The first thing I am constantly telling my students to do is recover quickly after hitting the ball. Do not stand there and watch the greatness of your last shot. Watch the pros closely as they recover by straddling back and at the same time watching their ball go over the net. That's right! They watch the ball just like you do, the only difference is they are not standing there watching it, instead they are recovering and watching at the same time! I have discovered that this is a technique that can take months to learn. Watch the pros closely and maybe that will motivate you to begin recovering faster.

The next thing to watch is when hitting ground strokes or volleying they are not always going for winners. Many times the pros just move the ball around looking for an opening to finally hit a winner. I guarantee you this is not the way you play. Too many times you are trying to win the point on every shot, instead of keeping it in play looking for a better opportunity. I call this mental attitude playing in the hit-winners mind-set.

And finally, watch to see the depth they hit on some of the low volleys or approach shots and what happens when they do not hit deep. By the way, note that the pros do not have to hit the ball harder to get the ball to go deeper. Instead, they slightly open the face of the racket and let the correct racket face carry the ball deep. All too often players try to send the ball deep by hitting it harder.

To summarize when watching the pros, watch for some simple things that really make the difference. A few are:

1. Recovering quickly after their shot.

2. Not trying to hit winners all the time.

3. Hitting deep on volleys and approach shots.

Second, when the grip turns in your hand you think you did not hold on tight enough. As a result, the next time the ball comes to you, you squeeze tighter to make sure this does not happen again. Squeezing tighter is not the answer. The true answer is you did not hit the sweet spot of your racket! You hit off center which causes tremendous pressure and makes the racket turn in your hand. I have always felt that this was one of the reasons players develop tennis elbow. They simply are squeezing the racket to tightly! Holding tighter is not necessary. When you hit the sweet spot there is no pressure for the racket to turn. How do you hit the sweet spot of your racket? Simple, keep your eye on the ball....only kidding! Again, the answer is improve your judgment by learning from the greatest teacher of all - REPETITION! If your judgment improves you will hit the sweet spot more often. Hitting the center of the strings is a natural result of improved judgment.

The interesting thing about hitting the sweet spot of your racket is that no one can tell you anything that will speed up the learning process. The only answer is seeing a lot of tennis balls go over the net. This is very similar to the way we learned how to walk. Repetition was the great teacher. If you really would like to learn how to hit the center of your strings and improve your ability to watch the ball simply play more tennis or practice on a ball machine. The more times you see the ball go over the net the faster your judgment will improve. Remember, the key here is judgment.

In summary, stop thinking every time you miss hit that you have not kept your eye on the ball and every time your grip turns in your hand that you did not hold on tight enough. The solution to both of these problems is improving your judgment. I challenge you to not say or think a thing the next time you miss hit or your grip turns in your hand. Test yourself when you are on the court and see what automatically pops into your mind when you miss hit or lose your grip. Then remind yourself of this tennis lesson, forget whatever you were thinking and move on!

There are two aspects of learning I would like to focus on. Number one, learning takes time, it's long term. Number two, learning is doing simple things consistently.

It's amazing how many of us can not get the first one right, learning takes time, it's long term. Most of us will say, yes I know that, then proceed to take a lesson and become frustrated because you can not do what you are learning immediately.

You say, I've been practicing for 10 minutes, isn't that long enough!

When learning you must develop a long term focus. Here's a great tip. When you are learning a new stroke you're really not trying to make the shot, instead you're trying to simply start the process in the right direction, so eventually it will happen by itself.

I'm constantly telling my lessons to take themselves out of the equation, follow the correct principles, and let the correct principles work for them.

This is difficult because we want to make it happen NOW! Here's some cold hearted truth...whether you like it or not, no matter what you do it's going to take time, so you might as well relax and enjoy the process.

Number two, while learning is taking time, during that time you must do simple things consistently. Find simple things to work on then do them consistently.

This concept of doing something consistently is mind boggling to people. They think because they have been working on a shot for 3 weeks they have been consistent. It's a beginning, but you have to work on it week after week for months before you can claim some kind of consistency.

Consistency is not dong something 100 times. It's doing something 100 times 100 times.
I tell you what if you can get these two concepts clear in your mind. Learning takes time and do simple things consistently. You'll actually find yourself learning faster! Isn't that what you wanted in the first place?

You know, it didn't. It took 500, and maybe 5,000 blows. That final blow wasn't crucial all by itself, but only as one of many blows that combined to achieve the stonecutter's goal. To a clueless neophyte observing, it took only three blows. But you, the stonecutter and I know the real truth.

The real truth is that learning tennis is a whole lot like stonecutting. Your dynamite talent might not do the job. Your "make it happen" attitude might fall short, as well. But your persistence, along with your long-term focus and patience, will get the job done very nicely.

Which blow of the stonecutter gets the credit for the masterpiece? Which stroke gets the credit for moving you from learning to having learned? It's the stonecutter's patience that gets credit for what he has hewn from the rock. It's your patience that wins the prize for the final result - generated by your learning.

It takes a unique person to stay the course, while blow after blow fails to hit home. It takes remarkable talent to remain with what is being learned, when instant results are not produced. Yet, for many members of a time-conscious public, instant gratification is not quite swift enough. This is a characteristic of many people - the "Warrior" learner not included.

Great stonecutters know that there is no rock they cannot split. They have more patience than any rock. The "Warrior" learner knows there is no challenge they cannot surmount - it gives them more patience than their competition. Their behavior is demonstrated in both their restraint from making changes in what they are learning, and their willingness to continue executing what they are learning, despite the absence of quick results.

The stonecutter picks a spot on the rock, and hammers at it over and over. You focus on what you are learning - practice it, and execute it over and over. Eventually, the rock splits. Eventually, what is being learned takes root and grows, your tennis goals attained. It didn't take genius as much as it took steadfastness.

Your life will be filled with frustration and anxiety, if you expect what you're learning, easy or difficult, to produce superb results instantly. But, if you give your practice the time to penetrate your mind, and condition the skills, it will become part of your subconscious, and will become automatic. you will soon discover that persistence in learning does indeed work, and that patience is the age-old secret of success.

Learning tennis and stonecutting are different from most human activities. No stonecutter expects results in a hurry. But, all stonecutters are positive, in that they can do the job they set out to do, if they concentrate upon the results down the road, rather than the hard-rock surface facing them. Many people who learn to play tennis gaze intently at the rock surface. So short a gaze, results in prematurely abandoning learning strategies.

The "Warrior" learner does not even acknowledge the surface. It's insignificant compared with what they will hew with their patience. This farsighted approach illuminates the way to their goal. They see that the way is not so much a route, as an attitude. This is the attitude of the stonecutter. This is the mind-set of the "Warrior" learner. Both have what appears, to the innocent, as an impossible task. However, both know there is no way they will fail.

Success comes to those who learn tennis, if they begin with the "Warrior" mentally. They persist in their objectives, continue breathing life into those objectives, and have the patience to move beyond the need for instant results.

I’ve watch players for years try to reach another level by trying to hit the ball a lot harder or hit more winners! They figure that must be it, that’s why those players above me are better! This couldn’t be farther from the truth and is a pitfall for many a great player. I mean think about, when a player breaks into the Pro status he thinks, now I really have to make some great shots! It never dawns on him that the difference is very simple, but subtle.
Instead of hitting 8 out of 10 deep approach shots the next level makes 9 out of 10!!! Instead of hitting a serve at 280 miles an hour the next level hits a higher percentage of first serves in! Instead of hitting 30 unforced errors the next level up only hits 28! Instead of making decisions based on the fantastic, the best in the world make their decisions based on percentages!!! The fantastic, again becomes a result of this type of thinking, but is never a cause of winning!

Now, if the best are thinking this way what in the world are you doing with the emphasis on winners and the fantastic! This is a mind-set you have to change to reach higher levels! Increase the percentages of the simple shots you have, don’t try to increase the spectacular for that one moment of magnificence. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?....wrong! This concept eludes most players. "Do the simple right, then do the simple better, then simply be the best at doing the simple! The Pros do the simple so well, you think it’s complicated!"...But, it’s not!

When negatives, mistakes, and failures become more paramount in your mind than the next shot you know you are in the Emotional Sphere. You must quickly recognize this and switch back into the Mental Toughness Sphere. How? Simple! The Refocus Technique - the next shot is more important than the last mistake. You must refocus and move on. Now! The Refocus Technique is the recovery technique that brings you back into the Mental Toughness Sphere.

Although this is a simple technique and sounds easy, it is amazing how many players cannot forget their mistakes and move on. The main reason they cannot forget their mistakes and move on is because most players become entangled in the Emotional Sphere. Listen to some of the answers players give me when I tell them to use the Refocus Technique. Each answer is followed by my response. I warn you though, I do not pull any punches. Read on at your own risk.

1. But, that was such an easy shot I missed!

Response: I did not say forget your mistakes and move on only on difficult shots! The Refocus Technique is for ALL mistakes, easy or difficult.

2. I practiced for months and I still make the same mistakes.

Response: Practice some more, forget your mistakes and move on!

3. I cannot win if I keep making these mistakes.

Response: Says who - you! Have you ever heard of mental toughness, forget your mistakes, get back in the Mental Toughness Sphere, and move on...now!

How is that for being blunt. The point I am trying to get across is that the principle of forgetting mistakes is more important than the mistake itself. You are so preoccupied with the problem, you cannot see the solution. Let me help you. The solution is to use the Refocus Technique and remain inside the Mental Toughness Sphere...no excuses.

Now, go apply it!

Here’s the way this works. First, you need to know that the first shot you are thinking in your mind is the one you will react to the fastest! If you’re thinking your opponent may hit a lob you’ll react fast to the lob, but not quite as fast to a volley coming straight at you. This does not mean you will not hit the volley, it just means you will not react as fast to the volley as you would have if you would have been thinking of it first. Make sense so far?

Now, the characteristic of the shot determines the correct priority sequence you set up. Since, the lob will take longest to reach it’s destination, it only makes sense to placed this in your mind in second place, because the shot in second place will be the slowest to react to (remember the shot that you think of first will be the fastest you react to). When up at the net the volley should be first in your mind because it will come at you the fastest! If for some reason your opponent hits a lob and you are thinking volley you’ll still have time to react because the lob will be slower. You have correctly set up your priority sequence thinking when at the net in doubles. The correct sequence is to think volley first and lob second. Sounds simple doesn’t it! Well, you would be surprised how many players think lob first and volleys second, that’s why they are always volleying going backward on their heels! Do you? If you do, my suggestion to you is the next time you're up at the net start thinking volley first and you'll be surprised how fast you react to the ball!

The Pros think like this all the time and you probably do too! The problem is you more than likely have unknowingly set up the wrong priorities! So, the next time you find yourself at the net, practice the correct priority thinking, and yes, you too can think like a Pro!!!

Now, this does not mean that the technical is not important, because it is, but it should be kept to a minimum. More importance should be placed on repetition of simple principles. The subtle difference between the two shows up in match play. When a person learns from the emphasis on the technical they are constantly thinking, if I kept my eye on the ball that would have worked, if I bent my knees I would not have missed, if I keep my elbow in on the volley that would have corrected the mistake, and so on.

This is exactly the way they approach their matches. Always thinking if the technical were right I would have made the shot. You have subtly conditioned yourself to think the technical is what makes it all work, not YOU!!! This subtle, but incorrect mindset can be devastating in match play. Mainly because you will try to solve problems on the court from this incorrect mindset...always looking for the technical to solve the problems.

On the other hand, when you are repetition oriented you develop a different mindset. Since repetition requires you to do something over and over and over again until you get it, you and your thinking become the most important factor, not the technical! This has the subtle affect of YOU not blaming the technical for every mistake, which results in YOU taking responsibility for your mistakes in a match. The end result is YOU start looking for different and better solutions to problems you face on the court! Solutions like, maybe I should slow it down, I need to relax, don't overplay, I need to manage my mistakes better, etc. This does not eliminate some minor technical changes, but now the priority has shifted toward YOU! And YOU can win with perfect technical skills or without them!!! Welcome to the world of mental toughness!