Ever thought about shaking off those old tennis habits? It’s all about unlearning those techniques, habits or even those little pep talks you give yourself that might be holding you back.
This unlearning idea is super important in tennis because sometimes the strategies or styles we’ve gotten cozy with aren’t doing us any favours as we try to step up our game against better opponents.
Letting go of these old ways can really open up your game and make the best of your personal skills.
Here’s a friendly rundown on how this whole “unlearning” thing works in tennis:
Tweaking Your Tactics
– Mixing Up Your Game Plan: If you’ve been sticking to one game plan (like all power, all the time), it might be time to mix in some new tricks, like getting creative with your shot placement or playing around with spin.
– Learning from Your Opponent: Forget sticking to a one-size-fits-all strategy for every opponent, every playing condition. Watch and learn from each match, and tweak your tactics on the go to suit the conditions and the opponent.
– Key Areas: Focus on changing up your court positions, choosing your shots wisely, and being ready to switch things up when the wind blows.
Refreshing Your Mindset
– Busting Through Mental Blocks: It’s easy to get stuck in a rut of negative thinking (“don’t double fault”), especially after a few tough games. Time to shift to a growth mindset where it’s all about effort and learning.
– Keeping Your Cool: Work on letting go of those knee-jerk emotional reactions to slip-ups or high-pressure moments. Try some mindfulness to stay chill and focused.
– Mind Matters: Dive into the basics of tennis psychology (breathing, rituals, life skills)
Sprucing Up Your Techniques
– Spot the Not-so-great Moves: First up, figure out which parts of your game aren’t exactly your strong suit. Sometimes, you need a fresh set of eyes, like your coach’s or even a video replay, to catch these.
– Out with the Old, In with the New: Found a stroke that’s not cutting it? Time to gently push it aside and bring in a better technique. Practice makes perfect, so work on those strokes until they feel like second nature. BUT be patient — focus on small improvement rather than radical improvements!
– What to Watch: Keep an eye on improving your volleys, serves, and strokes.
Making Unlearning Work for You
Jumping into unlearning can feel like a leap into the unknown, and you might even see your game dip a bit as you replace old habits with new ones. Here’s how to make the transition smoother:
– Baby Steps: Small changes can lead to big improvements. No need to overhaul everything at once.
– Practice Practice Practice: Keep up with regular training sessions focused on nailing down those new techniques and tactics.
Embracing change in your game isn’t always easy, but it’s a powerful way to unlock new levels of play and enjoyment on the court.
Badge Draws
/in Ask the Pro/by RobSaturday Men’s Team 4
Saturday Ladies Team 5
Ladies Badge Team 5 Practice
/in BadgeTraining/by RobManly Saturday Ladies Badge Team 5 practice.
Thursday Ladies Badge Team 2 Training
/in BadgeTraining/by RobManly Thursday Ladies Badge Team 2 training
Ladies Badge Team 5 Practice
/in BadgeTraining/by RobManly Saturday Ladies Badge Team 5 practice.
What’s the Origin of the Scoring System in Tennis
/in Goss/by RobTim inquired about the origins of tennis’s unique scoring system.
Responding with expertise, Tony R, our knowledgeable historian and avid student of the game, shared his findings: “Greetings, Tim. After investigating your query regarding the tennis scoring system’s origins, it appears to stem from the 12th-century French sport ‘je de paume’ (handball), where the face of a clock was used for scoring—0, 15, 30, and 45. When rackets were introduced, the score of 45 was adjusted to 40, and the game eventually came to be known as tennis, or ‘tenez’ in French.
A classic example of the French making things overly complicated!”
Appreciation to Tony!
Where you stand on the doubles court really, really matters!!!
/in Ask the Pro/by RobRafter Would Chop Today’s Deep Returners
/in Ask the Pro/by RobPat Rafter Would Chop Today’s Deep Returners
I was sitting courtside in Miami last week watching Andy Murray battle Daniil Medvedev. Sitting next to me was Tim Henman.
Our discussion initially focused on Andy’s resurgence and how he is feeling better and better on court. Medvedev won the match 6-4, 6-2, pulling away from Andy after an even start to the match. We also chatted about the ultra-deep return position of Medvedev and other current players who like to stand a loooong way back to return serve.
The obvious counter-attack to that is serve and volley.
Tim (and I) felt confident that players such as himself and Pat Rafter would have a “field day” serving and volleying against current players that stand 5+ metres behind the baseline to return serve. We discussed how effective Rafter would have been hitting a heavy kick serve out wide in the Ad court and having so much time to get to the net before the returner even made contact with the ball.
It turns out Carlos Alcaraz completely vindicated Tim’s strategic sentiments just a few days later.
Alcaraz defeated Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-4 in the Miami final, winning all 11 serve and volley points he played. Ten of the 11 were heavy “Rafter-Esque” serves out wide in the Ad court. He ate Ruud’s lunch with this key strategy, oftentimes finding Ruud 6+ metres behind the baseline trying to counter Alcaraz rushing straight to the net.
Good luck with that!
The Hawk-Eye graphic below shows Ruud’s return location vs. Alcaraz in the final. Yellow dots represent 1st serve return hit points. Blue dots are 2nd serve return hit points.
2022 Miami Final: Casper Ruud Return Hit Points
Ruud made contact with one 1st serve return more than seven metres behind the baseline. It’s almost impossible to win the point from there against a serve-and-volleyer.
Why Letting Go of Old Habits Can Boost Your Tennis Game!
/in Ask the Pro, Whisperer/by RobEver thought about shaking off those old tennis habits? It’s all about unlearning those techniques, habits or even those little pep talks you give yourself that might be holding you back.
This unlearning idea is super important in tennis because sometimes the strategies or styles we’ve gotten cozy with aren’t doing us any favours as we try to step up our game against better opponents.
Letting go of these old ways can really open up your game and make the best of your personal skills.
Here’s a friendly rundown on how this whole “unlearning” thing works in tennis:
Tweaking Your Tactics
– Mixing Up Your Game Plan: If you’ve been sticking to one game plan (like all power, all the time), it might be time to mix in some new tricks, like getting creative with your shot placement or playing around with spin.
– Learning from Your Opponent: Forget sticking to a one-size-fits-all strategy for every opponent, every playing condition. Watch and learn from each match, and tweak your tactics on the go to suit the conditions and the opponent.
– Key Areas: Focus on changing up your court positions, choosing your shots wisely, and being ready to switch things up when the wind blows.
Refreshing Your Mindset
– Busting Through Mental Blocks: It’s easy to get stuck in a rut of negative thinking (“don’t double fault”), especially after a few tough games. Time to shift to a growth mindset where it’s all about effort and learning.
– Keeping Your Cool: Work on letting go of those knee-jerk emotional reactions to slip-ups or high-pressure moments. Try some mindfulness to stay chill and focused.
– Mind Matters: Dive into the basics of tennis psychology (breathing, rituals, life skills)
Sprucing Up Your Techniques
– Spot the Not-so-great Moves: First up, figure out which parts of your game aren’t exactly your strong suit. Sometimes, you need a fresh set of eyes, like your coach’s or even a video replay, to catch these.
– Out with the Old, In with the New: Found a stroke that’s not cutting it? Time to gently push it aside and bring in a better technique. Practice makes perfect, so work on those strokes until they feel like second nature. BUT be patient — focus on small improvement rather than radical improvements!
– What to Watch: Keep an eye on improving your volleys, serves, and strokes.
Making Unlearning Work for You
Jumping into unlearning can feel like a leap into the unknown, and you might even see your game dip a bit as you replace old habits with new ones. Here’s how to make the transition smoother:
– Baby Steps: Small changes can lead to big improvements. No need to overhaul everything at once.
– Practice Practice Practice: Keep up with regular training sessions focused on nailing down those new techniques and tactics.
Embracing change in your game isn’t always easy, but it’s a powerful way to unlock new levels of play and enjoyment on the court.
Thursday Ladies Badge Team 2 Practice
/in BadgeTraining/by RobManly Thursday Ladies Badge Team 2 practice.
Thursday Ladies Badge Team 2 Practice
/in BadgeTraining/by RobManly Thursday Ladies Badge Team 2 practice.
Thursday Ladies Badge Team 2 Practice
/in BadgeTraining/by RobManly Thursday Ladies Badge Team 2 practice.
Thursday Ladies Badge Team 2 Practice
/in BadgeTraining/by RobManly Thursday Ladies Badge Team 2 practice.