The Tennis Life

ARTICLE BY PHIL TRAHAN

This month we diverge from the usual reporting on recent events to dedicate an installment to some tips that seem to resonate best with my students. Experts in most sports like to say that success is 90% mental (and in the case of Yankee catcher Yogi Berra the other half is physical). So without further ado here are my favorite catchphrases that contribute to success.

KEEP YOUR BALANCE
Maintaining balance is the most important physical objective leading to success. The balance test is simple: if your head is up and still you are balanced. Several things can cause an imbalance but if you keep the objective in mind you’ll avoid the missteps.

THE SAFETY IS IN THE FINISH
When faced with a difficult shot that requires a little TLC don’t cheat yourself out of your finish. You can plan a higher percentage shot but don’t get so careful that you just bunt the ball.

TIME MANAGEMENT
Even a slow-moving ball is coming faster than you can back up. So any retreat should be done by time the ball passes the net. The other time management tip is: whenever you have to choose between getting into perfect position or hitting the ball on time, always choose hitting on time.

PLAY THE POINT
You should view the point as one unit, not a series of shots. Each shot should segue into the next one. Hit every shot with the mindset that there will be another one. Since tennis is a game of errors there is a great temptation to wait until your shot goes in and then that your opponent’s shot comes back.

SHOT SELECTION
A major (some would say the most important) consideration in shot selection is the implication that your shot has on your recovery for the next shot. Your recovery should be in the center of your opponent’s possible returns. The details are beyond the scope of this column but your coach should be able to flesh it out.

THE PERFECT TOSS
A good toss will always be better than a bad one but many players place so much emphasis on getting a perfect toss that they kill the continuity that is vital to a good serve. You should assume that every toss is good enough and catch it only if it is unhittable. 

WINNING IS A DECISION NOT AN OUTCOME
In every sport you will hear that you should play to win, not to avoid losing. In individual sports like tennis this is true in spades because if you have the wrong mindset you don’t have teammates to offset your problems. It is a big mistake to look for clues during the warmup as to whether this is a good day or a bad one. You should never leave your performance to chance. Instead make a decision and run with it. You should love winning more than you hate losing.

This column has focused on success but the most important thing is that tennis will keep you fit and contribute to a long and satisfying life. 

LET’S PLAY!