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…
| Coach: Hey, you have to stay on your toes. You’re being flat-footed. Player: No I’m not. I am on my toes. Look. See. Coach: Bud, you’re not. That’s why you’re late on so many shots. Player: Coach, I can feel it. I know I’m doing it right! Coach: Hey, I’m looking right at ya. If you’re not going to listen to me, I’m going to stop right now. Because this is not going anywhere. Player: I guess, we’re done then. |
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!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Great! I really need to do this, Brian, thanks.
Absolutely. A picture is worth a thousand words, and only takes a few words to explain. It cuts down on the infoclutter, cuts to the chase and is more interesting.