How often do we go out to play someone we've beaten before and struggle to stay even with him? How often do we face a number one seed and collapse without making the shots we normally make. It's because we have a mental let-down and then proceed to make stupid mistakes. In fact, most of the time it's not our opponent who beats us; we beat ourselves.
So let's put things in a different perspective and imagine that we're pro golfers. A golfer's opponent is not the other guy on the course, but rather the golf course itself and, more intrinsically, himself. A blown stroke in golf is much more costly than one in tennis. That's how we should view our tennis stroke production.
My approach therefore is not to worry so much about the guy on the other side of the net but rather myself. (Of course, I'll hit to his weaknesses and make him play a game he doesn't want to to play, but my main focus is on not making mistakes.) Let's be clear about something: I'm not advocating pushing. In fact, my philosophy is that the further you get ahead, the more you become aggressive until you close out the match.
OK, back to golf. When you change sides, picture yourself talking to your caddy. During the last two games, how many double faults, serve & volley, return-of-service, lob, overhead, and drop shot errors did I have? Make a written note of them at each change-over and then forget about it. Go back on the court and play your own game. Use change-overs to towel off, drink water, and, just as importantly, to step back from the swirl of events, become analytical about the two immediate past games, and make your notations. Then relax, go back on the court, and tell yourself that the other guy may beat me, but I won't beat myself.
So let's put things in a different perspective and imagine that we're pro golfers. A golfer's opponent is not the other guy on the course, but rather the golf course itself and, more intrinsically, himself. A blown stroke in golf is much more costly than one in tennis. That's how we should view our tennis stroke production.
My approach therefore is not to worry so much about the guy on the other side of the net but rather myself. (Of course, I'll hit to his weaknesses and make him play a game he doesn't want to to play, but my main focus is on not making mistakes.) Let's be clear about something: I'm not advocating pushing. In fact, my philosophy is that the further you get ahead, the more you become aggressive until you close out the match.
OK, back to golf. When you change sides, picture yourself talking to your caddy. During the last two games, how many double faults, serve & volley, return-of-service, lob, overhead, and drop shot errors did I have? Make a written note of them at each change-over and then forget about it. Go back on the court and play your own game. Use change-overs to towel off, drink water, and, just as importantly, to step back from the swirl of events, become analytical about the two immediate past games, and make your notations. Then relax, go back on the court, and tell yourself that the other guy may beat me, but I won't beat myself.
