Then you begin thinking about how tired you feel. "Aha" you think, "that must be it. I'm tired. That's what's causing all of these problems. Time to stop practicing before I acquire any bad habits. This is all Tom's fault. He told me to practice, practice, practice, practice, practice with massive repetition. But, he did not tell me you quickly become so tired your game falls apart. I better cancel his email lessons before he ruins my game even more."

By the way this is a typical situation. Except for blaming me and canceling the email lessons...I hope! :) When players become tired in their practice they play poorly and think it's time to head for the whirlpool. They think, "what's the point, I'm tired, I cannot play or practice effectively." What? You're tired and cannot play or practice effectively? Who cares!!! Get back out there and mentally work yourself through it. Why? Because this is what it's all about. Physically and mentally working yourself through these situations is what separates you from the players who quit. Mentally tough players forge forward while the mentally timid boomerang backward.

But you still say, "if I'm tired I cannot improve. What's the point?" The point is, this is the time you can improve the most! That's right, bringing yourself to the point of being tired and then working through it physically and mentally can help you improve at a faster rate. It's a technique I use on purpose when teaching my students. I bring them to the point where they are tired. Balls begin to fly every where and they become a bit discouraged. At that point I challenge them to forget where the balls are going, to put themselves on automatic and keep swinging.

There are two concepts at work here. The first is you are physically and mentally extending yourself beyond the norm. As a result you become physically and mentally stronger. If you can practice when the situation is at its toughest, how much easier will it be to practice and play when you are well rested. You push yourself to the max so that anything less becomes easy. This is based on a principle called A FORTIORI. A Latin word for logical deduction that means "with stronger reason." If you can do the greater feat it stands A FORTIORI that you can do the lesser feat.

For instance, if you can extend yourself to run 10 miles, it stands A FORTIORI that you can run 5 miles easily. If you can extend yourself to lift 100 pounds it stands A FORTIORI that you can lift 50 pounds easily. And in our case, if you can extend yourself to concentrate and play when you're tired, A FORTIORI how much easier will it be to concentrate and play when you are well rested. If you can do the greater, you can do the lesser. Push yourself beyond the norm and what once felt difficult becomes easy. I use this principle constantly when teaching...it works!!!

You must not quit practicing at the first sign of tiredness. Don't give yourself excuses to stop even if your playing is terrible. Keep concentrating and moving on. Consistently use the A FORTIORI principle and watch your improvement sky rocket.

Second, if you quit in practice because your tired and playing poorly what are you going to do in a match? I can hear you now talking to your opponent. "I'm a little tired and it's causing me to not play at the top of my game. Do you think we can quit and resume tomorrow when I've had a good nights sleep?" Do you think your opponent will quip, "oh sure that's fine. Is that enough time? How about taking two days rest. This is all my fault. I'm so sorry I got you all sweaty and tired."

Again, you must not quit practicing at the first sign of tiredness or you will train yourself to make tiredness an excuse in your matches. You must effectively train your mind to keep fighting, regardless of the circumstances.

And guess what? We're back to YOU again. There are built in excuses every where that YOU can use to justify why YOU should take the path of least resistance. I hope with this email tennis lesson I have effectively eliminated one of your excuses. Or are you too tired to get it! :)

If you are going to come back from a love 40 deficit you better be able to deal with the failures that got you there in the first place! You cannot begin using the Sleeper Technique and make a comeback if you are still preoccupied with your last mistakes!!!

Now, when I teach the Refocus Technique everyone usually nods their head yes, I got it, I understand! "The next shot is more important than the last mistake." But, there is a subtle mental error that's extremely important everyone seems to make in regard to this technique! Even though everyone says yes, I got it, one day they come to a lesson, miss an easy shot and go ballistic! They spend the next couple of minutes upset with the easy shot they missed! After a while, I question them, "what happened to, the next shot is more important that the last mistake?" The answer, "but this is an easy shot I make all the time."

Then, it dawned on me!!! When I'm teaching the Refocus Technique, in my lesson's mind it means "the next shot is more important than the last mistake" on mistakes they think it's okay to miss on! But, if it's a mistake on a shot they think they're supposed to make, the principle doesn't apply! They have unknowingly justified not using the Refocus Technique because it was a mistake on an easy shot, which in their mind is not the same as a mistake on a difficult shot! Wow! They have misapplied the principle by creating two categories of mistakes. Mistakes they think are okay to make and mistakes they think are not okay! They use the Refocus Technique on the shots they think it's okay to miss, and become annoyed and frustrated on shots they miss that are easy.

The obvious solution is from now on do not separate them! Use the Refocus Technique on the difficult misses as well as the easy misses. "The next shot is more important than the last mistake" on all mistakes! The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly!

First, let's approach this from the standpoint of the negative. What should you not do. You should not try to hit the ball harder. It's amazing how many times players who are having trouble begin hitting the ball harder to get out of their little slump. Somehow this is supposed to get them back on track. I guess a legitimate question to ask would be, if you were not playing well at your normal speed why would you play any better blasting the ball around the court. Avoid this pitfall of hitting the ball harder when you're in trouble.

On the positive side here's what you should do. You should slow it down and try to re-establish your timing and rhythm. This in turn will improve your consistency. Now, there is a subtle pitfall you must avoid when you are attempting to slow down. You're trying to set your timing and rhythm, not win the point. There is a difference. Let's go back to the serve. You decide to slow it down and re-establish your timing on the serve. When you do this you're not hitting your best serves, so your opponent may have an opportunity to win a few more points. You must learn to handle these lost points for the sake of re-establishing your rhythm. Once your timing and rhythm improve you can begin placing the ball better and even speed it up.

Can you see the problem? Most players after losing a few points forget about their timing and rhythm and go right back to their original erratic play. Don't be guilty of this infraction. The next time you're having trouble in your match, do not hit the ball harder. Instead, slow it down and re-establish your timing and rhythm. Remember, you're not trying to win the point so learn to handle the loses until your timing kicks in. I know losing these points can be very difficult to deal with, but there are two words we use to describe this situation in sports... Mental Toughness!

Most players will not run up after a good lob because they're afraid their opponent will lob over their head. Do not be guilty of either one of these infractions. First, learn to move into the correct position after hitting the lob over your opponent's head. Stop standing there watching the magnificence of your last shot. Besides, you can still watch where your ball is going as you're advancing to the net. You can move and see at the same time! You do this all the time when you're driving a car....It may take a little practice, but it will pay huge dividends in the long run. Practice moving into position as you're watching your shot go over your opponent's head.

Second, do not think that because you advance to the net behind a good lob that your opponent will lob back over your head. Instead, think they're going to hit a short lob. Thinking this way is offensive and positive-minded. Although some of the return lobs may go over your head, if you stick with it, you will get your share of high short lobs to put away. With this mindset you are making your opponent hit good shots in order to beat you. Always challenge your opponent to make those difficult shots under pressure.

Now, if you are going to attempt to run to the net once you lob over your opponent's head, here's one piece of advice you should remember. Make sure the lob you hit first bounces behind your opponent before you begin running to the net. Too many players begin running up when they think they've hit the ball over their opponent's head only to find out they were wrong and ended up running into a powerful overhead hit right at them. Remember, you have plenty of time, so make sure the ball bounces behind your opponent before you run forward.

Momentum is the unseen drive or force that moves you continuously forward. You must learn to develop your own momentum in a match and if you lose it, you must gain it back! Most people do not realize it, but the key to momentum is consistency. Here is a phrase you should remember - "consistency establishes momentum." This is true in every aspect of life. If you want momentum on your side, be consistent. Consistency is the gateway to momentum. This is one of the reasons why handling your negatives, mistakes, and failures is top priority. If you are always letting up when you fail, you will not be consistent and consequently you will struggle to maintain momentum. If you lose momentum you must focus on being consistent to gain it back. Consistency establishes momentum!

The key to momentum is consistency, the key to consistency is concentration, and the key to concentration is self-discipline. What I am telling you is YOU have a lot to do with momentum. You must be self-disciplined to not let negatives, mistakes, and failures bother you. You must be self-disciplined to be patient when you lose momentum, and look to reestablish your consistency. And you must be self-disciplined to not change your game when you have momentum on your side. Self-discipline will help you maintain your consistency and keep your momentum.

Have you ever noticed when one player has the momentum then some unusual situation occurs and the momentum shifts back to the other player. For example, at a crucial point, player "A" who does not have the momentum accidentally hits the net cord and the ball drops over on to player "B's" court. If it is a crucial point, many times the momentum will swing back to the other player on that one point! Do you know why this happens? It happens because consistency establishes momentum. The player who hit the net cord and won the crucial point feels motivated. The player who had a bad break during a crucial point feels a little down. Being a little down causes the player with momentum to lose some concentration and his consistency wanes a bit. Since consistency establishes momentum, he is vulnerable to losing some momentum at that moment. On the other hand, the player that caught a break at the right time feels great and his concentration improves which affects his consistency. Therefore, he is in position to grab the momentum back and many times this is exactly what happens! One way you can grab the momentum back is for you to be patient and keep plugging away waiting for an opportunity like this to happen, then seize the moment!

In conclusion, remember consistency establishes momentum. The key to momentum is consistency, the key to consistency is concentration, and the key to concentration is self-discipline. All of these principles come down to one little word that always makes the difference in a match. That word is YOU!

One reason why you do not practice is because you may lose and never be asked again to play with these better players. This is understandable, but how about this approach. Practice new things in your fun matches just for 5 minutes. You do not have to practice the whole time, just 5 minutes here and there during the match. As you have more success with the new technique add additional time. Before you know it, it will become part of your game!

Number two, I will not get down on myself when I make mistakes or begin losing. This is a problem for most people, but this year will be different...right! You'll clearly realize this year that mistakes and losing are part of learning how to win. Even if you are number one in the world you'll make mistakes and lose. Accept it as part of the process and learn to deal with it and move on. If you have trouble, remember "mentally tough people can think in terms of negatives without getting discouraged" or the old reliable "the next shot is more important than the last mistake." Either way forget it and keep moving!

Number three, I'll remember to use the Australian formation in doubles more often this year. This is important because it's time to have another weapon in your doubles arsenal. Use the Australian formation in your fun matches more often this year, even if it's not necessary. By the end of the year your goal should be to become so familiar with the Australian formation that you can pull it out in an important match and confound your opponents not yourself!

Use Plan "A" when you are up at the net by yourself or preferably with your partner. Plan "A" dictates that you hit all low balls and all high short balls (a high short ball is a high ball in front of the service line) to a specific spot on the court. When you are up at the net your opponents can be positioned in three different formations.

Formation 1. One up, one back

Formation 2. Both back

Formation 3. Both up

In this lesson we will only discuss the formation that occurs the most, formation 1. When your opponents are in a one up, one back formation you should hit high short balls to the net persons feet or somewhere on their side. You could also angle or hit to the middle, but at first you should keep it simple and hit to the net persons feet. It still amazes me to see how many players hit the high short ball to the player on the baseline. They finally get the opportunity to win the point and they choose to it the ball to the person on the baseline. Who in turn lobs over their head! Never give your opponent more chances than necessary to lob over your head. When you are hit a high short ball, go for it! If you miss, it does not matter, you were hitting the right shot at the right time. All high short balls should be hit to the net persons feet - it is that simple!

All low balls should be hit to the player on the baseline. Again, it is amazing to watch players consistently hit the low ball to the player at the net. When you have one opponent on the baseline and one up at the net, do not hit the low ball to the player at the net! This simple does not make sense. The low ball you are hitting will be rising upward nice and high for the net person to blast it at you or your partner. To hit a low ball back to the net person and keep it low at their feet is very difficult. Especially in the heat of battle. Besides why even attempt to do this when you can hit the ball to the opponent on the baseline. I call the opponent on the baseline the safety valve. When you are in trouble play it safe and hit to the player on the baseline. A low ball is just such a situation. Play it safe and look for something better to hit for a winner.

Plan "A" is actually simple, but players unknowingly violate the principles all the time. High balls should be hit to the net persons feet, and low balls to the player on the baseline. Test yourself when you play and see if you are guilty of any of these simple infractions. If you are, stop!

1. Returning serve when your opponent stays back

2. Returning serve when your opponent charges the net

3. The mindset you should adopt when returning serve

Since the mindset is so important let's begin there. Whether your opponent serves and stays back or serves and runs to the net the mindset is the same. In both cases do not try to play in what I call the hit winners mindset (you know everything you hit has to win the point). Instead, adopt a consistent mindset. Think in terms of getting the ball back and neutralizing your opponent's serve. Most players do too much with the ball and make entirely too many unforced errors. This is due to faulty thinking. They're putting too much pressure on themselves to win the point off the return of serve. Do not fall prey to this temptation.

Okay, here's what you can do to make it more difficult on the server. If your opponent serves and stays back you must master a deep cross court return of serve. The key here is depth. You must keep your opponent from coming up to the net by hitting a deep cross court return of serve. Depth makes your opponent stay back and at the same time gives you more time to react to the next shot. Hitting deep tilts the percentages in your favor. You're attempting to create pressure, not win the point outright.

Now, if your opponent is serving and running to the net you must also hit the ball cross court but, this time you should keep the ball low at his feet. This will make your opponent hit up at the ball and possibly give you a pop up, which you then can put away. Remember, you are trying to create pressure, not hit a winner!

To summarize, when your opponent serves and stays back, you should return cross court and deep. When your opponent serves and runs to the net, you should return cross court and low at their feet. And finally in both cases make sure you stay in the consistent mindset and not the hit-winners mindset.

1. When you see the ball your opponent hit is going to your partner you run across and cut it off.

2. When your opponent is about to hit you take off anticipating the ball being hit to your partner.

The former is the way most players poach, but the latter is more effective if you can practice the timing and movement. With the first method the ball has to be hit slow enough and close enough to you to be successful. The second method you add the element of surprise and you can reach balls that are farther away. If you would like to learn this second method you must practice the timing over and over and over and over and over...get my point? Repetition! You must run when your opponent is about to hit the ball, not after they hit the ball. There is a risk involved, but the reward in the long run is worth it. Even if you run across and miss your opponents will always be on the lookout for you to move again. This is a good way to keep them mentally off balance.

Another technique that makes sense is to protect a weak partner glued back on the baseline by putting their strength in a position to hit most of the balls. What do I mean? Let's say your partner is right handed and has a weak backhand. Let them serve in the normal formation from the deuce side and play Australian from the ad side. If you are not familiar with the Australian formation purchase a good doubles book and brush up on this technique. In the Australian formation their forehand will be exposed to all the action. On both the deuce side and the ad side their backhand will be protected and their forehand will be hitting most of the shots. Also if you're right handed and do not have a strong backhand volley you will be at the net with your forehand volley exposed to most of the action.

Use the Australian formation on either side depending on whether your partner is left handed or right handed and depending on what shot you are trying to protect. This is a simple solution that is rarely used. Of course in the long run the best solution is to get your partner up at the net where you are, but that's another story.