The Art of Tennis

Top Menu

Main Menu

  • Home
  • About
  • Interviews
  • For Players
  • For Coaches
  • For Tennis Industry
  • Contact Us

logo

  • Home
  • About
  • Interviews
  • For Players
  • For Coaches
  • For Tennis Industry
  • Contact Us
For CoachesFor Players
Home›For Coaches›Why high achievers sometimes struggle with mastering tennis

Why high achievers sometimes struggle with mastering tennis

By rick
January 22, 2022
294
0
Share:

My best advice is to start thinking LESS.

See, high achievers often have a strong work ethic, high IQ and their compass is always pointing towards the next goal and success in their life. All positive traits which have served them well in an academic setting as well as other activities where ‘thinking’ is not as detrimental to their game as it is to tennis.

The high achievers that I have come across really have that burning desire to become great at tennis and to make that school team, pennant team or even just to beat their friends. They might search on YouTube for more information and hear of some other ways to add 5% extra power on your serve. They will search through the latest racquet technology or be like a hawk looking for the edge to their tennis game. Depending on their personality and upbringing, they will also often be highly critical of themselves.

But herein lies the problem. Too much information starts to have a detrimental effect. Positive progress is one thing but overloading and squeezing the journey is like feeding yourself more than you can chew, let alone digest.

Another way to think of it is once we learn to drive a manual car, you don’t then think about moving the stick 4 cm up, 2 cm across to the right and 4 cm up again when executing your 2nd to 3rd gear change. You just do it and you eventually become flawless with it as you trust the process while paying awareness to your driving.

The best tennis is played when your mind slots into a ‘no thinking’ mode. Not a lazy, no thinking mode but a heightened awareness which can react quicker, decide quicker and stay focused longer.

Their positive, disciplined practice will serve them well and their skill acquisition can be let out of its shell once playing becomes about finding that heightened state of awareness.

So the high achiever needs to find ways to switch off the mind. This can feel totally counterintuitive to them and takes a lot of practice. At a deeper level it’s also about them losing the feeling of control and move towards taking a leap of faith on their game. Breathing helps and is probably the single best way to get the monkey out of the mind. Leave the intellectual side alone and go towards the raw yet razor sharp warrior mindset.

3 of the best ways for high achievers to ‘let go’ to improve their tennis game

  1. Breathing: Between every point and at the change of ends breathing slowly and consciously will help your mindset.
  2. Trusting: Back yourself with less evidence. Develop a deep belief that you have the ability to win (not so much about the tactics, technique and equipment).
  3. Simplify: A good coach will help you focus in on specific areas. Limit trying to improve everything all at one time.

This applies to those in high school years through to ladder climbing corporates, professionals and other frustrated over thinking tennis aspirants. I should add though that if a high achiever manages to work this out then they are unstoppable.

If you have not checked out Dr Timothy Gallway who wrote “The Inner Game of Tennis” do so as it can help expand this further.

Cheers

Rick Willsmore

Director of Tennis

www.scarboroughtennis.com.au

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Previous Article

Finding Success

Next Article

So I guess your kids play tennis?

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

rick

Related articles More from author

  • For PlayersFor Tennis Industry

    If Australian tennis players were AFL players……

    April 7, 2021
    By rick
  • For Coaches

    National Finals Super 10’s

    February 17, 2016
    By rick
  • For Coaches

    How many hours a week should your child be playing tennis?

    July 15, 2014
    By rick
  • For Coaches

    Growth vs Fixed Mindset

    November 3, 2015
    By rick

You may interested

  • For Tennis Industry

    First impressions of a tennis club

  • For Coaches

    Welcome to Pre Season kids, meet your Continental grip

  • For Players

    Responsibility, Leadership & Tennis

Timeline

  • June 27, 2022

    The rain dance

  • June 2, 2022

    Striking the clock face

  • May 13, 2022

    The 8 player UTR Compass Draw

  • April 29, 2022

    The 4 Types of Coaches you Employ

  • April 14, 2022

    Solar Power vs Wind Power

Latest Comments

About US

The Art of Tennis blog is for people wanting to learn more about how to play, teach or develop their tennis coaching business and club.
It is run by Rick Willsmore who is Director of Tennis at Scarborough Tennis Academy in Perth. Rick has a unique skill set which combines a passion for coaching and developing tennis players with innovative solutions and entrepreneurial flair.

Contact us

  • PO Box 424, Scarborough, WA, 6922
  • 0400 087 991
  • [email protected]
  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • The rain dance

    By rick
    June 27, 2022
  • Striking the clock face

    By rick
    June 2, 2022
  • The 8 player UTR Compass Draw

    By rick
    May 13, 2022
  • The 4 Types of Coaches you Employ

    By rick
    April 29, 2022
  • The Tennis Journey and Discipline

    By rick
    December 8, 2011
  • Recovery Between Points

    By rick
    December 13, 2011
  • Tennis Positions

    By rick
    January 12, 2012
  • Personality Types

    By rick
    February 20, 2012

Connect with Rick and The Art of Tennis

Connect with Scarborough Tennis Academy

© Copyright The Art of Tennis. All rights reserved.