This is very well explained in the book "The Inner Game of Tennis" by W. Timothy Gallwey. He wrote it in 1974 and is still very relevant today. Worth a read, and can be applied to any sport. It is about trusting your game. http://www.amazon.com/The-Inner-Game-Tennis-Performance/dp/0679778314 -CN
Yes, that's why during drills for racket work, we practice placement to 2 to 3 different directions, eg cross court vs down the line. That part becomes second nature and automatic. This is even more important in fast doubles games where there really is no time to think during the exchanges. Your mind sees the pattern in play and your body reacts to it. Of course this only comes with lots of practice. And that leaves more brain cpu cycles to perform the higher level thinking like tactics, analysis of opponent weaknesses, change of rhythm/pace, etc. And even then, practice these things enough and some of them can become automatic and reflexive.
Thank you BCers for all the interesting replies. I really appreciate it because I feel my tilt puts me on the defeated side but also causes stress for my teammates. Tilting and having a poor mood really makes the game no longer fun, and so... Thanks !
when you get all these quotes from pros, they are good ones. But can the methods be applied to amateur players. Remember, these pros have grooved their technique and consistency to a far higher level than us amateurs. So, they are in a different situation. It all goes back to my original post in this thread. You have got to have confidence in your strokes and the quality of those strokes. You shouldn't need to think about basic shots. However, you do need to think about the opponent as it is a very dynamic and changing situation opposite the net. Otherwise we wouldn't need to discuss things called tactics. If you are losing and mentally down, you need to think and change the game. If you don't think of how to change the game around, how can you possibly win doing the same thing? Only by depending on the opponent to choke. Far more satisfying to actively change things around yourself and control the opponent. Note, I am not arguing that the top tennis players are wrong. My point is you have to have some degree of thinking in the game to turn around a situation.
^ Should an amateur who lacks solid basic shots be expected to possess tactical awareness of the game?
Yes, although very basic, like how to stay in the middle and aim for the corners in singles or when to do side by side or front-rear formation in doubles and hit the birdie down.
I don't know what happens in Vancouver but certainly the 6-7 year old kids that start off playing in practice sessions are taught to start using tactics even if very basic ones.
A bad day is only as bad as you make it. There are no good and bad days, they're just reflecting your mental state. If one is having what you would call a bad day where you can't hit the shuttle and keep cursing at yourself for not being able to, the best thing one could do is just to stop playing and do some footwork, weight lifting or whatever which does not require the same type of mentality. I think that the psychological part in any kind of sport is the most difficult one. I would say quite the opposite to Ajay, it's not easy at all and takes years and years of practice. Knowing "how to" in theory is usually fine, but when it actually comes to the point where you need to utilize it it becomes hard. Ask Jorgensen, he if anyone would know from the match against Momota. That is a good example of it. Park Joo Bimg said that when he took over the role as head coach for the Japanese nation team, the biggest problem was their psychological situation. There wasn't anything wrong with their skills, but they never won any titles. However, years after he joined the team, they are actually starting to win. So saying that it is "easy" is just not right.
Trick yourself. Tell yourself you hate your opponent's guts. Tel yourself they just insulted you. Or tell yourself to move at 3 times the speed (anyone know the reference to this? )
Agree that comparing pros mental toughness against amateurs is not like for like. They have different mental pressures as most their shots are ironed to perfection with hours of practice. It's about challenging what you need to do differently to win the points. Losing can be a habit if you don't find the reasons why you lose and do something to change that. Perhaps I wasn't clear but it is easy to think either positive or negative. You have a choice, either think ahead and what you can do differently or dwell upon your faults and let them effect you in future points. Ofcourse I am not saying that it is easy to become highly skilled in maintaining your mental toughness always and becoming an expect. However I believe strongly that we all have the ability to 'snap out' of the rut when you are playing badly and easily can play better if you think positive and play accordingly. I've coached many players and also witnessed first hand in tournaments, players losing games not because physically or technically they were weaker, but they lost it mentally. All this could be rectified by having that thought, 'okay that last point I played badly, but I will work hard to make sure the next point my opponent will need to work damn hard to beat me'. This kind of positivity is not hard to imagine. It just takes the ability to have an open mind and be willing to change. We all possess this, it is how hard do some of us really try and utilise it? Kindest regards, -Ajay- Quote of the Day If at first you don't succeed, failure may be your style.
^ Agree. Often times the only difference between 2 high level pro players (who have practiced strokes to perfection) is mental strength. For example, we all know LD vs LCW battles...
