Do you know when you're improving?
TOM'S ONLINE TENNIS LESSON - Do you know when
you're improving?
Welcome to Tom's Online Tennis Lesson, sponsored
by TennisWarrior.com,
"Where you can learn to think like a pro!"
Often players improve but do not even know
they are improving! This is a unique phenomenon that I have
noted in my 30 years of teaching. The main reason this occurs
is because most players use an incorrect model for determining
improvement. Their improvement model is built on false assumptions
and incorrect standards. Below are five of the erroneous beliefs
incorporated in this failed model.
1. They have been learning for months yet they
are still making mistakes.
2. The shot is not yet perfect, so there has
not been improvement.
3. Because the ball came back they think the
shot is STILL not good enough.
4. Many balls are still landing outside the
court.
5. They lose every match to the same player.
Did you notice the common denominator between
these five false beliefs? Everyone of them is rooted in a
negative. I'm still making mistakes - shot not correct - the
ball came back - the ball landed out - losing to the same
player - on and on! The premise for all these false beliefs
is that they are not doing well, therefore they are not improving.
Of course you could be improving rapidly and still have all
these calamities happening. This is the normal learning pattern!
At the core of the problem is the player's
mental attitude, perspective and belief system. How you analyze
and evaluate things is crucial! Let's look at a typical lesson
and the student's perspective with the incorrect model. BECAUSE
YOU TAKE YOUR MENTAL ATTITUDE WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO! You
must learn to improve your ability to evaluate objectively.
I have been working with Sue on her backhand
for one month. She has been hitting balls all over the place
with a few sprinkled here and there in the court. Many balls
are going 20 to 25 feet out. Sue is frustrated but I encourage
her to keep practicing and, to her credit, she forges onward.
Three months later Sue is still hitting balls long, but fewer
are going 20 to 25 feet out. Many are now going 10 to 15 feet
out with a number of balls actually landing in the court.
THIS NEXT CHALLENGE IS CRUCIAL!
Sue now has a mental challenge. Is she improving?
In most players' minds the answer is "no way!" She
is still making mistakes (false belief number one) and balls
are still landing out (false belief number four). This is
the standard response I hear from my students.
Changing this negative thought pattern is essential.
When you go from hitting many balls 20 to 25 feet out to hitting
many balls only 10 to 15 feet out YOU HAVE IMPROVED. It's
a positive! Not so with the incorrect learning model. Instead
you are still failing. It's a negative! The usual cliche comes
to mind. Is the glass half empty or half full? You must learn
to see the positive when learning and NOT overthink the negative.
Why is this critical? BECAUSE YOU TAKE YOUR
MENTAL ATTITUDE WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO. This includes right
into a match! Learning to see the positives that occur in
a match and not dwell on the negatives is the Tennis Warrior
mentality. You must train your mind correctly when you are
developing the Warrior mentality for match play. It's crucial!
You must stop evaluating your progress on whether
you have improved based on the incorrect model. With that
silly model you are never improving! Roger Federer still makes
plenty of mistakes. Roger Federer hits balls long. Roger Federer
has many great serves returned. I guess Roger Federer is just
not improving! Even though he won Wimbledon two years in a
row!
So, let's revise the model for improving -
from the Tennis Wimp Model to the Tennis Warrior Model! :)
The Tennis Warrior Model
1. I have been learning for months but I'm
still making mistakes. I'll forget my mistakes and move on!
- the next shot is more important than the last mistake.
2. This shot is not totally correct yet, but
I can FEEL the improvement and will keep up the repetition.
3. I expect my good shots to come back. This
does NOT mean it's a bad shot. It just means, it came back....the
object of the game!
4. I'm still hitting balls out, but so does
Federer. Many balls are landing in the court - even if I don't
win Wimbledon.
5. I'm losing to the same player, but I'm winning
more points, and areas of my game are definitely improving...besides
she is my best friend!
Welcome to the Tennis Warrior World where thinking
'positive' is not just a word... it's a way of life!
Your tennis pro,
Tom Veneziano
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