Jo-Wilfried Tsonga put it best when he said the key to winning a match is being “really, really strong in the head.” Now, this doesn’t mean that you should return serves with your skull, or replace the forehand with your forehead.

What he means is that, when you get to a certain skill level in tennis, like that found in the US Open, the physical differences aren’t all that pronounced.

It’s the mental strength and tennis strategy that separates the “Djokovics” (ranked no.1) from the non-Djokovics (…the rest).

Tsonga says, “My game, you know, is very good when I have nothing in my head, when I just play my game.” Again, this doesn’t mean he’s not thinking when he’s out there.

It just means that he’s not thinking about anything else but the game at hand. He’s being strong in the head and is mentally tough.  He’s ignoring that suspicious charge on his bank statement. He’s blocking out the show that he forgot to Tivo.

He’s ignoring the fan in the crowd with the really weird Flock of Seagulls haircut. He’s in Zen Tennis mode: Zennis Mode.

Even Novak Djokovic says, “There’s not much difference between No. 78 player  in the world and Nos. 2,3,1,5.” This is quite a statement, considering Novak IS number 1!

What does he mean exactly?  He’s talking about the fact that, physically, all of these stellar athletes (…Andy Roddick, Donald Young, John Isner, Serena Williams etc.)  are relatively around the same skill level. A slightly faster serve here, a slightly better ground stroke there; that’s it.

What separates Novak from his pursuers is his mastery of the mental game and tennis strategy. “It takes mental ability to handle the pressure, to play well at the right moments, and that’s why I think there is a certain difference with top-10 players,” says Novak.

When he’s on the court, all Djokovic is thinking about is the match and the tennis strategy needed to win it. He isn’t thinking about the charges he made with Tsonga’s bank card or the botched up backhand from the point before .

Now, to go even further, simply managing your mental game isn’t enough.  You must MASTER  it!  Like any physical muscle, you’ve got to keep working on your mental muscles.

Novak’s Thoughts On Mental Tennis Strategy…

Djokovic himself believes mental tennis strategy is the ticket, “I think mental strength is something you get over the years playing on the tour, getting experience, and using that experience in the right way.”

Like Novak, I believe the also best way to work those mental muscles out and achieve “Zennis” is by consistently competing.

Nadal’s Thoughts On Mental Tennis Strategy:

And this idea doesn’t stop with the face of Serbian and French tennis. It’s very well alive in Spain as well.  Rafael Nadal knows this as well as anybody.

He says, “If you watch the No.10 player in the world and the No.500 in training, you won’t necessarily be able to tell who is higher up in the rankings.  Without the pressure of competition, they’ll move and hit the ball much the same way.”

And here’s where it gets interesting.  Nadal and Djokovic squared off in Wimbledon earlier this year and you could easily see that the match wasn’t fought on the court so much as it was fought inside their frontal and posterior lobes.

Djokovic’s brain ended up winning, but you’d better believe that it took every last bit of gray matter to ensure the victory. And why not? After all, in tennis, Gray Matters!

Of course, it can be tough to keep the brain focused on the court, even when you’re winning. And if you’re losing, this is where it really helps to master mental strength (…or relaxation).

Wozniacki is living proof that your mental tennis strategy MUST be top notch:

Caroline Wozniacki is living proof of this concept. Her match against Svetlana Kuznetsova looked like a sure defeat at first; she was down 4-1 in the second set after losing the first set 6-7.

But Wozniacki is ranked number 1 for a good reason -  her “mental mojo.” And wouldn’t you know it, she started to remember the mental aspect of the game and came back to win 6-7, 7-5, 6-1 in a 3 hour comeback spectacular.

When asked how she managed to pull off this feat, she simply said what any child knows: “It’s important to stay positive. Tennis is a funny sport. You just have to keep going.”

Thus, Wozniaki became the little engine that DID! She isn’t necessarily stronger or faster than Kuznetsova, but she has the training and mental ability to play the right shot at the perfect time and relax (…rather than become tight) when things become overwhelming. Sure enough, she kept her no. 1 ranking and reminded us of why she’s on top.

So, as you’re watching the rest of the US Open and taking notes, pay attention to more than just the powerful strokes and pounding serves. Watch for the strategy and and critical mental tennis tactics being carefully executed.

After all, your mind is a terrible thing to waste.

Brian
TennisMindCamp

P.S. Check out our TMC Mental Strategy Secrets 101 (…19 H-OU-R-S of kick-butt tennis tips, tricks, and tennis strategy) and beef up your mental game like the big boys, so you can play like one of your favs at the US Open.

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

Hey guys, time for your sports mind trivia…

Ever been behind before, and you felt there was no coming back? Trick question, I know.  We’ve all been there. But only a few of us are actually able to get out of it, and turn things around.

Why is that? I mean, how did Venus Williams comeback from dropping a set this past weekend? How did Peyton Manning regroup and get the win after it looked like they we’re done before halftime started?

Well, as with most things, it starts in your sports  mind. When you feel a match starting to turn into the opponent’s favor (…like you going down a break or lose a string of points all together), you tend to mentally panic.

You don’t like the fact that the much needed control is leaving you. And then, almost immediately, you see the whole “match” flashing before your eyes…

You see, and that’s where it goes all wrong for you. The “match” is too big of a concept. A “match” is like a lifetime in tennis.  It has so many different things going on, all the time.  The mind can’t simply wrap itself around it all.  It’s in that very moment when everything starts to go south.

How so? Well, when your mind envisions what it must do to win the whole match and take on such a tremendous task, (…without warning) it pictures this situation of being behind as a HUGE  (…and virtually impossible) hurdle…

…It sees all the service games that need to be held, the 100+ setup and recovery positions that need to be attained, the trips to the net and volley execution, the possibility of being down another break (or even two), having to execute weakness exploitation techniques over and over again, and even the possibility of technical meltdown and mechanical mayhem.

So as a result, the mind indirectly perceives this “match” to be a close to an insurmountable task. And when the sports mind believes something isn’t likely to happen or where the odds are too far-fetched, your body will begin not to believe it either.

You won’t be as quick, your reflexes won’t be as fast, and the likelihood of the loss will be much greater. Your body is saying, “what for?” basically. Believe it or not, your body is smart just like the mind.

So if you want to be in the select group that can weather this mental storm and *REALLY* get yourself back in the match,  what do you need to do?

Take A Load Off Your Sports Mind:

First you need to breathe to get yourself in a more relaxed state and to slow things down a bit. Then… Break that huge “match” concept down into smaller pieces.

I know it sounds cliche-ish, but you have to look at it on a point by point basis.  Don’t just say it and not feel it. You have to really own it.

Treat every point as it’s own “match.”  Look no further than  that 30-30 or 15-love than you’re in at the moment. Decide on your positioning and shot selection for that point only.

You really want to have tunnel vision here. Don’t look to anything that has already happened nor anything that has not yet come to pass (…sounds pretty Lord Of The Rings-ish, I know haha).

But concentrate on those positions, those tennis strategies, and what you need to do to win THAT POINT (…and that point only). Then once you’ve won it, move on to the next one. And repeat the process.

By doing this, your sports mind will actually see something that it can realistically wrap itself around, and you’ll “believe” (…like Melanie Oudin) that it’s something that could actually be done.

And once your sports mind believes it, then everything else will get better as well. Your technique will improve.  Your  TMC weakness analysis will be enhanced, and your focus will be magnified.

And the most important thing, the likelihood of you making that comeback and getting the win, would have sky rocketed!

And that is exactly what happened this weekend with Venus and Peyton (…even those I was rooting for the jets ) The Pro Bowl Colts QB didn’t look to the 4th quarter when he came out onto the field after the halftime show, down 17-6.

He only saw the moment right in front of him.  He saw one play at a time and executed it to the best of his ability.  And with each down he played,  it brought him closer to the win.  …Which he eventually got!

Same thing with Venus… In the first set Sunday, she served 0 aces, double faulted 5 times  and was broken on several occasions – which is something that she’s very foreign to.

Now, after dropping the first set to Francesca Schiavone at the Australian Open 3-6, she didn’t look to backwards to a shot she missed or set her sights too far ahead of her, to the 3rd.

When asked if she was worried about NOT pulling out the final set and the match, Venus said, “No, I really was in the moment and just focusing on what I needed to do in that moment, on that point. You know, it worked out for me, so it was good.”

She knew that would be too big of a mental task to take on.  So, she took the smaller-goal approach. And that enabled her to give it her best, and send her to the next round – one step closer to that Australian Open Championship stage.

Now, this is what the champs are doing. It might be a good thing for you to do too. 

Have a great one guys, and enjoy the rest of the open! Was this tip on the sports mind helpful? I’d love your feedback!

-Brian

TennisMindCamp

P.S. Remember to text HAITI to 90999 on your cell phone  to donate just $10 to the people of Haiti in this time  of tremendous need. Every little bit helps a great deal.

Time for some quick tennis strategy trivia..

What if I told you that by making yourself run more on the court could help get you the win?

Would you believe me? Well, it’s actually true. Running for more balls can actually help improve your chances of obtaining a great victory.

One of the critical things that really separates the successful players from the players who seem to be stuck and find it hard to make it to that next level, is heart.

Sure it’s ok to have great mechanics. And yea, it’s even better have sound strategy, but the ability and the willingness to push yourself to the limits is one of the biggest difference makers in the sport today.

The winning players, they’re hungry for it. And they’ll do anything in their power to get it. You see this in the way players like Andy Roddick and “Raffa” Nadal go after every single ball like it was their last.  They DON’T QUIT!

They treat each point as if it’s a tie-break in the 5 set at the US Open. THAT’S why they see so many outstanding results.  But check this out… That’s the exact same reason why so many club players DON’T. That’s why so many club players don’t get the results they’re looking for.   That killer instinct… That hunger… It’s not there.

When playing points, too many players end up calling it quits way before they should. If the shot LOOKS to be a tad out of their immediate reach, they won’t budge.  They’ll just reply with something like “too good” or “GREAT SHOT.” Both of those are just cop out responses because they didn’t “feel” like asserting themselves to put forth the needed effort to get to it. Why? Too much work? Probably so.

You don’t want to do this. If you do, you’ll be just like the thousands of other frustrated players out there wasting tons of time and not seeing the winning results they want.  Now, I can’t manually give you the heart of a champion or the will of a tennis warrior, but I can tell you a quick way to help jump-start a change. (see below)

Kick-butt Tennis Strategy: Here Are 2 Two Give Your Game The Jumpstart It Needs 

Tennis Strategy#1: Go For It.

If it’s in bounds, (…and if you’re not already out of breath and desperately gasping for air), go for it! Kick it up a notch and try to get those balls you used to think we’re to far away or weren’t “worth it” to try for.  As long as it’s not sailing 10 feet out, it should be fair game for you.

So stay on your toes and be ready to move.  If you “believe” (…like Melanie Oudin) that you can get to those balls and that you will make it there in time, then the probability that you’re going to be able to get there and execute is going to more than double.

How so? Well, just like I mentioned in the tip on pre-match anxiety, your mental has direct control your physical. If you believe you’ve got what it takes… And you can visualize and see yourself achieving that success, you’ll send positive energy through out your body.

Your body will then be more loose, much more fluid and ready to explode to your ideal destination.  If you don’t believe, you’ll send negative energy through your body, your legs will feel like cement and you won’t go anywhere, and the point, game, set, match, or even championship would have been lost.

Now this isn’t going to be a night and day switch right away.  Now, implementing this tennis strategy and changing your mindset, does take some time to really be re-programmed.  But hey, after going through it a number times, you’ll really start to see the change.

Tennis Strategy#2: Get Inside Your Opponent’s Head

If you make a habit of using this tennis strategy, and going after every ball, then your opponent’s mindset will begin to shift in a negative direction.  He’ll begin to feel hopeless, because nothing that he has in his arsenal will seem to be working. Then, your opponent will begin to feel that he’s on the story of the never ending point.

And if he’s not an object of good consistency, he’s going to try to do things to help finish the point sooner – which may force your opponent to attempt more lower percentage shots. Why? Because he won’t want to be run around like rag doll over and over again. That’s no fun.

Hopefully you got something from this. Hopefully, it ignited a spark inside .

Fore more tennis strategy on other topics, click here.

Have a great weekend,

Brian

Cool news, I got an new awesome tennis drill for you. You ready? Let’s go!

We have two basic primary types of muscle fibers, slow twitch and fast twitch. For this weeks tip, we’re going to work on your fast twitch muscle fibers.

Fast-twitch fibers assist us tennis players with fast-explosive movements such as an quick overhead smash,  attempting to execute a ground stroke while running at full speed, or being able to pivot… shift your body weight and change direction with only a split-second heads-up. Now in order to strengthen and further enhance your fast-twitch muscle fibers, you must work at a very high intensity.

Now, you might be wondering why we’re digging into something so closely embedded in the physical realm at Tennis Mind Camp. Well, the truth of the matter is, if you’re not physically fit and unable to actually get to those balls your opponent hits to you, it’s actually going to bother you mentally.

You’re not going to feel as free and fluid out there on the court to go for your shots. You’re going to be tentative. As well you should. If you’ve recently added a couple extra pounds, you might feel sluggish when you get back out there on the court for your next session.

And when you feel sluggish, you are going to unconsciously begin second guess yourself and question whether or not you’re in good enough shape to get to that ball or not. You won’t really feel that you can fully extend and put your all into each shot, because you had an extra plate.

You being part of the TMC family, we can’t have you feeling like that. The quicker you can shed that extra turkey, mac n cheese, dinner rolls, ham, stuffing etc. the faster you’ll be taking a lot of weight off of your mind as well. You’ll feel a lot more fierce, a lot more aggressive, and your confidence will take a HUGE boost as well. Need I say more haha?

And since we just came off the holiday where we usually consume the most food of the entire year, I figured it’d be the perfect time to implement this at-first-difficult but highly rewarding tennis drill – a tennis drill to help you see some sizable results as well as have your metabolism revving like the engine of a 2009 Ferrari. (see below)

TOUCH AND TWITCH TENNIS DRILL: THE EXECUTION

When you’re involved in competitive tennis of a high caliber, you’re going to have to face players with great shot selection and tremendous foot speed. This means you’re going to have to be able to quickly change direction along with speeds and count on your feet and you’re endurance to get you through some tough matches. This tennis drill will help tremendously in that area.

Phase 1: The Wakeup

Step 1: Stand at the center hash-mark back by the baseline.

Step 2: Have a hitting buddy or your coach give the signal to begin. He can blow the whistle, wave his hand, or just yell the word GO! When the signal has been given, you want to sprint or high-tail it as fast as you can to the center of the service line.

Step 3: Bend down and touch the service line with your hand. Immediately after you make contact with the line, you want to turn around and bolt full speed back to the baseline where you started, making sure to bent down and touch the line all the way. Then switch directions, and turn around again.

Step 4: Without hesitation, dash toward the net. Touch the white tape at the top of the net (…yea you get a break here), just touch the top of the tape.

Step 5: Finish it out by switching directions yet again and return to the baseline, and race back to the center of the baseline where you started, and of course touch the line .

*Repeat process 1 more time after 90 second rest time.

TOUCH AND TWITCH TENNIS DRILL: KEYS TO MAKING IT WORK

A. Don’t “dog it”. Make sure you do it at least 90% to your max speed. If you do it half way, and kind of halfway jog through it, you’re not going to see the results you want. (…And you’re going to be pissed that you wasted your time and we’re huffing and puffing for nothing)

B. Touch ALL the lines. When I see players do this exercise, many just kind of half-way end down and touch the lines. Or they fake doing it all together. Bend ALL THE WAY down and touch the white strip with your palm.

*That forces your body to do more when you push off to change direction. And it’s going to provide more benefit to your fast-twitch muscle fibers, and you’re going to be much more of a menace out there against opponents when they THINK they’ve hit a shot you SHOULDN’T be able to get to and you hit a whizzing surprise back in their direction.

Tennis Drill Phase 2: The Burn Out (To be administered after  3 to 5 minute rest)

You want to follow the same guidelines as phase one except this time you’re going to be doing it horizontally or laterally. And yes, you’re going to have more lines to touch. You’ll start off midway in distance between the baseline and the net but perpendicular to the sideline. Then, you’ll execute the tennis drill as quickly as you can and touching all the lines below.

A. The outside alley
B. The Inside Alley
C. The T
D. The Inside Alley on the opposite side
E. The Outside Alley on the opposite side
F. Then finish out the tennis drill  back where you started

PARTNER UP: Try doing this tennis drills with a friend. It’s a lot more FUN. When you get those competitive juices flowing (…trying to outdo each other), you’ll be able to push each other even further that you thought possible, AND you’ll see even BETTER results. Hey the loser buys Subway. What? You thought I was going to say Burger King? Yeaaah Right. Time to EAT FRESH… 5$ foot looongs .

If you’re suffering from a holiday food hangover, this short but powerful tennis drill is a wonderful workout. And it’ll whip you back into shape or even get you in better condition than you we’re before the food frenzy. Remember, the body… the mind… they’re connected. Exercise them both! You’ll feel wonderful afterwords.

Have a Great day , and an even BETTER game!

For more tennis drill sand other tips, visit this page.

-Brian
TennisMindCamp

Hey guys…

Ready for your Thanksgiving weekend? I know it couldn’t come sooner, right ?  OK. Now for the news… Even though you guys know I love to talk and type tons of stuff on these posts… I think this video really does express everything that I want to get off my chest and reveal to you. So, just press PLAY (..then pause it). Once it’s done loading, then press PLAY to resume. There are a lot of really cool visuals in this one – So it’s going to take a little longer to process.

All the best,

Brian.

P.S. Let me me know what you thought of the video. Did it help in any way? Did you learn anything new? I’d love to get your feedback. Oh, and remember to check out the “Flow With A Pro Interview #1″.

Now, for this week’s mental tennis tip.

Have you ever come into a match and just sort of “gone with the flow?” You know -  “letting the game come to you.”

Now if you have, and you lost the match in the process, that quote was probably a big part of it.  And to be honest, I really don’t like that quote at all.

It’s trying to convey the message of “not forcing it.” But it’s really unclear and pretty vague. And it tends to lead a lot of players in the wrong direction.

They end up taking it too far and then find themselves being too passive.  As a result, a lot of players  just don’t have that fire or that drive they need to start them off and carry them throughout the match.

Then the thought of “I’ll just warm up now, and turn it on when the points really mean something; it’s only the second game right now… No need to rush things” floods your mind.

Then you start out too slow. Your opponent gets a jump on you.  And you end up playing catchup for the rest of the match. And that’s NO FUN!

I can tell you that. It’s no fun when your opponent has all the confidence in the world because he’s got a sizable lead and has you scrambling.

He can afford to take more risks, because he’s got a cushion and you don’t. Bummer . But hey, no worries. You just had a passive mindset. Just learn from it. And correct it before it happens again and causes you to lose another match.

If you want to be in the hunt, with hopes of winning any match and getting that sizable lead right out the gate, you’re going to need a warrior-like mindset, not the passive one mentioned above. What do I mean by that? Well, you must be ready to really extend yourself to the max from the coin toss or the racket spin.

You can’t afford to “wait” to get it going. After the warm-up, you’ve got to be on your toes and ready to attack.  I’m talking about things like sprinting full speed to catch a short ball if necessary and contesting every shot (..not saying that’s too good man). You’ve got to approach and play every point as if it’s one that would fall in the make or break category.

Yea, you can’t be afraid to break a nail or get dirty out there. You’re supposed to sweat. It’s good for ya! You have to be relentless, and go ALL OUT! There is no in between, no middle ground. Either you’re giving your 110% or you’re failing.

Now in order to do this…  In order to reach that 100%. Excuse me… 110%.  You’ll need to do two things:

2 Mental Tennis Training Tid-bits:

Best regards,

- Brian

PS. If this mental tennis tip of the week helped you or made you realize anything that could positively help your game, please do leave your comments below.

Hey, I’m glad you made it for this tennis recovery tip of the week…. AND… on a Friday at that.

Now in tennis, there are two very important things that you want to be doing and that are absolutely vital to your ability to perform well out there on the court:

A. Tennis Court Movement: Deciding on the correct movement needed to get to the ball the quickest  and in the least amount of time.

B. Tennis Shot Recovery: Executing the right recovery plan so you’re ready to properly execute the very next shot.

*WARNING* This (lack of shot recovery) is  a big problem that I see in so many player’s games today. Once players hit a shot, they just stand there without moving to the next position to extend the point.  Then they find themselves drastically out of position and late on the next shot and end up losing what could have been a “make-or-break” point in the match.

So, you’ve got to keep moving once you execute your first shot!   You’ve got to get back! Remember, there is always one more! Never think that ONE shot is good enough! Haha…

Sorry about that. I really needed to get that off my chest, and definitely wanted to make sure you don’t ever make a mistake like that .

But anyway, I’ve got a powerful tennis strategy for you that will  help you move correctly and achieve proper tennis recovery when your opponent tries to take you out with an out wide forehand.

Now when your opponent tries to pull you off the court using a shot out wide to your forehand side, you want to make sure that you use an open stance. Why? Because if your opponent has hit the ball wide, this is going to send you “sprinting” in the direction of the sideline to get it – pulling you off the court.  The open stance will make it so you can still hit a great ball even when you’re on the run.

But if you want to be able to recover and get back into your ready position in the least amount of time (…which is the #1 goal of this strategy), you can’t just say ok, “I’ll use my open stance.” That’s only half of the puzzle. And you don’t want to be 50%, do you? If you were in school, that be an F.

So, to make it complete and give you the best chance to command the point and take the offense again, you’ll need to hit the ball in a very specific manner using a very easy trick.

What you want to do is  hit what I refer to as a brake step forehand.  The way you execute this is by bracing your outside leg and using a break step to obtain a much quicker recovery back to the middle. (see below)

3 Keys To Achieving Terrific Tennis Recovery:

1. Brace Your Outside Leg: In other words, you want to travel to the ball and right before you make contact and initiate your swing, just brace your outside leg  with a slight but firm bend at the knees (…which would be the right leg for right-handed players.  And the left leg should be a lot straighter and more stiff during this.	(Brace)
2. Shift Your Body Weight: Then, as soon as you feel the ball hit your racket, your opposite (left) leg should be lifting off the ground and at the same time.   When you initiate your swing from this stance,  the majority of your body weight will shift to the other side and will naturally cause your other leg to elevate.	Shift and Raise
3. Brake Step and Recover: Lastly, you want to put on the brakes and stop all movement with your right leg (same that you braced with in step #1) and recover back to the middle using a side pedal.  Notice that the heel is pointed or turned slightly inward toward the center of the court. That’s the beauty of this strategy. You’re basically, executing your shot and recovering in the very same move. Pretty cool huh? It saves you a ton of time and makes extending the point and possibly winning it much more likely. If this wasn’t in your arsenal, you would have been too late	Brake Step

NOTE: Those three movements should be done ALMOST simultaneously. Immediately following one (brace), the next one should have already started (the leg lift).  Then lastly, a split second after, utilize the brake. Don’t fuse them all together, because you’ll find yourself off balance.

If you attempt to combat your opponent’s offensive shot and don’t or forget to include this brake step, you’re going to be in some serious trouble. Why?  When you’re traveling to catch a speedy shot out wide, you’re going to be using a tremendous amount of “short-spurt” energy to propel you in the needed direction.

This means, all of your body weight along with gravity and momentum will send you completely off the court, leaving you waaaaaaaaay  out of position.  And it’ll also make it hard for you to get back to the middle in time. Yea, the fork will be in you. You’ll be done .

But by using the brake step strategy, all of that power and energy will be harnessed and delivered through your shot instead of pulling you off court and giving your opponent a ton of open court space.

Now like I said, you always want to recover. Never stop and stare after you’ve hit your shot or even after you’ve made your brake step.  Continue to move, stay on your toes, and get back to the center hash mark if you can.

Thanks for taking the time.

Have a great day and an even BETTER GAME!

Brian

P.S. Have a safe and fun halloween. If this tip helped you in anyway, please leave what you thought down below. It’ll help out a lot when all the other TMC campers read it.

Showing your excitement is a great thing… AFTER THE MATCH. That’s right, during a match, I recommend you put a lid on it and don’t let the world see your insides. You need to control them and keep them under wraps.

A great way to regulate and control your emotions during a match is to show no reaction at the end of a point. That’s right, keep your eyes on the prize so to speak, the win.

Physically: If you want to play ball like the great Pete Sampras, you don’t need any outbursts like jumping in the air to show the crowd and/or your opponent that you’re pleased with what you did.

The only fancy footwork you need is the kind that will get you back to the baseline the quickest .

Mentally: If you want to think and have the mental game of Pete Sampras, move on. Don’t dwell.  You want to act like it’s just another day at the office. Once the previous point has been played out, it’s over and your thoughts about it should be too.

Just look at basketball great Michael Jordan on the court or when football superstar Tom Brady takes the field. After they do something great, they’re not screaming to the top of their lungs or dancing in front of the fans. Why not?

This is business, just another day at the office to them. You should take that same approach.  If you choose not to and make a habit of reacting every time a point is completed, you become very unstable as the match goes on.

When you win it, you’re going to feel good… maybe even great about yourself, but when the tables turn around, and you lose the point, your heart, your mind, and your body, go into the tank.

You end up feeling like you’re on a date with an on again off again girlfriend/boyfriend. And you know how utterly shaky and gut-wrenchingly unpredictable times like that can be. You never really feel grounded, nor do you have any foundation or mental base.

Your significant other says something nice about you and your emotions run super high, and you’re jumping up and down. But when he/she turns around and does something you hate, then you feel worse than when Shaq saw Kobe win his first ring without him. Horrible!

Nothing’s consistent. You’re emotions are in limbo and all over the place. Once, you feel you’re somewhat used to something, it changes.

You can’t be that mentally unstable and be going through that type of emotional teeter-totter during a competitive match if you want to be successful. I recommend being even keel where you’re right in the middle. That way, your play, your thoughts, and your mood is constant. You have a much needed internal balance.

Pete Sampras is a great example of a player who has tremendous inner balance. He would always look so calm after every point. Whenever I would watch him, I could never tell the score.  I didn’t know if he was winning or losing by his body language and the expression on his face.

This was a great asset to him and one of the biggest reasons I believe he won so many matches. This not only aided in his ability to maintain strong focus, but it never gave his opponent an opening to take advantage of the way he was feeling either.

Why? Because his opponent was in the same boat as you and I, he didn’t have a clue what was going on in Pete’s head either haha. Yea, a double whammy!

Now, by no means am I saying that Pete never made mistakes or got out of character. Of course he did. And it’s ok to make mistakes and show a little bit ONCE IN A WHILE.

I mean, if you we’re down 1-5 in the final set and had double match point against you, and came roaring back to take a 6-5 lead,  go ahead and give it a quick fist pump. I mean, I don’t think Pete Sampras or Roger Federer could have resisted that one haha.

But the key phrase there is “once in a while.” When you find yourself going up and down on an emotional roller coaster through the entire match, that’ll just lead to unforced errors by the boatload.

So, yes you CAN celebrate. Just make sure, it’s after the match is over or something like the extreme exception I mentioned above.  Make sure your emotionally centered out there, and you’ll see a lot more wins.

Have a great weekend!

Brian

P.S. Want to gain access to over 19 H-O-U-R-S of kick-butt tennis tips, tricks, and strategies, visit this page.

There are some players who have that natural, innate skill that makes them perfect candidates for tennis superstardom. There are others who lack a natural ability but have achieved major tennis skills because of their hard work and dedication. Guess what, though? Both of these types of player still have the opportunity to fail. Sucks, huh?

People who have god-given skill usually get big-headed and don’t keep up their practice and skill-building. They’ll never reach their full potential and will eventually sit stagnant in a pool of their own smugness.

Those who bust their own chops in order to get better and better sometimes get bogged down in a routine, become bored and similarly let themselves taper off in their practice, reaching a plateau from which they may never rise any higher.

So how do we avoid becoming one of these terrible examples? No, the answer isn’t steroids; it’s consistent, dedicated, hard work day in and day out.

Right now you might be thinking, “Wow, what a revolutionary idea! Hard work and practice makes me better at tennis?!? What other nuggets of wisdom do you got stored up in there, Brian? The recipe for ice cream soup, perhaps haha?” Well, if you let me finish, you might learn something, junior. Effort is the backbone of skill.

The best tennis pro in the world could lose to an inferior player if that player has a lot of heart and the one who is expected to win isn’t giving it his or her all. Haven’t you ever seen The Mighty Ducks?

Basically, the point is to give it your all each and every time you’re on the court. Sure, you may just be playing a pickup game for fun, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t consistently challenge yourself!

Keep in mind that this doesn’t mean that you should be busting your fuzzy yellow balls if you’re nursing an injury. Depending on the severity, you may not want to be within twenty yards of a net, service box, or sideline. Take some time and spend it with your bed, instead. Oh yes, there are going to be times when you may want to relax.

To put it simply, lets just say this: When you’re on the court with the intention of “training”, “practice”, or any type of instruction, don’t allow yourself to “take it easy”, “relax”, or whatever you want to call that. Whether you got to your skill level with hard work or natural-born talent, remember that stagnancy happens to the best of us, and it is often that trait that marks the worst of us.

So how can you ensure that you give it your “all” each and every time you step on the court? Here are a few quick and easy guidelines you can use to keep you on your toes.

1: No Excuses: This is an easy enough one to follow. There are plenty of reasons why you may have missed that serve or shanked that backhand, but 7 times out of 10, it’s because of something you did incorrectly. Make sure that you realize that and don’t blame it on external things like the weather, the racket, or not having the right shoes. By taking responsibility, you’ll subconsciously begin to play better before you know it.

2: No Mediocrity: This is in line with what we’ve discussed above. Remember to never be satisfied with a decent return or an “okay” volley. Be happy you made it over the net but don’t be comfortable with it, you know what I mean? Make sure not to pat yourself too hard on the back if you don’t deserve anything more than a light tap or a quick “good job.”

3: Reward Yourself When You Earn It: On the flip side, make sure that your back is patted when it is warranted. If you broke through a previously un-reached barrier or accomplished a goal, by all means get loud and happy about it! Don’t dwell on it too long, though. Accept that there are always new goals and barriers on the horizon.

4: Vary Your Routine: This accomplishes a few things. For one, you’re less likely to get bored and will therefore be less likely to reach a plateau. Also, switching up practices and lessons will help you set and meet different goals at different times. If you try day in and day out to achieve an unrealistic goal, you may quickly lose hope and desire and tire of the chase.

On the other hand, if you have several small “attainable” goals spread out in different areas, you will see encouragement and motivation skyrocket as you reach these goals with ease and fun (…the most important thing).

These 4 mental strategies should definitely make tennis fun again. You have my word.

Have a good one guys!

- Brian