thus encouraging the players to be much more aggressive.

I can’t wait to be down there on the court (…minus the intense Hades-like heat of course) to see the most eye-popping shots being ripped harder and faster than we’ve seen on tour in a while.

Every shot has more bite and does a lot more damage – something the power hitters like Serena Williams, Andy Roddick, and Rafael Nadal are already falling in love with.

So, not only do the tennis players have to be as mentally sharp as a Ginsu knife, they also have be in the best physical shape and have the best tennis fitness level of their lives and really be able to put the pedal to the metal if they have any hopes of keeping pace, staying alive, and advancing to the next round.

Sounds awesome right? The only thing that can mess up all this wonderful drama is what? Injuries!  Though they’re a part of all sports,  injuries suck, to be quite frank. They can cancel out months (…and even years) of hard work in less time than it takes yell D.Q!

It doesn’t matter if you’re a newbie or if you’ve been playing this sport for the last 20 years and have tons of titles, it can happen to all of us.

So if you’re a pro playing in the US Open like Sloan Stephens or a rec-player who only whips it out on the weekends, and want to avoid sustaining one of these things, two things must occur:

(1) Identify: Identify some of the most common tennis injuries and understand how they happen.

(2) Develop a Game Plan: Find a working remedy that helps to avoid them altogether.

Tennis Fitness:  3 Most Common Tennis Injuries

•   Tennis Elbow: The tennis elbow injury is caused by over-usage, like the repeated contraction of the forearm muscles that you use to straighten and raise your hand and wrist.

Another way this injury can be generated is from improper technique. For example, if your backhand follow-through is faulty (…if you use too much of the wrist and not enough arm when you hit the ball), your chances of getting a tennis elbow injury are going to go up.

That puts too much pressure on your ligaments.  And by repeatedly stressing those ligaments, tears will appear in the tendons, because they can’t stretch. (Your Ground-Strokes and Ground Game Will Suffer)

•   Tennis Shoulder: The tennis shoulder injury often times appears after you’ve overloaded the rotator-cuff when the muscle is contracting. This injury is usually caused during the follow-through phase of the serve.

The main symptom it manifests is pain when the ball makes contact with your racquet (…during your serving motion).

When suffering from this injury, one symptom you might experience is a decrease in velocity – meaning  you can’t serve as hard as you normally would. (…Will probably face more break-points and can cause a drop in confidence as a result).

•   Tennis Ankle: The tennis ankle injury is one of the easiest and most devastating, because it doesn’t need to be built up over time.  One wrong move, and Ouuuuuuuch – you’re done!

Ankle injuries are caused by sudden side-way movements you make such as pivoting while making a subtle (…but rapid) change in direction.

You can also suffer from this type of injury if you play on a slippery (…wet) surface or when you keep playing, even if you feel that fatigue is overwhelming you.

These injuries, though common, are really awful and can slow down your progress a great deal, especially if your level of tennis fitness isn’t on the level that it should be.

So, how can you decrease the chance of it happening to you in one of your matches or practice sessions? What’s the remedy?  STRRRRRRRRETCH!!!!

Stretching, though often times overlooked by the club player, is one of the best ways to avoid all of these major injuries.

In fact, stretching and tennis fitness are so important, the pros like Roger Federer, James Blake, and Maria Sharapova have the best trainers in the world (… men and women that they pay pretty handily) to make sure they never forget to do it.

So, here are a few tennis stretches you should use before every match you play. Below, I’ve listed three of the tour favorites.  And get this, you don’t even have to pay me $$$ .

Tennis Elbow Stretch (T.E.S)

1. Extend your right arm out in front of you with the fingers pointing down and your palm facing you. Place your left hand over the fingers on your right hand.

2. Next, pull the fingers on the right hand down and inwards toward your body, all while keeping your arm straight.

3.  TIME: Hold this stretch for 15 to 20 seconds.  As you improve and as your arm loosens up a little more, go ahead and add about 10  more – the total would then be 30 seconds.

*This will help stretch and loosen those tendons and ligaments surrounding the elbow.

Cross-Shoulder Stretch:

1. Raise the arm of the shoulder you intended to stretch so that it’s parallel with that shoulder. Stabilize the side of your shoulder and shoulder blade against a hard surface.

That will keep the shoulder blade from moving or sliding forward when you begin the stretch. *If the shoulder is moving, you’ll be losing a lot of the benefit provided by the stretch.

2.  Reach across your body and position your arm in front of your chest (…leaving about an inch space between the arm and chest).

3. With your other hand, you want to lock onto the outside of the elbow of the right hand and pull your arm to the opposite side of the shoulder and inward, toward your body. The arm being stretched should be right at or slightly above your pectoral muscles.

4. TIME: The longer you can hold the stretch without feeling fatigue or pain the better. A great time duration for the stretch is around 15 to 20 seconds. And if you’ve done it a while, feel free to extend it to around 30 seconds for an even more intense stretch.

After doing these 4 quick steps, you should really feel the stretch and the back part of your shoulder should start to loosen up.

BEWARE: If you start to feel a strong pain or pinching sensation in the front part of your shoulder, something is wrong. And you should stop and readjust. If you still feel no difference, stop immediately and try something different.

Tennis Ankle Extension:

1. Sit in the chair or on a bench located on the tennis court. Make sure to sit up straight, don’t slouch. But keep in mind, you don’t want tension in your body – especially in your back. So, find a good mid-point and relax your back against the bench or the chair you’re sitting in.

2. Then, you want to angle your feet so that the top of them are facing down, towards the court. You want to imagine that you’re pushing  the top of your feet through that hard court, grass, or clay court surface you’re on.

This is going to create an incredible stretch across the top part of your ankles. Feel free to do one or both feet together.

There is no rule regarding that. Of course, doing them both simultaneously can help you to loosen up in less time, but do whatever feels best (…and is the most comfortable) for you.

If you have trouble sitting, standing is also a valid method. Tuck the hips underneath you, pushing the knee down to the floor.

The result will be a feeling of increased muscle control, flexibility and range of motion. If done correctly, you’re going to be able to pivot and change direction while going at high speeds, while minimizing the risk of injury.

Not only that, but by loosening up those wheels,  you’ll be able to enhance your court coverage and gain optimum speed out there.

Oh yes, stretching can not only help you prevent a devastating injury, but by basically unraveling or “Un-Kinking” the muscles, your ability to push off will be a lot more explosive, and you’ll be able to travel across the tennis court in much less time – something that’s incredibly important to the players in this year’s US Open.

These are just 3 of the many stretching techniques to help tennis players elevate their tennis fitness level.  But try these out and you should have a much healthier time as you’re kicking butt out there on the court.

All the best,

Brian

Hey guys,

Unfortunately, last week was an awful one in the eyes of professional women’s tennis. The tennis injury bug escaped again and ran wild, taking massive bites out of some of the highest ranked players of the WTA: Serena Williams, Francesca Schiavone,  and Lucie Safarova.

And now the consensus among the fans is that there’s no way they can be ready to the take the court in Flushing Meadows, New York this year.

Many believe they might as well throw in the towel because by the time late August hits, they’ll be out of shape, their conditioning will have dipped, and their sharpness and reaction skills will be nowhere near up to par.

Well, that’s certainly possible but nowhere near guaranteed. And see, that’s a problem. Too many players actually give up on preparing for a match or a big tournament after an tennis injury (…like tennis elbow), because they were led  to believe that nothing could be done. They had the “what’s the point” mindset.

So that’s why I wanted to take a quick second to really address this and debunk a myth that has been swirling around the sports world for a long time.

Many are under the impression that you MUST stop everything, plop yourself in a lazy boy, and rest-it-out until you’re 100% pain free – otherwise you won’t heal properly. And deterioration of fitness is inevitable and just something you have to work through.

Not True.

If you have a tournament or a big match coming up and you go down with a minor but nagging injury (…a tweak of the wrist, soreness in your knees, or even a quirk in your shoulder), you can still exercise, train and be physically ready to go come match time! In fact, you HAVE to!

Your training may have to be revised, depending on the severity of your tennis injury, but it’s incredibly important that you continue your strength work and your cardiovascular exercises.

2 Great Ways To Keep The Motor Running On All Cylinders During Your Tennis Injury Recovery Period:

1.  Jump In The Pool: Being in the water is great for many muscle related injuries, and it also takes a heap load of pressure off your joints. So whether you chose to do a light free-style, breast stroke, or even dog paddle, your  muscles are active.  You’re revving up your metabolism and burning calories as you would while running on the court. You’re also  building more strength by pushing through the resistance of the water.

This enables you to get stronger without heavily impacting the injury. Oh and don’t think this is easy stuff or this somehow will be a push over. You’re really going to  be working! In fact, swimmers are some of the fittest athletes I’ve ever seen.  Just check out my good buddy from the USA Olympic Water Polo team, Tony Azevedo in google images.

2.  Restructure Gym Workouts: Weight training is crucial to keeping up your core strength and endurance.  But when you get injured, that doesn’t have to (…and shouldn’t) change.  Just because one part of your body is less than 100%, that doesn’t mean you have to shut down your entire body. In order to keep your edge, you want to make your training sessions as similar to your non-injury sessions as possible.

So, if you have a foot tennis injury, you might go lighter on the foot, but you don’t have to neglect the lower body all together. You can do light-weight leg extensions (…sitting or laying down). Having a strong lower base will make getting down to those low balls and volley shots 10 times easier.

If you’re suffering from discomfort in the knee, you can still work your back, arms (…bi-ceps and tri-ceps), chest and abs. Elastic bands, free weights, or machines for resistance are great too.

NOTE: If your joints are what’s giving you trouble, avoid the treadmill. Use the elliptical machine instead. With the elliptical machine, it’s a very smooth, rotating motion so you don’t have the pressure of your body weight constantly going up then landing on the injured body part.

It’s very much like your riding your own bicycle.  Not only that,  it’s been proven that you can burn close to double the calories than when using the regular treadmill. So, you’ve got 2 BIG positives!

But listen, just like with any medicine or remedy, this “staying in shape” prescription does come with a “warning” and a “do not use unless” label.

Tennis Injury WARNING:

Don’t overload your body with too many exercises, too fast. Start off light and slow and see what your body can handle.  If you try to do too much too quickly, you can cause yourself yet another tennis injury.

DON’T USE UNLESS: Before you resume training, make sure you check with your doctor, training staff, and coach before doing any sort of exercises.  These guys know what they’re doing and can save you a lot of time by making sure you do things the right way and won’t risk further tennis injury.

Not only will keeping your training consistent, benefit you physically, but you’ll see the effects mentally as well. Because when we suffer a bad injury, the immediate response that is triggered is negative. Of course, who enjoys pain right? Nobody!

And when that happens, our minds flood with regret, anger, and anxiety – which cause our muscles to tense up.  Plain and simple, we’re stressed. And this stress can actually cause the healing process to slow down a great deal.

But check this out…

TMC MIND FACT: Numerous scientific studies have shown that by continuing to exercise, you’ll decrease your ‘stress hormones’ like cortisol, better regulate your adrenaline flow, and increase endorphins production …(your body’s ‘feel-good’ chemicals), giving your mood a natural boost. And ultimately, you recover faster.

So, if you revise and continue your recovery workout program, you don’t have to worry about not being physically able to take out your next big opponent that you’ve spent so much time preparing for. Keep a positive mindset.  See yourself accomplishing this goal and getting back out there.  Do that and you’ll be out on the court, playing like a pro in no time.

Oh, and don’t worry about Serena, Fran, and Lucie as long as they’re training the right way, you’ll see them blasting balls on the hard court come August (baring any major complications.

For more info on mentally tackling a tennis injury, click here

Update on Strategy Secrets 101, early next week. Yes, it’s finally here . The Pre-order list is filling up fast, so email me asap or place a comment below so I can add you .

All the best,

Brian

If you serve well, then you’ll play well is one of the most widely used strategic sayings in the world of tactical tennis.  Now for the most part, this is the truth.

Your serve is one of the most important (..if not the most important) shot you have at your disposal. It has the power to dictate the tempo of each point, boost your confidence level, and put fear in the hearts of your opponent.

You might say, then “Why MOST and NOT all?”  Because there are some exceptions.  Many players say that this saying is completely bogus and complain that (…when playing a match),  they…

1. Feel behind or a step slow in the point (…when they should be ahead). Or…

2. Are frequently overwhelmed by their opponent’s return.

…Despite having an excellent serving session. Sound familiar?  Why does this happen? The answer lies in a critical training error that we’ve probably all been guilty of committing at least once.

Let me explain why some face this problem and I’ll give you a quick and easy way to fix it. Sound good? Great!

Now, when we go out to the practice court to serve ‘em up, what is our mentality? We want to serve as many balls as possible.  How do we usually carry it out?

Well, the majority of us today would probably answer that one the same way.  We usually bring out the old ball basket, plop it down about 3 to 5 feet behind us and just wail away at the balls.

We grab a ball, serve it, then reach into the basket to get another; serve the next one, then again turn around once more to get another ball – so on and so forth.  Am I right? Does this sound like you?

If so, let me tell you, this is where it mentally starts to go downhill. True, this is great for repetition and technique (…like we’ve been taught is important since we held our first racket, but it’s complete kryptonite for our reaction and recovery skills.

Frankly, I think this is one of the tennis drills that should be *banned* from all tennis practices, and academies everywhere.  Why?!? Why would I want one of the most fundamental tennis drills for improving your serve thrown out?

Well, on second thought,  I wouldn’t say  to do away with it completely – more like amend it or give it a makeover.

The reason why the way we’ve been doing it for years just isn’t good enough is because we’re programming our minds (…and bodies) to stop prematurely.  When you serve and immediately turn around to pick up a ball, you’re subconsciously communicating the message that the play is over.

That’s right. You’re telling your mind, “No more focus and no more action is needed to successfully complete the task at hand.” And that’s just not the reality. The sad and unfortunate truth is you’re NOT going to ace your opponent on every serve attempt.

So, if you practice this way,  only readying yourself for one shot, your serve, then your mind will be so used to relaxing after one shot, you’re NOT going to be as well prepared to take on your opponent’s return.

That’s why you feel behind in the point.  It’s not because your serve isn’t working properly.  It’s not because your opponent’s returns are coming over faster or with too much punch for you too handle.

It’s because you’re late. You didn’t program yourself to expect it.  While your opponent was letting it rip on his return, you’re mentally going to retrieve another ball out of your ball hopper.

How do you fix this?

It’s easy. Just change up the tennis drill a bit and make it a little more realistic.  To keep from being killed by unexpected returns and to take advantage of the times when your serve is rockin’, all you have to do is add an extra shot to your routine that simulates the return you’ll likely see in a real match.

Simply, ask one of your hitting buddies to join the party. Have him/her stand on the opposite side of the court and return your serves back so that you’ll be forced to get ready and respond with a reply of your own.

By doing this, you’ll sharpen, your recovery senses, find yourself with more time to react, and enhance your shot execution – all in the same swoop!

Self-Feeding Tennis Drills:

Now, what if you’re out there by yourself… problem? Not at all. You can still create that extra stroked need.  Just pack an extra ball in your pocket. And after each serve, toss the ball in front of you and execute an aggressive follow up stroke as if you we’re in tournament or league play.

And hey, you can even sync up the ball machine to pop one over immediately  after you serve. It’ll take some time to get it right. But that’s another option you have available to you.

Try out this new tennis serve drill, and your reaction time will be much quicker and you won’t be a step slow or give away tons of free points in the most important games of the match. Oh and just in case, analyze some of your other tennis drills.  You may be unconsciously screwing yourself over in other cases too

Just remember, two is always better than 1 .

Have a great day, and an even better game!

Brian Hall, Head Coach
TennisMindCamp

Tennis Drill Time…

Now, if you’re a smart player, you never want to just come onto the court “swinging” – hoping that your ball lands in a good spot.

That’s not good enough, if you’re serious about your game like the heavy-hitters of the 2010 French Open. True, you can get lucky.

And though luck can definitely be a part of winning, that shouldn’t be the only leg your game and shot-selection have to stand on.

You need to have control over your shots and be able to pin-point your spots on the court with marksmen type precision, if you want to WIN CONSISTENTLY. Why?

The type of shot you hit and the area in which it lands, many times, helps YOU determine the type of shot that will be coming back to you.

If you already know the possible shots your opponent can send back to you, this will save you a ton of time, and you’ll instantly know what recovery position is needed to execute a rock-solid reply.

BUT… If you have no idea where your shot is going, it makes it very difficult to accurately anticipate the possibilities of where your opponent’s shot may land and what move you should execute next.

Then, you’re a step late on a lot of your shots and will find yourself playing catch-up in a lot of points – trying your absolute hardest just to stay in it and keep it interesting at best.

And heck, then if you throw pressure into that scenario, you’re really in some trouble. You don’t want that, do you? Of course not.  You want to be in command and dictate what’s going on. So…

Here’s a fun drill that’ll bolster your ability to hit your targets with a lot more precision and help you dictate the tempo in your favor come match time.

As you’ll soon see upon the release of TMC Strategy Secrets 101, I love to use examples from other sports to help solidify a point and really make it stick in the player’s mind -  or just to make things a bit more interesting.

And with us being in the center of NBA playoffs, I thought it’d be perfect for us to bring some B-ball stuff in the mix. This tennis drill is very similar to an  ancient basketball shooting drill that just about everyone on this earth has heard about, HORSE. Except…

This Tennis Drill is Called S-P-O-T:

This is how it works…

OBJECTIVE: The core of this tennis drill is to Enhance Your Shot Accuracy (Plain & Simple).

POSITIONING: Thought you  may play with as many players as you’d like, 2 players minimum are needed. One stands at one end of the court while your opponent sets up on the opposite side.

EXECUTION: Both players outline a specific target or section of the court where their shots *MUST* land. For example, if you wanted to strengthen your ability to hit the ball wide into the corner (…using the angle cross-court)…

…You’d  setup either in the center of the baseline or in the corner of your side. Then you’ll select the space somewhere in between the center hash mark and the single side line diagonally across from you as your intended target area.

Now, don’t try to be too big of a sharp-shooter right off the bat.  Many do that, then get discouraged with they’re not perfect right away.  Instead, I’d recommend starting about 1.5 feet from the center hash-mark.

Then, as your shots get more targeted (…through practice) and you get more comfortable, then move it farther and farther out – thus making the target smaller.

Or… If you’d like to work on giving your balls more depth, you could select the box beyond the service line (…right before the doubles alley) as your target area. And anything that doesn’t make it beyond the service line is an error.

Now by no means is it limited to just these two. You can extend the center service line, straight up the middle – all the way back and practice your shots down the line as well.

You can bring it closer to net and work on your volleys. Heck, you can even use it to strengthen the accuracy of your serve.

NOTE: As you get better, you’re going to want to decrease the size of your targets. But when you do that, it at times, can be difficult to see whether your shots are actually hitting the mark or slightly outside it.

If this is the case with you, try using *Visuals*. To make your perimeter more defined, you’d put  piece of tape  down as a marker to outline where you’d like your new boundary line to be, and try only to hit it within that section.

In the cross-court example, you’d could simply put a brightly colored strip of tape between the hash mark and the single’s sideline. Using a color that’s dull or one that resembles the color of the court surface, isn’t going to do any good.

So, be sure to always use a bright color or one that really stands out so it’ll be easy for your eyes to lock onto.  Remember this, and it’ll help let you know if you’re really making the progress you think you are, instead of the possibility of jumping for joy behind fools gold.

HOW DO YOU WIN?: It’s pretty simple. This tennis drill is very similar to  HORSE, whoever fails to strike the target and hits the ball outside of the designated area gets a letter. Miss one, you got your S. Miss another, you tack on a P. And so on…

The first one to miss 4 times and spells out S-P-O-T loses. Oh yea, 4 tries isn’t a lot, so you need to really be on your game.

MAKE THIS TENNIS DRILL MORE FUN (…AND EFFECTIVE) WITH STAKES:

This tennis drill is a great way to enhance your game, but if you *REALLY* want to bring the feel and the environment of it closer to what you’d feel in a real game, add more pressure! Make it interesting.

Before starting, agree to put a little *extra* on it.  For instance, the first one to get all 4 letters has to buy the winner lunch from the restaurant (…fast food or sit down) of her choosing. That’s sure to beef up the intensity!

Can’t really afford it right now? Don’t worry, I can’t either . But the great thing is,  things don’t always have to be monetary to increase the intensity or raise the stakes. How does a personal car wash  in your drive way this Saturday, courtesy of your favorite hitting buddy sound?!?!

It’s all in good fun. Hey, and when those competitive juices are gushing out there,  it really can produce some awesome results.

Hey, and if you start getting really good at it,  challenge yourself even more by shortening it to 3 Lakers… (…I mean letters ) with the infamous game of O-U-T.

The fewer the letters, the fewer mistakes you can make.  And the more precise you’re going to have to be to avoid that after-practice meal or complimentary car wash.

Just, whatever you do, don’t spell out H-E-A-T or C-E-L-T-I-C-S  . It’s seven years bad luck – just kidding!

The better you become when performing this tennis drill, the quicker you’ll be able to send your opponent packing.

Have a great rest of the week and an even BETTER game!

For more tennis drills and other tennis tips, visit this page.

All the best,

Brian Hall

TennisMindCamp

P.S. I’m taking my mom out for her 65th birthday, and this one needs to be special! Any ideas? I’d love to hear them. Please hurry lol. Gotta run.

Hey guys, if you’ve ever been to tennis practice, you’re going to want to hear this.

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 tennis practice 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 every tennis practice of 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 in tennis practice.

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 :

2 Ways We Have Major Tennis Practice Setbacks

1. The Invincible Desire: We 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: The Tennis Practice Quick Fix

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 electronic 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 during tennis practice. 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 tennis 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 . I thought it’d be a clever way to make the strategy tip pop a little bit. But if you’d like more tennis tips like this one, visit this page.

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!

Let’s talk tennis practice shall we… Or should I say what NOT to do in tennis practice…

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that winners never quit and quitters never win.  Now, for the most part, that’s true.

But there’s a time when quitting during tennis practice can actually translate into BIG Ws on on match day.

How?

KNOW YOUR LIMITS IN EACH TENNIS PRACTICE!

A lot of players think that it’s the longer you practice, the better. But the reality is, it’s the smarter you practice, the better your results!

For example, when you’re involved in a tennis practice session, you likely will be going through a series of tennis drills.

And with each of those tennis drills, you’ll have specific goals in mind with the hopes of strengthening certain parts your game.

Now, working to reach these goals, is not going to be a walk in the park most times. If you’re an intense player who practices hard, you’ll need to draw pretty substantially from both your mind as well as your body to achieve success.

So yea, you’re definitely going to be working hard. And the longer you’re mentally and physically engaged, the less mental and physical energy you’ll have at your disposal.

Then, as you continue to work, little by little, the harder it’s going to be to focus and execute properly. It’s only natural.

It’s like when you’re driving your car. The more you rev the engine, the longer you have your foot on the gas, the more quick turns you’re forced to take, the more you’re forced to speed up then slam on your brakes, the faster your car is going to deteriorate. And the harder it’s going to be to achieve top performance.

So, once you feel that starting to happen to you…  When you’re feeling overwhelmingly fatigued and start to see your form take a plunge for the worst, you want to seriously consider stopping, or at least taking a break for a moment then coming back to it.

Why? Because, when practicing, your body is learning. So if you force the issue when your performance is becoming consistently poor, you’re going to start teaching yourself some very bad habits.

Your tennis mind and your muscles will begin to record those movements (…those awkward swings, lopsided stances, those delayed ways in which you recover), and you’ll sub-consciously think that it’s OK to do that. The invisible bar that determines what is needed to win will be drastically lowered.

And with each sub-par or ill-prepared shot that you end up “shanking” over the net, you’re going to be erasing one of your solid ones you completed before the breakdown.

Yea, you’ll be undoing all the “good” work you just did and replacing it with the opposite.  As a result, those undesired movements will be a lot more likely to creep up in your next match by surprise.

And let me tell you, with all the added pressure piled high when it counts most, they’ll be much more difficult to correct.

So, let’s say you’re working on increasing your footwork skills and staying on your toes, and you’ve been doing it pretty efficiently…

Then all of a sudden, your feet  start to feel like cement. You find yourself flat-footed and lunging at the ball time and time again (…even though you know what to do). The balls keep shooting into the net.

What should you do? Quit. Yes, I said it. Quit for for a minute or two, then comeback to it. Or go on to something else.  Now some players may say, “Hey no pain no gain. You have to make mistakes if you want to get better!”

That’s very true. But don’t misunderstand what I’m saying.  Certainly, at times,  it very well CAN be the result of  a quick lapse or hitch that you can get passed if you just keep working at it.  But if you try a few more (…say 5+) and still NO improvement, then you know it’s time.

By discontinuing the negative or unwanted behavior in tennis practice (… the flat-footedness, the lunging, the reaching etc) once you’ve reached your thresh hold, you won’t be tricking yourself.

The positive results will greatly outweigh/outnumber that of the negative and will be the majority of what you remember. Your body and mind will really only know one way to operate – one way that feels and appears acceptable – the way that will produce solid shots and great court movement.

And because of that, it’ll be much easier for you to produce those same results later on when things are live and the stakes are at their highest, because you’ve really grooved it in deep.

So, if you feel ultra fatigued and things aren’t going right, don’t sabotage yourself. Don’t do what many players do and force it.

A couple times doing it the right way int tennis practice always trumps doing it the wrong way 100 times over in tennis practice.  So, store the good habits, and eliminate the bad ones.

And the best way you can learn that is, while in tennis practice, listen to your body. Take a break to re-group, re-think, and re-energize before you continue on.

Have a great week and an even BETTER game!

All the best,

Brian Hall, Head Coach
TennisMindCamp

Is tennis practice really a waste of time? Now, think about that while I ask you something else.

Do you like to win? Of course! Now, let me ask you something else. Do you like to practice? Probably not as much, right?

Well, what if I told you that you could actually practice less and get even better results, would you believe me? Well it’s true.

Now, let’s get one thing straight right away. Yes, tennis practice is one of the most (…if not the most) important aspect of your game.

It’s one of the  main catalysts for your ability to improve and get better.  No one can argue with that.

But that said, don’t get confused.  Though you want to work and practice hard (…rather than be lazy) in the time used to prepare for match day, you don’t have to be out there from sun up to sun down to see progress. It’s all about MAXIMIZING.

It’s quality over quantity.  Oh yea, I know you’ve heard it about 1,000 times since you we’re writing an essay for your 5th grade English class (…because you we’re trying to reach that required page length). But, it’s 100% true for your tennis practice sessions.

The sad truth is that there are tons of players who don’t know this. They’re out there putting in tons of time, but still don’t see results.  Why is that?

Well, one of the main reasons why players are not seeing the “fruits of their labor” and often putting down their rackets because of it, is because their central approach to the actual tennis practice itself  is very much flawed.

How so?  In many of those cases, players and coaches, are *PRACTICING COLD*.  No, they’re not conducting drills in the Siberian Arctic .

What I mean is, they come to the court without a clue as to what is going to be worked on. Yea, they just set up the agenda on the fly.  You ever done that – just live in the moment out there on the court and do sort of whatever comes to mind? That sound familiar?

If it does, let me tell you, that kind of approach and thinking is great for a vacation or a weekend sail on the pacific. But it will absolutely kill your hopes of maximizing your tennis practice.

If your tennis practice has no structure, you’re wasting a ton of time – time you could actually be learning and grooving in your strokes. But instead, you’re out there mentally lost and greatly slowing down your rate of progress.

See, you don’t have time to sit there, think about what you’re going to do – bouncing ideas off of your hitting buddy until you both can agree on what should come next. It’s kind of like if you’re in the gym working out, and you’re just randomly walking from machine to machine with no real purpose.

You don’t know if you should work on your biceps, triceps, back, chest, abs, or shoulders.  And as a result, you’ll slow yourself down tremendously.  And you’ll be there from 5pm – 10PM, when you  could have done it in 50% of the time.

THIS is the same reason why you see some players practicing for 7 and 8 hours, and still not seeing those results they want. They’re *wondering* out there – from drill to drill and from concept to concept. They have no direction.

So, to get better results with less time and effort, you NEED to have a Pre Tennis Practice Agenda:

Follow these, and you’ll see results in no time…. Promise!

4 To A Powerful Pre Tennis Practice Agenda:

1. Use Your Past To Shape Your Future: Analyze what you did poorly, and what you did well in your last session to decide what what needs the most immediate attention. Always start with your weaknesses first.That will help increase your game the quickest.

NOTE: You don’t want to use one from was months ago as your base either, because a lot could have changed in your game since then.

2. Narrow Your Sights: Once you’ve diagnosed your most glaring weaknesses and the things you did well, sit down with your coach or hitting partner and develop a plan of attack as to what parts of your game and what types shots as well as drills you should work on in your next session.

Now Granted, you can’t possibly give the necessary attention to EVERY facet of your game in a couple hours. That’s an unrealistic task.

You need to isolate them: For example, your backhand slice shot, speeding up your after-stroke recovery, or your forehand down the line would be good choices.

Note: As for the drills (…if they’re new, make sure all who will be involved fully know the goal of each one and how they work).

These will narrow things down quite a bit and give you a feasible goal for that day. And you can really hit the ground running so to speak (… after you stretch of course).

3. Keep Time: Once you’ve got a plan of attack, designate a specific amount of time that you’d like to spend on each element.

See, when we get into a drill (…and really in a groove), we tend to forget that there are other things afterward that need to be initialized. And those things tend to be “short changed.”

But by keeping time with a stopwatch (…for example), you’ll be able to get to everything you had planned. And you’ll be a lot more focused throughout, and you’ll really give it your best shot from start to finish.

Why? Because you don’t have all day. You’ll know that there is a time limit – and you’ll do your best to stick to it.

4. Review And Repeat: Talk about and review the progress you made immediately afterward. And, then repeat the process before your next tennis practice.

*WARNING*: Don’t think you can store all this information in your head:
Things come up. With everything that goes on in everyday life, you can (…and most likely) will get distracted.

And your whole pre tennis practice itinerary can be lost, rearranged or even forgotten about in less than 5 seconds. You don’t want to get to the court and say, “What we’re we going to work on again?”

That just takes you back to “square 1.” And… you just wasted valuable tennis practice time,  the time used to set this up before hand. When you talk about it, it’s a thought. But when you schedule it and write it down, it’s real!

No, don’t put it on your napkin you saved from lunch or a scratch piece of paper you have laying around the house.

If you’re serious about getting better, drop by the your local drug store (…mine is the 99 cent store), and pick up a durable binder you can store them in, along with some lined paper. Your game is worth 2 bucks, right?   That way, you’ll keep everything organized.

This way, you can make sure that your sessions are balanced, and you’re not overloading too much in one area and unknowingly ignoring another.

So, no you don’t have to spend 24hrs a day on the court to get results. It’s about being smart and preparing yourself.

Having this type of simple schedule ahead of time will maximize your efforts, allow you to enjoy other things you like to do (… going to beach, playing video games, spending time with the family, or catching a late night movie) and still kick your opponent’s butt next time out.

Hope you enjoyed this tennis practice tip. Let me know what you think by add your thoughts down below.

For more tennis tips on tennis practice, visit this page. And hurry!

Have a great week and an even BETTER game!

- Brian
TennisMindCamp