|
December 1998 Article Latest Leading Edge Tennis Article
The Tennis Server
|
|
| ||||||||
|
|
The Long And Winding Road To Development: Practicing And Playing Properly, A Key To A Player's Performance!
IntensityIntensity can be measured many ways, I have chosen however to share information on two areas that will help create and meaure intensity they are; a) physical state b) mental state.Physical StateA player needs to be physically activated in order to prepare and engage the body for movement. In tennis we call this the physical arousal level. If a player can activate the body for action then he or she may have a better chance of peforming to expectations.How Do I Get Physically Activated?To get activated, try: skipping, jogging, treadmill, or stationary bicycling for a few minutes in order to elevate your heart rate. When your heart rate is elevated the body creates internal heat and when this happens it is much like a car warming up. When the body begins to regulate the internal temperature (cool off) sweat or perspiration occurs.
How Do I Keep This Cycle Going?Tennis is a start and stop sport and it is difficult to always have the body ready for action all the time. What we can do to keep the body temperature up especially during lower environmental temperatures is to keep moving while playing. I suggest moving at your position on the court with small little hops, I call it "dancing." You can also perform a split step when you are about to make a movement towards the ball.
What Are The Signs That A Player Is Activated?Signs to monitor that indicate a player's physical arousal level may include:
Mental StateA player needs to be mentally balanced in order to make proper descisions and call the body to action. In tennis we call this Mental Arousal. If a player has the right type of arousal then they may have a better chance of peforming to their expectations.
How Do I Get Mentally Activated?To get activated, try: having a game plan or strategy, eye control, breathing patterns, process versus outcome oriented thinking. Stay in the present. Before the match or practice takes place I suggest having a few minutes alone to contemplate what is about to happen. Mentally focus on how your desired mental state, visualize it and see your self doing it. Have clear goals on what you want from the match or practice and reference these regulary during performance:
How Do I Keep This Cycle Going?Tennis is a start and stop sport and it is difficult to always have the mind ready to act. There is so much time to "think" the wrong things, between points and during changeovers. But you can use this time to really put yourself in an excellent mental state. Techniques that will keep your mind ready for action include:
What Are The Signs That A Player Is Mentally Activated?The following are some of the signs that a player is mentally activated. Over time you will learn how to identify when your arousal levels are optimum:
Mind and Body LinkBoth physical and mental states are important if a player is to perform at maximum potential. The catch is that both need to work together as a unit in order to the best results to occur. Here's the tricky part -- if the body is under activated or over activated, then the mind may have a difficult time finding it's own optimum peformance state. On the other hand, if the mind is over or under aroused then the body may freeze up and not perform.
Intrinsic DesireIf there is one thing that I have learned as a high performance elite coach working with National level players and with young moms and tots programs it is that it is up to the player or student to "want to improve." No matter how much a player may appear to me to be wasting their talent, I ultimately do not have the right to impose how they should "be." It is not to say that a coach should ever give up on a student, rather it is up to us to: guide, help, find motivation with the player, support, inform of possible consequences, and give personal perspectives. A player's desire must come from within themselves -- an intrinsic desire. If the player plays for the wrong reasons then the effect is usually short-lived and the pleasure of participation is lessened. I would recommend a coach that helps empower a player over a coach or academy that forces a player to "want to improve."Remember coaches and parents: players really never want to lose, they want to win as badly as you want them to. It's such a long road to development, we might as well make it as enjoyable an experience as possible. In closing, there are actually many other areas of practice and match play that need to be addressed. I welcome your comments on this month's column at reggie@tennisserver.com. Based on your comments, I may in future articles share more good practice and performance habits. I would like to say thanks to all those people who this past year sent me e-mail, faxes and phone messages! Your letters and words continually inspire me to continue writing and sharing. I look forward to contributing another year of creative and interesting articles for Tennis Server and to your wonderful letters. Also, I'd like to thank all those people who have attended my many tennis presentations at conferences around the world and to those who have purchased my "Kids' Book of Tennis." Happy holidays to you all and all the best for the new year! I will be in the Miami, Florida area for the most of December at the Orange Bowl attending tournaments with some of my high performance tennis players. If you see me, please say hello -- I'm always happy to sit down and chat! My best, Reggie
This column is copyright 1998 by Reggie Vasquez Jr., all rights reserved.
Questions and comments about these columns can be directed to Reggie by electronic mail at reggie@tennisserver.com. |
|
|||||||||
Long ago I remember a friend of mine, Dennis Van Der Meer, once saying,
"you know, practice does not make perfect, but perfect practice makes
perfect." It stuck with me to this day and in this month's article I hope
to share some of the components of what makes up a good practice or lesson.
|
"Tennis Server" and "Tennis Server INTERACTIVE" are trademarks of The Tenagra Corporation. All original material and graphics on the WWW Tennis Server are copyrighted 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 by The Tenagra Corporation and its sponsors and contributors. Please do not reproduce without permission.
|
