Fix Your Tennis Belief System
First published on 9-09-2009. Bookmark & share
by Randy Lynn Rutledge - a previously certified USPTA Tennis Teaching Professional
( Note: retired in good standing, but stopped making USPTA dues payments )
( Note: retired in good standing, but stopped making USPTA dues payments )
Your tennis belief system is not static.
The tennis belief system is reshaped by tennis memories which are recorded during each tennis session. How you use the input being recorded into memory determines your rate of tennis improvement. Always strive to strengthen whatever you decide is the greatest weakness of your overall game during each of your tennis sessions.
Your steady improvement in tennis skills will cause a steady positive growth within your belief system. It is this steady improvement which will give you the best chance to reach your full potential in tennis.
Do not wait for improvement to just happen. Plan for improvement at a reasonable rate and be determined to make your plan happen.
Tennis is a very physical sport which requires versatility of mobility to be successful against good players. There are incredibly high physical demands on muscles in all parts of the human body during tennis stroke and hit execution, during recovery to a desirable tennis court location, and to prepare to respond to whatever strokes or hits an opponent may send your way.
Mental and physical agility and prowess are necessary against any worthy tennis opponent. The human mind controls your tennis efforts. Conscious and subconscious decisions are made about everything you do when engaged in any tennis behavior. Ultimately, it is your belief system which is in control of all that you are able to accomplish in the game of tennis, or anywhere else in life.
During a tennis match, your belief system must allow you to remain positive and steadfast by supplying you with the single most important piece of mental input required to be a winner, that, no matter what happens, you will find a way to win the last point of a match.
Memories of your own personal tennis playing experiences, successes and failures, help to shape your tennis belief system. You can allow your past playing record to guide you to failure, or you can shape your future toward increasing successes by always knowing that you can do better. Become aware of your biggest tennis weaknesses and work to turn thoses weaknesses into strengths.
During practice sessions, drills, and lessons tell yourself that you will give 100% effort on every stroke or hit you execute and that you will never give up on returning anything your opponent sends your way. Do not give up on any ball until it has bounced twice and the point is over. It is no longer okay to watch any tennis ball zoom past without making your greatest attempt to successfully return the ball back over the net.
A giant part of your tennis improvement will be caused by your efforts exerted during cross-training. Cross-training can be applied to all mental and physical functioning involved in attaining the level of success you envision for yourself.