The Envelope

Every match I'm exploring my envelope around aggression. What's yours about in your field? For me it's:

• What proportion of flat instead of spun first serves?
• When to attack full on, or shorten the backswing returning serve, and when to chip it back to keep it in play.
• How flat/top spin to hit when trading?
• Tactically how frequently to the net, chipping and charging on second serve? 

Two factors come to mind. 1. Playing to my strengths 2. Handling the opponent's challenge and making demands of them.

Playing to my strengths means a high level of consistency, lots of topspin on serve and ground shots, getting to the net fairly frequently. The challenge comes when an opponent simply has a bigger, safer game that they can execute with little risk to themselves. In the past I've found I sometimes over-react to this challenge and push the envelope too far, too aggressively and make far too many unforced errors. Playing Chazz in the Postal final is a case in point. On the other side I've been too cautious, for example playing Alan in last year's semi.

My club champs 2nd round match yesterday was at the edge of my envelope in terms of physical demands, and containing an aggressive opponent. One spectator said afterwards, "every time I looked at your game he was hitting massive winners, and then you came off the court winning in straight sets". Thankfully his massive winners only counted for one point at a time. And I could get into his backhand, get to the net sometimes, and stay in the rallies with him, forcing and waiting for errors. A big plus for me was putting down some flat 1st serves to win some important points. This is a growing capability....learning that to push this envelope and actually make the serve that is 15 mph faster than normal, I need to hit it pretty easy.

I'm pleased I've had such a tough match (7-6,6-4) in my first round, (105 mins in the heat of the day). I'm going to need to play as well to overcome the succession of young big hitters that the draw has provided me with this year.    

Trust and being in the moment

Great interview with Bob Rotella, who's worked with Darren Clarke. I really like his comment that we need to accept that we will miss putts. Good reminder for all of us that It's OK to make a mistake sometimes, and importantly thus help stay in the moment..........to know where I want to hit it and in Rotella's words 'let my subconscious take over'.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/14182679.stm

The Talent Code - What's the quality of your practice?

I recommend The Talent Code if you're serious about being the best player you can be. I've also just discovered the website http://thetalentcode.com/ which has useful summaries and pointers. Whether you're a coach or a player I'm sure there will be something that you will learn or reconfirm that will improve your game.
It's also fascinating.

For me it reinforced the importance of 'deep practice'.....what sort of practice am I doing? how regular? how purposeful? So many people in tennis "just hit", or only play matches. And they're guaranteed to carry on doing what they always have done. When I'm busy with work and family I need to keep finding the spare chinks of time to do a 60 minute session here, a 30 minute run there, as well as to do the 90 minute to 2 hr sessions.

Coyle's book covers three key areas:

1. The neurological processes of laying down skills - Myelin - Deep Practice
2. What Deep Practice really is, and isn't
3. The role of the coach in 1. Giving really specific skillful feedback, and designing the learning environment 2. Igniting the passion of the performer to learn.

  " Tony Huber says:

March 31, 2010 at 1:39 pm

This book gets rid of many of the myths about innate talent. I have coached many top professional tennis players, include my wife Liezel the current #1 doubles. Everything in the book is true and really makes you reframe your ideas on what it takes to be great."

Antonio - ladder match

A really close match this morning...but came out the wrong side 5-7, 4-6. Antonio is very similar to me, good retriever, solid on both sides, happy at the net, and not too aggressive. I think he's faster around the court than most opponents, and doesn't know when to give up! - Respect! Some long long rallies, which I won 50% of, but pretty energy sapping, and tested my mental resolve against someone 10 years younger. This may have influenced my decision to get to the net when I earned the short ball. Unfortunately on 2 or 3 key points I didn't put the ball away when I had the chance.

What I did well

• Hit through consistently on both sides, combined with depth and topspin, dealing well with his high deep topspin.
• Varied my serve and got some wide angles, earning some cheap points.
• Stayed positive to be in a position to win some critical points from the net.......
• Some good backhands down the line that wrong-footed him as he ran around his backhand

To improve.........

• Get sharper at the net, especially overhead, to put away mid court hanging balls first time. (* Needs dedicated practice and lesson input).
• Stay loose and rotate more as I get more tired, and on big points, and on short balls without pace