Why I Need A Tennis Professional

I received a nice email today from one of your fellow WebTennis.net subscribers who complimented me on employing a fellow tennis coach to help me with my own tennis game.

Here's what I had to say in response to that email...

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Hi Bill and many thanks for your email and kind words.

I really need someone like Michael Wayman to continue to reinforce the fundamentals into my brain.

Michael was a top tour player from England back in the 70s with wins over such players as Gene Mayer when Gene was #3 in the world.

One of the things that has always stuck with me from the coaching I received from Tom Stow a long time ago was to continue to work on the fundamentals so nothing in my strokes or movement is "artificial".

Tom couldn't stand any movement (swing shape, footwork, etc.) that appeared to him to be unnecessary.

Unnecessary meaning that it might even distract from being able to apply a stroke or footwork fundamental.

Michael helps keep me in line with the fundamentals, and I've always thought that if you continue to work on them, you'll get better.

So many players out there have this perception that the fundamentals, the basics, are only for beginners, and that there must be some "magic bullet" that only a few really good players understand.

Maybe it's just an excuse to not have to get into that practice mode where it can seem as if there is no tangible improvement at times if not most of the time.

Lots of us tend to fight the practice - improvement relationship.  It's taken me a long, long time to stop trying so hard to measure how I'm doing with my practice and improvement.

The more I simply "keep working", don't look for the improvement, and trust that improvement will eventually show up, the more I actually get tangible results somewhere down the road.

Our culture these days, even with those of us over 60, tends to lead us to a quick fix expectation.  

Ain't going to happen...

The reality is that none of us will ever (at least in this lifetime) completely master each and every fundamental of the game.

That's not a negative, it's for me simply an acceptance that there's nothing else I need to work on other than a specific fundamental today.

Thanks again Bill for your email.  Have a great day out there...!   Brent

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Tennis Strokes - Living In The Future

As cliche as it has always sounded to me, "stay in the moment" has finally sunk into my thick skull.

I've been working on my own game with Michael Wayman, Men's Head Coach at St. Mary's College here in Moraga, CA., off and on for the past year, and Michael has really helped me with several specific areas of my 

game, and possibly the most important one has been to tangibly understand "stay in the moment" along with "don't live in the future".

I've got to give full credit to Michael for helping me win the National 60 Hardcourt Singles title in early April 2009.

Living in the future for me was about what might happen in the next second or two.  It was that short of a time frame.

For example, we were working on that situation where in a baseline rally you 've played a nice shot that has moved your opponent way out wide, they've scrambled out there just to get your shot back, and they've now left you with a relativley short ball somehwhere in the middle of your court that is just begging for you to take their shot early, and rob them of their time to get back into the court as you play an approach shot to

 their open court.

And time after time, either in a match or on the practice court with Michael, I could find a way to miss this shot.  That's right, not even get it back in play...

And what Michael finally said to me was that just prior to the moment of contact with my approach shot, I was thinking a couple seconds ahead to the "result" of that approach shot.

And you know there are a million and one things that can go through your mind as it applies to what might happen in the next second or two.

It's crazy...

Thinking ahead to the future was disrupting my ability to maintain good stroke mechanics including staying against the ball and not lifting up a hair too soon.

So we worked on "staying in the moment" with that approach shot, quickly setting up on balance as early as possible, taking as much time as I needed with the shot, and in fact, almost exaggerating staying against the contact point, and not thinking ahead.

And it's tough to NOT think ahead.  I believe it's a learned skill for most of us.

It requires lots and lots of practice on the court and additional visualization time off of the court.

We're so concerned about what's about to happen in the future that we lose focus on taking care of business in that moment.

So for me what's helped the most with this subject is to exaggerate staying down against the ball, to exaggerate not looking up too soon to see my shot, to have faith and trust that I don't have to get rid of the ball, and to take enough time so I can "feel" this shot.

The more we think about future events with our shots, the less we apply good stroke mechanics.

And what are we talking here?  A matter of nano seconds...

Practice this next time you're on the court.  Stay in the moment with your shot...

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Tennis Forehand Groundstroke - Recreate The Sound

One of the great things Tom Stow taught me and others was to be aware of the specific sound the ball makes at contact with your racket.

He labeled the sound he wanted you to produce as the "conk" which was short for concussion.

I was watching a match recently at the National 55 Indoors in Boise where one of my good tennis friends Geoff Cykman was playing the semi-finals in singles.

Being indoors, the different sounds a player makes at contact with the ball is really easy to hear.

One of Geoff's trademark shots is his forehand groundstroke.  It's a big powerful nasty heavy topsin drive (not an artificial spinny shot that just sits up) hit with almost a modified continental grip (in between an eastern and continental grips).

That's right, you can generate real topspin that actually penetrates through the bounce without a goofy western or semi-western forehand grip.  What a concept...

Geoff eventually got behind 5-1 in the 3rd set, and all of a sudden, he relaxed and loosened up (as most of us do when we get far enough behind that we sort of feel we have nothing to lose), and the sound he was now creating with his forehand was distinctively different than when the match had been close.

And Geoff kept reproducing this sound on his forehand at contact, a deep sort of resonant tone that was loud and was exactly what Mr. Stow loved to call the "conk", that sound when the racket is delivered against and through the ball with no mental apprehension of the result.

Geoff reeled off the next 4 games, got back to even at 5 all, and just like at 5-1, that sound on his forehand changed.

The swing looked the same, but the sound was different.  It lost its deep resonance and Geoff started to miss some forehands that just a few minutes ago he was driving deep to a corner and putting his opponent under all sorts of pressure.

That sound can come and go totally depending on your mindset at the time.

Relax and don't worry about the consequewnces and you can much more easily create the "conk".

Tighten up at all because the match is close or your perception is some level of fear and the "conk" can go away and hide.

Unfortunately Geoff lost that match in the 3rd set tiebreaker.  Afterwards we sat down and I told him my observations of what I'd heard, when it had been different, and what the results were.

Later that afternoon, I went out to play a doubles match, and in the warmup I focused on creating that sweet sound of the "conk".  I didn't look at my shot (visual) to get feedback of my shots, I just listened for that sound, and once I heard it, I simply tried to recreate it again and again.

Once the match got going, I was in tune much more with hearing my results as opposed to looking at my results.

It works...

Try going out on the court and "listen" for that ideal contact sound.

Once you find it, can actually hear it, simply try to reproduce that sound again.  Don't look up too early to see your result, keep your eyes down through contact, allow the ball to leave on its own, and just focus on the sound you want.

Brent

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"The 3 Magic Moves of the Forehand Groundstroke"

How To Generate Penetrating Topspin
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Serve & Volley - Early Split Step

As much as I don't like to admit it, now in my early 60s, I don't get in as close to the service line behind my serve when I Serve and Volley as I used to a few years ago.

That's right, more returns of serve are getting dwon low to my feet and making that 1st volley a lot more of a challenge.

During the recent National 60 Hardcourts in Palm Springs, I tinkered with making my split step earlier (closer to the baseline) so a low return would actually bounce up and give me an approach shot opportunity as opposed to a 1st volley opportunity.

The key was to early on in the match establish in my opponent's mind that I was going to come in as close as possible to play my 1st volley, get them thinking short low return of serve, and then I could start to split step sooner right after my serve and get a ball that would bounce up into a nice approach shot opportunity.

It works...   Check out this court diagram video clip.

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Discover the simple strategy secrets for serve and volley

that will not only drive your opponents nutty, 

you'll have more fun out there!

Brent's Detailed DVD Lesson on Serve and Volley

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National 60 Hardcourts - Recap...

Just got back from the National 60 Hardcourts in Palm Springs.

I still can't believe I'm going to type the following words.

I won the singles...

Here's the link to the singles draw.

And I've had a couple of days to reflect on how it happened, what were the things I did well, and what were the things I definitely want to improve upon.

And what's good for me is exactly what's also good for you.  

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With the Gold Ball after the match with one of the 

all-time great guys out there on the Senior tour, 

Hugh Thomson.  

Mission Hills Country Club, Rancho Mirage, CA

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It doesn't matter what skill level you're at right now at this moment in time.  It's the same stuff for everyone if you're a competitive tennis player, whether that means you're playing national or local tournaments, league matches, or even competitive practice matches.

The 2 areas where I'm going to spend some time in the near future is a focused and organized off court training program based mostly on strengthening my legs, and I want to continue to work on the mental part of the game.

Let's start with the mental side of tennis...

I was originally seeded #3, but the #2 seed dropped out at the last moment and the tournament director moved me up to #2.

I'd never been seeded that high in a national tournament before.  I automatically felt pressure that I had something to lose.

I'd been seeded #3 in last year's National 60 Indoors, but for whatever reason, that didn't really bother me.

And whatever the reason is (and there are way too many reasons to list them here), but we can all individually come up with 101 reasons why we put pressure on ourselves simply not to lose.

And so for my first 5 matches last week (Rounds of 64, 32, 16, Quarters, and Semis) I felt that I was playing not to lose.  Not really to that degree of total fear, but I didn't have that feeling I've had in the past when I'm playing someone who is seeded higher than I am where I felt there really was nothing to lose.

I played some decent tennis, and believe me, I'm not discounting the quality of my opponents at all, and in fact, all of them are national level players who can do some major damage if you ever take them lightly.

But the common demoninator is the fear to lose.  It doesn't matter what reason you come up with, it's nutty and real and can consume you to a point that you want to almost look for an excuse to not win.

In my quarterfinal match, I played the nightmare player who can run faster than half the guys half his age, can get everything back with just enough pace to get the ball by you but not enough pace to where you can borrow that pace for your own strokes.

You have to generate good high quality stroke mechanics, because if you don't, you will find a  way to lose.

You can call him the classic pusher, because he'll help you find a way to lose, and his strokes look like you should be in control, but lots of the time you're not.

And if you ever for one moment go to that place mentally where some voice is screaming at you that you just can't lose to this guy, guess what, it's over, and you'll look for the nearest bridge.

Very physical because of all of the movement, retrieving, and bending / stretching low for short yet wide angle shots.  A mental torture chamber...

After losing the 2nd set, I went to get new balls for the 3rd set, and Tommy Tucker, the renowned tennis professional at Mission Hills simply said to me as he walked by me, "Keep working...".

And those simple 2 words told me to keep the nose to the grindstone, don't let the frustration of not being able to totally control the match become a potential excuse, and live in this moment right now.  Do not think about the consequences of losing.

"Keep working"...

And that's the way some of these matches have to go some times against certain players and on certain days.  Some matches you really have to just grind through without thinking of the future.

I won the 3rd set 6-1 and felt really satisfied that I had not given into the frustration that I could have heaped on myself.

Find a way to stay in the moment between points.  What's your next move for this upcoming point?  Forget the result of that last point, take some deep breaths, and just "keep working"...

And that was really what I hadn't done in my prior matches when I was manufacturing some pressure to not lose.  I hadn't had that workman like attitude which will eliminate those thoughts of losing or the consequences of losing.

That inner voice that wants to tell you a million and one negative thoughts.  You MUST practice a different voice, a positive voice, keep it extremely simple and clear, and practice it on and off the court.

Stop making a scene.  Stop drawing attention to yourself when you lose a point by shaking your head like how could this happen, and just stay quiet out there.

You just cannot play your best tennis with a sort of negative voice constantly reminding you of potential bad consequences and/or a never ending stream of self critical accusations ("You're such an idiot, that was the dumbest shot ever tried in this game. etc., etc.).

And once I got to the finals, I relaxed knowing that I really didn't have anything to lose, and consequently found that "keep working" mindset early in the match and never really thought of the consequences of winning or losing.

And that's the mindset I want to keep working on because the finals was fun.  It was hard work for sure, but the key for me is to be able to take each match with a mindset that has nothing to do with the consequences of winning or losing.

Pretty idealistic?  Maybe, but there really is no other way if you want to preserve your sanity.

Practice this a ton because this is not a skill that you can read about and then simply turn it on during a match.

If you haven't pick up a copy yet, check out my detailed lesson on the mental skills of the game where we focus a lot on a very specific between points routine that will help you prepare to play the next point to the best of your ability.

Brent's Tennis Mental Skills Lesson

OK, and the other area of my game that I'm going to focus on is strengthening my legs, especially my hamstrings and my glutes.

The balance is to be able to strengthen for the long haul, durability, but retain quickness and speed.

I'll keep you posted on my progress.

As Lynne Rolley, the Berkeley TC professional, told me recently, the first thing to do to improve anyone's tennis is what you do off the court in the gym.

I know many of you already spend lots of time off the court training for your tennis. but if you're not, start now.

OK, hope this finds you well.  Keep moving forward out there, and don't ever give up...

Brent

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Follow Up - Closing Out A Big Lead

My good friend and Territory Manager Nor Cal/Reno Tahoe for Dunlop, Andy Webb, summed up what we all need to do when we cough up that 5-1 lead when serving in the 3rd set (as I did with my partner Chris Morgan recently) .

"Back to basics... Breathe, relax the hand, have a plan of action, pick out your target, slow everything down by watching the flight and bounce of the ball into the strike zone, and breathe out again and watch the results unfold..."

Let's look at each one of those dynamics that Andy mentioned (who by the way was a top national junior player back in the day with just about the silkiest smooth game around).

• Back to basics - It's really easy to panic or get ticked off that you've just coughed up that big lead and want to make it all up with a couple of big shots.  
  That is the kiss of the death.  
  As tough as it is mentally to accept the fact that your lead has dried up, it's vital that you stay true to the basics of being able to play high percentage shots that put you and your partner into a position to win the next point.
• Breathe - When something is not going my way or everything is going my way and the least thing I want to do is to consider why for either one of those situations, I focus on my my breathing between points, especially my 4 part routine (in my lesson on mental skills) to help me stay emotionally in control.  
  If you lose emotional control betwen points, the next point is likely to not go your way.
• Relax The Hand - The most important thing you can do is to focus on the tension in your racket hand.  
  Can you relax it, can you release the tension that your brain is forcing your hand to squeeze the racket handle to death?  
  When I return serve, the only thing in my mind as that opponent's toss goes up is to release the tension in my racket hand.
• Have A Plan Of Action - For me, the plan of action is the process of being able to either serve or return serve.  
  The last thing I want in my mind is thinking about the possible outcome of the point and any consequences.  
  For my serve it's a reminder of where I want to serve and to make sure I hit up slightly to insure I don't pull down my head too early.  
  And for my return of serve, it's the relax the hand.
• Pick Out Your Target - Commit.  
  Whatever is the first target that comes into your mind, no matter what.  
  You don't want choices.  I do this with the serve and all other shots other than the return of serve.  
  But with the return of serve, I'm not in control with where my opponent is going to serve, so to pick out a target prior to the incoming serve just might be asking me to do something that the incoming serve just doesn't work. 
  Instead, I try to commit to my process on that return, soft hands, take what they give you, head and eyes down through contact, and tons of footwork.
• Slow Everything Down - You can perceive whatever you want, it's totally up to you.
  I can choose to tell myself that the incoming ball is slower than it really is. That doesn't mean that my prep is lower, but with soft hands and a still head, you can visually slow that incoming ball where you feel you have time to do what you want to do.  
  It's a belief, a perception, and it takes a lot of practice.
  
• Breathe Back Out - Time your contact with the incoming ball with a breath going out.  
  If you breathe in at contact, your body tightens, your swing loses its freedom, and bad things happen.  Whooooosh...
• Watch The Results Unfold - This is the mother of all dynamics for playing your best tennis no matter what the score and no matter what brought you to this score.
  We all tend to want something so badly that we don't allow the old cliche in sports to happen, and that is "Let it come to you...".
  The biggest mistake we make is to rush the finish of a swing, a point, a set, and the match.
  The biggest challenge I faced last year at the National 60 Hardcourts when I beat the #3 seed was to make sure between points that I continued to tell myself to take just a little more time to start the next point.
  I knew that any rushing would mean I didn't have the guts to stay in there and let the result come to me on its own time.

Thanks Mr. Webb for your insights.  Back to basics.  There is no magic bullet. Stay true to the fundamentals and good things will come your way in these close matches.

One more thing...  Closing out a match successfully requires you to live in the immediate moment and nowhere in the future.

Brent

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