Less is more

[thug the bunny]

The concept of "less is more" is replete in sports. Quite often, too much effort creates poor results. A good example of this is in golf, where overswinging causes loss of distance and accuracy. Jack Nicklaus used to say, 'When I need to hit it long, I swing easy'.

Likewise, with tennis I have found after 4 yrs getting back into the game that I play much better when I throttle back a bit and just relax, instead of getting all intense (yes it took me that long to notice this). When I was young I never had such a realization, I just played all out. A couple examples of this:

1) Serves - I hit serves much faster and more accurately when I loosen the grip and take a nice smooth swing
2) Movement - When I take my time and don't run like a maniac to the ball, I arrive with better foot postioning and I'm able to take a more balanced cut at the ball

Does this make sense, and anyone have other examples of 'less is more'?

[skiracer55]

Originally Posted by thug the bunny

The concept of "less is more" is replete in sports. Quite often, too much effort creates poor results. A good example of this is in golf, where overswinging causes loss of distance and accuracy. Jack Nicklaus used to say, 'When I need to hit it long, I swing easy'.

Likewise, with tennis I have found after 4 yrs getting back into the game that I play much better when I throttle back a bit and just relax, instead of getting all intense (yes it took me that long to notice this). When I was young I never had such a realization, I just played all out. A couple examples of this:

1) Serves - I hit serves much faster and more accurately when I loosen the grip and take a nice smooth swing
2) Movement - When I take my time and don't run like a maniac to the ball, I arrive with better foot postioning and I'm able to take a more balanced cut at the ball

Does this make sense, and anyone have other examples of 'less is more'?

...another example would be the volley. My former coach, Dave Hodge, who played on the ATP for a couple of years, used to say "The best volleyers in the world take very little backswing...and they take too much backswing."

[GuyClinch]

Sure. But it also falls under the easier said then done part. It's actually pretty hard to relax and swing easy when you are screwing up. That's why tennis is so streaky IMHO..

[skiracer55]

Originally Posted by GuyClinch

Sure. But it also falls under the easier said then done part. It's actually pretty hard to relax and swing easy when you are screwing up. That's why tennis is so streaky IMHO..

but there are ways of dealing with it:

- Watch the ball, hit it hard and don't think.

- Don't play the score, play the ball.

- Don't play your opponent, play the ball.

- Tennis is serial. If you lost (or won) a point, learn from it, do what you have to do differently on the next point, but forget about the point you just lost (or won)...it's in the past.

- It's been said that the great players play the big points really well. In watching the French and Wimbledon this year, what I realized is that the top dogs play every point well. Otherwise, they'd never get to the stage when they could (or could not) play the big points well. Play each point as best you can. The score will take care of itself.

- Fortune favors the bold. Play aggressively, play to win points, don't sit there and hope your opponent will hand you the match.

- It's just a game. Do your best, believe in yourself, fight for every point. But if you lose, they probably won't take you out and shoot you. If you win...and I'm not talking to the top dogs here...you probably won't get a wildcard into Wimbledon, either.

[papa]

The "less is more" concept is applicable in certain areas of the game but certainly not in all. The volley/half volley is a perfect example where its true but footwork, as an example is a situation where its not true at all. So, movement just for the sake of moving, doesn't cut it and that's major weakness of many player's game - one of the weaknesses anyway. Simplicity and efficiency are major components to be considered but the majority of recreational players don't understand/appreciate these concepts very much.

"Less is more" doesn't mean for example that you just reach for every shot or rock back on your heels and stay put. It means that you reduce the "parts/components" of certain actions so they are repeatable and reliable.

[Timbo's hopeless slice]

Originally Posted by skiracer55

If you win...and I'm not talking to the top dogs here...you probably won't get a wildcard into Wimbledon, either.

Did I get that from you or did you get that from me? I can't remember!

[skiracer55]

Originally Posted by Timbo's hopeless slice

Did I get that from you or did you get that from me? I can't remember!

...obviously, we're on the same page, so go ahead and take the credit. Who the hell knows? Maybe we all ought to be more motivated. So, on that note, I've decided to sponsor a decidely non-USTA approved, non-NTRP Fast Serve competition where the winner gets a prize donated by a Local Liquor Mart...say, three or four six packs of Gosling's Ginger Beer accompanied by a 1.75 of Gosling's Black Seal Rum (Dark 'N' Stormies are the perfect after match libation in sunny Colorado, where the temps never go below 95 these days)...so wuddia think?

[Timbo's hopeless slice]

i would be SO up for that but for 2 factors.

1. I live in Australia

2. I am given to understand 5 feet of powder snow has arrived in the night so I will be otherwise engaged this morning

(its ok, Jealousy is perfectly acceptable at this time)

[skiracer55]

Originally Posted by Timbo's hopeless slice

i would be SO up for that but for 2 factors.

1. I live in Australia

2. I am given to understand 5 feet of powder snow has arrived in the night so I will be otherwise engaged this morning

(its ok, Jealousy is perfectly acceptable at this time)

...however, this is Colorado, I just got two pairs of race stock Atomics, and in about two months, I'll be skiing again...

[CANTGETENOUGHTENNIS!]

tennis in colorado sucks. just sayin

[HunterST]

A big reason this is true is because when people try to hit with a lot of power they tighten up AND create a shorter swing. A big key to power is realizing that you need to keep the stroke long. When one is relaxed, he or she is much more likely to maintain a long swing path.

[Timbo's hopeless slice]

Originally Posted by skiracer55

...however, this is Colorado, I just got two pairs of race stock Atomics, and in about two months, I'll be skiing again...

hmm, nice!

Took the Rossi Z10s for the powder this morning and freaking the youngsters out with my ancient but awesome lime green and pink P9SLs on the slalom course this afternoon.

life is good.

[ProgressoR]

back to the OP, yep i am beginning to notice this, a couple of months back I noticed i was a bit tight in all shots and movement, and trying a bit too hard, i tried to relax and just couldnt.

So i went back to basics and learnt a smooth stroke from the fundamentals, and now I try to stay loose in footwork and the stroke, and its a huge difference.

In the serve too, for me mistakes are made when i get tight, keeping a loose body and arm are key for me.

But as someone said above, its hard to put into practice, but when you can do this, it feels great, your level just goes up a ton with the only change being mental, you remind yourself to relax.

[ATP100]

Originally Posted by thug the bunny

The concept of "less is more" is replete in sports. Quite often, too much effort creates poor results. A good example of this is in golf, where overswinging causes loss of distance and accuracy. Jack Nicklaus used to say, 'When I need to hit it long, I swing easy'.

Likewise, with tennis I have found after 4 yrs getting back into the game that I play much better when I throttle back a bit and just relax, instead of getting all intense (yes it took me that long to notice this). When I was young I never had such a realization, I just played all out. A couple examples of this:

1) Serves - I hit serves much faster and more accurately when I loosen the grip and take a nice smooth swing
2) Movement - When I take my time and don't run like a maniac to the ball, I arrive with better foot postioning and I'm able to take a more balanced cut at the ball

Does this make sense, and anyone have other examples of 'less is more'?

Look at TonLars Post:

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=131731

You can learn a lot by watching his videos, IF, you don't watch the ball and watch the players.

Watch his 2011 final, turn up the volume and watch, listen to score, when he is facing break point, watch carefully, he totally relaxes and hits even harder, with more accuracy. This is a very good example of your question. This is a trait of all good players at a given level.

[Maui19]

Originally Posted by Timbo's hopeless slice

hmm, nice!

Took the Rossi Z10s for the powder this morning and freaking the youngsters out with my ancient but awesome lime green and pink P9SLs on the slalom course this afternoon.

life is good.

Mmmmm...P9SLs. They're the reason I decided to try the Volkl PB 10 Mid--a very good decision BTW.

Anyway, I find that if I try to play hard, I tend to make mistakes. If I try to be smooth, I seem to always play well.

If I'm playing against someone who hits the ball hard, I tell myself to "take an extra 1/2 second" when hitting the ball. This works very very well, particularly against a hard server.

If you keep a quiet mind, you seem to have a lot of time to hit the ball.

[thug the bunny]

Yup, it's hard to do on command, like trying to relax after some jackass cuts you off in traffic. For some reason, tennis tends to bring out the beast more than many other sports. Especially when I'm not playing well I feel that rage monster in my head becoming active, that's when I need to pull back and relax. I find myself getting annoyed at everything - my opponent not picking up loose balls, the wind, the people on the other court, the sun...

I really like Timbo's advice of play the ball, not the opponent or the score...

[Limpinhitter]

Originally Posted by thug the bunny

The concept of "less is more" is replete in sports. Quite often, too much effort creates poor results. A good example of this is in golf, where overswinging causes loss of distance and accuracy. Jack Nicklaus used to say, 'When I need to hit it long, I swing easy'.

Likewise, with tennis I have found after 4 yrs getting back into the game that I play much better when I throttle back a bit and just relax, instead of getting all intense (yes it took me that long to notice this). When I was young I never had such a realization, I just played all out. A couple examples of this:

1) Serves - I hit serves much faster and more accurately when I loosen the grip and take a nice smooth swing
2) Movement - When I take my time and don't run like a maniac to the ball, I arrive with better foot postioning and I'm able to take a more balanced cut at the ball

Does this make sense, and anyone have other examples of 'less is more'?

Muscle tension causes inconsistent movement and premature fatigue. Learning to play golf definitely helped my tennis.

[skiracer55]

Originally Posted by thug the bunny

Yup, it's hard to do on command, like trying to relax after some jackass cuts you off in traffic. For some reason, tennis tends to bring out the beast more than many other sports. Especially when I'm not playing well I feel that rage monster in my head becoming active, that's when I need to pull back and relax. I find myself getting annoyed at everything - my opponent not picking up loose balls, the wind, the people on the other court, the sun...

I really like Timbo's advice of play the ball, not the opponent or the score...

...but I'm sure he thought it, and it's definitely one of the keys to staying calm on the court...

[Avadia]

Originally Posted by skiracer55

...but I'm sure he thought it, and it's definitely one of the keys to staying calm on the court...

As a means of staying calm on court, perhaps that is good advice. As a means of winning matches, I am not so sure. Are you saying you don't play a different strategy against a pusher than you do a serve volleyer? Against a power hitter vs. a slice and dicer? You don't play a little differently at 40-15 than you do at 15-40? One of the things I pride myself on is evaluating my opponents' weaknesses and strengths and altering my game plan to minimize their strengths and take advantage of their weaknesses. And if something is not working, I try to evaluate why and come up with an alternate plan. And I know that all points are not created equally, so I will reserve certain shots and certain serves for when I really need to close out a game.

Against a good player, you have to do more than just play the ball and hit it hard. You have to place it well, mix up pace and spin accordingly, and vary the play with a slice, a lob or a dropshot at key times. You have to hit shots to your opponents weaknesses and take him out of his comfort zone. You have to be more aggressive when your opponent is off balance, and more consistent when he is being aggressive. I think to try to boil tennis down to "watch the ball, hit it hard, and don't think" is a little overly simplistic and isn't going to win too many close matches.

[skiracer55]

Originally Posted by Avadia

As a means of staying calm on court, perhaps that is good advice. As a means of winning matches, I am not so sure. Are you saying you don't play a different strategy against a pusher than you do a serve volleyer? Against a power hitter vs. a slice and dicer? You don't play a little differently at 40-15 than you do at 15-40? One of the things I pride myself on is evaluating my opponents' weaknesses and strengths and altering my game plan to minimize their strengths and take advantage of their weaknesses. And if something is not working, I try to evaluate why and come up with an alternate plan. And I know that all points are not created equally, so I will reserve certain shots and certain serves for when I really need to close out a game.

Against a good player, you have to do more than just play the ball and hit it hard. You have to place it well, mix up pace and spin accordingly, and vary the play with a slice, a lob or a dropshot at key times. You have to hit shots to your opponents weaknesses and take him out of his comfort zone. You have to be more aggressive when your opponent is off balance, and more consistent when he is being aggressive. I think to try to boil tennis down to "watch the ball, hit it hard, and don't think" is a little overly simplistic and isn't going to win too many close matches.

...what you're saying is true, but I'm starting to find that it's a whole lot better to keep it simple and just play each point as best you can and then drive on. I was talking with a guy I hit with a lot, who is also my Masters Alpine ski racing coach and one hell of an athlete and a tennis player, and we said that we suddenly realized, after watching Wimbledon, that the top dogs don't just play the big points well, they try to play all the points well.

I know that Brad Gilbert has the whole thing, that he explained in an article in Tennis, about how you play a 15-0 point, how you play a 15-15 point, how you play a 30-15 point versus how you play a 15-30 point, and so forth. I know that the idea on a 30-30 point is to play a conservative point, but a lot of times, that mindset will get me into pushing the ball and hoping the other guy will take gas...which often doesn't happen. So let me amend what I said above to something like:

- "Think before the point (for example, 'serve out wide, look for the backhand volley'), but once the point starts, don't think, just do, and..".

- "...watch the ball and hit it well", where "well" could equate to slice, angle, pace, depth, whatever is appropriate in the situation...