Raedy ,Set, Goal

-from the tennis magazine issue

To raise your game in 2007, start with our four-step battle plan.

By John F. Murray

Imagine you wanted to construct a house. Would you succeed if you began driving nails into stacks of two-by-fours without a blueprint? Not likely. But that’s how many of us go about our tennis. We want to build better strokes, but when we get on the court we hit balls with little or no purpose. Then we wonder why our games stay the same year after year.

Just as a builder must have a plan before undertaking a construction project, you need one to take your tennis game to the next level. The surest way, as many of the best players know, is to use the power of goal-setting. Goal setting helps you break big goals into smaller, easier-to-reach targets while keeping the larger aim in focus. It’s an effective tool for improving, and I’ve employed it successfully with players of all levels. Here’s how, in four easy steps, you can use goal setting to jump-start your game this year.

1. LAY THE GROUNDWORK

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of goal-setting, let’s talk about the mind-set that I think makes achievement more likely. First, ask yourself two questions:

Do you play tennis primarily to achieve success or to avoid failure?
If you play mainly to avoid losing, you’ll be more anxious and less confident in your practices and matches, which will interfere with even your best-laid plans. It’s more helpful to take a positive view of achievement and pursue success by focusing on what you want to accomplish, while de-emphasizing thoughts of failure.

Do you play tennis to show superiority over your opponent or to improve your skills and get to the next level?
If you take the second approach, you’re “task-involved.” Task-involved athletes are motivated by internal reasons such as fun or pride rather than by external rewards such as recognition. They tend to be more persistent than others in performance situations. They set goals to master skills.

Those who adopt the first approach are “ego-involved.” These players define their performance in comparison with others. This appears to work best only when you’re completely confi dent of your abilities and not threatened by the possibility of losing. Unfortunately, many ego-involved athletes also avoid challenging situations that might otherwise take them to a higher level. Try to adopt a positive approach toward achievement that allows you to pursue success without thinking about failure, and a task-based rather than ego-based mind-set that emphasizes skill improvement.

2. ADOPT SOME BASIC PRINCIPLES

Place performance above winning.
Everybody wants to win, but, ironically, thinking about winning during a match makes it less likely to happen. Winning or losing is only decided after the fi nal point, so concentrating on this in advance distracts you from what you want—performance in the present. Another problem with outcome-based thinking is that it raises anxiety, either when things don’t go well or when you’re close to victory and hoping not to let your lead slip. It’s wiser to keep your focus on the raw ingredients of performance that lead to long-term success and improvement, such as good footwork, relaxed play, strong ground strokes, and first-serve accuracy.

Choose excellence over perfection.
High achievers often fall into the trap of thinking they must be perfect. This is counterproductive. Those rigidly committed to perfection almost always find themselves disappointed and discouraged. While perfection is impossible, excellence is attainable.

Embrace competition.
I admired Jimmy Connors in my youth as perhaps the best example of positive fighting spirit. Learn to look forward to the joy and thrill of competition, and learn to love the chance to play in front of others. Find opponents who are near your ability level or slightly better and never walk away from a challenge.

3. PLAN IT OUT

Now it’s time to start making your tennis goals for 2007. So get out a notepad and a pen or fi re up your computer and open your word-processing program. The first thing you want to do is take a look at your game and analyze how well you play, mentally as well as physically. (You might ask your local pro, or someone who knows your game well, for an objective viewpoint.)

As you do this, consider the different kinds of goals you can set for yourself:

Process goals are specific things you’d like to do during matches or training, such as hitting against a backboard three times a week.

Performance goals have some measurable standard associated with them, like reducing your number of unforced errors by 10 each match.

Outcome goals focus on a competitive result such as winning a match or a tournament.

Place most of your emphasis on process and performance goals, and only a small portion of your focus on outcome goals. Once you’ve created an inventory, list your top fi ve goals for the next 12 months. Evaluate the fi ve you’ve listed. Are they realistic? Aiming for a spot on the pro tour is probably not the wisest choice. But going from 3.0 to 3.5 on the NTRP scale or improving your league record are very possible. From this list, select one or two that can be achieved over the next 12 months. These are your long-term goals.

Next, list fi ve supporting goals that will help you accomplish each long-term goal. For example, to jump up to the 3.5 level two of your supporting goals might be to reduce your unforced errors and beef up your backhand. Next, break the year into three-month periods and decide what needs to be done in each period to reach each of your supporting goals; record these steps on goal-setting sheets. For example, you might try to reduce your unforced errors by five per match, with the target of lowering your unforced errors by 20 per match over the year. And to shore up your backhand, a quarterly goal might be to commit to taking six lessons for your backhand and do backhand-specific drills in practice 12 times. Having a specific goal and striving to attain it will help you focus on your bigger objectives. Break things down further by laying out monthly goals that will get you to your quarterly goals. For example, your monthly performance goal might be to strive for one or two fewer unforced errors each match. With that in mind, your monthly process goal might be to arrange for two lessons and set up four practice sessions. If you want, you can keep going and make weekly and daily goals so you’ve broken everything down into small steps.

Once you’ve gone through the entire process you’ll have a blueprint for success for your year and all you’ll have to do is concentrate on the little things and watch them add up.

But it’s important to review your goals frequently and be flexible with them. Many people get discouraged and quit striving for their goals after the fi rst setback. Reevaluate your goals every two weeks and adjust them as needed to maintain the challenge. If you reach all of your goals too early, you’ll need to set higher ones.

But if you’re constantly disappointed in your attempts, you need to set more realistic goals. There’s no shame in decreasing the difficulty level of your objectives.

4. FORM A TEAM

The most common reason that people fail to reach their tennis goals is that they get discouraged early on and quit. This happens to everybody, and it’s especially true if you try to do it all by yourself. Build a support team that will help you stick with it. Tell your local teaching pro and your practice partners what you want to achieve and enlist their help and encouragement.

Don't Hit the Wall

Perhaps the most frustrating error tennis players make is dumping the ball into the net. Though often caused by ambitious shot selection and balls struck with little margin for error, the transparency of the net is a problem as well. Because you can see through the net to the other side, we often fail to grasp how much of a barrier the net really is.

To prevent this visual trickery, imagine that the net is a solid wall. (Some instructors even go so far as to drape fabric over the net to better get the point across.) This will give you a more realistic view of the obstacle in the middle of the court and encourage you to aim your shots higher. That, in turn, will mean more consistency and greater depth.

Fix for Cutting Your Swing Short

Don’t cut your swing short on ground strokes.

PROBLEM
You use an abbreviated motion on your ground strokes. You may have a short backswing or follow-through that results in a slapping or blocking motion. Your shots may make it over the net, but they lack power, spin, control, and consistency.

SOLUTION
To get a full swing on your ground strokes, pretend the butt of your racquet is a camera, and that you have to take two pictures with it in order to achieve a proper motion. The first picture is of the incoming ball. If you can put your racquet in a position to take this picture, that means you’ve prepared your racquet early enough and are using an adequate backswing, with your wrist laid back and your arm ready to drive the racquet head at the ball. After you make contact, allow your arm to fully extend to where you want the ball to go and follow through. To complete your stroke, take a second picture with the butt of your racquet, this time of your intended target. A lot of players stop their strokes right after contact or come straight across their bodies. Make sure that, besides having the butt pointing at the right spot, the face of your racquet is parallel to the side fence and not pointing to the ground or sky. This should help you achieve a successful stroke.

Take a look at your game

If you’ve ever had your voice recorded—and who hasn’t these days—you’ve probably experienced that slightly unsettling realization that you sound different than you thought you did. The same thing is often true of your tennis game. Many people have mental images of their strokes that differ significantly from the way they really are. But having a good sense of what you’re actually doing with your strokes is a prerequisite not only for keeping your game polished—imperceptible changes have a way of creeping into our strokes over time—but also for correcting flaws. Therefore, it pays to take a look at your swings occasionally. The obvious and most effective way of doing this is to have your pro videotape you as you hit and then go over the results with you. Many clubs offer this service and it’s a great way to analyze your strokes and see where they need work. A simpler way to view your game is to take practice swings in front of a large plate glass window while looking at your reflection. I recently did this and noticed that the back swing on my forehand wasn’t as high as it should be. That explained the flatter shots I’d been producing on that side lately as well as the increase in unforced errors. So, I’ve corrected the problem by adding more of a loop on my take-back. However you chose to do it, visually analyzing your strokes from time to time is a smart way to keep them in tip-top shape.

The Hidden Practice Opportunity

If you're like most players, whenever you have the chance to be on the tennis court you prefer to play rather than practice. After all, your time is limited and you have a busy schedule, right? Consequently, you don't get as much practice as you should. But there's a way to get a little extra practice in each match that few players take advantage of. What is it? The feed. Think about it. Every time you play you have to pick up and return back to your opponent dozens of balls that aren't in play whenever he's serving. This is a perfect opportunity to put a little extra polish on your ground strokes. For example, I often play against a guy with a strong forehand but a relatively weak backhand. But he's smart and he uses every opportunity to get a little extra practice on that side. So, every time I'm serving and I need him to send over a ball or two, he feeds it with his backhand. He bounces the ball in front of him, takes a proper backswing, makes good contact and follows through normally. By the middle of the first set he's usually found his rhythm on that side. The same thing works for your forehand too. Whenever you feed a ball to your opponent try to maintain good form. Don't just slap the ball back over the net, otherwise you'll be unintentionally grooving a bad motion.

Lessons from Isaac Newton

A split-step keeps you in continuous motion during a rally. You may have done your best to forget high school physics class, but perhaps you remember one of the key physicists, Isaac Newton, and the three laws that were named after him. What do they have to do with your tennis game, you ask? Everything. When it comes to mastering important concepts and understanding your coach’s advice, many players grasp them better once they know the science behind it. So for the more cerebral players out there, this one’s for you. BEGINNER OBJECTIVE 1: Perform a split-step Newton’s first law states that objects in motion tend to stay in motion, and objects at rest tend to stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force. So if you’re flatfooted on court—an object at rest—it takes more effort and time to get moving and into position to return the shot. If, on the other hand, you perform a split-step (a small hop where you land on the balls of both feet) as your opponent makes contact with the ball, you’re an object in motion. This means you’ve already overcome your inertia and therefore can move to the ball faster. That’s why you always see good players do a split-step right before their opponentsmake contact with the ball. OBJECTIVE 2: Strengthen your leg muscles Stopping and changing direction— overcoming the inertia of your body in motion— takes a tremendous amount of leg strength, and the more powerful your legs are, the more agile you’ll be. Plus, you’re less likely to get injured if your leg muscles are strong enough to withstand the stress that tennis places upon them. So make time to train your leg muscles. Squats and lunges are particularly good exercises to make you explosive around the court. A smooth low-to-high swing enables you to hit hard and keep the ball in the court. INTERMEDIATE OBJECTIVE 1: Get the right racquet for your game As your game becomes more developed, make sure your equipment matches your style of play. Newton’s second law states that force equals mass times acceleration. In other words, you’ll hit the ball harder (with more force) if you increase either the weight or celeration of your racquet, or both. If you can swing one racquet at the same speed as a lighter one, the force will increase. This is a positive with ground strokes but a negative on volleys because heftier frames are less mobile. Racquets are also balanced differently, so keep in mind that some frames will be more head heavy than others. Additionally, we all know that playing tennis is not just about hitting the ball hard. In fact, accuracy is an even more important element in a successful game. The key is to have a racquet that’s right for your style, so seek help from an expert. If you have a chance, playtest a frame before purchasing it. And remember, a more expensive racquet is not always better. OBJECTIVE 2: Improve your swing pattern A technically sound swing pattern will allow you to generate racquet-head speed, and swinging from low to high on your ground strokes will help you generate topspin. This, in turn, helps keep your shots in even though you’re accelerating the racquet. Depending on the situation, you can fl atten out your strokes, such as on down-the-line passing shots, or add more topspin to hit the little dipper (a short crosscourt shot). Whatever shot you hit, the key is to accelerate the racquet through contact and not to hold up on your swing by shortening your follow-through. A coach can help you understand the best swing pattern for each situation. Bending your knees on your serve helps get your hitting shoulder higher. ADVANCED OBJECTIVE 1: Use your legs when serving Although on the surface it looks as if the arm does all the work while you’re serving, advanced players know how to use their entire bodies, including their legs, in their serves. Newton’s third law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. When you push against the ground, the ground pushes back. This drives your racquet shoulder up and helps place the racquet in the proper position behind your back. At the same time, it stretches your muscles and stores energy like a pulled rubber band. In essence, pushing off the ground allows you to generate a more powerful serve. There are two major benefi ts to using your legs this way. One, you call upon the strongest muscle groups, your leg and upper-body muscles—instead of just your arm—to generate force. Second, you’re less likely to get injured because the stresses are being shared by these large muscle groups. Estimate how much you use your legs by noting how much your knees bend during the serve. Research has shown that most top players have an average knee bend of approximately 70 degrees. OBJECTIVE 2: Use both arms for a one-handed backhand We all know that using both arms is critical for a successful two-handed backhand. But did you know that the nondominant arm is also very important for a one-handed backhand? The next time you watch Justine Henin-Hardenne or Roger Federer hit one of their beautiful one-handers, pay attention to what their opposite arms do. Typically, the nondominant arm mimics what the dominant arm does but in the opposite direction. This equal and opposite motion not only helps them generate more power, it also allows them to stay balanced.

Rafel Nadal's Forehand

At the age of 20, Rafael Nadal, a two-time champion at Roland Garros, has already etched his name near the top of the list of the best clay-court players the game has ever seen. But thanks to his monster forehand, he’s a contender on all other surfaces as well. Here’s how he generates so much power and spin with it.

1. Nadal’s preparation for his forehand is outstanding. Here you can see that he’s loaded and ready to go. His racquet is back, his shoulders are fully turned, his back is pretty straight— which I really like—and his legs are low and spaced well, giving him a wide base from which to hit. He’s using a full Western grip, which is great for generating topspin.

2. Nadal’s racquet is in virtually the same place as in the first frame, but he’s still adjusting his feet, leading me to think he may have gotten a bad bounce. Normally, I like to see continuous momentum with the racquet throughout the swing. Here it looks as if he might have checked his swing slightly. Even so, he’s doing a good job of getting his back leg almost behind the ball.

3. His base is set and his left leg is planted. The racquet head is starting to drop and you can see that the face is completely closed. This is common in today’s game. Nadal’s right shoulder is just now starting to come through the contact zone. His legs and back are in perfect position, and

he’s low to the ball. I prefer to see a player get down with his legs like Nadal does rather than bend at the waist.

4. Nadal is pulling the right side of his body around first, and his left side is dragging behind. This helps him load up more power until he’s ready to let his swing rip. He’s beginning to come up with his legs, but, contrary to what you might expect, his weight is shifting toward his back foot rather than to his front, the way tennis players are traditionally taught.

5. Here you clearly see one of the more unusual aspects of Nadal’s forehand. Typically, players who use a Western grip make contact close to their bodies and with a pronounced elbow bend. But Nadal strikes the ball with his left arm almost fully extended. Plus, he’s hitting the ball completely off his back foot, but his right side has come through and his upper body is open.

6. In this frame we can see how today’s forehand differs from the typical forehand of the 1970s and ’80s. Nadal and most pros these days have what I call a “windshield wiper” swing. This means that after he makes contact, Nadal swings his racquet across his body and flips it over, using the same motion as a windshield wiper. In the past, players typically extended through the hitting zone before following through to the other side of their bodies.

7. Another difference between today’s forehand and the one used in my era is that we were taught to follow through high and in the direction of our target and catch the racquet with our opposing hand. That’s not the case here; Nadal’s racquet has gone past his right hand and continues to wrap around his midsection. His weight has finally started to move to his right foot.

8. Amazingly, Nadal’s racquet has finished completely around his body. Look at the position of his right shoulder in the first photo and notice his left shoulder in this one. He was looking over his right shoulder at the beginning and ended looking over his left. This rotation is a great checkpoint for everyone, regardless of the forehand you use. If you can go shoulder to shoulder, you’ll ensure a full stroke.

Use your weight for better ground strokes

One of the most common phrases used by instructors is the admonition for students to put their "weight into their ground strokes"—or, as it’s sometimes said, "step into the ball."

There’s no denying this is good advice, but many players appear to have a hard time getting the hang of it. To get a better feel for using your body weight to produce more solid baseline shots, imagine you’re at the beach and walking into the water. As you get waist-deep in the surf, you see a chest-high wave approaching. Anyone who’s been in this situation before immediately knows what they should do: widen their stance, brace themselves with their feet, bend their knees slightly and then move forward at the same time the wave strikes their body to counteract the force of the water.

This feeling is much the same as what you should experience when you properly step into your ground strokes. So the next time you go out to play, imagine the oncoming ball is a wave and your goal is to use your stance and weight to move into it to keep from getting knocked over.