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Tennis Warrior
May 2006
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Tennis Warrior Archive
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Tennis Warrior or Tennis Wimp?
Tom Veneziano |
- You are on your way to a tennis tournament and you are nervous
and a little anxious. Are you a Tennis Warrior or a Tennis Wimp?
Answer - Tennis Warrior
Most players are nervous when going to play a tournament or an
important match. This is normal, healthy and, in fact, can
stimulate adrenaline to keep you alert for the battle ahead!
Do not overanalyze your nervousness.
- You arrive at the match and begin warming up with your
opponent. You proceed to blast balls all over the place without
allowing your opponent or yourself to warm up correctly. Are
you a Tennis Warrior or a Tennis Wimp?
Answer - Sorry, a Tennis Wimp!
Apparently many players either are oblivious to the proper
warm-up procedures or they believe practicing winners is the
correct way to warm up. They feel like they have to practice
winners because that's how to win a match. I'm not sure where
they got this notion, but it was not from a Tennis Warrior.
Tennis Warriors realize that consistency and control win
matches, not winners! And even when hitting winners Tennis
Warriors are smart enough to know that hitting winners without
control is meaningless! Warm up correctly by working on your
timing, rhythm and control. Stay relaxed and allow your
opponent to do the same.
- The match begins and within the first game you are missing
some easy shots. Immediately you feel threatened and believe
you are not playing well. Are you a Tennis Warrior or a Tennis
Wimp?
Answer - Tennis Wimp!
Do not allow the importance of the moment to take over your
emotions and make you forget the Warrior mantra ... "the next
shot is more important than the last mistake." In the first
game you are still nervous, so allow yourself the convenience
of missing without panicking. Repeat! Allow yourself the
convenience of missing without panicking. Staying positive
during this time will serve you well as the match progresses.
Think long term NOT short term.
- You have not practiced any overheads in the last 75 years
but you are upset and frustrated when you blow an easy overhead
in match play. Are you a Tennis Warrior or Tennis Wimp?
Answer - Tennis Wimp
No one, and I mean no one, practices overheads with any
consistency. Because of the height of the ball and the timing
involved the overhead is one of the toughest shots in tennis.
You would think players would want to practice this difficult
shot. I rarely see players practice even five minutes of
overheads a week!!! Separate yourself from the rest of the pack
by adding some simple overhead practice each week...just five
to fifteen minutes a week!
- You have lost the first set 6-2, you are down 5-1 in the
second, and you believe that you can still win! Are you a Tennis
Warrior or Tennis Wimp?
Answer - Master Tennis Warrior!
One of the principles that a Tennis Warrior has mastered is "on
the verge of victory a player is vulnerable to defeat." When any
player, in this case your opponent, is way ahead and believes
they have the match won, they tend to become over-confident and
subconsciously complacent. As a Tennis Warrior you attempt to
exploit this weakness of your opponent by staying positive and
fighting hard for that last game. If you succeed, the momentum
could possibly shift in your direction. A match is not over
till it's over! Tennis Warriors always keep the opportunity of
winning alive...despite the score!
Tennis Warrior Power! :)
Tennis Warrior Archive
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This column is copyrighted by Tom Veneziano, all rights
reserved.
Tom is a tennis pro teaching
at the Piney Point Racquet Club in Houston, Texas. Tom
has taught thousands of players to think like a pro with
his Tennis Warrior System.
In Tom Veneziano's book "The Truth about Winning!", tennis players
learn in a step-by-step fashion the thinking the pros have
mastered to win! Tom takes you Step-by-step from basic mental
toughness to advanced mental toughness. All skill levels can learn
from this unique book from beginner to professional. No need to
change your strokes just your thinking.
Audio CDs by Tom Veneziano:
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