| Sports coaches have come to recognise that | | | | give up and go back to their old way of doing things. |
| competency develops through four recognised stages. | | | | Stage 3: Conscious competence |
| Understanding the stages of the competency cycle is | | | | If you persist with practising a better way (e.g. |
| a key aspect of mastering the inner game of tennis. It | | | | improving the way you grip your racquet for a |
| will also help you persist with your efforts to improve | | | | backhand shot), you will start to feel comfortable with |
| your tennis strokes. | | | | the new grip. You will also start to be more successful |
| The four stages are described below. | | | | with your backhand shots. |
| Stage 1: Unconscious incompetence | | | | The improvement in your backhand gives you positive |
| Before you start to improve a tennis stroke, you are | | | | reinforcement to keep up your practice. |
| often unconscious of what you are doing wrong. It | | | | You still have to make a conscious effort but you are |
| may have to do with your swing, your stance, your | | | | acquiring the necessary competence, you are |
| grip or the way you address the tennis ball. | | | | becoming consciously competent. |
| In this stage, you are not conscious of your specific | | | | Stage 4: Unconscious competence |
| incompetence though you may experience a sense of | | | | This is the stage where the new backhand grip |
| unease or dissatisfaction with the results of your | | | | becomes a part of your normal play, you do not have |
| effort. This dissatisfaction leads to the desire to | | | | to think about it as you just do it naturally. It requires no |
| improve the way you play tennis. | | | | conscious effort. |
| Stage 2: Conscious incompetence | | | | The old saying, 'practice makes perfect' is emphasising |
| Through your reading, coaching or observation, you | | | | this stage of achievement. If you persist with |
| have now become aware of what you are doing | | | | conscious practice, eventually you will overcome old |
| wrong. You may have been watching a slow motion | | | | habits and replace them with new ones that are |
| video on YouTube and seen how Federer plays his | | | | equally unconscious. |
| backhand. You have identified an area for | | | | If you reflect on your game as you play tennis you will |
| improvement, e.g. improving the way you grip the | | | | notice that there are many things that you do on a |
| racquet to complete a backhand stroke. | | | | tennis court that represent unconscious competence, |
| You are now consciously incompetent, you are aware | | | | things that you do naturally or spontaneously, without |
| of your specific incompetence in relation to gripping the | | | | conscious thought. These are the micro-skills you have |
| racquet for a backhand. You start to change your grip | | | | built up over time. |
| in practice and it feels very uncomfortable and you are | | | | As you progressively build from unconscious |
| not successful initially. One of the challenges at this | | | | incompetence to conscious competence across a |
| stage is to unlearn established, unconscious habits. | | | | range of tennis strokes, you are building your inner |
| It is important to persist despite the discomfort and | | | | strength and inner armour. You are developing your |
| frustration. This is where so many people drop out, | | | | ability to win the inner game of tennis. |