Quantcast
nodot nodot
Wild Cards
February 2001 Article

Latest Wild Cards Article

Wild Cards Archives:
2004 - Present
1998 - 2003

Tennis Server
HOME PAGE

Do You Want To Be A Better Tennis Player?

Then Sign Up For A Free Subscription to the Tennis Server INTERACTIVE
E-mail Newsletter!

Tom Veneziano You will join 13,000 other subscribers in receiving news of updates to the Tennis Server along with monthly tennis tips from tennis pro Tom Veneziano.
 
Best of all, it is free!

Tennis Features Icon TENNIS FEATURES:

TENNIS ANYONE? - USPTA Pro John Mills' quick player tip.
 
TENNIS WARRIOR - Tom Veneziano's Tennis Warrior archive.
 
TURBO TENNIS - Ron Waite turbocharges your tennis game with tennis tips, strategic considerations, training and practice regimens, and mental mindsets and exercises.
 
WILD CARDS - Each month a guest column by a new writer.
 
BETWEEN THE LINES - Ray Bowers takes an analytical and sometimes controversial look at the ATP/WTA professional tour.
 
PRO TENNIS SHOWCASE - Tennis match reports and photography from around the world.
 
TENNIS SET - Jani Macari Pallis, Ph.D. looks at tennis science, engineering and technology.
 
MORTAL TENNIS - Greg Moran's tennis archive on how regular humans can play better tennis.
 
HARDSCRABBLE SCRAMBLE - USPTA pro Mike Whittington's player tip archive.
 
TENNIS EQUIPMENT TIPS.

Tennis Community Icon TENNIS COMMUNITY:


Tennis Book, DVD, and Video Index
 
Tennis Server Match Reports
 
Editor's Letter
 
Become a Tennis Server Sponsor

Explore The Tennis Net Icon EXPLORE THE TENNIS NET:

Tennis News and Live Tennis Scores
 
Tennis Links on the Web
 
nodot
Wild Cards
 
Green Dot
 
Tennis Warehouse Logo
 
Green Dot

 
nodot
How To Maximize Performance With Less Effort!
by Edward O'Keefe

"I need to try harder!"

"I need more repetitions!"

"I need to spend more time on the court returning serves, working on my shots!"

This is what I hear from most tennis players trying to improve their performance. It's not a bad theory if you aren't putting in the time in the gym lifting weights, on the court getting your repetitions, or working on technique, but if you are, spending more time may actually hurt your game big time.

When you are relaxed and feeling good about your game and your ability, you perform better. In other words, when your emotion is one of confidence and certainty about your ability, the end result will be better. If you are over stressed, over anxious, angry, or too nervous, your end result will be much worse, and during these times, trying harder just makes you get more stressed, more anxious, and more frustrated. Which then tenses up your muscles, makes you think too much, has you focus on what you are doing wrong, which just makes you do worse, and then the whole cycle starts again. This is how a person can start off doing really good, have one bad shot and then start focusing on what they did wrong, and "try" to make it better by trying harder, rather than just letting things flow.

Here are 3 Master Keys to enter the Zone and create the Peak Performance more consistently:

They are:

  1. Your Physiology: your physiology is how you use your body. How you breathe. How you move. Whether you are moving fast or slow... Where your shoulders are at -- are they shrugged or are they back? Where your head is at -- is it up or down? Your physiology is the fastest way to change your emotions and the structure of you focus! In other words, remember how you move when you are having an outstanding day, and walk, breathe, and move the same way you did then. Your brain will fire off the same messages you had the day when you were unstoppable. Also, you can walk around like one of the pros who is confident, and notice what it is like to move like him or her for the day. Remember, confidence is a skill that you work on, not a trait that you either have or don't have.

  2. The second way to master your focus is through your language, otherwise known as your self talk. What you say to yourself and how you say it will determine how you feel and where your brain focuses. Use phrases like:

      I can do this (fill in the blank).
      I will anticipate my opponent's shots today.
      I am returning & serving with power today.
      I get better as I go, and I adjust and learn from all of my mistakes quickly.

    Point #2 about your language: never, ever tell your mind what it is that you "don't" want to happen. For example, if you say, "I don't want to serve it out," "I don't want to shank this," or "I don't want to have a poor match today" then your brain goes right to that thought, and that is what you just programmed your mind to do.

    Instead of using "don't," replace it with what you'd like to happen. Try saying things to yourself like "I will hit it aggressively down the line," "I am seeing the ball with ease today," "I am serving it with power," or "I will have my best match today!"

  3. The third way to master your focus is through the process of visualization. Now, this is where I begin to teach you "How to Maximize your Performance with less Effort!" This is probably the most effective way to pre-program your mind and body before competition so that you respond without thinking and you compete naturally. Key points: Visualize yourself performing perfectly, right before you go to bed at night. Whatever you think about before you go to sleep runs through your unconscious 16 times. (Now that's practice!) Also, go through any skill that you are performing poorly and see yourself perform that skill perfectly over and over again. Last secret for now! Imagine that you were looking through your opponents eyes and playing you. What strategy would you use? This will give you information that you may not of had before!

By simply learning these 3 skills, you can easily change how you perform. Go ahead and try it for a day. You may not be perfect right away, but that's okay. Good Luck and remember that those who focus like a champion feel like a champion!


Ed O'Keefe is known as the "Pro's Pro." He consults with the highest level athletes and coaches on teaching athletes how to focus, concentrate, and enter the Zone through mental training and conditioning. Ed has created a one-tape program called "Focus Like A Champion" and a 4 tape program called the "Ultimate Mental Training Program For Athlete: Secrets For Speed Mental Toughness." Ed speaks to corporations, athletic departments, and works with individuals one on one. To get a free Peak Performance Newsletter and Special Reports, and have a chance to win his program "Focus Like A Champion, call (708) 424-5074.

If you wish to provide a comment to the author of this Wild Cards column, please use this form. Tennis Server will forward the comment to the author.

Green DotGreen DotGreen Dot

Wild Cards Archives:
1998 - 2003 | 2004 - Present


If you have not already signed up to receive our free e-mail newsletter Tennis Server INTERACTIVE, you can sign up here. You will receive notification each month of changes at the Tennis Server and news of new columns posted on our site.

This column is copyrighted by the author, all rights reserved.


 

nodot
nodot
Google
Web tennisserver.com
nodot nodot
The Tennis Server
Ticket Exchange

Your Source for tickets to professional tennis & golf events.
 
SAI Team Tennis Tournament Tickets
 
Dallas Open Tickets
 
Delray Beach Open Tickets
 
ATX Open Tickets
 
BNP Paribas Open Tickets
 
Miami Open Tickets
 
Credit One Charleston Open Tickets
 
US Men's Clay Court Championships Tickets
 
Wimbledon Tickets
 
Infosys Hall of Fame Open Tickets
 
Atlanta Open Tickets
 
Mubadala Citi Open Tennis Tournament Tickets
 
National Bank Open Women's Tennis Canada Tickets
 
National Bank Open Men's Tennis Canada Tickets
 
Western & Southern Open Tickets
 
Winston-Salem Open Tickets
 
US Open Tennis Championship Tickets
 

 

Popular Tennis books:
 
Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis-Lessons from a Master by Brad Gilbert, Steve Jamison
 
The Best Tennis of Your Life: 50 Mental Strategies for Fearless Performance by Jeff Greenwald
 
The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey
 
Most Recent Articles:
 
October 2022 Tennis Anyone: Patterns in Doubles by John Mills.
 
September 2022 Tennis Anyone: Short Court by John Mills.
 

 

 

 

"Tennis Server" is a registered trademark and "Tennis Server INTERACTIVE" is a trademark of Tennis Server. All original material and graphics on the Tennis Server are copyrighted 1994 - by Tennis Server and its sponsors and contributors. Please do not reproduce without permission.

The Tennis Server receives a commission on all items sold through links to Amazon.com.

 

Tennis Server
Cliff Kurtzman
Editor-in-chief
791 Price Street #144
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
Phone: (281) 480-6300
Online Contact Form
How to support Tennis Server as a Sponsor/Advertiser
Tennis Server Privacy Policy