To order Tom Veneziano's book, The Truth About Winning! click here

In Tom Veneziano's book "The Truth about Winning!", tennis players learn in a step-by-step fashion the thinking the pros have mastered to win! Tom takes you Step-by-step from basic mental toughness to advanced mental toughness.
All skill levels can learn from this unique book from beginner to professional.
No need to change your strokes just your thinking.

The first thing which I am constantly telling my students to do is to recover quickly after hitting the ball.  Do not stand there and watch the greatness of your last shot.  Watch the pros closely as they recover by straddling back and at the same time watching their ball go over the net. That's right!  They watch the ball just like you do, the only difference is they are not standing there watching it, instead they are recovering and watching at the same time! I have discovered that this is a technique that can take months to learn.  Watch the Pros closely and maybe that will motivate you to begin recovering faster.

The next thing to watch is when hitting ground strokes or volleying they are not always going for winners.  Many times the pros just move the ball around looking for an opening to finally hit a winner.  I guarantee you this is not the way you play.  Too many times you are trying to win the point on every shot, instead of keeping it in play looking for a better opportunity.  I call this mental attitude playing in the hit-winners mind-set.

And finally, watch to see the depth they hit on some of the low volleys or approach shots and what happens when they do not hit deep.  By the way note that the pros do not have to hit the ball harder to get the ball to go deeper.  Instead, they slightly open the face of the racket and let the correct racket face carry the ball deep.  All too often players try to send the ball deep by hitting it harder. 

To summarize when watching the pros, watch for some simple things that really make the difference. A few are: 

 1. Recovering quickly after their shot.

 2. Not trying to hit winners all the time.

 3. Hitting deep on volleys and approach shots.

Some principles to look for when watching a professional match

Notice the pros do not stand still and stay balanced when they hit every ball. Tennis is a moving game, you must be balanced while you are moving. Staying still and balanced to hit each shot is like trying to ride a bicycle balanced in one spot!  Watch as the pros give themselves the freedom to fall off balance to gain their balance and instantly be ready for the next shot. Many times they even jump off the ground after a shot.  The pros do whatever it takes to regain their balance and stay ready for the next shot.  You should learn to do the same.  Do not worry if you fall off balance when you play. With practice, just like learning to ride a bicycle, you will improve your balance.

Next, watch the pros as they do not move their body weight into the ball. That’s right, I said do not!  Again, moving your body weight into every ball is a myth and is not founded in true application knowledge.  Watch closely as the pros move their body weight sideways as they hit the ball, then backward as they hit the ball, and yes forward as they hit the ball.  Which direction the body weight moves depends on the shot they have at hand.  When you play, do not think you have to move your body weight forward on every shot.  Move your body weight in the direction necessary to make the shot at hand.

And finally, watch as the pros do not take the racket back ahead of time when they are hitting their forehands and backhands.   Actually they start their shoulders back sooner than the racket goes back.  The racket does go partially back as they are on the run to the ball, but when they get with in the range of the ball is when the racket starts going further back.   You will find that every player has a slightly different timing when taking the racket back. You should learn to develop your own timing and not just throw the racket back the moment you see the ball come off your opponents racket.

If you have taken a number of traditional lessons I know these examples are probably different, if not the opposite of  what you have learned.   All I ask is that you watch the pros closely and you decide.  It is time to learn to play in a more automatic and instinctive mode and not over think the technical end of the game.  Why?  Because in the long run tennis is not based on mechanics. The game of tennis is based on a feel of a given stroke and that feel allows the mechanics of each stroke to function properly.

The next time you play do not worry if you fall off balance after every shot, do not worry if you are not moving forward into every shot, and do not worry if your racket does not go back the instant the ball comes off your opponents racket.  In this fashion you will play in a more automatic and instinctive mode, and come closest to emulating a pro.

Recovering your timing and rhythm

First, Let's approach this from the standpoint of the negative. What should you not do. You should not try to hit the ball harder.  It's amazing how many times players that are having trouble begin hitting the ball harder to get out of their little slump.  Somehow this is supposed to get them back on track.  I guess a legitimate question to ask would be, if you were not playing well at your normal speed why would you play any better blasting the ball around the court. Avoid this pitfall of hitting the ball harder when you're in trouble.

On the positive side here's what you should do. You should slow it down and try to re-establish your timing and rhythm. This in turn will improve your consistency. Now, there is a subtle pitfall you must avoid when you are attempting to slow down.  You're trying to set your timing and rhythm, not win the point.  There is a difference.  Let's go back to the serve. You decide to slow it down and re-establish your timing on the serve.  When you do this you're not hitting your best serves, so your opponent may have an opportunity to win a few more points.  You must learn to handle these lost points for the sake of re-establishing your rhythm.  Once your timing and rhythm improve you can begin placing the ball better and even speed it up. 

Can you see the problem?  Most players after losing a few points forget about their timing and rhythm and go right back to their original erratic play.  Don't be guilty of this infraction. The next time you're having trouble in your match, do not hit the ball harder.  Instead, slow it down and re-establish your timing and rhythm.  Remember, you're not trying to win the point so learn to handle the loses until your timing kicks in.  I know losing these points can be very difficult to deal with but, there are two words we use to describe this situation in sports...it's called Mental Toughness! 

Return of serve for doubles

 1. Returning serve when your opponent stays back 

 2. Returning serve when your opponent charges the net 

 3. The mind-set you should adopt when returning serve

Since the mind-set is so important let's begin there.  Whether your opponent serves and stays back or serves and runs to the net the mindset is the same. In both cases do not try to play in what I call the hit winners mindset (you know everything you hit has to win the point).  Instead, adopt a consistent mindset. Think in terms of getting the ball back and neutralizing your opponents serve. Most players do too much with the ball and make entirely too many unforced errors.  This is due to faulty thinking.  They're putting too much pressure on themselves to win the point off the return of serve.  Do not fall prey to this temptation. 

Okay, here's what you can do to make it more difficult on the server.  If your opponent serves and stays back you must master a deep cross court return of serve.  The key here is depth.  You must keep your opponent from coming up to the net by hitting a deep cross court return of serve. Depth makes your opponent stay back and at the same time gives you more time to react to the next shot.  Hitting deep tilts the percentages in your favor.  You're attempting to create pressure, not win the point outright.

Now, if your opponent is serving and running to the net you must also hit the ball cross court but, this time you should keep the ball low at their feet.  This will make your opponent hit up at the ball and possibly give you a pop up, which you then can put away. Remember, you are trying to create pressure, not hit a winner!

To summarize, when your opponent serves and stays back, you should return cross court and deep. When your opponent serves and runs to the net, you should return cross court and low at their feet.  And finally in both cases make sure you stay in the consistent mindset and not the hit-winners mindset. 

The Direction Reaction

Let's see if I can illustrate this better. Will you agree when the ball is a foot or so off of your opponents strings a certain set of conditions exist that are different than when the ball is 5 or 10 feet off of your opponents strings? I hope your answer is yes.

When the ball is a foot or so off your opponents strings no one knows for sure if the ball is going to be in or out. When the ball is 5 or 10 feet off the strings players can begin to tell if a ball is going in or not. When it gets 15 to 20 feet off the strings your chances of figuring whether a ball is in or out increases dramatically. The conditions change the farther the ball is off your opponents strings. When you tell me you knew that ball was going out, you've waited 15 or 20 feet off your opponents strings before you began reacting to the ball!

The art of the Direction Reaction is to react when the ball is a foot or so off your opponents strings and begin moving immediately.  No one knows, including the Pros, exactly where the ball is going. You react first, then analyze if the ball is going in or out. The next time you're practicing give it a try! Move according to the direction of the ball off your opponents strings. Do not wait until you know for sure if the ball is in or out.  I'll see you at Wimbledon!

Advancing to the net after a lob

Most players will not run up after a good lob because they're afraid their opponent will lob over their head.  Do not be guilty of either one of these infractions.  First, learn to move into the correct position after hitting the lob over your opponents head.  Stop standing there watching the magnificence of your last shot.  Besides, you can still watch where your ball is going as you're advancing to the net.  You can move and see at the same time!  You do this all the time when you're driving a car....It may take a little practice, but it will pay huge dividends in the long run.  Practice moving into position as you're watching your shot go over your opponents head.

Second, Do not think because you advance to the net behind a good lob that your opponent will lob back over your head.  Instead, think they're going to hit a short lob.  Thinking this way is offensive and positive minded. Although some of the return lobs may go over your head, if you stick with it, you will get your share of high short lobs to put away. With this mind-set you are making your opponent hit good shots in order to beat you.  Always challenge your opponent to make those difficult shots under pressure. 

Now, if you are going to attempt to run to the net once you lob over your opponents head, here's one piece of advice you should remember.  Make sure the lob you hit first bounces behind your opponent before you begin running to the net.  Too many players begin running up when they think they've hit the ball over their opponents head only to find out they were wrong and ended up running into a powerful overhead hit right at them.  Remember, you have plenty of time, so make sure the ball bounces behind your opponent before you run forward. 

Selecting the correct thought

1. Get upset and negative, become tentative and lose the next couple of points and even the match...or 

2. Manage your mistakes and keep giving yourself an opportunity to win.  By choosing number two (managing your mistakes) you are selecting the highest percentage thought for the situation.

Selecting this thought consistently gives you the greatest opportunity to win over the long haul.  It is as simple as that!  You choose to get upset or you choose to manage your mistakes.  The more you select to manage your mistakes the more mentally consistent you become. This is what high percentage thought selection is all about. The choice is yours. ...you CAN control what you think, you just have to practice.

Consistency establishes momentum.  You must learn to be consistent with your thoughts as well as your shots.  Consistency, consistency, consistency, when you become consistent both physically as well as mentally you become a formidable foe.  The result, you are the type of player who is not put out by anything and you make your opponent beat you in order to win.  You are mentally tough...and you know it!!!

The lost art of learning

There are two aspects of learning I would like to focus on.  Number one, learning takes time, it's long term.  Number two, learning is doing simple things consistently.  It's amazing how many of us can not get the first one right, learning takes time, it's long term.  Most of us will say, yes I know that, then proceed to take a lesson and become frustrated because you can not do what you are learning immediately.  You say, I've been practicing for 10 minutes, isn't that long enough!

When learning you must develop a long term focus.  Here's a great tip.  When you are learning a new stroke you're really not trying to make the shot, instead you're trying to simply start the process in the right direction, so eventually it will happen by itself.  I'm constantly telling my lessons to take themselves out of the equation, follow the correct principles, and let the correct principles work for them. This is difficult because we want to make it happen NOW! Here's some cold hearted truth...whether you like it or not, no matter what you do it's going to take time, so you might as well relax and enjoy the process.

Number two, while learning is taking time, during that time you must do simple things consistently. Find simple things to work on then do them consistently. This concept of doing something consistently is mind boggling to people. They think because they have been working on a shot for 3 weeks they have been consistent.  It's a beginning, but you have to work on it week after week for months before you can claim some kind of consistency.

Consistency is not dong something 100 times.  It's doing something 100 times 100 times.  I tell you what if you can get these two concepts clear in your mind.  Learning takes time and do simple things consistently. You'll actually find yourself learning faster!  Isn't that what you wanted in the first place?

Aiming your shots

Now, if you're a C player this is not a bad idea, but if you're a B3 player or higher you need to begin practicing thinking about aiming your shot.  Notice I said practice thinking. The key here is thinking.  During practice you must begin practicing the correct thought process of aiming the ball. Each time you're about to hit a ball think about where you want to aim it.  At first this will feel awkward because you're not used to it, but with repetition thinking where you want to aim the ball will become very natural.  In fact, eventually if you do enough repetition the correct thought will pop into your mind automatically. This brings me to the pop principle.

The pop principle is something I use extensively in my teaching methods.  It goes like this.  If you repeat a thought (like aiming a ball) enough times over and over again for weeks and months, eventually that thought will automatically pop into your mind at the right time.  To learn a physical skill you must repeat that skill over and over again.  Well, the same is true for the thinking.  You must repeat a thought over and over again until you learn it. 

The next time you're practicing try some repetition of thought.  Begin by thinking about where you're going to aim your shot.  Do this enough times and presto someday it will amaze you by popping into your mind all by itself.  The pop principle works...use it!

Learn to lose, to win!

Here's a couple of other reasons why you should seek out players that can beat you.  It will stop you from being lazy on the tennis court and developing bad habits.  This is a toughy because you get away with being lazy and doing the wrong things when you win all the time, but when you advance to another level it doesn't work anymore.  You can stop this from happening by constantly seeking out players that are a little better than you are. 

The next reason is the one I like the best.  If you play people you can beat all the time you'll never take risks, never challenge yourself, and never explore new options. Why should you, you can win without doing all those things and stay right in your comfort zone.  Yes, its true in order to win more you have to lose.

I challenge you to find players or teams with all different styles that can beat you and learn to adapt until you can improve against those styles.  Now, you may lose for a while, but in the long run it will pay huge dividends.  Go ahead give it a shot and you'll learn what most successful people have learned... and that is they fail their way to success! 

Approach shots

Now, let's show you what each method has in common. The serve and volley is the most difficult, but one of the keys is to hit the first volley without going for a winner. After you have served and you're running up to the net the first volley you hit should be used as a vehicle to get you to the net, not as an opportunity to win the point outright.  The second way to take the net, return serve and run in, should eventually be used on all slow second serves.  Why not, it's a perfect ball to come in on.  Again, do not try to hit a winner, instead go for a medium pace, deep approach shot keeping your opponent back as you advance forward.  The third way, serve or return serve, rally, wait for a short ball then come in, should also be with the same mind-set.  Hit the short ball deep and come into the net.  Again, you're not trying to hit a winner. 

Here's the point.  Notice the similarities with all three. You are not going for winners, but setting yourself up for the win.  Most people are in a hit winners mind-set all the time and take most of these shots and hit the back fence. Take for instance the slow second serve.  I know if you're the person returning serve you think, this is it, I'm going to wallop this slow ball home for a winner. And you do, about four miles down the road where you live.  Mission accomplished!  You knocked it home! 

The next time you're playing take one of these shots, let's say the return of second serve.  Hit it without going for a winner and advance to the net.  Stay ready for a return and you'll be surprised how many times you'll have an opportunity to then win the point!  This is a simple strategy, but you'll be surprised how this strategy eludes most people. 

Three New Years Resolutions

One reason why you do not practice is because you may lose and never be asked again to play with these better players.  This is understandable, but how about this approach.  Practice new things in your fun matches just for 5 minutes. You do not have to practice the whole time, just 5 minutes here and there during the match.  As you have more success with the new technique add additional time.  Before you know it, it will become part of your game!

Number two, I will not get down on myself when I make mistakes or begin losing.  This is a problem for most people, but this year will be different...right! You'll clearly realize this year that mistakes and losing are part of learning how to win.  Even if you are number one in the world you'll make mistakes and lose.  Accept it as part of the process and learn to deal with it and move on.  If you have trouble, remember "mentally tough people can think in terms of negatives without getting discouraged" or the old reliable "the next shot is more important than the last mistake." Either way forget it and keep moving!

Number three, I'll remember to use the Australian formation in doubles more often this year.  This is important because it's time to have another weapon in your doubles arsenal.  Use the Australian formation in your fun matches more often this year, even if it's not necessary.  By the end of the year your goal should be to become so familiar with the Australian formation that you can pull it out in an important match and confound your opponents not yourself!

Well, there you have it three New Years resolutions. The rest is up to you! Let's see is there anything else I forgot...oh yea!...Happy New Year!

Down love 40!  Now what?

You're down love 40, you're in a tough spot, if you can increase your percentage of wins a notch or two this could mean the difference between winning and losing the match!  The first thing you have to understand is this, on the verge of victory your opponents are vulnerable to defeat. When they are winning 40 love they think they're going to win...this makes them a little vulnerable!  The first point they play will be very relaxed, that's why I call this point, sleeper number one.  They think they're going to win so you actually can catch them asleep.  You should be thinking, lets play conservative, make sure they hit balls, and see if you can pick up sleeper number one.

If you do, the score is 15-40....they still think they're going to win because they're up 15-40.  The next point therefore is another sleeper, after all if they miss they still have another shot at 30-40.  You should play this point with the same mind-set as the first.  If you win this point the score is 30-40. This is the most important point of the game and I call it the turn around point.  Your opponent realizes they have to win, or lose the edge.. If you win, the score becomes 40-40 it's tied, but is it really?  No, not at all...you're winning!  Since you made a comeback from love 40 you'll feel like you're winning, and since they lost a 40 love lead they'll feel like they're losing!  You now have the edge even though the score is tied. That's why the point at 30-40 is the turn around point, it brings you to a tie score that is not really a tie, but your advantage. From this point you need to capitalize quickly to ride on the momentum.  If you do not win the next two points it will be anyone's game. You have lost some momentum and they will feel redeemed.

Practice "The Sleeper Technique," and the point by point thinking involved, so you can learn to mentally engineer your way back from a love 40 deficit.

The Refocus Technique

Formula for success

I’ve watch players for years try to reach another level by trying to hit the ball a lot harder or hit more winners! They figure that must be it, that’s why those players above me are better! This couldn’t be farther from the truth and is a pitfall for many a great player. I mean think about, when a player breaks into the Pro status he thinks, now I really have to make some great shots! It never dawns on him that the difference is very simple, but subtle. Instead of hitting 8 out of 10 deep approach shots the next level makes 9 out of 10!!! Instead of hitting a serve at 280 miles an hour the next level hits a higher percentage of first serves in! Instead of hitting 30 unforced errors the next level up only hits 28! Instead of making decisions based on the fantastic, the best in the world make their decisions based on percentages!!! The fantastic, again becomes a result of this type of thinking, but is never a cause of winning!

Now, if the best are thinking this way what in the world are you doing with the emphasis on winners and the fantastic! This is a mind-set you have to change to reach higher levels! Increase the percentages of the simple shots you have, don’t try to increase the spectacular for that one moment of magnificence. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?....wrong!  This concept eludes most players. "Do the simple right, then do the simple better, then simply be the best at doing the simple! The Pros do the simple so well, you think it’s complicated!"...But, it’s not!

Winners equal power?

Why is this important to understand? Because most players overplay their winners!  That ’s one of the main reason players lose control of their put-a-ways!  For some reason when they finally have the right opportunity to win the point they abandon control and go with power! This is a key, so let me repeat it again. They abandon control and go with power! This makes them tighten up their muscles, lose their visual focus, and yes, sometimes even hold their breath!!! Somehow from holding their breath they think they’re going to gain control of the situation! They don’t, and the ball usually goes anywhere, but where they’re aiming!  By the way, power is achieved by timing and rhythm, not by tightening up your muscles and trying to hit hard! Every player has done this and probably does not know the main reason why. The main reason is you’re confusing winners with power!

Now, it's all right to hit a winner with power, but you must maintain control when you do. When most players hit with power they inevitable go out side of their control range! Therefore, the solution to this problem is to tone it down a notch. The next opportunity you have to hit a winner, take your time and slow it down a little! Think about placing it for a winner, not pulverizing it for a winner!!! The interesting thing is when you think like this, you relax your body and as a result wind up hitting the ball pretty hard anyway! But, the power will come correctly from timing and rhythm!

In this situation, just like many other situations in life...... less is more!!! The next time you’re playing, give it a try. It may take you a while to acquire a feel for this technique, but you’ll be one up on your competition! Remember, they’ll still be thinking winners means power!

Learning tennis' greatest ally

You watch as the powerful stonecutter raises his hammer to hit the huge stone. He hits it hard, again and again. On the third blow, the stone splits in two, and the magnificent statue inside is revealed. Think that means it took three blows of the hammer to do the big job?

You know, it didn't. It took 500, and maybe 5,000 blows. That final blow wasn't crucial all by itself, but only as one of many blows that combined to achieve the stonecutter's goal. To a clueless neophyte observing, it took only three blows. But you, the stonecutter and I know the real truth.

The real truth is that learning tennis is a whole lot like stonecutting. Your dynamite talent might not do the job. Your "make it happen" attitude might fall short, as well. But your persistence, along with your long-term focus and patience, will get the job done very nicely.

Which blow of the stonecutter gets the credit for the masterpiece? Which stroke gets the credit for moving you from learning to having learned? It's the stonecutter's patience that gets credit for what he has hewn from the rock. It's your patience that wins the prize for the final result - generated by your learning.

It takes a unique person to stay the course, while blow after blow fails to hit home. It takes remarkable talent to remain with what is being learned, when instant results are not produced. Yet, for many members of a time-conscious public, instant gratification is not quite swift enough. This is a characteristic of many people - the "Warrior" learner not included.

Great stonecutters know that there is no rock they cannot split. They have more patience than any rock. The "Warrior" learner knows there is no challenge they cannot surmount - it gives them more patience than their competition. Their behavior is demonstrated in both their restraint from making changes in what they are learning, and their willingness to continue executing what they are learning, despite the absence of quick results.

The stonecutter picks a spot on the rock, and hammers at it over and over. You focus on what you are learning - practice it, and execute it over and over. Eventually, the rock splits. Eventually, what is being learned takes root and grows, your tennis goals attained. It didn't take genius as much as it took steadfastness.

Your life will be filled with frustration and anxiety, if you expect what you're learning, easy or difficult, to produce superb results instantly.  But, if you give your practice the time to penetrate your mind, and condition the skills, it will become part of your subconscious, and will become automatic. you will soon discover that persistence in learning does indeed work, and that patience is the age-old secret of success.

Learning tennis and stonecutting are different from most human activities. No stonecutter expects results in a hurry. But, all stonecutters are positive, in that they can do the job they set out to do, if they concentrate upon the results down the road, rather than the hard-rock surface facing them. Many people who learn to play tennis gaze intently at the rock surface. So short a gaze, results in prematurely abandoning learning strategies.

The "Warrior" learner does not even acknowledge the surface. It's insignificant compared with what they will hew with their patience. This farsighted approach illuminates the way to their goal. They see that the way is not so much a route, as an attitude. This is the attitude of the stonecutter. This is the mind-set of the "Warrior" learner. Both have what appears, to the innocent, as an impossible task. However, both know there is no way they will fail.

Success comes to those who learn tennis, if they begin with the "Warrior" mentally. They persist in their objectives, continue breathing life into those objectives, and have the patience to move beyond the need for instant results.

Priority Sequence Thinking

Here’s the way this works.  First, you need to know that the first shot you are thinking in your mind is the one you will react to the fastest!  If you’re thinking your opponent may hit a lob you’ll react fast to the lob, but not quite as fast to a volley coming straight at you.  This does not mean you will not hit the volley, it just means you will not react as fast to the volley as you would have if you would have been thinking of it first.  Make sense so far? 

Now, the characteristic of the shot determines the correct priority sequence you set up.  Since, the lob will take longest to reach it’s destination, it only makes sense to placed this in your mind in second place, because the shot in second place will be the slowest to react to (remember the shot that you think of first will be the fastest you react to).  When up at the net the volley should be first in your mind because it will come at you the fastest!  If for some reason your opponent hits a lob and you are thinking volley you’ll still have time to react because the lob will be slower.  You have correctly set up your priority sequence thinking when at the net in doubles.  The correct sequence is to think volley first and lob second. Sounds simple doesn’t it!  Well, you would be surprised how many players think lob first and volleys second, that’s why they are always volleying going backward on their heels!  Do you? If you do, my suggestion to you is the next time you're up at the net start thinking volley first and you'll be surprised how fast you react to the ball!

The Pros think like this all the time and you probably do too!   The problem is you more than likely have unknowingly set up the wrong priorities!   So, the next time you find yourself at the net, practice the correct priority thinking, and yes, you too can think like a Pro!!! 

Do you take failure personally?

There is no connection between how good you are as a tennis player and how good you are as a person.  If this were true at one point in his career John McEnroe would have been the best person in the world!!!.....No...I don't think so!  Not for McEnroe, not for anyone!  Stop connecting how well you perform on the tennis court with who and what you are as a person.....they do not belong together.

If you do not think you are guilty of this, answer three questions.

1. When playing poorly do you ever feel sorry for yourself or maybe a little self-pity seeps in.

2. How many times in the last year have you wanted to quit tennis because you were playing poorly? 

3. How come you cannot practice new techniques in your fun matches even if you lose?  One of the secrets to accepting your failures and moving on is to not take them too personal. 

The next time you fail, forget it and move on.  The next shot is more important than the last mistake.  Keep who and what you are as a person out of the equation and I guarantee you'll be more relaxed! Eventually you'll learn to be relaxed, but intense.   A combination that's essential for top notch tennis.  If you take everything too personal you may have the intensity, but without the relaxed part, there will be one word to describe you....it's called anxiety!!! Intense, but relaxed is the correct mindset for competitive play and pays huge dividends under pressure!

Repetition is the chariot of genius

Now, this does not mean that the technical is not important, because it is, but it should be kept to a minimum. More importance should be placed on repetition of simple principles. The subtle difference between the two shows up in match play. When a person learns from the emphasis on the technical they are constantly thinking, if I kept my eye on the ball that would have worked, if I bent my knees I would not have missed, if I keep my elbow in on the volley that would have corrected the mistake, and so on.

This is exactly the way they approach their matches. Always thinking if the technical were right I would have made the shot. You have subtly conditioned yourself to think the technical is what makes it all work, not YOU!!! This subtle, but incorrect mindset can be devastating in match play. Mainly because you will try to solve problems on the court from this incorrect mindset...always looking for the technical to solve the problems.

On the other hand, when you are repetition oriented you develop a different mindset. Since repetition requires you to do something over and over and over again until you get it, you and your thinking become the most important factor, not the technical! This has the subtle affect of YOU not blaming the technical for every mistake, which results in YOU taking responsibility for your mistakes in a match. The end result is YOU start looking for different and better solutions to problems you face on the court! Solutions like, maybe I should slow it down, I need to relax, don't overplay, I need to manage my mistakes better, etc. This does not eliminate some minor technical changes, but now the priority has shifted toward YOU! And YOU can win with perfect technical skills or without them!!! Welcome to the world of mental toughness!

Five mental dynamics of repetition

Can you not be technically sound according to the "so called" traditional way illustrated in hundreds of books and still win? Yes, of course, the pro's do it all the time. It's called mental toughness. The big advantage of Repetition oriented thinking is that it has mental toughness built right into it!!! Besides being oriented toward YOU taking the responsibility for your play, there are four other dynamic benefits that Repetition offers. Let me briefly cover them here.

Number one would be improved concentration. Obviously, if you can withstand a lot of Repetition your concentration will improve. And how about this, do you know what the key to concentration is? The key is self-discipline! One more time we are back to YOU! Your concentration improves because YOU keep concentrating even when it gets boring. It's up to YOU!

Number two is learning to deal with the good and bad cycles that exist when you do a lot of Repetition. For a while you are doing well, than five minutes later you're doing poorly. This is true also in match play, therefore, Repetition can teach you how to deal with the ups and downs of a match. I don't care if you are number one in the world, the good and bad cycles always exist. It's important to understand ahead of time that these cycles will occur and not be frustrated by them.

Number three is learning to deal properly with the bad times that Repetition produces. All matches have times when you are playing poorly. Repetition teaches you how to deal with these times by not making many changes, but instead staying with what you are doing and concentrating on improving your timing and rhythm. I have seen this over and over again in sports (even on a professional level). The athlete has trouble and starts changing everything under the sun. For weeks they try to come out of their slump by correcting every technical thing possible. Eventually, out of frustration they give up and just start going for their shots. To their amazement they come out of their slump! What occurred was simple, they stopped over-thinking and their timing and rhythm clicked back in. Do not over-think during your bad times!!! It's more about timing and rhythm than anything else.

And finally number four - from Repetition you learn not to tense up and "make it happen," but to relax and "let it happen," a key element in high level match play! When you do a lot of repetition you quickly learn that tensing up only makes it worse. You must learn in your matches to "let it happen" not "make it happen."  Repetition can teach you this principle!  Let's summarize and list the five dynamics of repetition.

1)  Repetition Orientation relies on YOU not the technical.

2)  Teaches you improved concentration through self-discipline.

3)  Teaches you to understand there will always be good and bad cycles in a match.

4)  Teaches you to handle your bad times without making major changes.

5)  Teaches you to not "make it happen" in matches, but master the art of "letting it happen."

Tennis repeats itself - so lighten up!

For instance, you had some bad luck and lost a point, this is not unique to you only, it's happened over and over again....you've been passed at the net with a blazing shot from your opponent, this is not unique to you, It's happened over and over again...you were ahead 5-1 and then lost, this is not unique to you, it's happened over and over again....these and many, many more situation happen over and over and over again.  What happens on the tennis court will repeat itself!

You may be saying to yourself, you're right, all of these things have happened to me....it's horrible!  I know I have to correct these problems before I can win...right?....wrong! These things happen all the time, yet champions still win! They've missed easy shots and won!...they've had bad breaks and won!...they've been passed numerous times and won!...and they've played poorly and still won!...these situations are not deciding factors in whether they are winners or losers.

The point I'm trying to make is to look at the long term picture, don't isolate these situations by thinking short term. These situations are always going to occur, so you might as well get used to them.  Listen to this excellent definition of tournament toughness found in Carlos Goffi's book entitled "Tournament Tough." "Tournament toughness is that mental resilience and flexibility that separates the champions from the pack, allowing them to win against opponents who are technically more skillful and physically more powerful, even when they themselves are playing poorly."  I like that ending, "even when they themselves are playing poorly."  In other words, mentally tough competitors do not always have to play perfectly to win.  They have learned to improvise when they are confronted with obstacles and adverse situations.

If you're like most players you have in your mind a preconceived idea about the way you think you should play. When this does not occur you become frustrated and angry. Since tennis or for that matter anything else in life, does not happen exactly the way you think it should, you spend a lot of time being a little frustrated. As a result, you lose confidence and start playing tentative or you just mentally quit!

It's always tough for me to get players to part from these false expectations. For example, after listening to these tapes you'll go out and play, miss an easy shot and immediately you think, "I make that shot all the time. What happened? Why did I miss? I can't believe how horrible I'm playing." Somehow your brand of mistakes are not the same as the mistakes I've been talking about.  You rationalize...I make that shot all the time, I shouldn't miss!

My answer to you is this, it's obvious you do not make that shot all the time because.....you just missed! How's that for being blunt!  The truth is, you're so hung up on preconceived ideas about the way you think you should play, you become mentally distracted by your mistakes and never apply the solution. You are so preoccupied with the problem, you ignore the solution!  Again, the solution is, tennis repeats itself....so lighten up!!!

Thinking correctly on approach shots

The same thing is true for doubles if you play back on the baseline.  When you receive a short ball, and at least one opponent is on the baseline, you can hit an approach shot and come up to the net. There are three major mistakes that most players make when hitting approach shots.  First, they go for too much. Most players see a short ball (especially if it is slow) and think this is it, I’m going for it.  Usually they knock it out or into the net.  Their mindset is one of trying to win the point (there’s that hit winners mindset again!) instead of hitting an approach shot and looking for a volley or overhead to win the point.  When hitting an approach shot your mindset should be to set yourself up for the win, not win the point outright.  What you’re thinking when hitting the approach shot is crucial for long term match play. The key is, stop trying to go for too much!

The second major mistake is trying to stand still when hitting approach shots. Forget it!  This is not the way to make a fluent transition from the baseline to the net, and in reality if you put on the brakes to hit an approach shot, you will affect your timing and rhythm.  The pros do not do it this way and neither should you.  On the surface it seems to make sense, because if you’re still, you’re balanced, but tennis is a moving game and you should learn to be balanced while on the move.  Just like learning to ride a bicycle or learning to walk, you practice until your balance improves.  Standing still and hitting any tennis shot is a myth and is not based on true application.  The next time you're playing, give yourself the freedom to hit your approach shot on the move and enjoy the ride!

The third major mistake is not hitting deep enough.  If you hit the approach shot deep the ball will stay in the air longer and give you more time to reach your net position.  Also, if your ball stays in the air longer to reach your opponent, this means it will stay in the air longer to get back to you, and as a result give you more time to react to the ball.  Obviously, this means you will not be rushed when hitting your shots.  Short approach shots, less reaction time - deep approach shots, more reaction time....it’s a no brainer! 

In summary, the three major problems players have when hitting approach shots are:

  1. Going for too much.

  2. Trying to stand still when hitting.

  3. Not hitting their approach shot deep.

Learn them, apply them, and watch the difference!

Court characteristics can help you!

Did you know when playing doubles the court is eight feet longer cross court than down the line.  This means in doubles if you hit a ball down the line and it sails four feet out, it would have been in if you would have hit it cross court! The same is true for singles.  You have more area to hit to cross court than down the line.

The principle here is obvious.  Hitting down the line is a lower percentage shot than cross court.  Yet, I constantly see players hitting a high percentage of their shots down the line in both singles and doubles.  Either because they do not know any better, or are winning on the level they play on and do not realize their mistake.  Failing to recognize that as they move up to another level the down the line shot will not be effective.

Not only is the court shorter down the line, but the net is also higher!  The net is three feet high in the middle and three feet six inches on the sides.  With these two facts in mind, the court being shorter and the net being higher when hitting down the line, your strategy should be to hit a higher percentage of your shots cross court.  As simple as this sounds, I have seen many excellent tennis players overuse the down the line shot.  Do not be guilty of this infraction.  If you would like to hit down the line, here are a few pointers to help you select the correct times in doubles:

1. Your opponent is poaching (running across cutting off the ball you hit) a lot.

2. The net person can not volley that well.

3. To surprise your opponent and keep them off balance.

In singles it is a totally different story.  The best time in singles is when you are on the baseline rallying with your opponent and you have not wandered too far from the middle. If you hit down the line you give your opponent the angle away from the side you are on, but since you were positioned close to the center you will be able to cover the shot your opponent has angled.

In contrast, if you go down the line when you are positioned wide on the baseline, your opponent can angle and immediately put you in trouble.  You are so far to one side of the court it will be tough to cover the angle on the other side!  Besides who wants to do all that running.  You may be thinking, why can't they hit an angle if I hit the ball cross court to them.  The answer is, they can!!!  But, they have to angle it back toward the side you are on. You will do a lot less running that way.

Remember, whether playing singles or doubles use the characteristics of the court to your advantage.  The net is lower and the court is longer hitting cross court.

The freedom to go for your shots

In your next three matches give yourself the freedom to go for your shots, whether you win, lose, or draw. By going for your shots, I do not mean blasting the ball all over the court. You can be hitting a slow drop shot and still be going for your shot. It's more a matter of what you think. Going for your shots is merely the absence of being tentative. You mentally let go. To mentally "let go" you must be willing to accept the mistakes and failures that come with this mental attitude. When you "let go" a percentage of your shots will go in and a percentage will miss. You must accept this as your level of play. I repeat, you must accept this as your level of play. This is one of the keys to accomplishing this challenge. You can not think you yourself, I could have played better if I would have played my old way.

I have told many players to do this in some of their fun matches, but they always come back and say "I did let go, but only for half of the time." I have often said it's easier to play on a higher level, than on a lower level. Why? Simple, pros only know one way to play...they go for it! If they did not go for it, they would lose. As a result, there is no indecisiveness when they play. When there is no indecisiveness there is less mental confusion. They make one decision (even if they miss) and that one decision is to "give themselves the freedom to go for their shots and if they miss, accept it." Nike had it right "just do it!"

What I remember the most about finally "letting go" was the sense of freedom that came with it. I stopped worrying about winning or losing and just played. I was just on "go," win, lose or draw. The amazing thing to me was how well I eventually started playing. To me it was a secret that catapulted my game up a notch or two. It was fun! You can do the same. Give this a try in the new year. Start by just "letting go" for three matches. You will experience something you never have before. One word of caution though. Do not go on the court thinking to yourself, yes I'm going for it! Then, the first shot you miss you say, well I tried that, back to my comfort zone! See if this year you can step out of your comfort zone and into the Mental Toughness Zone by "giving yourself the freedom to go for your shots and if you miss, accept it!"

Two myths of tennis

Second, when the grip turns in your hand you think you did not hold on tight enough. As a result, the next time the ball comes to you, you squeeze tighter to make sure this does not happen again. Squeezing tighter is not the answer. The true answer is you did not hit the sweet spot of your racket! You hit off center which causes tremendous pressure and makes the racket turn in your hand. I have always felt that this was one of the reasons players develop tennis elbow. They simply are squeezing the racket to tightly! Holding tighter is not necessary. When you hit the sweet spot there is no pressure for the racket to turn. How do you hit the sweet spot of your racket? Simple, keep your eye on the ball....only kidding! Again, the answer is improve your judgment by learning from the greatest teacher of all - REPETITION! If your judgment improves you will hit the sweet spot more often. Hitting the center of the strings is a natural result of improved judgment.

The interesting thing about hitting the sweet spot of your racket is that no one can tell you anything that will speed up the learning process. The only answer is seeing a lot of tennis balls go over the net. This is very similar to the way we learned how to walk. Repetition was the great teacher. If you really would like to learn how to hit the center of your strings and improve your ability to watch the ball simply play more tennis or practice on a ball machine. The more times you see the ball go over the net the faster your judgment will improve. Remember, the key here is judgment.

In summary, stop thinking every time you miss hit that you have not kept your eye on the ball and every time your grip turns in your hand that you did not hold on tight enough. The solution to both of these problems is improving your judgment. I challenge you to not say or think a thing the next time you miss hit or your grip turns in your hand. Test yourself when you are on the court and see what automatically pops into your mind when you miss hit or lose your grip. Then remind yourself of this tennis lesson, forget whatever you were thinking and move on!

Your best day, your worst day!

You were winning 5-1 and lost?

First, you are not alone, this also happens to pros. Second, a certain percentage of the time it is not because you did anything wrong, but because your opponent started doing something right. Third, the rest of the time here's what usually happens. You advance to 5-1 playing and thinking a certain way, then unknowingly you change your thinking. Instead of mentally playing to win, you start playing not to lose. In other words, you protect your lead. You should have continued playing the way that advanced you to 5-1 in the first place. Your game changes because your thinking changes! You must continue to mentally play to win instead of playing not to lose.

As far as your opponents are concerned they are loose as a goose. There is no pressure! They figure they are going to lose anyway so what is the difference. Couple these two scenarios together and the team that is winning 5-1 has a prescription for possible disaster. The next time you are in this situation remind yourself to mentally keep playing to win. Do not try to protect your lead. You may want to mentally try and play more aggressive. In short...go for the Gold!

One last thing. You should never forget this principle. On the verge of victory players are vulnerable to defeat. Use this when the tables are turned and your opponents have you down 1-5. They also will try to protect their lead by playing not to lose. This makes them a little vulnerable, which may give you an opportunity to get back in the match! Instead of thinking you are down 1-5, I will never win. Use it as an opportunity to not only get back in the match, but if you pull off a comeback you could demoralize your opponents. What you think could be the difference between victory or defeat. Remember, mental toughness is the accumulation of valuable information to be utilized at the proper time. When you are up 5-1 you think one way and when you are down 1-5 you think another. Both are situations that must be mastered by the Tennis Warrior.

The Mental Toughness Sphere vs.  the Emotional Sphere

When negatives, mistakes, and failures become more paramount in your mind than the next shot you know you are in the Emotional Sphere.  You must quickly recognize this and switch back into the Mental Toughness Sphere. How?  Simple!  The Refocus Technique - the next shot is more important than the last mistake.  You must refocus and move on.  Now!  The Refocus Technique is the recovery technique that brings you back into the Mental Toughness Sphere.  

Although this is a simple technique and sounds easy, it is amazing how many players cannot forget their mistakes and move on.  The main reason they cannot forget their mistakes and move on is because most players become entangled in the Emotional Sphere.  Listen to some of the answers players give me when I tell them to use the Refocus Technique. Each answer is followed by my response.   I warn you though, I do not pull any punches.  Read on at your own risk.

1.  But, that was such an easy shot I missed! Response:  I did not say forget your mistakes and move on only on difficult shots! The Refocus Technique is for ALL mistakes, easy or difficult.

2.  I practiced for months and I still make the same mistakes. Response:  Practice some more, forget your mistakes and move on!

3.  I cannot win if I keep making these mistakes.

Response:  Says who - you!  Have you ever heard of mental toughness, forget your mistakes, get back in the Mental Toughness Sphere, and move on...now!

How is that for being blunt.  The point I am trying to get across is that the principle of forgetting mistakes is more important than the mistake itself.  You are so preoccupied with the problem, you cannot see the solution.  Let me help you.  The solution is to use the Refocus Technique and remain inside the Mental Toughness Sphere...no excuses.

Now, go apply it!

The keys to consistency in tennis

The truth is the key to concentration is self-discipline.  Wow!  This is really beginning to hit home.  You are responsible through self-discipline to improve your concentration, which in turn improves your consistency.  This means you should not only concentrate when things are going well, but also when you are losing, having trouble, or even when you are tired. Many times during practice I have heard players say.  "I’m tired, I can’t concentrate anymore, it’s time to stop."  In other words, what they are really saying is, it was the tiredness that made them stop concentrating.  It is not their fault!  This is where self-discipline comes into play.  You discipline yourself to keep concentrating even though you are a little tired and playing poorly.  By doing this you are challenging yourself to reach a new level of concentration.  When your concentration improves so will your consistency.

Too many times players look for something external, like an exciting situation, or playing well to help them concentrate, instead of relying on their own internal decision making process.  Repeat!  Too many times players look for something external, like an exciting situation, or playing well to help them concentrate, instead of relying on their own internal decision making process. If you would like to increase your consistency in tennis you must be self-disciplined and concentrate regardless of the situation.

To summarize, the key to tennis is consistency - the key to consistency is concentration - the key to concentration is self-discipline - the key to self-discipline is YOU - and the key to YOU is...I haven’t the faintest idea!!!

The Relax Technique

How do you accomplish this?  Practice!  Practice what?  Practice shutting the conscious mind off, like you would turn a radio off, just shut it off. There will be silence in your mind.  No thought!   No anxiety!  Just silence.  Actually you will still be thinking, but you will have successfully turned on the sub-conscious. This is the way tennis should be played.  In a sub-conscious, instinctive, automatic mode.  Shutting the mind off in this fashion and operating from the sub-conscious is what I call the Relax Technique.   When players take the time to learn this technique they improve their game rapidly.  You must learn to shut off the conscious mind and access the sub-conscious.

To help you better understand how it feels inside when you use the Relax Technique, let me give you an example that all of you have experienced before.  You are returning serve and you are anxious and ready.  The serve is a little long, so you yell "out" and at the same time you casually hit the ball back for one of your best return of serves ever!!!  You are shocked and stunned at how easy you returned the ball.  How did this occur? Actually the answer is  simple.  Because the return did not matter, missing was not an issue, and as a result you were relaxed.  Unknowingly you have shut off the conscious mind and turned on the sub-conscious mind.  This is the same mind-set you must access when you play.

Try the Relax Technique the next time you are practicing.  Shut off your conscious thinking and have complete silence in your mind.  No thought!  No anxiety!  Just silence!  Do not try to over think every point, just let go and ‘let it happen.’  In this fashion you will come closest to thinking like a pro.  The pros play in an instinctive, automatic, sub-conscious mode that you also must learn to access.  You can access this mode by practicing the Relax Technique often.  Now, if all of this fails to work, there is one last thing you can do...take a Valium!  Only Kidding.

A plan for doubles

Use Plan "A" when you are up at the net by yourself or preferably with your partner.  Plan "A" dictates that you hit all low balls and all high short balls (a high short ball is a high ball in front of the service line) to a specific spot on the court.  When you are up at the net your opponents can be positioned in three different formations.

Formation 1.  One up, one back

Formation 2.  Both back

Formation 3.  Both up

In this lesson we will only discuss the formation that occurs the most, formation 1.  When your opponents are in a one up, one back formation you should hit high short balls to the net persons feet or somewhere on their side.  You could also angle or hit to the middle, but at first you should keep it simple and hit to the net persons feet.  It still amazes me to see how many players hit the high short ball to the player on the baseline. They finally get the opportunity to win the point and they choose to it the ball to the person on the baseline.  Who in turn lobs over their head! Never give your opponent more chances than necessary to lob over your head. When you are hit a high short ball, go for it! If you miss, it does not matter, you were hitting the right shot at the right time. All high short balls should be hit to the net persons feet - it is that simple!

All low balls should be hit to the player on the baseline.  Again, it is amazing to watch players consistently hit the low ball to the player at the net.  When you have one opponent on the baseline and one up at the net, do not hit the low ball to the player at the net!  This simple does not make sense.  The low ball you are hitting will be rising upward nice and high for the net person to blast it at you or your partner.  To hit a low ball back to the net person and keep it low at their feet is very difficult. Especially in the heat of battle.  Besides why even attempt to do this when you can hit the ball to the opponent on the baseline.  I call the opponent on the baseline the safety valve. When you are in trouble play it safe and hit to the player on the baseline.  A low ball is just such a situation. Play it safe and look for something better to hit for a winner.

Plan "A" is actually simple, but players unknowingly violate the principles all the time.  High balls should be hit to the net persons feet, and low balls to the player on the baseline.  Test yourself when you play and see if you are guilty of any of these simple infractions.  If you are, stop!

A plan to move on from your mistakes

Here is a plan to help you practice recovering from your failures when you are playing.  Let's call it a New Year's Resolution that you should master. The next time you make a mistake do not attempt to make any correction or analyze what you have done wrong.  Just forget your mistake and move on to the next point.  If you begin thinking, "if I had done this or that I would have made that shot," ignore it and move on to the next point.  Do you think you can do that?  What did you say?  How are you going to make corrections and improve if you do not analyze your failures?  Good question!

Let me refer back to the phrase I stated in the beginning of this lesson. Recovering from the mistake is more important than the mistake itself. Since recovering from the mistake is more important than the mistake itself you should spend a lot of time practicing recovering without analyzing. Many times players analyze to come up with a reason why they failed, which makes them feel better about their failure.  This makes it easier for them to now move on.   How about trying to move on from your failures without a reason why you failed.  Just accept it as part of the game and move on to the next point.

After you have mastered the art of forgetting your mistakes and moving on, then you can analyze.  At this point you will begin to analyze without over thinking every failure.  I believe they call it paralysis by analysis!  Most players over think their failures instead of accepting them as part of the journey toward success.  Now, please do not misunderstand me.  I am not saying you should never analyze.  What I am saying is most players analyze too much and recover much too slowly.  They want reasons for every failure. How about this reason - you just missed!!!  This is my challenge to you for the new year.  For one month, do not, and I repeat, do not analyze any of your mistakes - just move on to the next point.  Play like most pros play. Most pros quickly move on from their failures and are ready for the next point.  They realize this is crucial for their long term success.  I challenge you for one month to do what most pros do automatically and you too will think like a pro!

Keep practicing this concept and you will begin to see many new mental options open up that you did not even know existed.   You will have a glimpse into a mental arena where few dare to journey.   The question is, are YOU ready for the trip?  I think you are, but remember not much baggage is allowed!

Reflection and resolution