It is said that tennis is mostly a mental game. Almost all the the top 100 players are fast, strong and have good technique and biomechanics. What separates one player from another at this level of tennis? The answer is mental strength.

So what can the top tennis players such as Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic teach you about mental strength?

Physical and Mental Fatigue

If you have ever played a tennis match or watched a Grand Slam final, you know tennis can often be long and tiring. When your body gets tired it lets you know. Your legs feel heavy, muscles ache, joints twinge and your short of breath – so you adjust as best you can. This happens to everyone, even the best in the world.

However, unfortunately your brain tends to let you whats going on too late. Before you know it, you’re out of mental juice, and your concentration is on a downer. Suddenly you’re making mistakes that you were not making earlier in the match. Recognising when you are running low on mental power is very difficult. This is where the best tennis players seem to have something extra that gives them an edge over their opponent.

Rather than dealing with mental fatigue once it sets in, players like Djokovic, Federer and Nadal do something else. They prevent mental fatigue from occurring in the first place.

Control the Controllables

So how do you prevent mental fatigue from setting in? You may have heard the phrase “control the controllables”. Typical psycho-babble stuff. Whad does it actually mean though?

OK here is a quick exercise that will help:

First, make a list of the things you truly cannot control. Most are obvious such as the weather, bad line-calls, windy conditions, what your opponent is doing, cheating, etc… You may be surprised at how many things really are outside of your control.

Next, make a list of things the things clearly under your control, such as your serve, what you are saying to yourself, what you are eating and drinking, time you spend between points, how you react when things don’t go to plan, etc…

Why Does This Work?

Simply making these two lists will raise your own awareness of what you can and cannot control. The key is to take full responsibility for what they are, and practice letting go of the things you are now aware you cannot control.

This is the best way of conserving valuable mental energy for more important things such as good concentration. So you are now making less errors….and winning more games, more sets and more matches….which will build your confidence and stroke the fire of self-belief.

This is one of the things that separate great athletes from the rest of the herd and allows them to focus even when they are physically exhausted.

Have fun….look after you brain and it will look after you!

Don Macpherson is a UK based mind coach who has been involved with sports personalities for more than 22 years. He has appeared on television and radio several times for the BBC, and has been a regular contributor to various UK national newspapers such as the Sunday Times. Over the years Don has worked with all sorts of athletes including Tennis Grand Slam winners, Ryder Cup Golfers, Premier League soccer players and Formula One Champions. Visit his website to learn more.

Meet the Biomechanic

Brad Langevad is a man of science. He has degrees in biochemistry, genetics and physiology and has one of the highest registered IQ’s in Australia. But more importantly, he’s a tennis player/coach who wants to help. Brad is also a good friend of mine and a lovely (and a little shy) person.

Brad Langevad has literally redesigned my technique to prevent injury while increasing the power and accuracy of my shots. With out his help there is no way I would be able to compete on the Legends Tour today. Brad opened my eyes to the secret world of tennis science and biomechanics.

Brad Langevad has scientifically analysed, studied and interviewed hundreds of professional and amateur over the course of many years. What he found has defined the coaching philosophy he has successfully used for 20+ years. This philosophy which he has used to coach top players like Greg Rusedski and me is finally available for the general public.

The Book

The Biomechanics of Tennis is the best book on tennis technique and biomechanics out there. The best technical coach in the game has finally revealed the secrets to the players in his book. So I highly recommend you pick it up if you want to take your tennis to the next level.

Here’s a taste of what you’ll learn:
• How to hit the ball like a professional
• How to prevent injuries
• How to get more power and accuracy
• Insights and analysis such as why Monfils keeps getting injured

If you want to learn all this and much more do your self a favour and buy his book.

www.bradlangevad.net

Cheating in tennis is a tricky topic to discuss. In part because many people in the tennis world will deny it even exists. It’s a topic most would rather sweep under the rug because it’s a dirty stain on our otherwise clean and beautiful sport. Cheating in tennis is also very hard to spot because it is easily camouflaged and hard to prove. In this article I will expose and explain the single most common way players cheat in tennis.

Illegally Calling the Trainer

In my opinion (and many others), illegally calling the trainer has been rife in tennis for decades and it’s time officials did something about it.

The rule is that a player can not receive treatment for ‘loss of conditioning (fitness)’. Loss of conditioning basically means tiredness, cramping, sore muscles, etc. Basically anything but an accident such as a twisted ankle, cut, sickness (not due to being tired), etc. Any player in the later stages of a match is having some ‘loss of condition’. we all get tired especially during five set matches. So almost any massage on a sore body part at this stage is treatment on something that is suffering from ‘loss of condition’. It’s as simple as that really.

How do Players Illegally Manipulate This Rule to Their Advantage?

Often a player will fake an ‘injury’ in order to get a medical timeout for nothing more than ‘loss of conditioning’. In other words they are tired and need a rest. Coincidentally these so called ‘medical’ timeouts seem to happen at crucial stages of a match where their opponents are getting the upper hand. So essentially players are calling tactical medical timeouts with a fake ‘injury’ as an excuse in order to get more rest and put their opponents off. This subtle and sophisticated form of cheating is very effective particularly in close matches where momentum is very important.

How Has This Rule Been Allowed to be Broken Time and Time Again?

One reason could be that it is hard to prove that someone is faking being hurt. How do you prove something like that? Another more likely reason is that even though it’s the trainers responsibility to diagnose and determine what condition the player is in, the trainer is under extreme pressure not to call a ‘loss of condition’. Remember, these are the players that the trainer sees regularly in the locker room and knows well. Even if it’s obvious to the trainer, it’s hard to call a ‘loss of condition’ on a friend.

So What Can be Done?

I believe there should be an independent medico such as a doctor going on court with the trainer to supervise and diagnose and treatment. This doctor does not have to deal with the pressure of seeing and treating these players every day. He or she would be unbiased in their decision and able to call these issues for what they really are, a ‘loss of condition’.

Most players work very hard to get fit and strong in preparation for a tournament. Being fitter than your opponent and being able to wear them down is a tennis strategy as much as anything else. It takes hard work and dedication. So lets not let a few bad apples cheat their way to victory. The Grand Slams are a battle of the fittest over two weeks. Lets keep things the way they were intended and let the best athletes and players win.

What do you think? Does something need to be done about cheating in tennis? Have you seen this happen recently? Let me know what you think on Google+, Facebook and Twitter!

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Weather conditions like the one I just described above is what I like to call a great leveler. Top players need to play more conservatively to keep the ball in the court which makes them less effective. Like all players, they will make more mistakes as the wind moves the ball in the air just before contact with the racket. Shots hit with spin will slow the ball down when going through the air but are safer and easier to control. Hard and fast shots, like the ones that take our breath away on TV, are usually flat (have little spin) and are riskier and more difficult to control. It’s hard to notice on TV but the wind and other weather conditions can have a huge impact on tennis matches making opponents more evenly matched.

So how do you play in these conditions?

Playing with the wind at your back will naturally increase the speed of any shot coming off your racket. So ideally you would need shots that you can control and keep from flying out. Slice and heavy top spin are your go shots for this. Slice skids quickly through the court and heavy top spin makes the ball drop down and bounce up. Both of these shots are great for pushing, moving and forcing your opponent back while keeping the ball from flying out due to the wind.

Playing with the wind in your face on the other hand will slow down the speed of your shots. So to stop the ball from falling short you would use flatter shots to keep the ball deep and penetrating.

Attacking the Net

Now, I don’t want to sound like an old grandfather saying “in my day things were better”, but the fact is that there is something missing in this generation of players. There is some truth to what you hear when people say tactics in the wind were cleverer and more thought provoking in my day. This is because players of my generation didn’t have the technology of powerful spin creating stings. We had to think and come up with creative ways to win in the wind. We had to attack the net!!! “But Pat, what’s so great about attacking the net?” I hear you ask. Well it’s all about the passing shot really.

Passing Shots

It’s a plain and simple fact that it’s hard to cleanly hit an accurate passing shot with the wind blowing as it did on day two at the 2012 Australian Open. Not to mention almost impossible to lob accurately. A good heavy top spin serve or approach shot with the wind at your back will mean your opponent will have a hard time generating enough pace to pass accurately. If they want to get power they risk over swinging and miss timing their shot. Oh and did I mention it’s windy and the ball is moving all over the place…?

With the wind against you, a low and soft and short approach is also effective and great for mixing up the pace. Follow a shot like this aggressively and get close to the net. This will tempt your opponent to hit a hard passing shot that will be hard to control and keep in the court with the wind blowing the ball long.

What the Best Players Do

To counter this the best players with superb control such as Federer, Nadal and Murray will often cleverly try to place the first passing shot down to the feet of an incoming player. This forces the incoming player to hit a defensive volley which the best players then follow up with a second passing shot. Some may even attempt a lob but they are a chosen few. All this takes tremendous skill which most don’t have. Almost anyone reading this will have success applying the above strategies.

I will cover more in depth strategies and tactics on this topic in the future but for now just remember that passing in the wind is very hard. Use this fact to your advantage!

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think on Facebook, Twitter or Google+

The Tactics

It was interesting watching the tactical plan of both players today. Fernando Verdasco, keen on moving Tomic around the court to expose his lack of speed, used his big serve and forehand to control and win points. This agressive strategy worked well for the first two sets but fell flat in the end. Bernard Tomic, on the other hand, was hitting to Verdasco’s backhand side in order to open up the court and unleash to the Verdasco forehand for the change of pace winner. Tomic cleverly mixed up the pace and strategically used slow balls to mess up Verdasco’s timing which proved to be devastatingly effective in the end.

So What Actually Happened?

Why did Fernando Verdasco’s strategy stop working and Bernard Tomic’s prove to be so effective? Well it’s something the so called experts haven’t explained or haven’t picked up on. The truth is that Verdasco’s forehand is no longer as reliable under pressure as it used to be. And it’s driving the poor guy crazy.

Let me explain…

Fernando Verdasco makes contact with the tennis ball out in front of his body with a straight arm. This is very rare amongst the top players in the world. Yes it’s true, Federer does it and so does Nadal on the odd occasion (depending on the shot selection). Federer is a man with some unusual technical and Biomechanical quirks. His natural ability allows him to get away with things that most people could never do. And when I say “most” I really mean everyone.

Ok moving on…

In the windy conditions, like the ones today, no player (including Verdasco) is able to time the ball as well as he would like. Now, if a player hits every forehand out in front of his body with a straight arm, he would have to be very careful not to hit too far in front (over reaching) causing loss of control. This is exactly what happened to Verdasco time and time again today just as it did for a great part of last year. Verdasco’s forehand is his ‘go to shot’ under pressure and it no longer works as today illustrated. This alone is sending his ranking further and further down. Unless this issue is fixed I believe he will really struggle to regain his top 10 ranking spot.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

Now I’m not trying to take anything away from Bernard Tomic’s 1st round victory. Tomic played some fantastic tennis and exploited a weakness in Verdasco’s game. This is what tennis is all about. Mixing up the pace, using the wind to your advantage and playing clever tennis is exactly what Tomic needs to keep doing.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Please add me to your circles on Google+, Follow me on Twitter and Like my Facebook Page to get the next Australian Open Highlights and Analysis sent straight to you.

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“The study of the mechanical laws relating to the movement or structure of living organisms”

This definition from Google explains biomechanics in its simplest form. A better explanation would be something like this:

Biomechanics is the study of the ‘mechanics’ of the body.  While we dont think of humans as machines, in many ways, we actually perform a lot like them. The concepts used in basic mechanics can also be applied to the body.  Biomechanics is a large field which covers many things like the mechanical function of muscles, connective tissue, cartilage, skin, nerves, bones and joints. Biomechanics research also includes research that is focused on human movement and performance where the internal and external forces that the body uses to produce movement are examined. By taking the laws of physics and engineering and applying them to the human body, we are able to explore the relationships between body movement and the prospective outcomes. For example, we can learn how to run faster, hit the a tennis ball harder or what may cause injury.

Phew! Now that we got the technical stuff out of the way…

The Benefits of Biomechanics

Basically, it’s studying how the human body naturally wants to move, and applying that to sports. By understanding biomechanics we can teach people to move in a natural way that optimizes strength and stability. By moving in a way our body likes we can remove stress and pressure on the bones, joints, muscles and ligaments.  Doing so, reduces the risk of injury. Makes sense right? Yeah I think so too.

Why Doesn’t Everyone Teach This?

The odds are that most tennis coaches and organizations don’t even know what biomechanics is. Or if they do, they don’t understand it and don’t want you to know about it. Because if you did you would demand they teach tennis with this in mind. This would require them to admit they are wrong and re-learn everything they have been taught. And that’s way too much effort. It’s a shame because the field of biomechanics is well understood and taught in other sports such as sprinting, swimming and even cricket.

I Learned the Hard Way so You Don’t Have to

I have had an unusual amount of injuries through my tennis career. Back, knees, achilles, shoulder, you name it and I’ve probably had surgery there. It’s a regret that I did not have this information during my professional tennis career.  It would have saved me from so many injuries.  Changing my technique and adopting the principles of biomechanics has allowed me to stay healthy, improve my game, and continue to compete on the champions tour. If biomechanics has great benefits for a grandfather like me, imagine the potential it has to help the players of today.

I hope this post has given you a better understanding of what biomechanics is and why it is so important to tennis. In the coming weeks I will write about specific techniques, do in depth analysis, and give you biomechanically proven step-by-step guides on how to improve your shots.

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Who Am I?

Imagine you have over 25 years of tennis experience under your belt. You have played on the center court of Wimbledon, Australian Open, US Open and the French Open with millions of eyes watching your every move. Holding their breath and praying for your victory or defeat. You have heard the roar of the crowd as you lift the Wimbledon trophy above your head and felt the crushing disappointment of not being able to compete because of injury. And you have felt the thrill of helping professional tennis players fix their game and crack the top 10. This is who I am and these are a few of the experiences I have had in my life. You can learn more about me here.

Why A Blog?

The simple answer is that I want to share my tennis knowledge, experience and secrets with you. I do this because I love the game and blogging is the most direct, easiest and fastest way to do this. I have seen so many careers (including my own) cut short because of bad coaching and misinformation. I want to put a stop to this. I want to teach you the most effective and fastest ways possible to improve your tennis. I want to spread and make this knowledge accessible to everyone. And the best way to do that is to give it away for free. Sound good?

How Reading My Blog Will Make You A Better Tennis Player?

There is a lot of wrong information out there. That is the simple truth. I was a victim of this for much of my professional tennis career and I want to make sure you are not sold the same snake oil I got. I will give you professional grade information that anyone can pick up and use immediately. Below are a few things I will show you:

• How to spot bad advice and what to do about it
• What your tennis coach doesn’t want you to know
• The biomechanical secrets to more power and accuracy
• How to injury proof your body
• The fastest way to increase your reaction speed, agility and stamina
• Why scouting opponents is important and how to do it like the pros
• Spot anyone’s weakness in 10 minutes and how to exploit it
• My secret training methods for breaking world records
• The proven 3-step process to getting into the zone
• How to get inside your opponents head and why it’s important
• The top 10 qualities all great tennis players have in common
• Proven psychological techniques to suppress nervousness
• How to fight like your life depends on it
• The 10 core tennis styles and how to beat them all
• The pros secrets to dealing with pressure

I will teach you all this and much for FREE. Sound like a good deal?

 
Thank you for reading my first ever blog post. What did you think? If you liked it and want to learn more please subscribe!