| Last week I asked a select group of my readers to | | | | improving your tennis game - not just the 'on-court' |
| answer the following question: | | | | benefits. When you focus on the personal benefits of |
| If there was ONE thing that I could improve about my | | | | improving your game, you have left the realm of |
| tennis game,it would | | | | wishful thinking and entered the world of Possibility |
| __________ | | | | Thinking. This gives you the mental fuel to focus on |
| I spent the weekend going over the emails and the | | | | doing the work necessary to get the results you want |
| response was enormous! Most of the people who | | | | on the tennis court. |
| responded had one particular thing in their game that | | | | So how would you feel if I told you that you could |
| they wanted to improve. Here are the results of the | | | | possibly get the great feeling of __________ (fill in |
| answers that 69 of them gave to the following | | | | the blank) if you were able to fix the parts of your |
| question: | | | | tennis game that are broken? Great or really great? |
| If there was ONE thing that I could improve about my | | | | This is where the rubber meets the road. The personal |
| tennis game,it would | | | | benefits you get are what you really desire. You can |
| __________ | | | | do this! The key is to improve in the areas of your |
| 1. My Serve 23 (33%) | | | | game that you need to fix, and focus on the personal |
| 2. My Backhand 11 (16%) | | | | benefit you will gain from it. |
| 3. My Mental Game / My Mental Toughness (10) 14% | | | | Now I know it's easier said than done, but you really |
| 4. My Volleys / My Net Game / My Overheads (9) | | | | can get to where you want to be in your game. One |
| 13% | | | | big step you can take is to open up a dialog with |
| 5. My Strategy (8) 12% | | | | yourself that might go something like this: |
| 6. My Footwork / My Level of Fitness / My Forehand | | | | Okay, I know I need to improve my ___________. |
| All Others 8 (12%) | | | | If I improve my __________, I will win more |
| These are some interesting statistics! I also asked | | | | matches, feel more confident and play more |
| respondents to list the benefits they would gain from | | | | consistently. This will personally benefit me in the |
| improving these areas of their game. Here's the | | | | following ways: |
| breakdown: | | | | _____________________________. |
| What's the benefit you'll gain from it? | | | | Now, what's the one thing I can start doing today that I |
| 1. I would gain confidence. 54% | | | | really don't want to do, but if I do it, I know that I will |
| 2. I would be more consistent. 18% | | | | move one step closer to my tennis goal of |
| 3. I would win more matches. 14% | | | | ___________? |
| 4. I would have more fun / enjoy the game more. 12% | | | | Ask yourself these questions. This is the stuff that |
| 5. I would be more competitive / all others. 2% | | | | takes you to the next level. Show me a person who is |
| No surprise to me that their Serve came in as the | | | | frustrated with why their game is not where they |
| number one response. Being that it's the most | | | | want it to be, and I'll show you a person who is not |
| important shot in tennis (and rightfully so), the serve is | | | | asking themselves the right questions. I don't want that |
| the one shot that over 1/3 of my readers want to | | | | to sound harsh - I just want you to really think about it. |
| improve. | | | | When it comes right down to it, you know and I know |
| I applaud them for being open and honest enough to | | | | that you have a great tennis player inside of you just |
| share their tennis goals and challenges with me. I honor | | | | waiting to burst out! So many of you are just one inch |
| them. A lot of people are never willing to step up to | | | | away from your tennis goals. The more time you |
| the plate and seek out what it is that just may put that | | | | spend focusing on all the possibilities exist for your |
| extra oomph in their game, and take it to the next level. | | | | game - and taking the steps you need to get there - |
| One interesting statistic that is missing from the above | | | | the quicker things will happen for you. |
| list (it didn't appear anywhere) was My Return of | | | | You may not read a lot of tennis articles like this - and |
| Serve. The return of serve is the second most | | | | there's a reason for that. A lot of people that teach |
| important shot in the game of tennis, and yet it didn't | | | | tennis (tennis pros, coaches, etc) are uncomfortable |
| make the list. The absence of the return of serve in | | | | talking about subjects like these. They tell you: |
| this poll is interesting from a logical point of view - it | | | | Just keep practicing and coming to the clinics / lessons |
| should be there - but totally understandable by Yours | | | | / camps, you'll get the hang of it... |
| Truly, because the return of serve is not a 'cool' shot | | | | A lot of them are giving you what they think you want |
| for most players. Most players (time to be honest) will | | | | - and making you pay a lot of money to get it. |
| attribute a poor return of serve to something magical | | | | Does that mean I'm against working with your local |
| that their opponent did with their serve; or perhaps | | | | pro? Absolutely not. A good coach or pro is worth |
| brush it off as a fluke. Often times when a player | | | | more than you can imagine. The point I am trying to |
| misses a return of serve, they either | | | | drive home is this: I've been down the teaching tennis |
| 1) Congratulate their opponent on a great serve, or | | | | road, and I know where it leads a lot of the time - to |
| 2) Berate themselves loudly on the court for missing a | | | | that little town called Frustration, and sometimes it's |
| return that they can't pass off as a great serve by | | | | hard to get a ticket out of that place. I am not trying to |
| their opponent. | | | | sell you anything in this article other than an idea. That |
| Oh, how the ego rears it's ugly head on the tennis | | | | idea is that YOU need to take responsibility for seeking |
| court! | | | | out and improving the parts of your game that you |
| Now don't get me wrong; I'm not here to put anyone | | | | know, in your heart of hearts, you need to improve. |
| down, but rather to clarify and enlighten you on the | | | | Are you stuck in Frustrationville? Can't find a ticket |
| best way to get the results you want. That's what it all | | | | out? Then grab your racket, clothes and shoes and |
| really boils down to, right? Results. Results matter. | | | | start walking. Move out of there. Start moving to |
| Results are what we want. So let's take a closer look | | | | where you want to be. One step at a time. There are |
| at how to get them. | | | | new places and experiences just around the corner. I |
| In order to get the results you want on the tennis court, | | | | won't give you the promise of a free first-class ticket |
| you've got to figure out why you want them. There | | | | on an airline that doesn't exist. But I do promise to point |
| were some fine answers listed above: Confidence, | | | | the way, so to speak, and give you what you need - |
| Consistency, Winning More Matches, Having Fun, | | | | so that YOU can go out onto the court and get what |
| Enjoying the Game of Tennis, Being | | | | you want. |
| Competitive...outstanding responses. These are all | | | | I encourage you to take it to the next level - whatever |
| benefits of gained by the improvement in one single | | | | that next level is for you. Seek out the possibilities for |
| area. | | | | your tennis game. Don't settle for less than your best. |
| Let's peel away the layers here for a minute and see | | | | Make yourself a little uncomfortable and stretch |
| what those benefits might lead to in a personal way. | | | | yourself - that's where the growth comes. There's an |
| If, for example, you want a better serve because it | | | | old saying: |
| would allow you to win more matches, then stop and | | | | If you always do what you've always done, you'll |
| think about the benefit of winning more matches. What | | | | always get what you've always gotten. |
| does that mean to you personally? Does it mean | | | | Find your weak areas and improve them. Don't stop. |
| respect and admiration from your friends, parents, | | | | Don't quit. Press on. I'm watching you, and I can't wait |
| fellow tennis players, teammates, coach, etc? | | | | to see the tennis player you'll become! I'm with you all |
| That's where you want to go in your mind. Go to the | | | | the way! |
| place where you see the personal benefits of | | | | |