_ The purpose of this book is to help you become a totally ‘““‘CENTERED” player. This approach looks at tennis as the sum of four interrelated elements or games.
Game 1) The internal emotional game (the feelings such as pressure, excitement or calm which you might bring to the court) Game 2) The social game (the impact of your attitudes and self-concept, or how you come across to others) Game 3) The intellectual game (the what, when and how of tennis—includes applied techniques of tennis play, stroke production and strategy) and Game 4) The physical game (bodily movements involving fluidity, flexibility, and endurance)
In the past, the emphasis has been put on winning the physical game (Game 4) with emphasis on strokes. The other games were expected to fall into place or be picked up through experience and trial and error. My years as a tennis pro have shown me how limited and unsatisfactory such benign neglect can be!
My concern in writing this book is to help you reach your full potential and maximize your skills by integrating all the parts of the game to create a whole. The approach is geared to unifying all the elements into one single focus. Hence the name: Tennis CENTERING.
Tennis Centering involves a blending of your mind (as internal instructor) and your body (as sophisticated performer) for a style of consistent winning. The centered player wins the internal emotional game through possession of a positive self-image and control of tension or agitation. The centered player wins the social game through awareness of his impact on others in the game situation. This awareness enables him to exhibit the most productive behavior display for the match in question. The intellectual game is won by knowing when to incorporate appropriate game strategy and how to select the right stroke for the right situation. The physical game is won by developing fluidity, spinal flexibility, aerobic and anaerobic endurance. When you become a totally centered player you will be at one with yourself and your environment, and you will be able to put together a total performance rather than a segmented or partial one.
The payoff for understanding and integrating the four games of centered tennis is long-range and farreaching. It goes beyond a specific tally to create a climate for a wonderful capacity. When you become a centered player, you will function on a new level—beyond your expectations. Your performances will introduce you to ‘‘peak experiences’”’ (a term coined by the prominent humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow). I have devoted the following chapters to this
“going beyond the limitations of expectations.”’ It will be no secret when you reach this point. You will notice some or all of the following experiences:
Heightened sense of perception, keenness of thought and acuteness of vision Extraordinary clarity, the ability to perceive all the stimuli around you Extraordinary control over body movements, the ability to control muscular coordination and even pain Heightened reaction time, the ability to move faster than normal Precognition, the ability to predict the movement of an opponent, the ability to anticipate the ball’s flight pattern Communication between minds by means other than the usual sensory channels States of total relaxation, the experience of ‘restful awareness’ Feeling of lightness, perceptual weightlessness, moving quickly about the court without restriction Feeling of completion, being at one with the entire surroundings Feeling of joy, happiness, and well-being
All this sounds great, doesn’t it! It is, but it’s easier verbalized than achieved. You, no doubt, recognize some of the obstacles.
Low self-image, a feeling that we are less than we
~ should be, that we fail to live up to social expectations Self-degradation—counter-productive, self-defeating statements (for example: “How could you miss that shot, you dummy!”’ or “I knew I was going to lose.”
Low endurance—the inability to play for long periods of time, getting winded, experiencing muscle fatigue Fluidity and flexibility deficiencies—the inability to move gracefully and stretch to reach shots Deeply entrenched patterns of body movements— physical habits Judgmentalism—the constant appraisal of our self-image or worth Constant analysis of playing style, movement, and ability Anxiety—uneasiness or worry about our performance Concentration limitations—the inability to stay in the here and now during each point
Overcoming these obstacles is actually a great adventure. But don’t just take my words for it. Words are no substitute for actual experience. This book can only take you where you want to go if you use it asa guide.
Read the chapters one by one and absorb the information. Then practice the activities and exercises until they become a natural part of your style.
Persevere! Mastery of these skills takes both time and work; but, if you love tennis or just want to get more meaningfully involved, the effort expended is well worth it.
As you noted in the Introduction, three of the games that make up tennis are mental. Only one is physical. Not that being an “‘egg head”’ insures winning. But just possessing pure brute force and stamina are not enough either. The matter of the mind is vital if you wish to connect with a winning rhythm.
In fact, exploring the mind’s potential may be our newest frontier. Pioneering studies are being under-taken as I write. Some aspects of the mind matter that I will treat in this book are yet to be proven as absolute scientific doctrine; however, I have proven them over and over again in my years of playing and coaching tennis.
New Perspectives on the Mind-Body Relationship
An intense young executive helped me crystalize the concepts laid out in this chapter. It certainly wasn’t intentional, but as he earnestly worked his way through a practice session at one of my clinics, he tossed off a comment that said it all. “I’m just not having any fun with this game. I have half a mind not to try so hard!”’ That old cliché ran through me like an electric current. I had started writing and was trying to think of a way to incorporate the research being done on the two hemispheres of the brain into my experiences with tennis. Indeed, my young friend did have half a brain that could rescue him from his intense ‘‘trying’’—and I mean that most literally! All he had to do was tap it and open up a path leading to consistently better and more rewarding play. Let me explain.
The Two Hemispheres of the Brain
Recently, there has been a great deal of scientific and psychological study exploring the functions of the two hemispheres of the brain. The left hemisphere is normally the dominant side and primarily controls the right side of the body (right-handedness is dominant over left-handedness). As you might have guessed, the right hemisphere is primarily responsible for the left side of the body.
What is of particular interest to us here are the different kinds of mental processes delegated to each hemisphere. Studies indicate that the left hemisphere is language dominant. It deals primarily with speech and rational, complex thought patterns. It learns through words. On the other hand, the right hemisphere normally deals with intuition. It speaks in the language of touch and imagery, learns in whole forms and feelings, and is responsible for spatial creativity.
In the past, tennis teachers and coaches tended to teach to the left hemisphere exclusively. Words have been the main tool for helping a student master both stroke production and emotions. But, tennis is a fast, reflex game. What player could be expected to retrieve his coach’s precisely worded instructions when faced with a smashing backhand? ‘‘Now, let’s see. My racquet is supposed to be here and my body here.’”’ Obviously, the ball would have whizzed by before the first word could be thought! Can you imagine the amateur’s frustration and sense of appearing foolish over the missed shot? Perhaps, you’ve been there yourself. A totally different process takes place when a coach teaches through right brain imagery and explores the emotional aspects of the game. The calmly centered player forms a perfect stroke through the instant retrieval of an appropriate image. Then, because he has developed a relaxed awareness, he is in-stantly ready for the ball’s return.
I first became aware of right brain effectiveness and consistent peak experiences when playing music in the 60’s. While playing bass, I would sometimes hit notes or play bass runs that would bring me an intense sense of joy. It was as though I could see the colors of the notes and float calmly with the vibrations. I would become at one with the notes played by the other musicians. It was interesting how I and other musicians could play thousands of notes and blend them without making an error.
Later I realized that such a phenomenon of perfection was due to the right brain. I observed that musicians wouldn’t watch their instruments, nor did they constantly think about the notes.
Observe musicians yourself, and you will see them “‘feel”’ the notes often with eyes closed rather than
“think”’ the notes. If I had thought about each note (left brain rational thought), I couldn’t have played
“out of my head,”’ so to speak.
Hitting tennis balls with any kind of consistency is like playing an instrument or trying to dance. The harder you try, and the more you try to analyze the phenomena, the worse you do. You become inhibited by your own verbal instructions. If you feel what you are supposed to do, detached from constant verbal commands, you will not only eliminate negative emotions but also find that you are playing a peak performance. Your movements will be flowing instead of halting, and you will sense a oneness with the game and the environment.
We all have the potential to reach states where we consistently perform beyond our expectations. As you'll no doubt agree, that’s a pretty fair state to be in! Your experience with tennis has probably already taught you that when instruction and play involve only the left brain analytical process, certain obstacles shape up, and you may not even play near your potential.
Students who attempt to learn from teachers who give verbal commands often suffer from anxiety and even anger. Attempting to analyze large numbers of word commands in a sport that requires quick reflexes can be frustrating, to say the least.
The learner’s poor or inconsistent performance serves to trigger further inhibiting rational thought:
“Why can’t I get my racquet back?”’ “‘Let’s see now, do I turn and step, or step and turn?”
A poor or stilted performance starts a chain of events in the ‘“‘test tube’’ that is your body. Have you ever noted the relationship between certain physical states and anger or frustration? Your stomach tightens, your hands feel clammy, your heart thuds rapidly in your ears. These and similar phenomena are caused by a release of chemicals as a direct response to your primary emotion or sense of agitation.
Exclusion of the right hemisphere is a barrier which confines learning to one side of the brain thus limiting opportunities for play at or near potential.
Since getting there is an inside job, don’t “‘be half safe!’’ By using both hemispheres of the brain in the manner I suggest, you'll be tapping broader areas of your potential and be moving into new domains of mental and physica! capacities.
Let’s consider a traditional lesson in detail. Below we see the common learning process of a forehand
“O.K., Tom. First I want you to turn and bring your racquet back and down. That’s right! Now I want you to step with your left foot, point toward the ball and swing to eye level. That’s right. Turn. Now racquet back and down. Good. Step and hit to eye level. Again turn. Now racquet back and down. Step.
No, Tom. You have to get your racquet down. Now step. No, Tom. You have to step with your left foot. Now hit. Good, Tom. But I want you to finish at your eyes. O.K., Tom, racquet back, down, step. Tom did you point to the ball with your left hand? Now step and hit. Good, Tom. But you didn’t turn all the way.
Now Tom, you have to watch the ball. Turn, racquet back and down, step, hit. Tom, you’re not watching the ball. Good; Tom. You watched the ball but you forgot to get your racquet down. Now work on your own for a minute.”
“Now, Tom, I want you to go down the line with your forehand move. Take a volley, not an overhead.
Good, Tom. Now think of what you have to do.”’
‘‘Let’s see now, I turn, bring my racquet back and down, hit, move, hit the volley. Damn, I missed. O.K., turn. Let’s see, which foot do I step off of?—(left brain complex thought). Turn, hit. I forgot to get my racquet back. Turn, step, hit, go to the net. I missed. I never have been able to hit—(low self-image reinforced by past memories). O.K., turn, step, racquet back.
Hell, there I go again. I bet I look stupid—(low selfimage, muscles tighten, hands become clammy). I’ve always looked stupid in sports. Turn. Hell, I can’t even step now. Damn, damn, damn. Turn, hit, turn, step, racquet back. I blew it again. Damn!—(blood pressure rises, heart pounds). Turn, hit, turn, step, racquet back, damn, damn. Boy do I look dumb—(selfimage sinks to a new low). Turn, step, racquet back, damn—(blood pressure heightens, anxiety increases).
I can’t do it. I quit. Turn, racquet back, hit. I forgot to step. Turn, hit. I forgot to take the net. Turn. Hell, I can’t even hit the ball now.’’—(fatigue and anxiety take over). ‘‘I hate tennis, I hate this racquet. I hate my pro. I hate myself.”
Why swig a cocktail of self-criticism, anger, tension, and nerves when you're out for something more nourishing and pleasurable. This kind of ‘“‘cocktail’’ can literally erode your insides. Obviously, such a routine is counter-productive, and, as we said, there’s a better alternative.
The following chapters will explore this alternative. They will guide you over any barriers to a winning style through techniques that appeal to your right brain hemisphere. Many of the Eastern meditative arts and physical disciplines will be discussed from yoga postures to Zen breathing techniques. They are designed to help you achieve feelings of calmness, relaxation, heightened concentration and clarity.
The ultimate goal here is a mastery over your body with tennis as the medium. The tennis experience can lift you to new emotional and physical
“highs.’’ You'll soon be leaving all feelings of frustration, fear, anxiety, and aggression with your street clothes! Who needs them?
Because tennis is such a vigorous sport, you can’t expect to reach your peak if you only exercise the muscle between your ears. That masterful mind of yours must be housed in a well-conditioned and responsive body.
I have often marveled at the way club players can win the first two sets 6-0, 6-1, and lose the third and fourth sets 6-0, 6-0, due to lack of oxygen depth and lack of muscle endurance. I have also wondered at club players who remain in one area of the court mumbling, ‘‘I can’t,” as the ball passes four feet from their court position. It has saddened me to watch players move awkwardly about the court attacking themselves more intensely than the ball through selfcriticism and memories of past athletic failures. Moreover, I am constantly amazed at the lack of body preparation I see at the club level and even at the touring pro level. The typical player will do a few deep knee bends, hit thirty balls, and say with naive eagerness, ‘‘Want to play a set?’’ These same players will often suffer from sprained ankles, twisted knees, torn cartilage, and tennis elbow.
The tennis adventure involves stretching your body’s capacities as well as your mind’s. Most of us live in a rather sedentary world propelling ourselves from place to place in automobiles; so, for the total picture of our fitness and health, the requirements for winning tennis’ Game 4, The Physical Game, are well worth mastering.
Let’s leave your psyche for a while and attend to your physique.
In tennis, three elements comprise the physical game.
1) Endurance—Your capacity to play for long periods of time without muscle and oxygen depth exhaustion 2) Fluidity—Graceful movements across the court and smooth approaches to the net 3) Flexibility—The capacity to stretch for volleys, reach difficult ground strokes and hit high on serves and difficult volleys. (Flexibility will be discussed in depth in Chapter Three)
Aerobic and Anaerobic Preparation for Endurance
To overcome injury and the “third set 6-0, 6-0” trap of exhaustion, you must train in both aerobics and anaerobics. Aerobic training builds strength in the muscular and cardiovascular system while anaerobic training builds the body’s ability to utilize oxygen.
Aerobic conditioning should be emphasized when the muscles tire before the oxygen runs out, and anaerobic conditioning should be emphasized when the oxygen depth is exhausted before the muscles tire.
Since tennis is a game of both muscle strength and oxygen depth, proper training integrates both aerobic and anaerobic conditioning.
When you first start your conditioning program, work on aerobics as a base until your muscular system can endure long workouts. After five to seven weeks, move toward anaerobic conditioning. Don’t let the time element put you off, since the quality of your life as well as the quality of your tennis is at stake.
One of the best forms of aerobic training is jogging. Unless you’ve worn blinders in bookstores lately, you probably already knew that! At any rate, jogging is a great way to build your cardiovascular and muscular system. But, don’t expect to start out running a marathon! Begin with a short run with a goal of achieving a ten-minute-mile. If you’re healthy enough to run (check with a doctor if you have any questions), such a goal is quite reasonable.
As you jog, run loosely and avoid clenching your fists and jaws and keep your spine relaxed. Run lightly with a heel to toe rocking motion. If possible, run on grassy areas rather than hard pavement to avoid shocking your spine. For more than these brief tips, check out any of the popular literature on the subject.
For the sake of your tennis game, jogging four days a week is quite adequate. After five to seven weeks, you can start your anaerobic program; but, you must first build a muscular base.
Building oxygen depth can also be achieved best through the exercise of jogging. However, you might consider swimming or rope skipping. In anaerobic conditioning, you could also incorporate sprinting and/or running up stairs or hills into your program.
Distance and/or time span can best be determined by your own personal judgment.
After seven weeks or so, incorporate aerobic and anaerobic conditioning into your tennis game. Start by jogging loosely for about two blocks, and then sprint for one block. After you have jogged two blocks and sprinted one block, walk for a final block. In this manner, you will correlate your endurance training to the actual play situation of groundstroke, net attack, and the walk back to the service area after the finish of the point.
The Aid of Imagery and Feeling
‘Wait a minute!” I hear you saying. ‘‘All this running and jumping sounds like hard work. Didn’t you say you had a method that would rescue me from the frustration and pain of such intense ‘trying?’ What about that ‘inside job’ where psyche helps physique? Would right brain imagery help me here?”’
You can bet your running stripes on it! But before you do, here are some images for you to play with:
Just before you begin your daily endurance and fluidity training, close your eyes and imagine yourself running gracefully along a forest path. You should be able to see this happening in your head just as clearly as if you were watching yourself on film or a videotape. Shift the image if you like and run as an Olympic runner would. Next, imagine an animal in the forest.
Allow yourself to ‘“‘become’’ that animal and run as the animal would. Now, start your run and keep in mind the image you enjoyed most. You are that image and are running more easily and gracefully than you have ever done before. When you tire, imagine a gust of wind at your back gently prodding you along. Allow it to carry you forward. With the wind’s help, you don’t have to expend so much energy.
In your second day of running, imagine that you are on the moon. Take bounding steps and notice how you experience a sense of lightness. As you begin your jogging, focus your awareness on your footsteps. Imagine that with each step you are propelled like the astronauts without the usual pull of gravity. Another technique involves coordinating an image with your breathing. Picture yourself at a beach, noticing the ebb and flow of the surf. As you exhale, visualize the waves rolling back out to sea. When you inhale, visualize them being pulled back up the beach. Ebb and flow. Ebb and flow. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale.
Now consider an exercise in feeling. Start your jog by walking, and focus your awareness on your feet. Take four steps to one breath, and center your attention on your feet as they touch the ground. After several minutes, start jogging and scan your body for tension. Relax your shoulders and your jaw. Make sure that the tongue and your mouth are relaxed and that your forehead is smooth and unfurrowed. As you jog for distance, scan your body for pain. If you notice any particular discomfort, pinpoint it, and with every exhalation imagine that you are exhaling it right out of your body. Listen to your body and “‘feel’’ what it is like to run. Focus on your energy and the warmth and glow in all your limbs.
Many joggers find that after they have run two or three miles they experience a euphoric feeling of lightness—an emotional and energy “‘high.’’ It’s as if they could run all day. This peak experience has been described over and over again. It can be enhanced through feelings and visual imagery.
If you watch tennis on television, you will note that in the slow motion playbacks, the pros seem to be dancing rather than playing a vigorous sport. There’s a simple reason for this. Tennis is actually nothing more than a dance—and, a very simple dance at that.
However, the movements are so critical to successful play, that in every workshop I spend at least a two hour session or 1/4 of my time teaching them! I start out showing students strokes, but tossing balls for specific returns is not the name of the game. That’s why I’ve been so concerned with endurance, fluidity and now with movement.
You can cover the entire baseline court in three steps, providing you are standing at the baseline area. The choreography takes you from one ready position to another. To do this all-important three-step dance, start in the ready position by facing the net and bending your knees. For a forehand drive, move right/step, right/turn, left/step—a slide-one-two movement. To do this correctly, shuffle (don’t lift) your feet and click your heels—right/step (click), right/turn (the foot turns and heels click) and take your left step towards the ball. On the backhand, the three-step shuffle takes you to the left side of the court. Slide left (click), left turn (heels touch), right step. Actually, if you’re standing in the center of the baseline, by means of this one shuffle movement you can hit any ball that’s on the court.
Without knowledge of this shuffle dance, players run to hit a ball, but after impact are off balance and not ready for a split-second move to the return. What makes the dance so efficient is that (1) the turn gets the racquet back early and (2) you finish the movement with the back toe still on the ground for a balanced step in any direction. The constant motion of the dance not only keeps you from fighting the trap of inertia on court but also the one of hitting the ball and stopping to see if it goes in. If you do stop, you'll end up running to compensate and your power posture is lost. You never want to lose your natural rhythm or momentum. All you have to do is learn this motion and you can start playing like a champion! If your living (or any) room is big enough, practice the forehand and backhand dance there. You could play a waltz and move to the triple-time beat. It’s good exercise and great fun, and unless you’re in a workshop or clinic setting, it’s rather nice to practice to music. But, I can’t stress enough—however you practice, PRAC- TICE! The dance gives you confidence that you can get to any ball. So practice it with the confidence that it will enable you to reach any shot—that it is much more efficient than running after balls.
take more or less than the basic two slide shuffles that
I’ve described. But whether you take one or four slides, always finish your movement with the back foot planted. Then step across your body to the net pole, and finish your move with the toe of the back foot grounded. This sense of your own choreography comes with play and practice.
hit the ball at waist height from low to high even if it means to retreat. Thus, the backwards movement is a valuable part of your repertoire. The only differences in the backward motion are that you (1) pivot with your side turned to the net and (2) alter the angle of your slide motion to the backward direction. As you slide backwards, where the ball bounces at waist level, plant your back foot, then step across your body to the net pole, lob, and complete the move with the back toe grounded.
In both the lateral sliding motion and the backward sliding motion, we are really effectively developing a sense of rhythm which is a key element of tennis and one of the major functions of right brain learning.
While the tennis ‘‘dance’’ keeps the body rhythmically in motion, I like to use the image of a tank for further refinement of fluidity and form. A tank is admittedly a strange image, but bear with me. Your approach shots will benefit. First, as you hit a short ball from mid-court, follow the ball’s direction with your approach movement. Stay low as you move, and you will increase your reaction time and avoid the awkwardness of raising and lowering your body as well.
Imagine that you are a tank as you move. Stay low to the ground. Be aggressively determined, and keep your ‘‘firing mechanism”’ (tennis racquet) in front of you ready for action. The three-step dance is “mellow,” but the tank is a ‘“‘no fooling around” hurry-up movement to get to the ball efficiently and fast.
Kick the judging and analyzing habit! Give the left hemisphere of your brain a rest. It should not in-terfere with the images that are being produced from the right hemisphere. As you run for distance and you
“‘dance’’ on court, give your left hemisphere an object for its concentration. For example, when you jog select a tree in the distance or focus on the wind. If your mind continues to chatter with too many disquieting thoughts, place your concentration on your breath. The rhythm of your inhaling and exhaling is a constant part of you and thus an ideal focus for your attention. What you are doing here is essentially entertaining the left hemisphere of your brain, so it will be too busy to sabotage your best efforts with doubts. This is what happens in Tennis Centering. There just isn’t room for comments like, ‘‘I can’t play so aggressively. I’m a woman.” For any peak performance you want to short-circuit the self-image, ‘‘I can’t! I never have before!”’ barrier. Once you have quieted your mind, you can focus all your energy on the here and now where the past is irrelevant, and from this point on, anything is possible.
The following incomplete statements pertain to your physical preparation for tennis. The exercise is designed to make you aware of your physiology and your preparation for tennis encounters. This section is designed especially for those people who wish to play tennis for health or for competition.
When I prepare for tennis, I normally spend minutes warming up my body for the court.
When I prepare for tennis, I normally spend minutes warming up in stroke production.
When I prepare my body for tennis, I normally use the__————Cs—CS technique for warming up.
long distances.
short distances. long and short distances. 222. sprints: What I would like most to change in my physical preparation is
How do I normally prepare myself physically Bert Cle a
How do I normally prepare myself mentally for tennis?
I use role images __—SSSs— « Whom? I use mental rehearsals
Endurance and fluidity are major components of “Winning Tennis.’”’ Another crucial element is flexibility. In Tennis Centering, this means being able to stretch—both physically and mentally. This chapter is full of exercises intended to help you do just that. I have divided it into two sections which you will find are interrelated.
Section I is devoted to limbering exercises designed to strengthen your spine and make it more supple so you can reach for difficult shots. Section II is designed to strengthen your capacity for mind control so you can reach toward new levels of awareness. The reward for mastery of these exercises is increased flexibility and decreased tension and strain. Many of my students have used them to discard stiffness for agility and physical rigidity for heightened enjoyment, imagination, and a new physical and emotional sense
The ability to s-t-r-e-t-c-h is one of the basic tennis tools. My years of observing professional play has proven this fact over and over again. I’ve noted that one of the primary differences between a B level player and an A level player is the latter’s ability to stretch for difficult shots. Proper stretching allows a player to reach such refined shots as the down-the-line backhand volley, the mid-court volley, plus a sophisticated serve which requires height. To advance your present play level and to transcend your limits, spinal flexibility is a must. And yoga, one of the finest ways to achieve it, has a track record of thousands of years! Yoga is a form of physical exercise that involves mind control and concentration and leaves the practitioner feeling a sense of renewed vitality and ‘‘oneness”’ with his body. All picture postcard swamis aside, the purpose of yoga is not to get you all tied up in knots. Its purpose is to “‘untie you’’—to release tension, tone your muscles and tap fountains of pent-up energy.
If the prospect of staying young and agile and increasing levels of concentration appeals to you, you'll have more than tennis to motivate you here. Many of my tennis students have incorporated the following exercises into their daily routines because of countless benefits in all aspects of their lives.
The yoga postures I describe have been carefully selected out of hundreds of possibilities. Still, these few provide a well-integrated routine that will add reach to your serves, volleys, groundstrokes, and overhead. They will provide you with the little extras you need to become a master player. The exercises that follow will help you to learn control over each muscle and will facilitate your fluidity training. Moreover, their practice will help you raise endurance thresholds which are effected by pulse rate, oxygen consumption, and tension. As I see it, yoga is the blending tool of Tennis Centering. It develops four major ingredients of the game: endurance, fluidity, flexibility, and mind control. Because of their value in the mind/body relationship, I recommend that you use your postures or stretching positions before each tennis encounter.
When you practice the following postures, do not overexert yourself. Yoga is a non-competitive experience, a physical culture system unlike the sweat and strain calisthenics your P.E. teacher drilled into you. Always stretch slowly and let your body “‘tell”’ you its limitations. Tune in to your muscles for an honest appraisal of any resistance or strain. Deep, rhythmic breathing will help you attain the more difficult postures. Exhale as you go down and inhale as you come up.
I do these yoga stretches before every tennis encounter or else twice a day—once in the morning before breakfast and once in the evening before dinner suits me best. Of course, we all have different schedules; however, one item is a must—avoid practicing your postures with a full stomach or a full bladder.
That will very literally ‘‘cramp your style.”
Begin your yoga routine by sitting comfortably on the floor and centering your attention on your breathing. Breathe deeply, through your nose, expanding your lungs and balooning your stomach with each inhalation (the way relaxed infants breathe) and contracting your stomach tightly with each full exhalation. Close your eyes and feel the lower, middle, and top part of your lungs filling with air as you inhale and then emptying, in reverse order, as you exhale.
Place your hands, fingers lightly touching, on your abdomen. As you breathe, notice how your fingertips move apart and come together again. This is a deep yoga breath. Concentrate on the rhythm of your inhale-exhale pattern and count fifty breaths— twenty-five inhalations, twenty-five exhalations. Keep your mind focused on your breathing, and when random thoughts enter your consciousness, let them drift aside and refocus on your breath pattern. This is actually a type of meditation which can be both relaxing and energizing.
Next, assume a lying down position. Close your eyes and bring both knees over your midsection. Clasp your hands around your knee caps and relax. Allow your mind to float. Let those random thoughts drift through, but try to keep them positive. A good way to achieve positive mental control is to imagine that with every inhalation, you are bringing renewed energy into your body, and with every exhalation you are sending out all impurities and releasing all tensions. When you feel relaxed, slowly lower your legs until you are once more lying flat and outstretched. This simple relaxation exercise is effective because it creates total spinal-structural alignment and allows the blood to flow freely without constriction. When you complete it, you may experience a burst of energy.
Continue to remain flat on your back with your eyes closed. Slowly raise your right leg 5 inches off the ground and move your foot around in a circular motion, first clockwise and then counterclockwise. Then s-l-o-w-l-y return your right leg to the floor. Repeat the same process with your left leg. This procedure is an excellent conditioner for vulnerable ankles and will help fortify them against sprains and twists on the tennis court (or anywhere else for that matter).
When you feel rested, lift both legs and your upper torso 3 inches above the ground. Hold this position for a few seconds. Then raise your head and legs 6 inches above the ground. Now lift legs and torso to the point of strain. Slowly return to 6 inches, then 3 inches and finally to the resting position. Deep breathe, inhaling completely through your nose and then expelling all stale air in a “‘cleansing”’ breath through your mouth. Relax a minute or two and move on to the next exercise.
Slowly bring your right leg to your chest and lock your hands around your knee cap. Pause and then bring your forehead to your knee, allowing the left leg to lift 3 inches off the ground. Hold this position as long as you comfortably can. Then, slowly lower your head and left leg. Now lower your right leg to the floor. Repeat this process with your left leg, allowing the right leg to lift 3 inches off the ground. After you have completed this exercise, exhale, and relax. This exercise tones stomach, neck, and back.
The next exercise is good for stimulating blood flow. From your prone position, bring both knees over your midsection. Slowly lift both legs together until your body is pulled up into a vertical position. Hold yourself in position by supporting your back with your hands and taking your weight on the elbows and upper arms. Press your chin tightly to the chest. Breathe naturally and try to stay as straight as possible. In this inverted position, circulation to the head improves, giving your face more glow and your mind more clarity. When you are ready to come out of this pose, slowly lower your legs over your head until your feet touch the floor behind. Bring your arms back and try to grasp your outstretched toes. Concentrate on the rhythm of your breathing to help you hold this pose. When you have held it as long as you feel comfortable, return into the shoulderstand position. Finally, come down slowly—one vertebra at a time. Relax with your arms resting by your sides. Defy the pull of gravity again by smiling! Without tremendous exertion, you have done worlds to help stimulate and improve your circulation as well as stretching and limbering your entire spine.
I like to vary the shoulderstand with some stretching variations. When my body is in a vertical position, I bend my legs approximately 8 inches to the right and then repeat the process on the left. After coming back into the shoulderstand I bring my right leg down over my head until the toes touch the floor.
This is repeated with the other foot and then with both feet together. I always finish by returning to the vertical position and then coming down to a prone position as slowly as possible, one vertebra at a time. The basic shoulderstand position and variations are great mind and body stretchers. Actually, the increased blood flow to my head does act to refresh my mind and clear away any cobwebs so I’m ready for action.
The next set of exercises is done from the sitting position. The first one is a pose which stretches leg muscles and gives added flexibility to the hip joints.
e Sit crosslegged and erect. Then extend your right leg and bring your left foot to the inner part of your right thigh so that the sole rests against it. Inhale. Raise your arms and stretch them high above your head and concentrate on raising your energy level, too. Then exhale and bend forward to clasp the ankle of your extended foot. Pull your head down so it touches your knee, and hold this position as long as possible. Deep breathe. To come out of this pose, release your ankle and think of yourself as a rag doll bringing your arms, relaxed and limp, back to the knee and slowly returning to your erect sitting position. Try to feel energy flowing up from the base of the spine as it becomes erect. Repeat the procedure by extending your left leg and bringing your right foot to your left inner thigh. Inhale as you stretch your arms over your head and exhale as you stretch forward to clasp your ankle. As before, return to your erect sitting position when your body ‘“‘tells’’ you the stretch has been sufficient.
e Exercise Two, the Spinal Twist, sounds more complicated than it is. It is one posture which works on twisting the spine instead of bending it in either a forward or reverse direction. First, assume an erect cross-legged sitting position. Fold the right foot in underneath your left thigh and step over the right knee with the left leg. Rest the right elbow against the outside of the left knee. Slowly raise the left arm up over your head, and twist around behind so you can place the hand flat on the floor behind your back. Follow the movement of your left arm with your head and look behind you as far over your left shoulder as you can. Hold this posture for at least one minute and tune into your breathing. To come out of this posture, inhale as you raise the left arm and follow it up back around in front of you while you exhale. Now, change position to give your spine a twist in the opposite direction. Fold the left leg under, and step over it with the right. Bring your left arm around to reach over the outside of your right knee. Inhale up with the right hand and follow it around behind you as you exhale and place the palm flat on the floor behind you. Keep your head up and turn your chin as far as you can over the right shoulder. Deep breathe. Inhale back up with the right arm, following it back around in front of you as you exhale. Now bring both knees up in front of you. Wrap your arms around them and put your head on them to relax.
If you can get someone who has taken yoga to make sure you are doing this pose correctly, it might be a good idea. This is just another instance of an exercise made more complicated by words. It really should be seen and felt. Its benefits are great and can actually be sensed almost immediately in spinal flexibility and increased vitality. The spinal twist is excellent for releasing tension between the shoulder blades, and it also keeps the hip joints flexible.
In your standing posture, you should first warm up your arms by clasping your hands behind your neck and writing your name in the air with your elbows. This will loosen tense shoulder muscles.
e For Exercise One, the Triangle Pose, you first stand erect with your feet spread about three feet apart and your arms outstretched from your sides. Bring your right arm in a wide arc over your head until it rests against your head and is parallel to the floor. Coordinate this movement with a side bend to the left. To get a good stretch and pull those long side muscles, touch the floor with your flattened palm.
Repeat the process on the right side of your body. Note that this position looks a great deal like the positions you occupy when you have to get out of the way of a volley directed toward your body.
e Exercise Two is a routine that is called the Sun Dance or Salute to the Sun. It has twelve basic movements to it—one for each month of the year. As you do this Sun Dance, try and maintain a smooth flow of motions coordinated with your breathing. To begin, stand straight with your hands in front of your chest in a prayer position. Exhale deeply. Then inhale as you stretch your arms up over your head and arch back. Now exhale and do a forward bend, fingers down in a straight line with your toes. Inhale as you stretch one leg back. That knee is down. Keep your head tilted up. Retain the breath as the other leg goes back—body in a straight line. Next, come down to rest on your knees and your elbows. Rock back toward your hips. Then inhale, and slide through your arms
(moving like a snake)—forehead, nose and chin touching the floor. Finally, arch back like a cobra with your head up and chin jutted forward. Exhale and lift the hips straight up so your body is making an inverted
“V.” In this position, try to push your heels down into the floor. Inhale as you bring one leg up into a sprinting position. The other leg is still back. Exhale as you bring the other leg forward. Assume a forward bending pose—head to knees. Inhale, stretching up and arching back. Exhale as you come to an erect standing position with your arms down at your sides. You may repeat this sequence two or three more times as you wish. It is excellent for flexing and toning the total body.
e The Tension and Release sequence I use is a particularly good tennis preparation. Lie down on the floor, flat on your back. Center on your breathing for a few moments. Then bring your upper and lower torso off the ground. Bring your arms out in front of you, and make a fist. Consciously contract all the muscles in your body. Hold this position for the muscle stretch and tension to be fully experienced. Then relax the contraction completely—at once and with no hesitation. Return to the prone position, exhaling as you lie down. Feel the warm waves of relaxation flow through your body. Purposefully contracting the muscles before relaxing will increase your ability to feel the contrast between tension and relaxation. This will provide you a stronger frame of reference for feeling the absence of tension. In fact, your muscles become more deeply relaxed if they are tensed first.
Work these few yoga postures into a frequent routine and you will note that you are feeling more relaxed and yet have more energy. With increased muscular control and spinal flexibility, you can look forward to playing tennis with more coordination and less tension. Yoga will guide you to peak experiences such as mastery over your body.
Until now, you may have never thought much about the workings of your mind/body complex. As for me, until recently, I pictured myself rather simply as a network of muscles “‘draped’’ over another network of bones coordinated and directed by a computer-like brain. But my growing interest in the mind/body complex, my yoga routines, as well as readings in the area of psychic phenomena uncovered a new dimension in the area of my physical and emotional workings. There’s far more to us individuals than suggested by our “‘rigging!”’
Studies have revealed that the human organism is a mass of energy which generates waves that can be felt, seen or sensed by the highly sensitive individual. Weare, in effect, a complexity of molecules and atoms which generate current. Our bodies generate and transmit electromagnetic waves that change with our emotions and physical condition. At all times we are surrounded by a force field tangible enough to be photographed with the right equipment. In fact, we humans happen to be “‘current events!”’
Many researchers feel that what once were considered psychic traits such as extra-sensory perception, telepathy, and precognition are really nothing more than heightened levels of awareness and sensitivity to the force field of electrical energy generated and transmitted by our bodies.
From personal experience in tennis, I believe this is true. I have worked to expand my awareness so that
I can tune in to an opponent’s or partner’s energy field. My ‘“‘antennae”’ often receive cues from other players, foretelling their actions. As you can imagine, this kind of ‘‘psychic psyching”’ is invaluable in tennis.
The sound and fury of modern life is not exactly conducive to developing our acuity levels. A wide range of sensory stimuli constantly bombards and overwhelms our senses. For this reason, we often close out distractions (the noise of the city, the sound of traffic, the blare of radio or T.V.) and restrict our awareness. Shutting off this sensory overload is a defense mechanism; but we may just shut off too much. There are many subtle sights and sounds that we have grown blind and deaf to—the delicate, intricacy of wildflowers and the quiet babbling of a stream, the subtle change of expression on the face of family member or neighbor. Naturally, the same is true on the tennis court. We often miss the sound of the ball, the feel of the racquet, the rhythm of the tennis
“dance’’ and the cues other players are sending us.
The same energy awareness that I have experienced in tennis has been substantiated by many athletes in other sports. Many football, basketball, baseball, and soccer players have claimed to be able to read a play before it occurred—often at the deciding moment of the game! More than a few joggers claim heightened awareness of their environment after they have jogged for five or six miles. This concept may at first seem strange; however, there is really nothing particularly unusual about it. After all, some of us are more intelligent than others, some of us can see better than others, and some of us can feel more effectively than others. To the end of cultivating your sensitivity,
I offer a few exercises to develop or refine your own energy awareness.
As you practice the following exercises, concentrate on feeling them not on analyzing them.
e Collecting Your Energy. A simple and most useful exercise is one I call ‘“The Zipper.’ Stand erect, and take a few full breaths. On about the third inhalation, make a zipping motion through the air in front of your body. Thumb to index finger, lift your hand through an area from your arms farthest extension below your waist to a spot ten inches or so over your head. Concentrate on the idea of keeping all your energy ‘‘zipped in,’ rather than scattered or diffused randomly around you. Once you have collected your own energy, you can selectively focus on areas outside your personal space.
-e Sensing the Energy Field. Heightening the energy connection between you and your partner can be invaluable. It can make you an exceptional team.
To heighten this connection, begin by exercising your internal radar system. First have your partner close his eyes or blindfold him and lead him through a series of obstacles. Now that sight has been taken away, it is more likely that your partner can feel the energy around him. Allow the novelty to wear off, so don’t rush this exercise. Guide your partner close to a tree or stream to see if he can label the obstacle as well as determine its location. Have your partner conduct you through a similar “‘energy’’ walk. For the sensitive and aware, inanimate objects give off vibrations, too!
e Anticipating Your Partner’s Energy. When you play doubles, heighten your awareness of your partner’s energy. Try and feel his location. Imagine that you have an electrical tuning device in the back of your head while you are standing at the net. Concentrate on having this device pick up your partner’s movements.
e Sensing Your Opponent. As you warm up, concentrate on your opponent’s energy. Can you feel it?
Try and predict his moves before he makes them. Make sure that you are in control of your own energy flow so that you will be freer to sense the vibrations of all the others around you.
e Heightening Your Awareness and Sensitivity. One of the best exercises for heightening self-awareness is to center on your breathing. To do this, make certain you will not be subject to any outside distractions. I like to sit in a comfortable cross-legged position and close my eyes as I begin a rhythmic inhalation and exhalation. With each inhalation, I concentrate on drawing 100% pure, positive energy into my system. As I exhale, I release all negative emotions—anything that might be draining on my energy. This process helps me to get in touch with my feelings and to bring to the surface of my consciousness any anxieties or nagging doubts I may have supressed. Once recognized, I can let them float away and replace them, as I inhale, with the healthy and vital energy that is always there, always flowing, ready for me to take into my body and store at my will. The breathing part, of course, is extremely easy to perform. More difficult is to train the mind to work with and for you. Once I feel totally full of positive energy, I visualize myself expanding with every breath, becoming a pulse and filling the entire room. This literally makes me feel expansive and gives me a buffer zone to external disturbances. If you were to drop a tray of dishes near me before I did this exercise, I’d be likely to jump a mile. The same sound afterwards wouldn’t be so
“shattering.” I’d accept it in a calm and easygoing frame of mind as I set about to help pick up the pieces.
When I become aware of my own vibrations, it is far easier for me to tune in to the ‘‘vibes”’ of others.
Thus, I pick up on and accept good “‘vibes”’ and can seal myself off and be detached from negative
‘“‘vibes.’’ I become far more sensitive to the emotional nourishment I give myself. In tennis, this helps me pick up on all the energy sources around me and be selective about the ones I wish to concentrate on—the ball, my partner, and my opponents.
Emotional control separates winners from losers, good strokes from bad strokes, advanced levels of play from intermediate levels of play, and last but not least, enjoyment from pain. Loss of control can be highly dramatic (when racquets are broken, tears are shed, and angry words are hurled about) or mildly traumatic (resulting in a quiet, brooding sulk). Neither are necessary.
The emotionally tight or tense player functions a bit like a car that has run out of oil. His movements are no longer fluid and smooth, he tightens up, and his temper may climb to the boiling point. The feeling of tension restricts movement because muscular extension is shortened. The same motion takes extra energy and effort.
In the last chapter, we discussed tension and release—but out of the context of competitive play.
First things first. Feeling tension in your body is the first step to controlling it! The player in a calm, relaxed and positive frame of mind has a tremendous advantage over the player who is agitated and apprehensive.
The reasons for losing emotional control often appear to be less than world-shaking. A bad call, an easy shot missed, a noise distraction, or a capricious breeze blowing the ball out of play may be enough to knock a
player off balance. However, disequilibrium was probably already set in motion because of one or all of these four overriding emotions: (1) fear (2) anxiety (3) anger and/or (4) anticipation of stress. In my years of experience, I have found that these sources of disequilibrium can be isolated and overcome.
e Fear, bordering on panic, may overwhelm a player when he knows he has difficulty with certain strokes. Students very often lose control when their pro suddenly hits to their weak spot. A long, confident rally may come to a quick halt with a surprise backhand, lob or volley.
e The fear-panic syndrome is by no means reserved for novice players. It also trips up more seasoned players. You may be able to empathize with the following example of Bob, an advanced player, as he begins to clutch:
The score is a set apiece, and Bob is leading 5-1, match point. Even though behind, his opponent, Mike seems to be very composed as he hits a hard-driving shot down the line for a winner. The voice inside him says, ‘‘Play one point at a time.’’ Mike continues to play each point with a relaxed style, and suddenly the set is even at 5-5. He serves three aces in a row and wins the game for a 6-5 lead.
Bob realizes that he has lost control of the match at 5-3, and he is frustrated over losing his 5-1 lead. He begins to panic. The thoughts that run through his mind could almost be scripted:
‘‘Man, I’ve choked! What a dummy! He’s got the momentum on his side now. How can I win? What if he aces me again? What if he goes down the line?
What if he lobs? How can I face my girl friend after this? I feel nervous, and I just can’t get hold of myself.”’
The match ends. Mike has come from behind to defeat Bob 7-5 in the third set. The difference between
Bob and Mike is not one of smooth strokes nor even strategy or ball control. The difference in this game was the fact that Mike had the ability to control his emotions under pressure, and Bob did not.
e Anxiety is another self-defeating emotion as evidenced by another familiar example:
Several years ago I coached John, a fine player who warmed up like a top-ranked player. In fact, John was probably the finest warm-up player in the United
States; but, when his matches began, he would slip almost unconsciously into a state of anxiety. His jaw would become set, his shoulders would tighten and his racquet control would diminish. John should have played number one on the team, but instead played either fifth or sixth. John had all the strokes, but he lacked the emotional control to be a winner.
e Anger can also plague a sensitive player, turning his sporting arena into a high-risk area.
While playing intercollegiate tennis in the 60’s, I once played a man who was winning the match at 5-0,
40-love in the third set. At this point I felt I had nothing to lose, so I began to hit out and take the net. Thirty minutes later, I won the set and match 7-5. My opponent first began to cry, then he broke his racquet, tore at his hair, beat the fence, and stormed off the court in a fit of anger.
Two years ago, I was hit in the head by a flying racquet launched some thirty-five yards by one of the players I was coaching after he missed one easy shot.
(He hadn’t aimed his racquet at me). Accounts of rage and anger could fill a library!
e Anticipation of stress is a state that threatens most of us—on and off the tennis court. Most individuals, it is believed, can handle stress adequately; but, our bodies begin to react adversely when we anticipate stressful situations. In tennis, it is easier to play a tie-breaker than it is to anticipate having to play one. In everyday life, it is easier physiologically to deal with a crisis such as death or divorce than it is to anticipate the crisis.
Tennis seems to bring out Jekyll and Hyde characteristics in all too many players. The Jekyll and
Hyde Syndrome is directly linked to a mechanism known as “‘fight-flight.”” This behavior pattern may be responsible for our survival as a species. There were times after all when we had to confront or flee packs of wolves, a saber-toothed tiger or two, or an unfriendly neighborhood band of roving barbarians. Then the burst of adrenalin flow, the tensed muscles, speeded heartbeat, and/or disrupted digestive process readied us for super-normal action. If our forebears hadn’t been able to wipe out dangers or high-tail it away from them, we wouldn’t be around today. But these same physiological responses that saved our forebears from physical threats can be triggered off in us by emotional or ego threats. And that usually spells trouble! The threat of being beaten by a super-cool opponent or vanquished by a specific shot can rouse our own
““fight-flight”’ response at the most civilized country club in the world! This defense mechanism is rarely helpful in a competitive situation. Then our body alarm system becomes itself a cause for alarm; for, it disrupts concentration and controlled body flow.
Fear, anxiety, anger, and anticipation all trigger the ‘‘fight-flight’’ mechanism. The emotional control program outlined in the remainder of this chapter will help you short-circuit these counter-productive emotions. The process involves curbing the judging,
“sports commentator” broadcasting from the left hemisphere of your brain and encouraging the imagery and feeling capacity of the right hemisphere.
Let’s expand relaxation possibilities before we start. We’re all familiar with the sportscaster—the know-it-all voice from the sidelines. S/he’s great at building up anxiety and suspense. ‘‘Can Joe handle the overhead? Or, ‘“‘Jill! What’s your problem? You should be over that service slump!”’ Note, that these are verbal aspects; thus, they are dominated by words. They reflect unreal expectations for us as players to be mistake free—impossible, because the whole game of tennis is made up of mistakes!
The minute you hear the words inside your head: “can’t,” “should,” ‘“‘must,” ‘have to,” be aware that you’re generating an unrealistic or impossible situation which will guarantee that you will experience increased pressure and discomfort. In addition, you will be expending valuable energy (emotions take energy, too) that could be applied to other more enjoyable pursuits.
The way to protect yourself from such emotional undermining and energy loss is to substitute the words ‘‘want”’ or “‘prefer’’ or “‘rather’’ (I want to get this serve in vs. I have to get it in) in your expressions of desire. You will then be giving yourself a request rather than a demand, which is really all that you can ever hope to do.
A most revealing exercise is to log (or have a friend log for you) the number of times you say selves right into the ground. It’s O.K. to be disappointed with errors or mistakes—that’s perfectly legitimate—but, to be damned because of them wastes excess energy. Consider your own energy conservation policy and what you can do to keep it flowing. You’ve got an ecology, too! As long as you can, why not give yourself a hospitable environment for growth.
You were introduced to controlled breathing exercises in Chapter III. Centering on breathing has many benefits: (1) it keeps the mind from wandering to external distractions; (2) it increases oxygen consumption; (3) it tunes you in to your own body rhythm; and
(4) it is tranquilizing. Go back to the yoga breathing exercise described on pg. 24. Add to deep breathing cycles a variation by using alternate nostrils. To increase oxygen intake place your index finger against your right nostril. Block the passage and breathe in and out through your left passage. Repeat the same process by blocking your left passage and inhale and exhale through the right nostril. You should now have both passages cleared, and your breathing will become more oxygen efficient.
Now lie down and relax. Close your eyes and inhale to a slow count of eight and exhale to a slow count of eight. Remain relaxed for about a minute, and again inhale to a slow count of eight. Hold your breath to a count of twelve and then slowly exhale to a count of eight. Relax for two minutes before you continue. Now resume your sitting position, legs crossed and spine upright. Roll your head to the right slowly.
Inhale as you roll your head up, chin above shoulder and exhale as you roll it back down. Continue this process for two minutes, and reverse the direction of your turn. Repeat inhaling as you lift your head and exhaling as you lower it. After two minutes let the head fall forward on the chest. Keep your eyes closed and
“float’’ in a relaxed state.
After two minutes of complete relaxation, center your awareness on your breathing again, and begin to inhale and exhale rapidly. Rapid breathing should last for ten to fifteen seconds at first. Speed up your rapid breathing, and again let your head fall to your chest while you float in deep relaxation. Keep your mind from wandering. Remain rooted, through your breathing, to the here and now.
When you focus on your breathing, the ‘‘sports commentator’’ within is literally forced ‘‘off the air.”’
If your mind does start to wander, you will be in a state to give it some potent and positive suggestions.
Think of a time and place when you were extremely happy. Recall the feelings of that time, and bathe yourself in them now. Positive feelings can be recaptured and re-experienced for serenity or an energy boost. Right now you are learning how to unlock them for yourself. As for me, I like to picture myself in a dense pine woods near my childhood home, wrapped in cool air and the incense of spruce.
As you breathe in, concentrate on the life force you are bringing into your body. As you exhale, release all your tensions and let all negative feelings go.
You can even give yourself a guided fantasy that will aid in your actual tennis game. Give yourself a tennis role model or a top player you can identify with.
See if you can give yourself a mind’s eye re-run of one of his/her most memorable games. Now visualize yourself superimposed over your model, moving with the same control, relaxation, and style as she or he.
Breath control can be a great tranquilizer as seen above. On court, it can provide tremendous energy and power. I am constantly reminding students of this fact. The novice who feels anxious about his game or parts of it, responds typically by holding his breath when he feels most concern. Breath retention goes against the natural rhythm and flow of the body as well as making our muscles work much harder than necessary. By holding the breath we may lose at least
40% of our power and will normally force the ball to deviate from five to twenty-five feet from the intended target.
The serve is a common area where breath retention affects control and power. Keep an eye out for this phenomenon. Many players breathe normally as they approach the baseline and then suddenly hold their breath as they toss the ball and serve. When the serve is completed the breath may still be retained. This, however, is seldom the case with players who have control and power. If you watch Jimmy Conners and Billie Jean King, you will note that they allow breathing to flow naturally as they serve the ball. In fact, it is almost impossible to miss the natural flow of breathing with both Conners and King because of the yells and the grunts which accompany the exhalation of breath as the service motion is completed.
Breathing is what generates power in the serve, and it is what relaxes the body for better control of the service motion. It is perhaps the most powerful tool we have available for all strokes.
In tennis drills, use breath control as a tool for dealing with your specific fears and anxieties. Suppose you are afraid of volleys or panic when you hit an overhead, simply inhale as the ball leaves your opponent’s racquet and exhale as you contact the ball. On the groundstroke, exhale slowly, imagining that your breath is lifting and carrying the ball over the net. If you wish to hit a harder groundstroke, exhale in a sharp, fast manner. That will lend power to your stroke.
Curbing the "Sports Commentator" Over the Span of a Match
Self-induced relaxation through breath control is great but hard to keep up for hours of competitive play. Especially during crisis points, it may be difficult to keep your mind from chattering, judging you, pressuring you, scolding you. To keep disturbing thoughts at bay, give the left hemisphere of your brain a task (or entertain it, if you will). Reciting a sound, word or phrase as focus for concentration can be extremely helpful. The procedure is much like using a ‘“‘mantra”’ in the manner of a TM mediator. It is a device for quieting yourself and controlling your consciousness.
My students have found the following two ‘‘mantra’ suggestions helpful for maintaining relaxation spanning several hours of competition. Obviously, use only one at a time. You might, however, vary them during the match as long as they provide a soothing vibration inside of you—in other words, keep you centered.
e Mantra I, Music—Pick a piece of popular music (a ballad rather than a rock tune) and play it in your mind by keeping the beat with the bounce and hit of the ball. I use the theme from the movie ‘‘Exodus”’ myself, but I guess that dates me. Whatever tune you pick, for optimal effectiveness, accent the notes as the ball bounces and as you or your opponent hit it:
As the tennis ball bounces say “Ba,” and as you hit the ball say, ‘“Dum.”’
Allow the ‘‘dum”’ sound to resonate for a second or two after you hit the ball. Ba dummmmmmmmmm.
See how long you can keep the ball on the racquet strings. Attempt to keep the “dmmmmmmmm”’ sound resonating for the length of time the ball is in contact. This process should allow you to follow through a little longer—something which is important in all strokes.
e Mantra II, the Words ‘‘Tension’’—‘‘Release’’— I have noted that players often grip a racquet for two hours as if they were trying to strangle a snake or hold onto a life raft in the middle of an ocean. Ultimately, this causes tension to increase and muscular coordination to decrease. To short-circuit this tension build-up, try using the words ‘“‘tension” and ‘‘release”’ as your mantra and an actual command to your muscles as well. Say ‘‘tension’’ as you hit the ball and “release” as you finish your stroke. To add to this arm relaxing effect, hold the racquet in your other hand between points. You will then assure yourself relaxation in your forearm and avoid potential damage of muscle tissue.
Using the ‘‘tension’’-“‘release’’ mantra will assist you in relaxation and will help you avoid the pitfalls of energy drain. Gripping the racquet, constantly waiting for the unexpected, is as much a drain as if the unexpected were always happening.
In centering, you should expect nothing, but be ready for anything!
To remain settled on court, concentrate on your body sensations. Remain detached and objective.
First scan the body for tension. Now focus on tension areas of the body such as the jaw and the shoulders. Ask yourself the following questions one at a time, and remember to focus on relaxation techniques as individual entities.
Am I exhaling at the point of contact? Am I holding the racquet in my left hand between points? (right hand for lefties) Am I saying “‘tension”’ at the point of contact and
“release” as the ball leaves my racquet? Am I relaxing my shoulders? Am I relaxing my jaw? Ask each question until you can honestly answer 66 ”? yes.
Many players warm up with great style and ease, but once the match starts they often push the panic button. (Remember John, our World’s Greatest Warm Up Player?) pg. 36. As with John, this can cause any or all of the following problems: (1) not being ready for each shot; (2) taking the racquet back too slowly; (3) watching the ball too long to see if it is going to land in the court; (3) and not resetting in the ready position quickly after the ball is hit.
To avoid these hazards, always set up in the ready position—racquet in front of you and knees bent slightly. Take your racquet back quickly, preferably by the time the ball crosses over the net. If you practice this, you will be ready for any shot in plenty of time. Next, after you hit the ball, keep your eyes on the contact point for a few seconds. This will keep you from getting overly concerned with whether your shot will land in or out of the court. Finally, after you have hit the ball and have briefly held on to the contact point, quickly return again to the ready position.
Centering is a tool based on the understanding of energy so that it can become a positive element of one’s personal style. In Tennis Centering, the negative emotions of anger, fear, and anxiety are not blocked by defenses. Rather, they are acknowledged and accepted. It is recognized that if one allows these forces to flow, they will pass on; but, if one blocks them, they remain internalized and in all probability build up.
e When playing tennis, I find that the best way to rid myself of disconcerting emotions is to use right brain imagery. When I realize that I have become overly provoked, I visualize the anger I am experiencing as water flowing from a stream. I then allow the water to flow over my arms and off my body. Such a release is extremely liberating and surprisingly energizing.
e Another device for converting anger into positive energy is a process of substitution. Here’s how it works. If you begin to feel anger in the form of self-deprecating remarks such as: ‘‘I’m beginning to panic,”’ ‘‘I’m such a choke,” “I’m upset as hell,” simply substitute a positive idea for the negative one. In
Tennis Centering, substitution phrases that have a proven track record are: ‘“‘I am... flowing like a river, staying in the here and now, merely a detached observer, causing my own pain, getting what I get.”
e If you note anxiety mounting, Tennis Centering uses another technique (unconsciously employed by countless players). Between points, merely focus your awareness on the strings of your racquet. Arrange the strings so that the lines are parallel both vertically and horizontally. This is a device that helps quiet the judging and analysis of the left brain by offering it another task.
e You can often find yourself losing balance and calm during play when other players provoke you. To re-center yourself, try role-taking. Place yourself in their position and attempt to understand what is motivating them. How do you think the “‘fight-flight”’ syndrome is affecting them?
e If outside noises upset you, a great device is to mentally transform them into positive influences. For example, if a car is idling too loud, imagine it as the prize you are going to win at the end of the match! In your mind’s eye, it can be the car of your dreams. Why not?
Even pain can be controlled by a Tennis Centering technique. Imagine that the pain has a color. Let that color fill the distressed area (for example, the elbow), and then strive to eliminate it by visualizing the color in a liquid-like form that passes out of the arm through the fingers, finally grounding in the floor or the playing surface.
As you consider the above techniques you will find that some are bound to be beneficial in many aspects of your life. Clearly, mastery of the emotions need not be confined to the tennis court.
Peak Experiences and the Emotional Game
Techniques such as controlled breathing, use of words, or sounds as mantras, substitution of positive for negative emotions, various types of imagery, and the conscious letting go of tension allow players to control their thoughts and their body responses. Many of my students are able to control what once was called the involuntary nervous system (pulse rate, blood sugar level, and blood flow to the extremities)!
Students who have attended Tennis Centering workshops have often noted marked changes in their court temperament and efficiency levels. A readily observable result has been rapid progress from a short rally of, say, seven balls to long rallies of one hundred balls often in as short a span as twenty minutes!
Surpassing one’s limits through Centering leads to such peak experiences as heightened self-image, body control, increased clarity of mind, and a feeling of being at one with the environment.
Concentration is a valuable tool for most of life’s tasks. In athletics it’s a pivotal capacity. The ability to concentrate for long periods of time can be a tennis player’s most valuable asset. The inability to concentrate can be his or her worst enemy! However, there are certain major barriers to achieving and maintaining a good attention span. The three I am concerned with here are (1) The mind’s wandering nature away from the here and now, (2) Monotony vs. a need for varied experience, and (3) that, by now familiar,
Sabotaging effect of left brain analysis and judging.
To surpass our limits and to break the barriers which block our concentration, it is most helpful to get in tune with the creative, intuitive and feeling side of the brain—the right hemisphere. In the previous chapter, you were introduced to many techniques for achieving this state such as breath control, body awareness, and the use of mantras. We will expand upon them here.
Tennis Centering for concentration involves exercising both hemispheres. The left brain’s role is to focus on one object, sound, or idea, while the right brain concentrates on varied experiences provided through creative imagery and feeling.
By employing processes of both hemispheres, we not only play better tennis but also encourage our neural diversity and richness as well. It’s kind of a mental ‘‘ambidexterity’’ which increases our capacity to function 200%!
Expanding Attention Spans Before You Start e Visual Restriction Exercise—A favorite technique for increasing my attention span before play is to meditate on a single object (a tennis ball works perfectly). First, I sit in a comfortable cross-legged position, close my eyes, and place a ball in front of me. I open my eyes and stare at the ball long enough to imprint its image. When I close my eyes, an after-image generally appears in what mediators call ‘‘the third eye area’”’ in the middle of the forehead. (Don’t take my word for it. Try it!). I center my attention on that image until I lose it and then open my eyes. This is repeated six times. Finally, I open my eyes and move them to the left, up, to the right and down; repeating six times. I close my eyes, open them, stare at the ball, and again close the eyelids. Again I open the eyes, move them up, left, down and right; repeating six times. I close my eyes, open them, stare at the ball, and again close the lids. Again I open the eyes, move them up, left, down and right; repeating six times. Once more I close my eyes. Before going to the courts,
I focus on the ball a final two minutes.
This off-court eye drill has several benefits. It enhances concentration, controls fear and anxiety levels, and last, but not least, strengthens eye muscles. When stress is encountered, our eye muscles are quick to fail; therefore, it is valuable to strengthen them before play.
e The Yin-Yang Focus Restriction—To expand my concentration level, I often use the idea of restricting my concentration to a ‘symbolically loaded”’ stimulus. I have one tennis ball on which I have drawn the yin-yang design.
Notice that one-half of the circle is solid and onehalf of the circle is empty. Also notice that one dot is solid and the other dot is empty. This symbolizes the balance in the world between good and evil, active and passive, harmony and discord, etc. In tennis, I translate this to mean that there are always winners and losers. We hit some balls and miss some balls. I realize that my bad shots will be balanced by my good shots. The yin-yang is a very healthy imprint for me to carve into my consciousness. I later carry the concept to the court as a verbal and visual mantra exercising both hemispheres of my brain. One task is to keep myself aware of the image and the other is to repeat the sounds ‘‘yin”’ as the ball bounces and ‘‘yang”’ when it is hit.
Controlled Breathing—To keep yourself in the all-important here and now, focus on your breathing for fifty breaths. Wind up with a final deep yoga
Heightening Attention Spans On Court e The ‘‘Point’—‘‘Lift’’ Repetition Mantra—The internal vibrations of these words as pure sounds are soothing. As gentle requests for our attention, they improve our concentration on stroke production. Because of the angle and height of the net, you should always hit low to high and lift the ball over the net on groundstrokes. To remind yourself of this extremely important technique, use the “point’’-“‘lift’’ mantra.
When the ball hits your opponent’s racquet, say,
“point” and take your racquet back, pointed to the fence. When you hit the ball (point of contact), say
“lift,” and hit the ball low to high in a lifting movement.
stress and heighten concentration. Coordinate the words thus: “‘one’’ as the ball bounces on court and
‘“‘two’’ as you or your opponent hits the ball. Continue the mantra of “one-two, one-two, one-two.’ You should observe a substantial increase in your concentration span.
Repetition of Sound and Movement Mantra— Go back to page 18 for the discussion of the tennis
‘‘dance.’’ When you're in play, and the ball approaches you, say ‘‘slide-one-two.”’ The movement and the repetition of your statement will add fluidity to your movements as well as deepen your concentration to the on-court movement process.
e The Pure Sound Mantra—You may prefer a sound or tone that has no meaning as your concentration mantra. Some of my students like to make sounds as they hit the ball from grunts to soft yells. Other students are silent and listen to the sound of the ball as it bounces. For example, its thud, or plunk, or sproing, or boing takes over their concentration. Still other players tune in to the sound of their own breath as they inhale and exhale. Obviously, there are many possibilities. Try them out for yourself to discover which one or ones enhance your game.
Beyond Looking to Seeing—A simple device for heightening your concentration and improving your stroke production is to watch the ball as you play, and really see it. Try to isolate the label on the ball and see if you can read what brand you are playing with.
The Halo Effect—I recently found that my visual concentration could be dramatically heightened by watching the fuzz on the ball. I discovered this process during an exhibition game when the score was 4-1 love 40 in favor of my opponent. As I began to become amused with the incredible effectiveness of this technique, I began to play “‘‘out of my head,”’ so to speak. I easily won my match 6-4 and have had similar success each time I’ve allowed myself to simply concentrate on the ball’s fuzzy halo!
Watching the Ballin a State of Readiness—Perhaps one of the greatest errors a tennis player can make is to get a late start and then play in a state of panic in an attempt to regroup. If we are not ready for the ball, we will normally hurry our shots, hit the ball behind us, and play a game of catch up. To avoid this state of slow readiness, concentration on the ball is again a boon. When you center on the ball, you will find that it normally isn’t traveling as fast as you assumed. This knowledge helps a player to relax and hit a more effective stroke.
To reach a state of readiness, I suggest working on a quick racquet back. If you get your racquet back quickly, you will seldom have to hurry or panic. To practice, once your opponent hits the ball, note the position of your racquet by the time the ball crosses over the net. In all probability, you will find that it is dangling somewhere around your side and not in the ready position. After you become aware of your racquet’s position, practice getting it all the way back by the time the ball crosses over the net. The previously mentioned ‘‘Point’’-‘‘Lift’’ Repetition Mantra mentioned on page 48 may have already helped you achieve a quick ready position. If so, you are likely to find that you are hitting the ball out in front of you, and you will seldom have to play catch up tennis.
Watching the Contact Point—To heighten your awareness, practice the discipline of watching the contact point for as long as a second or two after you hit the ball. This exercise will help you determine where you are currently hitting the ball. Many players share the mistake of watching the ball too long after it is hit and not returning to the ready position quickly for their opponent’s return shot. Watching the contact point prevents this problem. I recently noted a similar practice used by Billie Jean King during her warm up program at the ‘‘Family Circle’’ Magazine Cup. When
Billie Jean hit the lob, she would quickly look away to avoid being trapped into a pattern of watching the ball too long.
Ball-Watching for Strategy—There is a myth in tennis based on the belief that the ball should always pass low over the net, skimming it by a mere two to three inches. I have found, in singles, that the opposite is the case. In my experience, balls which clear the net by as much ten to fifteen feet are most often the most effective shots. The reason for this is simple.
High balls generally produce a high bounce! If you observe closely, you will note that balls which travel over the net at. approximately ten feet normally bounce near the baseline and seldom land short. If you can keep your ball bouncing high and landing near the baseline, you will keep your opponent trapped and will discourage him from approaching the net. If your opponent is trapped, he will normally hit you a short ball within a few shots and give you the advantage of approaching the net.
To practice this exercise in strategy, I suggest working on your concentration and awareness of the ball’s flight pattern. As the ball begins to cross over the net, take mental note of the number of feet or inches between it and the net. Notice also where the ball lands once in your opponent’s court. This exercise requires acute concentration, but it will cause you to hit more balls and win more points which just has to be one of your goals!
Watching the Arch—Designing a Rainbow—I have often noted that the perfect low to high groundstroke always produces an arch in the ball’s flight pattern. Here is a practice to complement the previously mentioned ‘‘Low to High’ mantra.
To heighten concentration and produce an arch, attempt to create a rainbow effect with with the ball’s flight pattern. As you begin to hit your groundstrokes, visualize a rainbow arching from one baseline to the other. Now try to make the ball travel through the rainbow. Using this particular image will not only produce an arch in your ball’s flight but will also keep it deep to your opponent’s court—a process which is strategically wise.
Multiple Mantras: Changes in Repetition—To heighten your concentration and to satisfy your need for variation on court, use a combination of mantras. First, allow your mind to focus on the ‘‘one’”’ - ‘‘two’’ mantra. After ten or so strokes, move to your sound mantras. Grunt as you hit the ball or listen to the change of sound in your various strokes: ‘‘swish, sproing, boing, krack’’—interviewing a tennis ball is an art in itself!
Concentrated Seeing—To further heighten your varied experiences on the court, watch the various symbols that you focused on while off court. Preoccupy your brain with the task of finding the symbols as the ball remains in flight. Notice the varied designs as the ball rotates. Try and read the brand of ball you're playing with and/or read the number on the ball. Focus your attention on the outer edges of the ball rather than looking for the core of the ball.
Change in Color—The process of change, even when only slightly varied, reactivates the mind’s attention. During play, use this process to extend your attention span. Visualize the color of the ball as the color of white. When you approach the net, visualize the color of the ball as red. When you play a baseline game, see the ball as the color blue. This may sound strange, but it works. Just allow your imagination to flow!
Change in Sound—There is substantial evidence to support the fact that when volume changes, it often re-heightens concentration and focus. To make this effect work for you, first focus your awareness on the sound of the ball as it bounces. Then, see if you can notice the difference in loudness as you hit flat versus chip shots or slices.
The Game of Breeze-Gust— When playing groundstrokes, begin to use your inhale-exhale mantra. When you are ready to approach the net, or when you hit a winner, visualize a gust of wind trailing your exhalation. As you hit, exhale and imagine a gust of wind or strong breeze growing from your breath and driving the ball hard before it.
Color Energy—For further variation, concentrate on the energy of the ball. The ball’s energy responds to the strength of your stroke and can be translated into color. For example, when you wish to hit hard, use your imagination to transform the ball into the color of red.
‘“Ball’’-*‘Control”’/‘‘Hit’’-“‘Out’’—In_ playing competitive tennis, an expanded level of attention can bring home the trophy! One of the best devices I have found is to use a mantra which not only breaks up monotony but also reminds me of the actual play situation. Normally when I play, I hit five or six groundstrokes, approach the net, and finish the point. The movement of the approach game itself creates variation from groundstrokes. For this reason, the mantra I use changes to remind me of my exact competitive task. Here’s how it works:
As you hit your groundstrokes, use the mantra of ‘“Ball’’-“Control.”” Say those words to yourself right now. They conjure up a message of accuracy, don’t they? In play, as the ball bounces, you say “‘ball.”’ As you hit the ball, say ‘‘control.’’ Continue the mantra:
Now as you hit a deep shot and approach the net, change your mantra to “‘hit’’-‘‘out.’’ Say, “‘hit’’ as the ball bounces and ‘“‘out”’ as you hit the ball with pace.
“Hit’’-“‘out’’ is a mantra used by many players to keep them playing aggressively. It will help keep you in a hard-driving frame of mind.
Idea Focusing—When the ball is not in play, short-circuit the rational, left side of the mind by focusing your awareness on what you most want in tennis—what are your major goals? For example, your goal might be graceful movements (‘‘slide, one-two’’) or consistent accuracy (‘‘ball’’- ‘“‘control’’). Keep repeating the mantra that most closely coordinates with your goal. It’s almost like a form of posthypnotic suggestion!
The Yin-Yang—As for me, I have found that the most effective device for short-circuiting my analytical side is to focus on the “‘yin-yang ball’’ between points. I hold the ballin my hand and allow my awareness to be consumed by the symbol on the ball. This returns me to a state of complete balance and keeps me rooted to the here and now. When I go on to win the game, no one thinks I’m a looney!
. Play One Point at a Time—Perhaps the most useful concept to employ in competition is the idea of playing one point at a time. This approach can’t be overestimated. It keeps you centered in the present moment without anticipation of the future or reflection on the past.
When you begin to increase your attention span, give yourself varied on and off court experiences, and quiet the analytical judging processes of the mind, you will often transcend your expectations, heighten your sensitivity, and feel that special oneness with your environment. Just thinking about the times this has happened to me, makes me smile. But, a sense of
“arrival”? doesn’t happen through magic. The exercises in this chapter are starting points to help speed you on your way.
Techniques 6 of Play-- Explanations And Images
There are just some things we can over-intellectualize. I have a young neighbor who plays basketball like he was born on the boards. There’s a rhythm and flow to his movements delightful to behold. But I once asked him to analyze his shots so I could copy them, and the rhythm and flow was lost! HE BECAME SO
PREOCCUPIED WITH PROCESS that his body got tied up in knots. He was torn between his intuitive sense of form and his intellectual knowledge of technique. ‘Forget it, Man!’’ he said at last. ‘““Don’t ask me how I do it. Just watch!”
It reminded me of Eliza Doolittle’s confrontation with her ivory tower speech teacher in My Fair Lady.
She knew there was a world beyond words and taught him a lesson about it in a potent lyrical plea—‘‘Show Me!”’
Not bad advice from Eliza or my basketball playing friend. But it seems Americans are a people of words. From sex techniques to sports techniques, those of us who are unsure of our inborn expertise pay fortunes for the latest verbal formula. How-to-do-its sell like hotcakes. But this reliance on formula often keeps us from achieving the goals we desire with the naturalness and ease that makes them fun. ‘‘Am I doing it the way it was described? Have I forgotten anything? Where’s that old instant recall when I need it most?” This only invites the ‘‘fight-flight’’ syndrome to visit us at completely inappropriate times. | The traditional tennis lesson can often trigger these same unwanted responses. The dialogues between student and pro has at least a four-fold yield:
1) A sprinkling of phony ego strokes, 2) A basketful of instructions for analysis, 3) A generous helping of ‘“‘fight-flight’ sensations, with 4) Perhaps an overflow of panic (too many different instructions to attend to). Check out the following dialogue, and see if it strikes any chords.
“Hi, Bob. How are you today?”’
‘Well, let’s hit a few and see what you’ve got. Good shot. Oh, you missed that one. Good. Good. (Ego strokes). Good. Sorry. Sorry. Good. Good. Not bad. Well, Bob, what I see is that you aren’t getting your racquet back and down on your backhand, and you're a bit slow watching the ball. Your volley could also use a little work, but let’s save that for your next lesson. Let’s work on the backhand. (Ego attack). O.K.
Let me toss you a few. All right. Good. Good. Oh! Missed! That’s O.K., you'll get it. Good. Not bad. O.K., Bob. Look, you have to get your racquet back.
Good. No! Get it back. Get it back. Get it back. O.K. Good. No. Get it back. (Repeated word commands). O.K. Good. No. Get it back. Look, Bob. Like this. (Finally, a visual aid!). O.K. Good (Ego stroke). That’s it. Get it back. Now let’s work on getting it back and
Meanwhile, Bob feels anger and tension mount.
He says to himself, “‘Another $20.00 down the tubes!
I’ll never get the hang of this. I can’t. I quit!”’ (The sensations of ‘‘flight’’ are setting in).
Oblivious to his student’s non-verbal cues, the pro continues the lesson:
“O.K. O.K. Now get it down. Back and down. Down. Good. That’s good. That’s good. O.K., Bob, watch the ball. Watch the ball. Good. Oh, too bad. Too bad. Get your racquet back. Watch the ball. Watch the ball. Now turn. Turn, Bob. That’s good. Turn. Don't forget to get your racquet back also. Good.
Good. Oh, sorry. Good. Not bad, Bob. See you next week!”’
The above resembles a recording to be rewound for the next student:
“Fine.” “Well, let’s hit a few and see what’s wrong... .” After such a lesson, the student will walk away with ego strokes that he really doesn’t value (he knows he still can’t play), his head echoing a bunch of words that he tries to restring into the proper instructions, and a sense of anger that he can’t seem to hit the ball the way he’s supposed to. Even if he does get his racquet back, in all probability he will soon revert to his old patterns because he hasn’t learned how to move to a ball that’s hit away from his standing position. Bob is likely to panic as he tries to turn, get his racquet back and down, watch the ball, and move—all at the same time.
Too many words to dissect and analyze. Ina game like tennis, where speedy reflex actions are vital, the player who sifts through wordy instructions will be spending a lot of time clearing missed balls away from the fence! For advanced players, the complexity level only increases. Now instructions explain theories for topspin, kick serves, and slice drop shots.
The pressure to perform yields the counter-productive “‘fight’’-“‘flight’’ syndrome. Clearly, fear, anxiety, and anger are emotions not exactly conducive to learning! If a player wants a lesson on the backhand, he normally will already be afraid of the stroke. When the pro hits to the weak stroke, the player’s pulse is already racing. If he misses, anger and anxiety set in.
“‘T can’t believe it. I’m missing it again!’’ After more misses, his self-image is threatened. His hands become clammy, and his muscles tighten and tense.
He may even play worse than he did before the lesson!
A Player’s Self-Image Can Impede the Learning Process. Suppose a novice has been conditioned to believe that he is uncoordinated or that he lacks the potential to play competitive sports, what do you think happens? By now, you should have a pretty fair idea. Most likely, he’ll fight himself with a barrage of
“T can’ts” during his lessons. And he won’t exactly rush to take risks. He could ‘‘make a fool of himself”’ by trying anything new or difficult. Such players generally fall short of their real potential.
More words, better explanations or phony ego strokes may cause the correction of stroke production. But in my experience, I have noticed that such corrections are often lost more quickly than they were gained. Players often return to their former stroke because they can’t trust themselves or they suddenly have a mental block during a match. Techniques or corrections mastered through Tennis Centering, however, are readily absorbed into a player’s repertoire. I have developed my style of teaching to help students experience proper strokes and body positioning quickly and easily while having fun in the process. Both experience and fun tend to embed the learning experience more permanently in the player’s memory. In Tennis Centering, I teach the strokes as whole, flowing movements through imagery.
O.K., I admit it. In my Tennis Centering clinics, I do provide fundamental explanations for strokes. In all practicality, it would be impossible not to. The
“how to’ mechanics of dependable, effective strokes are pertinent to learning. Even so-called tennis
“naturals” do not have inborn reactions and reflexes that set them up for perfect serves, volleys, and returns. Still, it is through the images I have devised and integrated into my lessons that all my students take off and make surprising progress. As they incorporate these images into their play, I’ve noted an almost universal ‘‘Ah! Ha!” experience. It’s as if they’ve suddenly discovered how the body, ball, and racquet “‘work’’—I mean really work so their best strokes just naturally follow. Eliza Doolittle’s ‘““show me!’’ makes great sense.
For stroke mastery, it is important to have both an explanation of the elements of a stroke as well as an image that conveys its motions. The explanation will serve you when you are in practice while the image helps tie the explanations together in practice and in competitive situations where the time element makes complex thought analysis impossible.
If you have any expectations at all for your game, consistent, dependable strokes are vital to your success. My emphasis on stroke production in this chapter is to lead you past your expectations—to peak tennis experiences. So, let’s get on to the basics: (1)
“how to” mechanics of the major strokes in tennis and
(2) images that tie them together.
Tennis, as we've consistently noted, is a vigorous, fast-paced game. Thus, the basic stance, the Ready
Position, is almost obvious. It is designed to keep your body balanced, alert and poised for an instant response to your opponent’s shot. The mechanics are:
Face the net in a bent-knee position. Keep your feet spread, shoulder’s width apart, with your weight distributed evenly. Using the forehand grip (next on the agenda), keep your racquet poised in front of your body and your free hand at the racquet’s throat to steady it at a 45 degree upward angle.
I have not found it necessary to devise an image for this stance. It’s really its own image. Picture yourself holding your racquet in aggressive, watchful readiness. You may not even need to make any adjustments to arrive at the above description.
Take hold of your racquet’s grip in a “shaking hands”’ position. Extend your index finger in a trigger fashion, and bring your thumb around the grip to rest next to your middle finger.
Obviously, your entire tennis performance is dependent upon the way you control your racquet. You want to be able to generate maximum power from your strokes with a minimum of strain on your arm.
This is attained by proper grip. The image I find most successful for imprinting an efficient grip is to grasp your racquet as though you're going to shake hands with it. You want to hold it firmly but not too hard. A sense of appropriate pressure can be gained by imagining that the handle is an egg in your hand that you want to hold onto but not crush. You just want to hold it firmly and securely.
The forehand starts from the ready position. To execute it, pivot your feet while turning your side to the net. As you pivot, take your racquet back and point it to the fence. Extend your free hand to the oncoming ball as you turn your side to the net. Step forward on the front foot in the direction of the net pole immediately after the ball has bounced on your side of the court. Hit the ball out in front of the body, making contact in front of the lead foot. The racquet-head should stay slightly above your wrist, and the hitting arm should stay low. A complete follow-through is critical to accurate forehand placement. After impact, carry your racquet, in a lifting motion, to your extended free hand, and finish your stroke slightly past your eyes. The weight is now on the front foot with the back toe on the ground for balance.
Read through the above explanation, and move through it. Now, I’m going to put the elements together into an image which can be the ‘‘icing’’ on your performance cake. This effective image grew in steps itself. Another teaching pro and I were giving a demonstration on imagery learning. Bob began the demonstration by telling our audience, ‘‘Visualize that you are lifting water out of a boat with a bucket as you make contact with the ball. Remember the motion—like lifting water out of a boat.”
We then hit twenty or thirty balls. I noticed that in spite of such a good image, Bob wasn’t getting his racquet down far enough. So I called to him, ‘‘The water is filling up fast, Bob! Toss the water! Reach to
In five strokes, the timing and accuracy of his forehand was perfect. He was taking his racket back low and lifting the ball from low to high with a long follow-through. Our audience still thinks we planned that dialogue. It did prove that images need not be static. They can be individually tailored to work for you.
From the basic ‘“‘shaking hands’’ position you used in the forehand, it is easy to shift to the backhand grip. All you do is rotate your hand a 1/4 turn to the left. Place your racquet across your stomach and rotate your hand slightly in order to be able to put the thumb in your belly button. This reference point on your own body makes it easier to achieve the proper grip adjustment for a powerful and accurate backhand. No more explanation or imagery needed.
The backhand troubles more players than the forehand; however, the mechanics are not vastly different. Starting from the ready position, pivot your feet while turning your side to the net. For a full backswing, take your racquet back and point it to the fence. Use your free hand to pull the racquet back at the throat area. Pull until the thumb of your hitting hand touches your thigh. Immediately after the ball has bounced on your side of the net, step forward across your body on the front foot in the direction of the net pole. For ball control, make contact in front of the lead foot lifting the ball from low to high. As you move your racquet forward, release the free hand from the racquet throat and move it back towards the fence, so your body will be balanced as you hit into your shot.
e The most successful image I have found for the backhand is to imagine that you are drawing a sword. To use this image, first take the racquet to the hip. Then, as you bring your racquet forward to meet the ball, visualize that you are drawing a sword from its scabbard. As you bring your racquet arm forward, release your free hand and direct your free arm back toward the fence for balance.
e For the low to high stroke requirement, imagine that you are drawing a sword to the throat of an assailant. Picture this assailant directly in front of you and that your target is approximately at eye level.
This image will encourage you to (1) take your racquet to the hip and (2) then follow through at eye level. It will also prevent you from taking tentative swings or swinging too far around your body. Obviously, you don’t want to leave any openings for your assailant to be able to strike you first!
e In working with younger players, I have found that the image of throwing a frisbee is invaluable. To practice this image on the backhand, picture yourself taking a frisbee to your hip as the ball approaches you. As you swing forward, lift the visualized frisbee over the net. Note that you have to keep the wrist firm in this particular exercise.
e For the two-handed backhand, the bucket of water image is again effective. Remember to lift the bucket of water from the bottom of the boat.
Another way to implant a smooth flowing stroke in your mind is to think of it as an art figure, or a loop. You can use those loops as patterns that would look like the following illustration. The loop motion looks like this for the forehand No and like this for the backhand Sa
Another image you may wish to employ is the idea of “ground to sky, low to high.”’ As you hit your forehand or backhand repeat, ‘‘ground to sky, low to high,”’ and hit your ball in the same manner.
Since these phrases and images are more fun than ordinary mechanical explanations of strokes, your approach to them will tend to be more relaxed. This naturally helps your flexibility, breathing and muscle extension.
Make sure you do not use a forehand grip for a backhand volley. An easy way to protect against this happening is to always use a backhand grip for both the forehand and the backhand volley.
The volley starts from the ready position. Position your body approximately one extended racquet distance and two steps back from the net—or halfway between the service line and the net if you are an intermediate player. The volley involves a split-second coordination of the following steps:
Pivot sideways, turning your side to the net, and place the racquet out in front of you. The racquet butt should be pointed to the left foot if you are right handed and to the right foot if you are left handed. Extend your free hand to the oncoming ball. Then, step across your body and intercept the path of the ball with your racquet head. Contact is made out in front of your body as you redirect the ball into your opponent’s backcourt. Keep your racquet head high, and hit the ball at eye level. Follow through with a short stroke and firm wrist, and return to the ready position.
Pivot sideways, turning your side to the net and place the racquet out in front of you. This time, the racquet butt should be pointed to the right foot if you are right handed and to the left foot if you are left handed. As you turn your side to the net, keep your left hand on the throat of your racquet with the left elbow pointed to the fence and the arm parallel to the court. Step across your body to intercept the path of the ball. Again, contact is out in front of your body as you target the ball into your opponent’s backcourt.
Your racquet head high, hit the ball at eye level, and follow through with a short stroke and firm wrist. Return to the ready position immediately.
e To hit either forehand or backhand volleys that are low, bend your knees and hit at eye level. At times you may have to open the face of your racquet. For the most effective offensive shots, try to hit your volleys at eye level even on difficult shots which fall below the =a net. [| Pa\ e The volley is an aggressive stroke. When you i a \\ are at the net, you are committed. So, hit all out! Your
YP W best shot is to hit deep or with an angle. Always try | “| \\ and intercept the ball. Get to it before it gets to you!
\ \ tN e To remind yourself of hitting at eye level, visualize that you are hitting the ball with your eyes. In practice, it’s not as strange as it sounds.
e The volley is a punching (not a swinging) motion. I once taught a player who had trouble with this concept. Consequently, she hit the ball behind her body instead of out in front. I asked her to visualize herself knocking on a door. ‘‘Reach out in front of you, make a fist, and knock,” I suggested. Since then, the door has opened for her game.
e If you want a short drop volley, either forehand or backhand, I have found the following image extremely helpful. Simply imagine that you are pulling down a blind. Your motion is to reach out, grab the blind’s pull, and pull that blind down.
To hit the backhand volley, turn your side to the net and imagine that you are opening your window drapes first thing in the morning. The action of reaching up and “separating sliding drapes’’ causes your hitting arm to move forward to the ball while the free arm points towards the fence.
e Some players swipe at a forehand or backhand drive with a windshield wiper motion, rotating their wrists from side-to-side. If you are currently having trouble with the “‘windshield wiper’’ reflex, you recognize that you’re not getting the right power, control or accuracy out of your shot. To correct this problem, visualize that you are punching the ball on the forehand and slapping the ball on the backhand. If this doesn’t work for you, practice hitting the ball on different sides of your racquet strings. To practice this exercise, label your racquet face Side I and Side
IT. On the forehand, hit the ball with Side I and on the backhand hit the ball with Side II.
Riot I have often found that players will hit a volley if it comes right to them but often miss those shots that require movement. To reach the volleys, you must stretch and extend yourself. Imagine that you are helping a friend out of the path of a fast-moving car. Quickly reach out and shove him. React in-stantly—or your friend will get hit.
To hit a low volley is another simple process if you use your imagination. Mary Grace, a coach at the
University of Santa Clara, gave me an image as effective as it is unusual.
“‘T visualize my racquet as a frying pan,”’ she said. “Just imagine that you are serving dinner in a frying pan. Place the frying pan on the table and sit down.”
We tried it, and it worked! Now I use this imagery at all my workshops and clinics.
Assume the backhand grip. Grasp your racquet as far to the end of the grip as possible.
If any explanation speaks for the power of imagery learning, this one does. Of all the mechanical
‘how to’s,”’ this one is by far the longest and most complicated. I will break it down into its four main components. (1) The Stance Line up sideways to the net with the right foot parallel to the baseline and the left foot pointed at a 45 degree angle to the net pole.
Hold the racquet in front of your body with the racquet and ball held in place together. Plant your weight on the back foot. (2) The Backswing and Toss ® Allow the racquet to fall to your side as it brushes your hip. At the same time, let the tossing hand drop to the lead thigh. The racquet should continue in a backwards motion until the elbow bends. When the tossing arm touches the lead thigh, both arms should go back up again similar to a jumping jack motion. The weight should begin to shift to the lead foot at this time. At shoulder height, bend the hitting arm sending it into a back scratcher position with the head of the racquet close to the opposite shoulder blade. In the back scratcher position, the elbow is pointed towards the back fence. The tossing arm continues straight up in line with the net post toward which the lead foot points. The ball is released at approximately head level with the hand continuing to follow the ball after the release. For added control, toss the ball with the fingertips. (3) Ball Contact Using the wrist and forearm of the hitting arm, the head of the racquet is snapped forward and upward in a throwing motion. Reach as high as you can and contact the ball at its peak flight before it starts to drop. Contact the ball at approximately 1 o’clock, slightly in front and to the right of the body. (4) Follow-Through e After impact, the racquet follows through gently outward and downward ending at or near the opposite side by the hip. Power is generated from the back scratcher position to the reaching upward motion and should not be considered as a major concern in the follow-through.
After you have contacted the ball, simply allow the arm to fall to the opposite side of the body rather than trying to force the ball down into the court. The back foot should cross the baseline immediately after you have contacted the ball.
Of course, for a fluid, powerful serve you’re not going to go through these steps like a mechanical, wind-up toy. The service and toss flow as one motion.
My imagery may not be worth the proverbial thousand words, but it does save hundreds; and, the results are awesome! The images I use for teaching the service motion are certainly not run-of-the-mill. Many players with invincible serves began carving the motions that work so well for them now between fits of the giggles. O.K. Let’s see how you do. Picture yourself in a waiting posture. Now visualize that you are scratching your back with a back scratcher. With your free hand, toss a glass of water up into the air into the face of a giant who is in front of you. From the back scratcher position, see if you can hit the giant in the nose and then cross forward with your back foot to step on his toes. The accompanying illustration will help you; nevertheless, I wish I could lead you through this visualization at one of my clinics. I always marvel at the consistently successful results.
The service return is a blocking or punching motion. If you block or punch your shot, the ball will return itself of its own volition. Keep your racquet face open and in front of you and simply block your service returns.
Visualize that you are punching the ball. You may wish to say, ‘“‘Bounce!’’ when the ball bounces and
‘“Punch!”’ when you contact the ball. This loaded suggestion will remind you that the service return is a punching not a swinging motion.
Simply assume the service grip explained earlier.
The overhead has the same motion as the serve. The only difference is that you are not tossing your own ball, and you are not standing in one place. The key to hitting an overhead is to find your position on the court. Practice this by having a friend toss lobs to you while you move underneath them. While placing awareness on your footwork, try to catch the ball six or seven times before you try to hit it. Repeat this process by catching the ball with your left hand while bringing your racquet to your back. Now run under the lob, point toward the ball with your left hand, and bring your racquet to your back. Complete your overhead by hitting the ball as a serve.
To execute the smashing motion, turn your side to the net immediately. Once you have turned your side to the net, point your free hand in the direction of the lobbed ball. Take your racquet back to a back scratcher position by pulling the racquet up and over the shoulder. Reach up and hit the ball as high as possible with the same motion as a serve and shift your weight to the front foot. To finish the overhead, follow through outward and downward to the opposite side of the body. The follow-through is the same as the serve.
Again visualize ‘‘your’’ giant. This time before you ‘‘attack,”’ your movement immediately resembles the pose you would take to scratch your back with a back scratcher. Then, hit up into the giant. Hit him on the nose, and then step on his toes. If you do this motion correctly, the racquet falls by the non-hitting arm’s hip with the thumb resting by the hip.
The lob can be mastered by hitting the ball with an open-face racquet or by using topspin. The topspin lob, which is the most effective type, is executed by first turning your body parallel to the baseline and then bringing your racquet straight up in the air as you hit through the ball. The ball can be hit with more force and still fall in court, due to gravity pull. Learn to step into the ball for additional spin, power, and control.
When it comes to lobbing, often the word
““desperation”’ is redundant. Most of us lob when we are in trouble which means we seldom have time to rehearse the shot. Thus, this simple image: Visualize that you are lobbing a ball onto the top of a two-story roof. If you normally hit your lobs short, you can gain more depth if you imagine knocking the ball over the roof.
Players often wonder what to do with the nonracquet hand during stroke production. Below is my prescription for its position during various strokes.
The Forehand —The other hand should point to the ball. The Backhand—The other hand should guide the racquet back and then be drawn backwards to the fence when you begin your forward swing. The Volley —The other hand should help direct the racquet to its target. The Overhead —The other hand should point to the ball.
Imagery learning has many advantages over mechanical or rote forms of learning. In terms of physical performance, it’s a natural and relaxed way of giving the body directions so that the muscles remain loose and flexible and the mind remains responsive to what is being taught. Most of my students feel that dissecting complex motor movements with word descriptions impedes the easy coordination and flow they desire. My store of images not only hastens their progress but keeps them producing correct strokes with a wonderfully satisfying consistency. However, I don’t want to make all this sound too easy. Experience has shown that correct stroke production requires a conscious awareness of the pattern of the motion being learned. The more you sense what you are doing, the more control you are going to have in grooving sound, accurate shots—and, the more success you will have in retaining that control.
I once taught an enthusiastic student how to hit a forehand, backhand, and volley in the short space of an hour! However, two months later, he called me in dismay. ‘‘Don, I’ve lost it. Can you help me?”’ It was easy to figure out his problem. He had gone back to analyzing his stroke (breaking it into parts) when it started to go wrong. He forgot to rely on the image base I had given him.
' Students who maintain the momentum begun in my classes are able to both feel the key elements of dependable stroke motions and visualize how they are put together through an image or ‘‘image base.’’ And when they want to move from one motion to another quickly, they move in whole frames or sequences rather than in parts.
Illustrated below are common errors tennis players are plagued with and suggestions for their correction.
Forehand and Backhand Problems e 1) The Wrist Turnover—One of the biggest problems many people have is hitting the ball too far back behind them—not hitting a contact point out in front. In an attempt to compensate, they then turn their wrist over. This is a major problem because any time you start to turn your wrist over, the ball is not going to be forced back down on court. Rather the wrist turnover makes the ball go out even farther, and that can be annoying—to say the least.
Correction—To break the wrist turnover problem on the forehand, (1) as the ball comes, point to it with your left hand; and, (2) after you have completed the forehand stroke, use the left hand to catch the racquet at eye level.
To break the wrist turnover problem on the backhand, you can use the sword image. When you ‘‘draw the sword”’ make sure you keep it at your assailant. Another correction is to take the tip of your racquet and point it to the ball after impact.
e 2) Improper Contact Points—The ideal contact point on the groundstroke is out in front of your body at waist level. The backhand contact point is farther out in front of the body than the forehand contact point. Many players, however, hit the ball behind their body and consequently sacrifice balance, power, and control.
The three major causes of a behind-the-body contact point are: (A) late racquet back, (B) poor foot placement, and (C) lack of concentration.
Corrections—Problem A: Establish how quickly you are currently taking your racquet back. You should have your racquet back by the time the ball crosses the net or at least by the time the ball bounces on your side of the court.
Problem B: Always attempt to plant your back foot, and then step into the ball by placing your inside foot towards the net pole. If you are currently stepping too far behind you, rather than towards the net pole, it will force you to contact the ball late and behind you.
Problem C: When the ball crosses the net, use any of the suggested concentration techniques described in Chapter Five. Once you hit the ball, keep your eyes on the contact point for a second or two. This visual technique will make you aware of your typical contact point to discover whether impact is behind you. Once awareness is established, adjustments come with ease.
e 3) Balance Distribution—One of the critical requisites of tennis is to keep your back toe down after you hit the ball. Upon completion of a stroke, many players unconsciously drag the back foot forward.
That toe needs to stay down. Right? Right!
Correction—To correct the balance distribution problem, simply ask yourself, “‘Am I keeping my back toe on the ground?”’ As you plant your back foot and complete your stroke, ask, ‘‘Am I taking my back foot off the ground?’’ Again, awareness is the major component of problem correction. Once you become aware of the problem, you can normally correct it in a few shots.
e 4) Hitting from High to Low—The most effective groundstrokes are hit from low to high in a lifting motion. Many players, however, allow themselves to fall into the trap of slicing through the ball on almost every shot. While that’s not taboo, it really is less effective than the low to high shot because you leave very little margin for error. If you are just slightly off, the ball wili hit the net or carry out of the court.
Correction—To correct this problem, visualize that you are tossing a bucket of water over the net.
Next, watch the ball in its flight pattern. Does the ball arch over the net? Once you develop an arch by hitting low to high, the high-risk slice shot will be corrected.
e 5) The Incomplete Backswing and Follow- Through—Many players, especially in the beginning stages of their play, punch at the ball with only a slight backswing of the racquet. Realistically, it is impossible to hit a ball with pace and control by playing “ping-pong” with a short backswing. What you should be looking for is a long stroke.
Correction—if you are currently not taking your racquet all the way back, work on pointing your racquet to the fence. If the problem persists (often it does on the backhand), work on touching your thumb to the side seams of your shorts or dress. For the followthrough, I have yet another technique. Visualize that you're keeping the ball on your strings for as long as you can. Imagine that the ball is a ball of glue which is stuck on your strings for a brief moment.
e 6) The Over-Extended Backswing and Follow- Through—This is another common mistake. If you take your racquet too far behind you, you will produce a late swing and thus reduce your control and power.
By finishing too far around your body, you will lose control. The finish of your stroke is crucial. For, it ultimately defines the direction of the ball’s flight. For example, if you point the racquet down-the-line in the follow-through, the ball will normally go down-theline. If you point the racquet head cross-court as you finish the stroke, this is where the ball will normally travel. If, however, you finish too far around your body, the ball’s flight will be unpredictable.
Correction—To correct the backswing, first work on an awareness technique. If your backswing is too far back on the forehand, ask yourself, ‘‘Am I taking my racquet back too far?’’ Determine whether you are. If the problem is present on the backhand, use the same question and answer technique, or use the left hand to block the backswing.
e To correct the problem of an overextended forehand follow-through, use your left hand to catch the racquet after impact. If you have an overextended backhand, follow through, and then visualize that you are drawing a sword on an assailant. If you can’t rectify the problem with the above-mentioned suggestions, then try using a fence to block your overextension. For your forehand, stand with your left foot next to the fence, and take a backswing. On the followthrough, finish with your racquet next to the fence.
For a backhand overextension, place your right foot next to the fence. Take your backswing to the fence and your follow-through to the fence. The fence provides a most literal block. It forces you to hit the correct backswing and follow-through. After you practice next to the fence, return to the court and imagine that the fence is still present. You should find that your overextension problems will be solved.
) The Wrong Foot Forward—Players often step off of the wrong foot as they hit into the groundstroke. That sacrifices balance, power, and control.
Correction—To step off the proper foot, remember this: Always plant the back foot, then step across your body to the net pole with the front foot. As you begin to hit, ask yourself, ‘‘Am I stepping across my body with the front foot?’’ Awareness is vital.
e 8) The Close In/Lifted Elbow—Many students let the ball get too close to their bodies. The usual result is a low-percentage high to low slice shot—a fleeting attempt to strike the ball anyway possible, often with a lifted elbow. The lifted elbow causes a loss of power and control. Feel this for yourself. You will find that if your elbow is lifted, you can only hit the ball with your arm rather than with the full power of the body.
Correction—To cure the raised elbow problem on the forehand, start out by relaxing the shoulders.
Relax by simply asking, “Am I relaxing my shoulders?’’ As you begin to hit the ball, take the racquet all the way back and follow through by attempting to keep the ball on the strings for as long a time period as possible. On the backhand, always touch the thumb to the side seams of your shorts or dress by the time the ball bounces on your court. If you hit from the hip, the cure will come quickly.
—@ 1) The Swinging Volley—This most common problem involves taking a backswing on the volley shot rather than stepping in and hitting the volley out in front of your body. Ah, the frustration of this one!
By the time you take a backswing, the ball will have already passed you.
Correction—If you are currently locked into a swinging volley, practice hitting with your back against a wall or a fence. Obviously, that will prevent a backswing. When you take your game to the court, see if you can watch the ball through the strings of your racquet. If you can, you are not taking the racquet back too far.
e 2) Turning the Side/Falling Away—One of the major problems on the volley is the flat-footed or fall away shot. If you stand flat-footed or fall away, you will not have the power of your body as you hit the ball. Your balance point will also be poor, and you will normally only hit a survival shot.
Correction— Always try to step across your body. As you begin to hit, say to yourself, “Plant. Step across. Plant. Step across.”’
e 1) The Toss—A toss of improper height troubles many players.
Correction—If you are having trouble with your toss, give yourself a frame of reference. In practice, extend your racquet vertically above your head. The ball should be tossed to 1 o’clock and to a height that approximates the top of your extended racquet.
e 2) The Falling Ball—A most detrimental error in the toss is to allow the ball to fall before you hit it.
When this happens, you lose power and the fluidity of your motion. The result? The ball lands too deep!
Correction— Always attempt to reach out and hit up towards the sky. Remember to hit the ball at its peak. If you are not hitting the ball at the peak, make a note of how many inches the ball falls before you contact it. You are aiming at awareness. Once achieved, you will soon find that the contact point has been corrected naturally.
e 3) Serving Off the Wrong Foot—Many players step into the ball off the wrong foot which causes a loss of balance.
Correction—If you are moving the wrong foot, place a ball next to your left foot. As you serve, make sure that you don’t move that ball. You can also use the old awareness technique. As you serve, ask, ‘“Am I stepping into the ball with the back foot?’’ Within a few serves, you should be able to step into the serve and gain extra power and balance.
e 4) “Hit to the Sky or Die’’—As severe as it is common, is the problem of hitting down on the ball in an attempt to force it into the service area. It is impossible to force the ball down, and yet it seems that almost eighty per cent of the players I watch try to do it. The key to both power and control is to hit from the spine (back scratcher position) to the sky. Gravity will bring the ball down into the service court.
Correction—If you are currently trying to force down, notice that upon service you are actually arching the ball over the net. Next, ask yourself, ‘‘Am I hitting from the spine to the sky?’’ Once you have achieved awareness and direct your hit to the sky you will notice dramatic results in both control and power.
When the going gets tough, the following works for me: I tell myself e I prefer. I don’t demand.
It’s got to be the going not the getting that’s good.
e Growth comes through risk-taking (which simply means expanding your limits).
The key to developing your tennis strokes is practice! Practice sessions will allow you to test new ideas without placing your ego on the line. Practice sessions will also allow you to hit ten times as many balls. When practicing, try to use actual play situations. Tennis is a dynamic, fast-moving game, so your practice sessions should emphasize movement.
I can’t stress often enough: Tennis is a game of errors. It’s the nature of the game. In fact, it takes an error to finish the point. The problem I typically find is that players tend to turn on themselves because of each point they lose. They seldom remember the eight shot rally that took place before the point finished. Remember that we all make errors. To check this out, you may wish to count the number of errors a touring pro makes.
Over the years, I’ve also encountered another selfdefeating behavior: The Perfect Stroke Syndrome.
There are few players who ever hit a perfect serve, forehand, or volley, Yet, most of us tend to expect perfection. Pros often hit off balance, step with the wrong foot, and lack movie star style. Why should we, the amateurs of the world, expect more from ourselves than the pros do from themselves? Don’t allow yourself to get caught up in unattainable expectations. The perfect stroke is an unrealistic goal.
You probably are aware of when you need to change your strokes but may not be aware of when to change your game style.
You should change your game when the cost outweighs the reward. The first indicator of the need for change is if you are triggering your anger switch. If you feel pain in your strokes or game style, you should change it. Tennis is playtime. Game styles can be indicated by a point system.
Have a friend or coach make a chart as you play. Have him record the number of points won and the number of points lost on each stroke. Also, make a graph on points won and lost on approaches to the net (number of winners hit, number of balls hit on each stroke). If you have more points in the lose column than in the win column, you should change your style of play. As you improve your performance, it’s more efficient and fun to concentrate on working better not harder. And, that’s not a bad philosophy anywhere!
For years, I have marveled at the chess-like maneuvers involved in tennis. As an intercollegiate player, I was fortunate to cut my teeth with the
Masters. I used to play men who were fifty-five and older. In spite of my age advantage, they would best me consistently, six-love six-one. I would walk on the court and would not be seen walking after that. For example, Jack, an older ranked player, would drop shot me, lob me, run me to the left and to the right, serve underhanded, and do it all without sweating a drop! His shots were not randomly selected. They were planned. It may sound obvious, but a strategy game clearly requires proper stroke production.
PART | THE ART AND CRAFT OF PLAY
Strategy is a game of knowing what to do and when to do it. Therefore, it is a process which involves thought analysis. Surprise—finally, there is a place to really use the left brain’s logical analysis and sequential planning ability.
The left brain strategy game can be mastered by following a ten rule plan.
1. Hit with accuracy—This can be as simple as hitting down-the-middle.
2. Keep the ball in play—Tennis is a game of errors. The winner of most matches is the one who makes the least number of errors. Let your opponent take the risk. Chances are that his gamble will fail. 3. Hit high percentage shots—A down-themiddle shot is the highest percentage shot. 4. Go deep to your opponent’s backhand every chance you get—This will keep your opponent in a defensive posture. 5. Hit with depth—Keep the ball within three to six feet of the baseline. Topspin is a major factor in achieving depth. 6. Hit with pace—Hit the ball with pace only when you have mastered the art of control and moderate variation. 7. Hit with moderate variation—The idea of variation is over-emphasized. For moderate variation, simply move your target area or change your spin. 8. Relax—You can hit with accuracy, depth, pace, and variation when you relax. 9. Concentrate—Watch the ball. Preoccupy the rational mind in the ways we have shown. 10. Get to the net as soon as possible—The player at the net always has the advantage; he has a better angle on the ball, and he has the opportunity to keep his opponent in a defensive posture.
The four major ingredients of the intellectual game are accuracy, pace, depth, and variation. Accuracy requires direction control, and pace requires hitting a moderate to hard stroke. Depth requires keeping the ball deep, and variation requires advanced strokes of chips, underspins (drop shots), and kickserves.
Accuracy can be used to defeat players of twice your level. ‘Burkett, strive for accuracy,’ my coach used to bellow. ‘You hit the ball too hard.” If you have trouble, build accuracy before speed. To improve your accuracy, learn to hit the ball with topspin. Then you will be able to hit the ball twice as hard and still realize success in ball placement. For beginners, work on hitting accuracy targets down-the-middle. If you can be accurate in staying in the middle, you will defeat seventy-five per cent of your intermediate opponents with surprising ease. Remember, tennis is a game of errors. You normally win if you keep the ball in play. Heard that before?
To practice for accuracy, divide the court into fours by using chalk. Work on hitting all four areas—hitting fifty balls into each one-fourth court.
Now hit each court (one, two, three, four). To perfect your middle shots, work on hitting an area five feet in front of the center service line.
For pace play, practice the Inhale-Exhale-Gust Game (pg. 52). Visualize yourself hitting as your role model hits (pg. 93). Remember that pace can be further developed by using topspin. As you begin to play, work on developing topspin. If you hit with topspin, you can hit power strokes with greater accuracy.
You'll throw your opponents off because of the nature of the topspin’s high bounce.
Depth is necessary for your broad-based strategy. The key is to keep your balls within a three to six foot area from the baseline. Make a chart and notice how many balls you hit past the service line. Note how many balls hit within a three to six foot range. If you are not hitting seven out of ten balls near the baseline, practice daily until you get there. As you hit deep, work on lifting the ball over the net with the wind (pg.
52). Inhale and exhale visualizing the wind carry. To practice for depth, heighten the net by drawing a string from end to end. The ball must now pass over the string. For serves, practice serving on your knee.
Soon you will be hitting deep serves. If you learn to hit all of your shots deep, you will win eighty per cent of your matches. Your opponent has no chance for openings created by short shots. You, in effect, force him to play defensive tennis.
Varying your shots throws your opponent off balance. For example, if I always serve a ball to your backhand, you will soon start moving up and winning the point. You will soon forget the other side of the court and react faster than I. If we play doubles and I always poach, you will start going down-the-alley. You must, therefore, vary your shots for a slight edge.
Varying Targets—Variation in your game is first achieved by varying your target area. Hit most of your shots down-the-middle or deep to your opponent’s backhand. This will keep the ball in play and force your opponent to play defensively.
For variation, hit down-the-line from time to time and cross-court. Even if you miss the shot, you will keep your opponent on guard. When you serve, keep the ball deep to the backhand. To attain variation in your serve, divide the court serving area into three parts. Practice changing the direction of the serve, and approach the net from time to time.
Varying Spins—To further your variation, learn to use different types of spins. Topspin is an old reliable! The ball bounces higher which throws your opponent’s timing off; also its flight is slow which allows you more time to get ready for your next shot.
For variation use sidespin (slice). Use the slice to pull your opponent off court on the serve. Use a chopping or slicing motion on your approach shots. The ball will dip at your opponent’s feet, and he will have to hit the ball from down low up to clear the net. This should set you up for an easy volley if you have approached the net.
Varying Your Position—When receiving the serve, do not consistently stand in the same spot. You will only be providing your opponent a target for his serve. By varying your position anywhere from several feet inside the baseline to ten feet behind the baseline, the server will have to alter his frame of reference. Each time you move, he will have to refocus his depth perception which naturally gives him more margin for error. Normally if you move inside the service line for the return, your opponent will serve short into the net. If you change your stance to ten feet beyond the baseline, your opponent will normally serve long.
The person who reaches the net first will probably win the point because of the angle he has on the ball.
Secondly, his opponent must hit a high-risk shot or a defensive lob which is normally ineffective in intermediate play. The player who approaches the net controls his opponent’s shot selection. The rules to the approach shot are:
1) Approach on any shot which is hit short to you. 2) Approach on your opponent’s second serve. 3) Follow the direction of the flight of the ball. 4) Hit deep to your opponent’s backhand. 5) Hit a slice shot or a topspin shot. 6) Try to reach the middle of the service court before you hit the volley.
7) Find your balance point before you hit the volley. This involves a pause (both feet on the ground) before you hit. 8) Remember, punch the volley (pg. 64).
The Frequent Short Ball Sequence—Perhaps the most effective strategy technique available to players at all levels is the short ball approach sequence. To employ the short ball sequence, hit all of your groundstrokes deep down the middle, and wait until your opponent hits you a ball which bounces inside the service line. When this happens, approach the ball and hit a high-to-low chip shot deep to your opponent’s backhand. If you feel you can’t execute the high-tolow chip shot, then come in by hitting a punching motion deep to your opponent’s backhand. After you hit the approach shot, proceed to the net in the same direction that your approach shot is traveling. Follow the direction of the ball even if it doesn’t go to your opponent’s backhand. Once you arrive at the net, plant both feet and punch your volley to an area of the court which is furthest away from your opponent.
The Drop Shot Sequence—For variety you may wish to try a drop shot sequence. To hit the drop shot you should stroke the ball in a chipping motion. Contact with the ball is just under the middle.
To practice the drop shot sequence, hit most of your balls deep down the middle until your opponent hits you a fairly short ball. Approach the short ball.
Hit your drop shot, and move quickly to the net. Approaching the net after you hit the drop shot will dramatically reduce the angles and the possible number of shots available for your opponent’s return.
For this reason, I suggest that you never try to hit your drop shot and stay back. You usually have forward momentum which would need to be reversed, and then you will be off balance. Also, you leave your opponent at the net in command with a larger number of shots to work with. I also suggest that you avoid hitting the drop shot from your baseline because of the low percentage involved in this shot.
The Drop Shot/Lob Sequence—In some play situations, you may choose to hit a short ball and bring your opponent into the net while you wait at the baseline for his return. When your opponent approaches the net, hit your next shot as a lob. This technique is especially effective when you wish to tire your opponent.
The Serve and Volley Sequence— Approaching the net quickly serves as an element of surprise and can end a point in a hurry. To get to the net quickly, you may wish to practice the serve and volley sequence.
For maximum effect, start with a 3/4 speed serve. This will allow you enough time to get to mid-court before you have to hit the return. As you serve and approach the net, try to get at least a foot inside the service line. Just before you hit the volley, plant both feet for balance. After you hit your volley, proceed to the net in the same direction that you hit the ball.
To practice accuracy, pace, depth, and variation, use the following drills.
1) Forehand to Forehand Accuracy Drill Player A introduces the ball to Player B’s forehand. Player B returns the ball to Player A’s forehand. Both players then continue to hit to each other’s forehand. 2) Backhand to Backhand Accuracy Drill—Player A introduces the ball to Player B by hitting a deep backhand shot. Player B returns the ball to Player A’s backhand. From this point, each player hits to the other’s backhand. Learn to hit short shots, then long shots, then short shots, then long shots. 3) Volley to Volley Accuracy Drill—Hit easily controlled forehand volleys for three minutes.
Now hit easily controlled backhand volleys for another three minutes. 4) Forehand-Backhand Volley Accuracy Drill— For this drill, Player A introduces the ball to Player B by volleying to his forehand. Player B returns the ball to Player A’s backhand.
Player A again returns the ball to Player B’s forehand. After three minutes, Player A introduces the ball to Player B’s backhand volley. Player B returns the volley to Player A’s forehand volley. Player A again returns the volley to Player B’s backhand volley.
Strive for accuracy by playing slowly.
5) Service and Volley Accuracy Drill—Player A serves to Player B and approaches the net in an attempt to reach the service line. Player B gently hits the ball to Player A near the net.
Player A then volleys and puts it away. 6) Service Return Accuracy Drill—Hit your service returns into the designated area. First hit to area A, then B, then C (see diagram pg. 80).
7) The Eight Yard Down-the-Middle Accuracy Drill—Take a piece of chalk and mark off an area eight yards from the service area, four on one side and four on the other side. Make the area six feet deep. See how many balls you can hit into this area out of 100 shots.
Go through all the drills listed above, and hit with topspin.
Take a piece of chalk and draw a line four feet inside the baseline. Work on hitting ground strokes from the chalk line to the baseline. Now take a string and run it parallel to the net; raise it five feet above the net. Practice lifting the ball up and over the string; hit fifty shots.
Again go through all of the drills mentioned above and hit your shots with slices and topspin.
1) Service and Play—Down-the-Line/Cross-Court Variation—Player A introduces the ball to Player B by serving to the right side of the service court. Player B returns the ball down-the-line. Player A then hits a backhand crosscourt. Player B then hits a backhand down-theline. Reverse the procedure after three minutes. 2) Serve Approach and Overhead Placement Variation— Player A hits a serve to Player B and approaches the net. Player B lobs the ball gently to Player A. Player A hits an overhead to each of the four areas numbered in the diagram on page 79.
1) Consistent Reflexes—Both players, A and B, stand on the baseline. At the count of three, both players start their balls—both hitting to each other’s forehand. The idea is to continue to keep both balls going at the same time and rev up your reflexes. Keep the balls at a slow pace with a lofty shot. 2) Five Point Drill—Each person hits the ball five times. After the fifth hit, play the point out.
Player A starts the point five times. Then B starts the point five times. The first one to reach fifteen wins. 3) Image and Mantra Techniques As you warm up with the drills, be aware of your body; watch the yin and yang, inhale and exhale. Play the game of Ba Dum.
When hitting your strokes, use imagery. See the wind carry the ball; throw the water; knock on the door. Work on one drill and one image at a time; keep a chart.
There are numerous areas of the game which can be pre-programmed for percentage tennis. If you are pre-programmed, you avoid the problem of decisionmaking while the ball is in flight. Should I lob or go down-the-line? Should I come in or wait? And so on.
Listed below are suggested pre-programs. These are not ‘‘shoulds’’—just good ideas.
1) Hit with accuracy; aim most of your shots down-the-middle. 2) Hit with depth; aim your shots three to six feet from the baseline. 3) Serve to the backhand. 4) Don’t serve to the forehand on second serves. 5) Don’t follow your second serve in. 6) Don’t get caught in the middle of the court. 7) Punch your volleys. 8) Avoid down-the-alley shots.
9) Place your overheads; inhale as the ball leaves your opponent’s racquet and exhale as you start your stroke. 10) Don’t swing at your service return. 11) Hit deep service returns by simply punching the ball. 12) In doubles, get your first service in. 13) Don’t poach on second serves. 14) Hit to the middle of the court in doubles. 15) Inhale-exhale on all shots as in (9) above. 16) Do what you are capable of; play percentage tennis.
17) Realize that pre-programming is like learning your multiplication tables. Once you memorize, you simplify all problem solving.
Advanced players will be more concerned with how to add variety to their games. At the advanced level, you should place awareness on footwork as well as on topspin and chip shots. Programming decisions is also an area for concentration. Normally, we allow ourselves too many decisions on the tennis court. The key to playing Centered tennis involves predicting your opponent’s next shot and knowing what you are going to do if it’s a lob or a down-the-line hit.
Intermediate and Advanced Pre-programming.
The process of learning tennis should be the progression from the simple to the complex. Learning simple to complex strokes allows you to gain confidence and receive positive feedback before progressing on to the next step.
1) Serve seventy per cent of your serves to the backhand.
2) Place twenty-five to thirty per cent of your serves to the forehand and in the middle of the court. 3) In doubles, seventy per cent of the first serves that are in, win the point. In doubles, take some pace off the ball; get your first service in. 4) Vary your serve (cannonballs, spins). 5) Try not to serve to the forehand on your second serve unless the player has a weak forehand. 6) If you see a player who favors one side, hit to the other side. 7) Your best serve is a high bounce serve to the backhand.
8) Toss the ball in front of you; exhale as you hit. 9) Know where you are going to serve before you start your motion. (Image it). 10) Follow serves in for variety—(when they are first serves and deep). 11) Accuracy is better than power.
1) Follow the direction you hit the ball as you approach the net. 2) If possible, don’t get caught in the middle of the court. 3) Approach the net when you hit a deep shot to the player’s backhand. 4) Approach more often on fast court surfaces. 5) Stay low as you approach (the tank), plant your feet before you hit. 6) Exhale with a sharp gust of wind as you hit the ball. 7) Approach when you receive short shots. 8) Take the first short ball.
1) Watch your opponent as he warms up; hit to his weakest stroke in the match. 2) If your opponent approaches on one side of the court, hit to the other side. 3) Hit with depth, within three to six feet of the baseline. 4) Hit with pace—use topspin. 5) Hit with accuracy—hit down-the-middle. 6) Hit with variation (use chips and topspin); vary your targets from time-to-time. 7) Don’t run around your stroke. 8) Hit low shots or lob shots when you are in trouble or when a player is approaching the net.
1) Punch your volleys; don’t swing at them. 2) Drop shot if your opponent is behind the baseline. 3) If your opponent is at the net, hit to his feet. 4) Hit the ball with a slice for angle. 5) Keep your racquet in a ready position. 6) Accuracy and angle are better than power.
1) Lob when a player crowds the net. 2) Lob deep to a player’s backhand if his approach shot is deep. 3) Lob for variety.
4) Lob deep. 5) Lob when player takes the net. 6) Use your lob when you are cornered. 7) Lob with topspin—it gives you more time to ready for the return.
8) Use your lob most often in doubles to keep players off the net.
1) Place your shot when possible—accuracy is better than power.
2) To avoid panic, inhale as the ball leaves your opponent’s racquet and exhale as you start your stroke.
3) Always use your left hand to point to the ball (forehand).
4) Get your racquet back quickly—keep your feet on the ground. 5) Angle shots are as effective as power hitting.
1) Don’t swing at service returns—punch them. 2) Hit most of your service returns to the backhand (if possible). 3) Hit deep returns. 4) Don’t try for winners on the service return.
Perhaps one of the most revealing tools of a player’s strengths and weaknesses is the process of logging. While coaching at the university level, I found that logging was most effective for spotting advanced players’ errors in competition.
Spin serves Serves to the backhand
Serves to the forehand Number of times service approach Number of times approached on short balls Number of short balls hit Number of forehand volleys hit Number of backhand volleys hit Number of points hit on cross-court
Number of times poached Number of first serves in doubles Number of second serves in doubles
_ Number of times passed down alley down-the-middle Number of angle shots missed Number of down-the-line shots missed
To use the log effectively, have a friend watch you in play situations and chart both winning and losing shots. After you find your weaknesses, work on that particular area in your practice situations.
Now let’s carry the imagery learning theme from individual strokes and techniques into game strategy as a whole. I suggest that players take a special view of the court and develop a visual frame of reference in coordinating their match play.
The Visual Court—Recently I was working with Judy Dixon, former Yale coach, and she provided me with some key visual frames of reference for strategy situations. The following imagery process is paraphrased from her teachings.
To understand the court from a visual frame of reference, divide it into three parts. Part I should be divided from the net to the service line. Part II should be divided from the service line to approximately five feet beyond the service line. Part III encompasses the area from five feet beyond the service line to the baseline.
This three-part court is viewed as a traffic signal. The first part of the court is a green light area. The second part is a yellow light area, and the third part is a red light area.
As you begin to play, keep in mind the connection between the above demarcations and the three traffic lights. If the ball bounces in the green light area, react as you would if you were approaching a green light in your car. Put your body “‘in drive’”’ and proceed forward to the net. There’s no need to pause or stop. If the ball bounces in the yellow light area, again react as you would if you approached a yellow traffic signal. If you arrive early, you will probably continue on through. If you arrive late, you will use caution and avoid proceeding forward. If the ball bounces in the red light area, stay back and don’t even consider proceeding forward.
Imagery Theory for Strategy—To apply the traffic signal image to play situations follow these guidelines:
1. When the ball bounces in the green light area, hit most of your approach shots deep to your opponent’s backhand and proceed to the net. 2. When balls are bouncing in your red light area, stay back and return most of your balls deep down-the-middle.
To further extend your visual imagery, imagine that you are driving a tank in traffic (see page 20). When the ball bounces in the green light area, proceed forward like a tank—low and aggressive with your racquet out in front. Once your opponent makes contact with the ball, plant your feet for balance and then punch the ball aggressively.
One of the questions I am often asked is ‘‘How can you work on strategy and still concentrate?” I’m the first to agree that though much has been written on concentration, little has been written on the integration of concentration techniques with actual strategic play situations.
To understand how concentration lends itself to strategy, we must first address the major premise of the entire strategy process: keep the ball in the court!
It is also important to note what may seem even more obvious: keep the ball in the court one more time than your opponent. Now take off from the latter rule with an interesting statistic involving the sixth shot.
The Sixth Shot Rule—To the surprise of most players, there is strong evidence to indicate that the ball almost never crosses over the net more than six times in one rally. This is true both at beginner and advanced levels. It means that if you are able to hit three shots over the net, you normally win the point.
The reason that players seldom have a rally over six shots can be attributed to (1) lack of patience in players to hit the high percentage balls deep down-the-middle (as opposed to flashy low percentage shots); (2) boredom of hitting fifteen or twenty balls while you wait for an opening; (3) and finally, panic in players when it’s time to win the point with a put-away shot.
To handle boredom and to expand patience is the real value of concentration and can therefore be seen as the missing ingredient in sound strategy.
Patience, Boredom and Concentration—To maintain high percentage strategy, it is important to hit the ball deep down-the-middle. Unfortunately, most players get bored with this regime and normally attempt high risk shots as an antidote to boredom. If, however, you could amuse yourself on the baseline and wait for an opening, the probability of hitting high percentage shots increases as does the probability of your winning. To amuse yourself for three shots should be easy if you practice the recommendations found in Chapters IV and V. For example, using the musical mantra ‘‘Ba Dum,”’ or watching for the arch in the flight pattern of the ball.
Employ your favorite concentration techniques for six shots and see what happens. I could almost bet that within six shots your opponent will hit you a short ball or make some other mistake. Then, you can approach the net with your approach volley sequence.
If, however, the odds have been beaten and six balls have been hit, you can become aggressive and play the point out. (You will find that you normally won’t have to play the point out because your opponent will have probably already lost his patience and hit the ball out
Panic in the Approach Shot—Concentration can also be a vital tool for handling panic in the approach shot. Even though most players can master the six shot rule with concentration and strategy, they often panic when they approach the net.
Concentration is effective because it eliminates the fears of the analytic mind and also cures the “I have to hurry-panic-process.”” As you approach the net, I suggest that you practice your visual concentration techniques. As I mentioned earlier, my favorite is looking for the fuzz on the ball. If you panic when you receive a volley or overhead, practice the inhale/exhale technique. The visual techniques are generally more effective at the net. The inhale/exhale technique is valuable for its calming effect in critical panic situations such as the overhead.
Concentration-Strategy Rules—Listed below are suggestions for integrating concentration with strategy:
Practice the ‘‘Ba-Dum,”’ musical mantra (page 41). Watch in your mind the ball’s flight patterns for the arch. Make a rainbow with the flight pattern and exercise the “‘one’’-“‘two’’ mantra (page 48) for six shots while hitting the ball deep down-the-middle.
Wait for the short ball (which will normally come before six shots) or hit the sixth ball and then play aggressively by moving to the net on your first opening. When you approach the net, practice your visual concentration techniques. (For example, watch the fuzz on the ball or try to read the label). After you hit your shot, proceed to the net following the flight of the ball.
Once you arrive at the net, plant both feet and look for the ball. As the ball arrives inhale and exhale as you contact it. Remember ““Hit-Out.” (See page 53).
For strategy, watch professional matches. Pick a role model. How does s/he go down-the-line? If you have the opportunity, watch Stan Smith and see when he normally approaches the net. Tune into televised matches as often as possible.
Strategy and the Warm-Up—tThe Art of Scouting
In tennis, strategy is far from a hard-and-fast set of rules. In fact, your plan of action is bound to change from day-to-day and occasionally from minute-tominute! Tactics will be determined by variables ranging from an opponent’s style to weather conditions.
For example, I find that I normally play women differently than men, fast players differently than slow players, hard hitters differently than lobbers, lazy players differently than hustlers, and even tall players differently than short players. I also play differently on a windy day than on a calm day, and heat causes me to apply a strategy different from the one I employ in cold weather. In other words, I tailor my game to meet the conditions and players encountered in individual matches.
Scouting your opponent in the warm-up can give you a valuable edge on the match itself. Pre-game observations and evaluations generally pay off in the winner’s circle. Still, before coming to my clinics, most of my students claim they totally ignored this essential element of day-by-day/opponent-by-opponent strategy. In fact, my observations in general have shown that it’s the rare player who thinks about what s/he can learn from a warm-up session. As we pointed out before, most will hit thirty or so balls over the net and offhandedly say, ‘““Want to play a set?” The cavalier ‘‘Let’s play a set’”’ approach can often be disasterous. It too often means that some basic information was disregarded and the match is entered with assumptions rather than knowledge. That’s poor strategy! If, for example, you merely assume that your opponent’s backhand is weak or that his volley approach shot will beat you, you could be in for a surprise! I have known many players who have far stronger backhands than forehands. I have also known many who appear to have a good approach volley, but choke when the approach shot is tested. If you fail to test your opponent’s shot before the match, you certainly aren’t doing yourself a favor! An assumed weak shot may really be the player’s strong shot.
To scout effectively in the warm-up period, it is important to have your opponent use all of his shots.
Test your opponent’s groundstrokes, then his volley, and then his serve. Check to see if your opponent can move to the net, and also investigate his overheads and lobs.
Successful scouting depends on your ability to use both your eyes and your ears. If you are observing your opponent, you can tell whether he has to rush or
if one shot troubles him more than another. If you listen to him, he might well give away weakness by verbalizing. For example: ‘‘Darn!”’ I can’t hit a volley to save myself!”’ or, ‘““Boy! Is my backhand off!”’ That reminds me—if you start to mumble something about your play, bite your tongue. Your opponent might have read this book, too!
Leftie or Rightie?—The first thing that you should take into account is the hand that your opponent uses. You could lose the first set before you discovered that you were hitting all of your shots to a lefthander’s forehand!
Stroke Weaknesses—The strengths and weaknesses of your opponent’s groundstrokes should also come under your scrutiny. Don’t get caught in the trap of assuming a weak backhand or weak voiley. Rather, test both the forehand and the backhand before you play. Movement—The third area that you should investigate is your opponent’s agility and speed.
Don’t warm up hitting all of your shots downthe-middle. Test your opponent by hitting some shots wide. Also, determine whether s/he moves quickly from forehand to backhand, and make a mental note of his or her speed to the net as well as to retrieve the lob. Stature—As part of my pre-game inventory, I always gauge my opponent’s height. Experience has shown me weaknesses specific to short players and others specific to tall players.
Once you have spotted your opponent’s weaknesses, you can design your game to maximize them.
Listed below are some of the many ways you can tailor your play style to maximize your changes for winning your matches:
1) Hit to the shots which cause your opponent the most trouble. If your opponent indicates low performance in hitting the backhand, hit most of your shots to his backhand. If your opponent can’t hit overheads, lob him all day. If your opponent can’t volley, bring him in, and force him into the difficult stroke. These are shots to go to as variations from the down-themiddle high percentage shots. 2) Tailor your game to your opponent’s style of locomotion. If your opponent moves well in the warm-up and seems to hit well while moving, hit most of your shots deep down-the-middle and avoid running him. If your opponent has a poor approach shot, hit short balls and force him to come in and hit his poor approach shot.
If your opponent can’t move quickly in a retreat, lob him all day. 3) Plan your game with your opponent’s height in mind. If your opponent is short, hit high bouncing balls, and avoid hitting low, netskimming shots. Short people can hit low balls well; however, high bouncers often catch them hitting a high to low shot which is a low percentage shot. On the other hand, if your opponent is tall, hit low shots. Tall players have trouble getting down to low balls but seldom have difficulty with high bouncers.
You can gain a winning edge from the outset if you give yourself a game plan that hits to your opponent’s weaknesses. Naturally, the more experience you have with different players and different play situations, the easier you'll find it to design winning strategies.
Game Plans and the Wind Element
As I mentioned earlier, your game style should be flexible enough to adjust to the elements. Wind, for example, does crazy things to the ball—especially if you are a lobber or slicer. In fact, if you are a slicer or lobber, a windy day will be your downfall if you don’t have a range of shots available to you. To that end, I offer the following suggestions:
1) Hit with topspin—the ball will stay in the court more consistently. 2) Avoid underspin—especially on groundstrokes. 3) Minimize the lob. 4) Force your opponent into lobbing—by approaching the net often.
5) Hit down-the-middle—play percentage tennis especially on windy days. 6) Practice your toss before you serve—toss the ball lower on windy days.
7) Warm up on both sides of the court.
When playing in the sun, take the direction of light into consideration and use the heat element to your advantage. To maximize your chances for winning on a bright, sultry day, practice these sugges-
1) When you begin to serve, toss the ball a few times to see where the sun is. Toss your ball higher or lower for light adjustments. 2) If you have to serve into intense sun, and you win the toss let your opponent serve first. You should select the side with the sun to your back; winning the first game (especially on your opponent’s serve) is a major asset for momentum. 3) Lob often when the sun is in your opponent’s eyes.
4) In heat, try to run your opponent’s lob when s/he approaches the net, and drop shot often— especially if your opponent is winded.
Strategy and the Psychology of Doubles
The game of doubles, in its finest form is a chesslike game of maneuvers designed to throw opponents out of position. It is a game of technique and of percentage shots and of knowing what to do and when to do it. Mastery of the doubles game strategy often takes years of experience.
The Serve—There is a percentage factor based on points won on first and second serves that should be incorporated into your doubles strategy. An imperative rule in doubles is that if you get your first service in, you will win the point seven out of ten times. If you miss your first service, your odds for winning the point drops dramatically. This is true because your opponents can easily take the net (offensive) on a soft second serve, and you will be forced to hit a defensive shot. In doubles, you must always concentrate on placing your first service in.
Doubles Positioning—In doubles play, the position you assume on court is a key element of winning strategy. If you start your game in an improper position, you will leave open gaps in the court—weak spots for your opponents’ advantage. There’s no point in offering them gifts. The Server, Server’s Partner, Service Receiver, and Receiver’s Partner don’t generally look best in Santa Claus suits!
e The proper position for the server is near the alley. This allows him to hit the serve over the lowest part of the net, near the middle of the court.
e The server’s partner should position himself midway between the net and the service line. In that position, he will be able to pick off many shots which travel near the middle of the court and also force his opponents to hit their return wide to his partner’s forehand. Leaving the alley open, also may force the opponent to consider going down-the-alley—a far lower percentage shot for him than hitting crosscourt.
e The service receiver’s position involves moving in relationship to the server. If he is standing wide, the receiver should move slightly to the right. If the server is tucked in towards the middle of the court, then it is a good idea to move slightly to the left.
e The receiver’s partner should stand slightly in front of the service line. This is strategic for that quick, first step to get to the net. This is the basis of doubles strategy. You want to get to the net as quickly as possible! You don’t want to retreat—one of the most troubling impulses of intermediate players.
When you occupy this position, you should always think, ‘‘Move forwards! Don’t retreat!’’ Normally, the only time you should move backwards is when you see your opponent assuming an overhead stroke position.
Approaching the Net—There are two ways to play tennis: (1) offensively and (2) defensively. I favor taking an offensive posture (with the capability to play defensively when necessary). Approaching the net often marks taking the offensive. And, it’s a good team strategy, for winning at doubles requires seizing the net! Then, the opposition has but three alternatives: (1) either hit right to you, (2) hit a low percentage down-the-line shot, or (3) hit a low percentage defensive lob shot. If you get to the net first, odds are that you will win eighty per cent of your points.
But don’t let the odds trip you up. It’s important to know exactly when to take the net. Obviously, you can’t always approach with authority. Here are some rules for approaching:
Approach when you receive a “green light” short ball.
e Approach off of your first serve, even when you're a lower intermediate player.
e Approach when you receive a weak second serve.
e Approach if you hit deep to your opponents’ backhands.
e Approach when your opponents have to return high, bouncing balls to their backhand.
e Approach any time your opponents are in trouble or when they are playing defensively.
It is also important to understand the process involved in approaching the net. When you approach, keep these suggestions in mind:
e Follow the direction of the ball’s flight.
e Attempt to reach within five yards of the net. e Plant both feet on the ground before you hit your approach volley to enhance your accuracy.
Poaching—When the net player attempts to head off the ball by moving laterally, parallel to the net, it is called ‘‘poaching.”” The purpose is for surprise and variation. Poaching is very effective for offensive play; however, it can get you in serious trouble if you don’t know the guidelines.
1) Poach for variety—every six shots is a good rule of thumb. 2) Once you poach, you must move to the other side of the court. Always clear out of the middle. Otherwise, you leave your partner on the baseline, second guessing whether he or she should move left or right. 3) Poach most often on weak receivers. 4) Don’t poach on second serves.
The Middle-Low Shot—In doubles play, balls should be directed to the middle of the court rather than to the alley. There are two good reasons for this practice. First, the net is lower in the middle, and second, your opponents may end up guessing who should take the ball.
Avoid going for the alleys unless you are an expert. Most intermediates are only successful at this shot twenty per cent of the time. You may wish to try the alley shot for variation, but don’t depend on it. For this reason, you should also pay more defensive attention to your own middle than to your alleys. Intermediates aren’t consistent on alley shots.
Always hit your ground shots low in doubles. As I said above, the key in doubles is to seize the net. If you hit a high shot to an opponent at the net, you are finished. The low shot will more often than not force your opponent to hit below the net on his volleys, and it will force the opponent who is approaching to hit low to high. When your opponent hits a high ball to you, you gain angle for your volleys and normally win the point.
Covering the Down-the-Middle Shot—After the point starts, most knowledgeable players will direct the ball down the middle of the court because of the favorable odds. To cover this shot, I suggest that the player closest to the net take the ball. He has the best angles and the best percentage chance of hitting the ball. The person closest to the net should always take the down-the-middle ball even when s/he is the weakest player.
Lobbing—Since it is predictable that most good doubles teams will be trying to seize the net, it is important to develop a strong defensive tactic—and the most effective defense is the lob.
1) Lob offensively when a player crowds the net. 2) Lob with topspin. It gives you more time. 3) Lob often when your opponents seize the net.
4) Lob deep. 5) Lob for variety. 6) Most importantly, lob when you get in trouble. It will give you time to regroup.
Who Covers the Lob—Since the game of doubles is a game of keeping players off the net, you will soon find that your opponents will use the lobbing tactic against you. When you're on the receiving end of the lob, I suggest the following procedures:
1) If you are lobbed on your side of the court and you see that the ball will land short of the service line, hit your own shot. 2) If the lob lands beyond the service line on your side of the court, I suggest letting your partner take the shot. Allowing your partner to take the shot is the most effective move because s/he can get to the shot quicker and can avoid the balance problems that you will experience if you try to run backwards to get your own shot. For optimum efficiency, you should move back to the baseline as well, for you will now be in a defensive posture. To move back with your partner most effectively, I suggest using an X type formation.
Keep in mind that high lobs are best hit when they are first allowed to bounce. Trying to hit a high lob in the air tends to be a low percentage shot for all but top-rated players. One final suggestion is to let the lob bounce when you are playing at night since artificial lighting can play tricks with your depth perception.
Moving Together—One of the most important rules in doubles is to move with your partner. It can be costly if you don’t. Then you are likely to leave large gaps in your coverage of the court area which can easily be hit into by your opponents.
Ideally, you should always be side-by-side and approximately ten to fifteen feet apart. The ten to fifteen foot concept is important—both at the baseline and at the net. If the ball is hit to the right back court, you and your partner should both move toward the ball. If the ball is hit to the right while you are at the net, you should move to the ball together keeping a distance of ten to fifteen feet apart. If the ball is hit to your left while you are at the net, you should again move together. If the ball is lobbed while you and your partner are at the net both of you should move back to cover the shot.
Once you begin to move together, you will find that you seldom have the time to stand around wishing for a shot.
Ideal Positioning—The most effective positioning is when both you and your partner are at the net. Second in effectiveness is when you and your partner are both back at the baseline. The worst position that you can be in is when one of you is at the net and the other is at the baseline. Remember that you should always move together as a team in a highly coordinated fashion. Such teamwork will win you matches that you never believed were possible.
Of course, there are times when rules are there to be broken. One of these times is when you have reason to surprise your opponents.
The tandem position involves the repositioning of the net man during the serve. In the tandem position, the net man moves to midcourt before the serve (most often on or slightly to the side of the midcourt line). The tandem position should be used only when you are behind or when you have lost numerous points in a row. The purpose is to confuse your opponents and to short-circuit the effective groove they have developed.
For the most effective results in your doubles play, I suggest the following:
1) Get your first serve in and try to get to the net as quickly as possible. Es
2) After the point starts hit most of your balls t deep down-the-middle. 3) If your opponents take the net, first lob and proceed to the net with your partner.
4) When you get to the net, and the ball is hit to you down-the-middle, let the person closest to the net take the shot. 5) When you are at the net and you are lobbed, take your own shot if the lob is hit short within the service line. If the ball is lobbed deep, let your partner take the shot and retreat to the baseline in a X type formation.
6) Try and move together! Always work at being side-by-side at the net with a second preference of being side-by-side at the baseline.
Whether you play as a team or as an individual, accuracy and depth are vital ingredients of winning play. Therefore, don’t attempt difficult shots if you lack the accuracy to do so. Place most of your shots deep, near the baseline and hit with moderate power (pace) but avoid the kill-the-ball syndrome.
Constructing Social Barriers—In the early chapters, we discussed the social game of tennis with emphasis on overcoming such emotional barriers as low self-image, past failures, lack of confidence, fear and tension. Let’s turn that approach around! What barriers can you construct to force your opponent to lose the social game?
I offer the following section for players who compete with opponents of equal play levels. To work on your opponents’ social weaknesses, I suggest a tempered, reserved, nonpredatory, game of social competition. In other words, play to your opponents’ weaknesses (all of them), but realize that all games have rules; don’t take it too far. Below I’ve listed some tactics for social competition.
1) When your opponent gets down on himself, note the causal factor and return to it often—i.e., ‘I hate myself when I miss overheads.’’ You should go to the overhead often. 2) When your opponent approaches the net—hit at his feet or lob. Soon he will lose confidence in his approach shots. 3) When you play doubles—work on your opponent’s communication patterns. If your opponents begin to communicate as parent scolding a child, work on shots which will trigger and reinforce such a communication—i.e., hit to the middle, and work on weaknesses. 4) When you warm up—take special care of each shot; hit your serves as impressively as possible. Work on easy shots such as the volley; to look good, hit all shots with precision; in this manner you will lower your opponents’ confidence before the match. This tactic led me to a new school record for my tennis team! 5) Practice your preparation program—yoga, breathing (impression management), etc., before you walk on court. Your opponent may think you have a secret weapon, which in effect, will lower his self-esteem. 6) Keep a positive self-image of yourself (even when behind). Your opponent will begin to wonder why you're so collected.
Constructing Physical Barriers—Your opponent’s physical game can be attacked most effectively by wearing him out. Take him beyond his endurance threshold! Below are some suggestions.
1) Observe your opponent’s stamina level and work it to your advantage—if your opponent tires easily after a lob, lob him until he’s exhausted.
2) Move your opponent often if he displays low oxygen depth—lob, then drop shot, then lob.
3) When your opponent tires, change courts in a hurry. Don’t give him time to regroup. 4) If you tire, learn to find acceptable stalls! I like to tie my shoe when I’m dragging. 5) Use the heat of the day to tire your opponent. 6) If your opponent tires easily—make him hit shots which tire him quickly (the serve and/or overhead). Finish your serve quickly.
Constructing Emotional Barriers—In Chapter plac separa iy Seven, we illustrated the major emotional barriers: = 22s fear, anxiety, rage, and anticipation. For effective emotional competition, you should construct and attack these four emotional barriers. Below are some tactics you should consider.
1) Observe your opponent in the warm-up period and note whether he or she runs around any particular shot. If your opponent does run around, say the backhand, work on that fear when play starts. 2) Observe your opponent’s volleys and overhead to see if there is any fear present in these common areas. If so, go to them immediately in competition. 3) Note what triggers the ‘‘fight-flight’’ mechanism in your opponent—missing easy shots or playing patty-cake tennis. When you find a weakness, dwell on it in competition. For example, I used to beat many aggressive players by working on their tolerance level. I often hit weak shots simply to throw off my opponent’s rhythm and to upset him. 4) During changes of court, change immediately so that your opponent will remain upset. 5) Keep your opponent in a constant state of “anticipation of stress.’’ Change your targets and spins, and always make your opponent anticipate your next move. Work on his fears and force him or her to anticipate that you will be attacking all weaknesses. Constructing Intellectual Barriers—It has been proven again and again that tennis can be mastered by following some simple rules of strategy. To defeat your opponent mentally, you should construct barriers with sound strategy. The following recommendations will assure you of an intellectual victory.
Force your opponent to try low percentage shots. Force your opponent past his threshold for keeping the ball in play. Remain centered and hit the ball to the middle of the court. Eventually, your opponent will short-circuit and be forced into an error. When you find a weakness (lack of pace, depth, variation) go to work on it. For example, if your opponent hits short shots, go to the net with an approach shot. If your opponent lacks variety and always serves to your backhand, get a quick first step and hit offensively.
Follow the pre-programs already mentioned in this chapter.
As I mentioned in the Introduction to this book, ‘“ tennis is a sport which can improve the quality of your life. The techniques I have offered here will obviously become parts of your game style. But, there’s more to your life than time spent on a tennis court. Right?
How you treat yourself after a game or match, in the period I call the ‘Aftermath,’ can provide you with constructive insights into ways of looking at all your off-court encounters—with self and with others. You can use these insights to help you improve in areas where you sense a few rough or painful edges.
The Aftermath can be your time of greatest growth if you use it to heighten your self-awareness and to ‘‘center”’ on your feelings. My purpose has been to help you become a totally “CENTERED” player, but if a match or game causes you to lose your balance until the next time you play, I haven’t gone as far as I would like.
We have looked at tennis as the sum of four interrelated games:
1) the social game, 2) the physical game, 3) the emotional game, and 4) the intellectual game.
How do these games relate to the Aftermath? To be sure, the emotional game is still going to be playing in your head. Suppose you lost (even if you played beyond your expectations, you might have been playing out of your league)—are you angry, frustrated, or embarrassed? Or, do you feel pleased that you accepted the challenge in the first place and congratulate yourself on the good shots you did make, knowing that you can go on to build on them? If your impulse is to swig a cocktail of self-criticism, you've created a very rocky path for yourself. Self-deprecatory patterns that stem from original experiences inhibit the possibilities of future experiences. Punishing behavior never has healthy consequences in either your emotional or social life. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy winning more than losing, but you can learn and grow from both.
Suppose you won. Watch out for over-aggrandizing yourself or putting down your opponent. You'll be setting yourself up for future disappointment. Review your feelings. If you’re feeling “‘up,’’ did your “‘peak experience’? come from extending yourself as you played or from gloating over the final score? Allow yourself to be human, but don’t judge yourself as an individual by the outcome of the game. Some victors,
I’ve heard it said, ‘“‘belong to the spoils.’”’ That is, they are totally dependent on winning. They don’t just want a victory, they need it. And some who lose, catastrophize to the point of obsession with missed shots and a whole list of ‘‘might have beens.’’ Think about the way you generally react. Does it give you some clues to the way you tend to handle life in general? Your emotions can free you or limit you. They can allow you to move ahead with direction and purpose or hold you back with distractions and wasted energy.
Your emotional posture will naturally have social ramifications. If you took your game to quash your opponent, your social life will most likely operate from a power base. If you’ve extended yourself, challenged yourself and took a few risks, you're likely to recognize that your general approach to life is expansive and outgoing. What about pouting or sulking over the emotional hurt of a loss? What posture do you really want to have? Choose the role that has the most growth potential for you, and try it out after your games. Your social behavior can be just as much a source of pride as a winning score; and, unless you’re playing $100,000+ stakes, will have a more farreaching effect on your everyday life.
If you concentrated on your game (of course you did—you read this book, didn’t you!), you’re bound to walk away with afterimages of specific plays. This is a valuable aspect of the extended Intellectual Game.
Use it at your leisure to review all phases of the match. With such a review, you'll find that even your failures will provide invaluable clues for improvement. What techniques worked? What didn’t? Do you need to go back and practice any of your strokes? Might your strategy have been different? If you’re serious about tennis, don’t try and blot out a game as soon as it’s finished. If you can analyze it in a detached way, it can be a great schooling-ground for more polished skills and gamesmanship.
At this point, your body may be crying out for its share of attention. While three games in the Aftermath take place in your mind, your physical being continues to experience the effects of your determined efforts. Tennis is strenuous. You have played a very physical game, and stopping cold when you are done can be a real surprise to your heart and the rest of your muscles.
I devoted Chapters Two and Three to various tennis warm-ups. It is also extremely important that you organize your time to give your body an effective cooling-off period. Cooling down by walking helps your circulatory system to return to normal. To keep up the momentum of a fast-paced game, blood is pumped to your extremities, and afterward needs time to return to the center of your body. If you were to sit down and stop moving right away, you could experience dizziness or nausea. It’s also a good idea to do some stretching after an active encounter. Jogger’s stretches are good. One of the best is to place your hands against a wall with your fingers pointing up.
Then, leaning into the wall, walk slowly away from it as far as you can. By keeping your heels flat, you'll be giving your Achilles’ tendons a healthy stretch. Alternate toe touching is also good. Any of the yoga stretches I described in Chapter III will also help keep your body flexible and loose. On the ‘‘gourmet”’ side of a good cool-down is a massage. To my way of thinking there is no finer way to give your body a renewed sense of energy flow and ‘“‘aliveness.”’ If you are lucky enough to be able to afford a good professional masseur or masseuse, you know what I mean. At any rate, there are many excellent books on the subject of massage readily available at most bookstores. I suggest that you invest in one of the more practical handbooks—one with clearcut instructions for a total body massage. If you can share it with your life’s partner, both of you will reap the dividends. You'll be opening up both new energy channels and new communication channels. Of course, you can also do a self-massage by kneading and pressing various muscle groups in your legs, neck and feet. While this helps tight muscles and stimulates the blood flow, you won’t achieve the same sense of relaxation you would if you were not doing it yourself. Because your mind is directing your hands, your body cannot really let go as a receptor for the experience. This fact, in a way, sums up the interrelatedness of the mind and body. It’s important to treat and respect both aspects of our Beings so that we can reach our full potential and be ready for the peaks ahead.
Through Tennis!
As you've experimented with the various suggestions put forth in the preceeding chapters, you’ve no doubt sensed an expanded awareness both on and off the tennis court. Even more important, you may have also been introduced to and challenged by a most unique and exciting tennis partner—you, yourself!
Many of my students tell me that my lessons not only gave them a style of winning tennis, but also gave them entré to fresh aspects of themselves. Over and over again, I’ve been told that the most wonderful bonus of Tennis Centering is a sense of partnership between one’s mental and one’s physical capacities.
However, the ability to tap your total resources doesn’t happen by magic. Mastery of self and mastery of tennis is a gift; but, it’s not a free gift. My most successful students put in countless hours of conscious and deliberate practice.
I must also note at this point that it takes a kind of pioneering spirit and willingness to experiment for individuals to break out of expected behavior patterns and even try my techniques. Since my method of teaching is not exactly traditional (at least in our Western culture), most of my students do exhibit such freedom of spirit. They are willing to be individuals with or without a racquet in hand. Obviously, I’m inviting you to be an individual, too. Make the effort to try my suggestions out for yourself to test their personal validity. Discover, experiment and grow in ways that suit you best.
What you learn from these pages can make the whole world come alive with new possibilities. You can transfer the same kinds of thinking and awareness about the parts of yourself that go into your tennis performance and realize peak experiences in other areas of your life. As you remove some of your restrictive boundaries you can’t help but achieve beyond your expectations. More important, your appraisal of self will come from within and not as a reflection from the eyes of others. And more often than not, you'll be able to suspend critical appraisal altogether by being detached and non-judgmental. That’s really being free!
Tennis, as I see it, can be a re-creation as well as recreation. The art of conscious relaxation, techniques that appeal to both hemispheres of the brain, and physical and mental stretching in general can have you leaving the court more recharged than drained.
By fostering a new understanding of how your body reacts under pressure, you can be more confident of your ability to calm it. And by recognizing the powers of your mind and imagination, you'll be able to tap reserves of energy you didn’t know you had. You have been given remarkable equipment there in your incredible mind/body complex. Enjoy it, get to know it, stretch it, and if you'll pardon my word play—court it!