| My best friend at the time and I were really into tennis | | | | Now, comparing actually practice to basketball season, |
| in high school. We would talk about it nonstop during | | | | practice in tennis was a breeze. Running was minimal. |
| summer, from what kind of rackets were the best | | | | Tennis is a pretty straight forward game - no need for |
| kinds to the newest updates in the world of tennis. He | | | | complicated plays or military-like drills. Just hit the ball |
| was a better tennis player than me and taught me lots | | | | back. Games were always fun to play because they |
| of tennis tips while training for hours on the court. We | | | | were fast paced and mostly because you could |
| were practicing for hours during many days of the | | | | control how you wanted the game to be. |
| week to make the JV team at our school. | | | | This is what I liked about tennis. You were responsible |
| Our training paid off. I made the JV team and he | | | | for every point and you were responsible for your |
| eventually went on to play Varsity. I was happy | | | | wins and losses. I liked this because unlike basketball, if |
| nevertheless, because he had been playing tennis for | | | | your teammates don't know what they are doing and |
| most of his life, while I just started really playing for a | | | | do things like ball hog the ball or are just plain clumsy, |
| couple of months. It was my "second-hand" sport, but | | | | you suffer as a team due to something that is not |
| what drew me to the game was the constant action | | | | entirely your fault. But with tennis, you have 100% |
| and awareness involved when playing the game. | | | | control over everything. |
| When dealing with sports, I don't like standing around. I | | | | What did I learn from tennis that can be applied to life? |
| always want to be on the move. | | | | Well the first thing is life is about control. Whatever |
| Unlike basketball however, you can't just be on the | | | | outcome you want in life, you are the person in control |
| move running up and down on the court. Every foot | | | | of it. Not the person across from you, not your friends, |
| step you take on the court matters, because tennis is | | | | family, neighbors, people you see on TV; you are 100% |
| a game about control. If you cannot control how you | | | | in control of what your day will look like tomorrow do |
| play, how you move, and how you occupy court | | | | to you actions today. You can either lose in life or win |
| territory, then you will not be a good tennis player. | | | | in life, the choice is up to you and just like tennis, you |
| These things are essential to the game. | | | | must constantly practice in order to make things |
| Just like when you swing at the ball, the most | | | | perfect. As they say, practice makes perfect, and it's |
| important thing you have to master is top spin. Without | | | | no different from playing tennis or playing life. |
| top spin, the ball will go flying out of bounds every time. | | | | The second thing is if you happen to be in a business |
| Top spin helps the ball stay inbounds because the ball | | | | where it is highly competitive (most business are |
| spins "inwards" causing the pathway of the ball to | | | | competitive anyway), one thing that may help you out |
| curve, rather than making it a straight line. | | | | is learning about your opponent's weaknesses. It may |
| In order to have a perfect projection it requires control | | | | not be necessary thing to exploit them, but see what |
| of how fast you hit the ball and how much top spin | | | | they don't have that you can add to make your |
| you put on the ball. This can only be done practicing | | | | position better. Just like tennis, this requires observing |
| swinging at the ball hundreds of thousands of times. | | | | you opponents while learning from their behaviors at |
| The second half of winning the game is understanding | | | | the same time. Then just doing something different and |
| your opponent's weaknesses. Unlike basketball which | | | | better. By just mastering this one trait, you'll usually |
| you have four other players on your team to support | | | | advance further than other people doing the same |
| you, the only other person out there to support you is | | | | thing. |
| yourself. That's why you must be able to identify the | | | | If you watch any professional tennis game, you can |
| opponent's weaknesses and exploit them. | | | | learn a lot from the players and how they go about |
| If they are only good at hitting the ball from the right, hit | | | | winning the game. You can see it in games that really |
| at the ball at their left every time. If they like to lob the | | | | matter and how much effort they put in just to win |
| ball up in the sky, make sure you hit it so back so fast | | | | that one point. Sometimes rallies will seem to go on |
| they it catches them by surprise. Some people have | | | | forever, but in the end, you'll that the person who |
| no idea how to return balls that spin a lot, so adding | | | | understands their opponent more and has control over |
| more spin than usually can really mess up their | | | | the game, ends up winning. |
| swinging pattern. Whatever it happens to be, identify | | | | Gain a competitive edge by learning from other people, |
| and exploit your opponents weaknesses, then you | | | | but most importantly don't let life just win you over. |
| have the edge everytime. | | | | Take control. |