Every tennis player who takes the game seriously has found competing in this wonderful game a struggle at times. But, what makes this game so difficult? Why can't the serious tennis player play better each time he or she heads out for a match?
Okay... nobody is perfect! But as serious tennis players we strive to play as perfectly as we possibly can.
I have to begin by expressing solidarity with any of you reading this (which is probably each of you) who has found himself or herself frustrated with his/her tennis game. Believe me. The game for me has been a battle royale, at times!
I did not start playing this great game until the age of 39. Sure, like most people, I had hit a few tennis balls against a wall or on a court as a kid. During most of these occasions, balls would land over the court fence, or I would have "wall rallies" of three to four shots at best.
I took up the game initially to provide a means of exercising without being bored. Tennis was presented as a game for a lifetime which indeed it can be. You don't need large numbers of people to play tennis, public courts in America are pretty common, and for me, the fact that it was a game meant that it was suppose to be fun. So, I gave it a try and found it addicting. Hitting the fuzzy, yellow ball was fun... at least at first.
Then, I decided to compete. Yes, I made that significant move of playing to win in tournament competition. Of course, this was before the USTA's National Tennis Rating Program was in place. Where could I compete? Well, there were tournaments in the area. Of course, I was eager to see how I fare in a tournament.
Here is how the first tournament went. I showed up early and I was very nervous. I played my first round against a person who obviously had played for quite some time. He had great strokes and he understood tactics associated with the game. But, I was no slouch myself. I had worked hard on my strokes. I had played many practice sets with area players. I had hit a bazillion balls against the wall. My serve was under control. I had become fit enough to go the distance of a three set match.
Remarkably to me, I won the first set! I was in actually in awe of myself. Nonetheless, I lost the next two sets 1-6 and 2-6.
To make a very long story short, I didn't win a tournament set again for nearly a full year. I was more than just frustrated, I was shocked, depressed, and frankly, ready to quit. Something, however, made me hang in and continue.
Those who have read my monthly instructional column, Turbo Tennis will know that I came a long way in a short period of time. I was ranked 4th for two consecutive years by USTA New England in the Men's 5.0 rating group. I passed PTR certification to learn to teach this exciting game. I was fortunate to coach a men's tennis team at the NCAA Division III level at Albertus Magnus College where I am a full-time professor of Communications. All of this good fortune came to me within 5 years of my first tournament match... which I lost!
I am nearly 57 at the time of this writing, and playing the best tennis of my life... this is despite the reality that my right knee is probably in need of surgery in the very near future.
As a sports photographer (I often say that I have to work to support my teaching habit), I learned much about proper stroke production, movement on the court and strategy, when I cover ATP and WTA events. From my images of pros and observation of their play, I discovered that much of what I was reading and being told about playing tennis was just not accurate. So, I decided to forge my own path.
Sometimes, unorthodox methods of instruction frequently seem to bring results that are extraordinary. Thinking outside-the-box has enabled me to develop an insight to these aspects of the game that have worked for me, and many of my readers.
But, there is more to playing Perfect Tennis than just good strokes, movements and strategy!
I have literally beaten players who have better strokes, better movement, and have many more weapons than I. The players that I have coached often times will remark that I am "always calm" and "always find a way to win."
I am not a psychologist, but I know something about the psychology associated with playing this game. I don't debunk sports psychology, but I have never encountered a truly systematic approach to this aspect of tennis that anyone can use effectively. They may be out there, but if you are reading this, you probably haven't been able to find a system or process that really works!
Well, I am making you a promise. If you follow the process of Perfect Tennis, you will find that your game dramatically improves. Your mindset with respect to competition will become more positive, and the results will take care of themselves.
Please do not get me wrong. I cannot take a beginner and enable this player to beat a Roger Federer or Justine Henin. But, the Perfect Tennis process can take a serious beginner and help her/him to win more, enjoy competing more, and never despair when things aren't going as they should. If you are an experienced player, these attributes are probably just as appealing.
Perfect Tennis is a process of how to train on and off the court, and how to set your mind when you do compete. You will not learn how to grip a racquet in Perfect Tennis. You will not learn the essential components in a powerful forehand in Perfect Tennis. You will not learn strategic information about playing doubles in Perfect Tennis.
So, what will you learn?
You will learn to play as perfectly as you possibly can at any given time. You will learn to mentally train as effectively as you may be working with respect to your stroke techniques. You will learn to literally love the game of tennis, again. All of these are the goals of the Perfect Tennis process.
Hopefully, the reader of Perfect Tennis will find its information presented in a manner that is clear, simple, useful, and most importantly, doable!!!
So, how long will this take?
Perfect Tennis is really intended to be a lifetime process. In reality, none of us should ever be "satisfied" with our tennis game. If we become satisfied with anything, why would we change it? If we aren't willing to change, how can we grow in our game of tennis? We should be content at any given time with our progress in this great game, but we should never become satisfied.
Still, I haven't answered the question.
If you are faithful in using this process, you should see fairly significant improvements within 4 to 6 weeks. For some, Perfect Tennis will bring results more quickly. It is rare, though unlikely, that the faithful practitioner of Perfect Tennis will not see results within 6 weeks.
So what is Perfect Tennis? It is the escape from the "demons" that you have been searching for. It is the fascination and awe you had when you first starting playing tennis. It is the sustaining force that will enable you to truly reach your best playing potential... recognizing that this potential is only really limited by you.
Perfect Tennis comes as a 40+ page e-book in PDF format. I expect it will be the best $10 investment you will ever make in your tennis game! You can order a copy by Paypal/Credit Card using the form on this page, and I'll email you a copy of the book upon receipt of payment. It's that easy!
Ron Waite
