Wednesday, October 26, 2011

How to play with people watching

     You've got to be kidding. I've never had anyone watch my match play except once and I played awful. Pretend they're wearing clowns pants; does that feel any different? It doesn't matter who or when you are playing you need to be relaxed. Your body reacts better. It's more flexible, makes fewer errors, and shots happen without your self talk getting in the way.
      A term for this mind/body relationship is called the ideal performance state (IPS). When you're in the IPS you make the shots.  Ray Allen, the famous three point shooter for the Celtics practices his three pointers in the morning; he starts with easy baskets and then goes for longer ones. Then he comes back before team practice in the afternoon (he's the first one at the Garden) and shoots again for one hour. So, part of the reason for his success is that he practices significantly more and smarter than everyone else. Those automatic shots happen for a reason; it's probably harder for him to miss his shots than make the shots. Why? It has become second nature. The more you practice the less you have to think once you've mastered the fundamentals. Then, there's Tom Brady, a true gamer, a pressure expert, and he has performed amazingly in crunch situations. There more he does it the more consistent he shows himself. He's comfortable in those situations. Players who miss are not comfortable with those situations. They can't dial it up. The champions are great when they have to be. The crunch points determine the great from the best of the best. The very best thrive in a high pressure environment. Relaxation, focus, and confidence are all part of that equation. The largest success factor is determined by your preparation. Brady also puts in extra hours practicing his passes outside of the team practice.
     What if people are watching when I'm competing? First, don't watch yourself. What does that mean? If you're your own critic you won't be able to zone. What I mean by critic is--you can't think of a double fault when your toss is up in the air. The prophecy will come true. Anyone who's played sports knows what I'm talking about. If a pitcher thinks ball before he throws then it will be a ball. If your out in the drive way and shoot threes they tend to drop more when your out shooting around because you believe in it. Maybe not the first one or two times you play but the practice court will eventually show up in your game. If you work on your serve for just twenty minutes per day you'll started nailing the serve in your matches because your body will be on auto-pilot. If you can't get by people watching imagine they're wearing clowns pants There are some tricks to relax: humor is a great way to calm yourself-- crack a joke with your doubles partner, fix your strings, take a deep breath, or tie your shoes. All of these things takes pressure off the moment. Pros will take time outs to control momentum and question calls. The list is almost endless when you think about it.
     Many players think-- "just play." They think, hey I play for fun, I don't need to practice and they become cagey. What is cagey? That is when a player learns by experience and manages their game in competitive situations. They have a keen sense of what they can do in a match and in one sense this keeps them free of negative self talk. They just play. The only problem with this is that your game will only go so far. You might be a great singles player for your team but you can't volley too well. Or perhaps you have an aggressive game but no backhand. Or you don't handle pace well because of a hitch in your swing. You don't have the  mechanics to execute in that environment. You could say that about anyone who wants to move up a level. What is the biggest hurdle holding you back? Until you address the fundamentals hurdle it's going to just sit there until you jump it. You'll keep getting the lesson every time you play up until you address it. Some players don't see their hurdles and won't address them or don't care enough to jump it. It's too much work.
     The players who make the most improvements are the players who receive coaching, practice and put themselves in "playing up" situations. Then they start making the shots in the new tougher environment. They will have several breakthroughs because they go back to the chalkboard, work out the kinks, find challenging coaching sessions (those who want to improve are willing to spend money on their game) and then test those skills in the game. It's a cycle of playing, evaluation, and practicing with a purpose. When you are well prepared you become more relaxed.
     Even with preparation you may need some more tricks to keep stress at an optimum level: tilt your head up and look up with your eyes as much as you can for a few seconds and then release the hold, lift up and relax your shoulders, jog  in place ( Maria Sharapova) before starting a point, bounce the the ball before the serve (Novak Djokovic), grunt out your breath when you hit (Jimmy Connors), practice a couple of correction swings after a miss, sing a favorite song in your mind, hold your racquet lightly with your fingers when you feel tight during play,etc...etc....etc.  You have to be comfortable in the big situations and relaxed. If you look out in the stands at the crowd you won't stand a chance, unless you can disconnect, and then reconnect.
     Look forward to your next on court big moment and let yourself play. Tell yourself  how much you love it and go for it. Pretend if you have to. Sooner or later you'll start believing. When you believe in yourself you'll play your best. That's all we can ever ask of ourselves. If people are watching that makes it better.









Sunday, October 9, 2011

Playing Up

Who doesn't want to play up? I guess if the match were for money you wouldn't, right? Guess what, it is for money. Players who play up are getting a chance to test their skills in a new forum of players, coaches, and clubs. Players who receive those players are giving them a chance. There is that day when you are the new kid on the block. Just remember that when you play it takes two to tango. Some players are moving down the club ladder: lack of conditioning, age, injury, etc. Today I'm talking about playing up: those players who have been hitting the ball machine, taking lessons, hitting the gym, and want a chance to showcase their skills.

I remembered playing my first tournament, a fourteen and under tournament in Barnstable. First I beat several opponents before losing to Tom who became a team-mate at Falmouth High School. Playing up in that tournament gave me my first forum to test skills. Before then it was the backboard of West Falmouth and random players at public courts. Playing up was always a treat because the environment tested you. It made you want to practice, get calloused hands, ride your bike to ball parks, look at new racquets, read tennis magazines, and run. I was hooked on improving and getting chances to play up.

When you play up expect to be surprised. Balls that regularly score you points don't. Your opponent gets to them and makes counter attacks. So you lose points that regularly go in the win column. The next thing you try to do is raise your level too much. You risk too soon and often. The result is a quick bad loss. The best thing to do is to make the easy shots well. What are the easy shots? Get the first serve in and place it with a plan, example: serve wide to the strength and then hit over to the less powerful side. That is a good play. It's percentage and  it keeps your mind on the doing rather than panicking. Another play would be to return the line of the ball no matter what. Believe it or not better players make more mistakes holding a rally rather making great shots. When you hold the rally they tend to think--Hey this guy/gal can hit. Once you've created that thought in their mind, you're on your way to developing points. To compete you have to get your first two shots in play--the serve and next shot and the return and the next shot.That can be your first goal, compete, hit two shots in a row. The next goal is get into a winning position. If your're not competing then get back to basics. The next thing we tend to do when playing up is put the ball away twice as hard. IT's more effective  to be more selective approaching the net, rally verses drop shot, or pass verses lob. Each one of those decisions can cost you points.  Focus on execution. Read that again. It's all about executing the fundamentals. There's only so much you can do with smoke and mirrors. Try to get ready faster, smooth your swing out, stay low, see the ball early, and raise your level. Better execution trumps elaborate schemes. Above all stay relaxed so you can perform. If you become a stiff then your're done.This is why many big upsets happen with low ranked players. They are relaxed. They have nothing to lose. Their body relaxes and they just channel greatness. They have no conscious fear and their shots show it. They go in and they find the zone.

When you're playing up play your "A" game not your "B" game. If you volley best then come to the net as much as possible. If ground stroke best then let your partner take the net and play the back court. Playing up is not the day to test out new strings, new shots, and a new game style. Save that for the practice court. Today is the day to do what you do best. You have to play your best to win. Plan your best shots (partner's too) against the your opponents "B" game. They may still win but you've increased your chances. When I play I'm always searching for a way to increase my chances and decrease my opponent's chances. If I'm going to lose I'll lose slow. It's not good to lose fast. They may beat me 6-0,6-0 but their going to have to win every point and I'm going to keep them out there for one and one half hour. That's different then shaking hands before the first half hour bell rings. That is the worst.

Finally, in life we all have chances to play up. Take advantage of those situations and play them. If you don't you'll second guess yourself. When you get in those situations play your "A" game and learn. Take those lessons to the practice court and train to improve your skills. Also remember that you are not at the level of your opponent unless you can get into a position to win. There's a difference between playing up and over your head. Take small steps as you move up. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is your game. It takes a lifetime.