thomas daniels

Semi-Pro
Are you ready to take your matchplay game to another level this year?

If so, I got your back my friend!!

Here are 3 things that you need to work on from today.

Number one.

Develop a solid first serve and also develop a reliable second serve.

We know that... you are only as good as your second serve is on any given day.

But, what is even more important for you to understand is that.

You have to get a higher percentage of your first serves in during play, to take some pressure off your second serve and you can do that, by mixing up your first serve more.

Start thinking like a pitcher does when facing a hitter, give them a variation of spins, placements and dept, to keep your opponents off balance.

Next.

Fix all your weak shots NOW.

You would think that, this would be a no brainer for most players, but yet I see many of them, who fail to get in enough reps on the strokes, that they need to fix in practice. (Not during the match)

That doesn't make sense, does it?

You know the strokes that your opponent keep exploiting against you in matches.

Now, get to work, get the reps in and fix them in the next 31 days!!!

Last tip.

More daily mental training.

The only way you can start winning more matches is to learn how to concentrate better.

With this internet/social media thing going on in our lives 24/7.

The ability to concentrate for everyone is at an all time low.

Which means that.

You must work on turning them off for certain periods of time daily and actually meditate more on being mentally present, wherever you are.

Here is an easy way to do it.

Stay present more mentally on and off the court and focus on segmenting your time throughout the day.

Mentally check in with yourself every 30 minutes all day and ask yourself this question.

"Where was I mentally at just now"?

What this will do, is help you develop more self-awareness and at the same time, improve your ability to concentrate.

This tip may seem too simple, but I have used it to help many adults and juniors.

Listen to the research by a Japanese trainer I know in Kyoto.

A tennis player's ability to concentrate during a match, will determine the outcome of the match by 85% or more in any match.

Meaning.

The better your can concentrate throughout the match, the more of those matches, you will end up winning!!!
 
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S&V-not_dead_yet

Talk Tennis Guru
Are you ready to take your matchplay game to another level this year?

If so, I got your back my friend!!

Here are 3 things that you need to work on from today.

Number one.

Develop a solid first serve and also develop a reliable second serve.

If the serve is the most important shot in tennis, the return has to be close behind.

In my case, the return is even more important than the serve because I have a fairly narrow range of execution when serving but a much wider range when returning. So I'd say my return needs even more work than my serve.

Fix all your weak shots NOW.

That's a pretty tall order: not just "start to address one weakness this year" but address every one of them and right now.

More daily mental training.

Agreed.

A tennis player's ability to concentrate during a match, will determine the outcome of the match by 85% or more in any match.

Any citations for the "85%" figure?

And what if both players are concentrating at the same level?

Maybe it would be more accurate to state

"A tennis player's ability to concentrate better than his opponent during a match, will determine the outcome of the match by 85% or more in any match."
 
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SinneGOAT

Legend
I think fixing all weak shots is definitely just a blanket statement, but it’s true. I think working on new game plans/patterns is something to work on, as in a match I feel you can have a game plan but when you start to get deep into the set that sort of disappears. I plan on trying new tactics and working on my cross court game and then redirecting to move to net, as I feel uncomfortable doing some of those long rallies like a clay courter.
 

S&V-not_dead_yet

Talk Tennis Guru
I think fixing all weak shots is definitely just a blanket statement, but it’s true.

I used to think that way. Spend the majority of my time fixing weaknesses which will cause my overall level to improve.

But I've modified my thinking: if I spend the majority of my time fixing weaknesses, what's going to happen to my strengths? They may not stay evergreen as I had been assuming. It also might get frustrating to work on so many weaknesses [and I have plenty].

These days I think it's better for me if I attempt a 1/2 weaknesses + 1/2 [strengths] split; I think that's a better balance.

I think working on new game plans/patterns is something to work on, as in a match I feel you can have a game plan but when you start to get deep into the set that sort of disappears. I plan on trying new tactics and working on my cross court game and then redirecting to move to net, as I feel uncomfortable doing some of those long rallies like a clay courter.

Like Tyson's quote ["everyone's got a plan until they get punched in the face"] or McNamara's [?] ["no battle plan survives initial contact with the enemy"], so do I think that it's best not to plan in too detailed a fashion because I might have to adapt and the less detailed my plan, the quicker I'll be able to adapt.
 

Fintft

G.O.A.T.
I used to think that way. Spend the majority of my time fixing weaknesses which will cause my overall level to improve.

But I've modified my thinking: if I spend the majority of my time fixing weaknesses, what's going to happen to my strengths? They may not stay evergreen as I had been assuming. It also might get frustrating to work on so many weaknesses [and I have plenty].

These days I think it's better for me if I attempt a 1/2 weaknesses + 1/2 [strengths] split; I think that's a better balance.



Like Tyson's quote ["everyone's got a plan until they get punched in the face"] or McNamara's [?] ["no battle plan survives initial contact with the enemy"], so do I think that it's best not to plan in too detailed a fashion because I might have to adapt and the less detailed my plan, the quicker I'll be able to adapt.

Federer thinks the same about not "forgeting how to do the things that he does well"..:)
 

thomas daniels

Semi-Pro
I think fixing all weak shots is definitely just a blanket statement, but it’s true. I think working on new game plans/patterns is something to work on, as in a match I feel you can have a game plan but when you start to get deep into the set that sort of disappears. I plan on trying new tactics and working on my cross court game and then redirecting to move to net, as I feel uncomfortable doing some of those long rallies like a clay courter.
I would work on the broken rhythm method, so you can be formless against any opponent and prevent them from finding any type of flow against you...
 

zaph

Professional
For a rec player the answer is easy, push and watch players who claim that isn't proper tennis fall to pieces.

If you want to win matches, pushing works.
 

S&V-not_dead_yet

Talk Tennis Guru
I would work on the broken rhythm method, so you can be formless against any opponent and prevent them from finding any type of flow against you...

Doesn't that take a lot of effort and skill to give your opponent no rhythm? Doesn't that mean I have to have several styles at which I'm nearly-equally skilled so I can switch among them easily?

If my S&V Plan A is not working, yes I have other plans but I'm not as good at them as Plan A.

I understand the idea ["Be like water, my friend." - Bruce Lee] but I'm having a hard time coming up with a way to implement it.
 
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