Players are always looking for a new "edge". This is something that will give them the ability to surpass the competition and can be a number of things as the new off-court training routine, the new way to hit a faster serve, or even the new fab diet. The one thing that players often forget or try to improve is their mental stability and toughness on the court. This is a lack of training that not only applies to performance players but also the weekend warrior and corporate person.
As a junior I spent thousands of hours on court focusing on my technique and tactics. As a coach, I see the same in players all throughout the country. The one thing I was missing, which most players are, is the mental component of the game. This is the MOST IMPORTANT part of not only our game but also life as a whole. Coaches and players invest vast amounts of time creating solid technique by hitting thousands of balls. They also spent equal amount of time on court and the classroom nailing down tactics they will use to have a deep play book. The mental game is talked about but is not worked nearly enough allowing players to have cracks in the most dynamic part of the game. These cracks will always show up limiting the performance of the player. Professional players develop rituals to better let them reach an Ideal Performance State. For Rafa, as silly as it sounds, he will go through his many habits including picking his underwear. Maria on the other hand, will do the 16 second cure to get to a high mental level which will help in the execution of the next point. In the following paragraphs I will describe briefly how to put your player and/or yourself in a better frame of mind to handle any situation you face on court or in life.
1) Cultivate the mind
A player must realize what it is they want to accomplish. Whether it be #1 on their high school team to being US Open champion. You can call this their short and long term goals. They should sit down and think of why they play tennis? What is the one thing that makes them play their best? What is it that triggers their love for it? By analyzing these types of question, the player will have a better understanding of how they can build a winning character on and off the court.
2) Recognize the obstacles
Understand what is limiting you to perform at your very best. Obstacles can be anything from family pressure to nutrition. It can also be the amount of hours you sleep at night or even the recent break up with the girlfriend. Obstacles are glorified excuses. Some will be a lot more difficult to overcome and some will be easy but they can all be subdued with practice.
3) Analyze how obstacles are negative
Obstacles are tangible or intangible things that get in our way of advancing. We might have little control on whatever obstacle it is but we have full control on how to work around it. For example, we might see a player who's parents put pressure on her tennis because they "invest" money into her tennis development. Another one, would be if we have a CEO who's job is in flux because the stock has recently dipped. These are problems that the individual must find solutions for even though he/she might not have control of the situation.
4) Explore how the mind can go around the obstacles
We always tell people to meet their problems head on. Great advice, but it depends how we break it down. If we have no control over the problems at hand, we have to find a way to see the problem, understand that it is not going to affect you negatively, and have an effective method on how to grow from it. In the example we gave earlier, the girl who's parents place pressure on her because of the money allocated on her tennis would be better of if she can do the following:
1) Recognize that money is her parents' problem and not hers. Her parents are set on their ways and will be hard to change.
2) Understand that these obstacles are her parents and will have nothing to do with her tennis development.
3) Come up with a plan that will make her feel good about her tennis. One that will have her state to herself that she plays tennis because she loves it, not because of the pressure her parents put on because of the money they spend.
5) Train the mind with this new thought process
By recognizing the problem, understand that it won't affect the individual negatively and creating a method to re-view the obstacle, the person will be able to move around the problem mentality not affecting how they feel about themselves. This will then be key in the process to fix the problem.
6) Practice
The most important step. This is what is lacking in coaches' plans and players' practices. All the work that we have done to this point has been great but there must be a follow up. Just as a player learns a new forehand and must hit thousands of balls to realign the muscle memory, people must practice their new mental plan to establish that positive mentality.
This is all a summation of something a lot more intricate but will give you an idea of how to start evaluating and cultivating the correct mindset for players and yourself. These ideas have been planted in my head and have immediately made a positive impact and will for yourself and your players. Build your plan to effectively move to your short and long term goals. I want to thank the Human Performance Institute for the training I have received in this process as it has changed the way I coach my players for the positive.
No comments:
Post a Comment