14/08/2012
Jeff Greenwald's book "The Best Tennis of Your Life" is a sports psychology consultant, and a player's view of what it takes to perform. Some chapters we read after a recent tournament:
1. Find Pleasure in Pressure. See pressure as an opportunity, a key to bring out the best.
2. Play with Gratitude. Gratitude sets up your mind and body for the best development day in and day out.
3. Separate Productive Worry from UnProductive Worry. Productive Worry concerns preparation ... i.e. you an do something about it.
4. Use Winning and Losing as Springboards to Future Success. See shades of useful feedback in your matches, not a crude black-and-white, win-or-lose.
5. Behave Your Way Into the Zone. Subtle moves have dramatic impact by tuning you up emotionally (one-minute tune-ups) and helping keep you on the dot. Find the right emotional mix by walking languidly like Federer or running on to court like Nadal.
6. You Have Momentum If you Believe You Do. Momentum is an interpretation, a belief, an internal attribute. If you feel a sense of control, you have it.
7. Play with Controlled Aggression. Play inside your capability and but use all gears. It is tough to be perfect when playing in one gear. Blast a few and then take the pace off.
8. Set Performance and Process Goals. Before each tournament, list the skills you want to develop and use in that tournament. Starting the offense early (50% of points), attacking the net more often (30% of points), increasing depth of backhand are examples of performance goals. 30 mins of approach shot drills, 4 times/week of cardio, backhand cross court with cones are examples of process goals.
Not bad for one sitting!?
