| Why is Jimi Hendrix such an icon? | | | | He had a STRATEGY! |
| Well, there are many reasons and understanding why | | | | How does this help you? |
| could just be the key to your tennis success. | | | | First realize that - All players (esp. @ club level) have |
| I am sure you are eager to know how Jimi Hendrix | | | | "holes" in their game. You just need to find them. |
| can help you win more tennis matches aren't you? | | | | Then just Exploit and Diffuse |
| Hang on, I will explain in a minute! | | | | 1.Exploit weaknesses |
| First, a couple of questions! | | | | Hone in on areas (shots/situations) where they make |
| Q. Do you lose too many matches to players with | | | | errors. |
| shots far "worse" than yours? | | | | Control play to keep them defensive. |
| Q. Do you play better on the practise court? | | | | Put your strength up against their weakness. |
| Q. What about the excuses? I've heard them all by the | | | | Mentally put them under pressure from early on. |
| way | | | | 2.Diffuse strengths. |
| "They just got lucky on the day" or "I just never got | | | | They have a great forehand - no problem, play on |
| going" or "I don't know what happened, I've been | | | | their backhand. |
| playing so well in practice" etc. | | | | Good from the baseline - bring them to the net. |
| Has it dawned on you yet that Winning Tennis | | | | Powerful serve - block it back. |
| Matches is NOT all about Hitting Tennis Shots? | | | | Great volleys - keep them on the baseline. |
| Q. Is there a way to stack the match odds in your | | | | Are you beginning to HEAR Jimi or are you still |
| favour? | | | | LISTENING? |
| Q. And if there is, are you interested? | | | | So here's what you do! |
| Listen, sometimes you just don't play well or your | | | | Figure Out your opponent. |
| opponent just plays a great game BUT normally the | | | | 1.Before you play (if possible). Watch them play and |
| one big factor that decides matches (unless there is a | | | | take notes (write them down) of what they like AND |
| clear gulf in playing standard) is NOT the shots you | | | | don't like doing. |
| play (per se) but your MENTAL approach, aptitude and | | | | 2.In the warm-up - Most players use the warm up as a |
| application. | | | | time to focus on themselves and get themselves |
| I don't mean being mentally tough, I mean being | | | | ready to play, but you should look at your opponent to |
| mentally SMART! | | | | pick up clues on the things they like to do and don't like |
| Or put another way - | | | | to do. |
| The truth is that you are probably spending too much | | | | 3.During the match - During the first few games of the |
| time working on the technical aspects of your game | | | | match, take mental (and physical notes - write them |
| without understanding THE GAME!! | | | | down) about your opponents weaknesses (to exploit |
| Back To Jimi - Are You Experienced? | | | | them) AND strengths (to diffuse). |
| In the film "White Men Can't Jump" Wesley Snipes | | | | Another TRUE story to illustrate the point! |
| says to Woody Harrelson "the trouble with you is that | | | | I run a great mixed adults group every Saturday. It's full |
| you listen to Jimi BUT you don't HEAR Jimi". | | | | of great people and I really enjoy coaching it. A few |
| There is a crucial difference here and if you can | | | | months ago a new guy joined and fitted well into the |
| understand this difference you can begin to Win More | | | | group (he is now a permanent fixture). |
| Tennis Matches. | | | | It was weeks after he joined during one particular drill |
| Has the light bulb come on yet? | | | | that I thought to myself "no-one realizes he is left |
| Let's go back to what Brad Gilbert said - "it's about | | | | handed" and casually walked around the group asking |
| who is doing what to who". | | | | people on a one to one basis about what they were |
| What does he mean? | | | | doing. Sure enough nobody mentioned anything about |
| Basically he is saying, it's the person who understands | | | | him or his play - in fact they only talked about what |
| why and where he or she is hitting the ball that | | | | THEY were trying to do! |
| controls and will win the match - SIMPLE! | | | | Point proved! |
| In my e-book Beat All The Tennis Players You Want I | | | | CONCLUSION - Get Out Of The Purple Haze! |
| outline a 4-STEP MATCHPLAY SYSTEM to help you | | | | Q. If you don't even know or try to look for something |
| play BETTER in matches and ultimately WIN more | | | | as simple as whether your opponent is left or right |
| matches! | | | | handed, what chance have you got to exploit any |
| But I am going to "let you in" on one of the steps that | | | | weakness? |
| hardly anyone uses at club level that makes a | | | | Q. If you have no recognition about what your |
| MASSIVE difference in your ability to win matches! | | | | opponent brings to the match court, how can you |
| Let's look at a tournament match that I was involved in | | | | expect to be effective? |
| to show you how it works! | | | | Q. How can you hit the target if you don't know where |
| Here's my story. | | | | the target is? |
| I used to practice with Dave on a fairly regular basis | | | | Hendrix knew exactly what he wanted his records to |
| and would normally beat him. Then came the Club | | | | be like. |
| championships. | | | | He had a vision (he could see and hear it) so he could |
| In the quarter finals I was drawn to play - Dave! | | | | go straight for it. |
| Anyway no problem I thought! | | | | You need to understand what you are trying to |
| It was traditional to play the Club championships on the | | | | achieve in terms of the tennis you want to play As |
| clay courts at the club. I had mostly played Dave on | | | | Well As the tennis you want to and Need To play |
| hard courts but didn't think it would make much of a | | | | against your opponents. |
| difference. | | | | The reason Hendrix was and will always be such a |
| The match started and Dave who was a pretty good | | | | Superstar is that he "tuned" in to the song he was |
| volleyer was not coming into the net as he normally | | | | playing. He didn't Just play a succession of notes and |
| did. He was staying back and just keeping the ball high | | | | chords. |
| and deep. I played my normal game and struggled a bit | | | | You have to do that on the tennis court. Tune into |
| to attack and dominate from the net as normal! | | | | what is happening in the match and adjust accordingly. |
| The first set was a 6-2 for Dave. | | | | The sooner you realize that winning tennis matches is |
| The second set followed a pretty similar pattern with | | | | not just about hitting a succession of tennis shots, the |
| me just playing my normal game and Dave picking me | | | | sooner you will start WINNING MORE OF THEM! |
| off with his steady play and passing shots to win the | | | | HOW CAN YOU LEARN MORE? |
| second set (and the match) 6-3. | | | | Do you remember back to what I said earlier about |
| Dave had changed his STRATEGY to suit the slower | | | | the 4 step matchplay system that I have developed? |
| clay courts, while I had just played my normal game. | | | | Well, it takes what you have just read and TURBO |
| It was only afterwards that I realized what had | | | | charges things up several levels! |
| happened. I didn't take my opponent and court surface | | | | I show you how to Take Control of matches with |
| into consideration. That is exactly what Dave had done | | | | Player Specific strategies! |
| and is exactly why he was into the semi finals. | | | | I show you how to Identify your opponents |
| He Was Experienced! | | | | Weaknesses and how to Exploit them for Your |
| He knew I didn't like to stay at the back of the court to | | | | Benefit! |
| rally and the slower higher bouncing clay court helped | | | | I show you what to do if things aren't going to plan so |
| him keep me on the baseline and away from the net | | | | that you can Switch things around again! |
| which is where he knew I wanted to be - He took me | | | | At this point I would normally wish you GOOD LUCK, |
| out of my Comfort Zone and won the match!! | | | | but in truth if you implement this stuff, you just WON'T |
| I will say it again! | | | | NEED IT! |