I feel almost like an intern, but more like the non profit lawyer at that prestigious law firm.  Working your way up for that big tenured position, but what if you don't want money, you want credit?  What if you don't want applause, but the satisfaction of knowing that you were able to do above and beyond not just the clients' expectations but your own lofty standards?  Respecting yourself, your craft, is the key to upholding your own sanity in the professional world, because often politics and other extra variables tend to dilute your passion for what you do.

Rocky II

I've seen Rocky II, but not in a very long time, and I forgot how inspirational these movies are, apart from the actual fight against Apollo Creed, is actually a very real look into the life of a man who is struggling with his identity, a crossroads in that he is looking to provide for his family, and also trying to do so without jeopardizing his own health.  But what you know is best, is you know yourself, or at least you're supposed to, and Rocky knows what he's good at, and that's getting his face beat in, and having the heart of a champion!

"Pre-Match Eating Strategies" – By Coach Mike Bolla

Most of your body's energy on match day will come from the foods you've eaten over the past several days. But you can boost your performance even more by paying attention to the food you eat on the day of your match. On game-day strive for a diet rich in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and low in fat.

Here are some guidelines on what to eat and when:

Eat a meal 2 to 4 hours before your match: Choose a protein and carbohydrate meal (eg. cereal and milk, beans and rice, egg whites and whole wheat toast etc.)

Eat a snack less than 2 hours before your match: If you haven't had time to have a pre-game meal, be sure to have a light snack such as low-fiber fruits or vegetables (eg. bananas, watermelon, cherries, carrots etc.), crackers, a bagel, or low-fat yogurt.

Try not to eat anything for the hour before you compete or have practice because digestion requires energy — energy that you want to use to win. Also, eating too soon before any kind of activity can leave food in the stomach, making you feel full, bloated, cramped, or even sick.

Everyone is different, and has a different metabolic rate, so get to know what works best for you. You may want to experiment with meal timing and how much to eat on practice days so that you're better prepared for your game day.

"The Mental Game" by Coach Mike Bolla

A coach once told me tennis is like a mixture of boxing and chess. Boxing because you are head to head against another opponent trying to score points (you are hitting a ball though in tennis not each other -although I have seen the latter in a tennis match lol) and chess because there is a mental or ‘thinking’ aspect of the game which is what this article will focus on.

 If you have gone to tournaments or even watched ‘racquet gladiators’ battle it out, then you’ve no doubt been privy to matches where people say at the end  ‘Wow, how did he lose to that guy, he’s such a better player than him’ or  ‘wow she beat her? How? She’s nowhere near as good!’ or maybe those remarks where even a little closer to home ;) Many a times players can win matches solely on their physical skill or capabilities, while similarly players who do not have as much physical talent can win matches  with their ‘mental game’. When you have a combination of the two it is deadly and then you have players like a Federer or a Lendl or Graf etc.

Some Preliminary Ideas on ‘Tennis Chess’ or The Mental Game

State

 When you are frustrated, upset, or feeling bad do you usually play well? It is important to manage your focus.  So, if you have a match and you see your sister has eaten the last bowl of cocoa puffs (which is not the best pre-game meal anyway, but that’s another article ha!) you can get all upset and let it affect you, and you bring that to your match or you can just let it go and say to yourself ‘I have an important match this morning and I’m ready for it and focused and nothing will phase me.’  So as this example suggests, your state can have a lot to do with how you’ll perform.  As a general rule, the better you feel, the better you’ll play.

Strategy

 Another focus is strategy.  You know your opponent and therefore you have decided on a game plan on how to play him/her. Even if you just met this person a great opportunity to develop a game plan is during the warm-up. I recommend to all my players to really warm-up half hour before their match on their own before getting on the court with their opponent, especially if it is their first match of the day or if they’ve been sitting or waiting around for hours. Hitting with a coach or another friend is excellent, or if that is not available, hitting against a wall, or using a ball machine are excellent as well. This will allow your focus to be on your opponent during the official ‘warm-up’, enabling you to develop a winning game-plan. An example - You notice the player during ‘warm-up’ has a very weak overhead or has made 1 out of 8 overheads and struggles with that shot. Translation to game-plan – I will draw him to the net or when he is at
 net I will, the majority of the time as my shot selection throw up a high lob. Some people feel uncomfortable about this sort of picking on another player. At the higher levels of sport you can be assured players and coaches are watching video footage of their opponent for this very reason.

 Besides knowing the other player or your opponent it is very beneficial as well to know your own game. Not only for improvement during practices but also in match play. Some examples, if you know your second serve is significantly weaker than your first serve, try as much as possible to get that first serve in. Even if that means taking a bit of pace off of it. Another example, if your net/volley game is weak,  on an approach go for it, instead of using it as a set-up shot for a volley winner. The more you know your strength and weaknesses in your game, not only will it be a good barometer on what you should work on to improve in practice, but in match situations it will allow you to put your best game on display.
These are just a few ideas to help you with this many a’ times neglected aspect of the game.

 Remember you can play hard or you can play smart. Or if you really want to be a great player, you can do both.

"Explosive First Step" by Coach Mark Contreras

Sometimes overlooked is the first step a tennis player takes in order

to move to the ball.  This first step taken to attack the ball is like

a small explosion coming out from the balls of your feet.  In many

cases, you will be able to notice explosive movements and first steps

in several different shots.  A few examples are the serve, running

shots, and unloading into an approach shot.  We can even see explosive

movement in the first step in the recovery after a big shot.

You will notice gains in power and velocity not only in your footwork,

but also in your strokes.  My college coach once explained to me that

the roots of great strokes needs to start from the ground up.  You

will find yourself more alert on the court because of the intensity level needed to create this movement.

Some ways to help improve and develop an explosive first step:

1.) Begin practice with a dynamic warm-up.

2.) Work on a lot on plyometric exercises such as: Power cleans, wall

ball shots, etc... you an find examples of these on www.crossfit.com

3.) Keep your body alert on the court by staying off your heels and

always bouncing around on the court.  Not like a kangaroo or a rabbit,

but by constantly shuffling the feet.

Developing an explosive first step will make match play more exciting

because you will get to more balls and maybe put a "W" on your track

record.

Pro to follow: Rafael Nadal

Watch This:

Example:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-lvdvrw5yA  (Copy and paste

the link if you can't click on it)

"Diffusing a Powerful Shot" by Coach Mark Contreras

Many times in competition you will come across someone who is an
aggressive baseliner.  An aggressive baseliner is an individual who
prefers to win points at the basline using a lot of power and pace on
the ball to disarm the opponent.  Players will experience being over
powered on several different areas of their shot such as: lack of
balance, wider court to cover, and loss of control upon striking the
ball.  The question is now, how do we protect ourselves against so
much power?



Some key points to focus on when anticipating a powerful shot is to:

1.) Utilizing the court by running through the baseline to shorten the
angle of the ball.  This will allow you to get to the ball faster in
order to prepare for the shot.

2.) Create a wide base with your legs and stay down low.  This will
prevent you from being off balance and give you more stability and a
stronger center of gravity for your core.

3.) Keep the racket close to the hips.  This will shorten the distance
that the racket has to travel in order to make direct contact with the
ball.  When doing this, keeping the racket in the strike zone as long
as possible will provide control and power back into the shot.

In my experience as a tennis player, I have found that diffusing
powerful shots with these key points has not only helped me return the
shot, but has made my shot more effective with control and stability.

Pro to follow: Roger Federer-Examples of diffusing a powerful shot.

"Back to basics" by Coach Kirk Schaaf

Do you ever feel like playing tennis and no one is around to hit?  It happens all the time, that's when it's time to go BACK TO THE BASICS!  In Chersterfield, Missouri I grew up learning from dropping and hitting a million tennis balls with my dad.  He would always say “underneath pressure, bad form won’t hold up”.  We didn’t have a lot of money growing up so we couldn't afford lessons.  My dad was no teaching pro but he knew what looked right and what wasn’t right.  Drop hitting helps you find your rhythm, timing and is easy to see if any part of your swing needs tweaking.  If the majority of your balls are going into the net, maybe your not driving through the hitting zone long enough.  If the majority of your balls are going long try to finish lower by creating more spin to help keep it in the court.  Drop hitting is beneficial to look at the result of your shots and next time adjust it to where the stroke feels natural and smooth.  Some students I teach who could hit pretty well from the baseline, struggled when feeding a ball or drop hitting one.  Drop hitting is one of the most underrated drills in tennis.  People tend to think well I’m better than that and its boring.  After about ten minutes of drop hitting whatever stroke you want to practice forehands, backhands, volleys, overheads, slices, half volleys, taking the ball on the rise, to even swing volleys out of the air, these drills will make your swing more effortless and your shots will improve immensely.  Next time you hit the court just grab your basket, racket and go "Back to the Basics".