The goal of getting out of your comfort zone
Many people make New Year’s Resolutions. I am not a big NYR person as I feel any day, not just New Year’s Eve, is a great time to begin or continue something that will improve relationships, mind, body or spirit. But I do think that goal setting is key in any endeavor regardless of the time of year whether it has to do with communicating like-minded goals with your spouse, setting goals for yourself personally, athletically or in the business world. In that light, here are some thoughts regarding tennis. I feel the biggest tip I can give you and the most help I can be is to challenge you out of the comfort zone and onto greater things—I guess it is the “college coach” in me.
Most people prefer the status quo for comfort reasons. I challenge you and perhaps those not reading this but to whom you can read it, to take some aspect or two of your life (on the court or off) to a new level: Your physical condition? Your mental game? Your technical prowess or shore up some weakness that are easily exploited?
Let’s take your mental game for example. What percentage of tennis is truly mental? Most come back with the answer that it is a large part. Say, 75, 80%. Well if you really believe that then read on. What percentage of a point, time-wise, is spent doing physical things? Well, on average the actual point (men and women vary on tour) lasts about 5-10 seconds. How much time is allowed between points? 25 seconds. How much time do mentally tough professional players spend between points (i.e., not doing something physical)? About 15-20 seconds. So…why do most people spend so much time on the physical, technical game when it is the smallest part of the game? I am not saying you shouldn’t do it, what I am saying is that if you believe what you say, that the mental game is hugely important (80% of it) then how much time do you spend working on your mental game? Game style development, shot selection, strategy production, mental and emotional control? Momentum management? Between the point rituals? And here is where the rubber meets the road. To be the best player you can be, you do need to not only be more physically fit than your opponent, but you also need to know your style of play, your options and ability to play several game plans within that style. But if, because you don’t want to stretch yourself and prefer the status quo, you don’t develop a variety of shots or have exploitable weaknesses, you will not be able to switch to Plan B, C, etc.
For example. If you know you have to serve to Joe’s backhand to increase your odds of winning the point, but you have a poor serve to the “T” on the deuce side (as many do), then you don’t have Plan B. If you can’t hit a chip shot on the return and are getting eaten alive with high returns, then you don’t have a plan B. So work on a weakness. Work on developing the worst part of your game and set yearly, monthly markers with weekly practice activities. And if the mental game is so crucial, then I suggest reading a few books on the mental aspect of the game—(and your in luck—see my resources page for an initial list). Learn what characteristics of champions, great players are. Above all, free up yourself of the “I can’t afford to change or I might lose a match to Susie or Fred” mentality. That will hold you back.
Happy New Year!
Steve Clark