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 Tip of The Week: (part 2) 3-9-09 :: The Perfect Way To Punish A Pusher!

I don’t know about you, but my mind is still on those pushers. I just couldn’t stop thinking about them for the past 2 days. Is it an obsession? I sure hope not .

Anyway, I was so consumed with that style of play that I went back and reviewed our last tip of the week, and I noticed that I left something out, and I’m really sorry.

I didn’t even tell you how to really “take it to them.” It was more of how to “hang in there.” So, let me ask you a question.

**********************************
Why are the pushers so successful?
**********************************

It’s easy. They’re on the attack! No, they’re not attacking you with powerful strokes, but they’re penetrating into your game plan, the spot where you’re the most comfortable and the thing that really drives your game.

They know you love balls that have nice pace so you can find your rhythm, but they’re not giving you any of them. So, what do you do? Attack them back! Hey, it’s the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It’s only fair.

*******************************
What’s the best way to do that?
*******************************

Yank them out of their comfort zone by coming to the net the first chance you get. You have to be decisive with it though. So, when you get a short ball (…which pushers seem to hit a lot of), BOOM, you’re coming in!

When you come to the net, it puts added pressure on that pusher of yours and forces him to think. They’re going to be saying to themselves, “Where should I go, cross-court pass, down the line, or should I hit it right into their body?”

So, all of a sudden, you’ve forced them into having to make very quick strategic decisions. And that’s definitely not their strong point.

I mean, just the thought of seeing you in an unfamiliar spot on the court can be extremely frustrating for them. It’s sooooo much easier for them to hang out behind the baseline in a huge open space.

So as a result, they’ll be the one coughing up unforced error after unforced error, while you’re the one laughing on the inside about how so much easier winning the match has become.

Try this out on the next pusher you face, and let me know how it works for you. The results should be amazing, and the stress you used to experience should have decreased by at least 75%.

Have a good day, and an even better game!

All the best,

Brian Hall, Head Coach
Tennis Mind Camp
http://www.Myspace.com/TennisMindCamp
webmaster@TennisMindCamp.com

P.S. If you have any suggestions for future tips of the week or have concepts that you would like covered, simply reply to this post.

Tennis Tip of The Week: 3-3-09: Patience For Pushers!

I just came from a tennis match that a good friend of mine was involved in. It was some pretty exciting tennis, but her opponent was one of those types of players that make so many of us cringe. Oh yes, she was a PUSHER!

It was hard to watch my friend run around like a rag doll out there. I mean, she was trying to use her solid ground strokes to overpower “the pusher” but nothing was working. It looked so incredibly frustrating. And it is, trust me.

I had the same problem with these types of players early on too. I would go through hard practices every day, and beat the players with hard shots, but the ones who simply acted as a human backboard literally gave me fits.

So after seeing this match and reliving quite painful memories , I felt compelled to address this issue with you so you could avoid a major headache.

*******************
THE PUSHER SOLUTION
*******************

What I’ve found over playing so many matches is that you MUST have patience if you want to defeat a pusher.

You see, many of us tend to get overly anxious and overload the pace on our shots (…hitting them a foot long or wide), because we want to get out of those pusher-points asap.

And I don’t blame you, but this is exactly what your opponent wants to happen. We do this because they challenge us emotionally, because they’re always making us hit one more shot.

But if you think about it, this shouldn’t really bother you. Why? They have no real weapons to hurt you. They’re not going to rip a forehand out wide or crush a volley down the line.

So, all you have to do is relax yourself. Just breathe and slow things down. When you’re trying to hurry, you tend to do things uncharacteristic of your game plan.

Instead, put the thought in your mind, that you are going to be there as long as it takes to win. Take it one shot at a time. Have the mindset that you’re going to be there as long as it takes.

So, if the pusher or “retriever” want to be out there all day, you’ve got the time. Don’t let his unorthodox technique bother you or get you rattled.

If you can stay calm the whole way through, you having to hit that extra shot won’t make you lose your cool.

Ok.  Other than moving on to the next round, where you you have to be? Nowhere. That’s the approach you want to have.

Adopt this type of mindset, then you, like many of the top pros out there, will be able to look at the “pusher” or “retriever” (…at the pro level) game as just another style of play you can conquer.

Have a good day, and an even better game!

All the best,

Brian Hall, Head Coach
Tennis Mind Camp
http://www.Myspace.com/TennisMindCamp
webmaster@TennisMindCamp.com

P.S. If you have any suggestions for future tips of the week or
have concepts that you would like covered, simply reply to this
post.

TennisMindCamp: Tip of The Week (2-19-09): Don’t Let Your Opponent Back In The Match!

Hey,

When you find yourself on the brink of winning the set, and the score is 5 – 2 or something of that nature, a lot of players find themselves tensing up and a lot of times get extremely nervous.

This usually results in the loss of their competitive edge and makes it very difficult to finish out the set properly.

Does that ever happen to you?

You don’t hit out on your shots. All you keep saying to yourself is, “One more point, don’t miss it, don’t miss it.” When this happens, you begin to develop the mentality of trying NOT to lose instead of trying to win.

You never want this to happen, because this kind of thinking and match play can open the door for your opponent and could help ignite a comeback on their behalf. And I know this is true, because it’s happened to me.

So how can you prevent this from happening?

Mental Method #1: Give your brain a break !

Don’t look too far ahead. Many players actually begin thinking about too many external factors that really have nothing to do with the immediate task at hand, winning the match. They begin looking towards their supporters to make sure they’re feeling good about what they’re doing, visualize themselves on the podium holding the trophy, and a host of other things.

This will undoubtedly screw up your focus, and then when your opponent begins to take advantage of your “mental slippage,” you freeze up mentally and play tentatively like it’s your first match ever because you were caught off gaurd . Well, I got news for you. Don’t think about holding the trophy yet. Simply play one ball at a time.

The game is filled with so many things (…serves, volleys, court positioning, recovery shots, offensive vs defensive awareness, picking out your opponent’s weaknesses etc.) it’s virtually impossible to take on everything all at once, deal with the extra stuff you’re thinking about, and still maintain your focus you need to get the victory.

Mental Method #2: Think positively!

If you’re mind is filled with negative thoughts, the self-fulfilling prophecy will take over. For example, if you’re hanging on to a bad point you played earlier in the match, all that does is help your opponent even more, which can easily lead to more bad points played on your behalf. And this horrible cycle will continue to haunt you until the match it over.

You have to let points go. Singles is a one on one sport. You don’t need two people beating out there. So instead, you should say to yourself what you’ve done correctly after the point is completed (…even if it’s a point you weren’t successful on), the difference in your game will be quite noticeable.

Try out these two mental methods, and you should become much more calm when you can see the end of the game, or better yet, the match in site.

Stay tuned for next weeks tip. And have a great day and an even better game!

All the best,

Brian Hall, Head Coach
Tennis Mind Camp
http://www.Myspace.com/TennisMindCamp
webmaster@TennisMindCamp.com

Hi there,

Have you played in a high-level tennis match recently? If so, I’m sure you know that having great confidence when you’re playing can instantly take your game to a whole new level.

However, the problem is that a lot of people don’t have the ability to keep their confidence at an all-time high for every single match.

So if you fall into that category (…as does most of the tennis world) and think your confidence could use a huge boost, the mental strategy below may really do the trick.

Concrete Confidence For Tennis 101:

Always remember, you’re going to hit some low points as well as some high points during a match, everyone does in fact. So don’t get down on yourself if you start to slide a little.

If you get stuck thinking about what you’re doing wrong, you’re never going to get out of that rut. I’m telling you,  these things have a way of balancing themselves out more than 97.9% of the time.

And believe me, I understand if you feel that balancing out often takes a lot longer than you’d like. So, a great way to increase your confidence right away is to play some opponents whose games aren’t quite as developed as your own.

Now, to some that may sound cowardly and counter productive, but that’s not the case at all.  Sometimes you can see real progress until you take a step back a little.

Because what is usually the core around the confidence is in the mind not in the game itself.  You need to start feeling good about yourself ASAP. Otherwise you’re going to keep going deeper and deeper into the hole of negativity. And you may never get out.

So, the faster you rack up a few consecutive wins, you’ll see your demeanor and the way you feel about your own game start to shift in the right direction. And you’ll begin to look forward to playing your matches again because you actually feel like you have a real shot at winning them.

Now, one thing is critical.  Don’t get anxious and agitated if the success doesn’t come as rapidly as you might like. The truth is, it may not happen right away.

It may take a couple to more matches than you may anticipate. Just stick with it, and before you know it your confidence will begin to shoot up, and it will show in your results.

If you do that, you’ll be having a lot more fun out there.

It’s always more fun when you win !

Have a great Wednesday and an even BETTER GAME!

All the best,
Brian Hall, Head Coach
Tennis Mind Camp
http://www.Myspace.com/TennisMindCamp
webmaster@TennisMindCamp.com

P.S. If you have any suggestions for future tips of the
week or have concepts that you would like covered, simply
reply to this post.

Tennis Tip of The Week : Prevent Tennis Volley Body Shots!

When you’re at net, that is one of the best places to apply a heap of pressure on your opponent. The problem is, even though this is a known fact to a lot of players, a good percentage of those same players never venture up there.

Does that makes sense to you? Blatantly ignoring something that could give you a huge advantage? Of course not. But they’re not doing it on purpose of because they’re try to be masochistic and hurt themselves. Then what’s the problem?

They’re afraid… afraid of getting hit! They don’t want a Wilson or Penn tattoo on their thigh (…or worse) across their forehead. Now, this is understandable. Though it’s small and light, when it’s traveling at possibly 100mph+, it can really hurt!  And it’s for that reason that they panic.

Sound familiar?

Well, let me tell you, the only reason why you truly fear going to net is because you don’t know what to do if a ball DOES come flying at your midsection. So, you freeze. Then what? Exactly, BAM it hits you. I mean, nobody is usually “gun-ho” or 100% confident in something if you don’t know what you’re doing or you feel lost.

So, if you don’t know the correct strategy to defend against a volley that’s aimed directly into your mid-section, you’re bound to get pegged a few times. And then, your trips to the net will be even more scarce.

So, let’s fix it!

Follow the easy-to-apply strategy below to keep this terrible thing from happening during one of YOUR matches:

Volley Strategy 101:

When you’re at the net, and your opponent sent a real “screamer” into your ribs, you want to defend against it by using your backhand volley.  No ands, ifs, or buts about it. Then, simply block it into the open court. Now, why choose the backhand?

A) You’ll find yourself in a better position. You won’t have to contort your body in a funny position to where you look like a pretzel to in an attempt to make good contact. With the forehand, your elbow hitting arm will tend to dig too far into your chest.

And you’ll be essentially handcuffed, with a slim to none chance of succeeding on the next shot. Yea, in other words, shank city!

B) It’ll be easier to recover for the next not. By you being in better body position will enable to regroup in much better time. You’ll be able to get your feet under you and get your center of gravity low. This will give you a much stronger base and help you extend the point even further.

C. Less pain and wrist damage. When you use your backhand, your wrist is straight and streamlined and has very little friction.

But when you use your forehand, you instantly feel the muscles and the tendons pulling and bending in ways that don’t necessarily feel that comfortable to you. Hey, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t like pain in my game !

Now, after all of that… You still want to try using your forehand because it’s going to give you more offensive authority, just remember this warning.

WARNING: Hitting a forehand volley from this position is 10 times as difficult.

And if you’re extremely lucky enough to get the forehand volley back over the net, your body will be in such an awkward position, you probably won’t be able to finish the point out anyway.

All the best,

Brian Hall, Head Coach

P.S. If you have any suggestions for future tips of the week or have concepts
that you would like covered, simply reply to this post.

I’ve noticed that a lot of players overlook one very important concept that’s absolutely crucial to succeeding at any level. I’m talking about that moment or split second right before you strike the ball, the prep-time.

What you do to get ready in advance will put you in a greater position to get the absolute most out of that upcoming stroke.

Not being in the correct position ahead of time will cause you to rush and do things quicker than you’d like. And often times, you’ll end up with an unwanted result.

1. Stay on your toes

Yes, I know this sounds easy, but if you analyze the play of others and that of your own, you’ll see how easy it is to become flat-footed which causes you to be late on almost every swing (…no matter how desperately you WANT and STRAIN to get to that ball).

To make this easier, try shuffling your feet from side to side. It’s extremely difficult to do this if your heals are touching court surface. It’ll keep you loose and your entire body in rhythm automatically.

2. Unlock Your legs

The term “legs of steel” is only for exercise videos and gym workouts but, for tennis, it’s the exact opposite.

You need to keep a slight bend in your legs (…not beyond 90 degrees) just enough until you feel a small crease in both knees. This will give you the ability to make the necessary movements quicker and easier.

This also lowers your center of gravity and keeps the muscles firing until you’re ready to explode into the next shot. Easier said than done (especially when you’re tired), I know. It’s expected for the body to wear down as the match progresses. You tend to stand straight up without even noticing.

Note: Strength and endurance training can help with this.

3. Ready Your Racket

Before the point starts, you MUST place the racket in the proper ready position.

I say this because, I’ve seen too many talented players lose points because they thought they could get their racket ready whenever they needed too.

What’s the correct way to position the racket?

Though it’s slightly different for many players. You’ll find for most, it’s held up with both hands about a foot in front of the chest with a slight tilt outward towards the net.

Note: Not hanging down by your ankles swaying back and forth.

And don’t just hold it up there without concern. You want to make sure you have the correct grip (western, eastern etc.) loosely in your hand so you’ll be able to switch as needed with each shot. There’s enough thinking being done out there already. Don’t complicate things more by having to rush.

4. Crack and Go!

Don’t wait until you see the ball coming over the net to start moving. There’s absolutely NO WAY that any human being can get ready that fast and execute the right shot consistently!

So, don’t feel bad if you’ve tried, it’s impossible . Faster than the speed of sound, I think not. Look at a pro like Roger Federer, his racket is cocked as soon as the other player’s racket strikes the ball.

How do they do that? Well, it’s not about what they see. It’s what they hear. To get the best jump on the ball, you want to move as soon as you hear the infamous “CRACK” sound.

That, my friend, will keep you ready for anything. Stay tuned for next week’s tip.

Have a good weekend, have a great game… and even better tennis stance!

All the best,

Brian Hall, Head Coach

TennisMindCamp: Tip of The Week (1-30-09)

Playing Sets In Tennis Practice Eases Pressure!

Have you ever been frustrated because you have excellent practice sessions but perform poorly when it really counts – in match play? Here’s a tip for the serious tennis players out there.

Problem:

If all you do is rally during your practice sessions, you’re going to get too comfortable. I mean, just hitting the ball back and forth with nothing to lose isn’t going to adequately prepare you for a real match environment.

Answer:

The main difference between practice and a tournament match is the pressure and internal expectation you place on yourself in wanting to succeed.  To help with this, I strongly recommend you simulate as many game-ready situations as you can. How do you do that?

Play sets in practice!

This will elevate the pressure just enough as well as fill your mind and body with the emotion that you’ll have to deal with in a game.  Not only that, but by playing sets, you’ll also be working on and strengthening the most important elements of your game that any serious player MUST have if they want to win:

These include: focus, intensity, maintaining a lead, recovering from a deficit, break-points, match-points, baseline strategy, serve strategy, and volley angles.

So when you get to a match, your mental environment will be very much similar if not EXACTLY the same. A feeling of “been there done that” will take over and the anxiety and pressure you used to feel will be sliced by more than 50%!

Give this a try, and you’ll definitely begin to bridge the gap between practice and real game performance, I promise!

Stay tuned for next weeks tip. And have a great game!

All the best,

Brian Hall, Head Coach
Tennis Mind Camp
http://www.Myspace.com/TennisMindCamp
webmaster@TennisMindCamp.com

P.S. If you have any suggestions for future tips of the week or
have concepts that you would like covered, simply reply to this
post.