Cards

- ok to lose
- play for fun
- smile when playing
- show off serving
- reasons why you should play well
- relentless pursuit of forehand
- playing one's best has nothing to do with one's opponent, so embrace one's opponent
- notice now, sound of ball, spin of ball
- times when you have been able to get into the visual zone - why? - repeat
- let go of the outcome
- let go of all the bad things...bad light, bad call, bullying...let go of winning...let go of ego
- get more enjoyment from fixed focus as can react 'later' to events & retrieve more balls - naturally focus more locally when trying to do this
- contact zone focus is focus on the future while seeing the past at the same time = the present!
- work on playing to your full potential more, the challenge of riding a big wave!
- love people watching
- so much more enjoyment from relaxing on the court & enjoying the game - the goal becomes playing in the zone, that is it, not winning
- every aspect of the game, warm-up, serving, returning, starting to play, getting close in a set...is all part of the opportunity to feel at one with the game & in the zone, loving every minute
- let go of ego, let go of self consciousness...prerequisites to playing in the zone

Zone

the zone & how to get there..?

i have used '5' as a method, as in count how many balls you can see before you hit them & attempt to watch the first 5 balls of the rally - this helps to occupy the mind & watch the ball longer

what about the strategy as to how hard to hit it, what to attempt..? - i have been trying to 'hit' the ball more recently, which is good with regard to getting the backhand topspin in the game, however i tried to hit too much in the Gillam match & missed some as a result

i thought about adding '10', as in 10% to the 5 mantra, so it becomes 5/10 & then to use 3/10 because of the link to 3Tenn making it easy to remember - but, in the moment with some anxiety, what does 3/10 mean? - it takes too long to think about

one needs a mental image to latch on to as to what one is trying to do - Scott Ford suggest the 'window' metaphor, whereby one defends based on 4 quadrants, top left, top right, bottom left & bottom right - try this, in combination with counting, so, imagine a window with 4 quadrants, say 'yes'/'no' to whether you are able to defend the window & count how many times you do it

note - this is not about hitting balls over the net, this is about stopping balls going past the window

the visual focus becomes the contact zone rather than the ball/oppoment/everything else - focus on one thing - fixed depth focus rather than variable depth focus = easier!

goal becomes to reach zone - 'inner joy' - fun, ride the wave = highest ability on that day - to be at one with the game of tennis - need to get rid of ego - need to let go in order to play better - aspire to play at a higher level

The power of full engagement - Jim Loehr

Gillam - August 10 2016

rushed to get there - made me feel anxious & not enough time to go through routine - did not hit the ball freely in warm-up or early in match - unable to watch ball closely throughout, missed lots of makeable ground strokes, worried about racket - nervous despite no one watching - thought about what Martin was thinking, thought about acceptable scores, no rhythm on serve, hand sore on forehand - Martin attacking net, so good to start serve volleying, but left it too late & serve not good enough - then came in too often

played Micka 2 days after - very relaxed warm-up, served complete action smoothly - played well, only broker down when stopped watching ball

actions:
- sort out rackets & grips
- get there in time, plan times night before
- establish a better routine...warm up, relax audio, visualise playing, set goals & visualise acting them out, game face
- start slowly, watch the ball, feel the shot, smooth start with 3 every point, play within yourself, adjusting according to opponent - '10% better'
- 3/10 = 3Tenn
- exercise shoulder & hand
- try complete action for serve, starting rhythmically & slowly, if goes wrong, switch off
- work on switching off, balance, watching ball
- practice mild stress

Tennis / Football

22 July 2014 - Sheen football - Played ok, passed pretty well, but very poor near goal - good mistakes as got into shooting positions but not watching the ball - pretty good re. patience as lost heavily & remained positive throughout

Actions
- some sessions focussed on watching the ball when striking & under pressure

23 July 2014 - indoor tennis Stef - played two sets - tried to watch the ball - did it ok but need to get far more routined about it - hit a number of backhands into top of net due to lifting head too quickly & steering the ball, rather than letting racket go - got unnerved when some good players arrived

Actions
- practice technique that helps with watching the ball - 'fed the ball' - keep head still while hitting forehand & let backhand go to get more height over the net returning
- anxiety was around having to serve in a pressurised environment - need to understand this more - read, seek advice - get a serving routine that can be relied upon
- play in some situations that move towards more pressure - gentle tennis matches & try some new things on the football pitch as good mistakes
- start visualising performance situations, good & bad - understand differences - practice what works!
- need to set specific goals for each practice session

24 July 2014 - tennis with Donald - let the racket go on the backhand, both slice & top spin - try to find your centre while moving - performed ok but failed to maintain concentration throughout
24 July 2014 - mhp football - try a stepover, if & when there is an opportunity to take on a man - played an unexpected match & played pretty well - competed well - got opposition a little wound up - need to get to this ability to compete without anxiety in tennis - need to overcome anxiety over skill execution in tennis - playing unconsciously with focus winds players up - apply this pressure in a tennis match - allow it to take effect

Actions
- practice concentrating in practice - imagine people watching, important stage of a match & still try to play focussed - go for shots to find balance between safety/risk

25 July 2014 - met with Steve - suggested a band for serving practice - transitioning, so more rotation from deep, more wrist close to net
25 July 2014 - hit with Marlies - found good rhythm - stay down & watch the ball for longer to return hard shots - panicked when someone started watching serving practice & then points - understand exactly what happened here - anxiety -> less movement -> over conscious - need to learn how to refocus & need a more solid serving technique
25 July 2014 - Trevor tip - get on toes for clay

Actions
- get a band & use it
- put yourself into pressure situations, get a technique to learn to deal with it & try it
- try a clay session & concentrate on getting on toes

28 July 2014 - practice - focus on hitting point on backhand, forehand & serve - feel racket head through the ball

29 July 2014 - Paul on clay - played half-court & full court - committed to backhand topspin, good, practice more - forehand better when watching the ball for longer - try to develop a routine - hitting ball too short

29 July 2014 - football at sheen - lost it at end for no real reason - need to practice ignoring getting knocked off ball

30 July 2014 - Donald - focus on getting on toes & finding balance centre - focus wandered to competitive things - over thought - awkward conditions, needed to move much more

Actions
- try again to focus on toes & exaggerate the movement

31 July 2014 - Dave - hit on grass - forehand too late too often, particularly early on - getting to hit it cross court helps - aim to hit it cross court early in a match - serve needs to be simplified - need to get into smash position & then release

Actions
- try getting more side on when hitting it down the middle
- try getting hand further forwards on forehand to hit further in front - self feed
- try hitting bottom right of ball

1 August 2014 - Brian - try chin on shoulder to get forehand further forwards - toes as trigger - try watching the back of racket at contact - be brave on serve - archers bow - did not try chin or toes - work on one thing! - forehand cross-court tactic was working, build on this - did try watching back of ball - not possible on forehand but a little on backhand, maybe grip is an issue - this is a key, have to find a way to keep the head still through follow through - this not only helps the hit but builds confidence as you feel you will make better contact - serve felt better using archers - helps get to smash position - Brian suggested working on and hitting only second serves

Action
- hit the ball slowly, practice hitting the correct side of the ball on forehand & serve - watch for the spin on the ball - keep the head still through impact

3 August 2014 - football, mhp - thought too much, became concerned over result - need to practice believing in goal, so as to lose concern over result - faster centering - get back to an action, which is to watch the ball, via globe trigger

4 August 2014 - practice forehand & serve - start slowly around contact - did it, pretty happy with forehand & found better rhythm with serve - need to extend on toss to enable better throw of racket, kind of a pendulum

5 August 2014 - session with Paul - did not warm up, need to do this to make best use of session - worked on forehand - hit cross-court attacking & defensive forehands - can shorten backswing for more defensive - get low & stay low - on attacking shots, watched ball for as long as possible & let racket go extended - worked well & happy with defensive shots - watch ball & stay down, get forward

6 August 2014 - Donald - treat this as match - centre before, with goal to be ready to get on toes & watch the ball & use forehand to attack - practice serving with focus on feeling the technique, ignore the immediate outcome - try centring! - windy - let wind & heavier racket bother me - also lost focus when moon balls came, but was playing them ok

Actions
- sort rackets out
- accept difficult conditions
- work on service rhythm
- commit to trying 100% regardless
- accept mistakes
- practice enjoying the challenge of negative play by others

7 August 2014 - wall practice - start slow - switch off & allow to happen - focus on contact point - hit it loose - fast head speed - hit ok, watching for spin on the ball key - need to find a way to watch the ball for longer, so as to keep head still - toss the ball slowly on serve

10 August 2014 - football mhp - concerned over different conditions - felt anxious - need to commit to getting in the game - want the ball - get involved - no fun otherwise!

11 August 2014 - played Said - got into a good rhythm but not able to "see" the ball - then played Luc - hit it great, able to watch the ball closely, seeing the spin as lots of slice on it - it was fun trying to deal with the slice - work towards making it fun always! - need to work on stopping thinking before play, with the goal of fun & the process of watching the ball spin & smile to watch it longer

12 August 2014 - played with Paul - not good - tired & not motivated - either get motivated or don't play

13 August 2014 - Donald - did not play well but ground it out well - stayed pretty focussed but tried too hard on forehand - it was windy, so difficult - hit it good before great! - switch off & just enjoy hitting it, watch it more closely & for longer

14 August 2014 - Neagle - focus on finish of shots & commit to watching the ball through the finish

19 August 2014 - Lio - good hit but out hit! - need to watch ball more closely to hit better & take more steps close to hit - work on footwork - make the wind your friend - you can play in it, so make it difficult for opponent

20 - Donald - played pretty well with different racket but not completely in control of ball - need to get into "micro" zone of attention/look/feel of ball

21 August 2014 - Annie - try earlier preparation, exaggerate left arm turn on forehand, get into routine of attacking the ball - enjoy learning!

24 August 2014 - football mhp - not as relaxed as could be as felt had not played for some time & good players playing - need to practice feeling of getting ready to play, how to feel/think, feeling of skills more often

11 September 2014 - Llafranc tournamanet - lost to Jordi - struggled - key is to allow yourself to get a feel for the ball, to be able to get the ball in slowly & build from there - use the warm up to try to get more feeling, hit slowly, focus on the ball, stop thinking, start enjoying, watch the ball closely, feel the ball, build from there

24 September 2014 - Don Carlos tournament - won one, lost one - played steady in first match but everything broke down in second, serve led - did not really enjoy playing - this is the key that must be unlocked! - need to find a rhythm on serve and need to find a way to enjoy the tennis - there was the spanish guy there who can really play & he played relaxed - smiling, moving smoothly, hitting smoothly - no panic about winning & losing points - this is the key - the inner game - need to work on this so that every time you play you just focus on having fun - if not, what is the point? - learn to concentrate on watching the ball, feeling the ball & loving it!

25 September 2014 - Don Carlos - more reflections + Jeff Greenwald video - did i feel really good after winning - only in the sense i had got a lot of balls back, not in feeling good about hitting the shots i wanted to hit & playing the way i wanted to play & not in building any confidence, as i went in to the next match & played poorly - so, the winning feeling is temporary & not sustainable - it does not help - equally, the losing feeling goes away soon & i feel like trying again - equally, no one cares about whether i won/lost very quickly - they move on to their own concerns - so, really, the winning/losing really does not matter - it is about moving towards feeling good about how you play & how you behave - visualise how you want to feel playing tennis - it is related to how you want to be as a person - relaxed, smiling, enjoying it, calm, quiet - child like state - write down this feeling & continually move towards feeling & acting the role - be that person!

6 & 9 October - sessions with Vladka
- serve - 12.30 toss, reach for the apple, target centre
- take the ball early, attack, come in to the net

7 October 2014 - tuesday football - good approach, smiling, got into it quickly - still experiencing a certain frustration & anxiety later in game, which can only be about the result - fear of losing, either from winning or losing position - this is only going to improve if the focus becomes enjoying the football as much as possible & let any thoughts to do with winning/losing go



paradigm shift - let go of ego, your expectations, other people's expectations & winning/losing & just focus on you & the ball - work on stopping caring about the result - face up to losing - accept the consequences of going for shots & missing - experience it, feel it & learn from it - “The definition of freedom is feeling as though you have nothing to lose.” - relish every shot, experience every situation & then you are free

feel, free, fun -> FREE

i want to play like Emilio Alvarez!

you are playing for the future, this is just one point of one match along the way

commit to going for shots before the match

practice shot patterns - cross-court forehand, followed by forehand down the line

get some coaching - let go of the result - just immerse yourself in the process

want to feel good about the way you played on reflection in years to come

expect nothing - as in accept expectations but then let them go
be patient
score doesn't matter
opponent doesn't matter
accept getting nervous, it is about how you respond…smile, accept the nerves, you thought they would come & it shows you care, be aware of your body, centre, recall the feeling of hitting the ball loose, visualise how you are going to hit the ball, exaggerate, smile, watch the ball, execute the shot
learn to feel how hitting a loose shot feels - try hitting shots tight in practice - be aware of arms & shoulders
visualise how you want to play, the shots you want to hit - want to hit backhand drive return, exaggerate it to feel it
trust feminine side!
get your conscious mind out of the way - just use it to focus on the ball & breathing - watch the ball until you see it spinning - keep head still for a while during point of impact - breath out through hit - follow through every time - loose grip - observe breathing - watch ball between points!
ball, breathe, blur

Routines
focus on a feeling as often as you can, as simple as possible…
return of serve - focus on feel of feet on the ground (internal) & then focus on the ball in servers hand (external)
serve - breathe, loose arm (internal), pick a spot (external), apple
general - breathe, squeeze tight area, release, scan, smile, focus on ball
count to distract

Tactics
hit every serve as a second serve in the middle, at least to start with
return with purpose, down the middle, at least to start with
visualise hitting downhill

Mental
- need to work out exactly which skills you are weak on & address them
- simulate situations where you are nervous due to expectations i.e. being seeded, players wanting to watch, centre court…amounts to what others think of you
- previous past performances that went well
- need to 'over learn' the various skills to be able to perform under pressure
- the experience & challenges of the playing of the game are far more interesting & enjoyable than any particular outcome - love it!
- when you find yourself thinking about an outcome, centre...
- reduce importance of any match - goal is to play better tennis, which is a process, shot by shot, which needs to be experienced to do it, so one is on a journey, so get on the journey & love it!
- get to right brain focus, switch off left brain, work from ideal right brain focus outwards, concentric circles, so use process cues to get back - trigger word/visualisation/sound

Centering
- as soon as you feel anxiety, deep breathe in & on the exhale, relax the neck, shoulder, arm & leg muscles, smile, accept & direct attention to…
- commit to giving 100%
- focus on ball
- smile

Practice / training
Mental routine
- center - breathe - convert adreneline to energy - look forward to moving - sheen football excitement - commit to 100% - no excuses - ignore & embrace opponent - think Nadal
Warm-up
- watch the ball closely - move feet a lot, find centre, exaggerate shots, hit slowly & loose - think Sergio Gomez
Start
- move lots - continue warm-up approach, one level up - hit slow before trying good,  hit good before trying great
- return/serve - think where you want to hit it - visualise shot(s) - zoom
General
- play to your natural strengths…movement, forehand, volley
- forget about yourself
- get a feel for every technique - do them slowly
- try hitting left-handed
- listen to the sound of the ball
- breathe deep & slow

Goal
It is a journey - need to get to the point of really looking forward to playing - want to hit the ball - want to enjoy the experiences, good & bad, of competing - channel this energy into moving a lot & watching the ball

To play & improve my play

Serve - only needs to be improving, will not be perfect - practice over & over & over..!

set some goals - motivation

the reason to be at a tournament is to enjoy playing tennis- learn & experience it

Past
playing at 16, hitting forehand winners down the line - required watching the ball for longer, knowing that it was going in

Serve
breathe, centre, pick a spot, visualise, loose grip

Triggers
serve - archers bow - apple
other - spin & smile
sound - san jose
movement - toes
child like
visualise playing downhill

Don Greene
Anders Ericsson