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 quiestion 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.

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.

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 it out back where you started

PARTNER UP: Try doing this 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? Yeaaa Right. Time to EAT FRESH… 5$ foot looongs .

If you’re suffering from a holiday food hangover, this short but powerful workout will 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!

-Brian
TennisMindCamp

P.S. I did receive a lot of emails this past Friday and Saturday regarding the release of TMC Strategy Secrets 101. Just a reminder, I sent out a video announcement that it had been postponed due to me being crazy and wanting to add more stuff to it. I’m terribly sorry if I wasn’t clear enough. I guess the 43 or so emails asking me “Where Is the Order Link?” was proof of that

No new date has been set as of yet (…it will be soon), but if you’d like more info on this course and a kick-but tip on how to cure pre-game anxiety, click here.

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

Hey guys,

With all the intense action taking place first round action going on at the US Open, I want to thank you for taking the time to visit the “US” Open Photo Challenge entry page.

Now, I know you probably want to get back to watching so you can pick up some strategies from the pros (…like I suggested :wink:), so I’m just going to dive into it.

What do you get if you win?

The US Open is my favorite slam by far (…to attend live and to watch). The stars, the energy, and the heart-stopping pace of the serve, volleys, and unpredictable ground game.  So for the grand prize for this contest, I wanted to pick something really special as well as specific to this intense tournament that only happens once a year. You’re probably saying “Alright already haha, can we just get on to what we get?” Certainly

You’ll WIN the incredibly captivating US Open: The Open Book: Celebrating 40 Years of America’s Grand Slam (Hardcover) Plus DVD

These things are out of stock in many places, but I was lucky enough to find the last one at a tennis shop close by the tournament.  And let me tell you, you are really going to be amazed at this one.

I certainly was . “The Open Book” is a visually stunning celebration of the sport and spectacle of the US Open. On display are champions including legendary trailblazers Billie Jean King and Arthur Ashe… fan favorites like Jimmi Connors and Andre Agassi, lovable bad-boy John McEnroe, and modern greats Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. These players are sealed in time in some of their best and brightest  moments - captured in vivid images from some by the world’s leading sports photographers !

This is what some players who already have it think about it.

Oh yea, this is a beautiful piece of history and is definitely something to hold on to (…very tightly :mrgreen:) . Don’t take it out in the rain or accidentally leave it close to where your dog could get at it. In my eyes, this is one of the greatest tennis visuals ever.!  So…

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You’re actually going to laugh when you see how easy this is. We’re continuing on with the photo theme. All you have to do is submit a photo of you doing something tennis related.  It can be serious, funny, waky. It can really be whatever you want.

The title of this contest is the “US” Photo Challenge for a reason.  It refers to us, every single person involved in the TMC community.  And since, here at Tennis Mind Camp, we’re more like a family than just an ordinary website, I figured it would really be cool for us to see who we’re actually talking to and interacting with on a daily basis.  I mean, what family members have never seen each other haha? Not too many.

And not only that, but so we can show everyone who visits the camp that real people like you are benefiting and seeing *REAL RESULTS* so then they’ll get on board as well as reach their goals too.

CONTEST RULES:

1. Send photo of you in some sort of tennis activity to webmaster@tennismindcamp.com .  Either provide the link where the photo is located or simply email it as part of an attachment. Either way is fine.

2. Then, we’ll have a vote for the one everybody believes is the most unique. The one that gets the most votes will be the winner of this beautiful and *HEAVY* book and jam-packed DVD! Easy enough :-D?

*NOTE* I encourage you to do it now while you’re thinking about it and have a chance, because once the submissions reach a certain number I can’t accept anymore. Why? The polling program I’m using only lets you do so many lol.  Imagine that haha.  So, do it right now so you can make sure your spot is safe and secure because I know eager members like Jesus, Christi, Marcelo, Buck, Loobo, Richard, Danielle, Kathy and Jerry are sending theirs in as we speak.

The winner will be notified within 24 hours of the trophy presentation, and the prize will be shipped off the next morning. It’s only fitting that two champions be honored on the same day 8-).

Email me personally at webmaster@tennismindcamp.com if you have any questions.

Good luck guys!

Brian Hall, Head Coach

P.S. Are you enjoying the open so far? Wow, I mean did you see both Safina and Williams ALMOST go down? The heart of a champion.

Hey guys,

The LA Women’s Tennis Championship was amazing, wasn’t it? There was some amazing tennis being played!

There were tie-breakers, match points saved, break points saved, ball crunching serves, and wonderful fans all over. It was quite amazing, and I had a lot of fun.

Now if you watched it (…I know you did b/c we just talked about immersing yourself in the sport and watching professional competition just last week :wink:), you should have picked up some very valuable tips. I sure did.

There was strategy being used from everywhere you could imagine: on the serve, the return, behind the baseline, at the net, and even in the chairs during change overs.

But, you know what the funny part was, with all that great stuff happening, what stuck with me the most didn’t happen while the players were on the court.

It was what was said in the reporter-filled interview session after the very entertaining semi-final battle between Flavia Pennetta and Maria Sharapova.

When asked about how the tempo was being dictated and controlled during the match, Pennetta replied “I was 3-1 down and I was thinking it was over, but I just tried to fight.” “It was a little bit difficult for me. I started to feel a little pressure. She’s a great champion, it was not easy to beat her.”

She was describing a situation that all of us tennis players face no matter the skill level, being behind in a match. And the powerful part was  that she didn’t crumble. She fought back hard! It wasn’t easy. But I can tell you, the  “hard” work paid off, and since then she defeated Sam Stosur in the finals and is now the 2009 women’s champ here in LA.

See, it doesn’t matter if you’re the #1 player in the world or just purchased your first racket this morning, you eventually will find yourself down in a match. But the key is to not let that defeat you. And the first step towards that is understanding what’s happening to you. Then, and only then, will you be able to keep a horrible let down from happening. 

The problem is that you sometimes, don’t have that Pennetta “fight to the end” mindset. On occasion, when things aren’t going your way, you may start to mentally break down.  You allow the defeated thought process to slither into your mind and get you frustrated and even embarrassed.

Some things that’ll probably be swimming around in your head sound like this, “Well, she’s already beating me, she’s probably going to win it anyway,” “I can’t hang with her (…she’s just better than me),” or “Look at all these people watching me make a fool of myself !”  Heck, you even start questioning if you should be on the same court with them period.

All these elements are a product of mental killers like doubt and lack of confidence.  But the funny part is that the reason for that mental error is actually created by very good intentions. Oh yea! It’s because you’re so darn competitive when you’re playing.  You want to win so bad, you try your absolute hardest, and if the things you try don’t work right away, all that negative stuff starts to happen almost instantly.

The important things are:

1. Stay confident. Remind yourself that you deserve to be there just as much as your opponent.  Know that you’re not down and out, until the last point is played.

2. Recall when you’ve been in similar situations and you’ve made a great come back.  That will immediately fill you with life again and you’ll get that “second win” that you’re so desperately looking for.

3. Think Positively: Visualize yourself making good strokes and executing excellent court movement.  See yourself exploiting your opponents weakness and really making him pay for it. It sounds cliche, but it’s true.  Sometimes, you have to “see it to believe it.” If you visualize the opposite, you will only see negative results.

4. Don’t be afraid to change: Yes, using strategy, and having a top-notch game plan is ultra important if you want to win.  But if it’s not working, continuing with the same plan is flat out crazy haha. It’s actually the definition of insanity.  If you keep doing the same thing and looking for different results, that’s insane.

So, you never want to stick with a plan that’s ineffective (…something my coach always told me, and it’s true). If you see something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to alter it or “tweak” it a little. You may just find your opponent’s silver bullet or the kryponite that’ll slay your adversary easier that you thought possible.

5. Realize that the match is a marathon not sprint: There will be ups and downs. So, don’t go ballistic if you lose a game or you miss 1 break-point chance.  There will be opportunities to get it back, trust me.  Just breathe, and head over to the other side to continue the match, because if you let those things get to you, you’ll be digging yourself a deeper and deeper hole that you may not be able to crawl out of.

-

You’re NEVER out of a match until the final applause. So you have to play that way. And I’m telling you, when you make that thunderous comeback to take the victory, that win is 10 times as sweet and feels 10 times as good. I mean, when I was down in the final set at the UCLA Tennis  Academy 5-1 (…0-30), and came back to take it 7-5. You can only imagine the rush I felt. And I became a much better player because of it, and so will you!

Have great day, and and even BETTER game,

Brian Hall, Your Tennis Mind Coach

TennisMindCamp

webmaster@tennismindcamp.com

P.S. What did you think about this tip? If this post helped you in anway, I’d love to hear from you and get your feedback, becuase you guys are the reason why I do this. So, just put your ideas and questions in the blanks below when you can.

POOOOOOWER… Sorry if I offended anyone ::wink: In tennis, power can be seen as a 4-letter word sometimes.  That’s the way we players sometimes feel our coaches think at least.

Doesn’t it always seem that every time you want to add some fire, your instructor gives you the “tone it down” signal?

Yea, bummer right. They’re always saying “that’s not the right play” or “widen your margin for error,” right?

Well, I’ve got good news for you. You’re both right. Sorry fellas, but your coaches do have a point here. You don’t want to literally tee-off on every single ball that comes your way.

But wait, there’s more!  Guys and Girls, power actually CAN be a great addition to your game. So, point for you .  But the only way it’s going to do you any good is if it’s used properly and in the right situations.

The problem is that too many players are confused as to when to unleash the power and when to keep it in the holster and often unload on it at the most inappropriate time.

The truth is it can get pretty confusing and nerve racking when you never feel quite sure. This leads to becoming a step slow on many points. Why? Because you’re constantly involved in a mental tugg-o-war… should I go for it or play it safe…which one…which one.  And by the time you make a decision, the ball has already blown passed you.

Relax, I’ve got you covered.  Give your brain a chance to breathe while I give you a clear-cut answer on how power will help you prevail in 2 key live-game situations with 100% certainty. See the examples below:

—-

Now granted, the probability that your shot will go in decreases as the amount of power you use goes up, but I’m giving you total and complete freedom to “up the ante”  and “pick up the pace” on the 2 previous situations we talked about. Give it a try the next time you find yourself in either one of these situations, and you should really see a pretty descent improvement!

All the best,

Brian Hall, Your Tennis Mind Coach
TennisMindCamp
webmaster@tennismindcamp.com

P.S. I got some emails asking about that secret project I’m working on. But unfortunately, I can’t  spill the beans just yet.  All I can say right now is I’ve just been really working hard on something for you that’s going to be pretty amazing once it’s completed! I’ll shed so more light on it in the upcoming weeks.

…I think (…no I know) you’re really going to love it!

REMEMBER: I’m here for you if you have any questions about any of these tennis strategies or anything that you think would help put you over the hump. Simply hit reply in the email program you use or post it down below this post.

How many times have you been on a tennis court and heard a player, or yourself, yell out “My timing is off, Why I’m I so late, or Dang, I caught that one too early” at the top of their lungs, then storm back to the baseline in disgust?  Oh, and it gets better (…or worse).

Then, you sprint back to the line, thinking the next one will be different, and you lose that point, and the next point as well. I mean, it feels like you’re doing exactly what you’ve worked on in practice, but the result is nowhere near as nice.

Sound like you sometimes?

Don’t feel bad if you answered yes. If you said no, never….  that would have been dishonest haha. Why? It’s because we’ve all had problems with our timing at some point during practice or tournament play. No one is exempt.

I wouldn’t start smiling too wide just yet though. Even though a large number of players experience these “off days” where their timing has a lot to be desired, it doesn’t let you off the hook by any means. It doesn’t change the fact of how critical it is to our game and what a great impact it can have on our overall success.

Because, to be honest, many of our most important core strategies like foot work, court positioning, and recovery strategy revolve around our precision. By saying that, I’m talking about the precise timing with which your racket comes in contact with the ball and follows through to the end of your stroke.

I mean, it really is unfortunate that so much of whether you win or lose is dependent upon the difference of a micro-second, if that. In many cases, it’s probably more like  half of a milli-second of a micro second :). But it’s true.

And if you’re off by just that much on any one shot (…grounds troke, volley, serve, overhead etc.), the whole game, point, set, match, and championship… OR.. “good old bragging rights” can be flushed right down the toilet just as fast.

Hitting the ball at precisely the right time is really what tennis is all about, and in order to get it to a high level requires practice and focus training.

When a player finally gets the art of bringing the ball to the sweet-spot range (SSR) of his racket at the right time ingrained deeply both in his mind and his body, he’s able to make the best use of his opponent’s force and able to direct the ball to virtually any specific location he or she desires.

Not to mention, he becomes very difficult to beat. His confidence drastically increases along with his hitting percentage.

That’s why I said in the email that it’s an uphill battle when those words, “my timing is off” spill from your lips. It’s because your timing is a huge component of your core strategy, like a base or foundation. And if that’s disrupted, it could be a glimpse of the horrible things to come, completely shattering your game later on, if not corrected.

Oh yes,  it’s many times the biggest difference maker in how effective your shot will be. Hitting a ball a moment too soon will send it sailing to the back fence or first row of the stands and if you hit it a fraction of a second late, your ball will probably end up in bottom of the net. And what’s worse, it will keep happening to you over and over again…. until you fix it.

I mean, when this happens, it’s not by some fluke. You’re doing something wrong. Something has shifted off-course from your original game plan, and if your goal is to change the outcome from an unwanted result to a more favorable one, you’re  going to have to make a change.

Check out some of the key mental factors that can help perfect your timing instead of getting your clock cleaned, if you know what I mean.

Factors Affecting Timing

1. Focus: The main factor which can completely turn the tide on your timing is your focus. Players who aren’t focused get easily distracted by such things like opponent’s sudden movement, outbursts by the crowd, changes in the weather, the idea of trailing and needing to catch up and tons of other things.

And the result is almost always the same. They usually end up hitting the ball late and a lot of times not only lose the game or the set, but it can even become a match or championship ending problem.

Let me tell you, in the hundreds of matches that I see every year, I can easily tell which players have more wins under their belt (…without having ever seen them play before). How?

Well, it’s not rocket science. All of the winners have one thing in common, firm-minded focus. You can see it in their eyes, they mean business out there. You can also see it in their level of precision when going after each and every ball that comes to them. It’s spot on. And that’s why their timing is so impeccable.

They ignore everything outside of those side and boundary lines and are completely dialed in to what’s happening on the court.  You want to know how you can improve your timing and your focus simultaneously? (Check out the tip below)

TIMING & FOCUS TIP: Make a list of all the potential distractions that you believe or have seen affect your performance.  They say that knowing is half the battle, and they’re right! Once you’re aware of the possibilities, both your mind and body will prepare, guarding against those potential events,  helping you prevent them from ever happening. This will give your chance at staying mentally glued and winning the match a major boost!

2. Decision Making: The second factor that has a direct impact on your timing is your decisiveness. Any player who is not sure as to how much pace or force he has to put behind an incoming ball or struggles on deciding what shot he/she wants to execute for a specific situation will definitely hit it late quite often.

And a stroke played late will, many times, result in  incorrect ball direction and placement. This means a lot longer, scrappier, more difficult points. So…

Want to make better decisions? (see below)

DECISION MAKING TIP:

A great way to enhance your decision making ability is to practice hitting balls coming at different speeds. That’s right, give yourself different looks, because that’s exactly the stuff you’re going to see in a live game.

Try renting a ball machine and choose the random setting. If you don’t have access to a ball machine, have a buddy or coach feed you the balls with absolutely no consistency whatsoever. Use different speeds, trajectory, and spin.  Only then will you be able to learn to correctly assess how you should tackle the ball when it’s coming to you.

3. Mental & Muscle Memory Mastery:

Most importantly,  the number of balls and shots you hit has to go up. The more you hit, the better your timing will be. It’s that simple.  If you take time off or don’t play tennis for a while  (as is the case with many club-level players), you’re likely to experience an “off” feeling when returning to the court. I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but it’s not always a quick fix. Darn it! Yea, I know. Many times, it takes time  and practice to get your groove back.

MMMM TIP: I recommend hitting against a backboard. I believe that would even be better than hitting with a buddy, because the wall will ALWAYS get it back. It’ll never miss-hit or direct it out of play. You won’t be wasting your time waiting for someone to go pick up a ball that they hit onto the next court.  Instead, you’ll maximize your time and get more than enough shots under your belt to really make sure your timing sinks down deep.

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It’s important to know when and how to hit the ball as this will help you develop your game to whereby you can shorten the points, save more energy, and of course making winning those matches a whole lot easier.  Remember, better focus means better decisions, and better decisions mean shorter, smarter, and easier points that will be much more favorable to you - trust me!

Have a GREAT week and an even BETTER game!

Brian Hall, Head Coach
TennisMindCamp.com
Email: webmaster@tennismindcamp.com

P.S. Great job to the many of you that have been sending in your proofs for the French Open “Duralast” Derby. It’s really close. I can’t wait to award the winner. The time is ticking… http://tennismindcamp.com/blog/french-open-duralast-derby/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Check it out below)

Racket Selection Cheat-Sheet:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great day and an even better game,

Brian Hall, Head Coach
TennisMindCamp
webmaster@tennismindcamp. com

As players, we tend to hear one particular phrase over and over from our coaches and members of our support team. “Get to the net.”

Though it may sound like they’re just trying to make you work harder and drench your body in even more sweat just for the fun of it, they definitely have your best interest at heart, trust me :).

In fact, this is a very good philosophy to have. You see, being at the net,  will put you in a much greater position to win a lot of easy points.

You don’t have to take my word for it though. I mean, if you talk to players that have seen a fair amount of success on the court, they’ll tell you the very same thing - that the closer you can get to that black thing that separates you from your opponent, the easier time you’re going to  have ending points quickly.

Why is that?  Well , a lot of times , the quicker you get to the net, the earlier you can begin to cut off the angles and put much needed pressure on your opponent. And when that added pressure is applied, it often times eliminates a number of his options. As a result, your opponent will be forced  into going for lower percentage shots and then will start to pile up in the error department.  Make sense, right? Right!

Now, I know you as well as tons of other smart players already know this. But then, why do so few actually do it? Oh yea, you wouldn’t think that would be the case since this is such a powerful technique.

But, I’m saddened to say that it’s the truth. Even a lot of our fellow camp members are having trouble executing it.  So, why is going out there and just doing what you know to be the right thing so difficult?

It’s from fear! No, it’s not the fear of losing or the fear of not living up to certain expectations or anything like that. It’s much more simplistic.  It’s a the fear of getting hit!

Some might say, “Awww, those guys are wimps or How could you possibly be afraid of something so small?”  Honestly,  this isn’t an issue of bravery or courage. In fact, these players are actually pretty smart, because if they feel this way, it’s probably due to  being hit pretty badly sometime before. And they don’t want it happening again. I mean, who would?

Let me tell you, though that ball may look cute and fuzzy, it can really pack quite a punch if it comes in contact with your body while traveling over 100 mph - a punch that’ll stay fresh in your mind  for a long time after.

Have you ever been struck by a ball flying at that kind of speed? If not, let me be the first to tell you, it can really hurt! And if it’s hit in the right (…or should I say the wrong) place, it can cause severe injury and strongly affect your chances of physically taking the match.

I mean, what good is having a mind that’s solid, but the body you need for execution is damaged? Believe me, that’s the last thing you want to happen to you.

For example, if it hits you in your forearm or wrist (…worse if it’s on your primary hitting side), that”ll leave you critically handicapped. This will mean, every time you get ready to execute a menacing forehand or backhand ground stroke, you’ll feel intense pain which is likely to cause tons of mishit balls and the losing of what could have been, easy points.

Then what happens? As a result, the painful elements of  doubt and anxiety kick into to gear, and then you’re really in trouble.  Now, both your body and mind are compromised - not a good combo by any means.

Then you start talking to yourself.  “Should I rush the net? Well, I did put him on the defense. But what if I get pegged again?” See what I mean. Your mind can and will eventually get scrambled. And as we both know, the mind is your core. So, you want to keep that running as efficiently as possible.

So, to prevent both your mind and body from getting battered and bruised, you definitely need to try this drill that I’ve listed below and make sure that your body parts and a ball coming in at warp speed have a pretty distant relationship lol.

TennisMindCamp Drill #17: Operation Hail Storm

This drill is actually one of my favorites, and it’ll definitely enhance your ability to perform at the net when under fire and the pressure is at it’s greatest. In order to conquer your fear of getting blasted with the ball and getting bruised  like the lovely lady in the picture above, you’re going to have to face the fire head on. It’s the only way.

Trust me, when I was younger, I tried giving my students short-cuts, but it didn’t produce the results needed to really overcome this injury based anxiety once and for all. The trick is quick preparation. The main reason why players get hit while their at the net is because they find themselves late preparing for the next shot.

I mean, you’ve got to be ready for the next one right away. Hit… Prepare… Hit… Prepare. Get where I’m going with this? Good. Follow the steps below to executing the drill of “OPERATION HAIL STORM,” and your fear of being pegged out there will be a thing of the past. I promise!

Steps to Follow:

1. POSITIONING: The player sets up back by the fence. You want to make sure you stand as close to that fence or wall as possible. This way, you make it impossible for you to run or retreat back. You have to stay there and face the music, or the storm I should say. As for the coach, she’s going to be at the service line on the same side of the court with a HUGE basket of ball by his side.

2. PLAYER GOAL: Your job as a player is to get down low, in good shot positioning (GSP), and efficiently return as many balls as possible without getting nailed. Remember, this drill is all about reaction and recovery. So if you don’t remember anything else, you want to make sure your hands and body are in the proper position on each and every shot. If you hit a shot late, it’s because you weren’t ready, and that shot doesn’t count.

3. THE COACH: The coach/instructor will have a HUGE bucket of balls at his (…or her) disposal and is going to bombard you with ball after ball after ball after ball.  No, none of these feeds will be wide or off to the side. They will ALL be launched right into your body. It’s also the coach’s job to make sure  these balls are coming with a heavy dose of hot sauce - I’m talking about some real speed here. So you, as a player, really need to be on your toes and ready to pounce.

WARNING: Avoid putting all your weight on your heals, because you’ll not only be losing much needed control but your balance and power will rapidly decrease as well.

The faster the balls are hit to you, then the stronger your reaction skills will be by the end. By contrast, if the balls are hit to you relatively easily with no pace or difficulty, it would defeat the whole purpose.  And the benefit you could have gained would’ve been lost.

So, don’t ask your coach to slow them down. If anything, you should say speed it up. Challenge yourself and push yourself to new limits. That’s the only way you’re going to see the noticeable results you want and need to succeed.

It’s also good to set small number goals too. You can start off with 10, and then, once you reach that, you can begin to increase it to 12, 14, 16, even 100 … wink wink :). Having something to shoot for gives your mind some structure. It’s always rewarding when you can tell that there is light at the end of the tunnel. It’s also adds some fun to it as well. And that’s the whole reason why you’re out there. Remember that.

It’s to enjoy yourself, and that’s the bottom line.

—-

Like I talked about in our tip last week. You’re an animal out there, and your senses and the ability to react to a split second change in your environment (…new shots or situations your opponent may put you in) have to be razor sharp. And this drill is perfect for it.

Just make sure you stay low (…even if you don’t feel like it). Keep your hands out in front in the ready position. If you don’t, you’ll finally realize how this drill got it’s name. If you’re lazy, the ball is going to smash into your mid-section (…or worse, your face), and it’s going to hurt like Hail!

All the best,

Brian Hall
TennisMindCamp
webmaster@tennismindcamp.com

P.S. If you have some ideas of your own for future tennis tips
of the week, concepts you’d like covered, or would just like to
give a good old fashion hello, please reply to this e-mail. I’d
love to hear from you.

Hey guys, I hope you’re having an awesome week so far and getting a lot of good practice in! Did you get a chance to try out the pressure serve drill yet? If not, you definitely want to make some time for it in the next few days. It’ll help your game out tremendously, trust me :).

Now this week, as promised, I’m going to shed some light on a second method that you can use to dramatically increase the productivity of your practice sessions, and at the same time, be better prepared for your next opponent no matter what skill level or style of play they possess. (see below to get the answer how)

Perfect Practice Method #2: Vary Your Competition

Though the drill factor that we discussed in last week’s tip is incredibly effective in getting you to really focus in on every single shot you hit, going toe to toe with another player on the other side of the net is one of the greatest ways improve every aspect of your game.

You can work on your serves, ground strokes, volleys, and overheads etc. without the risk of getting too mechanical. Because let’s face it, if you’re doing a forehand drill or one where it involves coming to the net to finish off a volley, you sometimes, get tempted to cheat so to speak.  Cheat? Yes, cheat.  I know you’re probably saying, “I thought that you could only do that in a match, when you’re playing someone else.”

Well yes, that’s one form of cheating. But you can also cheat yourself. When you know where the ball is going to be coming ahead of time, it’s easy to jump the gun and head to your destination too early. That may make it “easier”, but in the long run it’s going to hurt you. Why? That takes away the reality of the drill all together. You lose that playing “in the moment” feeling. In a real match, many times, you won’t have that luxury.

Now on the other hand, when you’re playing against someone else who is trying to beat you, everything suddenly becomes very real and very live. You see, when you’re involved in a drill, you have someone there who’s on your side and who’s pumping you up and motivating you to go harder and push for more. He or she is telling you to get to a particular spot or destination on the court so you’ll be able to get to the ball and get the most out of the repetition.

But when you’re engaged in battle with another player, that player isn’t going to be as supportive as your coach would :). He could care less if you get to the ball or not, and he’s definitely not going to let you know before hand where he’s going to be directing his shots. Not only that, but if you miss a shot or lose a point, you don’t get to trot back to the line and do it again.  All these things are really great for you. You know why?

By adding these real match-like elements, you won’t get that false sense of security or that fantasy-land illusion that everything is working like a well-oiled machine, firing on all-cylinders, and then get a sudden rude awakening when the pressure is on.

If something goes wrong or you mess up, you’re going to have to live with the consequences. This adds more pressure to the practice session, the same type of pressure and crucial decision making that you’re going to have to deal with if you want that trophy at the week’s end and even better, bragging rights in some cases, wink wink.

So, do you incorporate this element, that of one on one (… all out) competition, into your practice sessions? If so, great job! But hey, don’t get too excited just yet. There’s something very critical that you must add if you want to get the most out of this strategy and really give your opponents a royal beat down.

And I know that’s what you want to do, right? You don’t want to go out there and only get 50% of the benefit and only beat a couple people. That’s outright looney ha-ha. You want the whole enchilada… You want to beat everyone who has the audacity to step onto the court with you… Am I right? Of course you do, and that’s why you’re definitely my kind of player.

So, listen up. Though many players use this method to improve their winning percentage in live match play, they often leave something out of the equation that really can make a world of difference. I mean, it can catapult you from winning 30% of your matches to a whopping 60% to even 75% of them, maybe more. And that missing piece of the puzzle is none other than variety.

Frequent practice against real opponents that are coming at you with everything they’ve got is very important but it’s equally if not more important to be sure that you’re not just playing against the same people and the same hitting styles over and over again.   Because if you do end up in this type of cycle, players like you and I, begin to get very comfortable, too comfortable with certain players and certain styles of play. And as a result, we end up limiting our own growth and progress because of it.

I mean, if you only play against the people who you’ve played with and hitting styles you’ve seen a million times, there’s little room for spontaneity or surprise - two fundamental elements of what the sport of tennis is really made of. This is because you gradually begin to know your opponent’s style inside and out.

And when this happens, you don’t really find yourself on your toes as much with that “wolverine-like” heightened sense of awareness. Practicing against another player is supposed to be sharpening your senses, like speeding up your set up, reaction, and recovery times so that you’ll be ready for battle.

But what ends up happening, whether you know it or not, your game begins to weaken. And instead of sharpening your instincts, they begin to dull.

You just find yourself going through the motions and end up turning into a whole different kind of animal - one that’s passive without much bite. You see, playing against strangers, allows you to improve your adaptive skills and will ensure that you learn how to vary your style, make the necessary adjustments, and read opponents at a more efficient pace. And in the end, you’ll become a much more well-rounded player - the kind that really strikes fear in others.

IMPORTANT: Don’t be afraid to play against people who are more skilled as well as less skilled than your regulars or even yourself. By playing someone better, you’ll be able to improve your skill set and “step your game up”  so to speak. And by playing against weaker players, you help eliminate the possibility of playing down to your competition. Both of these will really give you a major boost.

———-

In tennis, there are literally thousands of different game types, styles of play, and player tendencies. I’m talking about players that hit with their left hand, have a one-handed backhand, have a two-handed backhand, like to serve and volley, use bone crunching pace, pushers, kick servers, flat servers, out of control players, poised players, etc. The list really will go on forever.

But if we are only exposed to 1 or 2 of them… You see where I’m going with this?

Hey don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with playing matches against your buddies as it can surely help get those competitive juices flowing as well as make the game much more fun. The thing is though, you’ll only get better at playing against those particular individuals. So, you don’t want to stop there.

In order to truly take your playing to the next level, you’ll have to expand your competitive circle, and try your game out against different opponents as often as possible. Try going to different parks or tennis clubs, you’re sure to find plenty of people that’ll help elevate your game. Then, you’ll be on your way to becoming the incredibly fierce, king of the court, ready to bare your teeth, and pounce on anyone brave enough to step on the court with you.

All the best,

Brian Hall, Head Coach
TennisMindCamp
webmaster@tennismindcamp.com

Now, last week we talked about some of the critical mistakes that players make when they step onto the court for a much needed practice session.

And though, the 3 that were mentioned were pretty powerful, there’s actually one that I left out. To be honest with you, I thought we already had enough content to work with and didn’t want anyone to feel overwhelmed with the whole thing.

And I know you’re a strong believer in doing everything possible to get your game to the next level. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be on this website week after week, taking action, and actually doing something about it. Let me tell you, there are tons of talkers out there that “say” they want to get better, but few actually do anything about it. That’s why I felt I had to share this additional 4^th concept with you this week. So, congratulations first and foremost for sticking with it!

So listen, if you want to become the best tennis player you can possibly be, you already know that practice plays a huge part in allowing you to continuously improve in very sizable ways. As we talked about before, this isn’t just tennis specific. This idea can be applied to any sport around the globe (…hockey, basketball, football, and a lot more).

Now during practice, there are two primary methods that thousands of tennis players around use to enhance their game. We’ll discuss Method #1 below, and focus 100% of our attention on the Method #2 next week.

———

Method 1: Drills

I know many of us, including me, usually don’t get overwhelmingly excited when our coach tells us to get ready for the next drill. In fact, we may even hide behind the guy (…or girl) in front of us or sprint to the back of the line just to avoid it. Why though? Why do you think we’ve become so terrified of the term “drills?”

Drills are difficult for us a lot of times. They often times demand large amounts of focus, concentration, and poise. And to be quite honest, having to execute anything over and over and over again in a sport as meticulous and detailed as tennis can be very difficult to pull off (…and takes a toll on us mentally) - especially when you are required to do it for an extended period of time.

And that’s the reason why so many of us don’t like to incorporate them into our practices. Many players go to practice under the assumption that it’s supposed to be easy - like it’s nothing more than a chance to hit with a buddy or simply “show-off” what they can do when the pressure is non-existent.

Well, I’m telling you that the players who adopt this type of mindset are the ones who are the most ill-prepared come match time and have the highest number of built-in excuses why they didn’t get the win. You, my friend, want to avoid this type of thinking at all costs.

You see, you want that pressure to be on you during practice.  Why? That’s the same intense pressure you’re going to feel when you need to save that critical break point or maintain great form even though your legs are gone, and you’re “dead tired.” That way, you don’t have to have to attempt to switch gears so to speak when the time comes to really buckle down.

Some say, “You can just turn it off and on like a light switch whenever you need to.” WRONG! It’s NOT that easy. If you’re used to “taking it easy” and not going all out and doing the critical things that it takes to consistently give yourself a winning chance, that’s what you’ll find yourself doing in the game - I guarantee you. And by the time you finally realize what you’ve been doing wrong, you’ll already be shaking hands.

Instead, you want to be mentally and physically prepared ahead of time. Give yourself a chance to find that winning groove that you can simply carry over from practice right into your next match without having to change a thing. Bridging the gap between those two elements should be one of your ultimate goals!

That being said, you should really be pumped-up and excited when the drill segment comes around. Oh yea, I mean it. If you’re as serious as I know you are about winning matches more quickly and easier than ever before, then you should have a big smile on your face here instead of that “Awww, I don’t want to do this; I just wanna rally” look.

No I’m not crazy, despite what you may be thinking at this very moment. The reason why you should be excited is because by participating in drills, you’re actively making your chances at winning every match thereafter much more realistic instead of just some lofty goal or a far-fetched dream. How so?

As the world renown performance coach Anthony Robbins says, “Repetition is the mother of skill.” In other words, the more times you do something, the more it’s going to be ingrained in your mind and in your muscles and the easier it’ll become to replicate. As a result, you’ll eventually get to the point where you don’t even have to think twice about doing the necessary things needed for you to win (mechanical or strategic). It’ll become second nature to you.

Should you hit the ball cross court or down the line? Should you go for the ace or just get it in play? Should I pass him on the left or right side? What is the perfect amount of backspin I need to make this ball drop exactly where I want it? These are the types of questions you WON’T have to ask yourself. You’ll already know the answers.

This  also is extremely important, because I find one of the reasons why many players lose very winnable matches is because they’re having to think way too much. You can actually see it on their faces and in their body language. They’re utterly confused out there. And a big part of that reason is because they haven’t trained both their mind and body in practice. So, they’re having to constantly make adjustment after adjustment without being quite sure if what they’re doing is helping them or in fact hurting them.

QUESTION: Have you ever heard of the concept referred to as muscle memory?

Many use this term, but few really have a good understanding of its functionality and how it works. So, let me explain. Muscle memory is commonly described as a type of movement with which the muscles become more familiar over time.

For example, babies, when they’re first born, don’t have muscle memory for activities like crawling or walking. The only way for the muscles to become accustomed to these types of actions is for the baby to learn how to do these things and then practice them.

Gradually, as the baby becomes a skilled walker, he falls less, is able to balance, and figures out exactly what it needs to do to get a desired result time and time again.

This is the exact same in tennis. At first, you’ll have some trouble executing some of the necessary things to become successful. But once you get more and more familiar with them and do them more often, everything becomes much more clear to you and a lot easier to put into action so that you come out with the win. And the best part, you won’t find yourself having to guess. You’ll KNOW what works!

Check out one of my personal favorite drills for pressure situations below:

The whole idea behind practice is to get you ready for a real live match, to get over the anxiety, the uncertainty, and the confused feeling we get many times when placed in pressure situations. And that’s why drills and participating in them is so important. They give you that sense of comfort and “I’ve been here before feeling.”

Because let me tell you… If you’re not ready… If you don’t feel comfortable out there… It’ll show, believe me. Your opponent will become the shark who smells blood in the water and you’ll be the bait. And that’s no fun at all.

So, when your coach or hitting partner says on to the next drill, let’s see that big Kool-Aid smile shall we. I mean, even if he/she just has you rallying out there for the time being, I encourage you to politely make a request. Simply ask for at least one drill, even it’s only for 10 minutes, where you can really hone in and work on something specific.

If you do that, I guarantee that you’ll be showing more of those beautiful pearly whites after more and more matches as a result.

All the best,

Brian Hall, Head Coach
Tennis Mind Camp
webmaster@tennismindcamp.com