February 1, 2007
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David W. Smith, Senior Editor TennisOne If you were surrounded by a thousand people and nine hundred of them, like yourself, could only speak one language, then you probably would consider yourself an average linguist. However, would you consider the ten percent of the people, who could speak at least one other language, gifted human beings? Of course not. You would, most likely, consider those people who took the time to master a second language as having the desire to pursue that skill; not a suggestion that they are the only ones capable of speaking more than one language or that any one of the other nine hundred people were incapable of adding a second language to their communication abilities.
Yet when discussing tennis with people all over the world, the perception often is that advanced tennis is only achievable by a select group of "gifted" individuals. On one tennis forum, I read a passage like this: “90% of the people in this forum will never become advanced tennis players.” My response was this: “90% of the people could become advanced tennis players.” From my experience in teaching individuals as well as coaching literally thousands of players, from high school aged juniors, to seniors in their 80’s, I have found that at least 90% of those who decide to play tennis can indeed reach levels associated with advanced play. And yet, if we look at the vast majority of tennis players, less than 15% reach the 4.5 level and less than 10% get to 5.0. So, it is easy to see where people presume that 90% of any tennis-playing public can't reach advanced levels of play. This perception made me think of the reasons why someone would label so many people as incapable of reaching higher levels. And, why would my perception of the potential of individuals be 180 degrees in the opposite opinion? Perception of Performance Since so many people are of this opinion I started looking at the excuses that people make for themselves to set in motion this self-fulfilling prophesy. Here's what I came up with:
There are probably many more excuses than these; however, my thoughts were not focused on what the excuses are, but what influenced a player to create a particular excuse or perception of limited ability.
Obviously, perceptions are formed from experience and it is through our experiences that we create the perceptions of our limitations. On a side-note, other experiences can produce confidence, cockiness, and even arrogance! However, once a perception is ingrained, it is often very difficult to change. So, if experiences are the root of either limitations or confidence, what kind of experiences are contributors to one or the other? In watching many thousands of players in competitive environments, it is obvious that the players who play at lower levels don’t have the same stroke patterns, footwork patterns, and strategic understandings that are observable among players at higher levels. Yet, these lower level players have plenty of hand-eye coordination, enough foot-speed and mobility, and are able to swing the racquet with enough speed to impart ample pace and spin to most shots. Social Circles Certainly, playing tennis with friends and regular hitting partners brings a sense of enjoyment. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to play at the same level with these people. Yet I find it amusing that each player in any social match still wants to play well and win. Those people who use the excuse that they want to stay at a certain level because of the social element seems at odds then. (As if the act of improvement would suddenly dissolve any and all relationships!) If anything, when students improve, they seek out additional players to compete with, enlarging their social circle of tennis players. I won’t deny that some players may get jealous of a player who improves dramatically and may be intimidated by that player’s new skills and abilities. However, in most cases, an improved player is able to make rallies more interesting, last longer, and create success for any given partner. We almost always hear about players who others love to be partnered with. However, there are many inferior players who almost no one wants to be stuck with as a partner! Which partner are you? Bottom Line: The Good News In reality, if you are reading this newsletter or if you are a subscriber to TennisOne, then you really would like to improve. And, as I have shown, there really is no excuse for you not to seek higher levels of play nor should you expect to fail at reaching those levels. Bottom Line: The Bad News If you have been playing tennis for a long time at the same level there is no quick fix or simple, secret procedure that you can do to play better. You need to change elements of your game; maybe not all elements, but some. Ask yourself these questions: Do you have an effective, offensive second serve? Can you volley from all parts of the court including angle volleys and, high and low volleys from deep in your own court? Do you have a repeatable swing pattern on groundstrokes? Do you know where the optimal places are to hit in singles and doubles?
If you answer yes to all of these, then chances are you not only are a skilled player already, you have the game to play more competitive tennis as you improve the aim of these advanced strokes. However, if you are uncomfortable with certain shots, if you are inconsistent or unable to perform each of these advanced stroke and strategy patterns, if you don’t understand advanced strategies and how certain shots prevent or improve your chance of winning or losing a point, then you will need to seek ways to improve them. This usually involves some element of change, and this is where more bad news comes in. Change is difficult. This is why I teach beginners the “Advanced Foundation”—a method of learning that does not require change for players as they advance. But for those who have been playing for years, your task will be to find what parts of your stroke or game needs to be changed, how to change it, employ tools to practice it in many settings, and engage the changes in competition for a sustained period of time. Good news: this can be done! If it is more comfortable to stay at the level you than it is to make changes in your game, then I have already supplied several excuses you. For the rest of you, stay tuned! I will be outlining a specific program in coming months to help you successfully make the changes you need to advance. (Click link to purchase Dave Smith's Book Tennis Mastery, at tenniswarehouse.com.) As always, we would love to hear from you! Questions, comments, personal experiences all create helpful dialogue for everyone! Please click here to send us your email.
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