Sunday, 17 January 2016
MIND GAME
You can practice as many hours as you like and work on specific types of tactics, styles or game plans however nothing can prepare someone for the standard of opponent on the European Money Tournament Circuit. You need to train your mind more than anything else because it is your mind that is tested to the maximum. Anyone can hit a ball well but only the elite of the mind game can deliver the goods on a regular basis in tournament play and the Europeans have a way with their thought process like none I had ever seen before.
There were only two matches where I received a pasting, the others were all competitive which made me think that my shots were up to scratch however the mind was not, so how does a tennis player improve the mind ? Possibly one of the most sought after answers in the sport but I believe that it may just lay with one's ability to train the mind in tough practice sessions. After all what is the other option ?
If a budding tennis player can somehow find themselves a practice partner who is above their own standard then I believe this is possibly the best start to improving both the mind and the game. Quite possibly the greatest example of this is the Rafael Nadal story with Carlos Moya. By all reports Rafa was taking sets from Moya when he was just 15 years of age when Carlos was one of the World's best. How can you not improve by practicing against someone like that ?
Saturday, 9 January 2016
'A VICTIM OF A DREAM' (PERHAPS CHAPTER 2 ??)
Sometimes I feel that with tennis I was a victim of a dream, just like thousands before me and many thousands after me. What really were the chances of me becoming a World class Pro tennis player ? Why didn't someone give me a book of odds before I started my ridiculous quest ?
I believe that I was not the only one who ended up mentally scarred from the whole silly idea. What of my poor parents ? I mean that in two respects, I drained their bank accounts for years in my quest to become a professional tennis player with no thought of guilt towards what it was in fact costing them. The mental drain on their minds was also immense as after all surely they also knew that I was chasing a needle in a haystack type of dream.
Perhaps that is why I never encouraged my own children to play more than the seasonal group lessons that their friends participated in at the local tennis club. I never once offered them one on one lessons as I knew the ramifications of improvement. It was as though I was frightened of them becoming good at it. I am certain that with my knowledge on the game that I could have given them some handy skills that could have at least been tested locally, yet I didn't. I am glad I didn't.
I did not want my kids to experience what I did when I was around their age as I knew there was a lot more to life than confining it to a sporting dedication. I liked the idea of team sports for my three because you can share the workload and experience the highs and lows together, unlike tennis.
It is your fault if you lose and it is a feeling of helplessness if you do not achieve a win because most times it will be your head that lets you down and not your shots. It plays on the mind particularly at a young age and it is tough to deal with.
Tennis can affect the mind of a kid outside of a tennis court because the sport asks you so many questions and it is impossible to come up with the correct answers. Tennis is a sport that can drive a sane person insane, no risk.
My parents rode the highs and they rode many lows with me, they felt my pain when I lost and they surely knew what the game was doing to me, it was turning me into someone who had no real grasp on reality. They allowed me to chase a dream and they funded that dream yet surely they knew the odds that are so well documented now these days. Back when I was a starry- eyed kid I had no idea and basically believed that I was THE ONE.
I was naïve enough to believe that my game had enough substance to break through the packs of players who all had the same dream and better shots than I did. Was it pure ignorance on my behalf ? Was I simply afraid of main stream society where real people had real jobs and received a real pay cheque at the end of it all ? Most probably.
I was a victim of something I refer to as 'Head up one's own arse syndrome', that was me in a nutshell. I was a selfish minded kid who hated school work and who was looking for another way out of the real World of robotic like behaviour. I was one of the dumbest guys at school because when I was there I simply dreamed about tennis, school work was not a priority. I left most days at lunchtime to go and play tennis, that's not a way to gain intelligence in life.
I used to watch Borg play at Wimbledon and it was like watching a Rock Star mesmerise a crowd of adoring fans. Borg was the reason I picked up a racket, I wanted to be like him as he was larger than life. I read his book when I was 12 and I made up my mind that the lifestyle he lead was one that I dreamed of replicating.
Tennis offers wealth, stardom, immortality of the mind, it offers a lifestyle that we see right before our eyes when we watch the sport on television. Marat Safin took it to a whole new level one year at the Australian Open where his 'team' up in the stands was a bevy of beauties who he apparently was 'hiring' for the fortnight. How can that sort of lifestyle not be appealing ?! We see that type of thing as all part of the deal with tennis yet how many players can boast enough earning capacity to fund a lifestyle that could only be likened to that of a Mexican Drug cartel ?
I was a victim of a dream that could only be described as fanciful, a dream that was never going to become a reality because of the ridiculously tough nature of it. I put my parents through years of torment not only during tennis but after it ceased. What does a washed up tennis junkie do after he realizes that his game is not good enough ? Coach ? It's what many do yet I was wary of coaching for many reasons but the main concern was that I would never see the World outside of a tennis court.
Teaching tennis to me was an obvious choice after a failed playing career but that was almost too easy, I wanted to do something away from tennis yet I did not own a qualification to warrant me even applying for anything.
The World outside of tennis can for some be rather daunting, it certainly was for me.
I believe that I was not the only one who ended up mentally scarred from the whole silly idea. What of my poor parents ? I mean that in two respects, I drained their bank accounts for years in my quest to become a professional tennis player with no thought of guilt towards what it was in fact costing them. The mental drain on their minds was also immense as after all surely they also knew that I was chasing a needle in a haystack type of dream.
Perhaps that is why I never encouraged my own children to play more than the seasonal group lessons that their friends participated in at the local tennis club. I never once offered them one on one lessons as I knew the ramifications of improvement. It was as though I was frightened of them becoming good at it. I am certain that with my knowledge on the game that I could have given them some handy skills that could have at least been tested locally, yet I didn't. I am glad I didn't.
I did not want my kids to experience what I did when I was around their age as I knew there was a lot more to life than confining it to a sporting dedication. I liked the idea of team sports for my three because you can share the workload and experience the highs and lows together, unlike tennis.
It is your fault if you lose and it is a feeling of helplessness if you do not achieve a win because most times it will be your head that lets you down and not your shots. It plays on the mind particularly at a young age and it is tough to deal with.
Tennis can affect the mind of a kid outside of a tennis court because the sport asks you so many questions and it is impossible to come up with the correct answers. Tennis is a sport that can drive a sane person insane, no risk.
My parents rode the highs and they rode many lows with me, they felt my pain when I lost and they surely knew what the game was doing to me, it was turning me into someone who had no real grasp on reality. They allowed me to chase a dream and they funded that dream yet surely they knew the odds that are so well documented now these days. Back when I was a starry- eyed kid I had no idea and basically believed that I was THE ONE.
I was naïve enough to believe that my game had enough substance to break through the packs of players who all had the same dream and better shots than I did. Was it pure ignorance on my behalf ? Was I simply afraid of main stream society where real people had real jobs and received a real pay cheque at the end of it all ? Most probably.
I was a victim of something I refer to as 'Head up one's own arse syndrome', that was me in a nutshell. I was a selfish minded kid who hated school work and who was looking for another way out of the real World of robotic like behaviour. I was one of the dumbest guys at school because when I was there I simply dreamed about tennis, school work was not a priority. I left most days at lunchtime to go and play tennis, that's not a way to gain intelligence in life.
I used to watch Borg play at Wimbledon and it was like watching a Rock Star mesmerise a crowd of adoring fans. Borg was the reason I picked up a racket, I wanted to be like him as he was larger than life. I read his book when I was 12 and I made up my mind that the lifestyle he lead was one that I dreamed of replicating.
Tennis offers wealth, stardom, immortality of the mind, it offers a lifestyle that we see right before our eyes when we watch the sport on television. Marat Safin took it to a whole new level one year at the Australian Open where his 'team' up in the stands was a bevy of beauties who he apparently was 'hiring' for the fortnight. How can that sort of lifestyle not be appealing ?! We see that type of thing as all part of the deal with tennis yet how many players can boast enough earning capacity to fund a lifestyle that could only be likened to that of a Mexican Drug cartel ?
I was a victim of a dream that could only be described as fanciful, a dream that was never going to become a reality because of the ridiculously tough nature of it. I put my parents through years of torment not only during tennis but after it ceased. What does a washed up tennis junkie do after he realizes that his game is not good enough ? Coach ? It's what many do yet I was wary of coaching for many reasons but the main concern was that I would never see the World outside of a tennis court.
Teaching tennis to me was an obvious choice after a failed playing career but that was almost too easy, I wanted to do something away from tennis yet I did not own a qualification to warrant me even applying for anything.
The World outside of tennis can for some be rather daunting, it certainly was for me.
Friday, 8 January 2016
'AFTER TENNIS' ( A COACHING VIEW ) FINAL CHAPTER
I currently work for Australia Post and do occasional forays to country towns where I still teach the game as best as I know how, without the gimmicks and with a realistic approach. Never do many weeks go by where I don't think about what I could have done to make myself either a better player or a better person but I chose a sport with a one in a million success rate. Tennis made me into the person who I am today.
My days of wagging school to play tennis when I should have been learning caught up with me when I made my first attempt at getting a 'real job'. I lacked intelligence and common sense because I put all of my eggs into one basket and hoped for the best. I even tried gambling for many years as to me it was simply a throw back from a failed tennis career. After all it was a punt of epic proportions was it not to try and make the pro ranks ?
Gambling was a way to take my mind off the real World where an everyday job simply didn't do it for me. I wanted some excitement, the sort that has an adrenalin rush, like hitting a tennis shot to perfection. Working a 9 to 5 does not stimulate someone who has relied on those types of things in his life for a long period of time.
A while back I caught up with an ex pro, a guy who once beat a former World number 1 in the 90's, one of the biggest wins of that era. We hit some balls and we talked tennis. The game has done a number on him as he struggles with society so he now does his best to stay away from it. I related to his battles. He has since found something else to keep him amused now days though it is not work, simply a past time.
The sport of tennis is not one that I teach my own kids though they can all play. I once had a 50 shot rally with my eldest son and my daughter made the Interschool tennis team three years straight but I do not offer any of them tennis lessons. I do not want them to become good at it just because they think they should as their Dad can play.
If they asked me I would teach them but just for fun and not for anything else. I would not enjoy watching them play a tennis tournament because it would bring back too many memories of my battles with the game, more so mentally than anything else.
I do not hate tennis, it has been good to me in many ways, I simply am wary of the process that it involves and the path it can take some kids down because in reality the success rate is minimal and the odds aren't good. Too many other issues go hand in hand with tennis and a failed education is just one of them.
If a kid decides early on that tennis is what they want to do it's tough to have a normal life because training will take up time that most kids spend going to the beach and riding their bikes.
If a kid puts all of their time into tennis and goes down that path that requires an outrageous amount of discipline then naturally other things will fall by the way side. Mates and an education are just two of them but you also have to look at the mind set of a kid who is totally focused on the pro ranks. Is that the mind set you are comfortable with your kid owning at an age that should be spent simply enjoying being a kid ?
I have been through that type of mind set as a kid, a teenager, a young adult and it cost me a 'normal' life, one that could have involved more time with mates and girlfriends that you never get a second chance at. You don't get two shots at a childhood. I saw some old mates still battling on the Challenger Circuit five years after I accepted that I was not good enough to make a living out of it. Did I cringe at their perseverance ? No, I admired them for it yet I had my reservations as to just what it was still costing them both financially and mentally.
The Challenger Circuit unless you are winning on it regularly will pay you 'peanuts' and I know how good those guys are who play it, they are bloody good, yet not good enough. Where do you find money from if you aren't regularly winning ?
When I teach tennis now days I do not do anything but help a player reach potential. I do not offer a student a series of events to enter, I do not offer a program to help them become a red hot player, I simply offer them a chance to become a better player. I previously mentioned I work just as much on teaching a student how to play tennis as I do teaching them how to hit a ball as most know they are two different things. The two must go hand in hand.
I am not a Tennis Coach who commands a 'regular' fee per hour because I do not do it for a living so therefore I may appear to some as cheap but I am not about to put an hourly rate up just so it gives the public an impression of 'Wow he's expensive, he must be good'. I will leave that to the self confessed Zen Masters who swear by their tuition.
I have seen much in tennis, a European tournament circuit that leaves someone under no illusions as to just how good you must become if you want to make a career out of it. I have trained full time which was a tough gig both mentally and physically yet it once again gave me a realistic way to now days look at the game.
Both of those experiences gave me a view on the sport that I would not trade for any hourly rate offered to me to teach it. Without perspective how do we as tennis coaches really know how to teach the game with any real substance ?
You can turn up to a lesson in a flash car, bright clothes and racket to match with an hourly rate that has 'Master Coach' written all over it or you can teach the game with your mind as the key factor. The gimmicks are irrelevant to someone who knows what is required to become successful at it.
I do not consider my level of tennis knowledge to be by any means outstanding yet I feel that it is high enough to offer some advice that may just help someone become not only a better player but a smarter one.
I am glad I learned tennis, I am glad I became a Tennis Coach but if I had the chance to go back and do some things differently, well, I am no Robison Crusoe in that respect. I will continue to teach tennis and I will continue to do it at a rate I am comfortable with and one that does not have 'self importance' written all over it.
I will also keep writing about tennis and who knows I may just one day find peace with this silly sport that is on most occasions a battle of the mind more so than with the person down the other end.
I wish you all the best with your tennis in the future and I hope you make the right decisions in life just like you are required to do in a match to become successful at it.
Glenn Thompson
My days of wagging school to play tennis when I should have been learning caught up with me when I made my first attempt at getting a 'real job'. I lacked intelligence and common sense because I put all of my eggs into one basket and hoped for the best. I even tried gambling for many years as to me it was simply a throw back from a failed tennis career. After all it was a punt of epic proportions was it not to try and make the pro ranks ?
Gambling was a way to take my mind off the real World where an everyday job simply didn't do it for me. I wanted some excitement, the sort that has an adrenalin rush, like hitting a tennis shot to perfection. Working a 9 to 5 does not stimulate someone who has relied on those types of things in his life for a long period of time.
A while back I caught up with an ex pro, a guy who once beat a former World number 1 in the 90's, one of the biggest wins of that era. We hit some balls and we talked tennis. The game has done a number on him as he struggles with society so he now does his best to stay away from it. I related to his battles. He has since found something else to keep him amused now days though it is not work, simply a past time.
The sport of tennis is not one that I teach my own kids though they can all play. I once had a 50 shot rally with my eldest son and my daughter made the Interschool tennis team three years straight but I do not offer any of them tennis lessons. I do not want them to become good at it just because they think they should as their Dad can play.
If they asked me I would teach them but just for fun and not for anything else. I would not enjoy watching them play a tennis tournament because it would bring back too many memories of my battles with the game, more so mentally than anything else.
I do not hate tennis, it has been good to me in many ways, I simply am wary of the process that it involves and the path it can take some kids down because in reality the success rate is minimal and the odds aren't good. Too many other issues go hand in hand with tennis and a failed education is just one of them.
If a kid decides early on that tennis is what they want to do it's tough to have a normal life because training will take up time that most kids spend going to the beach and riding their bikes.
If a kid puts all of their time into tennis and goes down that path that requires an outrageous amount of discipline then naturally other things will fall by the way side. Mates and an education are just two of them but you also have to look at the mind set of a kid who is totally focused on the pro ranks. Is that the mind set you are comfortable with your kid owning at an age that should be spent simply enjoying being a kid ?
I have been through that type of mind set as a kid, a teenager, a young adult and it cost me a 'normal' life, one that could have involved more time with mates and girlfriends that you never get a second chance at. You don't get two shots at a childhood. I saw some old mates still battling on the Challenger Circuit five years after I accepted that I was not good enough to make a living out of it. Did I cringe at their perseverance ? No, I admired them for it yet I had my reservations as to just what it was still costing them both financially and mentally.
The Challenger Circuit unless you are winning on it regularly will pay you 'peanuts' and I know how good those guys are who play it, they are bloody good, yet not good enough. Where do you find money from if you aren't regularly winning ?
When I teach tennis now days I do not do anything but help a player reach potential. I do not offer a student a series of events to enter, I do not offer a program to help them become a red hot player, I simply offer them a chance to become a better player. I previously mentioned I work just as much on teaching a student how to play tennis as I do teaching them how to hit a ball as most know they are two different things. The two must go hand in hand.
I am not a Tennis Coach who commands a 'regular' fee per hour because I do not do it for a living so therefore I may appear to some as cheap but I am not about to put an hourly rate up just so it gives the public an impression of 'Wow he's expensive, he must be good'. I will leave that to the self confessed Zen Masters who swear by their tuition.
I have seen much in tennis, a European tournament circuit that leaves someone under no illusions as to just how good you must become if you want to make a career out of it. I have trained full time which was a tough gig both mentally and physically yet it once again gave me a realistic way to now days look at the game.
Both of those experiences gave me a view on the sport that I would not trade for any hourly rate offered to me to teach it. Without perspective how do we as tennis coaches really know how to teach the game with any real substance ?
You can turn up to a lesson in a flash car, bright clothes and racket to match with an hourly rate that has 'Master Coach' written all over it or you can teach the game with your mind as the key factor. The gimmicks are irrelevant to someone who knows what is required to become successful at it.
I do not consider my level of tennis knowledge to be by any means outstanding yet I feel that it is high enough to offer some advice that may just help someone become not only a better player but a smarter one.
I am glad I learned tennis, I am glad I became a Tennis Coach but if I had the chance to go back and do some things differently, well, I am no Robison Crusoe in that respect. I will continue to teach tennis and I will continue to do it at a rate I am comfortable with and one that does not have 'self importance' written all over it.
I will also keep writing about tennis and who knows I may just one day find peace with this silly sport that is on most occasions a battle of the mind more so than with the person down the other end.
I wish you all the best with your tennis in the future and I hope you make the right decisions in life just like you are required to do in a match to become successful at it.
Glenn Thompson
Wednesday, 6 January 2016
'CREDIBILITY' (TO GO WITH TESTING YOURSELF )
I am standing on a court of clay in the south of France getting an absolute shellacking from a swarthy French topspinner who I swear has not missed a ball either in the warm up or the match. He has a really flash name and a game to go with it. I look at the sky, I look at the surrounds, I look at the French people watching the match and I think to myself ' is this really worth travelling over the other side of the World for ' ?
I am on a mission to gain knowledge on the game of tennis as a 21 year old and I am in the wine growing capital of France, Bordeaux playing a brand of tennis that I thought owned substance. I ask myself many questions.
Why is this guy so much better than me ? Why is this guy not missing a ball and why is it that he can read me like a book ? Have I not hit enough balls in practice to know how to handle this guy ? He probably hasn't hit more balls than me yet he knows how to play this game like a chess player who knows all the right moves. He knows how to check mate me every single f..... point.
Tennis wasn't meant to be this difficult, I can beat anyone in practice, I am fit and strong, I am someone who can do 100 push ups in a single go, I am better than the score suggests. I am totally confused at the current situation.
Why am I in France in the first place ? I am not good enough to be a tennis professional. I am playing a league down from the Challenger Circuit against some of the most remarkably gifted tennis players that I have ever seen and I am not up to the challenge. Is it a mental thing ? I can run all day, I just can't match it with these guys because my mind is not as strong as my body. I momentarily hate the game as well as hating myself.
Maybe that's harsh but if I win at tennis I win at life, if I lose I suck, I am no good, I won't sleep at night because I will be asking myself why I was not good enough to hit more balls over than my opponent. Tennis not only gives me confidence if I win on court but it gives me a sense of credibility, a sense of worth, a sense of being someone who can feel good about themselves. It is a sport that asks many questions not only of a player but of a person.
Do I have enough answers in a sport that keeps asking those questions of me ? I am getting belted by someone who has way too many answers but the problem is he is asking the questions also.
My view on tennis is that it is an argument between two players, not necessarily verbally but a test that requires one to answer more questions correctly than the other. It's like an exam. If you get 50 per cent it may be enough but it probably won't pass you, 60 per cent may be good enough though. How do you find that extra 10 per cent ?
I tell myself it's all in the head, tennis is a mind game, not necessarily a sport that is just physical, that's just one element of it all, you have to be able to out think your opponent. I am losing to a guy who has not missed a single ball and my mind is crucifying me. How do I get out of this hole and if I don't will it make me feel worthless like I usually do when I lose or will it make me work even harder next time I get on that practice court ? Is this building character or is it ruining me ?
I sit down at a change of ends and think about why I am there 'You signed up for this when you bought the plane ticket and entered a series of tennis tournaments across the other side of the World. You weren't after a Walt Disney version of tennis, you were after the real thing. Quit your mind battle and focus on hitting the ball, you know how to hit a tennis ball but you don't know how to stop asking yourself silly questions while you are playing'.
I get two games in the second set after 1 in the first, I walk to the net and shake his hand. He says 'well played', I reckon he was just being polite. I walk to the dressing room and peel off my brown socks that have clay all over them and put them in a plastic bag for a later day wash. In the shower I watch the clay wash down the drain and ask myself is this what I imagined it all to be like and is this something that I can recover from because losing is getting to be a habit. The answer is yes, I can handle this because I am doing what I told myself to do right from the start and that was to test myself.
You can turn up at an obscure tennis tournament where nobody with any tennis ability even bothers turning up at or you can test yourself. Do you want an honest assessment of where you are at or do you want to be like that golfer who had the 'perfect' round but forgot to tell anyone that he kicked the ball out of the bush when no one was watching ? Do you want to finish the game one day knowing that you tested yourself against the best possible opposition that you could or will you retire with many questions unanswered ?
Tennis is all about credibility, it is irrelevant as to what grade you play. I used to think that I was totally worthless because I didn't make the pro ranks but in time I learned that tennis is a sport that as long as you reached your full potential then it was an exercise that paid dividends. Tennis is all about you beating the odds and not just an opponent. It's whether or not you can beat the things inside your head that tell you that you can't beat the guy down the other end. It's not just whether you can simply hit a tennis ball well.
My journey in tennis quite possibly only just began in Bordeaux, France in 1991 yet I had been playing nearly ten years. I am now 47. I look upon my first ten years as merely scraping the surface of who I was as a player and who I was as a person. That trip to Europe shaped me as a person, not just someone who could play a reasonable game of tennis but who struggled with their mind when that in fact was the one thing that could have brought me more success.
I am a philosophical coach of tennis now days because of that trip to a land that I dreamed of going to as a kid. I saw my heroes Borg and Wilander many years earlier play on the dirt in Europe that seemed all too easy to one day replicate. The naivety of youth, yet it drove me to practice an outrageous amount of hours per week as a kid who had one goal in mind, to make it as a tennis professional.
My journey in tennis began in 1980 or there abouts and is still going 36 years later as I teach students both young and old that the sport is not just about hitting a ball back and forth. I am blessed to have seen just how tough the sport can be and I believe in teaching with a realistic view that most probably will not include that Walt Disney ending.
The trip to Europe gave me an insight into a sport that I am glad my own kids do not play as I believe it is one that can strip you of your self confidence in more ways than one. I am glad they play team sports. I do not dislike tennis but I do not like what it can do to someone's head. Perhaps I was too fragile a person to handle the brutality of it, it's something that I ponder much of the time yet I believe it can in a way create a strong character. I call it 'the nature of the sport'.
Tennis takes a unique mind to play at a high level for long periods of time and I know that my mind was weak, not my game. I developed many philosophies on coaching, ones that could perhaps help future stars of the game but it's not just philosophical thoughts, it's the reality of tennis.
I am on a mission to gain knowledge on the game of tennis as a 21 year old and I am in the wine growing capital of France, Bordeaux playing a brand of tennis that I thought owned substance. I ask myself many questions.
Why is this guy so much better than me ? Why is this guy not missing a ball and why is it that he can read me like a book ? Have I not hit enough balls in practice to know how to handle this guy ? He probably hasn't hit more balls than me yet he knows how to play this game like a chess player who knows all the right moves. He knows how to check mate me every single f..... point.
Tennis wasn't meant to be this difficult, I can beat anyone in practice, I am fit and strong, I am someone who can do 100 push ups in a single go, I am better than the score suggests. I am totally confused at the current situation.
Why am I in France in the first place ? I am not good enough to be a tennis professional. I am playing a league down from the Challenger Circuit against some of the most remarkably gifted tennis players that I have ever seen and I am not up to the challenge. Is it a mental thing ? I can run all day, I just can't match it with these guys because my mind is not as strong as my body. I momentarily hate the game as well as hating myself.
Maybe that's harsh but if I win at tennis I win at life, if I lose I suck, I am no good, I won't sleep at night because I will be asking myself why I was not good enough to hit more balls over than my opponent. Tennis not only gives me confidence if I win on court but it gives me a sense of credibility, a sense of worth, a sense of being someone who can feel good about themselves. It is a sport that asks many questions not only of a player but of a person.
Do I have enough answers in a sport that keeps asking those questions of me ? I am getting belted by someone who has way too many answers but the problem is he is asking the questions also.
My view on tennis is that it is an argument between two players, not necessarily verbally but a test that requires one to answer more questions correctly than the other. It's like an exam. If you get 50 per cent it may be enough but it probably won't pass you, 60 per cent may be good enough though. How do you find that extra 10 per cent ?
I tell myself it's all in the head, tennis is a mind game, not necessarily a sport that is just physical, that's just one element of it all, you have to be able to out think your opponent. I am losing to a guy who has not missed a single ball and my mind is crucifying me. How do I get out of this hole and if I don't will it make me feel worthless like I usually do when I lose or will it make me work even harder next time I get on that practice court ? Is this building character or is it ruining me ?
I sit down at a change of ends and think about why I am there 'You signed up for this when you bought the plane ticket and entered a series of tennis tournaments across the other side of the World. You weren't after a Walt Disney version of tennis, you were after the real thing. Quit your mind battle and focus on hitting the ball, you know how to hit a tennis ball but you don't know how to stop asking yourself silly questions while you are playing'.
I get two games in the second set after 1 in the first, I walk to the net and shake his hand. He says 'well played', I reckon he was just being polite. I walk to the dressing room and peel off my brown socks that have clay all over them and put them in a plastic bag for a later day wash. In the shower I watch the clay wash down the drain and ask myself is this what I imagined it all to be like and is this something that I can recover from because losing is getting to be a habit. The answer is yes, I can handle this because I am doing what I told myself to do right from the start and that was to test myself.
You can turn up at an obscure tennis tournament where nobody with any tennis ability even bothers turning up at or you can test yourself. Do you want an honest assessment of where you are at or do you want to be like that golfer who had the 'perfect' round but forgot to tell anyone that he kicked the ball out of the bush when no one was watching ? Do you want to finish the game one day knowing that you tested yourself against the best possible opposition that you could or will you retire with many questions unanswered ?
Tennis is all about credibility, it is irrelevant as to what grade you play. I used to think that I was totally worthless because I didn't make the pro ranks but in time I learned that tennis is a sport that as long as you reached your full potential then it was an exercise that paid dividends. Tennis is all about you beating the odds and not just an opponent. It's whether or not you can beat the things inside your head that tell you that you can't beat the guy down the other end. It's not just whether you can simply hit a tennis ball well.
My journey in tennis quite possibly only just began in Bordeaux, France in 1991 yet I had been playing nearly ten years. I am now 47. I look upon my first ten years as merely scraping the surface of who I was as a player and who I was as a person. That trip to Europe shaped me as a person, not just someone who could play a reasonable game of tennis but who struggled with their mind when that in fact was the one thing that could have brought me more success.
I am a philosophical coach of tennis now days because of that trip to a land that I dreamed of going to as a kid. I saw my heroes Borg and Wilander many years earlier play on the dirt in Europe that seemed all too easy to one day replicate. The naivety of youth, yet it drove me to practice an outrageous amount of hours per week as a kid who had one goal in mind, to make it as a tennis professional.
My journey in tennis began in 1980 or there abouts and is still going 36 years later as I teach students both young and old that the sport is not just about hitting a ball back and forth. I am blessed to have seen just how tough the sport can be and I believe in teaching with a realistic view that most probably will not include that Walt Disney ending.
The trip to Europe gave me an insight into a sport that I am glad my own kids do not play as I believe it is one that can strip you of your self confidence in more ways than one. I am glad they play team sports. I do not dislike tennis but I do not like what it can do to someone's head. Perhaps I was too fragile a person to handle the brutality of it, it's something that I ponder much of the time yet I believe it can in a way create a strong character. I call it 'the nature of the sport'.
Tennis takes a unique mind to play at a high level for long periods of time and I know that my mind was weak, not my game. I developed many philosophies on coaching, ones that could perhaps help future stars of the game but it's not just philosophical thoughts, it's the reality of tennis.
Tuesday, 5 January 2016
'PERCEPTION' (2) ( COACHING THEORY )
I vividly recall watching a practice set between two of my advanced students several years ago. One had magnificent looking strokes, the other, well his needed work yet he was a thinker, you just knew it by his quiet nature that something else was going on with him. He never said a word. I paired these two up for a match because I was fascinated to see if a 'glamour' style could really be taken apart by a not so glamorous style that had the word 'hacker' written all over it. ( More on 'hacking' later )
It didn't take long for my idea to come to fruition, within ten minutes of the commencement of this particular match you could see quite easily that the 'hacker' was way on top both mentally and physically. The glamour player had dropped his bundle, he was a mental wreck even after ten minutes of play and his body language was one of a player who had played two sets, not one who had played ten minutes. Why ? Well I believe it was all to do with two different perceptions.
The glamour guy felt that his magnificent looking shots should be way to magnificent for the player who was just beginning tennis but he had a much different perception that in fact held way more substance than the other's. Mr Glamour was not used to so many balls coming back at such an uncomfortable height and frequency. He was basically frustrated to such an extent that he started mimicking the opposition by throwing the ball up high himself but that wasn't his game, it was his opponent's so quite simply he was not as efficient at it, so he invariably lost easily.
After the sets were completed I called the guys in and we had a chat about the points played and where they believed they went right or went wrong, I asked for a self assessment. This was Mr Glamour's assessment " He's just a hack " ! Yep that's all he could come out with, he had no time for his opponent's smart play that totally put his game out of rhythm. I didn't get a word out of the 'hacker' so I offered some myself.
"That buddy was brilliant play, it wasn't pretty but no one said you have to look pretty when you play tennis, you just have to out smart the opposition. You did that to perfection". I turned to Mr Glamour and said " You were outplayed both by his shots and his mind, you can call him anything you like but until you beat him, well, he owns you Champ".
From memory it didn't take long for Mr Glamour to exact revenge as the 'hack' was just learning the game and his shots needed some work so the technique expertise won over the next time they played but it took some thinking by the previously vanquished to turn it around.
That whole story to me is typical of perception in tennis as we all have an idea of what we think is good enough to win yet as we all know it is almost an impossibility at any level to keep winning at a sport that has numerous styles of effectiveness. The kid who was new to the sport believed that by simply just getting the ball back at six to ten feet over the net and deep it would beat anybody he played and because he was new to it he feared nothing and no one.
The kid who owned a technically gifted game but not enough tennis smarts thought that by just hitting the ball with a fancy style that his game would be way too good for not just that new kid but for anyone. That match that I set up between the two was a perfect learning curve for both because of the difference in hours on court yet the surprising result.
Sometimes I wonder whether a kid with a totally unorthodox style could in fact be regularly successful in tennis through the junior ranks and then take it to the senior level such as Borg and McEnroe both did with styles that have never been replicated since. Who teaches a Borg style backhand or a McEnroe style serve now days ? The answer is no one because most coaches have the same perception as to how a style should look on a tennis court so they quite possibly do not embrace 'quirky' styles.
When a kid shows some potential what is the first thing that happens ? A coach will 'refine' the player's shots to a style that is what we all refer to as 'text book' and then it really is just a type of race as to which kid can make the grade with it. When you look at it however over the years the most successful players have all had a rather unique perception as to how the game should be played. Take Jimmy Connors for instance. If a 'regular' tennis coach had got a hold of him do you think they would have allowed him to keep thumping the ball that hard and that flat ? Jimmy's record speaks for itself. Do you think Borg's backhand would survive in today's playing and in particular coaching climate ? It would have been thrown out as 'outrageous'. Mac's serve with that footwork ? Too side on Mac.
The list goes on but one thing is for certain the champions of the World of tennis all had a unique perception of what they believed to be the correct and most effective way to hit a tennis ball.
It didn't take long for my idea to come to fruition, within ten minutes of the commencement of this particular match you could see quite easily that the 'hacker' was way on top both mentally and physically. The glamour player had dropped his bundle, he was a mental wreck even after ten minutes of play and his body language was one of a player who had played two sets, not one who had played ten minutes. Why ? Well I believe it was all to do with two different perceptions.
The glamour guy felt that his magnificent looking shots should be way to magnificent for the player who was just beginning tennis but he had a much different perception that in fact held way more substance than the other's. Mr Glamour was not used to so many balls coming back at such an uncomfortable height and frequency. He was basically frustrated to such an extent that he started mimicking the opposition by throwing the ball up high himself but that wasn't his game, it was his opponent's so quite simply he was not as efficient at it, so he invariably lost easily.
After the sets were completed I called the guys in and we had a chat about the points played and where they believed they went right or went wrong, I asked for a self assessment. This was Mr Glamour's assessment " He's just a hack " ! Yep that's all he could come out with, he had no time for his opponent's smart play that totally put his game out of rhythm. I didn't get a word out of the 'hacker' so I offered some myself.
"That buddy was brilliant play, it wasn't pretty but no one said you have to look pretty when you play tennis, you just have to out smart the opposition. You did that to perfection". I turned to Mr Glamour and said " You were outplayed both by his shots and his mind, you can call him anything you like but until you beat him, well, he owns you Champ".
From memory it didn't take long for Mr Glamour to exact revenge as the 'hack' was just learning the game and his shots needed some work so the technique expertise won over the next time they played but it took some thinking by the previously vanquished to turn it around.
That whole story to me is typical of perception in tennis as we all have an idea of what we think is good enough to win yet as we all know it is almost an impossibility at any level to keep winning at a sport that has numerous styles of effectiveness. The kid who was new to the sport believed that by simply just getting the ball back at six to ten feet over the net and deep it would beat anybody he played and because he was new to it he feared nothing and no one.
The kid who owned a technically gifted game but not enough tennis smarts thought that by just hitting the ball with a fancy style that his game would be way too good for not just that new kid but for anyone. That match that I set up between the two was a perfect learning curve for both because of the difference in hours on court yet the surprising result.
Sometimes I wonder whether a kid with a totally unorthodox style could in fact be regularly successful in tennis through the junior ranks and then take it to the senior level such as Borg and McEnroe both did with styles that have never been replicated since. Who teaches a Borg style backhand or a McEnroe style serve now days ? The answer is no one because most coaches have the same perception as to how a style should look on a tennis court so they quite possibly do not embrace 'quirky' styles.
When a kid shows some potential what is the first thing that happens ? A coach will 'refine' the player's shots to a style that is what we all refer to as 'text book' and then it really is just a type of race as to which kid can make the grade with it. When you look at it however over the years the most successful players have all had a rather unique perception as to how the game should be played. Take Jimmy Connors for instance. If a 'regular' tennis coach had got a hold of him do you think they would have allowed him to keep thumping the ball that hard and that flat ? Jimmy's record speaks for itself. Do you think Borg's backhand would survive in today's playing and in particular coaching climate ? It would have been thrown out as 'outrageous'. Mac's serve with that footwork ? Too side on Mac.
The list goes on but one thing is for certain the champions of the World of tennis all had a unique perception of what they believed to be the correct and most effective way to hit a tennis ball.
Saturday, 2 January 2016
AFTER TRAINING WITH A PURPOSE (COACHING THEORIES)
When I turned 18 I was brutally honest with myself as I gave my game an assessment and asked the obvious question. Was I really good enough to become a tennis professional ? The answer was no. My 18 months of training in Queensland produced nothing more than a rise in ability to hit a tennis ball yet my knowledge on how to play the game was not where it was required to become successful on the Challenger Circuit.
In saying that however I did give it a red hot go in a series of events which were known back then as the 'Satellite series' which are now called Challenger Events. I played several of those tournaments in and around Queensland plus New South Wales and I saw some phenomenal players such as Fromberg, Woodbridge and Stoltenberg who were also just beginning their careers on the tough Challenger circuit.
Watching guys like that practice and play those events was an eye opener and it gave me a realistic view as to where my game needed to be and unfortunately I was not of their ability. I could practice with any player and hold my own but playing matches was not my strength. I decided to quit full time training, fly back to Western Australia and take up coaching full time as a job.
I did however still hold hope of one day having another crack at tennis but I needed to gain some knowledge and I felt that by coaching students I could teach not only them but myself how to play tennis and not just hit a ball well. I wanted to learn the art of tennis and I had only tried one form of it and that was playing so I suppose I was into the idea of crunching data in my mind. I wanted to become not only a better player but a coach who could actually teach the game with substance.
I had seen guys who I still refer to as 'ball hitters' in both WA and Queensland and I had seen some great coaches who could really teach someone how to play tennis. I wanted to be like them, a coach who could teach the game with knowledge.
I never wanted to be looked upon as a 'ball hitter' as the market is flooded with them, guys who command a hefty price for a lesson but really teach nothing of substance. In fact I refer to them also as 'hype with no substance' yet these guys make three times per hour what some hard workers do. I believe that it is because of these ball hitters that some 'real' coaches now command up to $100 per hour for an hour session as it sets them apart from the ball hitters who regularly command $70 or $80 an hour.
Back when I first started coaching in 1987 I believe that $40 an hour was the regular rate for a lesson with a 'qualified' tennis coach. Sure inflation happens but $80 now days with a 'coach' who owns a piece of paper stating he or she is a 'qualified' tennis coach with a fancy name to it really is just taking the public for a ride.
Personally I believe that lessons should be capped at a certain rate depending on the experience level of the coach or ball hitter. It would make the whole Industry more professional and would also give the public a more realistic view on who is teaching their child the finer points of the sport. I believe ball hitters do have a place in tennis particularly with large groups of kids as they can keep them moving and entertained with games but as far as one on one technique sessions ? Leave that to the qualified, experienced coaches who know how to teach the finer points of the sport.
I spent three years coaching at numerous tennis clubs around Perth as well as my home town Albany and those three years taught me much however I was not asked to do one on one lessons and neither did I expect to. They were strictly for the head coach to do. My job was to teach groups of kids which was challenging but fun.
I knew my time would come later as far as the private lessons were concerned and I was prepared to go through the education of learning the art of teaching tennis. I took a brief stint out of coaching for a two month trip to Europe to see first hand just how good the standard was over the other side of the World.
I wanted to do it for two reasons, one to test myself to the maximum with my play as I was a little smarter at age 21 and little stronger physically plus I wanted to paint a picture for my future students as to just how tough the sport was.
I didn't want a Walt Disney version, I wanted the real thing. The trip to Europe was a way for me to understand the sport better and I hope you enjoy my version of events over there from 1991. Some chapters are light hearted as far as how we amused ourselves in between tournaments and others are my personal views on just how tough the circuit was. The trip taught me a philosophical way of looking at tennis and it helped me become a better coach.
In saying that however I did give it a red hot go in a series of events which were known back then as the 'Satellite series' which are now called Challenger Events. I played several of those tournaments in and around Queensland plus New South Wales and I saw some phenomenal players such as Fromberg, Woodbridge and Stoltenberg who were also just beginning their careers on the tough Challenger circuit.
Watching guys like that practice and play those events was an eye opener and it gave me a realistic view as to where my game needed to be and unfortunately I was not of their ability. I could practice with any player and hold my own but playing matches was not my strength. I decided to quit full time training, fly back to Western Australia and take up coaching full time as a job.
I did however still hold hope of one day having another crack at tennis but I needed to gain some knowledge and I felt that by coaching students I could teach not only them but myself how to play tennis and not just hit a ball well. I wanted to learn the art of tennis and I had only tried one form of it and that was playing so I suppose I was into the idea of crunching data in my mind. I wanted to become not only a better player but a coach who could actually teach the game with substance.
I had seen guys who I still refer to as 'ball hitters' in both WA and Queensland and I had seen some great coaches who could really teach someone how to play tennis. I wanted to be like them, a coach who could teach the game with knowledge.
I never wanted to be looked upon as a 'ball hitter' as the market is flooded with them, guys who command a hefty price for a lesson but really teach nothing of substance. In fact I refer to them also as 'hype with no substance' yet these guys make three times per hour what some hard workers do. I believe that it is because of these ball hitters that some 'real' coaches now command up to $100 per hour for an hour session as it sets them apart from the ball hitters who regularly command $70 or $80 an hour.
Back when I first started coaching in 1987 I believe that $40 an hour was the regular rate for a lesson with a 'qualified' tennis coach. Sure inflation happens but $80 now days with a 'coach' who owns a piece of paper stating he or she is a 'qualified' tennis coach with a fancy name to it really is just taking the public for a ride.
Personally I believe that lessons should be capped at a certain rate depending on the experience level of the coach or ball hitter. It would make the whole Industry more professional and would also give the public a more realistic view on who is teaching their child the finer points of the sport. I believe ball hitters do have a place in tennis particularly with large groups of kids as they can keep them moving and entertained with games but as far as one on one technique sessions ? Leave that to the qualified, experienced coaches who know how to teach the finer points of the sport.
I spent three years coaching at numerous tennis clubs around Perth as well as my home town Albany and those three years taught me much however I was not asked to do one on one lessons and neither did I expect to. They were strictly for the head coach to do. My job was to teach groups of kids which was challenging but fun.
I knew my time would come later as far as the private lessons were concerned and I was prepared to go through the education of learning the art of teaching tennis. I took a brief stint out of coaching for a two month trip to Europe to see first hand just how good the standard was over the other side of the World.
I wanted to do it for two reasons, one to test myself to the maximum with my play as I was a little smarter at age 21 and little stronger physically plus I wanted to paint a picture for my future students as to just how tough the sport was.
I didn't want a Walt Disney version, I wanted the real thing. The trip to Europe was a way for me to understand the sport better and I hope you enjoy my version of events over there from 1991. Some chapters are light hearted as far as how we amused ourselves in between tournaments and others are my personal views on just how tough the circuit was. The trip taught me a philosophical way of looking at tennis and it helped me become a better coach.
'INSPIRATION, ADRENALIN and HEROES' ( THE MIND )
Inspiration in sport may just be the single most important aspect in determining whether a competitor has enough adrenalin to deliver the goods or whether he will deliver a 'ho hum' performance. I will never forget the day that the great Andre Agassi won Wimbledon in 1992 as it was a win for the outlandish, a win for the Rock Star image, a win for the not so standard type of player or style for that matter. It was a victory for the every day person who owned long hair and a desire to be famous along with it.
Back then I was a Glam Rock convert who's idols wore the long locks and paraded on stage with a strut not unlike Andre did on centre stage at the hallowed grounds of the All England Club in '92. I likened Agassi to someone who could front one of my favourite bands such as Def Leppard and Cheap Trick with the image though delivering the voice to match Jo Elliot and Robin Zander may have been a tad out of reach.
The day after the Wimbledon victory by the Las Vegas showman was a day that I will put down in my tennis diary as a day that inspiration to play the game was taken to a new level. It almost gave me a feeling of invincibility and one that I was not aware of, a level of play that I had not experienced before. A strange sort of feeling yet understandable as my mind has always required a superstar of the game as a type of alter ego who talked me through things when I played.
A good buddy of mine rang me the next day " Hey Thommo did you watch Wimbledon " ? Did I ?? This was my reply.
"Mate I am inspired, you will have trouble stopping me, I am pumped, let's hit some balls, meet you at the club at ten hey" ?
So this is what happened at ten am that day with my buddy Chris. I hit the ball like a man possessed, like someone who was doing it for a living. I hit the ball so ridiculously well that I was tempted to ask for a berth in State Grade that weekend as Division 1 would not find anyone to get close to me. I felt almost unbeatable.
The next time I hit however I had come down off the high that Andre had put me on after his Wimbledon victory and my standard dropped big time. The intensity was not there and the cavalier type of play was replaced with 'standard hitting'. Tennis I felt was all in the mind and whilst I was disappointed I could not replicate that session with Chris I was perhaps more disappointed that I could not find a happy medium.
Sometimes in tennis we are as high as a kite on adrenalin and inspiration after watching our heroes perform and other days we are as flat as pancakes. Would it be too much to regularly find somewhere in between ?!
Numerous circumstances inspire different players to do different things when we play but there is nothing quite like a hero to inspire us to go one better each time we walk onto a tennis court. We all need someone or something to make us want to play the game at a level that may be beyond us yet we can try to reach it with a little help from a 'higher being'.
That's why heroes were invented by us 'common' people. They make us strive for more in life......
Back then I was a Glam Rock convert who's idols wore the long locks and paraded on stage with a strut not unlike Andre did on centre stage at the hallowed grounds of the All England Club in '92. I likened Agassi to someone who could front one of my favourite bands such as Def Leppard and Cheap Trick with the image though delivering the voice to match Jo Elliot and Robin Zander may have been a tad out of reach.
The day after the Wimbledon victory by the Las Vegas showman was a day that I will put down in my tennis diary as a day that inspiration to play the game was taken to a new level. It almost gave me a feeling of invincibility and one that I was not aware of, a level of play that I had not experienced before. A strange sort of feeling yet understandable as my mind has always required a superstar of the game as a type of alter ego who talked me through things when I played.
A good buddy of mine rang me the next day " Hey Thommo did you watch Wimbledon " ? Did I ?? This was my reply.
"Mate I am inspired, you will have trouble stopping me, I am pumped, let's hit some balls, meet you at the club at ten hey" ?
So this is what happened at ten am that day with my buddy Chris. I hit the ball like a man possessed, like someone who was doing it for a living. I hit the ball so ridiculously well that I was tempted to ask for a berth in State Grade that weekend as Division 1 would not find anyone to get close to me. I felt almost unbeatable.
The next time I hit however I had come down off the high that Andre had put me on after his Wimbledon victory and my standard dropped big time. The intensity was not there and the cavalier type of play was replaced with 'standard hitting'. Tennis I felt was all in the mind and whilst I was disappointed I could not replicate that session with Chris I was perhaps more disappointed that I could not find a happy medium.
Sometimes in tennis we are as high as a kite on adrenalin and inspiration after watching our heroes perform and other days we are as flat as pancakes. Would it be too much to regularly find somewhere in between ?!
Numerous circumstances inspire different players to do different things when we play but there is nothing quite like a hero to inspire us to go one better each time we walk onto a tennis court. We all need someone or something to make us want to play the game at a level that may be beyond us yet we can try to reach it with a little help from a 'higher being'.
That's why heroes were invented by us 'common' people. They make us strive for more in life......
'THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HACKING'
I once sent a chapter from my Blog to the ATPCA as they published ideas in their monthly newsletter from guys like myself who had coaching theories. My chapter called 'The Effectiveness of Hacking' got a run one month and the reason behind the chapter was due to a match I played 12 months after I won that third set breaker (previous chapter ) to give my club a regional title.
I was up against a 17 year old the very next year who was down from the City and this kid had it all, big shots, big ego, big attitude but lacked one thing, a thought process to beat someone who simply got everything back.
Now I had taught myself to be patient when playing the young kids because despite the ageing legs it was a necessity to stay out there with them for as long as it took for them to beat themselves. This year was no different.
The young fellow could hit a forehand as hard as I had ever seen but he didn't like the high ball ( in fact no kids like that particular ball ) because of the slowness of it and the height through the air that gave them way too much time to think about how they were going to hammer it back.
From 1-4 down in the first set where I was not thinking at all I won seven straight games to go up a break in the second and totally frustrate him in the process.
He had no plan B, just an A game that did not allow for anything but the ball to be placed in the same spot over and over to give him the rhythm he required to be effective.
I ended up winning that match 4 and 4 and I only remember hitting around ten winners, mainly on the volleys as he hated to be rushed into hitting a winner, he wanted time to be grooved. He lost that particular match as I can honestly say I didn't win it. If someone hits less than a dozen winners something else has to happen to claim a win and in between the occasional winning volley I simply made him play 'uncomfortable' tennis.
I forced him to play another ball every time even if it were a high floating ball with little spin, just deep and high that he had to think hard about. Particularly on the return of serve I just blocked the ball back six or eight feet over the net with depth. I was not interested in stepping in and belting his serve back because that would have given him the ball right where he wanted it with pace and a height he was happy with.
On one particular point I was not even in court and still managed to come out on top in the rally, I was in fact in the next court retrieving one of his angled forehands ! I just threw up a high ball with a heap of spin on it rather than go for a winner on the run and he mishit it into the net. He tried to do too much with it as he had done all day with most of his shots.
At one point he said "This guy is a hack " ! There's that terminology again and let's face it I must be a hack if two people said that about my play two years in a row at the same tournament. Such is life.
A month later I played a regional teams event that was held in the city and I was up against a State ranked player who was a little on the 'fragile' side. I lead him 2-1 and 40-15 before my seven previous sets of the day caught up with me and I ran out of legs.
At one point the kid came out with this question "Why can't this guy just play normally " ??! That did bring a smile to my face though I was disappointed I didn't offer him a hanky to wipe his eyes with. Play normally ? What's normal in tennis ? Playing 'normally' to a baseline robot is a sure way to get beaten especially if your legs aren't as young as they used to be.
Play it smart and don't give them what they require and don't try to beat them with your ego, do it with your brains instead. The following chapter is from my Blog site written in 2013. Hope you enjoy it....
I was up against a 17 year old the very next year who was down from the City and this kid had it all, big shots, big ego, big attitude but lacked one thing, a thought process to beat someone who simply got everything back.
Now I had taught myself to be patient when playing the young kids because despite the ageing legs it was a necessity to stay out there with them for as long as it took for them to beat themselves. This year was no different.
The young fellow could hit a forehand as hard as I had ever seen but he didn't like the high ball ( in fact no kids like that particular ball ) because of the slowness of it and the height through the air that gave them way too much time to think about how they were going to hammer it back.
From 1-4 down in the first set where I was not thinking at all I won seven straight games to go up a break in the second and totally frustrate him in the process.
He had no plan B, just an A game that did not allow for anything but the ball to be placed in the same spot over and over to give him the rhythm he required to be effective.
I ended up winning that match 4 and 4 and I only remember hitting around ten winners, mainly on the volleys as he hated to be rushed into hitting a winner, he wanted time to be grooved. He lost that particular match as I can honestly say I didn't win it. If someone hits less than a dozen winners something else has to happen to claim a win and in between the occasional winning volley I simply made him play 'uncomfortable' tennis.
I forced him to play another ball every time even if it were a high floating ball with little spin, just deep and high that he had to think hard about. Particularly on the return of serve I just blocked the ball back six or eight feet over the net with depth. I was not interested in stepping in and belting his serve back because that would have given him the ball right where he wanted it with pace and a height he was happy with.
On one particular point I was not even in court and still managed to come out on top in the rally, I was in fact in the next court retrieving one of his angled forehands ! I just threw up a high ball with a heap of spin on it rather than go for a winner on the run and he mishit it into the net. He tried to do too much with it as he had done all day with most of his shots.
At one point he said "This guy is a hack " ! There's that terminology again and let's face it I must be a hack if two people said that about my play two years in a row at the same tournament. Such is life.
A month later I played a regional teams event that was held in the city and I was up against a State ranked player who was a little on the 'fragile' side. I lead him 2-1 and 40-15 before my seven previous sets of the day caught up with me and I ran out of legs.
At one point the kid came out with this question "Why can't this guy just play normally " ??! That did bring a smile to my face though I was disappointed I didn't offer him a hanky to wipe his eyes with. Play normally ? What's normal in tennis ? Playing 'normally' to a baseline robot is a sure way to get beaten especially if your legs aren't as young as they used to be.
Play it smart and don't give them what they require and don't try to beat them with your ego, do it with your brains instead. The following chapter is from my Blog site written in 2013. Hope you enjoy it....
I remember
vividly one of my advanced students sending me a text asking
whether I considered him to be a 'hack' . Let's look at this terminology :
'hacking, puddling, pushing, are terms described for players who just get the
ball in play and wait for their opponent to miss. So what's wrong with this ?
Nothing, but it isn't 'cool'.
Your mates want to see you belt the ball into submission, hit it like there's no tomorrow, but in all reality that doesn't win tennis matches. 'Hackers',' puddlers' and 'pushers' win more games of tennis than their mates who try to knock the brand off the ball.
Hacking upsets the groovy guy who wants the ball in his comfort zone every time so he can keep getting the ball back as he wishes and dictate play as well as look stylish for his girlfriend sitting in the stands.
So how do you upset your opponent who has made a reputation for himself as the 'big fish in the small pond' ? Slice the ball low, hit it high over the net, serve and volley sometimes, hit drop shots, moon ball, take some extra time between points and in particular give your opponent a big smile when he calls you a hack, it means you have him on toast.
It happened to me just three years ago when I played a kid who was young enough to be my son but with a reputation that anyone would be proud of. He had some big shots but lacked brains and when he looked at me after another moon ball that he couldn't return and told me that basically at age 41 I had no right to be on the same court as him I simply smiled and kept on doing it.
A straight sets victory made the 'old bloke' sleep well that night.......
'Hacking', indeed a great tactic, and what was my reply to my student who asked me the original question?
'If it's upsetting your opponents buddy, keep doing it".
Your mates want to see you belt the ball into submission, hit it like there's no tomorrow, but in all reality that doesn't win tennis matches. 'Hackers',' puddlers' and 'pushers' win more games of tennis than their mates who try to knock the brand off the ball.
Hacking upsets the groovy guy who wants the ball in his comfort zone every time so he can keep getting the ball back as he wishes and dictate play as well as look stylish for his girlfriend sitting in the stands.
So how do you upset your opponent who has made a reputation for himself as the 'big fish in the small pond' ? Slice the ball low, hit it high over the net, serve and volley sometimes, hit drop shots, moon ball, take some extra time between points and in particular give your opponent a big smile when he calls you a hack, it means you have him on toast.
It happened to me just three years ago when I played a kid who was young enough to be my son but with a reputation that anyone would be proud of. He had some big shots but lacked brains and when he looked at me after another moon ball that he couldn't return and told me that basically at age 41 I had no right to be on the same court as him I simply smiled and kept on doing it.
A straight sets victory made the 'old bloke' sleep well that night.......
'Hacking', indeed a great tactic, and what was my reply to my student who asked me the original question?
'If it's upsetting your opponents buddy, keep doing it".
'WINNING WITH NOTHING SPECIAL'
I am a firm believer in letting an opponent beat themselves and I have many theories on how to do it though one has always been in the fore front of my mind while playing. JUST GET IT BACK.
When I turned age 40 I went on somewhat of a personal quest to bury some old demons and try to win back some self pride. I had some personal issues that took time to recover from and I lost some matches to players who I once beat easily so for me it was all about making up for lost time as well as lost matches.
I played a regional club vs club competition and was up against a young kid who owned a State ranking for his 16's age bracket and I embraced the challenge as you do as a coach of any sport. There were many of my students watching so it was a chance to show them that you actually knew what you were talking about.
I had a theory of how to beat this kid though it wasn't going to be easy as he got most balls back but I knew that he didn't like certain situations. All I had to do was put him in those situations, easy in theory, tough to implement.
My biggest thing was to give him 'nothing' shots, balls with height and spin on them that had him scraping it off the back fence if he let it take it's full bounce or make him time it perfectly on the rise, that's a tough thing to do at his age. The other idea was to slice the ball short to his two handed backhand from my backhand side and make him bend low to hit his favourite shot or force him into the net where he was most uncomfortable.
To put it bluntly, I was only interested in making him play a type of game that threw his rhythm out rather than trying to actually beat him. I felt that I could in fact make him lose without me winning, if that makes any sense. Trying to both out think and out last a young kid when you are 40 years old isn't easy though it's a challenge and I believe that we all love a challenge as we age in sport, it keeps our minds and body active.
I don't remember hitting anymore than one double handed backhand all day except on a couple of passing shots when he came in. Apart from that I simply just worked a one handed slice back into play which conserved energy and also gave him no height to work with. Personally I hate sliced backhands to my backhand side, always have done, it's like trying to hit a ball out of a bunker with a sand wedge, tough to get under perfectly.
Looking back on this particular match I believe that through inexperience the kid played my backhand too much because he considered it my weaker side. In the end though it wore him down because my slice gave him a ball that either skidded through or dropped short. Either way it was not how he liked the ball to be hit to him.
Personally I prefer a bit of height so playing someone's forehand generally will allow a more comfortable ball to play and let's face it there aren't too many guys like Fabrice Santoro who slice their forehand.
I ended up winning this particular match in a third set super tie breaker and I basically won with nothing special, just a game plan which made the opposition hit a lot of balls out of their comfort zone. I don't recall the young fellow winning one point at the net and I brought him in at least a dozen times. I always made him hit a volley rather than go for an outright winner which I believed was risky against someone like that. I would have considered it a waste to miss a pass into the net or long against someone who hated the idea of volleying.
Quite often when he hit to my backhand I would simply send it back short, low and wide to his backhand rather than play it back deep all the time. I found that tactic to be invaluable to get a cheap point. Against a baseline 'robot' why keep feeding their diet with energy when you can sap them with other options that leave them confused and tired ?
I felt however that I just won that match in the nick of time as on my victory 'hop' I cramped up ! I limped all the way to the net to shake his hand. Playing baseline exponents is hard work but you can think your way through their play by simply putting yourself in their shoes in your thought process. Sometimes it also helps to be a 'dinosaur' of the sport as it can get you out of many situations.
It's like the 10,000 hours of training that many coaches talk about. If you have had that and more in your time as a player, coach or both then playing kids who have had way less court time will often hold you in good stead when you are up against them in tournaments. The sheer weight of numbers are on your side when it comes to match play situations and that's where matches are won, from memory and from practice situations that you can draw from.
Winning with nothing special is a form of thinking rather than going out there with big shots and an ego to match that generally will get you into trouble.
A player with a 'nothing' game will quite often beat a player who looks magnificent in say the warm up yet cannot replicate that sort of smoothness into point play situations. Nothing game players are smart tennis players because they are thinkers and the thinkers of tennis are the most dangerous.
One of the funniest things that I ever heard after that particular match that I played was when a local 'guru' came out with 'Thommo won by HACKING' ! That was relayed back to me by an astute pupil who watched my match and heard the statement being relayed to another group of kids.
Apparently the way I played was called 'hacking' but I didn't mind that at all as my team won by a super tie breaker that day and no matter what you get called in tennis, if you win, well, you own 'bragging rights'.
When I turned age 40 I went on somewhat of a personal quest to bury some old demons and try to win back some self pride. I had some personal issues that took time to recover from and I lost some matches to players who I once beat easily so for me it was all about making up for lost time as well as lost matches.
I played a regional club vs club competition and was up against a young kid who owned a State ranking for his 16's age bracket and I embraced the challenge as you do as a coach of any sport. There were many of my students watching so it was a chance to show them that you actually knew what you were talking about.
I had a theory of how to beat this kid though it wasn't going to be easy as he got most balls back but I knew that he didn't like certain situations. All I had to do was put him in those situations, easy in theory, tough to implement.
My biggest thing was to give him 'nothing' shots, balls with height and spin on them that had him scraping it off the back fence if he let it take it's full bounce or make him time it perfectly on the rise, that's a tough thing to do at his age. The other idea was to slice the ball short to his two handed backhand from my backhand side and make him bend low to hit his favourite shot or force him into the net where he was most uncomfortable.
To put it bluntly, I was only interested in making him play a type of game that threw his rhythm out rather than trying to actually beat him. I felt that I could in fact make him lose without me winning, if that makes any sense. Trying to both out think and out last a young kid when you are 40 years old isn't easy though it's a challenge and I believe that we all love a challenge as we age in sport, it keeps our minds and body active.
I don't remember hitting anymore than one double handed backhand all day except on a couple of passing shots when he came in. Apart from that I simply just worked a one handed slice back into play which conserved energy and also gave him no height to work with. Personally I hate sliced backhands to my backhand side, always have done, it's like trying to hit a ball out of a bunker with a sand wedge, tough to get under perfectly.
Looking back on this particular match I believe that through inexperience the kid played my backhand too much because he considered it my weaker side. In the end though it wore him down because my slice gave him a ball that either skidded through or dropped short. Either way it was not how he liked the ball to be hit to him.
Personally I prefer a bit of height so playing someone's forehand generally will allow a more comfortable ball to play and let's face it there aren't too many guys like Fabrice Santoro who slice their forehand.
I ended up winning this particular match in a third set super tie breaker and I basically won with nothing special, just a game plan which made the opposition hit a lot of balls out of their comfort zone. I don't recall the young fellow winning one point at the net and I brought him in at least a dozen times. I always made him hit a volley rather than go for an outright winner which I believed was risky against someone like that. I would have considered it a waste to miss a pass into the net or long against someone who hated the idea of volleying.
Quite often when he hit to my backhand I would simply send it back short, low and wide to his backhand rather than play it back deep all the time. I found that tactic to be invaluable to get a cheap point. Against a baseline 'robot' why keep feeding their diet with energy when you can sap them with other options that leave them confused and tired ?
I felt however that I just won that match in the nick of time as on my victory 'hop' I cramped up ! I limped all the way to the net to shake his hand. Playing baseline exponents is hard work but you can think your way through their play by simply putting yourself in their shoes in your thought process. Sometimes it also helps to be a 'dinosaur' of the sport as it can get you out of many situations.
It's like the 10,000 hours of training that many coaches talk about. If you have had that and more in your time as a player, coach or both then playing kids who have had way less court time will often hold you in good stead when you are up against them in tournaments. The sheer weight of numbers are on your side when it comes to match play situations and that's where matches are won, from memory and from practice situations that you can draw from.
Winning with nothing special is a form of thinking rather than going out there with big shots and an ego to match that generally will get you into trouble.
A player with a 'nothing' game will quite often beat a player who looks magnificent in say the warm up yet cannot replicate that sort of smoothness into point play situations. Nothing game players are smart tennis players because they are thinkers and the thinkers of tennis are the most dangerous.
One of the funniest things that I ever heard after that particular match that I played was when a local 'guru' came out with 'Thommo won by HACKING' ! That was relayed back to me by an astute pupil who watched my match and heard the statement being relayed to another group of kids.
Apparently the way I played was called 'hacking' but I didn't mind that at all as my team won by a super tie breaker that day and no matter what you get called in tennis, if you win, well, you own 'bragging rights'.
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