Marco Bitran: Lessons From the Tennis Pros: How to Tackle Losses, Failure and Mistakes

    By Karolina Sznyceer, PhD

The notion of failure may be totally removed from your mental framework or at least become crucially redefined if you decide to look at mistakes from refreshingly positive viewpoints regularly adopted by top tennis players. Perfectionism or excessive fear of mistakes locks you up inside, generates internal blockages and saps your energy. Its common result is inaction, opting for the emotional comfort of stagnation and avoiding emotionally risky ventures. Athletes attempt to embrace mistakes through consistent redefinitions of their standard meanings.

On the first approach, a mistake is reframed as a task to be repeated. The athlete never ceases trying until the goal is finally accomplished. How to make this slightly super-human option doable? For sportspeople, the secret most often lies in effective goal-setting. You divide your task into manageable segments and tackle them in sequence. You do it at your own pace and rhythm. No pressure - you simply carry on doing your own thing. If you fail, you rearrange your goals: add steps, reduce the sequence, fine-tune intensity. You persist not so much in dealing with the same task all over again as in a smarter goal design. The key thing here is goal-setting mentality - approaching every difficulty in terms of action plans and mental plans.

Alternatively, mistakes are viewed as by-products of an aggressive mind-set bent on constant offensive attacks. This approach necessarily involves risk-taking, the frequent consequence of which are all kinds of errors and mistakes. Yet, it is a calculated risk. The player accepts mistakes as an inevitable result of the strategy he or she adopts, as an indispensable part of the process. Their mindset operates on the gutsy principle of "no risk, no glory", which in addition serves as an efficient energization strategy psyching up the athlete before competition. The idea is that you own your failures in an equal measure as you claim your triumphs. As a consequence of this approach, you develop greater emotional bravery.

The final strategy is ruthless exploitation. You perceive mistakes as something to use and then get rid of with no further ceremonies. You extract the valuable part - the lesson behind the mistake and then erase the event from your memory. You don't dwell on errors; you don't ruminate and don't linger in the past for too long.

You are supposed to be unsentimental. The underlying principle relies on constantly adding to your repertoire and moving forward. This is how mistakes may lead to something new - a cycle of never-ending transformations.

All these perspectives aim to release you from the drag of perfection and help you get to grips with its frequently paralysing effect. In each case, mistakes trigger off something positive, be it more efficient planning, greater courage or self-improvement. In point of fact, perfection recedes into background while central emphasis rests on the constant development of your self and becoming more as a result.

Karolina Sznycer is a researcher working at Barcelona Tennis Academy in Spain where the programme 'Developing strong individuals - Play2Inspire' is implemented. For more information about the programme check out our website http://www.bta-tennis.com.

Marco Bitran: Sports Psychology And Tennis: What Is The Least Used Shot In Tennis?

 
By Jay P. Granat, Ph.D.

The US Open will start in a few months and tennis players, the tennis media, and tennis fans will be intensively focused on this annual event based in New York City.

Tennis enthusiasts can probably have a lively debate as to the least utilized shot in tennis. Some will say it is the lob. Some might mention the offensive lob or the defensive lob.

Some tennis aficionados may say that it is the drop shot.

In order to get an answer from a top expert, I recently interviewed the legendary tennis coach, Peter Burwash. The head of Peter Burwash International, this tennis management company operates in thirty two countries.

Burwash is a Master Tennis Professional and a highly respected tennis coach and has worked with many or the world's top tennis players.

During his career, Peter has both played and coached in one hundred and thirty four countries.

Mr. Burwash, who is passionate about teaching people to play tennis for their lifetime, explained that the forehand slice is a very important and effective shot which is utilized by very few players these days.

While many players use a backhand slice, few are comfortable hitting the forehand with under spin.

Mr. Burwash believes that this shot can be a powerful weapon and it can make for a very effective approach shot which players can then follow into the net with the hope getting a ball that they can volley to end the point.

When executed properly this shot can stay low and force a tennis player to have to bend down low in order to get the ball back over the net.

Interestingly, my tennis club has about one hundred and thirty members and I can not think of any player who hits this shot with consistency. Some players do hit drop shots on both the forehand and backhand side, but none of the members execute the forehand slice with consistency and skill.

For some reason, the backhand slice is more natural for many club players. Perhaps this is because players are so accustomed to driving the ball with their forehands with topspin. The forehand slice is a very different kind of shot.

Interestingly, even at the pro level, very few players seem to have this shot in their arsenal.

So, take it from the man who has coached some of the world's top tennis players. Developing your forehand slice can help you take your game to that next level.

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist, author and founder of http://www.StayInTheZone.com He has appeared in many major media outlets and had developed a mental toughness program for tennis players. http://stayinthezone.com/shop/sports-psychology-and-mental-toughness-system-for-tennis-players/

Marco Bitran: Sports Psychology And Tennis: How To Improve Your Serve Right Now - Six Simple Tennis Tips

 
By Jay P. Granat, Ph.D.

Tennis players of all levels periodically struggle with their serve. If you watch a lot of tennis you can see these struggles at the high school level, the collegiate level, the weekend warrior level and the professional level.

When a player is serving well, it can elevate his or her game.

Conversely, if he or she is serving poorly, it can negatively impact their confidence, their focus and the rest of their game.

Serves can be erratic, since there is a lot involved in generating and producing an effective serve.

For starters, the toss is very important. Players need to get the ball into the right spot on a frequent and regular basis. For many players this is between eleven o'clock and one o'clock.

Rick Macci, the world famous tennis coach who I have had the pleasure to interview several times, reminds tennis players to get their toss along side and above their right ear if they are right handed and along side and above their left ear if they are left handed.

Seeing the ball hit your racket is another important key to having a good serve.

Being able to hit several different kinds of serves like a flat serve, a kick serve and a slice serve is very useful.

Maintaining one's rhythm, and balance is also very important when serving a tennis.

Keeping you head up as your strike the ball and keeping it up through the stroke is another factor for players to keep in their minds when they are about to start the tennis point.

Macci also noted the importance of utilizing the legs to generate power in one' serve.

Mr. Macci also reminded players to have their feet pointed to the sideline when they get ready to serve in tennis.

Once you learn the mechanics of hitting the serve, it is useful to have a mental routine to go along with your service routine and motion.

Here is a simple method which many players have found helpful.

1. Walk up to the line confidently.

2. Take a deep breath and inhale relaxation, confidence,focus and enjoyment. Exhale and let go of any anxiety, self doubt, distraction or worry. Take a few more breaths if necessary.

3. Pick the spot you want to serve to and zero in on getting the ball to that spot. If you like, you can color your target spot with your favorite color.

Some players like a target the size of a magazine cover. Others like a target somewhat larger. Experiment to find out what is the right kind of image for you to focus on when you serve.

4. Bounce the ball from one to four times to find your rhythm. Some players bounce once for relaxation, once for confidence, and once for focus.

5. Make sure your arm and your wrist remains loose and flexible throughout your stroke.

6. See the sky and the ball when you make contact with the ball.

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is a Psychotherapist, Author and The Founder of http://www.StayInTheZone.com. He has appeared in more than a dozen major media outlets. Dr. Granat has developed numerous peak performance programs as well as a mental toughness program for tennis players.

To get the tennis program, click here http://stayinthezone.com/shop/sports-psychology-and-mental-toughness-system-for-tennis-players/

Dr. Granat is available for seminars and for coaching.

Marco Bitran: How To Analyze Any Tennis Match

By Alex Tes

There are some things you have to keep in mind to make a competent analysis of all key moments leading to success.

Physical data

First comes analysis of the player's physical form. It's vital to know how tired he is. And you won't understand it watching the match online. It's necessary to know how long he has been in play before this very match. Such components as ranking position, current physical form and motivation sink in the scale if the night before an athlete played a very exhausting match, you can also see it in statistic. Most probably, he'll produce a large number of mistakes, few serve winners and bad movements.

Of course, there are some exceptions. Think about such sturdy guys as Nadal or Ferrer. They deal well with physically tough matches. But they are unique in men's tour.

Players peak form

It's not a secret that tennis season is not a short grind and it's very hard to maintain peak form all season long (next to impossible, I'd say). So many athletes peak at different portions of the season. Nadal, for example, shows his best during the clay season. Andy Murray is always at his best immediately after Roland Garros, i.e. second half of the circuit.

Head to head records

Some tennis players cause troubles to one style of opponent more than they do to others. Nadal is very uncomfortable for Federer. The Swiss can make up no answers to the Spaniard's questions. Another example is Berdych-Isner. The American is the best opponent possible for the Czech to face off in tour, both mentally and tactically: Tomas has no troubles receiving John's serves.

Match surface

Different players play differently on different surfaces. "Clayers" perform better on slow courts, "servers" - on fast ones. There are also many all-courts athletes showing good results on any type of courts. Thus, a "server's" winning chances against "clayer's" on clay courts will be very shadow. The above is also true if a "clayer" faces a "server" on a fast court. Sometimes it's more useful to consider the players' specialization with no regard to their ranking. It's also worth paying attention to head-to-head encounters: if, for instance, one opponent leads with a 4:0 advantage in h2h meetings, but all victories were achieved on a suitable surface, these victories will become irrelevant when the surface is changed. We consider it to be a very important moment.

Read more in our article.
You see that analyzing tennis matches is not an easy task. Trust it to us and subscribe to our mailing list.

Marco Bitran: Two Keys To Growing As A Tennis Player

By Andrew Stratton

While tennis is technically played against an opponent, much of the game is very self-absorbed. You stand alone on your side of the court, far away from the other player, there is a large net separating you, and the game pauses after every point, allowing you to reflect internally on what went wrong. There is no team to carry you, no group aiming towards a common goal; it's just you and how well you perform. Unless you are willing to invest hundreds of dollars into quality tennis lessons, it can be very difficult to figure out exactly how to practice. Here are the two most important things to focus on in order to keep pace with players well above your skill level.

Second Serve

A top-notch serve is about power and technique. The only way to get a truly devastating serve is to have help with the technique and to practice for countless hours on controlling the power behind it. There is a steep learning curve to a great first serve, and you will be quite terrible at it for a long time while you learn.

To compensate for this, you need to make sure that you have an extremely reliable second serve. You need to be able to play a full match as though you only get one serve per point, and you should never ever miss it.

However, your second serve cannot be so soft that it gives the opponent a chance to shut you down immediately every point. Find a balance between speed and control that allows you to land a well-aimed serve every single time, and you will be able to keep control of the game when it is your service.

Frustrating Lob

In tennis, the mark of a great player is often their net play. It takes a great deal of confidence to charge the net and put away a point. Most players that are better than you will have this tendency, and it is one that can be deliciously manipulated if you have solid control. You want to practice a lob shot that goes well over the opponent's head in a high, slow arc, landing just at the base line. A slow lob will entice the player to chase after the ball, but the height of the lob will make the bounce so wild that few players will be able to keep control even if they catch up. Do this a few times in a row, and you'll leave your opponent uncertain enough to begin making errors.

Every tennis player knows that the absolute best way to improve is to play against people who are better than you. Unfortunately, those people also want to have a challenging game. By mastering these tips, you will be able to provide enough of a challenge to give the other player a good time, and maybe even take a set or two in the process.

Looking for a way to up your game in tennis? Panama City residents can learn more by visiting http://www.baypointgolf.com/BayPoint-tennis.

Marco Bitran: An Overview of Tennis Courses for Children

 By Donald Finch

Tennis lessons for children come in different forms such as group programs, recreational courses, private courses as well as semi-private programs. Each course has its own strength, weakness as well as objectives. This article will throw a light on the salient features of these four popular tennis courses that are available for the children.

Group Tennis Programs

This type of program is considered to be one of the common formats where the children learn tennis lessons. The structure of this type of course varies from group of four under the supervision of proficient professionals to large group of eight or ten players under the control of local professionals. The instructions offered by the professionals often vary according to the total size of the group. It is advisable that the group membership should not be too large. In a small group the children have the opportunity to learn quickly and participate in fun activities in group lessons easily. This kind of program is ideal for children who love to play with several friends. Plus, the children who want to enjoy games and learn a lesson in gradual process should participate in the course. The family members who cannot afford to take the benefit of arranging expensive training for the children should take the chance of enrolling their children to this kind of program.

Recreational Tennis Courses

These courses are run by the local camp authorities or local recreational centers so that the children should get a wide exposure to the tennis sport. The main instructor of the course is a budding player who wishes to get experience in teaching the tennis sport to the kids. However, there are a few courses that also use proficient coaches or instructors in this matter. Other employees include people who have a few years of playing experience and who have acquired basic sport skills are also involved in this kind of course. Companionship, informal playing session, less commitment to sports and low cost are the few advantages of participating in the program. The children who are completely new to the sport and the kids who participate in other types of activities are eligible to participate in the tennis course.

Semi Private Tennis Programs

These programs must be taught by experienced professionals. This type of format seems to work best if two players sharing the tennis lessons must be in a position to compete with each other. The objective of this type of tennis program is to maintain an effective balance between individualized instructions and companionship. The benefits available from this type of course include individual attention, camaraderie and constant involvement of the players. A semi private tennis course is an ideal option for the children who wish to participate in the tournament and the family members who are unable to bear the expenditure of private lessons for their children.

Private Tennis Courses

These courses are usually taught by experienced professionals. The improvement of performance level, quick attention from the proficient trainers and ample opportunity for skill improvement are the multiple benefits available for the children. The children who have developed basic knowledge of the sport, the kids who wish to learn a particular stroke as well as the children who wish to participate in competition are eligible for this type of program.

Euro School of tennis is one of the popular training institutes that offer multiple private tennis lessons for kids and adults. If you wish to join tennis classes San Jose then you must contact the institute. It offers quality training at affordable price rates.

Marco Bitran: The Beginner's Tips For Learning Tennis Techniques

 

By Donald Finch

Playing tennis is quite enjoyable only when you are capable of learning the basic techniques and methodologies. If you have the willingness and if you have the proper motivation, you will be able to learn them in the best possible way. This article will highlight on a few important tips that the beginners should consider in order to learn this type of sport as quickly as possible.

Practice with definite purpose

The first step is that you have to practice this type of game with a definite purpose in your mind. When you practice it with a proper focus, it will help you to improve your energy level and it will also allow you to increase your productivity to a great extent. Plus, you will be able to create your own target in terms of your performance on the court and you will compare your performance level according to the target that you have set on your own. If you practice with a definite purpose from the first day you will be able to show your desirable result within a short span of time.

Keep a proper record of your performance

You should always maintain proper record of your performance on the court. You can keep the details of this type of record on your own dairy or you can also maintain your own logbook. It is vital that you should make entries in your logbook or even in your diary regularly. For instance, you should write what your tennis instructor tells you or you should write down what mistakes you need to improve for good performance. If your instructor asks you to focus on your forehand technique, it is advisable that you should immediately mention it in the book along with the necessary tips and suggestions. If your backhand technique is weak, then you should write it down on the book and you should also write down important suggestions of your proficient instructor in this matter.

Play slowly on the court

You should spend a lot of time to learn a new technique or methodology. You can think of it as a task that you take up in order to develop a basic foundation of your building. When you build up your foundation, then only you should think to take it further to the next level. Similarly, you should first learn the basic techniques of tennis. These techniques include mental strategies, footwork tactics and other fundamental tennis techniques.

Get ready to face adversity

You may take a lot of time to overcome your weaknesses and you may also require an ample scope of time to improve techniques of this type of sport. Your goal is to try to learn the right technique from the first day of the training session and to seek suggestion from a proficient instructor from time to time. You need to take the help of this type of proficient instructor who can help you to adopt appropriate method and who can help you to overcome your weakness by all possible means.

Euro School of Tennis is a famous training institute that is dedicated in offering effective tennis coaching in Palo Alto to children and adults at affordable rates. If you want to join private tennis lesson in Palo Alto then you should immediately get in touch with this institute without any delay.