In the grip of tension

Ladder match against Ahmad Z. For the uninitiated Amhmad tortures people on the tennis court. If you hit anything through the back of the court it comes back with far less pace, floating, hanging, taunting, almost inviting you to hit the next one harder in a forlorn attempt to prove one's potency and credentials on the court.

So called 'serious' players have been known to refer to Ahmad as a hacker, implying he's not worth their attention...... wrong! In one match I played when coach at Bush Hill Park, a teenager and his brother came off the court in a blind fury having played against Ahmad and self destructed. It can be a world of pain.

The best way of approaching every match is with the mindset of ' how am I going to play my game as well as possible?' and 'how do I solve the problems this player throws at me?'

With Ahmad I solved the problem because I am strong at the net. However I was less successful in playing the game I'm trying to develop- in particular the ability to generate pace off a slow ball. Related to this I'm only 30% there in improving my use of the ground to develop this power. I want to coil on the forehand and then start uncoiling by using my legs to unload the energy chain through the shot. Easier when there's pace, harder and a great test when the ball has no pace.

I could feel my muscles tensing as part of me wanted to put my new technique into practice, and part of me wanted to play safe and hit the ball in. Result a ball with little weight and a lot of arm. To really unload I have to stay loose. To stay loose I have to do this much more in practice.

This is where planning comes in. In tennis practice must be planned,with like minded players of a similar standard, practicing with intent, rather than just having a hit.

Dip part 2: Overcoming Excuses - quality focus

I've been so busy with work that its been ten days since I've hit a ball. No exercise.

I'm pleased that I've just completed short 2.5mile run in the streets around hotel. I noticed my focus varying as I ran; at some points wanting to fast forward time as if replaying a recorded tv programme, zipping through the adverts.

I resisted that, staying mindful of my sensations as I and how I interpreted them. When my chest got tight and aching I noticed the thought "maybe I should back off"  - but stayed with the sensations and found they were easily manageable. At other times I felt the urge to slouch;  thinking "just get round, it doesn't matter how". I was  intrigued by this thought, but resisted and instead focused on my running technique and staying tall. Immediately my pace picked up and I got more from the run. The benefits of mindfulness and commitment to quality.

When I got back to the hotel room, I entered the winter postal tournament to give myself a focus and goals for the coming months. 

My performance obituary

I ran a provocative session with some athletes and their coaches this weekend. One of the exercises involved a performance obituary. It comes from an excellent book on Mindfulness for performance enhancement by Gardner & Moore.

The instruction is simple:
"What and how would you like your performance career and you as an athlete, teammate, etc to be remembered?"

It works because it reminds us that we only have one shot at our lives, and that it will be too late when we are in our bath chairs and zimmer frames to develop a 100 mph serve.

Every day counts. Every session counts.

Whatever you write as your performance obituary can become a powerful standard by which you assess your achievements each day. Its a very personal exercise. This is mine:

As a tennis player:
Brave and prepared to go for my shots
Stylish
Fit and physically committed
Surprisingly powerful
Great touch and variation
Tactically astute

As an exec coach and performance psych
Thoughtful and perceptive
Engaging
Thought provoking
Helps people to do things they thought they couldn't do.
Helps people to manage themselves and accept themselves.

DeFusing

The single most important thing I've learnt in the past 10 years is to separate myself from my thoughts, and to regard them with both healthy confidence and healthy caution.

Confidence because there are many situations where I back myself and my judgement. Parent, Coach, Brother, Son, Business partner, Husband. Caution because I've come to learn that many thoughts and feelings in the same areas can be so far off the mark. Scared, Proud,.........overconfident etc.

Over the 15+ years as a coach, therapist and performance psychologist, this teaching has not been new. We're trained to notice projections and transference, our 'blue touchpaper' situations and people. What's different is I'm now more able to separate from these thoughts, rather than see my opinions as some truth.

It matters as a tennis player because the same training that now helps me to be more self aware and have real clarity about my thoughts and feelings, also helps me to stay in 'the here and now' when training and competing.

The technique that has helped me profoundly in the last year is Mindfulness. This training involves focusing on my breathing in every moment of the exercise and simply accepting the departures into thought, noticing, and returning to the breathing. Doing this helps to reduce the power of all thoughts and helps me stay committed to how I want to behave and lead my life. As a tennis player this can mean pushing through the pain when I'm telling myself "I'm hurting, I need to back off".

I use the aptly named Jon Kabat Zinn's CDs as a great starting point. He founded the use of meditation in stress reduction clinics in the US, and clearly worked with the US rowing team back in Lake Casitas in the 84 Los Angeles games. Check out a bit of this YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nwwKbM_vJc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Or CDs on Amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Full-Catastrophe-Living-Wisdom-Illness/dp/0739358588/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1315320594&sr=8-11


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Location:Home - lunch break

The Dip

We're now in a pretty busy work phase and combined with holidays this leaves little time to practice. A nice problem business wise has lead to more doubt about what I'm working on in tennis and where the next improvement will come from. I can be so motivated by my improvement, which can turn negative and in on myself when I don't practice enough.

Solution: Get out and practice! Even if it's just once a week like right now. Choose not to listen to the voice that says "If you cant practice three times a week its not worth it".  Today was a speculative trip to the club and initially just a gentle hit. Then some great serving practice on my own...... I'm working on really stretching up and through, and practising this by the old drill of overarm throws, then serving and practicing the feeling of stretching up and through, whilst trying to stay loose. Result more snap, and I think more ability to hit up and get my body through.

I think for the past while I've been protecting my shoulder, but it's time to let it go, and explore this envelope.

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Location:Alexandra Park Rd,Tottenham,United Kingdom

Why play tennis?

Why play tennis? Parts 1 & 2 

A ladder match safely negotiated against Chris Dixon, a bouncy, fast moving player, of my age with an all court game. However, my play was boring and unsatisfying. While I was determined to win and not lose, I strangled my own attempts to be aggressive. An example being a short ball that could be spanked away, I wrestled over the net with far too much top spin, and no penetration in fear that I would ‘make a mistake’. Aaaaaah.

So after the match Chris agreed to my request that we play a couple more games. I resolved to hit through every forehand and backhand I got. My God !! The ball kept going in with an exhilarating amount of power and feel. This why I play tennis...to feel powerful! - Why do you play?

Why Play Tennis 2: Finding my true purpose on the court.

I decided to build on Part 1 in my next practice session, this time with Chazz. I resolved to hit through the ball as my default, instead of attempting aggressive top-spin every ball. From the word go Chazz had less time, and I felt more powerful, hitting through to a much better depth. My technique is good enough to automatically generate enough top most of the time. This was the most dynamic practice session I can remember, the purpose for both of us to hit through without fear. For me:

1.       Lower trajectory

2.       Relax and really let go as I hit through – especially on short balls

Daniel Coyle refers to starting to get something right as the beginning of a practice session. So this is the beginning.  

Rosewall or Ashe

In 1974, 21 year old Jimmy Connors took on the most elegant of players, 8 times grand slam winner Ken Rosewall (then aged 40), and dominated him in the Wimbledon final. Two years later Connors took on Arthur Ashe, then a mere 10 years his senior at 34, and this time the elder man triumphed in a tranquil display of flowing but determined tennis, never once letting Jimmy really get into his stride.

This was my challenge as I played 21 year old David England this evening. Against a very hard hitting 21 year old, could I find my own inner Arthur Ashe? My aim was to deny him rhythm and pace, but to stay positive, hit deep, vary the spin. With the expectation that I would have to work very hard. This worked well until 2-2 in the first set; he was out of sorts, making mistakes, and I felt absolutely in it. Then.......he hit his stride, and hit the ball 15% harder whilst cutting out most of his mistakes. I just couldn't live with his relentless hitting, lost my own depth and rhythm, and didn't win another game. He was just too good.

Reflections and learning?

• Youth will have its day. Especially when disciplined and skilled. 
• More practice against big hitters.
• Aim to regain some of the serving aggression and accuracy I had in the autumn. At the moment its accurate and relaxed, now to rebuild the zip.