First of all Tennis is a life long sport and that is the great thing about the sport. You can play it forever and you can enjoy doing it. No I no a number of people especially juniors who don't truly enjoy the game because they have been taught from the beginning to win. Well that's another article in of it's self but the truth of the matter is you must truly enjoy the game for you to be successful at it. It doesn't matter if you are a beginner, intermediate, or professional player if you don't like stepping out on that court each time then 1. your not going to get better and 2. you will burn yourself out before you get the chance to succeed. So lesson one is enjoy the game and do it because you love it.
Lesson 2, understand that this game is a mental game . I don't care how many forehands you hit a day or how many serves you practice. This game depends on two players and that is you and whoever is playing against you. Well when you get in to that type of situation in our world today many other factors come in to play and now that forehand you have practiced so many times before doesn't seem to be feeling as sweet and fluid as it did on the practice court. What I am trying to say is as a competitor you must learn to control your mind and allow your body to perform. Now that might sound simple and easy but no my friend this one element in itself can destroy a whole match. It has the power to take over your game and allow you to spiral in a downward negative effect until you either choke or lose it. Let me try and be more clear, your mind tells your body what to do, if your mind is focused on external issues that you normally can't control that will effect the messages that are sent to your body in order to perform at your peak. Read that sentence over again until you realize what I am saying.
This is very tough to do because it takes a lot of mental energy and focus. Your not going to block out everything that enters your head but you do need to control what is entering and try and not let it effect your ability to perform with INSTINCT. This means acting and not reacting. When you think about each shot before you hit it you spend to much time over the unnecessary preparation. You have already prepared use that and now trust your body and act off instinct. Do this and you will improve dramatically.
Check out Tennis Mind Game for detailed steps and instructions on how to improve your mental game.
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Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tennis Equipment: Tips for Purchasing the right Tennis Racket
Over the years the tennis racket has evolved and changed. They are now lighter which gives you more power without substituting lack of control. When you go to purchase a racket you are overwhelmed with the possibilities and options for your own game. Today rackets come with different string patterns as well as different size grips, light or heavy, midsize, or stretch.
You must understand your game style in order to purchase the right racket for you. If you are a steady baseliner who enjoys to sit back and crush groundstroke’s then a head heavy racket probably isn’t the best option. I would recommend the Babolat pure drive. It is light which gives people the power they need to generate those heavy groundstroke’s. This is a very popular racket for people who play on clay especially the Spaniards because they can generate so much racket head speed due to the lightness of the racket. Babolat makes great rackets so you can’t go wrong with them.
Now what if you weren’t born on the red clay and you earn a lot of your point at the net. You don’t want to be grinding at the baseline, when you can you get to the net and try and dictate. Well then you need a heavier racket. Something that is going to give you great feel at the net as well as control with approaches and vollies. I love the Wilson K-factor. It is a little on the heavy side but it gives you great control and feel around the mid court and net area. I also would recommend this racket for someone of a style with a mix of both. If you like to grind from the baseline but are always looking to punish a short ball and get to the net then this racket could really benefit you.
The point is to understand your style and you can make a much better decision when it comes to finding the right racket for you. Next never just choose a racket, always pick two or three that you think might work and demo it. Many sporting good stores allow you to demo their rackets for a small fee. This allows you to take the rackets home and try them out for yourself. Play a couple sets with them and see how they react to different types of shots. Then you will know which one is right for you.
Use these simple tips when go to buy your next tennis racket and I guarantee you will be satisfied and be off to playing great tennis.
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